text:
Series: Jim Brodie #2
Format Read: Hardcover
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: September 9, 2014
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | OmniLit* | Barnes & Noble |
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.
Blurb from goodreads:
In the second thriller of this new series from "a fresh voice in crime fiction" (Kirkus Reviews), antiques dealer-turned-P.I. Jim Brodie matches wits with an elusive group of killers chasing a long-lost treasure that has a dangerous history.
When an elderly World War II veteran shows up unannounced at Brodie Security begging for protection, the staff thinks he's just a paranoid old man. He offers up a story connected to the war and to Chinese Triads operating in present-day Tokyo, insisting that he and his few surviving army buddies are in danger.
Fresh off his involvement in solving San Francisco's Japantown murders, antiques dealer Jim Brodie had returned to Tokyo for some R&R, and to hunt down a rare ink painting by the legendary Japanese Zen master Sengai for one of his clients—not to take on another case with his late father's P.I. firm. But out of respect for the old soldier, Brodie agrees to provide a security detail, thinking it'll be an easy job and end when the man comes to his senses.
Instead, an unexpected, brutal murder rocks Brodie and his crew, sending them deep into the realm of the Triads, Chinese spies, kendo warriors, and an elusive group of killers whose treachery spans centuries—and who will stop at nothing to complete their mission.
I am on a hot streak lately of finding new to me suspense and thriller authors. My newest find is Barry Lancet. His hero lives part-time in Japan and part-time in the US. In Japan, he co-owns and runs his late father's security company while in the US he owns and runs a high-end.art and antique store. He's still learning about security work and relies heavily on his employees who are also partners.
"Tokyo Kill" is set entirely in Japan, a country and culture I know little about it. It is a fascinating place, judging by this book, and the author's love and respect for it come through clearly. He takes what is likely a touchy subject, World War II and the part that both Japan and China played in it and makes it the center of the story. Add in the tales of an emperor's lost treasure, love, romance, treachery, and family ties and Lancet gives us a complex. layered, complicated story that never lets up.
Lancet keeps the pace rolling with neither the reader nor the hero, Jim, having much time for a breather. Despite the fast-pace, Lance doesn't lose sight of his characters as people. The story may be action driven but there are also tender moments with Jim's daughter, a potential girl friend, and even his employees. He has a strong sense of justice, loyalty, and compassion. Those drive much of his actions and decisions during the story and it's a hard shock for him when he discovers that those beliefs and emotions have been used against him. There are so many twists and turns, and layers, that sometimes I had trouble keeping up but it was worth the effort. I loved that Lancet took some standard cliches and tropes such as
Triads and ninjas and made them fresh. He also isn't afraid to kill people off and one death in particular saddened me despite the fact that we really didn't see all that much of him while he was alive.
Take a chance on Lancet, you won't regret it. "Tokyo Kills" is compelling, original story telling with remarkable characters that will keep you reading until the end.


text:
I first heard this song on the Russian Voice. I loved the beat and the melody and was intrigued by the lyrics. I listened to it several times before I was able to piece together the meaning it tries to convey. The anti-war sentiment it carries is embedded in every line though it doesn't appear obvious at first. This song was written several years before the Ukrainian conflict broke out with Russia and is sung in Russian by a Ukrainian group. Of course, the meaning of the lyrics is universal.
Speaking of the meaning, the majority of the audience in this clip are teenagers--looking at their faces, it's hard not to conclude that they are pretty distant from understanding what the song is about but are clearly excited to be this close to the artists.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Friends of ours are getting married this weekend and we will be spending as much time celebrating with them as the little one allows. She has been a little inconsistent in her sleeping habits recently, although 4am seems to feature quite highly. The kitchen has been busy with making easy meals to keep the sleep deprived parents going. It feels more like a petrol station than a kitchen right now. It will of course change in the future and is just a stage we all have to get through. The amazing thing is that the munchkin is still quite bright and happy all day long.
We did manage to make a lovely lamb recipe from Jamie Oliver's first cook book. It was very tasty but somehow it seemed to be very simple in a way that is maybe not good. Does that mean we've all come a long way with our expectations in the kitchen as to the authenticity of what we cook? I'd like to think so. Whatever the truth I'm not blaming Jamie (he will no doubt be relieved!).
More soonish
Thursday, 8 April 2010
No comments:
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Still waiting for the first Halloweener to arrive 😦 It seems that since the neighborhood has changed and a lot of folks have moved off the block we don't get many trick or treaters. Those young kids who live in other parts of the neighborhood stay to the inside streets…since our street meets a heavily traveled county road I think that most children have been told to stay away. But EVERY year I buy candy…I figure the year that I stop doing that is the year they will arrive en masse.
Today a little package arrived from Amazon. Inside were my rechargeable batteries, camera battery charger and a CamKix universal clip-on lens for my iPhone 5. There's a fish eye, macro & wide angle…I got it primarily for the macro so that I could create overlays from photos of moss, dirt, concrete, etc. Here are a few shots I'm putting into my overlay folder. Don't be like me and snack on the leftover candy!
Moss on the shed roof.
Cracks in the wheelbarrow tire.
The bottom of the grill brush! Yuck!
Here is a photo of my favorite cat, Sebastian laying on my lap done with an overlay of moss and rust. Gotta LOVE photoshop CS6 and adjustment layers!


text:
Benfica striker Gomes, who has scored six goals in 15 league games this season, was forced to withdraw from the squad after suffering an injury in Saturday´s goalless draw against Nacional da Madeira.
The 31-year-old will undergo tests on Monday to determine the extent of his injury.
Copyright (c) PA Sport 2008, All Rights Reserved.
Do YOU want to write for GiveMeSport? Get started today by signing-up and submitting an article HERE: https://www.givemesport.com/writeforgms


text:
Alan Ainslie is one of South Africa's most celebrated and respected wildlife artists. His work ranges from prints to drawings, paintings and sculptures. He was commissioned in 1984 to produce paintings for a wildlife calendar. By 1987 the well known conservationist, Clive Walker, was opening Ainslie's first solo exhibition and since then his paintings have been included in exhibitions with world renowned artists such as Harris-Ching (New Zealand), Keith Joubert (South Africa), Kim Donaldson (South Africa), and Paul Bosman (USA). He has also been commissioned for many life-sized sculptures and donates many of them as prizes for nature conservation competitions and fund-raisers. He has done portraits for some of the world's greatest leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Nadine Gordimer, Albert Luthuli and Desmond Tutu. His graphic designing skills have brought him to design numerous stamp series.
To see his work click here


text:
Monday, 30 November 2009
The Proyecto Parlama Ethos
Proyecto Parlama's Mission Statement:
"To provide managerial assistance that utilises international volunteers, sound scientific methodology and firm conservation practices. Thus increasing levels of community collaboration in the conservation of sea turtles, protection of mangroves, and other locally endangered wildlife".
Our Vision:
To create a 'model' hatchery and sea turtle monitoring programme by training local people to establish themselves as ecological stewards to take responsibility of their local conservation issues, provided by our education programme, capacity building and our active continued community involvement.
Our Aims:
• To provide local capacity building workshops and an education programme to increase knowledge and understanding of local environment and conservation issues within the community.
• Providing hatchery management training for local people to enable sustainable management of sea turtles through education and community based conservation.
• To achieve 100% collaboration to the 1-dozen donation system and eventually increasing up to the legally stated 20%.
• To offer alternative sources of income to low income families to either restrict their need for the use of sea turtle eggs or to increase their participation to the donation system beyond 20%.
• Improving the value of volunteering for the volunteer providing insight, experience and learning opportunities which contribute to the future development of all those involved, including the community.
• Initiating a volunteer programme and a home-stay ecotourism project that will not only bring additional money into the local community but will provide a multi cultural interaction, raising the communities pride in their village and to the local conservation of their environment.
• Working with the local fishing community will allow us the opportunity to understand local fishing problems and its effect on sea turtles. Providing education into effective release of sea turtles that are captured on hooks or suffering "near drowning" from being caught in nets may save many turtles.
Posted by Project Parlama at 02:04
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Apologies for not blogging for so long, summer is always filled with such abundance, I spend most of the time outside. But now I'm sitting at the computer the rain is falling like monsoon outside and the apples are falling from the tree, there are a few last roses bent double with the weight of the rain on their petals, and it look like summer is over.
I had no takers for my offer of a give away pair of earrings when ordering off my website (last entry in June) So, inspired by my sister, http://www.101birdtales.blogspot.com/ I'm giving away the earrings to the first person who comments on this entry. I love the idea of some one having a nice surprise when they receive them in the post. They are made with love and go out with abundance.
Louise x


text:
A wide-ranging and eclectic discussion. Raincrows sing about the weather, this one has a lot more on his mind. Writing about writing, and Avatar, and Permaculture, and whatever strikes my fancy in the moment.
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
The Best Knife
There is a truism that answers the age old question "What is the best all around knife to have." The answer is "the one you have with you." The thing is, it doesn't matter what knife you have, fancy or plain, expensive or not, if, when you really need it you aren't carrying it for whatever reason.
The one I rely on most is one like the one pictured above. An inexpensive Kamp King knife made by Imperial.
Please note, the one above is not my knife. I took the easy way out and filched a photo from online. It's a good pic, but somebody did a really bad job of sharpening that blade!
I'm not sure of the genealogy involved, but Imperial also made several types of Boy Scout and Cub Scout knives. This model is almost an exact copy of the official Cub Scout knife I once owned. The official Scout knives were a bit pricey for a poor country boy to own, but I did have a few. For some reason they were also easily lost. They were very good knives. Imperial sold the Kamp Kraft for a fairly low price at numerous outlets. I seem to remember this exact knife being offered at Walmart in a blister pack for around three dollars back in the '70s and beyond.
What I've found is that the cheaper knife compares favorably with the more expensive ones for everyday carry. And, at the cheap price, I didn't mind losing one so much, therefore, of course, I stopped losing them! There seems to be an inverse square law about these things. Those things you can least afford to lose you are more likely to, and vice versa. Nowadays, though, they have fallen into the range of "vintage" and go for a bit more when you find them. Not exactly rare, you can expect to pay five dollars and up for one on eBay.
The steel is good. It holds an edge well. For a handy person like myself, the few extra tools included are very welcome. The scales tend to break with age, and the joints get wobbly over time with mis-use. Used responsibly though, you can get a lot of mileage out of one. One of these resides in my work pants all the time. I tend to carry a smaller, sleeker more modern version of this in my "town" pants.
You must remember, I said above, "country boy". I suspect it's much the same now, but a country boy of my generation especially just did not ever go anywhere without some sort of pocket knife in his possession. It was a tool in constant use all day every day for uncountable chores. Therefore, whatever I'm doing I always have at least one pocket knife on me.
I'm retired now, but I usually wear some form of work attire. Bib overalls, jeans, coveralls or cargo pants, since I am often repairing things, doing woodwork, gardening or whatever. At this moment I'm sitting here in my bib overalls, my Kamp King knife in my pocket and a larger lock-back knife clipped into the long tool pocket on my leg.
I had a career once and worked in an office. Of course I had a small pocket knife, of the "penknife" variety in my pocket. A city bred co-worker who had been raised in Florida remarked seriously that I must be some sort of hoodlum, since I carried a pocket knife. I and others were quick to counter with the facts of life, Texas style.
Even in grade school, it was a sure bet that every male student, and some of the female ones, carried a pocket knife. It wasn't viewed as a weapon at all. As usual I saw many fights during my school days, but I don't remember anyone ever pulling out his knife. That was a serious breach of etiquette!
I like knives, I even collect them. My collection consists of pocket knives, lock-back knives, sheath knives, and even a couple of swords. I only collect inexpensive ones, though. I never paid more than twenty dollars for one, most fall in the "under five dollar" range. The few more expensive ones were gifts or inherited. I like the variety, and ingenuity of design. I even have at least three of the above mentioned Kamp King knives.
I have no official Scout pocket knives, though. Alas. I do also have an authentic Swiss Army Knife by Victorinox, and a couple of copies of same. I don't carry them. The copies aren't that good, and as for the actual Swiss? See the passage about always losing expensive knives above! I don't risk it. I can MacGyver just as well with my Kamp King.
If you ever wind up in a survival situation you can make almost everything you need to live with the aid of a good knife. If you don't have one, perish the thought, one of your first chores is to make a blade of some sort.
Don't leave home without it!
Posted by William Seward at 7:14 PM
Labels: Boy Scouts, collections, country, Kamp King, knife, pocket knife, survival, tools
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
|a few new books i ordered
I have used curriculum, unschooled, did some sort of combo (which I guess isn't really unschooling, but I like to think it is in some way), we have had tears, we have had laughs, we have struggled, we have sailed through... but we just haven't figured it out. Maybe there isn't a "figuring it all out", maybe you just muddle through it all and pick and choose. Maybe the best thing you can do is work with each child and help them the best way you can.
I don't think there is one right way to help children learn. I have my own life experience to go from here at our house. Two of my children have started school this year, both for similar reasons... they wanted to be around more peers and they wanted to be pushed in a way that I was not pushing them. I do think that although there are some households that do great with the "no pressure" educational model, that most kids (or maybe just my household) need a push. It doesn't have to be hard core meanness, but something. And you know, I am not even sure what that something is for every child. But the parents do. And I think that maybe I have been neglectful in that area, trying to stick to the dogma of something instead of really really focusing on my kids and their needs. And since there are six of them, it can be more of a challenge... but that is ok. What isn't ok is sticking with something that isn't working just to be part of a group.
So I guess I am not an unschooler. I'm ok with that. I'm ok with putting limits on TV and computer time and having the kids play outside, do a math worksheet, practice handwriting, and reading everyday. I think I also encourage them to follow their passions, give them loads of time to wallow in their own learning, and give them all the resources I can for them to grow and flower. I think that maybe, that is the best I can do for them.


text:
Hi Folks
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are all ready for the
New Years Eve celebrations, ( or are you like myself and Hubby, having a quiet evening in.)
I have to admit, I always find New Year a little depressing.
My card for today is for the Kaboodle Doodles Challenge
Anything Goes, so plenty of opportunity to have a go with what every you
feel like creating.
I have used a Jems Designs CD, but, this is a very special CD it was
designed by my wonderfuly talented friend
Sheenagh Hulin, this is the 1st of many, I hope, and is called
Yesterdays' Dream,
this selection is called Timeless, and there are 11 more sections on the CD
as fabulous as this one.
and it is available HERE
and it is available HERE
please take a peek on the Challenge page, and we would love for you
to take part in the challenge and if you need any inspiration, take
a look at the DT's cards they are all wonderful.
Have a fantastic New Years Eve, and stay safe.


text:
Higher Ed Intercept program will save ASC $2 million
Adams State College stands to save over $2 million in construction finance costs, thanks to the Higher Education Intercept program (SB 08-245), recently approved by the Colorado House and Senate and sent to the Governor for signature.
Colorado State Treasurer Cary Kennedy helped develop the program to lower the interest rates Colorado colleges and universities pay to finance capital construction by giving them the opportunity to access the state's strong credit rating.
"The individuals who worked on this legislation are to be congratulated for their thoughtfulness and foresight, including ASC's own vice president Bill Mansheim and Trustee Peggy Lamm. It not only saves money for institutions, but for students over the next 20 years. For Adams State College students, that amounts to a savings of $2.5 million," said Adams State President, Dr. David Svaldi. "We are especially grateful to the bill's sponsors, Sen. Sue Windels and Rep. Bernie Buescher, who've done a great job. Senator Windels has been a strong advocate for public education throughout her years in the legislature."
The Adams State student body recently approved a new capital fee to fund a $35 million campus renewal project. Plans call for building a new residence hall and renovating two academic buildings, as well as remodeling current student housing.
"It's been so exciting to work on an issue that will save millions of dollars for our wonderful college," Lamm said. "There are always a lot of people involved in passing any legislation, especially one so late in the legislative session. But our State Treasurer, Cary Kennedy, deserves immense credit for her leadership, as her office cultivated and advanced this important legislation."
Over the past year, colleges and universities have seen their borrowing costs rise dramatically, as firms that have historically insured university bonds have been downgraded. The result has been increased costs to finance construction.
"We are doing everything we can to make college more affordable," said Kennedy. "This program will save tens of millions of dollars in financing costs which, in turn, keeps costs down for students."
Windels, who sponsored the bill in the Sentate, said, "I'm delighted that we will be able to save our higher education institutions millions of dollars in financing and interest costs on bond issues with this legislation. Dollars saved are most useful when it comes to needing to stretch the budget-- that's for sure!" She chairs the Senate Education Committee and also sits on the Capital Development Committee.
Under the Intercept program, which is modeled after a similar program currently available to Colorado K-12 school districts, the state will back university bonds with general fund appropriations for higher education.
"This is a procedure that has existed since 1991 for K-12 districts," said Rep. Bernie Buescher, House sponsor of the bill. "It's proven to be reliable and will allow higher ed institutions to finance new construction at much better rates." The bill has been praised by higher education officials from across the state.
By Julie Waechter


text:
Google "Mystery Barge" Gets Eviction Notice
Google's so-called "mystery barge" has been sitting in the San Francisco bay for months now. The barge's appearance last year, like most things Google, set of a round of wild speculation about Google's plans for the four-story vessel. In November, when the mystery was solved, Slate's Josh Voorhees wrote that the tech giant's actual plans for the under-construction barge were pretty meh.
On Monday, mystery or not, state officials said the barge had to go. Why? Following a series of complaints, local officials did a little investigating, the Associated Press reports, and "found that neither the Treasure Island Development Authority nor the city of San Francisco had applied for required permits for the work to be done at the site and could face fines and enforcement proceedings."
What's next for the Google barge? "It needs to move," Larry Goldzband, head of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, told the AP. "The enforcement action marked the second set of headaches for the barge project," the AP reports. "Late last year, work was halted after the Coast Guard said additional permits were needed. Construction was expected to resume in March."


text:
By BILL HALL
By BILL HALL
Associate Editor
SWANSEA — The Special Town Meeting that had been scheduled for Monday, Oct. 29, was postponed to Nov. 19 due to the threat of Hurricane Sandy.
The decision was made on Monday morning after the selectmen consulted with Town Moderator Paul Burke.
The chairman of the Board of Selectmen, Scott Ventura, noted that there were people who were not going to be able to be present on the following two Mondays, Nov. 5 and it would not be held when Veteran's Day was being observed on Nov. 12.
"I was willing to go to a different day to get it done sooner, but Paul (Town Moderator Paul Burke) and Sue (Town Clerk Susan Taveira) felt it should be held on a Monday, so we picked the 19th, which is fine with me," Chairman Ventura said.
There are 18 articles on the warrant, including changing the Recreation Commission from elected to appointed, the construction of a highway department garage and $140,000 for securing legal and engineering assistance in dealing with a possible Sears Farm landfill capping.
There is also an article asking for $75,000 for an owner's project manager and a feasibility study to be done on a new Town Hall, as well as $100,000 for the Ocean Grove waterfront area study, funding for the purchase of properties that belonged to Montaup and the purchase of property off Stevens Road that abuts town owned land on one side and conservation land on the other.
Other articles include meeting expenses owed to a retired town employee, an additional $3,300 for the library for having it qualify for certification and $50,000 towards the Veteran's Memorial Green.
There is also an article that would give incentives to firefighters up to $2,500 on their property taxes based on the number of emergency calls they respond to and the amount of training exercises they participate in for the town.
Another article would allocate funds for the accounting and distribution of the payroll. The town had previously had a 50-50 share of that expense with the bank they use.
There is an article for funding a consultant for the update of the open space plan, change in the zoning map, acceptance of Oliver Way, amending the soil conservation bylaw, and a change as to when the solid waste fee schedule is set from the current Sept. 1 date to the new date of Oct. 15.


text:
Beautiful BangladeshThe country where I live in is Bangladesh. It's a small but density populated country. About 135 million of people live within its 147570 square kilometers area. It got its independence from Pakistani rule in 1971 through a blood-shed liberation war of nine month. I love my motherland not only because I born and brought up here but, because it its evergreen nature, beauties six season, it's flowing rivers, its verities of birds and so on.
My motherland is gifted with very fertile soil. Its fertility is maintained as rivers carry alluvium to them. So, plenty of rice, jute, sugarcane, potato, tobacco, pulse, oil, seed, vegetable, spices, tea, etc are grown here. Our seasonal fruits like is mango, jack fruit, litchi, guava, black berry, pineapple, banana, coconut, water melon etc are great attraction to the people of home and aboard. Our six season appear to is with six different look. Each of them has an identical character. Spring is the best of them and termed as king of season. Hot and dryness of summer is sub-situated by its sweet and fleshy fruits. Coldness of winter is balanced by the date juice and different vegetables like Cauliflower, cabbage, tomato, carrot, radish, brinjal, bean etc.
In autumn the fields look like a vast sheet of gold due to the ripe paddy of golden color. The rainy season appears with a different attraction. Sometimes it's rains for days together. The fields, canals, tanks and rivers are full of water. The nature looks like a vast sheet of silver. Moving around by country boats is of great interest in this season. Our water reservoirs are full varieties of tasty fishes.
We are fortunate that we have several world heritage sites. Sundarbans, the only mangrove forest of the world is one of them. We have the longest sea beach of 155 Kms at Cox's Bazar. Our national economy is mostly depending upon agriculture. Little development occurred here in industrial sector. Due its poor literacy rate national progress and development is very slow. Acute unemployment caused us to be drowned in corruption, violence and social crime. Even then people of different religion live here with peace and harmony. I feel very proud when the foreign visitors praise our hospitality.
Beautiful Bangladesh Reviewed by Abdullah Al Mamun on 1:24 PM Rating:


text:
Natural Disasters &Environment News Fires, Hurricane, Volcano, Nature
Caesium-137 is of particular concern as it can stay in the environment and potentially cause havoc for hundreds of years. It takes 30 years for this contaminant to lose its power by half -- what experts refer to as a "half life."
At this rate, it would take at least 240 years for the contaminant to exhaust all its radioactivity.
But a few experts stressed there was no need for panic yet.
Levels of caesium-137 detected in spinach in Japan over the weekend stood at an average of 350 becquerels per kilogram, well below the European Union's limit of 1,000 becquerels for dairy produce and 1,250 for all other food items.
"Becquerels are like atoms," said Pradip Deb, senior lecturer in Medical Radiations at the School of Medical Sciences, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University.
"A liter of milk has billions and billions of atoms ... and this is just 350."
Milk samples in Japan, however, have been found to contain an average of 1,210 becquerels of iodine-131 per kilogram, well over the limit of 500 becquerels imposed in the EU.
Japanese spinach has also been found with an average of 10,450 becquerels of iodine-131 per kilogram, more than 5 times the EU limit.
One mitigating factor though is that iodine-131 has a half life of 8 days, which means it will take 80 days to lose all its radioactivity -- assuming there is no fresh radioactive spillage.
Source : http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre72l501-us-japan-contaminants/


text:
Thoughts of a woman from Jerusalem
The ninety-first Carnival of the Cats is up at Music and Cats, whose name is based on an saying by Albert Schweitzer: "There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats."
Comments are moderated. If you're a spammer, don't waste your keystrokes. If you're a real, honest-to-goodness commenter, welcome!


text:
He didn't make it....
Monday, April 26, 2010
He didn't make it....
5 Comments:
- Mike Johnson said...
Good to see ya Sat! Nicely said, tough day in deed. If not TI for you how about 24 Hrs of Seven Oaks?
- Ari said...
Blue, it was a pleasure to meet you guys. It had been a long time since we starting reading each others adventures. I hope all is well and that we meet again. The race has traumatized me and I still cannot organize my thoughts. Those were the hardest 44 miles I ever rode. Wore out a brand new set of disc pads in 33 miles. I arrived at cp1 with no brakes.
best to you buddy,
- Lily on the Road said...
Wow! Amazing report and I can only imagine the determination it would take to achieve this race.
The human spirit is un-daunting and hats off to the 58 brave souls.
sort of puts my measly 100K on roads to shame.
- Guitar Ted said...
Wow! I think that is the best portrayal of Trans Iowa I've ever read. Thanks Blue.
And also a huge, huge thanks to you and Judy for taking care of the racers at the end of the night. You guys are awesome.
- d.p. said...
Well said! Thanks again for your continued support of the event and your stewardship of cycling.


text:
Back in school during 2008, we were given the task of making a cut-out animated short using After Effects.
I started by scribbling down several ideas that had very simple premises. Different locales, different plots, but all generally based on the idea of timing the story to classical music.
I was inspired by Disney's Fantasia 2000, especially Eric Goldberg's sequences "Rhapsody in Blue" and "Carnival of Animals". I also was inspired by Friz Freleng's classic Warner Bros cartoons, "Pigs in a Polka", "Mouse Mazurka", "Rhapsody Rabbit", "Rhapsody in Rivets" and "The Three Little Bops". When you animate a cartoon to music, the timing is there for you, all you got to do is build an endearing story set to the tune. Easier said than done I'm afraid.
I settled on the music of Camille Saint-Saens' "Carnival of the Animals: Finale" after seeing the Looney Tunes TV special, "Bugs and Daffy's Carnival of the Animals". I found the music pretty catchy while being highly addicting.
When listening to the music, I always pictured a chase of some kind with it's "up and down" melody, but settled on an actual funny moment from my life. I went on a ski trip quite a few years ago and will always remember trying to conquer that mountain without falling down. I slid down that slope on my final day with such grace until I reached the bottom, coming to a dead halt on my face. Hey, at least I made it all the way down the hill.
I started sketching out rough character designs and story ideas for my story.
I quickly started researching my favorite animated pieces that dealt with mountains, both snowy and not. I also searched the web for photos that reminded me of that faithful ski trip.After settling on a character design, I quickly started sketching out a rough storyboard timed to the music by Camille Saint Saens.We were instructed to create an animatic of our storyboard before moving to final animation. Enjoy my rough-as-heck sketches animated to the music here:
After timing everything out, I finalized my character poses and finalized each piece of animation in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.Now after 3 months of work, please enjoy the final short complete with color in all it's musical glory.
I was flattered to find out that my cartoon was the opening headliner of the school's Extreme Design Film Festival. Now if only I had the time to bring my other ideas to animated form.


text:
My New Sunnies
My new fetish.
Glasses half the size of my face.
They're the new in thing.
Everyone has to got to have one.
ps// last two days of year 2008. OMG. I'm scared~!
pps// the new year eve cruise has been postponed due to insufficient paid passengers. Sigh~ Guess god wants me to spend time with my family this year. Not bad actually~
Tags: Just Blabbing


text:
Sunday, September 7, 2014
I've already told you guys that I've been craving Greek food since I've been pregnant. Salty kalamata olives, french fries doused with Cavender's greek seasoning and dipped in tzatziki, and of course my favorite gyro sandwich.
With that being said, WHY IN THE WORLD am I just now discovering Pastitsio - often described as greek comfort food or greek lasagna! If you know me and have been holding out on me, I may never forgive you! I'll be adding this to my recipes for company, since you make a giant pan and pop it in the oven to bake for an hour. That way, when your friends or family arrive, you are prepared and can relax while this delicious dish bakes in the oven.
I've watched Ina make this recipe a few times on her show, and the last book that I read was a strong reminder that watching is not doing! I took that advice and spent the afternoon in the kitchen making Ina's recipe, and it was so worth a few hours. I've already packed up to go containers to share with my favorite friends who love Greek food as much as I do.
from Ina Garten
Tomato meat sauce:
3 Tbsp good olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound ground lamb
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 Tbsp minced garlic (3 large cloves)
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes in puree
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 extra-large eggs, beaten
2/3 cup Greek-style plain yogurt, such as Fage Total
3/4 pound small shells (I used Cavatappi)
For the meat sauce, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes. Add the beef and lamb, and saute over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until it's no longer pink, crumbling it with the back of a wooden spoon. Drain off any excess liquid, add the wine, and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the garlic, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, and cayenne and continue cooking over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 40-45 minutes. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
For the bechamel, heat the milk and cream together in a small saucepan over medium0low heat until simmering. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly for 2 minutes. Pour the warm milk and cream mixture into the butter and flour mixture, whisking constantly. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, over medium heat, for 5 to 7 minutes, until smooth and thick. Add the nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Stir in 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup of the meat sauce, and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Stir in the eggs and yogurt and set aside.
Add the pasta to the meat sauce, and the mixture into a baking dish. Spread the bechamel evenly to cover the pasta and sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake for 1 hour, until golden brown and bubbly. Set aside for 10 minutes and serve hot.
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
FRANK helps you find out everything you might want to know about drugs (and some stuff you don't). For friendly, confidential advice, Talk to FRANK.
One drug leads to another
When I was thirteen I was never really fussed about drinking or drugs. I thought that people who were drinking and doing drugs in the local park were stupid. When I was fifteen my boyfriend pressured me into drinking. I felt awful and had to be sent home by the police. When that relationship ended I turned to drink to get over it. I felt that I deserved to feel bad all of the time. Eventually, I started enjoying to drink but it made me act in ways that I usually would not. But the humor of this wore off quickly and I needed a new fix. This lead me into taking cannabis. I enjoy taking cannabis. I have not yet had a bad experience with it. However, I'm beginning to feel that I need something better as the fun of the drug is wearing off.
I want to stop myself from doing drugs before it's too late. I want to get clean and turn my life around before I start taking harder drugs. I know there is help available, but I'm ashamed to ask for it. Drugs can and, more than likely, will ruin your life. You spend ridiculous amounts of money on the drugs and when you've taken them and had your fun you go back into wondering where the money for your next fix will come from. There are age limits on legal drugs for a reason. Illegal drugs are also illegal for a reason. Please do not let any form of drug, legal or illegal, take a hold on your life. They may seem fairly harmless but they're not.
Thank you for your feedback


text:
Lucky Days Free Par-Tay
Discover over 40 amazing ebooks: Romances, Thrillers, Mysteries, Humor, Fantasies, and more!
All FREE at Amazon.com
Fantastic ebooks, many by award-winning and best-selling authors.
There's a genre for every reader's taste.
Romance from sweet to HOT, suspense, paranormal, humorous, historical...we have an awesome range.
If Mysteries and Thrillers are your thing you can't go wrong. Police action, murderous mayhem, amateur sleuths and more.
You'll also find Horror, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and Woman's Fiction.... A fantastic selection!
Got kids? We have books for elementary school age and teens alike.
Don't miss out! Soon these amazing ebooks will be back to their usual prices. Grab them while they're FREE! March 14th-18th.
Who says you can have too much of a good thing. You can never have too many great books. Load up your Kindle and tell your neighbors to do the same.
The FREE Par-Tay is a BLAST!
Some Examples
of the
Great Books Available
You like Romance? Find them here.
Don't miss Mimi Barbour's "My Cheeky Angel" or Virna DePaul's "Chosen by Sin." Rita Herron will make you smile with "Marry Me Maddie." Stephanie Bond's "I think I Love You" and Denise Domning's "Almost Perfect" are perfect for the addicted romance reader. Debra Burroughs "Three Days in Seattle" and Nina Bruhn's "The French Detective's Woman" add a splash of mystery and suspense to their romance.
Also, anyone who signs up for the newsletter for the event will be entered into a drawing for a $100 Amazon Gift Card. http://www.freepartay.com/


text:
Three score years and ten (70) used to be thought the allotted span of a human lifetime. One would have had to be lucky to reach age 70 in many past eras. In the 21st century we are indeed very lucky in this repect. Most people can now expect to live into their eighties, given they've led a reasonably moderate lifestyle with few excesses. In our local newspaper I regularly see obituaries for folks in their late 90s and 100+. There's a gentleman of 103 in our town who still attends the theater regularly, we see him there each time we visit.
That said, there is, among the young and even the middle-aged, a feeling that sentient life somehow stops soon after the 50th year. Some seem to assume that the accumulation of knowledge, experience and emotional intelligence the average person gathers through time simply degenerates into so much goo, with the hapless "senior" person rapidly descending into vegetative state, just waiting for the journey to the funeral home. Where did this idea come from? I think it comes from the past and should be rapidly updated. People, of whatever age, who cling to this notion are old themselves - in their mindset.
Perhaps Saturn opposing Uranus is bringing this to the forefront of my mind just now. Or perhaps it's Pluto's move into Capricorn (Capricorn is ruled by Saturn). Astrologer Robert Phoenix touched on this a few days ago (here).
"Along the same lines, older generations, pre-boomer will be invigorated by Pluto In Capricorn as The Goat rules aging, no matter which generation reaches elder statehood. My father at 73, just started his own website, taking on the evil empire of the local Homeowners Association. His site, 'Echoes From The Canyon is quickly becoming a unique tool for education and relating to one another in his gated burb, rallying around the inequities of the HOA. He's finding purpose and technology is helping him achieve. While many are already off the tax rolls, with many more to follow, don't write them off at all as Pluto in Capricorn will re-invigorate them with renewed purpose."Saturn represents age, Uranus represents all things modern. Currently, and for many months to come, the two lie opposite one another, in a symbolic push-pull situation. I have Sun in Aquarius. The two opposing planets are both associated with Aquarius: Saturn its traditional ruler, Uranus was given its rulership in more recent times. Perhaps these days Aquarians will be feeling more keenly, one way or another about ageism - it's a possibility.
Ageism is the last big "ism" needing to be addressed both in the USA and in the UK. Legislation has been in place to deal stringently with racism and sexism for decades. Any legislation against ageism seems largely ignored. People of "a certain age", however, are still expected to take insults, sneers and being overlooked for interesting jobs all in good part, while ethnic minorities and younger women have the protection of the law against discrimination and name-calling
I had a tiny taste of ageism brought home to me by a comment which arrived last week on an old post of mine. The commenter expressed surprise that an "old gal" like me could be in a position to write about the stuff I write about, and congratulated me on "conquering the internet". It was meant kindly, but felt like a mild slap in the face. I laughed about it later and tried to accept it in the way it was intended.
"Ageism is as odious as racism and sexism" - that's a quote from someone called Claude Pepper, but I've said it myself on many occasions. Many folk just don't get it though. They will insult the elderly without even realising what they do, yet those same folk are sensitive to racism and sexism, because they've been educated to be so. So far, education with regard to ageism has been sadly lacking.
In an article, "Perils of Ageism", on a blog called We're Only Human, I came across a theory I'd not heard before. It's a thought which the young could be well advised to take on board:
"And it may not just be the elderly who are harmed by ageism. New evidence suggests that young, healthy people who stereotype old people may themselves be at risk of heart disease many years down the road. Becca Levy of the Yale School of Public Health examined data on hundreds of men and women who have been studied for almost four decades as part of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Back in 1968, when scientists first began studying these volunteers, they ranged in age from 18 to 49 and were all in very good health. At that time, scientists gathered all sorts of information about the volunteers, including their attitudes toward the elderly. Their images of being old covered the gamut from very positive to very negative.
Levy and her colleagues examined the health histories of all the volunteers, focusing on cardiovascular disease: heart attacks, congestive heart failure, stroke, and so forth. There was a striking link between ageism early in life and poor heart health later on. That is, those who viewed old age as a time of helplessness were much more likely to experience some kind of cardiovascular disorder over the next four decades. The scientists also looked at a subset of volunteers who didn't have any heart problems until after they were 60—at least 21 years later—and found that these people had been very negative about aging from early on. The episodes of heart disease could not be explained by smoking, depression, cholesterol, family history, or any of a myriad other possible risk factors.
What this suggests, Levy writes in the March issue of the journal Psychological Science, is that people are internalizing stereotypes of old age when they are still quite young—with far reaching consequences. This is the first scientific look at people maturing into the very people they have been unkindly caricaturing. It could be taken as a cautionary tale for those who think they'll never grow old."
This 40 second video was made to promote Ireland's "Say No to Ageism" week 2008. In Ireland, at least, someone understands!!
(Advert samples from here)


text:
I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of sports movies, however, the past couple of years has seen great films such as Invictus and The Wrestler, both showing how sports can be an integral part of a captivating story, and reigniting my passion for older classics such as Rocky and The Hustler. Unfortunately, The Blind Side fails to compete with any of these films, despite being based on true events and receiving two (undeserved) Oscar nominations. Following the journey of a neglected teenager who learns the true values of friendship and family, whilst playing some American Football on the way, this is a film riddled with clichés and fairly average performances - I cannot comprehend how Sandra Bullock won the Best Actress nomination - that somehow manages to entertain despite these problems.
We have all seen film like these before, and The Blind Side brings nothing new to the table. Michael Oher, the young boy in question, is a homeless teenager with a troubled past who is kindly taken in by the Touhy family, where he soon becomes one of the family. Although he shows no talent for football, his size means that Michael is soon singled out to be the team's blocker, and eventually learns that his team are his family and he must care for them just like he cares for the Touhy family.
I can see many people enjoying this film; it's an easy watch, suitable for all ages and delivers a message, but to me, this is its downfall. My favourite movies tend to be edgy, controversial films that offer something original whereas the only positive way I can describe The Blind Side is to say that it was pleasant.
I wasn't bored, but I certainly wasn't entertained either. No doubt the huge publicity surrounding the film since the Oscar winners were announced will guarantee its success but I still can't imagine that it will inspire British children to grab an American football and hit the fields when its released on March 26th.
If you liked this film you will also enjoy these:
Dead Poet's Society
The Pursuit Of Happyness
Stand And Deliver


text:
NEVER EVER EVER Link-Up
I haven't done a NEVER EVER EVER link-up in a while so I thought this would be the perfect Tuesday to join in again!
NEVER, EVER, EVER will I...
Forget about the very first date that D and I ever had.
Say no to a day at the Doggie Park with Emma and Red.
Quit wishing that I had enough money to buy myself a Jeep Wrangler.
Stop being grateful for my wonderful parents and family.
Stop trying to see Jack Johnson live in concert (one day I will!).
Hate a day where I can stay in bed and watch Sex and the City all day.
Stop donating dollars to the homeless people that stand on the side of the road with signs.
Stop loving popcorn, seriously it's my favorite go-to snack.
Stop trying to make myself the best possible person that I can be.
Be able to go bungee jumping.
What will you never, ever, ever be able to do?


text:
Monday, August 24, 2009
GameX Announces Steampunk Art Competition
Come one, come all! GameX is proud to announce its Steampunk Art Competition at this fall's show! The Competition is designed for artist of all levels, from Pro to Student!
GameX Steampunk Art Competition is a one-of-a-kind science-fiction/fantasy art contest with an all-star line-up of industry judges in film, animation, games and comics, including top artistic talent from companies such as Universal Pictures, DreamWorks Animation, Universal Studios, 2K Boston, Ubisoft and Turbine. Winning entries will be on display in the Artist Market area at GameX, the new games and media expo, October 23-25 in Philadelphia.
Artists are invited to create an original steampunk-themed artwork piece and submit their art entry online by Saturday, October 10, 2009. Presented by Steam Gear Lab, the GameX Steampunk Art Competition will award one Grand Prize Winner, one 2D Winner, one Digital 3D Winner, and one Physical Construction/Sculpture Winner. The contest Grand Prize Winner and three finalists will receive a combined total $10,000-worth of art tools, software and technology from contest sponsors Alienware, Wacom, Pixologic ZBrush, 3D Coat, Digicel and Faber-Castell.
Twenty art entries will make it to the finals and be displayed on the GameX online contest page, while the four winning works will be on display at GameX, October 23-25. Winners will be announced by Tuesday, October 20, 2009.
GameX is the only show that is backed by NBC media. What does that mean for you? It means your art work could easily be seen by thousands! Get your work seen! Don't miss out on this opportunity to have your talents seen by industry professionals, fans and fellow artist.
Got questions? Contact our team today at firstname.lastname@example.com for more details.
Go to http://gamexpo.us/expo/artcompetition/ for complete contest guidelines, rules, prizes and judges!
Deadline to enter is October 10th, 2009.
The GameX Website.
Posted by gamerpanda at 2:14 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
- Case: NZXT Switch 810 (Black)
- 2x Superbright LED bars (red)
- 10x 140mm Enthusiast 3 Speed Fluid Dynamic Bearing Fans (2k RPM)
- NZXT Sentry Mix 6 Channel Fan Controller
- Mobo: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H LGA 1155 Socket
- CPU: Intel Core i5-2550k (Overclocked to 4.3 Ghz from 3.6 Ghz)
- Corsair Hydro Series H100 CPU Liquid Cooler
- RAM: 16 GB (2x 8GB sticks) Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600
- GPU: Asus Radeon HD 7850
- PSU: Corsair AX750 Modular Power Supply (Gold+ Cert'd)
- 1x 1TB Seagate Barracuda (Boot drive)
- 3x 1TB Seagate Barracuda (RAID 5 array, Intel Z77 Chipset)
I mean, boot times have been my largest complaint about PC's since I started using them back in the early 1990s, and while it's gotten better, it still takes a while sometimes. From a hard startup, It's 15 seconds to get the login screen for Windows, which is a LOT better than the 60-90 seconds of the HP Pavilion that just died!
The top of the case has a "fan grill" (for lack of a better term in my brain at the moment) that you can open and close by pulling a lever at the back of the case. Leaving it open means that you have a bit more fan noise, but the case exhausts more heat than if it were closed. Likewise, when closed, the case is pretty silent.
The front two fans (hidden behind a touch-open panel at the front of the case) have an air filter to catch dust and whatnot, and the bottom of the case features a mesh bottom that lets air come in also (which has two mounts for 120mm or 140mm fans, which fit next to the PSU). That bottom mesh area has an air filter for the entire length of the case, 1 accessible from the front and 1 from the back. It's pretty awesome.


text:
If you want to join in the fun, type your answer to each of the following questions into Flickr search. Using only the images that appear on the first page, choose your favorite image, then copy and paste each the URL's into the mosaic maker (3 columns, 4 rows).
Here are the questions:
1. What is your first name? (Ashley)
2. What is your favorite food? (chocolate)
3. What high school did you attend? (Centennial - okay I cheated a bit on this one and went to the second page of results because all the images were so atrociously ugly)
4. What is your favorite color? (turquoise)
5. Who is your celebrity crush? (Josh Holloway)
6. Favorite drink? (Starbucks coffee)
7. Dream vacation? (Hawaii)
8. Favorite dessert? (raspberry mousse)
9. What did you want to be when you grew up? (school teacher)
10. What do you love most in life? (family)
11. One word to describe you? (dedicated)
12. Your Flickr name? (I don't have one - I literally typed those words into the search)
Okay, now let's try that sleep thing one more time... zzzzzz...


text:
|Full Dark, No Stars
by Stephen King
by Lauren Oliver
|Blood Red Road
by Moira Young
|The Body Finder
by Kimberly Derting
|The Declaration
by Gemma Malley
|Red Glove
by Holly Black
|Illicit Magic
By Camilla Chafer
I may have gone a bit overboard in the spending department this month, and I am still waiting for some books to be delivered.
I have the hardback of Delirium but I wanted the paperback, it will match better with Pandemonium.
That's all for this week.
What did you get in your mailbox this week?


text:
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. (AP) -- Billy Horschel thought he hit the winning putt, taking quick steps to the right to watch the ball track toward the cup only for it to burn the left edge.
No problem. He'd get another chance in the five-man playoff at the RSM Classic.
Except that he didn't.
In a shocker Sunday at Sea Island, Horschel's routine tap-in from 2 feet missed to the right on No. 18 and he was eliminated from the playoff. One hole later, with the other four players unable to make a putt in the dark on the 18th green, the final PGA Tour event was suspended until Monday morning.
Mackenzie Hughes, the 25-year-old Canadian trying to become the first rookie to go wire-to-wire in 20 years, had a 10-foot birdie putt on No. 18 on the second extra hole and it turned away to the left. It already was plenty dark, and there was no chance to play another hole.
Hughes, Blayne Barber, Camilo Villegas and Henrik Norlander were to return at 8 a.m. Monday to resume on the par-3 17th.
Horschel was headed home feeling empty.
"I missed it. That's pretty much what it came down to," Horschel said after walking off the 18th green. "I took my time and just blocked it."
WATCH: Horschel Misses Short Putt to Leave Playoff | RSM Scores
But he wrote on Twitter a few minutes later, "I didn't take my time over that short putt."
Either way, he was headed home to Florida feeling empty. He hasn't won since the Tour Championship in 2014 to capture the FedEx Cup, and at No. 76 in the world, he is not yet eligible for any of the majors next year.
That includes the Masters. And a trip to Augusta National is a big perk for whoever wins on Monday. That's not all that's at stake.
Norlander and Villegas don't have full status on the PGA Tour this year - Norlander received a sponsor's exemption - and a victory would take care of that. Hughes began his rookie season just six weeks ago and has a honeymoon planned in the offseason. Barber is going for his first PGA Tour victory.
All of them had their chances, and none had any real regrets over the final hour.
Hughes narrowly missed birdie chances on the 15th and 16th holes, but holed a 5-foot par putt on the 18th in regulation for a 1-under 69 to join the playoff.
Norlander, who closed with a 65, stuffed a 9-iron into 3 feet on the 18th in regulation and was the first to reach 17-under 265. Barber ran off back-to-back birdies on the back nine, and he had a 12-foot birdie attempt at the 18th that he missed on the low side. He shot a 66.
Villegas played the best coming down the stretch. Two shots behind with three to play, the Colombian hit an aggressive drive on the par-4 16th that set up wedge for a short birdie, then holed an 18-foot birdie putt from the fringe on the par-3 17th to tie for the lead. He finished with a 6-foot par on the 18th for a 68.
It was the largest playoff on the PGA Tour since Alex Cejka won a five-man playoff in Puerto Rico in 2015.
Hughes had the best chance at a birdie on the 18th over the two playoff holes, though it wasn't as easy as an ordinary 10-footer, not with darkness setting in.
"I almost contemplated waiting for tomorrow morning with that putt, but everyone was going," he said. "It's tough. But again, everyone's doing it, so it's fair for everybody. ... I played the ball outside left and it went right, and then at the end it went left and I couldn't see it. I mean, I can't see anything right now."
Norlander was happy to still be playing. His tee shot on the second playoff hole stopped a foot from the hazard, and he managed to gouge it out of thick grass and over a tree to the green for a two-putt par.
Villegas kept making putts until he couldn't see them. After all his hard word to get into the playoff, he had a tough putt from just over 4 feet in the dark to stay in the playoff and he poured it in the middle.
"You have a chance to win a PGA Tour event, and I'm sure everybody has no problem coming at 8 a.m. and just teeing it up," Villegas said.
No one else was close to joining the playoff. Jim Furyk had a 67 and was part of a large group at 14-under 268. That included C.T. Pan of Taiwan, who faced a longer day than even the players who had to return Monday.
Pan left after the tournament to catch a flight from Savannah to New York, then New York to Hong Kong, and then a connection to Melbourne where he was to arrive Tuesday night in Australia for the World Cup.


text:
Verizon High Speed Internet Experience Better Than Ever With Broadband Deals That Offer Cool Electronic Devices
Consumers looking for the utmost reliability and value in broadband bundles can now choose Verizon's latest super-fast connections of up-to-3 Mbps (megabits per second) or up-to-7.1 Mbps High Speed Internet bundle offers and get gear to take full advantage of the service.
Under a new offer from Verizon, qualifying new voice and broadband customers get either a Compaq Mini netbook* (valued at $299) or a Flip UltraTM camcorder (valued at $149.99) -- two of the most popular electronic devices on the market today.
"Consumers get our highly reliable High Speed Internet service, which is perfect for surfing the Web, e-mailing, and sending and receiving large amounts of data," said Susan Retta, Verizon vice president of consumer product management. "With Internet service, they also get a winning combination of all-digital-quality DIRECTV® service, and unlimited local and long-distance phone service delivered on our 99.9 percent reliable network. To make it irresistible, we're offering hot electronics that customers can use to get the most out of their new High Speed Internet service."
To encourage even more consumers to leave their cable provider and select Verizon, the company announced Monday (June 22) the launch of a compelling new promotional offer: New customers who select voice and High Speed Internet service and sign up for a one-year, double- or triple-play bundle that includes either the up-to-3 Mbps/768 kilobits per second (Kbps) or up-to-7.1 Mbps/768 Kbps** service will receive their choice of a free Compaq Mini netbook or Flip Ultra camcorder.
Existing Verizon voice customers who add either the up-to-3 Mbps or up-to-7.1 Mbps High Speed Internet service will receive their choice of a Compaq Mini netbook for $99.99 or a free Flip Ultra camcorder. These promotional offers continue though August 15.
Verizon also announced on Monday higher FiOS Internet speeds and a similar camcorder and netbook incentive offer for new FiOS customers. See companion release.
"In addition, this new offer provides additional incentives for consumers, particularly cable company customers, to sign up with Verizon," Retta said. "The offer enables consumers to use their Compaq Mini netbook or Flip Ultra camcorder on the road, around town or anywhere on campus."
Triple-play bundles that qualify for Verizon's new promotion start at $99.99 per month for one year, while qualifying double-play bundles start at $69.99 per month. Features of the Compaq Mini netbook include:
- 10.1-inch diagonal widescreen display.
- One-inch-thick, 2.35-pound design that fits in a backpack, briefcase or purse.
- Intel Atom™ processor.
- Windows XP Home operating system.
Features of the Flip Ultra camcorder include:
- Pocket-size design with one-touch recording and digital zoom.
- Up to 120 minutes of high-quality video.
- 4GB of built-in memory.
- Two-inch anti-glare screen.
- Built-in USB arm for direct connection to PC or Mac.
- Pre-loaded FlipShareTM software that allows easy video organizing, editing and e-mailing, along with simple upload to social media sites such as YouTubeTM and MySpaceTM.
More information about the Flip Ultra is available at www.theflip.com. To obtain high-resolution images of the camcorder and netbook, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/34800970@N05/sets/72157619967114676/ or http://verizon.mediaseed.tv/Story.aspx?story=36771.
Additionally, Verizon will continue to offer its price guarantee for non-bundled High Speed Internet service (up to 1, 3 or 7.1 Mbps speeds), ranging from $17.99 per month to $39.99 per month with a two-year agreement. Pricing will remain the same for customers as long as they continue on the same High Speed Internet service plan and retain local voice service.
Verizon High Speed Internet, which uses digital subscriber line technology, is the company's most widely available form of broadband data service. More than 25 million households in parts of 24 states and the District of Columbia can order the service. Verizon High Speed Internet subscribers are not subject to bandwidth caps that some Internet service providers assess, so there's no penalty for heavy usage.
According to PC Magazine's 2008 readers' survey, Verizon High Speed Internet beat the average cable provider's score in reliability, the likelihood of a customer choosing an Internet service provider, as well as the associated costs and fees for the service.
Verizon High Speed Internet customers also receive access to an extensive portfolio of value-added services, including 250 MB (megabytes) of free Verizon Online Backup and Sharing, which provides useful disaster-recovery support.
The company's popular Verizon Internet Security Suite provides comprehensive online protection from spyware and viruses for as little as $5.99 a month and includes a firewall, parental control, a pop-up-blocker and privacy manager software to help keep customers safe from hackers and phishing attacks.
Customers can also obtain a combination offer of Verizon Online Backup and Sharing and Verizon Internet Security Suite for $8.99 per month.
In addition, customers can protect their home-entertainment and communications investments by subscribing to a comprehensive suite of device protection plans such as Protection Pak Enhanced, which, in cases of a malfunction, covers the repair or replacement of all eligible computers, telephones and TVs in a customer's home, regardless of the device's place of purchase or age. Coverage is less than $1 a day.
Consumers can obtain more information about Verizon's High Speed Internet service by visiting www.verizon.com/highspeed or by calling 1-800-483-4000.
Customers establishing new Verizon service who select a double- or triple-play bundle featuring either the up to 3 or 7.1 Mbps High Speed Internet service and Verizon Freedom Essentials qualify for a free Compaq Mini netbook (customer pays taxes, shipping and handling charges of approximately $50) or a free Flip Ultra camcorder (customer does not pay taxes, shipping and handling charges).
*Compaq Mini netbook available with $299.99 coupon redeemable online at HP Home & Home Office while supplies last. Valid credit card required. Customer pays taxes, shipping and handling. Must have service for 60 days and no past due balance. Coupon sent within 90 days of activation date and requires redemption within 60 days of receipt. For residential customers new to Verizon voice and High Speed Internet service.
Flip Ultra ™ camcorder available while supplies last. Must sign up by Aug. 15 and activate service by Sept. 30, 2009. Must have service for 60 days with no past due balance to qualify. Gift will be sent within 90 days of activation date. Other terms and conditions apply.
One-year agreement required for bundles; a $120 early termination fee applies if the High Speed Internet or voice component of the bundle is cancelled or downgraded before expiration of term.
Existing voice customers ordering new up to 3 or 7.1 Mbps High Speed Internet in a double or triple play bundle qualify for a $99.99 Compaq Mini netbook (plus tax, shipping and handling charges of approximately $50) or a free Flip Ultra camcorder (tax, shipping and handling included).
* $99.99 Compaq Mini netbook available with $200 coupon redeemable online at HP Home & Home Office while supplies last. Valid credit card required. Customer pays taxes, shipping and handling. Must sign up by Aug. 15 and activate service by Sept. 30, 2009. Must have service for 60 days and no past due balance. Coupon sent within 90 days of activation date and requires redemption within 60 days of receipt.
Terms and conditions for the Flip Ultra ™ camcorder apply as presented for new voice plus new High Speed Internet customers.
One-year agreement required for bundles; a $120 early termination fee applies if the High Speed Internet or voice component of the bundle is cancelled or downgraded before expiration of term.
**Internet speeds refer to the connection speed between the user's location and Verizon's central office. Actual surfing speeds will vary based on many factors and be lower than connection speed.
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 86 million customers nationwide. Verizon's Wireline operations provide converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network. Wireline also includes Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 237,000 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of more than $97 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.


text:
I was reading through Ed Yourdon's "Decline and Fall of the American Programmer" the other day. In Chapter 5, section 5.8.6 page 127 to be precise, he is comparing the differences between practitioners of Structured Analysis (SA) and Object-Oriented Analysis / Design (OOA/D). In commenting on how OOA/D values reuse more than SA does Yourdon trots out the standard inheritance example of Vehicle (parent) / Automobile (child). It hit me that this example of inheritance is actually a very BAD example. However innocent this example may seem, it can sew a false sense of security in a programmer.
1) Inheritance is a complex topic
2) Using a simple example to introduce a complex topic is admirable
3) Using an incorrect example creates students who, among other possibilities, try to extend the example and become confused or have a false sense of their understanding of the subject.
4) Using a bad example in class materials is inexcusable for a teacher who claims they understand the subject and who care about what the students get out of the class.
I tried to explain my reasoning to Craig and here is how the discussion went.
Note: Link to the definitions used by the FAA to distinguish aircraft types.
The things which we like to use to show inheritance are really capabilities of vehicles in general
I created a list of categories like so:
I'm still not sold on the idea that an automobile, train, boat, etc breakdown is a bad classification
Vehicle; land, water, air; wheeled, hulled, tracked, winged, floats; motorized;
A car is wheeled and motorized for land
a boat is motorized and floats
If you try to put 'wheeled' in the hierarchy it gets strange when you want to declare a plane
It is motorized, has wings but can also have wheels.
You can't attach 'wheeled' to a pre-ordained location in the hierarchy
Knowing a vehcile has wheels does nothing to tell you where it belongs in the hierarchy.
An amphibious landing craft, an airliner, and a car all have wheels and they have motors.
All those things are actually attributes of some category at a higher level
A car is shorthand for a collection of attributes: piloted, wheeled, motorized, land vehicle
If you use those terms to define your hierarchy, you get problems when you introduce vehicles with different combinations of capabilities.
A Barge is unpiloted, floats, unmotorized, but is still a boat
A hot-air balloon is piloted but has no wheels or motor but is still an aircraft
hmmmm. I need to ponder more
food for thought, at least?
yes. a mid afternoon snack
I think your approach is a valid approach to deconstructing the hierarchy, but I don't think the use of "automobile, boat, etc" is wrong.
using them as labels is fine
but it becomes hard to use them in a OOP hierarchy without being about to define exactly where they belong and the differences between them.
There are much better subject areas to use, like the animal kingdom
where you can easily say "All live-bearing animals are mammals"
Unless a teacher knows how to categorized vehicles as clearly, they should avoid using it as an example
I believe that the FAA defines a plane as a fixed-wing aircraft. Helicopters are aircraft but aren't fixed-wing while hot-air balloons are aircraft with no wings at all.
In other words, 'Plane' is an instance of a class of vehicle called 'fixed-wing aircraft'
While cars are four wheeled passenger automobiles and big rigs are eighteen wheeled cargo automobiles, perhaps
I got that wrong.
A 737 is an instance of a class of vehicle called 'fixed-wing aircraft'
which we call, a plane.
you do have the right idea
So you're saying automobile is too generic of a word.
A 'plane' is not a type
I can accept that
it lulls the student into thinking they understand the is-a relationship
Using planes might be better because the FAA has to use precise definitions or else their regulations would make no sense.
is my rant making more sense now?
The FAA definitions as an example helped
It gave me something to compare against
Yes, they define legal regulations for things like 'right of way' based upon the maneuverability of an aircraft.
rotary-winged craft gives way to a fixed-wing craft gives way to a hot air balloon
I kept thinking the actual classification of vehicles as certain types can't be wrong, but the fact that the general classifications we use in classroom examples as too generic is an insightful observation
for the simple fact that the maneuverability goes down
Have you seen the email where an aircraft carrier is in radio communication with someone else
and the carrier is insisting that the other party get out of the way?
and it turns out that the other party was in a lighthouse.
Distinctions are important.
When we teach about inheritance we're smack in the territory where distinctions are critical.
When we use the 'vehicle/automobile' example we fail to enforce with lax distinctions
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Review Your Options
Financial ability should not limit your access to a quality education! Low tuition rates and easy payment options mean you can begin your education today. Review your payment options below and contact the Admission Consultant at 925-757-2900.
Contra Costa Medical Career College participates and is approved to offer the following:
Now Accepting VA Post 9/11 GI Bill!
Workforce Investment Act (WIA) follow this link for The ONE STOP service center near you. http://www.servicelocator.org
East Bay Works (Employment Development Department Benefits)
Vocational Rehabilitation
MyCAA (Military Spouses)
One-Stop Career Centers offer free tools and resources to support members of the community who are looking to change or embark upon a career. It is possible you may qualify for funding through your local center. Go to servicelocator.org and enter your zip code to find the One-Stop Center nearest you.
Contra Costa Medical Career College Payment Plan
No credit check. Everyone qualifies. The Contra Costa Medical Career College Payment Plan is available for programs longer than FOUR months. The payment plan requires payment of the registration fee for a program. The tuition is made in 2 payments. The first payment is due on the first day of class and the final payment is due on or by the 8th week of the program. Payment arrangements MUST be made at enrollment and prior to commencement of course. Please call and speak to our Admissions Counselor ASAP for details.


text:
Choose from Steven's hand-picked selection of diamonds and popular settings. No stress. No hassle. Just a stunning engagement ring that is ready to wear, and Ready for Love.SHOP ENGAGEMENT
Surprise your favorite grad with something unforgettable like our Diamond Bezel Solitaire Necklace or Bella Diamond Stud Earrings.SHOP GRADS
Whether it's an important birthday, your anniversary, or just because "I love you," a pair of diamond studs won't let you down. Starting at $268.SHOP EARRINGS
Keep your arm candy adorned with something special on her own: Stackable Diamond Bracelets. Starting at $98.SHOP BRACELETS
As a token of our appreciation, military and first responders receive an exclusive 5% discount any time of the year.Thank You
We make shopping for your significant other a no brainer with free shipping anywhere in the United States.Ship Free
Keep her closest companion near to her heart with our Origami Cat Diamond Necklace. Starting at $98.SHOP COLLECTION
Built by SLAVE03 Solveda