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What's up: Dec. 4, 2012
Updated 10:28 pm, Monday, December 3, 2012
Puro Slam: On The Half Shell Oyster Bar, 202 Navarro St., 210-843-3054. Weekly open mike certified by the National Poetry Slam allows poets to deliver their work and get heckled. $5 for minors. 9:30 p.m. doors, 10:30 p.m. slam.
Story Swaps: Brook Hollow Library, 530 Heimer Road, 210-496-6315. San Antonio Storytellers Association presents monthly story swaps, beginners and non-members are welcome. 6:30-8 p.m.
Aaron Neville: Jo Long Theatre, Carver Community Cultural Center, 226 N. Hackberry, 210-207-2234. Crooner and his quintet perform classic Christmas songs, selections from their new Gospel release "I Know I've Been Changed" and hits from throughout Neville's career. $31. 8 p.m.
Lifestyle Channel
- Birth Control Pills May Help Prevent Some Cancers Time
- Can You Guess The Best Small Cities in America? Wibbitz
- Hot Yoga Is No Better for You Than Regular Yoga, Study Says Time
- Chinese Street Vendor Creates Pig and Elephant Candy With Sugar Blowing Storyful
- 5 Signs You're Getting Fitter—Even if the Scale Hasn't Budged Health
- What You Need to Know About the Government Shutdown Wibbitz
- 6 Ways to Improve Your Productivity Wibbitz
- Experts Warn Against 'Tide Pod Challenge' Fortune
- Dad Finds New Way of Recycling Nespresso Cartridges Storyful
- Can Indoor Plants Really Purify the Air? Time
"A Night of Jazz on Broadway": University of the Incarnate Word Fine Arts Auditorium. Guitarist Jackie King performs with the UIW Jazz Ensemble and the Prime Time Jazz Orchestra. $5-$25. 7 p.m.
Holiday Mingle & Jingle: The Shops at La Cantera, 15900 La Cantera Parkway. Shopping celebration with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres benefits six local charities. $20-$30. 6-9 p.m.
Holiday Laser Show: Urban-15 Studio, 2500 S. Presa St., 210-736-1500. Multimedia spectacular of choreographed laser beams, animation and light effects set to holiday music and carols. $8-$12. 7 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday.
Matt Maher: Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 758 W. Ramsey Road, 210-341-1397. Six-time Gospel Music Association Dove Award nominee performs. $20 general admission; $50 VIP with meet and greet. 7 p.m.
"Annie": Rogers Theater, Playhouse San Antonio, 800 W. Ashby Place, 210-733-7258. A spunky redheaded orphan changes the life of a New York City billionaire and his staff. $10-$25. 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 2:30 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 23. Also 7 p.m. Dec. 18-20.
"Hell and Back": Overtime Theater, 1203 Camden St., 210-557-7562. Fourth installment in the series of noir murder mysteries featuring Detective Winters. $10-$14. 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays through Jan. 5. Also 2:30 p.m. Sunday and 7 p.m. Dec. 23.
"Santaland Diaries," "Season's Greetings": Cellar Theater, Playhouse San Antonio, 800 W. Ashby Place, 210-733-7258. Two crass holiday one-act comedies. $15-$25. 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 2:30 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 16.


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Maybin day to day with back soreness
By AJ Cassavell / MLB.com
PEORIA, Ariz. -- Padres center fielder Cameron Maybin is day to day with soreness in his lower back after he felt a twinge while stretching a few days ago.
Maybin has not played since Thursday, and the Padres are not sure when he will be back in the lineup, but manager Bud Black indicated it is not serious.
"I come here to play baseball, so I don't know if there is ever a nice time [for an injury]," Maybin said. "I always consider it unfortunate if you're not getting a chance to play. But it's one of those things that if anything's going to happen, you'd rather have it happen earlier rather than later."
On Monday morning, Maybin's midsection was wrapped, and he had an ice pack on his lower-left back, which he says has been affecting him most when he moves.
"It's been affecting the way I run and use my legs pretty much," Maybin said. "That's my biggest asset, so I've got to take care of it."
There's no specific incident Maybin can recall that may have caused the injury. He is off to a hot start to the spring, hitting .350 with a homer in seven Cactus League contests.
Forsythe in boot, will miss a week
PEORIA, Ariz. -- Padres infielder Logan Forsythe will be in a boot for three to four days, a result of the plantar fasciitis in his right foot that will keep him out of action for about a week.
He received an injection in the foot and said the treatment should go a long way toward curing the lingering ailment.
"It was barking a little bit before spring, but I didn't think it was anything like this," Forsythe said. "I started doing everyday things, and I just couldn't shake it. We made a decision Saturday to shoot it up and just take a couple days, and hopefully it clears up."
Forsythe has a bit of a history with injury problems in the spring. He missed time early last season when he had the sesamoid bone surgically removed from his left foot. He got off to a late start this spring because of a sore knee.
With highly touted rookie Jedd Gyorko competing for the second base job, it's possible Forsythe's role this season will be as more of a utility man. He has started twice at shortstop and has worked in camp at third base and in the outfield.
"I think [the versatility] will help tremendously, not just for me, but for the team," Forsythe said. "If there's a spot, [manager Bud Black] doesn't have to go looking for another player. He can just put me in."
Forsythe said he sees the time off as a bit of a positive after spending much of his downtime during the first couple of weeks of games constantly stretching and worrying about his foot.
The extended Spring Training because of the World Baseball Classic also helps, and Black said with the extra time to work this spring, he does not see the injury as too much of a setback.
"It's not ideal, because players want to play," Black said. "This is just a little bit of a deterrent that keeps him from getting innings, but it has no bearing on how we feel about him as a player."
Relaxed Hundley off to positive spring start
PEORIA, Ariz. -- Given his play this spring, you'd think Nick Hundley underwent some drastic offseason changes to fix the offensive part of his game that let him down in a big way last season.
Turns out, he's been working on one thing and one thing only:
"I'm trying to be loose," Hundley said. "I'm trying to be relaxed; that's really all I've been working on."
It has certainly worked so far, as Hundley notched 11 hits in 23 at-bats before Monday. What's more important is that he's driving the ball, slugging .783 and with an OPS of 1.283.
That's quite the quick turnaround from last season's anemic numbers. After signing a $9 million contract extension last January, Hundley struggled to a .157 batting average and just a .245 slugging percentage in 58 games before he was sent to Triple-A Tucson. To tack on, he injured his knee in mid-April -- a major hindrance all year -- and his season ended early with surgery on it in August.
"He was pressing too hard, wanting to live up to his contract a little bit and wanting to prove that he was the guy," manager Bud Black said. "Then he started going the other way, the knee situation happened, he kept playing through it. He started trying harder, and the harder he tried the worse it got."
As a result of those struggles, Hundley has made adjustments to his stance in an effort to keep his swing loose. His hands are lower, and his path to the ball is more direct. In short, there are not as many moving parts.
But what may be even more important than the mechanics is the mental adjustment he has made.
"The only day that matters is right now, and the only pitch that matters is right now," Hundley said. "I've wasted way too much of my life looking ahead. That's something I've made the adjustment on, and I'll need to continue that."
With Yasmani Grandal suspended for the first 50 games of the season, Hundley figures to get the opportunity to prove himself yet again. He has certainly done so this spring, and Black likes what he has seen.
"It's a combination of the physical -- his stance and his swing have been changed a little bit -- and the mental side, being more composed," Black said. "He's got a calmer sense in the batter's box than ever before.
"Now, he's just got to take that into a regular-season game. It's easy to do in a Spring Training game, as opposed to maybe Opening Day in New York."
Volquez unlikely to test limits in Round 2 of Classic
PEORIA, Ariz. -- There's not much concern in Padres camp over Edinson Volquez's next World Baseball Classic appearance with the Dominican Republic.
The right-hander started for the club Thursday in its Classic opener but was removed after throwing just 11 pitches because of a rain delay. That setback means Volquez was unable to continue stretching his arm out on schedule.
The limit for pitch counts in the second round of play is 80, but after the early exit, Volquez's arm is not ready for that kind of a workload. The Padres are in the process of getting in touch with the Dominican staff to make sure it is aware.
"That won't happen," Padres manager Bud Black said. "We've talked about that. They know that his pitch count was down. Because of the rain delay and him not going back out, he wasn't able to get to the 50-60 pitches that were allowable in the protocol. Common sense tells you that he can't go from 11 pitches to 80."
If the Dominicans stick with their current rotation, Volquez is on track to pitch the first game of the second round against Italy on Thursday.
Worth noting
• Carlos Quentin, who was slated to DH, was scratched from Monday's game against Oakland with mild discomfort in his right knee. He was replaced in the lineup by Yonder Alonso.
• The Padres optioned right-hander Adys Portillo and infielder Edinson Rincon to Double-A San Antonio, while outfielder Yeison Asencio was sent to Class A Lake Elsinore. Those moves bring the current roster to 57 players.
• With Team Mexico's elimination from the World Baseball Classic over the weekend, bench coach Rick Renteria returned to Padres camp on Monday. He managed Mexico to a 1-2 record during the Classic.
AJ Cassavell is a reporter for MLB.com Follow him on Twitter @ajcassavell. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

subset: commoncrawl


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pGLO Lab Kits utilize Bio-Rad's pGLO Plasmid, which encodes a green fluorescent protein (GFP), to enable instructors to give students a hands-on introduction to transformation, cloning, protein chromatography, and electrophoresis techniques.
In this classic activity, students transform bacteria by introducing a gene from the bioluminescent jellyfish Aequorea victoria. The classic pGLO kit follows the same procedure used by molecular biologists to create "designer proteins."
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SCOUT groups throughout the South Burnett may close as soon as December due to a decline in leadership numbers.
Scouts of Australia hold grave concerns for the four remaining clubs in the region that are dangerously low on Scout Leaders.
The Nanango, Kingaroy, Proston and Wooroolin clubs are all on the bare minimum number of leaders and cannot afford to lose any more.
The Kingaroy club is facing possible closure by the end of the year, following the Barambah/Murgon Scout Club, which closed in September from a lack of leadership.
Scouts Australia district commissioner Christine Littlejohns said unless adults put up their hands, the clubs would be forced to close.
"We are getting to the point where the future of Scouts in the area is looking dire," she said.
Mrs Littlejohns, who has been part of the organisation locally for 14 years, said the problem came down to lack of leaders, not lack of demand.
"If we can get the leaders, we get the kids," she said.
The decline in leadership at the Scouts has been an ongoing trend in the region with Wondai closing its doors a decade ago and unable to reopen, despite repeated attempts.
If you are interested in becoming a leader or helping the local clubs, phone 0422617497.
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Greetings Expatica community!
I'm planning on moving to Germany in June of 2013 with my girlfriend, a native of the town of Bösel. I was wondering if any of you Americans or English-speaking expats living in Germany have any insight regarding where I could start looking for gainful employment.
I have a Bachelor's Degree in the fields of Political Science and German language. I've been speaking German for about 6-7 years now. I have been working various jobs in the past two years, primarily in the fields of administrative assistance.
I know that I can start getting my work visa/permit together here in the States before June (since I live close to Washington DC and the German consulate there). However, I'd also like to get a head start on finding a job as well!
Do any of you good people have any ideas or direction in regards to my job search? Anybody in need of a young American with outstanding written/spoken English skills, great written/spoken German skills, and extensive experience with computers?
Any information or direction would be awesome. Like I said, I won't be moving to Germany until June of 2013, but I'd love to get things rolling before then.
- Alex Lee


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Edgar Bronfman Jr.
The son of Edgar Bronfman Sr. and heir to a family fortune, Edgar Jr. is currently the CEO of Warner Music.
Born into the Seagram liquor fortune, Edgar Bronfman Jr. always had more of a taste for the arts than the booze business. After graduating from Collegiate, he skipped college and tried his hand at being a Broadway producer, Hollywood producer, and songwriter. None took, and by the 1980s he was safely ensconced in the executive suite at Seagram, the multi-billion dollar conglomerate his grandfather founded. Following Edgar Bronfman Sr.'s retirement in 1994, Edgar Jr. took over as CEO; he went on to make a series of disastrous decisions that ultimately cost the Bronfman family billions.
In 1995, he sold the company's enormously valuable (but boring) stake in the chemicals giant DuPont and then plunged headlong into the entertainment business, purchasing the film studio MCA/Universal for $5 billion and, later, the record company Polygram for $10 billion. Hollywood's savviest players promptly took the naïve, inexperienced heir to the cleaners, although Edgar Jr.'s most disastrous deal came in 2000 when he combined Universal with the French utility company Vivendi in a $33 billion transaction. Vivendi unraveled shortly thereafter, diminishing the Bronfman family fortune by an estimated $4 billion and establishing Edgar Jr. as one of the worst stewards of a family fortune in history.
Of note
Despite his dubious track record—New York once described him as "possibly the stupidest person in the media business"—Bronfman lined up a second act in the entertainment business in 2003 when he partnered with Thomas H. Lee Partners, Bain Capital and Providence Equity Partners to purchase Time Warner's ailing music subsidiary, Warner Music, for $2.6 billion. Given the bleak economic prospects for the music industry, it was a surprising move, although given Edgar Jr.'s musical leanings, perhaps not.
Since taking over, Warner has had to confront many of the same problems as its competitors, namely declining sales and profits in the face of growing piracy and decreased consumer demand. Warner's abysmal performance since the company's IPO has led Bronfman to discuss taking the company private, a move that would also remove him from the glare of Wall Street, which recently took him to task for failing to acquire rival EMI. In 2007, Bronfman tried to address shareholder dissatisfaction with some much-needed belt tightening, which resulted in a 10 percent staff cut. (The cutbacks did not, however, impinge on his $6 million bonus.) These days Bronfman is talking about reviving the company by moving into new, more profitable businesses like music merchandising and artist-management services.
Bronfman's senior executive team at the company includes Lyor Cohen, the former CEO of Def Jam who now manages day-to-day music operations, and chief financial officer Michael Fleischer; senior label execs include Craig Kallman, Julie Greenwald, and Kevin Liles. Bob Schumer has served as his attorney; Alan Mnuchin, the son of Bob Mnuchin, has advised him on several of his acquisitions. Roger Erickson, Carrie Chiang and Edward Lee Cave have all sold him real estate. Edgar sits on the board of Barry Diller's media company, IAC. (It was Diller's IAC that purchased Universal's cable holdings in the late 1990s and made a killing in the process.) Bronfman also serves as a trustee of the NYU Medical Center, along with Gary Cohn, Ken Chenault, Larry Fink, Ron Perelman, Bob Pittman, and Jamie Dimon, among others.
On the side
Edgar lunches regularly at the Four Seasons, which the Bronfmans co-own with Julian Niccolini and Alex von Bidder. Although the family's interest in the power spot was sold as part of the Vivendi transaction, they bought back their stake several years later. Edgar Jr. looks down at the crowd from his regular table on the second-floor balcony.
Family ties
Edgar Jr.'s father, Edgar Bronfman Sr., and uncle, Charles Bronfman, are prominent Jewish philanthropists. (It was his grandfather, Samuel Bronfman, who established the family fortune by buying Canadian distilleries and then cashing in during Prohibition.) Edgar Jr.'s brother, Matthew Bronfman, is an investor and board member of the World Jewish Congress. Two other brothers, Sam Bronfman and Adam Bronfman, live in Northern California. Edgar Jr.'s sister is Holly Bronfman Lev, who now goes by "Bhavani." His two half-sisters are Clare and Sara Bronfman.
The perpetually bearded Bronfman—who's known to friends as "Efer"—married actress Sherri Brewer in 1979. (Sherri had a small role in Shaft; the couple was introduced by Dionne Warwick.) They had three children—Vanessa, Benjamin and Hannah—before divorcing in 1991. In 1994, Bronfman married Clarissa Alcock, the daughter of a Venezuelan oil executive. He has four kids with Clarissa, who's a decade his junior: Aaron, twins Erik and Bettina, and Clarissa (who goes by "Tutti.") One of Bronfman's sons from his first marriage, Ben, is the guitarist for New York alt-rock band The Exit.
Until recently, the Bronfmans lived in a 15,000-square-foot townhouse on East 64th Street that Edgar Jr. purchased for $4.3 million in 1994. Renovations took four years to complete; to suit his wife, Bronfman had architect Peter Rose remove the core of the house to create a "courtyard piazza" in the style of a Venezuelan mansion.
In 2007, he sold the townhouse to Russian billionaire Len Blavatnik for more than $50 million. He later paid $19.5 million for a five-bedroom at 1040 Fifth—Jackie O's old building—but never moved in, instead acquiring a 10-room spread in the Carhart Mansion on East 95th Street for $19.2 million. They didn't stay very long. In 2008, the Bronfmans moved to a 7,000-square-foot, 15-room rental on West 63rd Street. In 2009, they picked up a mansion in London, where they now spend much of their time.
No joke
When he was a songwriter, he penned tunes that were recorded by Dionne Warwick, Celine Dion, and Barbra Streisand.


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This product has been discontinued but may be available as a Open Box item.
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Mic bass drum and floor toms for maximum low-end impact!
The Yamaha SubKick Low-Frequency Capture Device is a new breed of subfrequency (below 100Hz) capture devices designed to bring out the natural sound of bass drums and floor toms. SubKick uses the natural microphonic qualities of a 6-1/2" woofer shockmounted inside a 7-ply birch/mahogany shell. Mesh heads are mounted on the outside, which adds a tiny bit of sustain. The natural resonance of the shell combined with the heads and loudspeaker create an awesome subfrequency sound that must be heard to be believed. The SubKick works great by itself or can be used together with other drum mics. An XLR output makes for easy hookup.
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Preen Fall 2009 Stars a Chubby, Two More Comeback Models
>> There was an "icon revival" casting call this season, and so far, Trish Goff, Tasha Tilberg, Natasa Vojnovic, Christina Kruse, and Hannelore Knuts have all been circulating the runways; joining a couple of the aforementioned this morning at Preen: 38-year-old '90s androgynous icon Kirsten Owen and early-'00s Belgian face Anne Catherine Lacroix — who else will show up next?
Also making appearances at Preen — Kanye West, who was a no-show for his front row seat at United Bamboo yesterday morning, Anne Christensen's kids, who played with the clear plastic covering the runway before the show, and Sir Philip Green, who raised eyebrows yesterday at Alexander Wang and is in town for the big Topshop press conference tomorrow morning.
In addition to their stellar standby cut-out minidresses and pleated pants, Justin Thorton and Thea Bregazzi did some experimenting for Fall 2009 — a big, bold, houndstooth print appeared more than a couple of times, and there was a surprising set of candy-colored rainbow dresses toward the end. Pronounced shoulders, random patches of fur on jackets, bold metallics, and cut-out leggings emerged here in addition to other runways — those and structured, uneven hems — see Karlie Kloss's miniskirt; trends in the making? And for the showstopper: a seriously chubby pastel fur chubby, worn by Anja Rubik.
*image: source


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Hey, I have button in a Form, I implemented its Click handler as when its clicked an X is drawn.... I obtained the Graphics using the CreateGraphics() method of the button used it to call the DrawLine methods..
When I click it, it draws the line properly but when I move the mouse outside the button's boundary it vanishes. why?
the code for the click event handler is
Code:private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) { Graphics g = button1.CreateGraphics(); g.DrawLine(new Pen(Color.Black), 20, 20, 200, 200); g.DrawLine(new Pen(Color.Black), 200, 20, 20, 200); }


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To all of the board members who have offered me love, support and kind words. For their understanding and patience with me. I have issues but you all have treated me so wonderfully and sent so much love my way and my daughter's way that we are eternally grateful. Thank you all for being there for us, for propping me up and for patience and understanding when dealing with me :-)
Much Love & Huge Hugs


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Regular price: $17.00
A gleeful and exhilarating tale of global conspiracy, complex code-breaking, high-tech data visualization, young love, rollicking adventure, and the secret to eternal life - mostly set in a hole-in-the-wall San Francisco bookstore.
The Great Recession has shuffled Clay Jannon out of his life as a San Francisco Web-design drone - and serendipity, sheer curiosity, and the ability to climb a ladder like a monkey has landed him a new gig working the night shift at Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. But after just a few days on the job, Clay begins to realize that this store is even more curious than the name suggests. There are only a few customers, but they come in repeatedly and never seem to actually buy anything, instead "checking out" impossibly obscure volumes from strange corners of the store, all according to some elaborate, long-standing arrangement with the gnomic Mr. Penumbra. The store must be a front for something larger, Clay concludes, and soon he's embarked on a complex analysis of the customers' behavior and roped his friends into helping to figure out just what's going on. But once they bring their findings to Mr. Penumbra, it turns out the secrets extend far outside the walls of the bookstore.
With irresistible brio and dazzling intelligence, Robin Sloan has crafted a literary adventure story for the 21st century, evoking both the fairy-tale charm of Haruki Murakami and the enthusiastic novel-of-ideas wizardry of Neal Stephenson or a young Umberto Eco, but with a unique and feisty sensibility that's rare to the world of literary fiction. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore is exactly what it sounds like: an establishment you have to enter and will never want to leave, a modern-day cabinet of wonders ready to give a jolt of energy to every curious listener, no matter the time of day.
Before I read/listen to a book I read lots and lots of reviews. After I finish a book I go back and reread the reviews and think to myself, "Oh! That's what they meant!" It's so difficult to tell if you'll like a particular book when people are being so careful not to give anything away in their reviews. So now it's my turn to try to write something meaningful without giving anything away.
At first I thought the book was set sometime in the near future because of the way the author describes things. But it was just clever wording about our present situation. So, there's a guy, Clay, who is an out of work graphic designer. He's been applying for jobs, but there's not enough to go around, especially in graphic design. He's out walking one day when he comes upon a bookstore with a help wanted sign in the window. He walks in, meets the owner, Mr. Penumbra, and is hired on the spot for the overnight shift. (A 24 hour book store?!?!? What a fantastic idea!)
It seems a little odd to say, but I thought it kind of rushed too quickly into the mystery. I like to be eased into a book. On the plus side, you get sucked into the story right away. There's no looking back.
I don't agree with some of the other reviewers that said it's too techie, and a love letter to Google. I don't live in California, or work for an internet related company, but I search Google 50 times a day. This book demonstrates how dramatically our lives have changed in such a short time. Maybe this is how they felt at the turn of the last century with the rise of the automobile.
As for the end, I thought Mr. Sloan brought this book to a lovely conclusion. It's wrapped up nice a neat, like a Christmas package. No loose ends and no head scratching. This book is light, but not fluffy. It's a good book to kick back and relax with. Don't take all the negative reviews too seriously. This book is not too techie for average people. This is our life now. You'll get it.
155 of 164 people found this review helpful
I am not much of a fiction reader; I prefer nonfiction most days, but occasionally I am drawn into a good story. I was hooked almost immediately, by the narrator's artful presentation and timing...and the main character, an intelligent, yet unemployed, geeky, introvert living in San Francisco working in a mysterious 24 hour bookstore, just piqued my interest. I am not a tech person, but I learned a lot from the technical conversations and descriptions of what it is like to be a Google employee and to view solving the problems of this mystery through high tech means. It was a wonderful, thought provoking adventure, and I learned things that have been beneficial in my everyday life. It has been months since I listened to this book, and I am still thinking about it regularly. I would definitely recommend it to my friends, and l plan to listen to it again.
58 of 61 people found this review helpful
As a nerd this was a very fun read, as there are few books I've read that deal with tech issues and have decent plots. Unfortunately the characters were consistent with my two decades long experience of being the only girl in the place. The male characters were varied, eccentric, complex and evolved as the novel unfolded. The three or four females tossed in were two dimensional male figments of imagination. The two young ones were gorgeous, brilliant with no discernible character. The older female, who made a few brief appearances, was the skinny, frail squirrelly old bitty you see in children's books. Sorry for the sexist rant. Thought Robin was female when I purchased this book and had to transition into male think a chapter in.
That aside, the plot was contemporary and ingenious. Enjoyed the peek into Google employment (as I've always wanted a field trip through the place) and the amazing inventions and contrivances created to solve the mysteries. Truly entertaining right to the end. The last philosophical reflection I thought very apt at how our society has to find that delicate balance between high tech and the native artisan. Do we really want Google to replace our brain? As one who has had a passion for computers most of her life and is a Montessori teacher I struggle with that balance every day. Sloan's conclusions were very insightful. The narration by Ari Fliakos was marvelous. He could read me to sleep any night of the week.
76 of 83 people found this review helpful
Would you consider the audio edition of Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore to be better than the print version?
This is a book to be HEARD. Very much at issue in this novel is the relationship between content and method of delivery. The narrator uses his voice to great advantage, just the right nuances -- sometimes he appears to be going over the top, but then you realize that the effect is spot on.
What other book might you compare Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore to and why?
In an odd way, MP24HB reminds me of The Night Circus -- there is the same sense of alternate reality layered onto "real" reality. Mr Penumbr'a is shorter and less serious, the setting is very different, and the "magic" here is in the technology.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Oh, yes. In fact, I almost did.
Any additional comments?
This would make a good book club selection -- a nice length, easy to follow, light-hearted, but offering some interesting discussion points. In the thousands of years of human history, print hasn't been around all that long. Is it really a tragedy that many are turning to digital and audio sources for "reading" material? Is it ultimately an either/or situation? What would you do for immortality? What's a friend? A mentor? For that matter, what is a book?
Not perfect -- the epilogue is superfluous -- but a very nice debut.
73 of 81 people found this review helpful
I loved this book! And no one could be more surprised by that statement than me! I'm an over-60 female listener with absolutely no background in the underworld of imaginary dragons and such; and have only fleeting technological understandings. Nevertheless, this story caught my head and heart and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The narration is among the best I've heard -- flawless!!! It is a centuries old mystery set in such contemporary times and places that you can't help but be drawn in. Great story!!
122 of 136 people found this review helpful
The story was not at all what I was expecting, and it was all the better for that. I'm afraid to say anything about the story, because the expectations might ruin it for you. But, no violence, ideas offered, a great imaginative tale that kept me guessing, willingly, til the end. Wish I had a book group to discuss it with. YMMV
36 of 40 people found this review helpful
What did you love best about Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore?
Google employees, computer geeks (from low geek to high geek, on the geek scale), a solid story I'm glad I read but after this one, you've just got to read Peter Clines' 14. They're both good, and 14 is definitely 5 stars (just in case you only have 1 credit left). Or you could Exchange a book you just couldn't read after buying it.
Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?
Semi-edge of my seat, yeah. It's been a week or so but I really really liked this one, narrator, characters, and unique, hi-tech references (but nothing that you won't understand, yet enough to whet your appetite).
What about Ari Fliakos's performance did you like?
He fits his character, which is a compliment; it means the narrator didn't stand out, instead you focus on the story which is the better (by far) than concentrating on a narrator's crummy accent or whatever. No whatever's here.
If you could rename Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, what would you call it?
Are you kidding? Title's are the hardest; and besides, I liked this title. It's one of the.reasons I bought the book. It fits somehow.
Any additional comments?
It's much better than reading those romance novels where women fall for these controlling men, geez. Don't women know by now that control is the opposite of love? No, the guys in this book, they're way more cool, well the main one is. Enjoy. And then read "14".
45 of 51 people found this review helpful
The world of San Francisco at the beginning of the twenty first century in all its nerdy (but not hipster) fun is the setting for Mr. Penumbra''s 24 Hour Bookstore. And fun it is. Especially if you know the city as Robin Sloan so obviously does and exploits it for maximum effect - from the "Gourmet Grotto" i.e. the Powell Street mall's food court, which is exactly as portrayed, to-the-down at heel section of Broadway, described more innocuously than it actually is.
But even now (in 2013), the book feels both modern and nostalgic at the same time. The obsession with working at Google particularly dates the story to a very specific epoch. My favorite character is Mr. Penumbra. The performance holds up and I will revisit this book in the future, when I'm in the mood to time travel to the halcyon days of San Fran in 2010.
16 of 19 people found this review helpful
Fabulous book--original, whimsical, well written. Delightful narration.
One of my favorite books ever. I would give it a "10" if I could.
37 of 45 people found this review helpful
This is probably one of the nerdiest books I have ever read. But that is ok, because I am a nerd. To enjoy this book you should have played Dungeons and Dragons as a child and languished in the very special teenage limbo where you dreamt of good looking, cool girls who liked you for your brains and were into computers. And then you grew up to become a successful media or communications manager, web designer or SEO specialists. Sounds familiar? Then you will love this book. Else, you will probably be a bit bewildered and confused because most of the references won't make sense to you. So much for the story.
As for the delivery: I think Ari Fliakos does a great job reading this book and bringing the different characters to life.
27 of 33 people found this review helpful


text: Hello all, I am in the midst of designing rebuildable shocks for the URAL. My suspension company, Monster Performance, is out of New York, USA. We specialize in snowmobile and atv shock service & repair. We are a leading service center in the U.S. and Canada for servicing shocks on sleds, atv's and some dirtbikes. We are a FOX, ELKA, and ZBROZ dealer as well! Please feel free to look us up on the various sled and atv forums! We have some shock prototypes built already but have limited access to URAL's here in the northeast. I have a friend with one nearby but there are variances that I cannot assertain without the feedback from customers. The units will all be rebuildable and valved to the riders needs. The shocks will be serviceable by the owner with basic tools and our step by step procedures. Of course we want you to send them to us here in New York but people overseas may not be able to do so, we understand. The units will feature the following *1/2" stainless steel shafts, side car may be 5/8" shaft (optional) *IFP design, seperating nitrogen gas-oil and not an emulsion shock where these items mix *reuse stock springs in some cases to reduce cost *wide range of threaded preload adjustability *lightweight, durable bodies *seal kits for $20 per shock *possibility of remote ressie compression adjust resevoir upgrade for side car and rear of the main bike *lifetime warranty from defects due to our design. physical damage, normal wear and tear, dirt, grime, etc not covered *possibilty of dual stage springs for side car. these are popular on our sled-atv apps! WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU! *any pertinent info to year,model, submodel, etc you can divuldge. we know that there are variances with shock spherical eyes (top) and fork ID width. We appreciate any info you have to compare to our notes. please be as detailed as possible *top eye width, location of shock on bike *top eye ID, bolt diameter, etc *bottom eye width, fork ID (not overall width) and is it threaded to accept the bolt? what MM O.D. bolt? *if visable, physical shaft exposed from body at shocks full extension w/o bump stop and the heigth of the bumper as well * dead center fork bolt eye (body eye) to where shaft exits the body, be close if you can *spring free length off the shock, spring ID (accurate) ofboth ends PLEASE INCLUDE any pertinent bikemodel and year, trim info to compile and compare our notes to yours. We realize that not everyone will be able to help us but for those that do help we will return the favor with discounts and such. Thank you! Ian Monsterperf.com


text: I was at an estate and personal property sale last week, and my brother bought the house! When the contents were being auction, he "bought" an entire closet for $5.00. Checking inside we found a Bernina 1230, complete with attachments and case, but minus the foot pedal. In another room we found a sewing table and the plastic insert to surround the Bernina! What a buy! Now we just need to find a foot pedal for a reasonable price and we'll be all set. Does anyone know where we might find one?


text:
Long live the Cartographer Electric!
After almost a year or two of putting it off, I and the other editors have posted the final issue of The Cartographer Electric! This was a magazine we started back as seniors at Binghamton University. Along with the issue, we created a reading series at the Belmar that still continues to this day.
After graduating, we quickly ran out of steam to continue putting out issues. This was a true community magazine, and it fed on the energy of the readings and was inspired into existence the other poets we knew and were excited to read. It was a great experience, and I think that everyone should start a small community rag like this. It doesn't have to be big or ambitious…just something that you share between you, your friends, and their friends. I don't spend lots of time reading the latest issue of Ploughshares, but I was always interested in reading local indie rags like the one we were putting out.
During grad school, I had the idea to start an accompanying online press that gave ebooks away for free. We put out a fantastic copy of Joe Weil's poems that is still available (lovely typos and all–some day I'm going to fix that), a half-chap of poems by Eric Kocher (who is currently kicking ass down at Houston), and Gene Tanta. Gene's book is currently unavailable as he is editing it for another edition (more on that later!).
The Press Electrrrric! is on the back burner for me right now, but some day I'd like to revisit it. Until then, I hope you enjoy all the archives of material (I know the website is not a looker right now–I'm gonna go back to that some day too!). I want to give one last shout out to my fellow-editors-in-crime Joel Davis and Adam Pelligrini. It was a good time while it lasted, bros.


text:
November 3, 2009
Fantastico: Awesome New KStew & Taylor Interview from Mexico for Brazilian Show
Really love listening to KStew's answers...She looks great! Domitila shares that this interview is for a Brazilian tv show called Fantástico.
Source: Lion&Lamb LJ
5 comments:
Great find, you guys!ReplyDelete
But that interview is from a tv show called Fantástico and it´s from NM promo in Brasil ;)
This is why I love the Twilight cast, so sweet ^.^ I wish they didn't feel all this pressure, but it is really sweet that they care so much to try to make the fans happy :) Thanks guys :)ReplyDelete
Kristen is adorable and got to love the growing facial hair on Tyler haha wat a cuteyReplyDelete
kristen looks so happy for once :D im glad!ReplyDelete
but she makes me laugh how enthusiastic she is about her answers i love her !!!:))))
I really hope we like the second one better too, Kristen. Really really.ReplyDelete
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