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The Mapmaker's Children. Sarah McCoy. 336 pages. 2016.
Disclaimer – I'm a total nut for historical fiction, HOWEVER, Sarah McCoy's The Mapmaker's Children was easily one of the most enjoyable books I've read in a long time. Whether or not historical fiction is your go-to genre, this book will prove to be an entertaining, intelligently written piece of literature.
After years of research, McCoy masterfully paints the lives of two women separated by more than 150 years. Yet as the chapters alternate back and forth between the two characters, you'll find yourself in excited anticipation of discovering how these two lives are connected. When talking with my reading buddies, I often hear people say they either love stories with multiple characters through shifting chapters or they hate them and find them difficult to follow. This couldn't be farther from the truth in The Mapmaker's Children. Both characters progress evenly through the novel and McCoy dictates their stories in such a calculated manner, you'll never think twice about the characters' stories alternating along.
As I read more and more of the novel I found myself torn between wanting to finish the book in one sitting and not wanting to read more to avoid having the book ever reach its end. Needless to say, I've finished the book and my husband is probably already tired of hearing me complain about it being over. I guess I'll just need to pick up all of Sarah McCoy's other novels. 🙂
Have you read any of McCoy's other works? If not, what are your favorite historical fiction novels that I should add to my "to read" list? I'd love to hear from you!
If you enjoyed this post you may want to check out some of the links below about The Mapmaker's Children.
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.


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After the strange disappearance of everypony in Ponyville and half the population of Canterlot, the citizens of Equestria live in fear and uncertainty. A year passes and while Celestia tries to once again shoulder the responsibilities of the crown without her sister Luna by her side, the investigations into what happened and why have born little fruit. Rainbow Dash, the weather pony of the now ruined Ponyville, may be the key to discovering at last what happened to Luna, her friends, and her town. And perhaps what exactly it is the Candy Mare wants.
One day, a young boy gets transported from our world, to another one entirely. In this strange new world, he finds himself facing all kinds of dangers and obstacles. Not only that, but in his first few days, he finds himself falling for one pony in particular. NOTE: This is copyrighted to me and if you see any copies of this story out on the net, then it is not the orignial. I have only, and will only, upload this story to the pony fiction archive.
As for as the plot goes; Trixie has been at a performance, and heads back home to relax and have a little fun with her little pet. She will do this in a "Trixie-esque" manner. (least been approved of a Trixie fan so xP) She will however find a a minor surprise at her house. To which she then starts a night of sexual encounters, further enhanced by her magical prowess.
Alright, while I could be a douche like many other authors by not saying anything about the setting, content or theme; I will say right here that this fic contains more or less the generic porn norms, but reversed roles. I was curious to see how such a fic would play out. There are also some extreme fetisehs in here, mostly for the sake of them apparently being rather popular+common. There is no overarching story, or much of a whatnot going on, it's just plain sex... or well, however plain one can call the bland norm xD
This fic was also partially inspired by the "Dragon you over" comic.
The fic is about Trixie trying to get her stuff back (from what I remember of it, derp) and get back on track, but finds herself captured. She is offered her stuff back. But on one condition... (Short version: Trixie gets gang-banged, and slightly beat up+humiliated.)
I explored quite a few new concepts in this fic. One being the "non-con" sex principal. (Ie: somepony not being forced to sex, but is doing it against their will, with free will. Blackmailing if you so wish) Another being "female endowment", now this is something I know pretty much none of you have heard of, and about none have considered, so I'll have to explain it a bit: Female endowment is the size of the vulva overall, mainly the labia. (average length 2-5 cm) How "hung" a female is, is how deep her vagina goes. (average 19 cm) Now, these might first be human standards, but it should give you an insight of comparisons.
So yeah, with that overly long explanation, do read this if you want to read about Dash roughing up Trixie, giving her a "offer she can't refuse", then fucking her silly, then having her gangbanged by other mares of ponyville. (and possibly a few of the stallions) And like said: Mind the OOC and... kinda odd scenes at times ^^'
(Especially the one I tried to add some depth to the story, and yes, I know that a certain joke in the fic is slightly overused, but it amuses me xP)
Braeburn is fealing lonely so he signs up for a mystery mate game show called "the pairing".there is 3 Pegasus/unicorn/ponys he asks questions to and see with one he picks.enjoy my very first story =)
"you would think that the slightest change and people don't notice right?.....wrong even if people don't notice it right away depending on what it is people will either grow into it or cause a mass panic."
"Now giving that fact here's a question for ya."
"Will human society grow into a zombie Armageddon?"
Takes place a few months after the events of Boast Busters. Trixie is now an emotional and physical wreck, living in the Everfree Forest. She then embarks on a dark mission after recieving guidance from the last pony she thought possible.

subset: commoncrawl


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January 23, 2013
Dude, Don't Play With That
A security guard in the Brazilian town of Rio Claro arguably had the worst day ever after he reportedly shot his penis off with an illegal gun. To make matters worse, he also faces charges for illegal possession of a firearm.
Police found the 33-year-old man slumped over in the drivers seat of his car after a resident reported hearing gun shots. Police say the man was bleeding from his groin area when they arrived. The man was reportedly in possession of a .38 caliber handgun with four rounds of ammunition in his pocket.


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Recent Articles:
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Tag Archives: sd card read speed
SD Card Speed Test Roundup October 2017
I've done previous articles here (first) and here (second). A decent amount of the cards here will be the same. The goal was to round up as many cards as I had on-hand to do benchmark testing on. I also did a bracketed camera test with the Nikon D600. Here is the companion video on Youtube. I used a Transcend USB 3.0 card reader for this test. Here are the … Continue reading
Posted in Technical & Testing Tagged 2017, eyefi, kingston, pny, promaster, roundup, samsung, sandisk, sd card, sd card read speed, sd card write speed, sdhc, secure digital, speed test, transcend Comments


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Deal with Facebook doesn't change WhatsApp's privacy policy, says founder
WhatsApp founder Jan Koum on Tuesday clarified there would be no change in the mobile messaging start-up's privacy policy after the $19 billion deal with Facebook. "I want to make sure you understand how deeply I value the principle of private communication," he wrote in a blog.social media Updated: Mar 18, 2014 15:57 IST
Hindustan Times
WhatsApp founder Jan Koum on Tuesday clarified there would be no change in the mobile messaging start-up's privacy policy after the $19 billion deal with Facebook. "I want to make sure you understand how deeply I value the principle of private communication," he wrote in a blog.
"Unfortunately, there has… been a lot of inaccurate and careless information circulating about what our future partnership would mean for WhatsApp users' data and privacy," he wrote. "I'd like to set the record straight," he added.
Koum said his upbringing taught him to deeply value the principle of private communication. The fear of snooping by the KGB was in part the reason his family moved to the United States, he added. "For me, this is very personal. I was born in Ukraine, and grew up in the USSR during the 1980s. One of my strongest memories from that time is a phrase I'd frequently hear when my mother was talking on the phone: "This is not a phone conversation; I'll tell you in person." The fact that we couldn't speak freely without the fear that our communications would be monitored by KGB is in part why we moved to the United States when I was a teenager," his blog post read.
Facebook's plan to buy WhatsApp had earlier sparked speculation that the move would open up the mobile-messaging startup's pool of client data to surveillance by intelligence outfits. Koum on Tuesday sought to put to rest all such rumours.
"Respect for your privacy is coded into our DNA, and we built WhatsApp around the goal of knowing as little about you as possible: You don't have to give us your name and we don't ask for your email address. We don't know your birthday. We don't know your home address. We don't know where you work. We don't know your likes, what you search for on the internet or collect your GPS location. None of that data has ever been collected and stored by WhatsApp, and we really have no plans to change that," he wrote.
The Ukranian WhatsApp founder also took aim at those claiming the deal meant that his firm's standards and behaviour would change after the deal with Facebook. "If partnering with Facebook meant that we had to change our values, we wouldn't have done it… Our fundamental values and beliefs will not change. Our principles will not change. Everything that has made WhatsApp the leader in personal messaging will still be in place. Speculation to the contrary isn't just baseless and unfounded, it's irresponsible… Make no mistake: our future partnership with Facebook will not compromise the vision that brought us to this point."
First Published: Mar 18, 2014 15:50 IST


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Rex Ryan continued to couch Tim Tebow's role in the offense today by saying that perhaps his playing time will grow. It may decrease, too.
What followed was another assertion that Tebow's playing time is entirely in Ryan and offensive coordinator Tony Sparano's hands. Ryan said he would never give reporters a straight answer about Tebow.
"We control it," Ryan said. "The media's not gonna drive it and the opponent, they're not going to have any idea what we're going to do with them. I'm certainly not going to let them know hey, by the way, Tebow is going to play 50 snaps this week.
"I'm never going to give you a legitimate answer. I know the answer but I'm not going to give it to you."
Ryan's comments came on the heels of a conversation about Joe McKnight, who was also mysteriously absent against Pittsburgh. Ryan preferred to look at the Wildcat just like any other personnel grouping he had.
"When you look at this past game, we only had those three Wildcat plays but really the Wildcat is a personnel grouping," Ryan said. "And sometimes you want to go with that personnel grouping and sometimes you don't."
Ryan said the Jets never go into the game with a target snap count for Tebow.
"That's it. I'm happy he's here I can tell you that much. As we've said from Day One, this guy's a good football player. We're not going in saying 'This guy has to get X amount of snaps,' that's not what we do."


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There are two kinds of vacations.
These kind:
And these kind:
I am on the latter and thoroughly enjoying the vegetative state my brain is nearing.
Here's another picture from our anniversary trip here on Peter Island:
Guess who doesn't wear glasses. Guess what he's reading, out loud. Guess who found this.
Yes, I'm one lucky lady.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
The Vay-cay
There are two kinds of vacations.
Posted by Stephanie at 3:02 PM 4 comments Links to this post
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Anonymous Santa Helps Salvation Army Fill Kettles
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — An anonymous Santa is helping the Salvation Army fill its red kettles this holiday season in Minnesota and North Dakota.
Donations had been down 20 to 30 percent compared with last year. Then a small group of anonymous donors pooled $2 million worth of matching funds to double all donations given in Minnesota and North Dakota on Friday and Saturday.
Final numbers won't be tallied until early next week, but Salvation Army officials say they're now optimistic about meeting their Twin Cities goal of $10.8 million.
Donations had been down due to a late Thanksgiving that gave bell-ringers a late start, followed by bitter cold that thinned the ranks of volunteers for several says. Major Jeff Strickler says the turnaround is nothing short of a miracle.


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I was thinking that as we as sufferers work through our symptoms it's sometimes really helpful to be mindful of where we are and what we're discovering about ourselves. Both positive and negative. I was thinking this could be a thread where as we realize things about ourselves we can post them here and even relate to each other and discuss them. I'll start.
I realize that I struggle to accept love from myself and others because I'm scared of it and I struggle with self worth issues….


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Money should follow the recipient. It should not be given to providers who claim to serve the recipients. Historically--the GI Bill.
Centralization is the enemy--leads to large, anonymous experiences. That's dangerous, particularly for young adolescent boys.
Children can tell when playing fields are not level, they have extremely sensitive ears and eyes for bullshit and hypocrisy.
They have to see that they matter--and that must be personal, face-to-face, even intimate.


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Old Cobb County Pictures
If you are older than 55 and like to see old pictures of Cobb County that will probably bring back memories I think you will enjoy visiting The Marietta History Museum tomorrow at 11:30am. Curator Amy Reed will present some old pictures from the museum's Vanishing Cobb collection.
Or you may be from another area and are very interested in Cobb. So, it may be an something academic for you to do to learn more about your community.
Me? I'll probably be the one dabbing my eyes with Kleenex.
It is a brown-bag thing, so bring your lunch if you want.
Labels: Cobb County History, Old Pictures


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This post is about what I observe as a possible GURPS Renaissance. I have never seen more blogs, videos, hangouts and general fan activity as I have lately. I could be wrong, it could be that I'm simply looking for it more. But it seems I've done that in the past and didn't see this kind of activity then.
I hope that there is a resurgence in interest in GURPS. Even if there really isn't, it's good to see all of this activity.
Anyways... here are a couple of powerful GURPS resources I had never seen before.
an online NPC Generator
and an online Character Generator (for GURPS Lite)


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Cleveland Heights, OH 44118-5226
by Fidel Gastro
It is raining. It is raining so much that I don't dare go out. If it were a proper December I suppose it'd be snowing. Pedestrians – we're better suited to snow than rain – I know it's different for drivers but I know that the streets are plowed and the sidewalks are never shoveled so I have anger and class consciousness toward drivers.
So stay home and count your petty ducats! you say, and I respond by telling you angry things that you don't care to hear and soon we're not friends. So let's pretend that instead you said, with concern in your voice - well why do you need to go out so bad?
First. It is Christmastime and this Christmas I have made the acquaintance of the long walk to the long wait at the post office. I'm not the sort to hate. A lot of people will tell you that they have a sick-sick anger for the USPS but I think – someone sent me an important paper from across the world for $.44. I don't mind waiting in a line for a little while to get it. And also, if there was a crowd of people watching you do your job, they'd probably make fun of you too, jerk. Anyway, I'm not going to brave the roads today and suffer the gross indignity of being surfed by cars. It is a bad thing that happens.
Second. I can't go and get a sandwich. It's a rarity and a strange one, where The Sandwich is not preeminent in my world of earthly demands. But that is the nature of Christmas. Gifts first, Sandwiches second. On the matter of sandwiches, and on walking for that matter I have some words.
My love of sandwiches has governed my choices regarding where I will live. Because I prefer the constitutional savor of a brisk walk over the harried disruption of driving I have a smaller scope of available sandwiches. So I made certain to live in the midst of the greatest concentration of sandwich shops that I could find.
A strong man, a man only half as strong as me (and therefore pretty damned strong) could throw a stone and strike no fewer than seven sandwich shops. Eight – if you count the Burrito as a sandwich, which I am told by Mr. Cadiyo, I shall not ever do. Nevertheless even in the narrow confine of sandwich definitions allowed me, I am up against an embarrassment of sandwiches. Now, I may some days savor the soupy vegetable cocktail added to the turkey of Dave's Cosmic, and I may sometimes humble myself before my fellow men and deign to eat a Panini. I might even steel my iron guts yet steelier for a sample of the Winking Lizard's barbecued fare. In desperation I may count pennies to afford the lettuce and mustard melange of the gas-station Subway. But on any day, regardless of circumstances, regardless – really, of consciousness – I find that I crave for the Hot Grumsteer.
Many arguments can be posed and settled only with fistfights over the superior merits of hot or cold sandwiches. I find that circumstances largely dictate my preference – but in general that a sandwich is sometimes aided by a modicum of fire, and sometimes hindered. But given the choice between the hot or the cold Grumsteer – you must choose the hot. All things being equal, the roast beef is made to come alive, is alchemically altered by the application of the 'sandwich herbs' that Grum's applies so judiciously. The cheese and the meat interweave into a massy substance that gives each vigorous bite its own tactile satisfaction, but in the midst of the occassional mushroom, the periodic onion – there is the lingering heavenly potence of the horse's aromatic radish. Like a medical tincture applied to the beast, the large Grumsteer solves your sinus complaints and salves your stomach's recurring wants. There is no sandwich that may better serve the wants and hungers of anyone, of everyone really, than the Hot Grumsteer.
Alas it is raining and I must test my sandwichmaking audacity with the spare contents of my cupboards. Is it a sandwich if you smear canned frosting over graham crackers and liberally apply shredded coconut? What about a congress of Nutella and marmalade between slabs of raisin toast? Will Sandwich Science™ ever be granted the opportunity for sleep? For rest? For the fundamental answers to necessary questions?


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Are You the Next Dodo Bird? How to Make Sure the Tech Revolution Doesn't Drive Your Business Into Extinction
2015 年 9 月 29 日
Technology is widely hailed for building businesses and creating jobs. Mega giants like Google, Amazon, Netflix, Microsoft, Samsung, and others employ thousands of workers apiece, and none of these businesses would be possible without technology. But there's always a flip-side to the coin, and the truth is that many businesses have lost out to technology. When have you been to a video store? When was the last time you picked up the phone and called a travel agent or bought an LP record? These businesses either adapted to the changing technology or went belly up. How can your business stay afloat?
Is Tech Killing Your Industry or Just Evolving It?
In many industries, technology is simply eliminating dirty, low-paying, often dangerous positions and creating safer, cleaner, more lucrative jobs.
The first gauge isn't what is happening at your front doorstep, but what is happening globally. The industry magazines and blogs have great information on what's expected in terms of technology. Is tech creating jobs in your field, eliminating jobs in your field, or simply changing the jobs in that industry?
For example, many union reps and supporters have raged against automation in manufacturing and warehousing -- believing that this technology replaces human workers. The fact is, automation isn't eliminating manufacturing and warehousing jobs at all. Instead, the automation makes better, cleaner, safer jobs for people. Machines are taking over the work that was notoriously reserved for unskilled labor. These jobs were messy, unsafe, and often underpaid. Yet the machines that do these jobs now are highly sophisticated. Manufacturers are desperately looking for skilled workers to design, build, install, maintain, and repair these machines. Often, tech isn't killing jobs as much as it is requiring workers to evolve -- just as blacksmiths, typesetters, and buggy builders did in the past.
This is also the case with the post-theater movie industry, travel industry, music industry, and media. None of these industries went away. They just evolved. Video Express stores left and Netflix and Redbox stepped in. Record stores closed while Spotify, Sirius, and iHeartRadio opened up. Newspapers stopped printing, but the Fox News app and Yahoo! News revved up. The key is finding the next Netflix before your last Video Express folds.
How to Stay Relevant and Solvent in the Age of Technology
In most industries, embracing SMAC (Social, Mobile, Analytics, and Cloud) is all it takes to stay on top of trends and remain relevant and solvent.
How can you assure your company has a solid future as wave after wave of technology rolls on shore, changing the landscape of business forever?
- Embrace SMAC: SMAC -- Social, Mobile, Analytics, and Cloud -- are the forces most responsible for today's technological changes. Find out how these elements are changing your industry and invest whatever it takes to stay on top of the trends. If your competitors are offering customers mobile apps and using big data marketing while you aren't, you'll be left behind quickly.
- Replace legacy systems with modern software. The new stuff supports mobile, data analytics, and cloud, but it also offers modern workflow automation and is much easier to use and train on. Modern software isn't just the key to connecting with and satisfying customers, it is also pivotal in keeping employee turnover low.
- Stay engaged in industry discussions. Follow industry leaders on social media and in the blogs. Better yet, be an industry leader. Use your own blogs and social media platforms to keep the industry informed on upcoming technologies and the changes these innovations are expected to make. Trade shows, conferences, webinars, and podcasts are great places to learn about industry changes as well as to get the word out about relevant technological innovations.
With research and vigilant watchfulness, you can keep your business relevant and profitable no matter how technology changes your industry and the world. Is your IT team prepared for the future? Visit NETSCOUT to download the free whitepaper, "The New Equation for Faster IT Problem Solving"


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A referral from a primary care doctor is typically a good way to find a local dermatologist, according to WebMd. The American Academy of Dermatology and local medical schools are also good resources.
On the home page of the American Academy of Dermatology website, a user can enter a ZIP code in the Find a Dermatologist search box. WebMd also provides a physician directory through which users can search for a dermatologist by name, specialty, city, state or ZIP code. To find a medical school using the World Directory of Medical Schools website, users can select a country from the drop-down menu, and then enter the city, click Yes, and hit the Search button. The search returns a list of medical schools in the area, along with contact information.


text: ML20900 ECL Series Combine simplicity and access control with Corbin Russwin's ML20900 ECL series electrically controlled mortise lock. Utilizing the proven ML2000 Series mortise lockset with the patented quick reversible latchbolt, the ML20900 series provides actuator-operated remote locking and unlocking. The self-contained integral continuous-duty actuator allows installation in standard mortise prep with slight modification by door manufacturer. The ML20900 ECL is ideal for use where increased security is necessary at all times, such as tenant space, pharmacies, computer rooms, and high security areas. Patent Pending EcoFlex™ Technology Reduces energy consumption up to 96%, as certified by GreenCircle Field configurable to fail-safe or fail-secure Operates from 12-24VDC, offering greater flexibility in system design Innovative actuator design provides superior reliability Security In applications where increased security is required, look no further than the ML2000VR Vandal Resistant Trim. This cast stainless steel trim features tapered edges, double through bolts, torx-pin tamper resistant screws and the lever remains attached to the escutcheon when the spindle is broken. Aesthetics Access control doesn't mean a loss of visual appeal. The Vineyard™ Collection and the Muséo® Collection feature beautifully designed levers, perfect for high-profile applications where pleasing aesthetics is a must. Additional Features Mechanical key override Patented Quick Reversible latchbolt, Patent # 6,349,982 Downloads ML2000 Catalog (including ML20900) EcoFlex Promotional Sheet ML20900 Cross Reference Product installation instructions and templates are located in the Library. Close Functions Downloads ML20900 functions.pdf (.pdf, 60 kB) Close Trim Escutcheons ESCUTCHEONS L ESCUTCHEON R ESCUTCHEON Roses Roses T ROSE U ROSE V ROSE W ROSE X ROSE Y ROSE E3 ROSE E2 ROSE E4 ROSE Close Trim Standard Trim Armstrong Citation Dirke Essex Lustra Newport Princeton Regis Vineyard Frascati Merlot Tuscany Zinfandel Museo GEORGIA * SALVADOR MARC* PABLO* JACKSON* PIET JOSEF GEORGES Speciality Trim BLSS HSS HPSK *Not available in 629 or 630 finish To mix and match Museo, Styles and Finishes, visit the Product Selector! Close Finishes Available Finishes Click on a swatch to view finish on hardware. BHMA 605 Bright Brass BHMA 606 Satin Brass BHMA 611 Bright Bronze BHMA 612 Satin Bronze BHMA 613 Dark Oxidized Satin Bronze, Oil Rubbed 613E Dark Oxidized Satin Bronze Equivalent BSP Black Suede Powder Coat BHMA 618 Bright Nickel Plated BHMA 619 Satin Nickel Plated BHMA 625 Bright Chromium Plated BHMA 626 Satin Chromium Plated 626C Satin Chromium Plated with MicroShield® BHMA 629 Bright Stainless Steel BHMA 630 Satin Stainless Steel 630C Satin Stainless Steel with MicroShield® BHMA 722 Black Oxidized Bronze, Oil Rubbed Close ML2000 Series


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Arabella Mudon: The perfect family destination
Tranquil living amid landscape development.
Self-sufficient community with complete amenities including schools, clinics & retail shops.
Active community lifestyle enriched by jogging, walking and cycling tracks, swimming pools, football fields, tennis and basketball courts.
Payment Plan:
10% now
10% 31 Dec 2016(PDC)
05% 30 june 2017
05% 31 Dec 2017
70% Upon Compeletion.
Hand Over Q4 2018


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Each week we bring to you the New York Times best sellers list. We go through the list and give you our top 3 picks so to give you an an idea of what to download for your Kindle or just to buy for your bookshelf. You can browse through The New York Times best sellers list on Amazon.com. Here are the Top 5 books in each category;
Hardcover Fiction
Top 5 at a Glance
1. T IS FOR TRESPASS, by Sue Grafton
2. DOUBLE CROSS, by James Patterson
3. A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS, by Khaled Hosseini
4. THE DARKEST EVENING OF THE YEAR, by Dean Koontz
5. FOR ONE MORE DAY, by Mitch Albom
Hardcover Nonfiction
Top 5 at a Glance
1. I AM AMERICA (AND SO CAN YOU!), by Stephen Colbert, Richard Dahm, Paul Dinello, Allison Silverman et al.
2. BOOM!, by Tom Brokaw
3. AN INCONVENIENT BOOK, by Glenn Beck and Kevin Balfe
4. QUIET STRENGTH, by Tony Dungy with Nathan Whitaker
5. A FAMILY CHRISTMAS, edited by Caroline Kennedy
Hardcover Advice
Top 5 at a Glance
1. THE DANGEROUS BOOK FOR BOYS, by Conn Iggulden and Hal Iggulden
2. THE DARING BOOK FOR GIRLS, by Andrea J. Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz
3. YOU: STAYING YOUNG, by Michael F. Roizen and Mehmet C. Oz et al.
4. DECEPTIVELY DELICIOUS, by Jessica Seinfeld
5. JIM CRAMER'S STAY MAD FOR LIFE, by James J. Cramer with Cliff Mason
Children' Books
Top 5 at a Glance
1. STAR WARS POP-UP GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, by Matthew Reinhart
2. THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, by Clement C. Moore. Various illustrators.
3. GALLOP!, written and illustrated by Rufus Butler Seder
4. HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL: ALL ACCESS, by N. B. Grace. Various illustrators.
5. ON THE NIGHT YOU WERE BORN, written and illustrated by Nancy Tillman
Paperback Trade Fiction
Top 5 at a Glance
1. THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH, by Ken Follett
2. THE KITE RUNNER, by Khaled Hosseini
3. ATONEMENT, by Ian McEwan
4. WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, by Sara Gruen
5. LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA, by Gabriel García Márquez
Paperback Mass-Market Fiction
Top 5 at a Glance
1. BLOOD BROTHERS, by Nora Roberts
2. I AM LEGEND, by Richard Matheson
3. NEXT, by Michael Crichton
4. CROSS, by James Patterson
5. THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH, by Ken Follett
Paperback Nonfiction
Top 5 at a Glance
1. EAT, PRAY, LOVE, by Elizabeth Gilbert
2. THE INNOCENT MAN, by John Grisham
3. THREE CUPS OF TEA, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
4. INTO THE WILD, by Jon Krakauer
5. 90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN, by Don Piper with Cecil Murphey
Paperback Advice
Top 5 at a Glance
1. RACHAEL RAY: JUST IN TIME, by Rachael Ray
2. THE WORLD ALMANAC AND BOOK OF FACTS 2008, edited by C. Alan Joyce
3. SKINNY BITCH, by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin
4. 1,000 PLACES TO SEE BEFORE YOU DIE, by Patricia Schultz
5. 1,000 PLACES TO SEE IN THE U.S.A. AND CANADA BEFORE YOU DIE, by Patricia Schultz
Our Picks
Jim Cramer's Stay Mad for Life: Number 5 in Hardcover Advice
In Stay Mad for Life, Jim Cramer addresses a whole range of financial issues that he hasn't dealt with on his Mad Money TV show and in his prior books. He takes a step back from his primary focus of teaching his viewers and readers how to select individual stocks and presents his approach to broader issues of personal financial management that one deals with from cradle to grave. In this sense the book deals with quite basic topics such as avoiding or getting out of credit card debt (about nine pages), creating and following a budget (about twelve pages) and obtaining health and disability insurance. These topics may seem elementary, even boring compared to the topics of Jim's earlier books, but are issues that people of limited financial experience need to learn about.
On the topic of retirement planning he talks about the advantages and disadvantages of 401(k) plans and of traditional and Roth IRAs. He likes 401(k) plans for their employer-dollar-matching feature but dislikes their limited choice of offered funds and their associated expenses. He advocates funding your 401(k) only up to the point where you've reached the maximum employer match. Beyond that he strongly advocates putting additional retirement dollars into an IRA where the range of choices of investments is so much broader.
In the category of family finance he advocates getting your children interested in investing as young as possible and lists six stocks that you might want to buy just one share of for your child that might pique their interest. That same chapter covers college and home financing.
In his prior books Jim has created lists of rules for investing and he does so again in this book. These twenty rules came from distilling his experience with the investments he makes for his charitable trust that he often mentions on Mad Money. For example one of these new rules that I've found myself prone to violating is "Don't quit when you get back to even". If you've taken on a position in a stock and if the price then drops significantly, it's easy to feel so grateful if/when it comes back up to your break even point, you bail out with a small profit. Jim contends that if the fundamentals of the stock are still good, hang in there with it for additional upside.
In the next to last chapter, Jim really hangs himself out on a limb by selecting five sectors that he thinks will be strong for the next five years and climbs even further out on that limb by naming twenty stocks that he thinks will do well over that time frame. I'm a subscriber to his Action Alerts e-newsletter where Jim announces the buys and sells that he plans to make for his charitable trust. At the time of this review, 16 of the 20 stocks are presently held by the trust and the other four are stocks that Jim has mentioned many times on Mad Money.
In the final chapter Jim makes what must be a major concession for him since he's such a strong advocate of selecting and holding individual stocks. At several places in the book he recommends that if you really aren't willing or able to devote the time and effort to individual stock selections (remember – his tough homework rule is one hour per stock per week!) your next best choice is a low cost passive index mutual fund such as the Vanguard VFINX. However if you REALLY want to invest in an actively managed mutual fund, Jim has conducted research and come up with a list of 13 recommended funds. In doing this research he looked at historical fund performance for the seven-year period 2000-2006. He gives especially heavy weight to fund performance in the three down-market years 2000-2002. He also emphasizes the importance of the fund manager and considers only funds where one manager ran the fund.
I recommend the book for those wanting a good (strongly opinionated) survey of the major issues of personal finance. For those not so interested in basic personal finance, just skip the first five chapters and read the final four chapters which stand on their own and will be of interest to the regular followers of Jim's books and TV.
Source: Amazon Customer Review*
The Innocent Man: Number 2 in Paperback Nonfiction
Ambivalence really sums up my feelings toward Mr. Grisham's latest book. Depressing is another. I applaud Mr. Grisham in his attempt to analyze the hows and whys of just what happened to Ron Williamson during his hectic, confusing, and sometimes just unlucky life. From outstanding major league baseball prospect, to drug and alcohol abuser, to mentally unstable convict, to exonerated felon, Ron Williamson never really knew any peace off the baseball diamond. His dream of a major league career shattered he simply withdrew into his own private hell of dope, booze, loose women, honky tonks, and insanity.
Sometimes a difficult book to follow, the darkness that Mr. Grisham maintains throughout the book is at times oppressive. How many times must Ron Williamson have to exhibit mental instability before someone, anyone, gets him real help and not just temporary "band-aid" his CHRONIC mental problems. It is a wonder that he didn't harm someone during his drunken, drug induced haze. Finally convicted of a murder he never committed, the complex judicial process to free him was very well told by Mr. Grisham. Ron's years spent on "death row" were both illuminating, sad, and frightening all at the same time. His eventual release and exoneration was the ONLY happy point in an otherwise sad biography of a profoundly unhappy life.
Again, I was ambivalent about this book. I can not say I enjoyed it but I did learn from it. This is not your typical light Grisham reading so be very careful. Be ready for a heavy, dark, oppressive book that while educating about the legal system, at the same time leaves one empty about the sad state of this nation's mental health programs. This up close and personal view of America's seamy underbelly will stay with you for quite awhile.
Source: Amazon Customer Review*
Double Cross: Number 2 in Hardcover Fiction
I have always been a big fan of the Alex Cross Novels (With the exception of London Bridges (Alex Cross Novels) and I don't care for his other books written by other authors with his named stamped on top), so I was excited to receive and advance readers copy of Double Cross (Alex Cross)! I waited for a slow day a the Marina before cracking it open and was soon lost in the world of Cross. Alex has become like a old friend, having read so many of his trails, adventures, and tragedies.
Alex's life has become more settled since we last saw hin in Cross. He is back at work tending to his patients and living a normal life with his girlfriend Brianna Stone–detective Stone that is. But of course this cannot last. Washington DC and the east cost are a jitter because of a number of elaborate murders, these are not just murders but spectacles. This guy is a grisly showman. A murderer who wants fame—and to scare the pants off the entire DC metro area. Of course it is up Alex and Brianna to bring this guy down…but at what cost?
Patterson's master plotting, lightening fast chapters that keep you turning the pages are again on display and make for a great beach read! For Patterson like pacing I have to recommend the cult classic "A Tourist In The Yucatan" ripping good thriller!
Source: Amazon Customer Review*
* – These reviews are taken from Amazon.com and do not reflect the views or opinions blogkindle.com


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|Eleanor Morgan
Despite the lure of scientific elegance, the darker, more mysterious light work of Greg Tricker beckoned. His show at the ironically rather soulless marble and glass surroundings of Kings Place is coming to an end but I feel fortunate to have caught it there. His work isn't all stained glass, but encompasses all media familiar to mediaeval craftspeople. Although his glass images make the most impact reflecting around the space, the oil on wood paintings and the biblical oak sculpture were actually breath-taking in intensity.
In odd contrast to Eleanor Morgan's shattered heads and missing faces, you find yourself hypnotised by his ageless icon-like faces. It becomes rapidly apparent how far away you are from the rational didactic perfection of the Wellcome glass pieces. Although science is truthful revelation, the themes here are miraculous, religious or revelatory in a 'John the Baptist' biblical sense. For me the use of glass in scientific art compared with religious art contrasts the human-intellectual with human-emotional - in all its messy domestic and heart wrenching glory.
The most cynical of hearts can enjoy the simplicity of Tricker's religious narratives. The sequential images of saints tending the fire in the hearth, washing clothes in the village well, or surveying the harvest, take on meanings and ancient significance. Biblical stories of anointing of Christ, his breaking of bread and the later tales of saints connect with our inner child to provide homely succour and, for some, a security in our difficult modern world.
Three things struck me. Firstly the monumental and hypnotic power of the faces. Whether in wood or glass, in profile, or straight on, the childlike eyes gazed out unconscious of an audience. Those eyes which hold ours directly - of Christ, Mary and John are unflinching and unyielding, demanding understanding and compassion.
Those in profile draw one in to the images' narrative and emotion because of their subjects abstraction. The healing Spring of Lourdes is truly primeval - the seeming essence of God is pouring out of the mossy nook; male / female, old / new, religion / none, it seems that both everything and nothing is happening in this moment. The etched female could be any number of fertility goddesses giving life to the earth. The astonished gaze of the human earth bound female figure to the left could be experiencing everything from sexual awakening to the urge to quench thirst. But we are none the less witnesses to something momentous.
The third gaze contains a steadfast piety. Joan of Arc has glanced away from us, as if caught by her revelation; Mary Magdalen holds her hand against the tomb entrance in quiet abstracted sorrow and shock; and St Bride is lost in her swirling Celtic landscape of thought. And St Joan - la Somme - although shivering in the wet and rain, is fearless in her steely gaze forwards, over the prow of the wooden boat.
Secondly, although the images contain such luminaries as Christ, Joseph of Arimathea, and John of the Revelations notoriety, female figures predominate. The virgin, St bride, St Joan of Arc, St Bernadette of Lourdes, Mary Magdalene. Their depth and power penetrate the silent gallery. There is little evidence of their psychological or physical suffering - they appear as if someone has lifted their burdens after a long journey. They are serene yet leave us in no doubt as to the extremity of their experiences. Even the female pagan images - Bride the Shepherdess, Bride of the Spring, Keeper of the Fire - speak of a powerful connection with nature and death. Birds, colour, landscape swirl about these images, endowing them all with something otherworldly, yet ours for the taking.
This is what makes the simple actions of the religious stories so profound. Juxtaposing the hardships, death, and physical threats these women faced with apparent everyday life, makes me shiver. Not because they are stories from long ago, but because the news is full of accounts of journeys that women and children are making everyday to flee famine, pillage, destruction and rape. The burden and experience that you see in those faces are the same as these women. Indeed the face of an imprisoned John the Baptist appears no different from that of the blogger in a Saudi prison. Injustice is clearly timeless and universal.
And finally, the materials which he uses to convey these stories, is of central important. I started out by talking about glass and, there is much more to be said. Although these artists are quite different in their approach, I love how they interconnect. They are creating new incredible pieces out of existing objects; Tricker's wooden boards have clearly had a previous life, Morgan's antique leaded glass fragment (illustrated above) has been refashioned, and Jerram's abandoned flotilla of fishing boats all seem to speak to us of journeys, transformations, and something deeply spiritual. Ideas which are as fluid as the glass which has inspired the art.
In my usual chaotic way, all of these exhibitions closed recently. Sorry!


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"Consider the idea of God. We do not know how it arose in the meme pool.
Probably it originated many times by independent 'mutation'. In any case, it is very old indeed. How does it replicate itself? By the spoken and written word, aided by great music and great art. Why does it have such a high survival value? Remember that 'survival value' here does not mean value for a gene in a gene pool, but value for a meme in a meme pool. The question really means: What is it about the idea of a god that gives it its stability and penetrance in the cultural environment? The survival value of the god meme in the meme pool results from its great psychological appeal."
- Richard Dawkins
Meme (noun)
1. an idea, belief or belief system, or pattern of behavior that spreads throughout a culture either vertically by cultural inheritance (as by parents to children) or horizontally by cultural acquisition (as by peers, information media, and entertainment media).
2. a pervasive thought or thought pattern that replicates itself via cultural means; a parasitic code, a virus of the mind especially contagious to children and the impressionable.
3. the fundamental unit of information, analogous to the gene in emerging evolutionary theory of culture.
Memetics (noun)
1. The area of study relating to viral cultural ideas that spread from person to person. From Greek: mimetikos ...good at imitating.
- Urban Dictionary
|Life is hard. Let us tell you what to think!
Within memetics... cultural evolution, including the evolution of knowledge, can be modeled through the same basic principles of variation and selection that underlie biological evolution. This implies a shift from genes as units of biological information to a new type of unit of cultural information: memes. The meme was conceived as a "unit of culture" (an idea, belief, pattern of behavior, etc.) which is "hosted" in the mind of one or more individuals and which can reproduce itself, thereby jumping from mind to mind.
What was once regarded as one individual influencing another to adopt a specific belief... is seen within the discipline of memetics, as an idea-replicator reproducing itself in a new host. As with genetics, particularly under this Dawkinsian interpretation, a meme's success may be due to its contribution to the effectiveness of its host.
A meme is a cognitive or behavioral pattern that can be transmitted from one individual to another one. Since the individual who transmitted the meme will continue to carry it, the transmission can be interpreted as a replication: a copy of the meme is made in the memory of another individual, making him or her into a carrier of the meme. This process of self-reproduction (the memetic life-cycle), leading to spreading over a growing group of individuals, defines the meme as a replicator, similar in that respect to the gene (Dawkins, 1976; Moritz, 1991).
Myth (noun)
1. A traditional, typically ancient story dealing with supernatural beings, ancestors, or heroes that serves as a fundamental type in the worldview of a people, as by explaining aspects of the natural world or delineating the psychology, customs, or ideals of society: the myth of Eros and Psyche; a creation myth.
2. A popular belief or story that has become associated with a person, institution, or occurrence, especially one considered to illustrate a cultural ideal: a star whose fame turned her into a myth; the pioneer myth of suburbia.
3. A fiction or half-truth, especially one that forms part of an ideology.
Mythology (noun)
1. An allegorical narrative.
2. A body of myths: as the myths dealing with the gods, demigods, and legendary heroes of a particular people.
3. A branch of knowledge that deals with myth.
4. A popular belief or assumption that has grown up around someone or something.
- Merriam Webster
Mythology is a collection of myths pertaining to a particular sacred, religious, or cultural tradition of a group of people. Myths are a collection of stories told to explain nature, history, and customs (or the study of such myths). As a collection of "civilizing stories" mythology is a vital feature of every culture. Mythologizing is not just an ancient or primitive practice, but a vibrant, dynamic cultural process, as demonstrated by contemporary myths such as urban legends and the expansive fictional mythologies created by fantasy novels and especially comics. A culture's collective mythology helps convey belonging, shared and religious experiences, behavioral models, and moral and practical lessons.
The study of myth dates back to ancient history. Rival classes of the Greek myths by Euhemerus, Plato, and Sallustius were developed by the Neoplatonists and later revived by Renaissance mythographers. Nineteenth-century comparative mythologists interpreted myth as a misinterpretation of magical ritual (James Frazer). Modern scholarship recognizes the complementary value of myth and rational thought, viewing myths as expressions for understanding general psychological, cultural, or societal truths, rather than being merely inaccurate historical accounts.
Historian Mircea Eliade suggests that one of the foremost functions of myth is to establish models for behavior and that myths may also provide a religious experience. By telling or reenacting myths, members of traditional societies detach themselves from the present, returning to the mythical age, thereby bringing themselves closer to the divine. Roland Barthes argues that modern culture utilizes mythology to trigger religious experience. Since it is not the job of science to define human morality... a religious experience is an attempt to connect with a perceived moral past, which is in contrast with the technological present.
"In the long view of the history of mankind, four essential functions of mythology can be discerned. The first and most distinctive... vitalizing all... is that of eliciting and supporting a sense of awe before the mystery of being."
"The second function of mythology is to render a cosmology, an image of the universe that will support and be supported by this sense of awe before the mystery of the presence and the presence of a mystery."
"A third function of mythology is to support the current social order, to integrate the individual organically with his group;"
"The fourth function of mythology is to initiate the individual into the order of realities of his own psyche, guiding him toward his own spiritual enrichment and realization."
- Joseph Campbell
Editor's note: At the end of the day... the difference between a meme and a myth may involve resonance and longevity. Memes display the immediacy of an evolving culture... while myths "canonize" a particularly resonate cultural meme, over time.
(source: Uban Dictionary, Merriam Webster & Wikipedia)
(source: Uban Dictionary, Merriam Webster & Wikipedia)


text: Today I wanted to share the new 1/60th scale unseen Wolverine/Blockhead.THis was always one of my favorite designs in the game .the model comes with both the dougram blockhead Head and a more battletech style head. it has jump jets and of course arms and weapon which are in rubber or i would have the complete model to show. The weapon is a ac5 rifle and comes with three ammo magazines. posable arms , legs and torso.it also comes with srm 6 and a lrm 7 tube.both can be posed. 30 parts in all. if your interested , email me at


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Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Mid Week Match-Up: A Car for the Collective
We find ourselves spending a lot of time scheduling car availability and coordination so a group 'second' car would help a lot. We need something bigger on the inside than the Fit so some of us can haul off with children for road trips*, acceptable winter handling for when the Miata is in the garage and an automatic transmission so we can all drive it. Our budget is $10,000 or under.
*my parents once packed me and my brother into a Citroën Saxo for a multi-day road trip and we've never let them forget it.
DT: What I am going to recommend is this sweet 1989 Toyota Van found here on eBay bidding for $2,120 with 5 days to go, located in Palm Desert, CA. My first thought was with that many people, you guys need a Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon, but judging from the current fleet, it appears that fuel economy is important, so a vintage MasterAce Van will do the trick.
What do you guys recommend? Comments below.
12 comments:
Well, $10K will get you into an early 100-series Land Cruiser, '98-02ish, not fast and certainly thirsty but decently roomy and the winter drivability won't be a problem. The purists would argue for an 80-series but they're even slower and pretty nasty on-road n my opinion.ReplyDelete
Would also get you a GMT800-series Tahoe/Suburban, '02-05 or so, a bit roomier than the Land Bruiser, not quite as nice materials but better front seat support, also winter-capable and surprisingly nice on-road and a better tow vehicle.
There was a 4WD variant of the old Toyota Previa, which was by minivan standards lacking in modern conveniences but a much nicer drive than many newer ones (mainly 'cause they're so much easier to see out of) but finding a good one and maintaining it is likely a challenge.
AWD Sienna for $6700 just outside Boston?ReplyDelete
1987 Mitsubishi Delica but would need to be imported from BC.ReplyDelete
We have one car, and three adults and a well chauffeured teenager, so I feel your pain. We have a Scion Xa, it's just big enough for very short trips with the four of us.ReplyDelete
What about an Odyssey?
My kid would love this, but only if it was REDReplyDelete
For low maintenance costs, I'd recommend the nicest V6 AWD Ford Explorer you can find. May not jive with your image, though. Maybe you could do it up Jurassic Park style?ReplyDelete
For something a little nicer, maybe an early (2002-2006) Volvo XC90. Get one with the 5-cylinder engine (most affordable and reliable) and AWD.
Ideally an air-cooled Vanagon, but are all the decent ones >$10k now? At least it will hold its value (and "collective" ownership is sure to make for prized provenance).
Those old Toyota vans have absolutely scary handling. I drove my boss to O'hare one time and nearly lost it on a cloverleaf off-ramp. Lots of oversteer - turn the wheel and nothing much happens.ReplyDelete
Go with a the newest Toyota or Honda minivan you can get. Our Sienna has proven bulletproof her in Wisconsin.
Maybe I'm the only one intrigued enough to ask, but what exactly is "a group of individuals living in a family as an intentional community"?ReplyDelete
- BobinottFebruary 4, 2016 at 8:02 AM
Well, if it is a vehicle for The Collective, I guess anything with a BORG-Warner transmission would be appropriate. How about an early Jaguar XJ-6?ReplyDelete
Thank you for the suggestions! An SUV definitely would be an image-killer for us, so I'm beginning the process of selling people on an AWD minivan. While unglamorous, it would meet a lot of our needs. Consensus building is a gradual process!ReplyDelete
As for the others, I owned a Volvo 850 once and the money spent fixing the fuel evaporation leaks is enough to say never again. The one time I was ever in a Jaguar, it broke down on the side of the highway. Something to do with the dual fuel tanks.
- BarbaraPaddlesFebruary 4, 2016 at 9:42 PM
Chevy/GMC AWD 1500 passenger van. Lots of room, domestic parts, full time awd, availability good, service easy and abundant. Call Tritowntrucks in CT there and tell your guidelines and check their site.ReplyDelete
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Hercules is the Roman name for Greek demigod Heracles, son of Zeus (Ancient Greek: Ζεύς, Zeús; Modern Greek: Δίας, Días,Latin: Iuppiter), and the mortal Alcmene (Ancient Greek: Ἀλκμήνη).
According to mythology, Heracles was the illegitimate son of Zeus and Alcmene, the wisest and most beautiful of all mortal women.
|Alcmene on the pyre.
From a crateros of Paestum (c.a. 350-325 B.C.), British Museum
Juno was enraged at Zeus for his infidelity with Alcmene, and even more so that he placed the infant Heracles at Hera's breast as she slept and allowed him to feed, which caused Heracles to be partially immortal, thus, allowing him to surpass all mortal men in strength, size and skill.
Juno sent Heracles into a blind frenzy, in which he killed all of his children and his wife. When Heracles regained his sanity, he sought out the Oracle at Delphi in the hope of making atonement.
|Theater, Delphi, Greece
|King Eurystheus can be seen hiding in a storage jar as Heracles brings him the Erymanthian boar. Side A from a red-figure kylix by Oltos, ca. 510 BC, (Louvre)
who sent him on a series of tasks known as the Labors of Heracles.
The first Labor of Heracles was to kill the Nemean lion . When Heracles found the lion, he fired at it with his bow only to discovered the fur's protective property when the arrow bounced harmlessly off the creature's thigh. After some time, Heracles made the lion return to his cave. The cave had two entrances, one of which Heracles blocked; he then entered the other. In those dark and close quarters, Heracles wrestled with the beast at length.
|Hercules wrestling the Nemean Lion
Philadelphia L-64-185, Attic red figure stamnos, ca. 490 B.C.
Photograph by Maria Daniels, courtesy of the University of Pennsylvania Museum
|Hercules fighting the Nemean Lion. Detail of The Twelve Labours Roman mosaic from Llíria (Valencia, Spain). 200 A.D.
He finally stunned the beast with his club and, using his immense strength, strangled it to death.
After slaying the lion, he tried to skin it with a knife from his belt, but failed. He then tried sharpening the knife with a stone and even tried with the stone itself. Finally, Athena, noticing the hero's plight, told Heracles to use one of the lion's own claws to skin the pelt.
|In October 2011, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts returned the top half of Weary Heracles, Greek for Hercules to Turkey where the 1,900-year-old statue is now on display at a museum in Antalya.
|Bottom half of Weary Heracles on display at the museum in Antalya. 100 A.D.
Whether inspired by the Weary Heracles of Antalya, or by the statue of Hercules that could be found on the garden grounds of the Cardinal de Richelieu and later Louis the XIVth and Napoleon,
|Northern Italy XVIth century Bronze, Hercules slaying the Hydra of Lerne. successively in the gardens of Rueil (belonging to Richelieu), in Louis XIVth's garden at Marly and in Napoleon's garden at Saint-Cloud. Le Louvre Museum. photo courtesy Sophy Laughing
|Heracles by Philippe-Laurent Roland, 1806. Relief on the left of the central window, droite part of the West façade of the cour Carrée in the Louvre palace, Paris.
this pipe from Sommer Frères, Paris is a powerful late XIXth century rendition of weary Heracles resting on the Nemean lion's pelt while holding the very club with which he slayed the beast.
|Pipe by Sommer Frères, Paris, Length: 11"; Height: 3.5"
|Pipe by Sommer Frères, Paris, Length: 11"; Height: 3.5"
|Pipe by Sommer Frères, Paris, Length: 11"; Height: 3.5"
|Pipe by Sommer Frères, Paris, Length: 11"; Height: 3.5"
|Pipe by Sommer Frères, Paris, Length: 11"; Height: 3.5"


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Website Development From the start, you have been at pains to understand my desired outcome in my wish to have a coherent approach to our website. I feel that I "own" the strategy, in other words, you have guided, prodded and offered opinion, but never have you insisted on any particular point. So, top marks for consultative approach and engendering the feeling that this is a team effort. Your knowledge in this arena is really quite something. I know that I understand very little, but there was never a time when I felt you were anything but … [Read more...]
Online Business Development testimonials kindly written by clients of the Online Marketing Academy and the Web Business Builder for Mick Say.
Mick's knowledge in this area is really quite something!
If you want a top performing business website…
Search Engine Optimisation If you want a successful business web site, you need visitors and then to get the purchase conversions from the visit. However, if you are relying to get visitors from the web, you need to be on the first page of the relevant keywords of the search engines. If you are not, you are probably struggling with getting visitors. This in turns adds to issues to the performance of the web site. With these issues, I have been looking for a web designer with a business background and expertise in Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) in … [Read more...]
Online Business Development Solutions
Online Business and Website Development Solutions I've had the privilege of my first 2 boardroom events with Mick in the chair and by the end of the first I knew, that this was the standard upheld by the community, that I'm in. From those 2 events and a 1-to-1 meeting with Mick, I can confidently say I would trust him implicitly to be able to deliver the most complete online business and website solutions, from anybody that I know. His pragmatic, down-to-earth style and thorough attention to detail, coupled with his extensive business background … [Read more...]
Mick provided online business development advice …
Online Business Develoment Mick recently provided really excellent advice on the subject of online business development & long-term web strategy planning. This is a growing and really significant area that anyone with a business proposition needing to draw a crowd should get acquainted with. Don't be put off by Mick's location in Kent. It's well worth the pilgrimage to strategise and discuss plans. I look forward to getting to know what Mick can do to help me along my journey better in the coming months and years. Richard J Francis Boardroom … [Read more...]
Mick is an expert in his field exuding confidence & …
Digital Marketing Strategy I have had the pleasure of knowing Mick Say for about two years and have used a number of his services and I cannot recommend highly enough. He is a real expert in his field and he exudes confidence and knowledge - this is both very deep and is explained in a very clear way. Mick is also very passionate and cares deeply about his customers and is very giving in nature. Bottom line I would recommend Mick to any business considering taking on his services and it is a pleasure to know him and work with him. Rupert … [Read more...]
Mick's talk at our conference in this year was dynamic!
Digital Marketing Strategy Mick's talk at our conference in Manchester this year was dynamic, engaging and gave an interesting and easy to digest account of how we can improve our presence in the new digital world. Feedback from conference attendees was extremely positive, with many having improved their knowledge of social and digital marketing dramatically in just a 40 minute period! We look forward to working with Mick and the Online Marketing Academy in the near future." Katherine Barrett, Content Committee, National Safer Roads … [Read more...]


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Jim Hunt is a knowledgeable investor who has created some unique strategies for stock trading and planning for the future. He has a lot of followers on YouTube, where he posts videos about the latest trends on stock charts, and tells his viewers when and how they should execute trades. Hunt is very passionate about finances, so much so that he believes learning how to trade stocks is easy. To demonstrate how serious he is about that, Hunt started up "Wealth Wave" and "Making Mum a Millionaire in Just 10 Trades." "Wealth Wave" is about making two calls during a bear market that could drastically change your fortune, and "Making Mum a Millionaire in Just 10 Trades" shows how picking the right stocks could multiply your profits by 10 each time.
Jim Hunt leads quite a normal life and doesn't even consider himself all that ambitious, but he stays up to date with all financial news. Ideamensch interviewed Hunt to know more about what he does. Hunt talked about how he started VTA Publications as a resource for independent investors to learn how to manage assets without needing a bank to do so. He called working for a bank the worst job he had because of how clients were treated. When asked about a good startup idea for beginning entrepreneurs, Hunt pointed to Clickbank as a great tool where people can learn affiliate marketing while making commission selling. Hunt also recommends several books for his followers including "Rich Dad, Poor Dad," and Jesse Livermore's books.
Hunt started up VTA Publications not too long ago, and this company has compiled several booklets and resources as guides for anyone looking to start an independent business career. There are several articles published on the company website that are about setting financial goals and helping others realize what you're trying to accomplish. And the courses that the company offer include retirement planning taken from the bible, reading and learning stock charts, and futures options for investing. Seminars hosted by some of the top business people are also available to purchase along with other course materials in various multimedia formats. Be sure to follow Jim on Twitter, and check out his official website for more information.