Monday, December 31, 2012
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Thursday, December 27, 2012
The Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo: A look into Scotland's past
Today, the Edinburgh
Royal Military Tattoo is is Scotland's biggest, best-selling
spectacle, attracting an international audience each year of some
217,000 people and seen by almost 100 million people in 30 countries.
63 years ago the Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo was just a display
consisting of three groups; The Royal Scots, The Highland Light
Infantry and the Woman's Royal Army Corp; as they marched and played
with the Edinburgh Castle as the backdrop. The following year of 1950
saw the first incarnation of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo as
the event grew to having 8 participating groups. In the 62 years
since the first Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo it has grown to be
the grand event that we see today were almost two dozen international
group come to Edinburgh, Scotland every August.
The military
tattoo dates back almost four hundred years when the Scottish
regiments were part of the Dutch mercenary troops. They would march
out at night and beat on drums to let the tavern owners know it time
to turn off the taps and send the soldiers back to the barracks for
the night. In later years when military complexes became more self
contained the nightly patrol of the troops has become more of a
ceremony announcing the end of the day. That ceremony has since
become known as the military tattoo or tap toe.
When you do see the Royal Edinburgh
Military Tattoo you are witness to a sight you won't forget as the
hush of night falls over Edinburgh Castle, the gates and drawbridge
open. The sounds of bagpipes and drums fill the air as meshed
soldiers march out across the castle drawbridge followed by two of
the most well known heroes in Scottish history, Robert of Bruce and
Sir William Wallace. The audience is then regaled with daredevil
motorcyclist, fireworks, highland dancing, music and precession
marching of the international troops. When the spectacle winds down,
and the audience is still in awe of all that they have just witness,
we hear a voice shout through the crowds saying “Will ye no come
back again'?”. Once the question is ask a might roar of the crowd
answers “Oh, yes and very soon.”
There are many other things to see and
do while you are in Edinburgh taking in the Royal Military Tattoo.
One of those is to visit Edinburgh
Castle itself and take in some of the rich history of Edinburgh
Castle as well as the Monarchy of Scotland. Once there you can view
the history of Edinburgh castle that goes back over 2,000 years when
archaeologist say the first human settlement inhabited the area
around the rock that now houses Edinburgh Castle. It isn't until 1130
A.D when there David I builds the first Castle on the site and
dedicates it to his mother Queen Margret. Afte3r Edinburgh Castle was
built it became the royal residence for the next 500 years seeing
many invasions, such as, the taking of the Castle in 1296. Edinburgh
Castle was last occupied by a monarch in 1633 by Charles I right
before he was crowned the King of Scotland.
If you are one for all the gory details
of Scotland's history you might visit the Edinburgh
Dungeon where you can buy a ticket to tour the dungeon, hear
about the bloody 500 year history and take 2 frighting rides. While
there you just might meet up with the ghost of one of the many
prisoners that have been housed in the walls of Edinburgh Dungeon.
One of those ghost might be Sir William Wallace, of Braveheart fame,
who was held there before being put through a grizzly torture and
death.
Reveiw: A multi-pack of brain flakes
A multi-pack of brain flakes by Ethan
Holmes consist of seven well written fictional short stories that tap
into the Psyche. Each one of the stories depicts individuals in
circumstances many of us could find ourselves faced with in our
lives. In each of the stories the main characters faces choices that
could change their lives.
In the first story “Anger Management”
the main character Harry Houghton faces the frustration that plagues
most authors, even the most successful ones, as they try to get their
first novel published. Harry Houghton, just like most of us, doesn't
give up on his dream of being published.
The second story “The Man Who Ate
Popcorn” tells the story of George (no last name) and his addiction
to popcorn. Most of us know someone like George that has something
they obsess about but probably not to the point that George does
about his popcorn.
His third story “Fifteen Feet”
tells the story of a young boy suffers though a bad home life. As so
often with someone in these circumstances he tends to make matters
worse for himself. The story depicts his thoughts of the way he feels
toward his tormentors and what he would like to do to change the
circumstances.
In his forth offering “Lost and
Unfound” regales with thoughts that have gone through most of our
minds as we visit one of the many giant theme parks. As you read the
story you can sympathizes with the man as he deals with the overly
sweet employees.
In “From Bagels to Bars” follows an
average man as he face the annoyances that face many of us as we are
out on the roads and in a hurry.
With his sixth story “Don't forget
you change” we see through the eyes of Jack as a cashier deals with
little annoyances of waiting on customers. It is a story that anyone
involved in sales can relate with in their daily lives.
The
final story “Have some milk and cookies” follows the plight of
three friends Billy, Frankie and Dennis as they deal with a bully.
Even though these are not my favorite
type of stories I did find myself hooked as I eagerly read each one
taking in the circumstances and wondering if I would handle them the
same way or do something different. Once you read these you will
find yourself wondering what you would do if you were in these
stories. I would recommend this book to readers that enjoy about how
ordinary people find themselves in situation that take them to their
breaking point.
The one thing I would have liked to see
is that the author could have made some separation to let the reader
know there was a time shift. One such example would be that in the
last story there should have been a separation to tell the readers of
a flashback to a previous experience as they were discussing what to
do about their bully problem.
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Monday, December 24, 2012
Sunday, December 23, 2012
My Dearest John,
December 14, 1978
I went to the door today and the
postman delivered a partidge in a pear tree. What a
thoroughly delightful gift. I couldn't
have been more surprised.
With deepest love and devotion,
Agnes
December 15, 1978
Dearest John,\par
Two turtle doves. What a really unusual
surprise. Now I have thee birds. You are so
thoughtful and I must truly say I have
never received such a gift.
With deepest love,\par
Agnes\par
December 16, 1978\par
Dear John,
Oh, aren't you the extravagant one. Now
I must protest. I don't deserve such
generosity. Three french hens. They are
just darling, but I must insist, you've
been so kind.
Love,
Agnes
December 17, 1978
Dear John,
Today the postman delivered four
calling birds. Now, really, they are beautiful
but don't you think enough is enough.
You're too romantic.
Affectionately,
December 18. 1978\par
Dearest John,
What a surprise. Today the psstman
delivered five golden rings. One for every
finger. You're just impossible, but I
sove it. Frankly all those birds squawking
are beginning to get on my nerves.
All my love,
Agnes
December 19, 1978
Dear John,
When I opened the door there were
actually six geese a laying on my front door steps.
So you're back to the birds again, huh.
Those geese are huge. Where will I keep
them. The neighbors are complaining and
I can't sleep through the racket. Please
stop.
Cordially,
Agnes
December 20, 1978
John,
What's with you and those fucking
birds? Seven swans a swimming? What kind of a
goddamn joke is this? There's birl shit
all over the house and they never stop
with the racket. I can't sleep at night
and I'm a nervous wreck. It's not funny, so
stop with those fucking birds.
Sincerely,
Agnes
December 21, 1978
O.K. Buster,
I think I prefer the birds. What the
hell am I going to do with eight maids of
milking? It's not enough with all those
birds and eight maids of milking, but
they have had to brin their goddamn
cows. There is shit all over the lawn and
I can't move in my own house. Just lay
off me. Smart ass....
Agnes
December 22, 1978
Hey Shithead,
What are you? Some kind of saddist. Now
there are nine pipers playing and
christ do they play. Thet've never
stopped chasing those maids since yesterday
morning. The cows are hetting upset and
they're stepping all over those screeching
birds. What am I going to do. The
neighbors have started a petition to evict me.
You'll get yours,
Agnes
December 23, 1978
You Rotten Prick,
Now there's ten ladies dancing. I don't
know why I call those sluts ladies. They
have been balling those pipers all
night long. Now the cows can't sleep and they've
got diarrhea. My living room is a river
of shit. The commissioner of buildings
has subpeond me to give cause why the
building shouldn't be condemned. I'm
getting the police after you.
One who means it,
Agnes
December 24, 1978
Listen Fuckhead,
What's with eleven lords leaping on
those maids and ladies. Some of those broads
will never walk again. Those pipers ran
through the maids and have been committing
sodomy on the cows. All twenty of the
birds are dead. They have been trampled
to death in the orgy. I hope you are
satisfied you rotten vicious swine.
Your sworn enemy,
Agnes
December 25, 1978
Dear Sir,
This is to acknowledge your latest gift
of twelve fiddlers, fiddling, which you
have seen fit to inflict on our client
Miss Agnes McHulstein. The destruction,
of course, was total. All
correspondence should come to our attention. If you
should attempt to reach Miss McHulstein
at Happy Dale Sanitarium the attendants
have instructions to shoot you on
sight. With this letter please find attached
a warrant for your arrest.
Badger, Bonder & Cahole\par
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW
YEAR
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Friday, December 7, 2012
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Friday, November 23, 2012
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Monday, November 19, 2012
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Friday, November 16, 2012
Review: Wings of Twilight
Wings of Twilight by Hans Cummings is a fantasy that is part
questing adventure and part kingdom with a twist. The author keeps us
entrenched with a good storyline, well develop characters with the
same flaws and concerns that everyone can identify with in ourselves
or people we know.
The kingdom in this book is the Twilight Dungeon is a realm consisting of some of the monsters we fear from mythology only to show them in a new light with many of the same problems and concerns as everyone else. The twilight Overlord, a demonic figure with a skull for a head, has many of the same concerns of any ruler. Sarvesh, ; Ick, Soterios, Bargle; Kale; Delilah and Kazi & Meriz make up the twilight defenders, a group sworn to defend the dungeon with also facing the everyday concerns of the average person.
The main premise of the story follows a questing party consisting of Storm Lightbinger, the brave knight; his squire Runt; Yuri Siota, a thief; Tasha, a sorceress and Lorelei, an Elvin mystic as they journey to vanquish the evil creatures inside the Twilight dungeon. Along their journey the questing party run into some situations that cause some of them to question the virtue of their leader.
One thing the author does really well is bring the places and people of the story to with his vivid descriptions and believable dialog. A great example of this is when the group stop at the town of Celtangate for the winter with his description of the inns, tavern and surrounding village along with the interactions between the questing group and the locals.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys fantasy books especially those involving mythical creatures, magic and questing. If those are qualities that you enjoy you will spend hours wanting to absorb every detail.
I give it five stars
The kingdom in this book is the Twilight Dungeon is a realm consisting of some of the monsters we fear from mythology only to show them in a new light with many of the same problems and concerns as everyone else. The twilight Overlord, a demonic figure with a skull for a head, has many of the same concerns of any ruler. Sarvesh, ; Ick, Soterios, Bargle; Kale; Delilah and Kazi & Meriz make up the twilight defenders, a group sworn to defend the dungeon with also facing the everyday concerns of the average person.
The main premise of the story follows a questing party consisting of Storm Lightbinger, the brave knight; his squire Runt; Yuri Siota, a thief; Tasha, a sorceress and Lorelei, an Elvin mystic as they journey to vanquish the evil creatures inside the Twilight dungeon. Along their journey the questing party run into some situations that cause some of them to question the virtue of their leader.
One thing the author does really well is bring the places and people of the story to with his vivid descriptions and believable dialog. A great example of this is when the group stop at the town of Celtangate for the winter with his description of the inns, tavern and surrounding village along with the interactions between the questing group and the locals.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys fantasy books especially those involving mythical creatures, magic and questing. If those are qualities that you enjoy you will spend hours wanting to absorb every detail.
I give it five stars
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Monday, October 29, 2012
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Friday, October 26, 2012
Review: Seeds across the Sky
Seeds Across the Sky is the fourth book
in Mark Whiteway's popular science fiction Lodestone chronicles. In
this latest installment we find Keris, head of the Division of
Maintenance of World Order, investigating the thief of an artifact.
Her investigation leads her to a bar and Alexander Edward McMann, the
last human on Kelanni. He produces the artifact she looking for and
reveals how her people came to be known as the Kela-nesh-hannani,
those who have been cast out. Curious to find out this knowledge she
follows him to an ancient archive where she listens to a sphere log
that tells the story of how the Helvenian people came to be the
Kelanni. From the first time that Keris plugs in the sphere and we
hear the voice of Zemira as she keeps us spellbound with tale of her
first meeting with energy being called Ash, the events that lead up
to desperate group of Helvenians being launched into space and their
struggles to survive. Throughout the telling of her story we find
ourselves emotionally ivested as Zemira reluctantly co-operates with
Ash but keeps a suspicious eye on him until she can figure out his
ultimate goal and just how it will impact the Helvenian people.
Zemira knows that she will eventually have to challenge Ash but not
until she discovers how far his influence goes and the limits of his
power.
Mr. Whiteway uses the element of
suspense extremely well in this book not just with the mysterious Ash
and what are his plans are, but who is responsible for the explosion
on the the solar sailing vessel known as the lattice and who betrayed
Zemira's plan to return to Helvena. One of my favorite parts and
another example of the use of suspense is the epic battle between
what has become known as the rimmers, Zemira and the others that have
been exiled to the outer circles of the lattice, known as rimmers,
and those living near the center, known as hubbers.
I would recommend this book to anyone
that enjoys science fiction involving space travel, conflicts between
good and evil or just the struggles to overcome prejudices.
I would give this book 5 out of 5 stars
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Review: The Wicked Wives
Wicked Wives by Gustine H. Pelagatti is
a legal thriller that will captivate its audience with ruthless
politics, murdering wives and lovers, conspiracies and romance. It is
a fiction account of an actual poisoning crime ring that took place
in the city of Philadelphia in the late 1930s. The story starts with
Lilian and Reggie Stoner having a night out and discussing their
failing marriage. Shortly after the couple arrive home Reggie is
dead. Even though the family doctor rules that the death is a result
of pneumonia the assistant District Attorney thinks otherwise. Soon
the assistant District Attorney starts investigating the death of
Reggie Stoner but quickly runs into a road in the form of Deputy
Mayor Bill Evans, a ruthless politician and Lilian's uncle. Despite
the threats, from the Deputy Mayor, assistant D.A. Tom Rossi
continues his investigation where he uncovers more murders and soon
finds himself in the middle of a conspiracy ring of wives poisoning
their husbands, insurance fraud and sex. As Mr. Rossi digs into his
investigation he finds that the ring is being orchestrated by a
mysterious woman only known as the woman in black referring to the
all black outfit she wears. It is not long before Mr. Rossi starts
making arrest in the case only to run into some complications as some
of his key witnesses being dying at the hands of the mysterious woman
in black and her companion only known as the giant. Eventually Mr.
Rossi arrest and tries Lilian Stoner, Eva Bell Fitzpatrick, Joanna
Napoli, Giorgio Dicipio and several other wives and conspirators.
Through all the trails and convictions he keeps looking for the
mysterious woman and her companion. They finally track down the giant
but it is too late as Mr. Rossi and Chief of detectives Mike Fine
find the man has been poisoned by the woman in black.
Throughout the book Mr. Pelagatti shows
a great command of the element of suspense with keeping us guess on
just who this mystery woman can be and just how she is able to one
step ahead in the investigation.
The book is thoroughly enjoyable as you
will find yourself involved in the investigation wanting to find out
just how deep it will go. I would recommend this book to anyone that
enjoys murder mysteries, politics and legal fiction.
I give it 5 out of 5 stars
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Monday, October 15, 2012
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Friday, October 12, 2012
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Review: Dead Bishops don't lie
'Dead Bishops don't lie' by Andre K.
Baby is a captivating thriller that will enthrall you so much you
won't want to put the book down. The story starts with two hired
assassins Vasiliev and Kurganski are carrying Archbishop Salvidore to
his impending death. His body is later discovered, crucified, at a
ski resort by Karen Dawson. She tries to put the grizzly matter out
of her mind but when a plaque is discovered around the dead man's
neck that has some mythical reference Dr. Karen Dawson finds herself
confront by Inspector Thierry Dulac of Interpol asking for her
expertise as a mythologist Soon there is another murder of a second
Archbishop, Conti, with a similar plaque around his neck. Dr. Karen
Dawson's study of the plaque's leads Interpol to focus on a religious
sect Pistis Sophia that has had conflicts with the Catholic Church in
the past. Through her work with the Pistas Sophia Lady Sarah Litman,
Marchioness of Dorset. Soon though the investigation gets more
complicated when after visiting with Lady Sarah they discover a
smuggling operation with possible drug connections, a mysterious
donor to the Vatican and a multi-national conspiracy.
Mr. Baby does an excellent job of using
the element of surprise by constantly keeping us guessing who is
behind the murders. He throws us several false flags to throw us off
of the track just when we think that we almost have it all solved.
His use of this element will surely soon have his name among some of
the giants in the industry, such as, Agatha Christie, Mary Higgins
Clark and Dean Koontz.
I would highly recommend this book for
anyone who enjoys a good mystery with several twist and turns.
Review: Being a go-to-tech
Being a go to Tech by Warren C.
Zabloudil is a great how-to and self improvement that should be read
by not only anyone going into the IT (information technology) field
but any service-based career. Mr. Zabloudil uses a common sense
approach pointing out the ins and outs that will make you the
individual (or team leader) that everyone looks to when their
computer systems are down. The book brings up several good points
that we may have heard before but not in as clear and precise as Mr.
Zabloudil puts it in this book. He points out how different types of
attitudes can affect performance and steps that should be taken to
change your outlook when going into a job or dealing with management.
You will be shown the importance of listening, documenting,
understanding, communication and time management.
Mr. Zabloudil does a great job of
organizing, categorizing and detailing the information. He starts
with the basic needed for the new person and takes you through what
you need to know to be a good team leader. One the most useful pieces
of knowledge that runs throughout the book is that the best at their
job are the one constantly learning about the latest technologies and
techniques for repairing them. The one area that I would criticize is
that for the non-technology person that might read the book will see
the occasional three-letter acronym and not know what it means.
Overall I would recommend this book for
any college course that is preparing students for going into the IT
field. It will also be of benefit to have at home as a reference
guide on improving in the areas you feel will help you get further in
your career.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Friday, October 5, 2012
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Monday, October 1, 2012
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Friday, September 28, 2012
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Without all the fanfare of either
Seattle-base Amazon or Apple, Barnes and Noble has come out with a
pair of new tablets. There was no big build up over weeks having us
speculate at just what they will be announcing. They didn't make a
big presentation, with media invited, to show off their latest
products. Barnes & Noble just simply released their two new Nooks
with just a simple announcement about the pending release in a couple
of month and a link for pre-ordering the tablets.
“With
the combination of the highest resolution screen, lightest weight and
expansive access to content rendered in a digital quality never
before seen, NOOK HD is the world’s best 7-inch media tablet,”
said William J. Lynch, Chief Executive Officer of Barnes and Noble
in a press
release. “We designed our larger format tablet NOOK HD+ because
we think there’s big demand from customers for a super-light,
extremely high quality 9-inch tablet, at half the price of the iPad.
Both our 7-inch NOOK HD and 9-inch NOOK HD+ deliver an exceptional
customer experience and we enthusiastically encourage customers to go
to nook.com and learn more about them.”
Just like the Kindle the Nook has added
HD to their name and the tablets come in both 7-inch and 9-inch. The
7-inch Nook HD cost $199 just like the Kindle Fire HD of the same
size but the 9-inch starts at $269 a 30 dollar savings over the
Kindle Fire HD. A couple of more differences on price between the
Nook HD and the Kindle Fire HD are that the since the Kindle Fire HD
has ads you have to pay an additional 15 dollar opt-out fee and with
the Nook HD there are no ads and the charge is included with the Nook
HD where the Kindle Fire HD sells theirs separately.
There is also several differences in
features
between the Kindle Fire HD and the Nook HD. The Nook HD has a slight
advantage on display resolution with the 7-inch version at 1440x900
compared to 1280x800 on the same size Kindle HD. The Nook HD wins
again on the weight coming in at a tiny 11.1oz. Compared to 13.9oz on
the Kindle Fire HD. The Nook HD also has a microSD slot where the
Kindle HD still lacks in that area. The Kindle Fire HD does win on
battery life by the slight margin of 11 hours compared to 10.5 for
the Nook HD. On the large version of both the Nook HD and the Kindle
Fire HD the differences in features
are much more closer between the two although the Nook still has a
slight advantage in those same categories.
For more on the new Nook HD you might
try reading:
Monday, September 24, 2012
Review: Fiona Thorn and the Carapacem Spell
Fiona Thorn and the Carapacem Spell by
Jen Barton is a delightful work of children's fiction and adventure.
The book tells the story of a teenage orphan raised by an
organization known as “bright eyes”. With her “bright eyes”
partner and traveling companion Manzanita Rose, a talking horse, they
set off to free their friend Jaydin Rowan, a fairy, that has been
accused of placing the Carapacem curse on a boy. Fiona and Manzanita
know their friend is innocent of the crime but they have two small
problems. They are not able to prove it and the Fiona is not in good
standing with the King. So, Fiona comes up with the idea of blowing
up the jail cell and then find the proof se needs later. Her plans
soon change when they run into the three young Princesses and they
offer to take Fiona to their father for an audience. Things soon go a
wry when Fiona and the Princesses overhear a plot against the king
and find themselves in peril and on the run. Escaping the clutches of
Graven the Fiona, Manzy and the princesses find there way to the
fairy realm and Caelia Rowen, the fairy Queen and Jaydin's mother,
for help in their quest to free Jaydin. Caelia helps by telling them
what the vision Fiona saw means and gives Fiona and the three
princesses one special power each to aid them on their quest. They
find out though there is a price to pay for the vision that Fiona saw
and that price is a life. With their new powers the four girls, Manzy
and Kevin they set off to find the real culprit behind the Carapacem
curse. The trail they follow though is full of hidden dangers that
threaten their success at finding the culprit, proving Jaydin's
innocence and paying the price of Fiona's vision that is slowly
killing her.
Ms. Barton uses the element of suspense
extremely well in her book. A couple of good examples are the way
that she makes it seem that Fiona and Manzy are doomed when they are
attacked by a pair of spotted cats but leaves us with a glimmer of
hope that the will be fine. Then there is when we are all concerned
that the three princesses will succumb to an attack by an Ogre but
when all hope is lost it seems as though the youngest of the
princesses, Cricket, will save the day.
I would recommend this for children
over the age of 12 since there are some dark parts. For younger child
it would be I would recommend having an adult read along with you.
Review: At the gates of Walhalla
At the Gates of Walhalla by Justen
Forge is a gripping thriller that will keep you hooked through all
319 pages. The story revolves around fictional border enforcement
officer Kurt Sorensen. The veteran agent loses his beloved wife and
twin boys in a vicious attack and soon leaves the wild
Mexican-American border and head north back to his hometown. He joins
the border agency at the Canadian border in the little town of north
Walhalla. He goes along his job of apprehending contraband before it
can get into Canada. His job soon get more complicated then he ever
dreamed when he finds out a secret that could prove deadly if he
isn't careful. He devises a plan to fight the new enemy and recruits
some of his co-workers and citizens of Walhalla as warriors in the
fight. The 'sons of Thor' as Kurt and his group are know wage their
own war even though the stakes are high and they may not survive.
Mr. Forge does a marvelous job of
making the characters and surrounds so vivid that you are drawn into
the story. You can actually picture yourself in the crop duster as
Steve, one of Kurt's co-workers and a 'son of Thor', as he takes to
the air. In other parts of the book you can easily find yourself with
the group as they search through vehicles looking for drugs. In
another part the description is so vivid you can actually see the
tattoo that every member of the 'sons of Thor' wear on their neck.
I would recommend this book to anyone
that enjoys action, the struggling the underdog and a little blood
mixed into the storyline.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Friday, September 21, 2012
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Monday, September 17, 2012
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Friday, September 14, 2012
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Monday, September 10, 2012
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Friday, August 31, 2012
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Monday, August 27, 2012
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Monday, August 20, 2012
Friday, August 17, 2012
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Monday, August 13, 2012
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Friday, August 10, 2012
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Monday, August 6, 2012
Saturday, August 4, 2012
The fastest man on no legs finally makes it to the Olympics
There have been several big stories
coming out of the Olympics games this year with Micheal Phelps
becoming the most decorated athlete, records falling, athletes and
reporters getting into trouble over tweets and the dream team. Out of
all these stories there is probably none bigger than Oscar
Pistorius becoming the first amputee to compete in the Olympics
against non-amputees.
Many people that follow sports probably
already know the story of how the double amputee from South Africa
has been battle for the chance to run against non-amputee
competitors. In 2008 the (IAAF) International
Association of Athletics Federations said that he was ineligible
to compete against non-amputee athletes stating that his artificial
limbs gave him an advantage. Even though they said it had nothing to
do with Mr. Pistorius the IAAF passed a rule stating "any
technical device that incorporates springs, wheels or any other
element that provides a user with an advantage over another athlete
not using such a device". Mr. Pistorius kept fighting against
the IAAF and competing in track events. Through all of his hard work
Mr. Pistorius finally has the chance to compete in the 2012 Olympic
games in London where he will be in the 400 meter race. Today he ran
in a qualifying heat for the race where he came in second to be an
automatic qualifier to get into the semi-finals tomorrow.
“It should not be a burden lining up
here but it was difficult to separate the occasion from the race, and
they do intertwine,” Mr. Pistorius said. “I found myself smiling
in the starting blocks. Now it’s an hour after the race and I still
have goose bumps.” He later added “I didn’t know whether to
cry. It was a mix of emotions. To sacrifice for all this is really
mind-blowing.”
Although Mr. Pistorius has finally made
it to the Olympics there are still a few people that don't think he
deserves the privilege saying that his cheetah blades give him an
advantage. One such detractors is world-record-holder Micheal
Johnson.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Friday, July 27, 2012
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Monday, July 23, 2012
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Monday, July 16, 2012
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Friday, July 13, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Monday, July 9, 2012
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Monday, July 2, 2012
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Review: Magic Dreams by Ilona Andrews
The fantasy writing husband and wife
team of George and Ilona Andrews do it again. Their last e-book,
Magic Dreams, shows why they have one of the fast growing group of
followers of the last decade.
Magic Dreams is the latest offering in
the popular Kate
Daniels series set in post-technology Atlanta. In this book the
focus isn't on Kate Daniels and Curran, the Beast Lord, but on Jim,
Alpha of the cat clan and chief of security, and Dali, the mystical
vegetarian white were-tiger.
The story begins as Dali comes home
after another racing accident only to find Jim out cold in her house.
When she revives Jim he tells her of how he found one of the clan
outpost abandoned of all except for a strange woman and some odd
writing on the floor. He needs her help since she is their only magic
user. The two of them go back to the outpost to figure out what could
be behind the abandoned post, the strange woman and why Jim can't
remember much of what he saw and keeps falling asleep. Once they get
to the outpost Dali quickly realizes that she might be in over her
head.
Dali takes Jim to the one person with
more knowledge about this type of magic her mom. At her mother's
house Dali finds that Jim is slowly dieing and the only thing that
will save him is the golden snail. There is one problem to get what
they need they must travel the underground of Atlanta and try to
avoid the poachers that prey on shape-shifters.
As with all of the books in the series
this one is packed with mythology, magic, fights and romance. It is a
fast read that everyone can enjoy.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Sunday, June 24, 2012
The other day I was watching a show and they were making a garden where one of the biggest concerns was making it kid friendly. One thing they talked about was making the plots in the garden a size so that the children can reach in with comfort. When I heard that I thought that does make lots of sense that each plot should be small enough for are children but still with enough room to grow vegetables. However there were a few things they didn't mention that should also be included to make your garden kid friendly.
Children like to grow things that will give fast results. There are several vegetables that take a little amount of time to show results, such as, tomatoes, sunflowers and zucchini. The one we use to always choose for my nieces was sunflowers. They didn't have to wait long t see the plant growing, it get tall,You get a big round flower and picking out the seeds gives them something to keep their hands busy for hours.
Another thing to consider is to make the garden fun for the kids. There are a few ways that you can do this and not spend a lot of money. One of the ways you can make it fun for the kids making a few vertical beds that they can climb on. One example would be to use bricks to building a tiered tiered garden. Another idea would be incorporating the playground equipment in the garden and make games out of taking care of the plants.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
35 years of the Voyager space probe
Almost 35 years after it launched the space probe Voyager I is once more in the news. The craft that was built at NASA's JPL(jet propulsion lab) in California has now reached the edge of our solar system and pardon the Star Trek Reference is about to go where no man-made craft has before. The craft will keep going into interstellar space for another 13 years but it will stop transmitting back to Earth long before that time.
For those of us that were around back in the 1970's we recall space exploration was all the talk of the day. The moon landings were still fresh in our minds, Skylab had our attention, the mariner probe had just been launched and we were eager to know more about what is out there. Soon that need for more exploration was answered when Voyager came on the scene in 1977 that would tell us more about the planets, comets and what ever else was out there in our solar system. The news was filled with talk of its nuclear propulsion system that would keep it going for decades, the advanced communication and video capabilities that would send back some of the most spectacular picture of our planets and the gold record that carried messages of welcome in several languages.
On September 5th of 1977 came the big day that we long awaited when Voyager I would take off on its mission. After that day we eagerly await for its first pictures of Jupiter, the first planet on it mission of exploration, and in January of 1979 we were finally rewarded with some spectacular pictures of the gas giant that we knew very little. We found out more about the planet, its several moons and that just like Saturn there are rings around Jupiter.
The next stop in its mission was Saturn where once again it sent us back some spectacular pictures of the ringed planet and its largest moon Titan. The close fly-by with the moon Titan though caused Voyager off of its original trajectory bringing any further exploration of Saturn to an end but not its overall mission.
In 1979 anyone that saw the movie 'Star Trek:the motion picture' will remember that the movie was made around speculation of what might have happened to Voyager after it went into interstellar space. The space probe has picked up some alien technology and is returning to Earth leaving a line of destruction in its wake. The Enterprise is sent to stop it where they find out that it was the Voyager probe. Where they stopped it by letting the probe merge with one of their crew.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Friday, June 15, 2012
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Monday, June 11, 2012
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Friday, June 8, 2012
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Friday, June 1, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Monday, May 21, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
My youngest niece is studying finance and asked me a question about her latest subject that giving her some trouble. When I heard what the subject was I wasn't to surprised that she was having difficulty giving that bankruptcy is confusing. The different chapters and varying rules from one jurisdiction to the next can make most people wonder just what in the heck does bankruptcy really mean?
What do the chapters mean?
Chapter 7 is the total liquidation of non-exempt assets that you normally associated with the term bankruptcy. The funds obtained from the sale are used to pay off the debt. If the funds generated by the sale doesn't cover the full amount of the debt the remaining debt is forgiven. So as you can see even though this is the most straight forward version of bankruptcy it is still confusing. It still leaves a few questions, such as, what are the exempt assets? And who determines how much of each debt gets paid?
Chapter 11 is a re-organization of debt for businesses letting the businesses still run while paying off the debt. In this form of bankruptcy they have a time limit (no more than 120 days) to come up with something that there creditors can agree with on how to get repaid. The repayment must usually take place over a 3-5 year period. Chapter 12 is a version of chapter 11 for farmers so the farmer can keep the land. By the same token chapter 13 is the individual version of chapter 11.
Doesn't going bankrupt ruin my credit?
Not exactly, it can make it tough depending on which chapter you use when you file. Chapter 7 will probably take longer since it is a serious form of bankruptcy but you should still be able to start rebuilding credit within a few years. After your bankruptcy though your rebuilding will be almost the same as if you were starting all over from the time before you had credit. The one big difference is though you will have blots on your credit history that must be cleared up.
Will bankruptcy take care of all my debt?
No, there are certain areas of debt that bankruptcy won't fix. Mainly, for individuals bankruptcy doesn't effect any secured debt including: mortgages, liens, taxes and penalties owed to the IRS or other government entity, student loans, child support, debt that wasn't declared during filing for bankruptcy or legal fees. There maybe some other debts that aren't covered depending on which version of bankruptcy you use and the state you file in when you declare bankruptcy.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Monday, May 14, 2012
What is a debt to income ratio calculator for a mortgage?
It is a way of figuring out how much money you have available to invest in a major purchase. Whether you are an individual or a business buying a house, rental property or warehouse a debt to income ration calculator for a mortgage is something you will need.
How does a debt to income ratio calculator for a mortgage work?
It is a process where the broker at the financial institution will for all the documentation showing how much you owe on credit cards, loans, creditors and any other forms of debt. They will then ask for evidence of all of your income for a period of time, usually a year, and compare the the two figures. Normally, when the amount that you owe is compared to the amount that you bring in, they want to see that no more than 33% of your income is taken up by debt.
Is there somewhere that I can go to calculate this on my own?
There are several websites that provide you with a debt to income ratio calculator for a mortgage. Just a few of these sites are:
Bankrate provides you with a simple calculator where you can enter in your debt and income and it will give the ratio level.
Consumercredit has a detailed excel spreadsheet and an acrobat reader worksheet that you can download and use to calculate your ratio.
Mortgage-info provides you with a more detailed calculator and instructions on how to use it.
Consolidatedcredit is another site that has a detailed calculator that you can use for figuring out your debt to income ratio for a mortgage.
Why is this so important?
A debt to income ratio calculator for a mortgage is important to have run so that won't be in danger of over extending yourself to the point of bankruptcy. It is also important so that you know if you can invest in more of your income and buy a bigger house or that extra investment property that you have been looking at to purchasing.
Is a debt to income ratio calculator for a mortgage the only factor on figure out if I am a good risk to make a big purchase?
Your credit card score and payment history is just as important since it shows how well you are at managing your debt. A financial institution usually wants to see a score of between 700 and 850. One thing that you should be aware of when your credit card score is being checked is that just by looking at your score too often can result in a lower score.
How often should I use a debt to income ratio calculator?
A debt to income ratio calculator for a mortgage is a good gauge on whether you qualify for that major investment but is something that you should get in the habit of using on a periodical basis to stay on your household budget. No one wants to run into unexpected expense that could drive you into debt to the point where you can't get back into the black.
This article explains just what a debt to income ratio for a mortgage is and why it is important to check it whenever you are about to make a large purchase. Even if that purchase doesn't lead to a mortgage it is still a good idea to get in the habit of keeping track of where you fall in that ratio.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Friday, May 11, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Monday, May 7, 2012
Reveiw of 'Duplicity Dogged the Dachshund'
Blaize Clement is the author of the popular fictional Dixie Hemingway mystery novels (that now numbers at 8). The stories follow the adventures of Florida's favorite pet sitter and former deputy Dixie Hemingway. Ms. Hemingway and her husband where both deputies until he and their daughter were killed and Dixie had a breakdown forcing her out of the police department. She has since moved on to become a in demand pet sitter Siesta Key.
In 'Duplicity Dogged the Dachshund', the second book in the series, starts out quickly as the pet of one of Dixie's latest clients, a dachshund, finds a dead body as Ms. Hemingway is taking the dog for a walk. When the police show up and interview her they warn her not to get involved but despite her promise everyone knows she will do her own investigating. Shortly after the discovery of the murdered body Dixie find herself being targeted by the killer. She is now even more determined to keep her pet sitting schedule and track down who is trying to kill. She soon finds herself deep in clowns, money laundering, trust funds and of course pet care. Now, can Dixie keep her sanity as she tries to solve the murder and keep her pet sitting business going all while looking over her shoulder?
In this book the cast of characters include the usual: Dixie Hemingway, former deputy turn pet sitter; Micheal, Dixie’s brother and firefighter; Paco, Micheal's boyfriend and undercover detective; Lt. Guidry, the mysterious homicide detective that makes Dixie's heart do cartwheels; Cora, the eccentric grandmother of one of Dixie's former clients; Tom Hale Dixie's accountant and client and Tom's greyhound Billy Elliot and variety of new characters including Stevie Ferrelli, the victim’s wife; Denton Ferrelli, the victim's brother; Pete, a retied clown that now runs a clown school; Gabe Mark's, an alligator hunter and killer with an anger problem and Leo Bossi, owner of a telemarketing service.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Monday, April 30, 2012
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Review: Unlocking the Poet's Realm
Unlocking the Poet's Realm by Matt Wiebusch is a great children's book that will be thoroughly enjoyed by all ages. The book is full of adventures that will keep you entrenched in the story while also teaching life lessons, such as, self-confidence and standing up to bullies.
The story begins with our heroine Minnie, a typical 12-year-old, dealing with some with some of the same situations that plague many children today. She is bullied at school, feels neglected by parents that are constantly fighting and lack of friends her own age. One day in at a particular low-point when she is running from her two tormentors, Billy and Ethan, Minnie runs to her neighbor's yard where she hides in a box in the tool shed. The box transports her, ala 'The Lion, Witch and Wardrobe' to a new land where her life is about to change and for the better.
When Minnie, nicknamed Catty, wakes up she finds that she is not in the box anymore. She crawls out of what turns out to be cigarette pack and finds herself in a strange world. The first creature she encounters in this new place is a bee that to her surprise can talk. The bee, Bandy, explains to her alittle bit about where she is and gives her a poem that will give her clues as to why she has been brought to this land. The first part of the poem speaks of the poet and how she can find him.
When she does finally meet the poet he turns out be a monkey named Tappoc, Minnie nicknames him Con, he explains to her that he brought her to this future time to save their world from the evil Straiyn. He teaches her about this new futuristic land, Bavul, and what she will need to know to survive as she carries out the adventures that she is about to embark on. Finally the time come that Con figures Catty is ready and sends her on her way.
On her own now Catty must decipher the poem and figure out what she must do before she can finally get back to her own time. The second part of the poem tells her that she is to rescue another person that will help her carry out the rest of her adventures. The path to accomplish this task is filled with perils that she must use her intellect to figure out how to escape. When she gets to her destination the rescue mission is a challenging task that in the end sets Jonah free from the cave where he has been held captive.
The two of them head off to complete the mission and facing many challenges and meeting several creatures along the way. When they finally find the Straiyn's cave they must destroy the toxins that are polluting the the waters below. Once they manage to carry out that part of the mission they still face the Straiyn's army to make their escape. With the help of their new found allies the colossacray and the spirit warriors they manage their escape. Even though they have thwarted the Straiyn their adventures are long from over. The two heroes must still get to the place where they will both be transported back to Catty's time and find the person Jonah must bring back to Buval.
Once they do manage to get back to Catty's time she finds the courage inside of her to stand up to the bullies that once tormented her. She also figures out that through the friendships that she has formed in Buval that she can do the same in her world.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Starting your garden
It is that time of the year again when the weather starts getting warm and thoughts turn to planting their gardens. You make all sorts of plans to grow all kinds of vegetables and flowers. Before you start though their are still a few questions that must be answered.
Which Flowers and vegetables are best to grow grow in the area that I live in? This is always a good question since many people will just go out and start buying seeds or plants without considering if those will survive. There are several books, such as, Sunset that are a good start or websites, such as, that will tell you the planting zone and the best types of plants.
Ok, now I know what plants for the zone I live but what is the best location in my garden? If your buying plants that have already been started they will often have the optimal growing conditions listed on their tags but if they aren't listed then you might try a gardening book since many of them will break down plants by growing conditions, such as, shade, sunlight, dry areas and what time of day the sun hits that area.
Now that I have what I am going to plant and where to plant but how much space will I need? These are both great questions to consider. How much space you will need depends on how big the plant will get when it is fully grow. If you are buying plants that have already been started or seed packets they will usually give you a range on how big a plant will get and how far apart you should plant them. So, using that information you should be able to determine just how much space you will need in your garden.
How should I arrange my plants in the garden? It is always a good rule to arrange your plants by their height putting tall plants in the back or in the center if you have a garden that can be reached on all sides. An example would be that if your garden area is in an open area that gives you access to all sides and you are growing a tomato plant and some marigolds you would put the tomato in the center and the marigolds around the edges of the garden.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
The Watcher Trilogy: Awakening by Karice Bolton
Awakening, the first book of Author Karice Bolton's “The Watchers Trilogy” isn't your typical boy meets girl story. It is a great mix of romance and spirituality that should appeal to quite a range of readers.
Ana is a young woman that has a normal life with a job, friends, a dog and a condo. When some out of town customers walk into the tavern where she works she has no idea that her life is about to change. When Ana waits on the pair of strangers she gets an odd feeling and then is curious when they order for three. Soon the third party shows and she feels a strange attraction to him.
That evening Ana gets a phone call only to find out that it is the one of the strangers she served earlier that evening. She agrees to meet him and is surprised to find him just stepping out of the elevator when she walks out of her door. She gets in and goes to the lobby where the other two strangers are waiting. Soon, the four of them go out for the evening and Ana is about to learn there is much more to her life then she realizes.
The three of them explain to Ana that they are all fallen angels, white demons, and that she had been taking away from them. She listens to a story of how the four of them have been together from the beginning of time and they intervene when black demons tempt humans to go down the wrong path. They further explain how she had been killed in an attack by black demons and they have been waiting decades for her to awaken enough to feel their presence. Listening to their story Ana comes to the realization this might have something to do with all the nightmares she has been having.
After a few days of Ana hanging around with Athen, Arie and Cyril weird things start happening. Ana finds that she can feel when the others are near, she starts having vision and her appearance changes starting with her eyes. The weirdest is when she is attacked by a demon and Athen comes to her rescue. Over the next few weeks these bizarre events excel and some of the visions that Ana had start coming true. The worst of these involves the fate of her beloved Athen being taken out by a group of black demons.
The book ends with Ana's vision of Athen's demise comes true. Now, her, Arie and Cyril must do their best to Awaken Athen.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Saturday, January 28, 2012
I was without power for most of last week and the beginning of this week. Last Tuesday we had a snow storm that deposited over a foot of snow over night. Wednesday a tree fell over a power line and since we have an electric pump that meant our water was out as well as the electricity. Then to make matters worse on top of the snow we had an ice storm that took out even more trees and branches. After the ice we had a wind storm that cleared out the branches that didn't quite fall all of the way out of the trees.
During all of this we were one of around 300,000 people without power so you can imagine there was plenty of work to be done to restore everyone. They had to bring in extra crews to help out with all of the clean up, restring power lines, repairing the main towers and fixing substations. On the news today there were still a few people that didn't have power but that should be fixed fairly soon if not already.
Not having much else to do and just before my kindle's battery ran down I did finish reading another book by Ilona Andrews. This one is called 'Magic Mourns' and is only available in e-book form. The book fits inbetween 'Magic Burns' and 'Magic Strikes' but is not part of the regular series.
In the book Kate is recovering from the mid-night games so her best friend Andrea is filling in for her at the order. A call comes in for Kate concerning one of the shapeshifters. Andrea takes the case and soon finds herself in over her head. It turns out the shapeshifter in trouble is Raphael, who's advances Andrea has been trying to avoid, and he is being chased by a big, three-headed dog. It turns out the dog is Cerberus, the hell hound, and has the power to regenerate. Andrea reluctantly joins forces with Raphael and the two of them set out to find why the dog isn't guarding the underworld.
As in all of the other books put out by Ilona Andrews this one is full of mystery, romance and mythology. It goes rather quick once you start reading.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Earlier in the week I wrote about the latest book by Ilona Andrews in her Kate Daniels series. Today I am going to give some background and go through what happened in the first five books.
In the world that Kate lives in there has been a wave that has brought the worlds of technology, magic and myth into the same plane of exist. One day the technology world might rule and all the cars, phones and everything else that is mechanically based works and the next day the magic takes over and nothing mechanical works. That is when when witches, wizards, and other odd assorted magical beings shine.
In the first book, Magic Bites, Kate works for the mercenary guild, a group of bounty hunter that chase down rogue magic users, disarm spells that have gone a wry or anything else that the authorities don't want to be bothered to handle. On one of here jobs Kate finds out that her godfather has been killed under some mysterious circumstances. Kate feels that it is her duty to find out just what happened but to do so she need the resources of the 'order of knights of merciful aid'. She goes to the 'order' and takes her godfathers old office where she becomes a special liaison between the guild and the order. In her investigations she finds that the shapeshifters (pack) are also being attacked but joining forces with them means meeting the beast lord (Curran). She meets up with him and after some minor incidents gains favor in the eyes of Curran and the pack. Together they track down the what is behind the attacks and wage battle. Both Curran and Kate are nearly killed but manage to pull through.
In the second book 'magic burns' Kate takes on a case for the Pack to retrieve their maps that were stolen from the keep(the packs fortress). She gets the maps and returns them only to have them stolen again. She discovers there is much more going on and once again she must join forces with Curran. They soon find themselves battling against demi-gods and demons.
In the third book 'magic strikes' she helps out a few of the pack by fighting in the midnight games, a magic battle royal to the death. In this book we also find out part of the secret that Kate hiding her entire life.
In the forth book 'magic bleeds' we find out more about Kate's family. Her and Curran, with the help of the rest of the pack and Kate's best friend Andrea, fight Kate's aunt, who is out to destroy the pack.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews
Anyone that enjoys fiction, fantasy, mythology and mystery with a little romance sprinkled in the mix will enjoy the latest book by Ilona Andrews. It is called 'Magic Slays' and is the fifth book in her, actually I should say their since her husband co-writes the books, Kate Daniel series.
In this book Kate is now mated to the beast lord, a shapeshifter named Curran, and has opened her own supernatural bounty hunting agency. At the start of the book her business isn't going to well but soon picks up when an old acquaintance stops by to hire her to rescue the person she was guard and also recover a machine he was building for an unnamed group of investors. Kate and her best friend Andrea, a former Knight in the order, accept the case but soon find out that there is much more to this than they have been told. After Kate gathers more information, she and Andrea soon enlist the help of Curran.
Kate, Andrea, Curran and some of the other shapeshifters set off to track down the invention before the group that has it can wipe out magic and anyone that uses magic. They manage to find what they are looking for but not before it has been used cleanse an entire village of magic along with all of the people. They capture the group that stole the device and find out that they have another more powerful device that can wipe out magic and magical beings in a five mile radius. Know that their problems have escalated Curran sends word to gather the rest of the clan, 1500 shapeshifters; the people, necromancers; witches and all the other groups of magical beings.
Soon every magical being is search Atlanta for the second device and the group that is set on purging the city of magic. Once they track down the device they have precious little time to get to it and disarm it.
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