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The Basics
Oral Roberts vs. Missouri State
Date/Time: Sunday, December 10, 2017 / 3 p.m.
TV/Video: KGEB / ESPN3 / WatchESPN
Radio: The Franchise 107.9 FM / 1270 AM
Location: Tulsa, Okla. (Mabee Center)
ESPN3/WatchESPN | ORUAthletics.com | The Franchise
ORU Notes | MSU Notes | Summit League Notes
ORUMBB | ORUAthletics | ORUMBB | ORUAthletics | ORUMBB
TULSA, Okla. – The Oral Roberts men's basketball team will host a hot Missouri State squad Sunday as the Bears bring a seven game winning streak and a mid-major ranking of 15th into the Mabee Center.
Sunday's game will tip off at 3 p.m. and will be available locally on KGEB and around the world through ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app. Radio broadcaster Adam Hildebrandt's radio call of the game can be heard on The Franchise at 107.9 FM and 1270 AM, and online at TheFranchiseOk.com.
Important Links
ORU Game Notes: vs. Missouri State
Opponent Game Notes: vs. Missouri State
Summit League Notes: Week 5
Live Stats: vs. Missouri State
TV / Live Video: ESPN3 / WatchESPN
Free Audio: vs. Missouri State
Quick Hits
• ORU trails the all-time series with Missouri State 8-7, but is 5-3 at the Mabee Center. Missouri State has won each o fthe last two meetings, both coming in Springfield. The last time the two teams played at the Mabee Center, ORU won 80-65 in the season opener.
• Following ORU's two games in Malibu as part of the 2017 Progressive Legends Classic, sophomore Emmanuel Nzekwesi was named to the subregional All-Tournament Team. Nzekwesi averaged 13 points and 6.5 rebounds against Montana and Pepperdine in Malibu.
• Entering the 2017-18 season, senior center Albert Owens was picked as a preseason first team All-Summit League selection while sophomore forward Emmanuel Nzekwesi earned preseason second team honors. Additionally, Blue Ribbon Sports tabbed sophomore guard Sam Kearns as The Summit League's Preseason Newcomer of the Year.
• It is a new look for ORU this season. In addition to new Head Coach Paul Mills, who will bring a new look on both offense and defense, ORU has nine newcomers, including a trio of redshirts from last year. ORU also has a new logo and home court design that were both released just before the start of the season.
• In the 98th game of his career, Albert Owens reached the 1,000 point mark, tying him with Luke Spencer-Gardner as the 28th fastest to reach the mark. Owens was the 34th player in ORU history to reach the 1,000 point mark.
For the latest information on ORU men's basketball, follow @ORUMBB on Twitter or Instagram, or go to www.ORUAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading the ORU Athletics Front Row App at ORUAthletics.com/frontrow or the ORU Golden Eagles Live App in iTunes or the Google Play Store. For tickets, visit mabeecenter.com or call 495-7ORU (7678).


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Ten rounds for time of:
135 pound Deadlift, 15 reps
15 push-ups
Tommy Hackenbruck 11:01, Taylor Richards-Lindsay 13:34. Post time to comments.
Compare to 100927.
Enlarge image
Dave and Elliot Tranum.
"Attending a Level 1 Trainer Course as a First Time CrossFitter" with Tim Gallagher and David Temple, CrossFit Journal preview video [wmv] [mov]
"Isabella and CrossFit LA Kids" - video [wmv] [mov]
WOD Demo with Tommy Hackenbruck and Taylor Richards-Lindsay - video [wmv] [mov]
"Making You More Awesome: The Red-Hot World of Online Learning Services" by Marshall Kirkpatrick, Read Write Web.

subset: commoncrawl


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After a life filled with destruction of others and himself, and his body ravaged by disease, there's only one thing left for Javier Calero to do. Leave a legacy that will finally bring meaning to his life—and to the death of an American president more than fifty years ago.
The CEO of a green energy company is murdered behind his million-dollar estate, his neck nearly severed in two. Recruited to aid the widow and find a savage killer, Booker finds himself in the middle of a family train wreck.
Days later, thrust into the crossfire of a deadly sniper, Booker eludes sure death with the uncanny arrival of a young woman who only wants to save her father from harm. But she can't do it without Booker's help.
Joining forces with a Latin spitfire, Booker and his new sidekick, Maggie, embark on a twenty-four-hour quest to hunt down a killer determined to make an indelible mark on history—just like the one that struck down John F. Kennedy a half-century earlier, which launched a cascade of assassination investigations and theories.
BOOKER - Hate City weaves a historic tale of thrills and suspense, examining the justifications of the unjustifiable.
Book available from...
Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk Barnes and Noble iTunes Kobo
Booker Hate City is the third book in the Booker series and can be read as a standalone. I must admit I was a bit wary about continuing the series as I did not enjoy the second book as I was hoping I would. However, I am glad I overcame my scepticism as after completion of this installment my faith in the series as been renewed.
Booker was working on a case that involved the theft of JFK assassination memorabilia when he was presented with another case. This case involved the murder of the CEO of Evergreen Energy company. Now when a second murder was committed, Booker is forced to utilize all his resources to determine if the murders are somehow connected. In trying to solve the case he joined forces with Maggie Calero, a former DEA agent turned private investigator. They met when she prevented him from shooting a sniper. Her reasons for being involved in the investigation was more of a personal nature than a professional one. What followed is a story of explosive proportions.
As usual the characters were well developed and easy to relate to. The story was action filled and very suspenseful. The story was filled with so many twists and turns your head would spin. It kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. They were some humorous events that had me laughing out quite a few times . There are several cases taking place at once, however, as you get deeper into the story you realise the significance of this. It appears that the cases are connected but to find out how, you will need to get a copy of Booker Hate City.
This was a fascinating and exciting read. Fans of mystery, suspense and thrillers would enjoy this tale. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
Check out the other books in the series
Booker: Streets of Mayhem (Booker #1)
On a cool October afternoon, the majestic blue sky above Dallas is polluted with swells of gray smoke, carrying shattered memories of fifteen people, mostly children, who've just been killed by an explosion on a bus.
A white supremacist group claims responsibility, opening old wounds, turning neighbor against neighbor--fracturing the community.
A Southeast Dallas native, Booker T. Adams couldn't be more invested in the city…in the people he'd served for the last seven years as a beat cop for the Dallas Police Department. Without warning, it becomes personal for Booker on so many levels. And as panic grips the city, he must decide how much he's willing to sacrifice to end the chaos.
With his career called into question and his family in the crosshairs of one terrorist act after another, Booker invests every fiber of his being to protect a broken community, and to stop the brutal, senseless slayings.
If he fails, terrorism will reign in the city of Dallas.
Book available from...
Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk Barnes and Noble iTunes Kobo
Booker: Tap That (Booker #2)
A performance for the ages.
Courtney Johnson brings the house down in the heart of the vibrant Dallas Arts District. Later, shrills pierce the hallways of Wyle Theater when Courtney, a budding Broadway musical star, is found dead, a single bullet to the head.
Driven to find the killer before panic tears apart the arts community and all those who support it, private investigator Booker T. Adams discovers evidence of a professional hit, then uncovers a lovers ' triangle that takes him all the way to the mean streets of Boston.
And then it happens again. Another performer killed, someone Booker had met. Rocked by the shocking murders, performers and patrons alike fear that a serial killer is on the loose, and no one knows when and or where another dead body will show up.
But professional obligations quickly morph into personal vendettas. Running against an unforgiving clock, Booker is forced to solicit the help of a crime boss, The Shark.
With his life threatened at almost every turn, and his heart being put through a meat grinder, Booker taps into every resource at his disposal to stop more than just a killer.
But at what price?
Full of unforgettable characters, bone-chilling suspense and stunning thrills, BOOKER - Tap That is a wild ride that will test even the most fervent reader's quest for a luminous reading experience.
Book available from...
Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk Barnes and Noble iTunes Kobo
About the Author
About the Author
A veteran of the corporate wars, former journalist, and true studier of human and social behavior, best-selling author John W. Mefford has been writing novels since he first entered the work force twenty-five years ago, although he never put words on paper until late 2009.
John writes novels full of intrigue, suspense, and thrills, but they also evoke an emotional connection with the characters.
When he's not writing, he chases three kids around, slaves away in the yard, reads, takes in as many sports as time allows, watches all sorts of movies, and continues to make mental notes of people and societies across the land.
John lives in Frisco, Texas with his beautiful wife, three opinionated kids, and a feisty fat cat who rules the world.Find the author on the following sites...
Follow the book tour
I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.
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Ever read all the fine print on a bottle of Dr. Bronner's pure castile soap?
Don't worry, we haven't either. But we're excited to hear that University of Texas student Eli Olson plans to turn it into poetry when he hosts a reading of the text, in its entirety, at an Austin park tomorrow.
The "Dr. Bronner's Soap Bottle Reading" is scheduled for 6-7 p.m. Friday at Hemphill Park, 201 West 30th Street.
"As the last rays of summer sunlight fade into fall, join me on the grassy slopes of Hemphill Park as I read, unabridged, the complete text of a bottle of Dr. Bronner's Lavender Soap," Olson wrote on a Facebook page advertising the event. "Possibly while perched on a tree. The event is free, but I'll be accepting donations to cover soap costs."
Olson, 20, says the event started as a joke, but he really does plan to do it. He plans to use his "best Southern preacher/shaman's voice."
"I was in the shower one day and reading the soap, and thought, 'Hey, it would be really funny to say I'm going to read the soap in front of everybody and then actually do it. I had no idea it would blow up like it did."
The label is notoriously strange, with normal stuff like ingredients and uses, and a lot of really weird stuff we can't explain. Read the text from a bottle of the company's baby soap here.
Natural Grocers will donate soap for the event. Olson says he will set up a wash station "so you can bathe you and your loved ones in magical pure castile soap."
Olson invites attendees to bring their own labels or brands to read, soap or otherwise. "Maybe we can get a cool label reading thing going," he said.
As of noon Thursday, nearly 300 people had RSVPed for the event.
"It's hilarious and intriguing, and how many of us have not read the words on that label?" said Robbie Searcy, who said she may attend.
The reading will take place in the main part of the park, behind the fire station and near the basketball court, Olson said. "You will know of the true soap bottle reader as I will be swathed in a multi-colored blanket," Olson wrote.


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Alok Jha is joined by Guardian science correspondent Ian Sample and environment site editor Adam Vaughan to ponder the slow start to the badger cull in the UK and ask whether it's likely to achieve its goal of reducing the incidence of bovine TB.
They also discuss Sir Martin Rees's plea for science to come up with a plan B to tackle climate change using geoengineering, and the Voyager 1 probe.
Also on this week's show, we report from the British Science Festival in Newcastle where the inaugural Huxley debate took place. Alok interviewed the protagonists, Prof Tim Spector and Prof George Davey Smyth, who debated the emerging study of epigenetics – changes in gene expression during one generation that may be inherited by the next. Has the whole field been overblown?
Subscribe for free via iTunes to ensure every episode gets delivered. (Here is the non-iTunes URL feed).
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We're always here when you need us. Listen back through our archive.
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The violin is hardly the first instrument that comes to mind when you think about jazz, but that's never daunted Billy Bang, one of the instrument's most adventurous exponents. Over the past 26 years Bang's hard-edged tone, soulful sense of traditional swing and evocatively expressive style has enhanced over two dozen albums by top names in a variety of genres, from the blistering funk of Bootsy Collins and the harmolodic groove of Ronald Shannon Jackson's Decoding Society to the intergalactic uproar of Sun Ra. With more than 15 albums under his own leadership, nearly a dozen more in co-led endeavors, and five more with the String Trio of New York (which he co-founded in 1977 with guitarist James Emery and bassist John Lindberg), Billy Bang is one of the more prolific and original members of the progressive scene. Born William Vincent Walker in Mobile, Alabama in 1947, his family moved to New York City's Harlem while he was still an infant. In junior high school he was nicknamed Billy Bang after a cartoon character, and over his initial protests, it stuck. Around the same time, his primary interest turned to music, and he took up the violin, switching to percussion in the early '60s when he became captivated by Afro-Cuban rhythms. While attending a Massachusetts prep school under full scholarship, he met and began playing with fellow-student, folk-singer Arlo Guthrie. Drafted into the army following graduation, Bang was sent to Vietnam, an experience that profoundly affected his life, often quite painfullyRead more
Fab Trio with Billy Bang - History of Jazz in Reverse (2011)
Billy Bang Quintet Featuring Frank Lowe - Above and Beyond (2007)
Billy Bang's Survival Ensemble - Black Man's Blues/New York Collage...
Vision Festival 16 Billy Bang Memorial and Then Some
Billy Bang (1947-2011): An Appreciation
Jazz Violinist Billy Bang Dies
Jazz violinist Billy Bang dead at 63
Announcing the Winners of the "Billy Bang - Prayer for Peace" Giveaway
Enter the TUM "Billy Bang - Prayer for Peace" Giveaway
Billy Bang - Prayer for Peace (2010)
Violinist Billy Bang and Bassist William Parker at the Rubin Museum...
Billy Bang and Yusef Komunyakaa at Harlem Stage
Billy Bang and Yusef Komunyakaa to Collaborate in 'Sacrifice' at Harlem...
Fab Trio Joe Fonda, Barry Altschul, & Billy Bang Sweet Rhythm Fri. &...
Firehouse 12 to Present the Billy Bang Quartet November 9th
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Separate names with a comma.
Discussion in 'The Mainboard' started by Artoo, Apr 20, 2015.
SC and nc are pathetic from what I hear
Got this today in the mail...
How much?
I traded a bookers 30th that I won in a raffle from g8r its a 2016, it trades for $550 pretty consistently.
When can I expect my sample to get here?
My championship bottle. Opened it the night Clemson won it all in Tampa. Drank from it again after the Notre Dame blowout. Drinking from it again tonight seems appropriate. Cheers to being 15-0 and on top again.
Such an amazing bottle. Enjoy.
I can't like this post but it deserves recognition
Gentleman is asking $1,200 for all of this below. Good Deal?
Four Roses LE Small Batch 2017
Four Roses LE 130th anniversary
Elijah Craig BP batch A118
Rock Hill Farms
ORVW 10year
Old Scout 11year SB (Sarah bottle)
Spoiler: Pics
Bold is my addition looks like he's about dead on secondary I admittedly don't know much about the last bottle.
Thanks Detlef Schrempf
People pay $400 for that 10 year Van Winkle? Jesus.
Secondary is out of control.
Yeah that seems to be pretty standard.
Man, I wouldn't even pay $100 for it. Bourbon is the new BA sugar bomb stout it seems.
2 of my stores did Raffles one sold it for MSRP $64 and the other marked it up to $150. Glad it was gone when my # was drawn at the higher price store.
Went to a store today and a lady told me she had some Pappy 23 in the back. I asked the price..........$3200. Hard Pass. Went down the street and bought a 1792 BiB Store pick for $32. Much more my speed.
There is a place outside Jacksonville I think it is. A few years back when everyone went nuts for Pappy. Small liquor store had a bottle. My cousin asked the price and he said $5,000. My cousin laughed at him. Owner said someone will pay it eventually so he's not dropping the price.
Total Wine in Tampa lost their Pappy allocation a couple of years ago when Van Winkle found out the owners of the Tampa location didn't sell any of it they just kept it for themselves and friends.
There's a store here who has the only pappy allocation within 50 miles of me, they have a 15 year for $2500.
The Van Winkles are pretty serious about shenanigans that go on with their bourbon. They worked hard to prevent ebay from allowing it to be sold (eventually a tv show did a feature on a teen buying pallets of vodka and ebay stopped allowing liquor sales altogether). They're working on preventing it from being sold on CraigsList and are going to work on the social media sites as well. They're slowly ramping up production and their goal is to get it on actual shelves within the next few years. I don't know how realistic that is, but I know they're producing more than they ever have before.
Buffalo Trace ramped up Weller production this year and it has been noticeable. A liquor store owner near Cincinnati had it on his order list for 6 years and never got any, he didn't even know what the bottles looked like, just knew it was in demand. He went from that story last spring to having a spot for it on his shelves last month.
Is Rock Hill Farms a must get if I can grab for retail?
I really liked it, thought it lived up to the hype. Easy drinker, could gargle with it.
Yes. Better than ETL IMO.
Today's haul in SF...
Rock Hill or Hill Rock?
There's Rock Hill Farms and Hill Rock. Two different things. They're talking about Rock Hill Farms.
Still hunting for ETL and RHF. Finally got some Weller Antique.
Finished my bottle of Antique Single Barrel Store Pick last night, curious how close it is in comparison with a regular Antique. Maybe I'll open that bottle tonight
Do you drink it neat or on ice?
depends on my mood and what I am drinking...
Here is a pic of my latest collection to make up for my gaffe.
Hope you drink them relatively quick with all that light coming in.
Got a bottle of Bourye for $60 and must say I was disappointed....not very interesting and definitely nothing special in my opinion. Maybe it's a bad bottle. Love MWND
I love Bourye, hate to hear you didn't like it. Could just be the batch since it is a blend. Was it the standard bottle?
I haven't seen RHF in years, not even people posting pics in bourbon club of getting it somewhere.
Anyone ever get a bottle of Smooth Ambler Very Old Scout? I got a bottle of it for $75 when Smooth Ambler bottles first hit the scene. I found it online. Blend of 14-19 year old barrels. It was every bit as good as Pappy. Haven't seen a bottle since then. Even contacted them and sounds likes it won't be a thing again for a very long time.
Yes, there was restarurant in DC that had a case of them from years ago that were sitting by their little used upstairs bar. They were pouring $8 2oz pours. Someone found out about it and posted it online and that case was gone in a week or two.
Many people tried to buy the entire bottle off of them but the restaurant said no. Some dudes even had their wives call and beg saying it would be a Father's Day present from their kids or something.
I just bought a store pick SAOS that I haven't opened but I've never tried their stuff. A lot of people really like some of the tougher to find bottles though.
Same. I've tried the VOS and another more rare bottle and both were great but I stopped buying from them when they doubled the price of everything within the past 2-3 years.
The store pick I bought wasn't bad I think it was $40, maybe I'll crack it tonight and if I do I'll let you know if it's any good.
When it first hit it was in the $20s if I recall. I'm not against $40 but whenever I'm going to spend in the $40 range i just end up gravitating to another bottle. Report back and maybe I'll give it a go.
Is Blood Oath pact 4 worth $100 MSRP?
The experimental collection bottles I've considered trying to pick up just to try some of the unique stuff they're trying in the warehouses, what did you pay for it and which bottle is it?
Do you live out there? You can buy stuff online from K&L and they will hold it for you for like a year. I loaded up on some rum/scotch last time I was out there.
Eagle rare is dangerously easy drinking
Especially free
Doesn't get direct sunlight. Huge oak trees block it. It's only been there since Christmas anyway. It will go away as soon as I put everything away from the holidays. Been lazy.
It's the 30 minute UV treatment bottle. Paid 69.99.
They had a 15 minute UV bottle that I passed on due to reading review.
I don't. Here for work. Was thinking about stopping by their store. Do they have good prices?
Would anyone here pay 299.99 for Bookers 30th? That's $100 over MSRP...


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This post originally appeared here: Posterous
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Bad men...
This post originally appeared here: Posterous
Monday, January 24, 2011
Local Man of Mystery
If it was some sort of super secret I wouldn't mind but it isn't. This is a self imposed vow of silence that I have to conform to or I'll say something I really shouldn't. As I'm sure you can tell, this is not a position I like to find myself in. Interestingly I have written about it at length, but it will for now remain for ever in draft, until such time as I feel it deserves the light of day.
Apologies for being so cryptic however this in part explains some of my recent silence on the blogging front. I'm trying to set all that to one side and focus on normality though and that dear reader is how we find ourselves here.
In other news: some colleagues from a previous role are having a get together tomorrow. I really wish I could be with them for loads of reasons, not least that it's been far too long since I've seen any of them. Unfortunately current work commitments mean I won't be with them this time, but they are trying to make it an annual event so I will be doing all in my power to be there next year. In the mean time I'm raising a glass of red to them over this evenings dinner (curry, if you wondering). All best and good luck and good health all round.
I've always loved January. Just because it's my birthday month and that serves to brighten up what would ordinarily be a depressing month. So close to Christmas most people have no money left, are over weight from the merry making and generally feel depressed with cold weather and long dark nights. This year, I'm right with them. I was hoping for an International feel to the year, but so far, its been a really fudgy start to 2011. I'm hoping it all improves for all our sakes.
Ho hum. Glad to have you back. More coming very soon. Take care. G.
This post originally appeared here: Posterous
Friday, January 21, 2011
Pale Kid Rapper
This post originally appeared here: Posterous
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Free Office Apps are lush...
Still loving this software... cross platform, Excel, Word & Powerpoint equivalents... but best of all.... FREE!!!!
Thanks Lotus
This post originally appeared here: Posterous
Desks & Movies
I can't tell you why, but my level of blogging so far this year has been terrible. I could have a guess at why mind you... things like the new role, while not keeping busy to begin with have been occupying my mind. Daughter's broken wrist has also added an extra layer of "helping out" that I have to get involved with. Not that I mind - far from it, but it is just one more little task that takes up unvaluable blogging time. (yes - unvaluable)
People say you shouldn't bother blogging unless you've got something worthwhile to say. Poppycock. If that were really the case would Dr Johnson ever have completed the dictionary ? or would Samuel Pepys have written his now famous diaries?? I think not. So I couldn't really give a fig if it's interesting, far more important to me is that it's here at all. It is, when all is said and done, my vent, my pressure valve, the place where I can jot down whatever happens to be passing for a thought through the cluster of nurons I have come to know as my brain.
With that in mind, here's my next little project that's helping me achieve three things at once. 1) More focused work environment. 2) Better ergonomics. 3) Weight-loss as is appropriate for this time of year. This is all coming from reading this article on Lifehacker. For those of you that don't read Lifehacker - you really should. It's full of interesting stuff and you'll wonder how you missed it.
So a desk you stand up at helps you burn more calories - I'm all for this. Here's what I'm working with today:
What I'm after is something that's temporary enough so as not to damage the desk should I ever what to switch it back to normal desk mode, but then permanent enough to be strong and stable and a bit of a faff to disassemble so that I stick to the regime while in raised desk mode. Needless to say that for the time being, the hunt continues...
Onwards now then and "Two out of three ain't bad" (as the song goes) but in this context it refers to the number of movies I managed to watch from the list of three I mentioned previously. I had tried to do all three, but sleep was calling my name like a game of hide and seek.. "Coming - ready or not"
The upshot of this is that I'll share my thoughts on both "The Other Guys" and "Scott Pilgrim vs The World" with you as briefly as I'm able.... hmm, so apologies in advance if this is lengthy. Stick with it. It's worth it.... Honest.
The Other Guys
Will Ferrell. He's a funny one and I don't necessarily mean funny haha. I can't decide if I like him or not. He's made a couple of really great movies and a couple of real spanners as well, so he's sort of balancing in the middle there somewhere. Sometimes his humour is fantastically observed and very witty. He sparks off of John C. Reilly in "Stepbrothers" and "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" both of which are must see American comedy, and his comedy drama skills look good in both "Stranger Than Fiction", "Elf" and (perhaps more comedy than drama) "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy". And then there's the "also ran's" in the shape of "Blades of Glory" & "Semi-Pro" neither of which cut the proverbial mustard.
Strangely, even though in this list there are clearly five good verses two bad, I still seem to have a mental image of him being generally bad - so I must be doing him a dis-service. Which brings us to "The Other Guys". It's trying to be a buddy/cop/comedy movie - and sort of is - but not in the "Beverly Hills Cop" sense or even the "Lethal Weapon" sense. It is perhaps slightly more mature "Stepbrothers" in the police force, only without John C. Reilly and instead with the excellent all-rounder, Mark Wahlberg. In the end I found it was Wahlberg who kept me watching just to see what he'd do next. Will, while still very funny and consistent, continued to deliver the "Will Ferrell comedy actor" role. Overall 7/10
Scott Pilgrim vs The World
Now here's a movie with a pedigree. This has all the pointers to be awesome. If you loved "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz" then SPvTW should be right up your street. I say that, but of course, it rather depends on what you loved about the other two movies. For example, if it was Simon Pegg's or Nick Frost's acting that kept you glued then you might be onto a loser. However, if it's the writing and the witty script that got you - and if you are of the 80's/90's video game generation, and if you enjoy a comic book look of a movie .... (see "Tank Girl", "Hulk" (2003 not "The Incredible Hulk" from 2008), "The Mask" (1994), "V for Vendetta" (2006) and the list just goes on and on and on...). If you can manage to tick those boxes, Scott Pilgrim (or "The 7 exes film", as I recently heard it referred to) will make your day.
I surprised myself by really enjoying it. Very nicely put together, for which we must thank the writer/director Mr Edgar Wright (he of Shaun and Fuzz fame). Some excellent effects keep the comic-strip genre alive and I now have a tiny crush on Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Ramona Flowers) about 15 years too late. Overall 8.5/10
I do have huge concerns about Miss Winstead's next project though - which is a rework of "The Thing". For those of you unfamiliar, "The Thing from Another World" was made in 1951 and based on John W. Campbell's short story "Who Goes There?". It's a great story and a good movie for the 50's. However, when John Carpenter got hold of it and made "The Thing" in 1982 he took it to a whole other level.
For my money - it's done and is perfect. It doesn't need a remake. The studios are chasing old money again after some slight success with remakes such as "Nightmare on Elmstreet" and "Halloween". As much as I can't wait to see Miss Winstead, I just hope they don't balls-up the movie.
So that's it for today. I will be watching "The Girl who played with fire" and "The Hole" and probably "Salt" in the not too distant future. Hopefully the gap between writings won't be as long this time. Take care.
This post originally appeared here: Posterous
Sunday, January 16, 2011
I miss NYC
NYC - Mindrelic Timelapse from Mindrelic on Vimeo.
PS: Blogging will return to normal this week.
This post originally appeared here: Posterous
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Another year
That's me. 21 again. Disturbing really. When you're a kid you never think about getting older. You just think you're going to be this old, this way forever.
But you're not. Things change. In fact, the only constant thing in the universe is the inalienable fact that things change. Always a bit unsettling really, because generally speaking we don't like change. We find our little corner and we get comfortable and that's where we like to be.. that's how we like to be. And then - as is the way of the universe - something comes along and changes it and we're not comfortable anymore.
Birthdays change you every year. I distinctly remember when I was 21, thinking "Wow it's not old at all really is it? It's another 9 years until I'm 30, I'm only just over half way to being that." and when I was 30 I was thinking "Another 10 years until I'm 40 - that's forever away. I'm still very young" and if truth be told, I am still very young. In fact in the grand scheme of things even if I were a thousand years old, I'd still be very young. In both theoretical mathematics and reality I am 21 again. ie: 42.
I've been trying to figure out how I went from being in my mid thirties to my mid (well early) forties. I blinked when I was 35 I think, and when I opened my eyes I was 40. I mean, it's not like it should be unexpected, I've known for a long time that I'm getting older, but that, more than the fact that I am actually older is the most terrifying aspect of ageing. It's not the actual ageing, it's the speed at which it happens.
Still - I'll put on a brave face. Keep on singing and dancing, propping up my end of the tent, heaving the mill wheel and leaving them begging for more - etc etc.... So on the subject of aging, here's a few gems of knowledge that are worth imparting.
My father told me: "You're only as old as the woman you feel"
"I have a gym in my house. The thing is, though, I'm only trying to live longer so I can eat more cheese and drink more wine."
- Ricky Gervais, certified genius.
"It was one of those British faces that, once seen, are never remembered"
- Oscar Wilde
"My hair's got a life of it's own. Last week, I found it in the Kitchen making itself an omelette"
- Paul Merton
Evelyn Waugh famously once said: "All this fuss about sleeping together. For physical pleasure I'd sooner go to the dentist any day." Well, in my part of Wales, it's now easier to find someone to sleep with than it is to find a dentist.
- Patrick Hannan
"Yes, I do wear spectacles, but only for reading and seeing things."
- Ronnie Barker
"Middle age is that time in life when childeren and parents cause equal amounts of worry"
- Romy Halliwell
And on that bombshell.....(which incidentally is another phase I've learned to loathe - thank you Mr Clarkson). Sorry I haven't written for a day or so, but I've been busy getting old and trying to understand what's expected in my new role. The first part of that is easy, because we all just get old by travelling forward in time. The second part is a whole other bundle of confusion brought about mostly by the fact that I'm new to it even though I've done similar things before. All I can do, is what I can do, and try not to let anyone down in the process.
Curry for tea - yum yum yum. This evening I will attempt to watch either "Scott Pilgrim vs The World" (The film about the 7 girlfriends), "The Other Guys" (A comedy buddy cop movie) or "The Girl who played with Fire" (Part 2 of the Millenium trilogy of which I have high hopes). Will let you know tomorrow how that went and what I thought.
In the meantime - I'm looking forward to being 21 again.... which I reckon will be in 2032, change dependant.
This post originally appeared here: Posterous
Sunday, January 09, 2011
IBM and the Jeopardy Challenge
This post originally appeared here: Posterous
More deep truths...
Friday, January 07, 2011
It's getting cloudy..
Well that's almost week one of 2011 done. So far so good. Of course as far as the Starfleet stuff is concerned it's very early days and I find myself reading and reading and reading and just for kicks doing a bit more reading. There's no denying I'm very well read. Luckily that suits me just fine. A gentle run into it is far better for my well being than dropping from a great height.
It also gives me the opportunity to keep up to date with some of the more interesting tech news. For instance yesterday saw the launch of the Mac App Store. If you're not a Mac user, feel free to look away now. Having said that, you should really be saving up your pennies to become a Mac user. Let me just evangalise for a moment, oh and before I get going, there is no personal benefit to me should you be buying Apple, Microsoft or any other manufacturers product for that matter. I'm not actually trying to sell anything here.
<sales pitch/lecture mode ON>
Let's be very very clear. I'm NOT a fan boy, although I have become a fan. IMHO for home use, there's nothing better than OSX for the time being.
...And no I'm not biased either - I was an MS man through and through from way back when MS-DOS arrived all the way up through Windows 2, 3.1, Windows for Workgroups, Windows 95, 98, 98SE, NT, NT3.51, NT4.0, 2000, and XP.. Finally when Vista landed I'd had enough. Constant patching, blue screening, hanging, locking and replacing drivers was all just getting too much like hard work.. I'm even a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (lapsed now) but the point is I really do know what I'm talking about.
I was a Unix/Linux system admin from the early 1990's and I still turn my hand to some of it from time to time. But it's always when someone has a problem with it and it needs fixing. Why does it need fixing!??
I hear good stories about Windows 7 and I like nix/nux platforms, but I converted almost two years ago, and I'm not going back.
Where I'm at things just work. They might have dropped that from the advertising, but it's still very much the truth. So, I've told you what I know, what you choose to do with that information is your choice.
<sales pitch/lecture mode OFF>
Now where was I? Oh yes. The App Store.
So what is it? Well, if you're familiar with an iPhone or an iPod touch or an iPad then the App Store on those devices is exactly the same thing except for being on your Macbook or iMac. What's more, once you've bought an application once, you can re-install on any system that uses your iTunes ID. Not only that, but the products are of much lower cost than if you went out and bought them on CD. Furthermore, once you have them, they're updated automagically (or at least when you tell them to check for updates).
This change to the way that software is bought and managed isn't exactly new. Microsoft have been doing something similar with their "Windows Update" service for quite some time, but the runaway success of the app store in the mobile world is likely to be repeated on your desktop or laptop for shear convenience if nothing else.
It seems to me that we're heading towards a world in which what we buy as consumers (music, video, software, books etc etc) is stored online for us to access when we need it. In other words, good old CLOUD again.
In the old days this was the mainframe model. Nothing was local other than a screen and keyboard (the terminal) and everything was off in a data center somewhere. PC's changed all that and everyone started having "Fat Clients", where everything you wanted was on your desk. This is a nightmare to manage though and while there are some fairly successful methods for doing so, the technology has in recent years been leading us full circle and back to "Thin Clients"
It's not exactly the same model of course, more of a hybrid, but CLOUD has definetly been the buzzword of the last two years with the likes of Google trying to lead the way. I think with the launch of the App Store that Apple are attempting to get to a similar destination via a slightly different route and I fully expect to see some sort of Audio streaming coming from them in the near future and probably followed up with video. The apple TV is already their thin client of choice for the living room after all.
The issue is the same issue it's always been though. Connectivity. While the Internet is pervasive, that is only in the more well connected parts of the planet. We keep coming up with ingenious ways to provide connectivity, but so far it doesn't have the reach of air or sunlight for example. Hell, we can't even get fresh water everywhere, so acess to the internet should be the least of our worries.
It's a strange world that we live in when you see highly connected sheds in the outer reaches of Africa yet your phone signal will routinely drop in the center of any of the metropoli (is that the plural of metropolis?) that you care to think of. It maybe getting cloudy, but it's not overcast yet.
This post originally appeared here: Posterous
Thursday, January 06, 2011
Tax is Taxing (More austerity measures & geekery)
Even if the government try their damndest to tell us otherwise, they are, quite frankly, wrong!. Tax is Taxing, in fact, it's a right royal pain in the harris!
It appears to the man on the Clapham omnibus, the man on the number 10 bus, the layman, Joe & Joanna Public or whoever you wish to generalise the tax paying nation of britain as, that the key problem with Tax paying/collection is it's complexity. If you want everyone to pay a bill, make it simple and they'll pay it. Make it complicated and they might pay it, but you might not be able to tell if they did or they didn't without spending a huge amount of time (and time is money) trying to figure out what they actually did.
Of course, historically, there may well be a very good reason for the Tax system being so insanely complicated that it's becoming unmanageable. After all, I have no doubt there have been plenty of high earning ministers who are happy to hang on to their income rather than contribute to the public coffers and interestingly it's not illegal to avoid paying tax, its only illegal not to pay tax should you be supposed to do so. Not much of a loophole there then!
I hate the system because of it's complexity, but right now, I love the system because of it's complexity. It's become apparent that the government have done something wrong with the way they've been allocating Tax codes over the past 2 years. I've had a look at my previous payslips and P60's and guess what?... Sure enough I've had a different tax code every year for the past three years which is interesting when you consider that my job hasn't changed and neither has my salary during that period.
Something is amiss.
As a result, I've spent some time trawling through the HM Revenue & Customs documentation here and having run some numbers through the Tax calculator here, it seems I'm owed some money back. WooHoo!!! A call the to the revenue man and if all is well, a cheque will be in the post. I've calculated a saving of around £400. If I can keep up this level of income I could give up the day job.... oh... hang on... that's not quite how it works is it?
Before I rush off looking for interesting and inventive ways to spend this new found wealth, I think we're long overdue a bit of the old geek talk that is really what I started all this blogging for in the first place. So there's two particular items I'd like to draw your attention to.
Quora and Kindle. I know, it sounds like I'm talking some foreign language and there's a whole other post waiting to be written about product naming conventions, but for the time being I can assure you that I'm still using english...mostly.
I'm sure an awful lot of you will have heard of a Kindle by now. It's the "e-reader" that Amazon.com sell. If you're still lost, think of an iPod for books and if you still haven't got it, it's like a book that's connected to the Internet so that you can change the contents of it into any book that's available.
Mrs Ball senior had her birthday in November and Mrs G and I got her a Kindle which hopefully she's now downloading books onto and reading them like a good 'un. I've installed the Kindle software on the iPad too, and in fact, it's won me over. Better than iBooks (keep trying Apple) just because of it's synchronisation facilities. I can read a few pages on my phone while I'm sat on the bus, and then when I get home I can pick up my iPad and open the same book at the exact spot I'd reached while I was on the bus, thanks to the "whispersync" technology that they've deployed. It also means if I sat in front of my Mac (or PC for those that still haven't figured out that old problem) I can do exactly the same. It's clever stuff.
This leads me onto another quick VAT wheeze.... books. I love em, what with them being VAT free and full of interesting things to read and all. So I'm not happy that for some insane reason, digital editions of books have VAT applied to them... I mean "How the Flaming Fudge did that happen!!??". However, there is a wealth of old books that are available for free on the kindle (other devices are available and are very good too). Keep your eyes peeled for the classics if you're that way inclined.
One feature of the actual kindle as opposed to the software versions that can be downloaded onto all the other hardware platforms, is the text to speech facility. On a real kindle, it's an awesome addition making the need to purchase audio books (for those to lazy to read, or wishing to look cool on the tube with headphones and not a book) irrelevant. Sadly this functionality doesn't work on the other devices as yet, but I'm sure it'll come eventually. Overall, my opinion of Kindle-ing (I'm not sure that's a real word, but it's 'coming to a dictionary near you' soon no doubt) is "Highly Recommended", especially with this: The Hanging Shed, which was a joyous little read and the first of many that I'll be reading via this technology.
Now, to Quora which is an online knowledge market. (It's a what-now? -Ed).
The word itself is another "non-word" (see Google or Yahoo) which has been canibalised from words such as "Quorum" (the number of members of a group or organization required to be present to transact business legally, usually a majority or a particularly chosen group), "Quor" - (of which) and probably a dash of "Enquire" - (to seek information by questioning). What it is, is a website for you to ask questions: http://www.quora.com/
It's a sort of cross between "Twitter" and "Yahoo Answers" and to be honest, the best way for you to understand it, is to go and use it. It's organised into groups and people, and if you know the answer to a question posted there, then feel free to share the answer. This is, after all how we move the wealth of human knowledge forward.
Having said that, if you answer questions that you don't know the answer too, it's also how we can move the wealth of human knowledge backwards as well. Case in point: http://funnyyahooanswers.net/ - Nuff Said.
And there it is for today. Onwards and upwards into more starfleetedness. I can only hope that reports like this prove to be true for all of us. I'm not holding my breath.
Take care and chin up.
This post originally appeared here: Posterous
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
Group B Monsters - The Days of Madness
A beautifully put together 7 minutes, with gorgeous soundtrack to match. 1980's Group B Rally driving at it's best.
This post originally appeared here: Posterous
Golfyball's Austerity measures start here....
Here I am carrying on where I left off.
....and another thing.... If austerity measures are good enough for the government, then they're good enough for me!! I mean they should be concentrating on the tax evaders rather than penalising the tax payers, but two can play at that game. It's now become my mission to re-examine every single expenditure I have and to reduce it where possible to see what can be saved without reducing my quality of living. This might be fun, and who knows we might both learn something.
My largest outgoing is a mortgage. Right now I can't do much about this. It's fixed rate and the redemption fee makes remortgaging prohibitive. It is actually my one biggest bug bear with the entire financial crisis. Interest rates are at an all time low and I'm saddled with almost 6%. On the plus side, I've only got another 6 months until the fixed period ends so you can expect interest rates to climb significantly by then. It's just my luck.
Next item I'm going to tackle is the TV package. I'm a Sky World HD subscriber. Not so many moons ago this used to cost about 40 quid a month. Now with HD and our new friend "Mr 20% VA feckin T" thats climbed to in excess of £60 per month. It's got to go. Obviously freeview is an option and is in fact what we have in the rest of the house (only having sky in the living room) but after much deliberation and research the answer for me is Freesat+ HD.
Humax Foxsat HD PVR but the saving is my Sky subscription fee every month. So 5 months will see it pay for itself, which means the real question is what's the impact on the service itself? Over the last couple of months I've been paying close attention to what we watch which has helped me gauge what we need and it turns out that the impact to our viewing habits is almost nil, and in one case is actually improved.
Sky have over 30 HD channels and god knows how many other SD channels, but we regularly still only watch the major 5. Occasionally we dip into the sport, or movies, but generally speaking the Sky offerings themselves are pretty much neglected.
The beauty of the Freesat solution is what is can do that Sky can't or simply will not. Sky are very possessive about content, even when it's not theirs. With the Freesat box you can plug in external USB storage and copy recordings off the box for manipulation via a whole host of video editing applications. Furthermore, freesat now supports the BBC iPlayer, a beautiful piece of software that allows you to go back and watch any of the last 7 days BBC TV content on-demand, as well as a few other choice bits off BBC output. In the near future it will also have the ITV Player and 4OD which are essentially the same service but for both ITV and Channel 4.
Of course, there is a little known (because Sky don't really want you to know about it) offering from BskyB which enables you to watch all the "free-to-air" channels available on the platform. You need to have a free sky viewing card, which costs a mere £25. Sounds ideal doesn't it? But there's a catch. If you want to be able to record anything, you need a Sky+ subscription and that's a tenner a month. Equally, you can't move any of these recordings anywhere else. Seems stupid.
Put simply switching to FreeSat HD+ is a bit of a no-brainer and why I haven't done it sooner is beyond me.
So that's going to save me £720 per year and I've been making active noises about Amazon vouchers for birthday presents to help me fund the initial outlay for the box. Looking for a win-win situation here.
So what's next to get the chop ??.... ah... my Tax Burden.... Tune in tomorrow. :-)
This post originally appeared here: Posterous
Tuesday, January 04, 2011
When one fifth is too much...
Happy New Year... right that's that. I won't be mentioning it again now. It's all done with. Other than to say I trust you all enjoyed yours with merriment and all that that implies.
Now it's back to reality with a serious bump. Be warned, I've dug an old orange box out of the back of the garage, and I'm about to turn it upside down and hop on top for a bit of a rant....
Over the last 12 months fuel costs in the UK have gone up by around 15 pence per litre. On January the 1st we had a fuel duty increase of 0.76 pence and todays VAT rise means a further 3 pence per litre. This brings the average price for a litre of fuel to around £1.26 (approximately £70 for a full tank). What's worrying is that we don't seem to care and I suspect this has a lot to do with the lack of understanding by Joe & Joanna Public as to how this figure is arrived at.
The cost of petrol (& Diesel, there's not much difference anymore), the actual product, is more like 40p per litre, so whats the other 85p ? The retailer makes around 5p per litre and the remaining 80p Is straight in the governments pocket. That's just over 20p in VAT and around 60p in duty.
The duty alone is more than the actual product!!!??!
In 1995 the government had 39.4p out of the 54p per litre (73%). By 2000 this had risen to 58.6p of the 76.2p (77%).
Now I'm reading rumors of further price increases being hidden under the cover of the VAT increase by unscrupulous traders who just seem intent on making a miserable situation even worse by being greedy b@5****s.
The BBC reported this gem today:
The VAT rise may spur a broader increase in the price of goods, according to a survey of 200 senior managers by accountancy group KPMG.
It has claimed that many retailers are planning to use the tax rise to "mask" more extensive price increases.
It said 60% of retailers and consumer product manufacturers planned to increase their prices over and above the VAT rise.
As a nation, consumerism via retail fuels our economy. Without it nothing will work quite properly. Or at least that is what we are taught to believe and I'm quite sure that on many levels it's true. However, our all new shiny hybrid government seem hell bent on some pretty major social experimentation in the name of saving money. As a result, we're going to have a phenomenal year or total meltdown. I'm not sure I can call it either way just yet.
I reckon the best advice I can suggest would be to keep your eyes peeled and count your pennies. The high street have been backed into a corner and it looks like they're going to turn nasty.
It could be a fight to the death and as consumers, we'll only take so much before it all just becomes too much.
This post originally appeared here: Posterous


text:
Apr 21, 2009
Jimmy Kimmel on the NY Jets scheduling problem (video)
Because of the ensuing saga of the NY Jets scheduling problem with Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, Jimmy Kimmel interviewed one of the players on the team to hear his thoughts on the issue....
Labels: football, Rosh Hashana, video
2 comments:
- yoni r.April 21, 2009 10:01 AM
Is it really an "ensuing saga"? I thought that the NFL was reviweing the Jets' letter? Doesn't really seem to make it a "saga" so far.ReplyDelete
Great video, by the way.
- AnonymousApril 21, 2009 11:51 AM
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.ReplyDelete
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text:
Radiant And Poignant
Rating: 5/5
Binding: Paperback
Wow being a gay male must be rough, so I can't go there. I found Edmund's so called "ramblings" as described by many reviewers to be beautifully written and real. Yes, the book was a bit hard to read and get through, but I found it poignant yet distressing. Most of his friends start dying, and his surrogate teenage children go back to Chicago. I found the chapter about Gabe and Ana rather interesting since it was retold again in The Boy With The Thorn In His Side (Gabe and Ana are Keith and Laura), in his version he describes all the love he feels for them as a mentor/parent. Not only is Edmund in the 70's, a gay cruiser, struggling writer, drug user, but he also has to struggle financially to parent two rambunctious teenagers that he rescues from horrid circumstances. Edmund writes from the heart, and is painfully honest as he writes about the many losses he goes through in this wonderful book.
Publisher: Vintage Uk
Edmund White
Unique, Exciting and Recommended
Rating: 5/5
Binding: Paperback
I love books that have intelligent, strong, independent heroines. There are so few. But Nick in Wake of the Hornet helps make this book so enjoyable and along the way you learn about airplanes and anthropology. I loved this book. On top of having a heroine I could identify with, Wake of the Hornet has a unique premise and is a real page turner from the moment Nick gets asked to fly out to a small island in the Pacific. Val Davis just keeps getting better and better.
Pages: 304
Publisher: Bantam
Val Davis
This book is a good investment!
Rating: 5/5
Binding: Audio CD
This book shows you how to achieve millionaire status without having to tie up all your time and money in your own business. You don't have to spend a lot of time implementing these steps. Just forget about asset allocation, stay 100% in stocks during your earning years (and maybe after), and pick good stocks and stay with them. These steps are clearly laid out. If a person follows them, she will be successful. The author printed several interviews with successful investors to show how the steps work for them. They also show you how you can tailor the steps to suit your personal style. I think this approach makes sense for at least part of your portfolio. It'll also make it easier to sleep when the Nasdaq plunges on the latest Fed tightening.
Publisher: Random House Audio
Fantastic introduction to cryptography
Rating: 5/5
Binding: Hardcover
Fantastic introduction to science of cryptography and it's history. Goes into a lot of information about how various codes work, how they're broken, and so on.I only have a couple of criticisms of the book, namely that it leaves out some very important encryption systems. Very little is talked about the coding systems used by the US and the Allies, and by the Japanese, in WWII. The use of the Navaho language is extensively covered, but the more traditional systems are hardly mentioned. Also, there is virtually no mention at all about how modern symmetric cyphers, such as DES or the new AES (Rjindael).All in all though, a great read an a good introduction to the field and it's history.
Pages: 416
Publisher: Doubleday
Simon Singh
A lot of pages but every one is great
Rating: 5/5
Binding: Paperback
Truly a novel for everyone's tastes. Fans of stories like The Triumph and the Glory or The Testament will like this book. People who liked The Reader or Memoirs of a Geisha will like this book. People who liked Stones From the River or The Pilot's Wife will like this book. Readers who enjoy Follett will LOVE this book. It has everything one could ask of a book. A vast range and scope of human emotion and experience is encapsulated into this book, in a very eloquent manner. Don't miss this one, it is unforgettable.
Publisher: Pan MacMillan
Ken Follett
No bookshelf is complete without...
Rating: 5/5
Binding: Paperback
This book is incredible. It is equal to, if not better then The Hobbit and/or Fellowship of the Ring. The book, seperated into two independant novels, follows both the journeys of the shattered fellowship, and the excapades of Frodo and Samwise. The two novels that you'll find here can be read seperately, or together, but I found it difficult to lay the book down. Tolkien displays his unequaled genious yet again. I am seriously looking forward to the movie this December.
Pages: 352
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin (P)
J. R. R. Tolkien
Rating: 5/5
Binding: Paperback
One word summarizes this book-WOW! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. You'd never expect Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon to split, especially since Obi-Wan wanted to be his Padawan so badly. I know they'll get back together (eventually!) because they are both in Episode I, but I can't wait until the next book is released. This is definitely a must read for Star Wars fans everywhere. P.S. I'm fifteen.
Pages: 144
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Jude Watson
Complicated, but dazzling and wonderful!!
Rating: 5/5
Binding: Paperback
This story gets so complicated that even the author gets confused at least once as to whom is whom. While we jump among three centuries and change bodies and names the characters are going by (whew) Powers weaves a wild and fascinating story with excellent narrative skills. He should write a straight novel about early 19th century England. He obviously knows and loves the subject with intensity. Super entertainment!
Pages: 387
Publisher: Ace Trade
Tim Powers
Frankly My Dear... There is nothing like it!!!!
Rating: 5/5
Binding: Paperback
I never thought a book good be so beautiful, so wonderful, good enough to eat. I saw the movie in 3rd grade and fell in love with it. I decided to go to my school library and pick up a copy of the book. I started reading and even the librarian couldnt believe that such a young child, with such an adult book.My teacher, and class mates, IMPRESSED! For me, I never wanted to stop. From Twelve Oaks to Tara, the thrill never ends. So I finished it with partly understanding but then re-read it in sixth grade. The words that were chosen to make this book, is truly amazing. I have to hand it to your Margaret Mitchell, for creating the best book that America will ever know. Because with all of the books I have read and with all of the books I am going to read, I know there is nothing like, "Gone with The Wind." "Frankly My dear...there is nothing like it!" So I am suggesting you start reading it soon, because if you dont have time to day, dont worry . . . "Because tomorrow is another day,"
Publisher: Warner Books
Margaret Mitchell
Alexandra Ripley
I envy all who havn't read it...
Rating: 5/5
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
I read this book a couple of years ago and, as most of Hesse's novels, it filled with joy and fascination. In most of Hesse(Demian, Siddhartha, Beneath the wheels) we travel with the characters in a life-journey that we can almost feel as our own. Each of Goldmund's step is a teaching, a coversation with Narcissus is a conflict full of a joyful anxiety, as we wish they would talk for ever. I strongly recommend this book... but my envy to all of you who havn't read this book is even stronger since nothing can compare to reading a Hesse novel for the first time... Enjoy!! Felipe Fl?rez Duncan
Pages: 320
Publisher: Bantam
Hermann Hesse


text: VidaurePERF55 All company names, product names, service marks, and trademarks shown are the property of their respective owners. Unless otherwise noted, Jose Manuel Vidaurre is not affiliated with any of the trademark or service mark holders or vendors referenced here. Use of a trademark or service mark or any other term should not be regarded as affecting the validity of the mark.


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The Stained Glass Studio offers glass designs in various techniques commissioned to fit your living space or freely designed glass art pieces like light boxes, suncatchers, room dividers, and more.
Or learn to make your own glass art by participating in the various workshops on offer.
The Framing Studio offers a wide range of work from whitewashed frames for artist's exhibitions, memory boxes, photo frames, ornate frames for mirrors to bespoke handfinished frames.
Caimileon is based in the west of Ireland close to Kinvara in South Galway. Overlooking Kinvara Bay surrounded by the sea and the Burren it is a wonderful place for art, creativity and beauty.
Have a look around, most of my work on the website is for sale, always feel free to contact me about prices or any other queries by phone or email!


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To mark Seachtain na Gaeilge, we are thrilled to announce that our alcohol education resources are now available as Gaeilge. From our work with schools, community groups and youth organisations across the country, we know there is a demand for Irish language resources. As an organisation, being able to meet this need is very important to us.
Do leanaí agus alcól (leabhrán)
Fíricí agus comhairle le cabhrú le tuismitheoirí tús a chur leis an gcomhrá
Alcól agus tusa (leabhrán)
Faigh na fíricí a theastaíonn uait le bonn eolais a chur faoi na cinntí a dhéanfaidh tú mar gheall ar an alcól
Póstaer treoirlínte alcóil
See our full range of education resources
Seachtain na Gaeilge is a celebration of our native language and culture with events taking place throughout Ireland and in many other countries. The festival gives an opportunity to everyone to enjoy Irish, whether you are a fluent speaker, learner or have a cúpla focal. "Irish is for everyone, Seachtain na Gaeilge is for everyone – Bain Triail Aisti – Surprise Yourself!"


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I often talk about consistency and it's effect on getting your streaming going. A time, a day a date and with that building trust and people will know that you're serious about what you do. But what if there's no way can have solid set Twitch schedule? There's a lot of pressure out there about a Twitch schedule, and post on post that say get a Twitch schedule or me talking about consistency. Now I don't think I can dispel the concept of it but one thing I missed to point out is that a Twitch schedule don't have to manifest it self as a schedule with set dates. So what can you do?
You're not alone!
You're not alone on this, far from it, I read e-mail after e-mail about streamers having the very same issue. Often it's a full-time job that is getting in the way so let's focus a bit on that first. These are not rules to change your life by but take them as inspiration and apply what you think will work for you. After all you know your situation and life better than I do.
Set your priorities
It's all about priorities right, if you know that you want to stream for a living or at least near that you might want to sacrifice a little of your time. I'm not saying to quit your job, but if it's possible say no when they call you in, you have another commitment and that's not a untrue statement you're busy doing something important. For some that might not possible and that's fine I'm going to go over a lot more things.
Think about it like this as well. You're in a position where you can take certain risks since you have job, you can fail with safety net. Failing is an option and it's a great option. Start a project and see where it goes, if it fails it fails, no one will care and you will learn what it's like to start something. It will be a lot easier to start something new again. After all you can either stand still and get nowhere or start and get a better understanding of what works and what doesn't. There's no other way than to do, there's no articles you can read that will give you the experience to succeed. I failed for years before I got anything back but never let the failure get above you, you need to stand above it.
As always you have to love it. You have to love it so much that you can do it for free for a long time. Sure you can have the money as a end goal if you feel like it, who am I to say what might and might not work for you in that case, however unless you have the persistence and love to do it for free you'll burn yourself out really fast.
Can't take certain job risks?
If there's no way to say no, the next step is to figure out if there's a cut off time for work. For instance if you're never get called in after 8PM or before 10AM then you know that you always will be available at that time. Of course that means there will be sacrifices as well. You might need to not watch a episode of Games of Thrones or even have to miss out completely on a new TV show or any other form of time consuming things. Imagine if you took those hours you spent on things that isn't important, that mobile game, that TV show etc. and applied them towards your stream instead. I know that free time is vital to feeling well, however that's up to you, if you NEED that then do that but if you don't need it and instead you want to invest that time into your stream then you do that.
It's hard work, there's no if or but about that and there have to be certain sacrifices when you do both.
Re-thinking the "Twitch schedule"
A Twitch schedule is an important thing right, that's what everyone says at least, and while yes it is. What I've said it's the CONSISTENCE that's key. Actually having schedule and not being consistent will screw you over more, you will loose trust. As I've written before a schedule don't mean 5 times a week it can mean 1 or 2 or 3. Consistence don't mean daily, it means you deliver good content at a set time at set intervals. How to be consistent without a Twitch schedule? Branding. Yes branding can give you a sense of consistency. Of curse depends on how you brand yourself. If you brand yourself if you brand yourself. It can be as simple as the times a week you stream, to the stream name, specific stream "shows" or even just how you brand yourself on social media.
Let's say your brand would be as simple as you have one or two days set that you know that you always will be there. Then that's your consistency, make the best of those moments and then on top of that you can stream whenever you want. But as long as you pour everything into the consistent shows/streams you're doing something, and doing something is better than doing nothing.
You need to be on board with your own decision don't let someone else dictate what works for you. You know what will work for you. A 7 times a week, 8 hours a day approach might not be what works for you. Only because one thing worked for someone else DON'T mean that the exact same thing will work for you. At the end of the day you need to enjoy what you do and if pulling yourself to stream each day don't give you a better stream then don't.
Following outside of Twitch
Another way, or an additional way, is to build your following outside of Twitch. If you're able to build your following on Twitter, Instagram, SnapChat, Facebook etc. you won't need to have a schedule, while yes it might help to get newer followers specifically on Twitch it won't matter as much since your getting viewers from other places than Twitch. None of those social medias are based around schedule bur rather having something random and kind of exclusive. You can see it with YouTubers or other famous people that come to Twitch, they don't have a Twitch schedule or need one since they already have a following outside of that. They didn't randomly fall into being famous, they worked for that and if someone want a following outside of Twitch they need to work on that as well. What that is, well that's up to what you're ready to do and have time for and what your brand is.
Others that don't believe in you?
Alright so this is very trick one, not being supported by either family, friends or a significant other. It won't really be possible to get too deep into the entire thing since it's something that's different from person to person. What I can say is that if you treat it like as a business, a profession or anything else that isn't just "it's just for fun", something that is just for fun have no need for consistency or any serious implication. If others can see that it's not just for fun but actually something that you are dedicated to, I feel and part of me know, that it will be taken seriously. I know that a lot of people say it first became serious when people saw that there was money there. I do however think that it's not all about that, but it's an attitude that you give off, sure money is an easy way to show on black and white that this is more than "just fun". But if YOU have the right attitude and approach people will see that it's something you're passionate, serious and committed about.
I want to thank everyone that have brought up the topic with me before and I hope that it gave everyone something to think about. Again these are my ideas and my thoughts on the topic, you don't have to take them at face value, instead think about them, think about who you are, your content and then apply the parts that you feel fit with you.
This entire article is inspired by a e-mail I got, and other e-mails I've gotten over the last few months. If you want more of this stuff there's new articles every Monday and Thursday, you can also follow me on Twitter to get updates and additional information @visiblespeech Oh and yeah there's a new podcast episode out tomorrow with Twitch Alerts, they reveal some interesting stuff they were saving for TwitchCon to announce be you can hear a little about it here first!


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Remote power control designed for DIN mounting
The ZigBee based on/off relay for DIN rail mounting enables your customers to switch equipment on and off remotely, e.g. from a smartphone or a website.
Key features
- On/off functionality
- Phase dropout alarm
- Energy metering device
- ZigBee Home Automation 1.2 certified
Power metering functionality
The relay consists of a DIN rail unit with built-in relay, and it communicates with a gateway. With this relay, the user is capable of configuring his home appliances in clusters and control a whole group of units instead of controlling each device separately.
The Smart Relay 16A DIN also includes built-in power metering functionality, which enables the user to monitor the power consumption of each group of appliances in a building, resulting in sharpened awareness of power waste and energy optimization. All data loggings are transmitted to a data concentrator.
Technical specifications
- Dimensions: 90 x 58 x 17.5 mm
Power supply
- Supply voltage: 230 V
- Power consumption: 0.4 W
- IP class: IP30
- Operation temperature 0 to +50°C
- Relative humidity 5% - 85%, non condensing
- Storage temperature -40°C to +85°C
Specifications power meter
- Voltage range: 207 to 253 VAC
- Current range: 16 A
- Accuracy: Typ +/- 3.0%
- Optimum: 1%
Radio features
- Sensitivity: -101 dBm @ 1% PER
- Output power: +8 dBm
Specifications remote control
- Max. switch voltage: 250 VAC
- Max switch current: 13 A
Specifications phase dropout alarm
- Via ZigBee
- Conforming to CE, RoHS and REACH directives
- ZigBee Home Automation 1.2 certified


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Acne wreaks all kinds of havoc on your skin. Not only does it cause pimples, blackheads, and whiteheads, but it also creates skin discolorations, leaves rugged craters, makes the skin appear older, and more. That's an awful lot of damage for a skin condition that literally almost every single person in the world has to face off against.
Getting rid of acne is a huge problem, too. Even for people with mild cases it can take years of hard work to finally win the battle. For the less fortunate individuals that have hormonal or cystic acne, it can even be a lifetime struggle to get rid of acne.
Thankfully, there are tons of companies that are dedicated to developing products that fight off acne and repair the damaged skin left in its wake.
One company that makes high quality acne cosmetics is Peter Thomas Roth. Known for everything from shampoos to color correcting creams, this company makes all sorts of cosmetic products. One of their most popular acne treatments is their AHA/BHA Acne Clearing Gel. Today, we're going to provide a complete review of this product.
Peter Thomas Roth Acne Clearing Gel Review
Formulated with a 10% glycolic acid and 2% salicylic acid solution this gel helps to exfoliate damaged skin cells, encourage the growth of new, healthier cells, clear pores, and, most importantly, stop the development of future acne breakouts. It's a truly powerful treatment that works well for most skin types.
On top of helping to eliminate acne flare-ups this clearing gel performs a multitude of other tasks including removing blackheads, reducing wrinkles, getting rid of marks left behind by acne, and even fixing uneven skin tones caused by acne. In other words, it's an all-in-one solution for fighting off acne and making your skin look brighter, younger, and clearer all across the board.
How to Use It
Peter Thomas Roth recommends using this product as a spot treatment one to three times daily. It is designed to be used only on areas that have clogged pores or excessively oily spots. To use it you'll want to first wash your face very thoroughly.
After that you need to apply a thin layer of the gel to your most problematic areas. You DO NOT wash the gel off after applying it. This will negate the benefits. The product is meant to be applied at night and left on while you sleep.
You wash it off in the morning once you begin your morning skin care routine.
The manufacturer states that it is best to start with just one application of the Clearing Gel per day and assessing results before attempting to do two or three applications.
This is because, for some people, the gel can cause excessive drying which may lead to cracked skin and peeling. If you notice your skin is getting too dried out you'll want to cut down the number of applications. If you already have dry skin you may want to use this product only once every other day rather than daily.
We're firm believers in being educated consumers. If you're buying cosmetics or makeup of any kind without looking to see what's in it, well, you may be doing more harm than good to your skin. You should always read the label of products to find out what ingredients are hiding in cosmetics before using them.
Here are the ingredients found in Peter Thomas Roth AHA BHA Acne Clearing Gel:
- Salicylic Acid
- Water
- Alcohol Denat.
- Glycolic Acid
- Glycerin
- Arginine
- Hydroxyethylcellulose
- Ammonium Hydroxide
- Propylene Glycol
- Diazolidinyl Urea
- Methylparaben
- Propylparaben
Ready to Buy? CLICK HERE to Check Current Prices.
Be sure to read over this list to make sure there aren't any substances in the gel that you may be allergic to or have had bad reactions with in the past. The last thing you want to do when it comes to acne is irritate your skin even more!
Not interested in this gel? No worries – there are plenty of other options. For a complete acne-fighting system, we recommend checking out the Mario Badescu Acne Repair Kit. If you just need a good cleanser, be sure to read our review of the Dermalogica Overnight Clearing Gel.
Customer Reviews
In addition to checking out the ingredients in cosmetics you're planning to buy you should also make sure to read through real customer reviews of each product before purchasing them. Why? Well, because these reviews are the opinions of real people just like you. They're honest and well worth reading to learn more about a product.
If you go to Amazon.com you'll find more than 70 reviews posted for the Peter Thomas Roth Acne Clearing Gel. From those 30+ reviews this product has received a moderate rating. More than 75% of people that bought this gel came back and said it worked well for them.
Some people have claimed that before using this product they tried everything from chemical peels to laser treatments and barely saw any results. After using this clearing gel, however, they saw significant reductions in the amount of acne and breakouts they experienced. Many have also said that it goes on very light, works well under makeup, and it doesn't have an off-putting smell like other products.
Background: I am 26 years old and have a long history of acne. I've struggled with mild to severe acne since I was 12 and I've tried just about everything out there, both prescriptions and over-the-counter treatments. As an adult, it's lessened in severity but I still have frequent breakouts, especially around the time of my menstrual cycle.
I've been using this clearing gel for about 6 months now. My skin isn't perfect by any means, BUT this is probably the only product I've ever found that consistently manages my acne and keeps it under control. My routine consists of this gel along with Peter Thomas Roth Blemish Buffing Beads face wash, which is amazing. I also use a very hydrating moisturizer so my skin doesn't yet too dried out. (I use Pur Minerals Soak It Up Intense Hydrating Moisturizer.)
Before I started using this gel, I had two slightly deep lines/wrinkles in my forehead that are now almost completely gone. They didn't disappear over night by any means, but from using this gel every day for the past 6 months, they have significantly improved. So if you're looking for something for wrinkles that will work fast, I wouldn't recommend this product. But if you're younger and want something for preventative aging, along with acne control, I would highly recommend this product.
Want to Try it Yourself?
[amazon box="B00A9ELDS0″]
Other Products You'll Love Too!
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The San Jose Giants baseball organization held its annual job fair Saturday.
Because the seasonal, gameday positions have become so popular, applicants had to first apply online and then be invited to interview at the job fair.
"You know, its a fun place to work, so you know we are glad to have a lot of people show up who want and be part of our family," San Jose Giants President and CEO Dan Orum said.
The Minor League Baseball team is trying to fill about 300 gameday positions.