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Looking for a John Green readalike? Search no further than Adi Alsaid's Let's Get Lost. Carlos Ruiz Zafon's eerie gothic novel set in 1980s Barcelona will entice teens and haunt them long after they've turned the last page. And if you thought the dystopian and paranormal novels have worn out their welcome—Michelle Krys, Catherine Linka, and Kelsey Foster bring fresh takes to the tried-and-true genres. The following young adult, nonfiction, and crossover titles will grab reluctant and avid readers alike.
Alsaid, Adi. Let's Get Lost. 352p. Harlequin Teen. Aug. 2014. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780373211241.
Gr 8 Up–An achingly beautiful story about the profound impacts of opening oneself to a stranger. Seventeen-year-old Leila, on a road trip to Alaska, gives each person she encounters a different reason for traveling to see the Northern Lights. Readers learn little about Leila's motivations until the very end, when her tragic truth is revealed and some questions are still left unanswered. Reminiscent of John Green's Paper Towns (Dutton, 2008) and road trip novels that feature a teen paving the way to adulthood, Alsaid's debut is a gem among contemporary YA novels.–Jamie-Lee Schombs, Loyola School, New York City
Carter, Caela. My Best Friend, Maybe. 304p. Bloomsbury. Jun. 2014. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781599909707; ebk. $17.99. ISBN 9781619632356.
Gr 10 Up–Colette and Sadie are former best friends who have not spoken in three years. Out of the blue, Sadie invites Colette to go with her family to Greece. The protagonist is supposed to go to Costa Rica with her boyfriend and members of his church but agrees to go change plans and go with her former friend—a decision made out of a mix of curiosity and feeling like Sadie's invitation is a challenge. Once in Greece, the girls try to set aside their complicated history. They revert to their childhood traditions of playing cards, swimming, and sharing old jokes. But pretending everything is fine is difficult, and Colette starts needling Sadie for answers about their falling out and why she really asked her on this trip. The answers are slow to come, and when the she hears them, they shake her world. Suggest this one to readers looking for an introspective take on the intricacies of friendship.–Amanda MacGregor, formerly at Apollo High School Library, St. Cloud, MN
Chen, Justina. A Blind Spot for Boys. 326p. Little, Brown. Aug. 2014. Tr $18. ISBN 9780316102537; ebk. $9.99. ISBN 9780316364386. LC 2013021621.
Gr 9 Up–After a painful breakup, Shana Wilde has issued a "Boy Moratorium" when it comes to dating and relationships, despite her own flirtatious personality. In search of the perfect photograph to bolster her portfolio for college, Shana meets Quattro, and his wit and sweetness make her question her new mantra. Life throws another curveball Shana's way when her father announces he is going blind. With her father's sight lessening every day, Shana and her parents fly to Peru to pursue a lifelong dream of visiting Machu Picchu. Chen tackles romance and family adeptly in this realistic fiction story. The protagonist's character development is entwined with how she handles the challenges in front of her. The story is high on heartbreak, but leaves the future open to hope, particularly for the narrator. A book that will appeal to readers who enjoy a side of adventure with their heartache.–Sarah Wethern, Douglas County Library, Alexandria, MN
Connor, Leslie. The Things You Kiss Goodbye. 368p. HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Bks. Jul. 2014. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780060890919; ebk. $9.99. ISBN 9780060890926.
Gr 9 Up–After 15-year-old Bettina Vasilis's best and only friend moves away, she is left socially stranded in the home of her traditional Greek family. Suddenly her life as the thrift shop-raiding, bad girl "dancerina" comes to an end. Lonely and unoccupied, Bettina's sophomore year ends with the unlikely attention of the up-and-coming basketball star, Brady Cullen. The teen rarely questions why their summer dates only include the two of them or why Brady encourages her unlikely application to the cheerleading squad, but as their junior year begins, she develops an awareness of Brady's new social standing as the school's star athlete. Then she meets "Cowboy", an older auto mechanic who challenges her to focus more on the things important to her, like her art. What begins as a chance friendship turns into something more, despite the taboo age difference. This novel is compulsively readable. The characters are well developed, the plot is compelling, and the ending plausible and satisfying. Bettina's Greek family is a welcome dimension to the complicated love triangle.–Lynn Rashid, Marriotts Ridge High School, Marriottsville, MD
Ellis, Ann Dee. The End or Something Like That. 352p. Dial. May 2014. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780803737396; ebk. $10.99. ISBN 9781101635421.
Gr 6-10–It is the one-year anniversary of her best friend Kim's death, and Emmy is still reeling from the loss. Emmy made a promise to Kim that, once she died, Emmy would contact her ghost, but as it turns out, "I suck at talking to dead people." When Emmy attends the funeral of her science teacher, however, she is shocked to be visited by Ms. Homeyer's spirit. If she can see Ms. Homeyer's ghost, why hasn't she been able to see Kim? As Emmy sees more and more dead people—everyone but Kim—she begins to explore her complicated emotions and relationships. Told in parallel time lines, Emmy describes the months leading up to Kim's death, including a major betrayal and strong skepticism about the possibility of an afterlife; she also tells her story in real time, one year after Kim's death. Just as she did in This Is What I Did (Little, Brown, 2007), Ellis skillfully captures what it's like to be a kid who flies beneath the radar and is afraid to speak up. The story's ending is lovely; readers will realize that it's not about trying to find a ghost. It's about trying to find oneself.–Laura Lutz, Convent of the Sacred Heart, New York City
Ellis, Sarah. Outside In. 208p. House of Anansi/Groundwood. May 2014. Tr $16.95. ISBN 9781554983674; ebk. $14.95. ISBN 9781554983698.
Gr 6-8–With the exception of her quirky, unmarried mother, Lynn is a typical 13-year-old Canadian, navigating through life filled with choir practice, projects, best friends, and school. Things start to fall apart when her mom wrecks her relationship with the only man who has ever stuck around and Lynn's passport doesn't come in time for her to take the choir trip with the rest of her friends, who leave for Portland and the promise of a fun week away from school. Then a mysterious girl named Blossom is thrust into her life and introduces her to a wonderful world within their city called the Underland. Ellis's descriptions of the Underlanders are enthralling, and readers will easily believe that people live off the grid within big cities. Lynn's difficult relationship with her mother and her strong bonds with friends make this story very relatable. A thoughtful, exciting read that makes everything ordinary suddenly have the possibility to be extraordinary.–Ellen Norton, White Oak Library District, Crest Hill, IL
Finn, K. C. The Mind's Eye. 348p. (Synsk: Bk. 1). Clean Teen. 2014. pap. $11.99. ISBN 9781940534381.
Gr 7 Up–A paranormal romance set during World War II, The Mind's Eye offers an engaging adventure with a physically challenged female protagonist. Kit Cavendish and her brother have been evacuated from London to a small Welsh village. They are housed with the lively Price family, whose male members have all gone to war. Kit spends most of her time in a wheelchair due to a long-term illness, but she is able to wander the world through telepathy. With the help of the surly village doctor and her steely determination, the teen continues to try to improve her physical condition and also focus her clairvoyant skills. Her desire to walk independently and hone her power become desperate after her first mental encounter with Henri, a Norwegian teen facing Nazi occupation. Readers will enthusiastically root for the couple to overcome the dangers of war and reunite for a bright future. The horrors of war are authentically presented without gratuitous violence, while the romance between Kit and Henri is innocently portrayed. The gentle realism makes this well-written book perfect to share with teens and tweens.–Cindy Wall, Southington Library & Museum, CT
Finneyfrock, Karen. Starbird Murphy and the World Outside. 384p. Viking. Jun. 2014. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780670012763. LC 2013027007.
Gr 8 Up–Starbird grew up within the confines of her Family. To her, normalcy is not knowing who her father is, working for the greater good of those on the Free Family Farm, and waiting for elder and translator EARTH to make his way back from his mission. Starbird is a true believer, not like some of the other members of the Family who have drifted since EARTH's departure. She despairs about her own brother's disappearance, but finds comfort in the rituals of Family life: farming, communal cooking, story night, and her developing feelings for fellow family member Indus Stone. But when Starbird finds herself seemingly scorned by Indus, and she has an opportunity to work Outside in the Free Family Cafe, she leaves the Farm for the first time. She quickly realizes that life in the Free Family was not everything she thought it was. Just when Starbird is ready to ask some tough questions, charismatic EARTH comes back into the picture. This well-paced, character-rich story boasts a sense of foreboding that will be palpable even for those readers without much knowledge of American cultism. Readers from all walks of life will likely identify with this story's overarching themes of questioning faith and authority and the building of family.–Stacy Dillon, LREI, New York City
Gibbons, Alan. An Act of Love. 298p. chron. Sterling/Orion. Jun. 2014. pap. $9.99. ISBN 9781780620183.
Gr 8 Up–Mates Chris and Imran have been inseparable since childhood. But as they approach adolescence, their friendship is strained by escalating discord in their community between the peaceful Muslim population and right-wing activists who try to antagonize them. Over time, Imran develops a bitter anger related to the worldwide mistreatment of Muslims and eventually becomes involved with extremists. Meanwhile, Chris has drifted away from Imran; he joins the army and finds himself fighting in Afghanistan. Eventually, facing a bomb that is scheduled to be detonated at a ceremony recognizing returned veterans, both boys must look inward and recover some trust in each other in order to make a decision that could potentially save lives. The non-linear plot of this novel is well developed and successfully builds momentum. Chapters switch between alternating viewpoints, offering readers a balanced understanding of each protagonist. This will certainly provoke conversation about friendship, war, and how societies should deal with prejudice.–Julie Hanson, Chicago Public Library
Jury, Walter & S. E. Fine. Scan. 336p. Putnam. May 2014. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780399160653. LC 2013023623.
Gr 8 Up–Typical teen Tate consistently argues with his dad about not being able to have a normal life: Why can't he have a girlfriend? Why did he start learning chemistry at age five? Why must he learn so many languages? One day he breaks into his father's super-secret lab and finds a cool, scannerlike gadget that glows blue when he waves it over himself and red for his girlfriend. Bringing the contraption to school results in being attacked by crazy strangers and the death of his father who was trying to protect him. With his dying breath, the scientist reveals that the human race has been infiltrated by aliens who have been breeding with humans, and few "pure" humans are left, including Tate himself. Now the teen is on the run, not sure who to trust. With the help of his mother, possibly alien girlfriend, and the advanced skills in science and fighting he has acquired over the years, the protagonist tries to figure out the secret behind his father's invention. This is a fast-paced, very readable sci-fi novel solidly aimed at young adults who aren't into "bug-eyed aliens" tales but love good suspense stories. A fun, escapist novel with a cliffhanger ending. A solid choice for reluctant readers.–Saleena L. Davidson, South Brunswick Public Library, Monmouth Junction, NJ
Krys, Michelle. Hexed. 384p. Delacorte. Jun. 2014. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780385743372; lib. ed. $20.99. ISBN 9780375991103; ebk. $10.99. ISBN 9780449813119. LC 2012046888.
Gr 9 Up–Sixteen-year-old Indigo Blackwood wants nothing more than to focus on her position on the cheerleading squad, her new boyfriend Devon, and patching things up with her jealous friend Bianca. Hoping to increase her popularity, Indigo is eager to avoid her nerdy former friend Paige. The teen is also embarrassed by her New Age hippie mother, who runs an occult shop in Los Angeles, and her party animal aunt Penny. After witnessing an apparent suicide, however, Indigo soon finds herself in the center of a top-secret bloody feud between dueling factions of wizards and sorcerers. With the aid of a hunky stranger, Indigo must quickly master her newly developed magical flying abilities in order to protect her friends and family. Krys's debut novel offers a fast-paced plot with plenty of shocking twists and turns and a cliff-hanger ending that will appeal to fans of paranormal romances.–Madigan McGillicuddy, Atlanta-Fulton Public Library, Atlanta, GA
Leno, Katrina. The Half Life of Molly Pierce. 256p. HarperCollins/HarperTeen. Jul. 2014. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780062231178; ebk. $9.99. ISBN 9780062231192.
Gr 8 Up–In this mystery unraveled in reverse, Molly begins to fit together pieces of a life only half-remembered, due to frequent blackouts. After witnessing a tragic accident during which a dying stranger seems to know her, memories of those blackout periods begin to return. When the teen connects with the stranger's brother, she feels an intense, familiar love, and Molly questions what she thinks she knows about herself. The protagonist's Dissociative Identity Disorder allows her characterization to unfold slowly, the narrative building on short bursts of memories that go further back in time, revealing more secrets further in to the story. The disorientation at the novel's start begins to settle as the flashbacks occur, and the sense of urgency for the two alternating time lines to merge intensifies with the girl's increasing melancholy and thoughts of self-harm. The race to uncover Molly's truth will keep readers turning pages.–Sarah Townsend, Norfolk Public Library, VA
Linka, Catherine. A Girl Called Fearless. 368p. St. Martin's Griffin. May 2014. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781250039293; ebk. $9.99. ISBN 9781250039309.
Gr 9 Up–Los Angeles, just a bit in the future, is a distressing place for females. Most adult women have died from side effects of hormone-laden beef, and the Paternalists may soon win political majority, passing even harsher "protective" measures to encourage child bearing and domesticity. Avie Reveare and her friends at Masterson Academy have become experts at eye blinks, bribes, stitch code, and other creative means to avoid security detection as they practice independence under the direction of their teacher, Ms. A. Meanwhile, they see college recruitment posters replaced by recipe cards, and discuss who might be sold into a marriage contract, and at what price. The best girls are auctioned through Sotheby's and Christie's—verified virgins who will honor and obey. Avie, aided by her childhood friend (now romantic interest) Yates, decides to head for Canada when her financially desperate father contracts her to a man twice her age. The short chapters keep the action moving in this solid selection, best for readers who enjoy plot-driven stories.–Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley School, Fort Worth, TX
Mallory, Alex. Wild. 368p. HarperCollins/HarperTeen. Jul. 2014. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780062218742; ebk. $9.99. ISBN 9780062218766.
Gr 7 Up–Cade grew up among the trees and caves of Daniel Boone National Forest. Dara grew up in the Kentucky town of Makwa. When a Spring Break camping trip Dara takes with her boyfriend, Josh, turns terrifying, the world of the forest and the world of modern-day Kentucky are thrust together. Cade is forced out of the wilderness and must contend with the media circus forming around him. It may be more than he and Dara can bear. The plotting of this retelling of Edgar Rice Burroughs's Tarzan of the Apes is smart and will keep readers interested in how Cade came to be in the woods by dropping clues about his mother's past throughout the narrative. The novel features some romance, but it is not overwrought nor does it override the mystery element. A fine addition to any YA collection.–Paige Garrison, Aurora Central Public Library, CO
Peters, Julie Anne. Lies My Girlfriend Told Me. 246p. Little, Brown. Jun. 2014. Tr $18. ISBN 9780316234979; ebk. $9.99. ISBN 9780316234948.
Gr 9 Up–Alix's world is turned upside down after falling for popular and confident Swanee, so much so that ditching her friends and playing by her love's rules seems almost too easy. When her mom breaks the news that Swanee has suddenly died of an unexpected cardiac arrest, Alix has a hard time accepting that her vivacious and seductive girlfriend is really gone. In Peters's newest offering, questions of love and honesty abound. After Alix gets ahold of Swanee's cell phone, she discovers texts revealing that Swanee had been carrying on an affair with another girl. To find out more about the mysterious L.T., she sends her a message, pretending to be Swanee, before ultimately tracking her down and giving her the news of Swanee's death. Alix finds out her name, Lianna, and that they share more than just a girlfriend in common. The book does not focus on sexuality, and it's a pleasure to read a typical teen romance that just happens to be between two girls. Romance fans of any persuasion will be swept up in this slow-paced but ultimately sweet story.–Joanna Sondheim, Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School, New York City
Ruiz Zafón, Carlos. Marina. tr. from Spanish by Lucia Graves. 326p. Little, Brown. Jul. 2014. Tr $18. ISBN 9780316044714; ebk. $9.99. ISBN 9780316320177.
Gr 8 Up–Set in Barcelona, Spain from late 1979 to May 1980, this gothic novel centers around 15-year-old boarding school student Oscar Drai. Instead of studying during his free time, the teen explores the city, and one day ends up in an area that seems deserted. Drawn in by music coming from an old dilapidated house, Oscar is given a scare by the owner, an eccentric and haunted artist named Germán. Having accidently taken a watch from the house, the boy returns to bring the valuable item back and meets the enigmatic Marina. Realizing that they both like mysteries, Marina invites Oscar on an escapade to a graveyard to observe a woman who leaves a red rose on an unmarked grave. Soon, the narrator becomes embroiled in the lives and histories of a presumed dead actress, recluse tycoon, and mad scientist obsessed with escaping death. From the very first page, this beautifully written work of historical fiction is impossible to put down. With elements of romance, mystery, and horror, none of them overwhelming the other, this complex volume manages to weave together three separate stories for a cohesive and eerie result.–Jesten Ray, Seattle Public Library, WA
Sabel, Lauren. Vivian Divine Is Dead. 288p. HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Bks. Jun. 2014. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780062231956.
Gr 8 Up–Someone is after Hollywood's "it" girl. Teen film star, Vivian Divine, has always followed in her famous mother's footsteps—but this time, she'd rather not. Her mother was murdered six months ago, and when Vivian receives a mysterious death threat with alarming parallels to her mother's tragic end, she flees incognito to Mexico. The Hollywood princess is on her own and out of her element, trying to stay alive while unraveling the mystery of who's chasing her and why. Her odds of survival increase when she meets the attractive Nick—but he may not be who he seems. This action-packed novel is enjoyably quirky; the writing shines in the scenes of a richly described Día de los Muertos celebration, and Vivian's journey through rural Mexico will keep readers in suspense as the heroine faces danger at every turn. In the end, though, there's heavy reliance on coincidence. This will appeal to readers looking for a fast-paced romp with suspense, action, and romance—with an encouraging message of self-actualization as Vivian learns she's capable of more than she knew.–Allison Tran, Mission Viejo Library, CA
Scott, Kieran. Only Everything. 336p. (True Love). S. & S. May 2014. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781442477186; pap. $9.99. ISBN 9781442477162. LC 2013019388.
Gr 8 Up–Scott captures the capriciousness of the gods in her Greek mythology mash-up. The novel begins with a vignette of Eros cavorting with Orion in a secluded forest and uttering the fateful words "I'd rather die than live without you." Zeus banishes the goddess Eros to earth without her powers and with a deadline to help three mortal couples find love or lose Orion forever. There are strong themes about staying true to one's self and finding relationships that are based on mutual respect, but Scott finds the fine line between showing rather than preaching. Readers looking for a denouement are likely to be disappointed, because once the couple has committed, the story is over. The shifts in perspective and the recurring flashbacks combined with the clever use of literary devices creates a text complexity that is present without becoming overwhelming. This series will round out collections in need of a little romance that doesn't involve dystopias or vampires.–Jodeana Kruse, R. A. Long High School, WA
Shirvington, Jessica. One Past Midnight. 336p. ebook available. Walker. Jul. 2014. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780802737021.
Gr 8 Up–Sabine has everything: the perfect house, the perfect friends, the perfect car. Everything is exactly as it should be for the 18-year-old queen bee reigning supreme in her wealthy Boston suburb. However, every night at midnight, she Shifts to her other life where she has nothing: an increasingly difficult family life, hard relationships with peers, an unrewarding after school job in an as-yet-to-be gentrified Boston suburb. Sabine has two lives—living each day twice—and has kept it a secret for as long as she can remember. By developing a rich and nuanced mythology of Sabine's experience, Shirvington invites readers to consider what it means to struggle with the social pressures of being a teenager. The short, action-packed chapters move readers swiftly from day to day and life to life. The story is fresh and focused and would be a welcome addition. A complex and compelling tale.–Pete Smith, Pioneer Valley Performing Arts CPS, South Hadley, MA
Sloan, Holly Goldberg. Just Call My Name. 328p. Little, Brown. Aug. 2014. Tr $18. ISBN 9780316122818; ebk. $9.99. ISBN 9780316203135.
Gr 8 Up–After 10 years on the run with their paranoid schizophrenic father, brothers Sam and Riddle have found a home with Emily's family. Sam enrolls in school after a long hiatus, and Riddle emerges from his protective shell. Sam and Emily's burgeoning relationship is tenderly romantic in its authenticity. The boy finally breathes a sigh of relief—but should he? Their father, Clarence, has escaped from jail with plans of revenge. Newcomer Destiny, figuratively and literally, sets her sights on Sam and is taking no prisoners. What should have been the summer of love for the young couple ends in a dramatic confrontation with the violent Clarence. Fans of Sloan's I'll Be There (Little, Brown, 2011) will be thrilled to be reunited with Sam, Riddle, and Emily in this immensely satisfying, heartfelt, and lyrical sequel. The author's simplistic writing style allows readers to connect intimately with the characters and makes for a truly compelling novel. Sloan succeeds in skillfully combining the tenderness of young love, various distinct voices, and fast-paced action.–Laura Falli, McNeil High School, Austin, TX
Stevenson, Sarah Jamila. The Truth Against the World. 360p. Flux. Jun. 2014. pap. $9.99. ISBN 9780738740584.
Gr 6 Up–Wen, a California teen, is going through a difficult time. Her Welsh great-grandmother is terminally ill, and Wen feels this approaching loss deeply. Her fears seem to be manifesting into strange dreams. Wen is an active blogger, and she posts descriptions of her dreams in an effort to process them. An ocean away, Gareth Lewis visits his great-grandfather in Wales. Gareth is haunted by a disturbing event that occurs at the grave of a girl named Olwen Nia Evans. Gareth discovers Wen's blog when researching the ghostly girl haunting him. The two connect, and vow to solve the mystery of little Olwen Nia Evans and put her soul to rest. The description of Wales, and integration of Welsh language and proverbs are fascinating and well researched. The overall pace of the book is a little slow but would grip those interested in paranormal mysteries.–Tiffany Davis, Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh, NY
Stokes, Paula. The Art of Lainey. 384p. HarperCollins/HarperTeen. Jun. 2014. pap. $9.99. ISBN 9780062238429; ebk. $9.99. ISBN 9780062238436.
Gr 9 Up–In a plot that serves as a modern mashup of classic teen movies, soccer prodigy Lainey is dumped by her "perfect" boyfriend at her family's coffee shop. Lainey and her friend use their summer reading, The Art of War by Sun Tzu, to hatch a plan to win Lainey's boyfriend back. When the plan calls for misdirection, Lainey needs a fake boyfriend. She and Micah, a prickly bad boy co-worker at the coffee shop, make a pact to pretend to date in order to make their exes jealous, and every reader can guess what happens by the end of the summer. Stokes does a good job with the sports subplots as well as the familial relationships. Lainey is a driven athlete who focuses on her passion, which is a refreshing change of pace from many other heroines in the romantic realistic fiction genre. Lainey's family is supportive and candid, and Micah's sister is a good reality check for both main characters.–Susannah Goldstein, Convent of the Sacred Heart, New York City
Sutton, Kelsey. Where Silence Gathers. 360p. Flux. Jul. 2014. pap. $9.99. ISBN 9780738739472.
Gr 9 Up–Alexandra Tate has always been able to see personified Emotions, but now she is faced with a Choice. Revenge, her best friend since the drunk driving accident that killed her family, and Forgiveness, a tempting new Choice, compete for her attention. Even six years after the tragedy, Alex struggles with her grief and tries again and again to get justice for her family's murder. Completing her senior year of high school loses priority as Alex uncovers mysteries about her father's past, is chased by haunting voices that no one else can hear, and runs from faceless attackers threatening the lives of her remaining family and friends. A poignant, heart-wrenching story of grief, love, and loss, Where Silence Gathers combines an authentic narrative with tantalizing supernatural elements to create a powerful companion novel to Sutton's debut, Some Quiet Place (Flux, 2013).–Eden Rassette, Kenton County Public Library, KY
Vehlmann, Fabien & Marie Pommepuy. Beautiful Darkness. tr. from French by Helge Dascher. illus. by Kerascoët. 96p. Drawn and Quarterly. 2014. Tr $22.95. ISBN 9781770461291.
Gr 9 Up–What starts as a common fairy tale trope—Prince Hector and Princess Aurora are having tea the day after a ball—quickly turns dark and disturbing. The prince is charming but self-absorbed, and the princess is somewhat flighty and unprepared, when the ceiling appears to fall in, and they find themselves in a dark forest filled with other refugees, all Borrowers-small. While Aurora and her friend Plim adapt to their surroundings, taking charge and feeding the others they have found, Hector is only concerned with staring into space. None of the characters notice the dead body that they are playing on and living around (a human-sized girl, also named Aurora), and do not question where the items they are using are from (quite possibly the corpse's purse). The artwork is cartoonlike and colorful, in contrast with the morbid and macabre tone. Purchase where teens like their graphic novels and fractured fairy tales on the dark side.–Suanne B. Roush, formerly at Osceola High School, Seminole, FL
West, Kasie. On the Fence. 304p. HarperCollins/HarperTeen. Jul. 2014. pap. $9.99. ISBN 9780062235671; ebk. $9.99. ISBN 9780062235688.
Gr 8 Up–West crafts a beautiful story that will hook lovers of contemporary teen romance. Ever since her mom died, Charlie, a 16-year-old tomboy who loves all things sports, spends most of her time playing pick-up games with her three brothers and next-door neighbor Braden. But when Charlie's dad makes her get a job to pay off a speeding ticket, she lands a job at a clothing store where she must model make-up and be more feminine than she's ever cared to be. Soon she's in over her head with lies—lying to her dad, her boss, and a cute boy who's never seen the tomboy side of her. The only thing that saves her are her late night fence chats with Braden, who she is slowly beginning to fall in love with but can't risk losing. This tale is eloquently written and goes deeper than most teen romances dare to go. For fans of Susane Colasanti and Stephanie Perkins.–Candyce Pruitt-Goddard, Hartford Public Library, CT
Whitaker, Alecia. Wildflower. 320p. ebook available. score. Little, Brown/Poppy. Jul. 2014. Tr $18. ISBN 9780316251389.
Gr 8 Up–Bird and her family are members of a bluegrass band that play at various local venues around the United States, touring in their beloved RV named Winnie. The family is extremely close, united by tragedy and their love of music. Aside from her beautiful voice, masterly fiddling, and song-writing skills, Bird is a regular teenager who fights with her brothers, loves to text on her phone, and wants a handsome fellow performer to notice her. Things begin to change when a talent scout for a record company offers Bird, but not the entire family, a contract. The Barrett Family Band faces an uncertain future as they relocate to Nashville, where Bird can begin recording her music. Fans of country music will enjoy the contemporary references to well-known stars, and aspiring musicians will appreciate the detailed plotlines involving Bird's work in crafting music and song lyrics. As a bonus, an appended section provides the sheet music and lyrics to Bird's "hit" song "Notice Me."–Anne Jung-Mathews, Plymouth State University, NH
For those interested in nonfiction, take a look at these stellar offerings from creators with proven track records; titles about important historical figures, such Ida Tarbell and the talented Wyeth family; and intriguing works for budding scientists.
Carson, Mary Kay. Park Scientists: Gila Monsters, Geysers, and Grizzly Bears in America's Own Backyard. photos by Tom Uhlman. 80p. bibliog. chart. diag. glossary. index. maps. notes. websites. (Scientists in the Field). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. May 2014. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9780547792682.
Gr 4-8–This entry in this popular series focuses on the study of selected plants, animals, and geologic formations in three of our most famous national parks, which are akin to "natural laboratories and living museums." It all begins in Yellowstone National Park, where hydrothermal activity and its effects are astutely explained. Next, the history, current status, and study of the famous park grizzly bears are carefully detailed. Exploration and examination of giant saguaro cacti and the elusive Gila monster are the focus in the section on Saguaro National Park, which includes a description of "BioBlitz" through which everyday citizens and students can assist in park research programs through 2016. Pertinent, attention-grabbing, full-color photographs and captions, maps, infrared images, and diagrams accompany the fascinating, informative text in each section. Featured experts provide primary-source information for each topic covered. Overall, this is a well-written, unique, carefully organized treat for nature lovers and investigators.–Diane P. Tuccillo, Poudre River Public Library District, CO
Diamond, Jared. The Third Chimpanzee: For Young People. adapted by Rebecca Stefoff. 352p. chart. ebook available. glossary. illus. index. maps. notes. photos. reprods. Seven Stories. 2014. Tr $22.95. ISBN 9781609805227.
Gr 9 Up–Adapted for younger audiences by the redoubtable Stefoff but not significantly different in scope, arguments, or, for that matter, reading level from Diamond's original (Harper, 1992, 2006), this wide-ranging study of what makes us human offers provocative views of evolution, adaptation, cultural diffusion, sexuality, genocide, race, mass extinctions of the past and present, the roots of drug abuse and language, and even the search for extraterrestrial intelligence ("we're alone in a crowded universe. Thank goodness!"). The strength of Diamond's views is what makes them provocative, whether he's explaining why we—uniquely among social animals—prefer to have sex in private, or portraying the urge to smoke or take dangerous drugs as another manifestation of seemingly anti-survival animal displays, such as the male Bird of Paradise's plumage. Thoughtful readers interested in any fields related to evolutionary science, anthropology, psychology, human history, and culture will find plenty to ponder.–John Peters, Children's Literature Consultant, New York City
McCully, Emily Arnold. Ida M. Tarbell: The Woman Who Challenged Big Business—and Won! 288p. bibliog. index. notes. photos. reprods. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Jul. 2014. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9780547290928. LC 2012039650.
Gr 7 Up–McCully expertly brings to life the story of a unique and determined woman in this well-written and thoroughly researched biography, filled with numerous and pertinent photographs. She places Tarbell's story into historical context, detailing how the country was just discovering the hidden wealth of oil and all the opportunities that came with it and how certain individuals were making shrewd business deals to guarantee large incomes. Tarbell went where no one had gone before, becoming an investigative reporter for a top magazine. Though women were little respected at the time, she dove right into a man's world, exposing the somewhat shady side of John D. Rockefeller, head of the powerful Standard Oil Trust. Readers will not only get a feel for Tarbell, but they'll also get a sense of the changing world she inhabited.–Carol Hirsche, Provo City Library, UT
Mizuki, Shigeru. Showa: A History of Japan, 1926–1939. tr. from Japanese by Zack Davisson. illus. by Shigeru Mizuki. 560p. chron. notes. Drawn & Quarterly. 2013. pap. $24.95. ISBN 9781770461352.
Gr 9 Up–Mixing memoir and political history, this graphic novel presents a tumultuous time in Japan's past through the eyes of someone who lived it: influential 20th-century manga artist Mizuki. The early years of Japan's Showa era were marked by government and military corruption that ultimately led the nation to World War II, and Mizuki's frank account of this period does not gloss over unflattering truths. At first glance, this tome may appear to be strictly for history buffs and Japanophiles—but any reader will be hooked by the juxtaposition of the author's humorous anecdotes of his rural childhood and the sobering picture of his country's financial instability, political turmoil, and harrowing acts of aggression in Asia. It's an eye-opening reading experience, a window into a segment of history not taught in typical American classrooms. Thought-provoking and powerful.–Allison Tran, Mission Viejo Library, CA
RUBIN, Susan Goldman. Everybody Paints!: The Lives and Art of the Wyeth Family. 112p. bibliog. index. photos. reprods. Chronicle. 2014. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780811869843. LC 2013006595.
Gr 7 Up–Reminiscent of the Duchamps of France, the Wyeths are a family of painters: three generations, in fact, of artists. Here, the author gives a chronological account of how the Wyeth men came to be painters and of how their lives intersected. This "first family of American art" began with Newel Convers (N.C.), Massachusetts-born in 1882, oil painter and noted illustrator for both major magazines and a series of children's classics such as Treasure Island. His son Andrew (1917–2009), whose initial artistic success came at the young age of 20, originally used watercolors to create scenes of Maine life, then switched to tempera to paint works such as his poignant "Christina's World." Andrew's son Jamie, the only one of the three still alive, uses combined media to create his portraits of dogs, friends, and neighbors. The text is clear, concise, and very complete for such a slim volume. While the family's existence in the Pennsylvania countryside and the sea coast of Maine often seems idyllic, Rubin does not shy away from recounting family eccentricities, disagreements, and problems. Rubin's is the first title to combine the lives of all three artists in a work geared to a middle school audience. An ideal introduction to the Wyeths.–Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, formerly at LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI
And from SLJ's Adult Books 4 Teens blog, the following titles are perfect for teens looking to cross over to adult books.
FORTIER, Anne. The Lost Sisterhood. 608p. Ballantine. Mar. 2014. Tr $27. ISBN 9780345536228; ebk. ISBN 9780345536235.
For many readers, Amazons are either Wonder Woman's race, characters in the "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" series, or a passing mention in Greek myths. To Diana Morgan, a lecturer at Oxford specializing in languages and obsessed with Amazons, they're the reason she's not taken seriously in the academic community. When a mysterious offer to help decode an unknown script is presented, Diana is off on an adventure that takes her from Amsterdam to northern Africa to Turkey to Scandinavia. The script she's shown at a hidden archaeological dig reminds her of a dictionary of sorts that her grandmother wrote – and for some reason there are versions of the bracelet Diana's inherited from her admittedly strange (to the point of being committed) grandmother. What she sees at the dig further fuels her belief that the Amazons did exist—and may still. The text she decodes is fleshed out for readers in a flashback to the world of the Amazon women and their history; this story mimics Diana's movement around the globe as she tries to solve the intertwined mysteries of the text, the bracelets, and her grandmother. Added to the mix are two potential love interests, both of whom may be working purely on their own behalf and contrary to Diana's interests. This is a conspiracy book that calls to mind the Indiana Jones films with archaeological digs and relics as well as Kate Mosse's "Languedoc" trilogy (Putnam) and Kathleen McGowan's "The Magdalene Line Trilogy" (S & S).—Laura Pearle, Miss Porter's School, Farmington, CT
LEONARD, Anne. Moth and Spark. 368p. Viking. Feb. 2014. Tr. $27.95. ISBN 9780670015702.
In Leonard's debut novel, Corin is preparing to become king of his father's kingdom, but learns that he has been tasked to free the world's dragons. It's a huge responsibility because the dragons currently serve the Empire, and no one understands how to free them, especially Corin. Luckily he receives help from Tam, a common physician's daughter. Tam's discovery that she is a Seer helps Corin with his task. The two must figure out how to rescue the dragons and the realm from Emperor Hadon's invasion, while experiencing their own whirlwind romance. Fantasy readers will appreciate the freshness of this stand-alone novel. Dragons, magic, firekeepers, secret villages, poison, and many other familiar elements are present, but Leonard spins them together well. In the Acknowledgments, the author admits that she borrowed language from Jane Austen, and the readability of the narrative demonstrates that it worked. Much of the book is focused on the swoon-worthy relationship between Corin and Tam, which isn't cheesy or overdone. Both of the main characters come of age and wisely make decisions to improve their world. There may be too much romance for some die-hard fantasy fans, but give this to teens with soft hearts.—Sarah Hill, Lake Land College, Mattoon, IL
MALERMAN, Josh. Bird Box. 272p. Ecco. May 2014. Tr $25.99. ISBN 9780062259653.
This fast-paced horror thriller alternates between past and present. Malorie and her sister Shannon are living away from home for the first time, outside Detroit, when the news reports start coming in. First in Russia, then Alaska, then closer to home, people begin seeing something so terrifying that they attack those around them, then take their own lives. On a drive to a doctor's appointment—Malorie may be pregnant—they notice windows covered by blankets and pedestrians shielding their eyes. What are they worried about seeing? No one knows, because no one who has seen it has survived. For a while there are internet reports and television news stories, but eventually technology falls silent. After Shannon succumbs to the affliction (did she look out the window?), Malorie decides to try to reach a rumored safe house nearby. In the present, the protagonist is the mother of two four-year-olds, and none of them go outside their barricaded house without a blindfold. She has trained the children's hearing, planning for the day they will row down the river behind their house to a better, safer place. Now the time has come. They will have to do it blind, with unknown creatures all around. Every whisper of sound is an unknown threat. This is an intriguing novel in which it is the not knowing that is scariest of all. Teen horror fans will be hard-pressed to put it down before Malorie and her children complete their trip down the river.—Angela Carstensen, Convent of the Sacred Heart, New York City
MOORE, Allison with Nancy Woodruff. Shards: A Young Vice Cop Investigates Her Darkest Case of Meth Addiction–Her Own. 288p. Touchstone. Apr. 2014. Tr $24.99. ISBN 9781451696356. LC 2013026028.
It's not often that cops write memoirs about their own descent into corruption: Shards is a terrific book to fill the void. Moore opens with her plan to kill the man she calls "the dealer" and then herself. Living in hell, she was desperate to escape. She describes the personal integrity that led to her rise as a hardworking vice cop in Maui, followed by her brutal descent into meth addiction. Her memoir details the extreme manipulations of an addict and the painful reality of betraying oneself and others. In order to leave Maui to score and use drugs, she told the married cop she was having an affair with that her grandmother died, and then her mother. To explain how sick she looked, she deceived her fellow officers and her family into believing she had cancer. Her fellow officers took up the cause, donating sick leave and hosting fundraisers for her "treatment." Meanwhile, Moore was living with an abusive drug dealer in Seattle, held prisoner, raped, and tortured, completely in the grips of addiction. Ultimately she escaped and was then faced with 25 felony charges. Tightly written, the narrative is pulse pounding and relentless. Moore comes across as sympathetic primarily because of her truthful account and because she takes responsibility for the trust and relationships she destroyed. Teens who like gritty biographies, particularly fans of Nikki Sixx's The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star (MTV Books, 2008), will enjoy this one.—Amy Cheney, Alameda County Library, Juvenile Hall, CA
The original reviews of the above works appeared in SLJ's May print magazine.
This article was featured in our free SLJTeen enewsletter.
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Stephen Byers, the trade and industry secretary, has announced a 10% rise in the minimum wage.
The increase, which will lift the minimum wage from £3.70 an hour to £4.10 from October 1, will be announced in the Budget on the recommendation of the low pay commission.
It means an adult working a 40-hour week on the minimum wage will earn an extra £16 a week. A 25-hour week will pull in an extra £10.
The low pay commission has advised a second increase in October 2002 to put the minimum wage at £4.20 an hour. Mr Byers said that the government accepted it, subject to economic conditions.
Mr Byers told the Commons that the raise was bold enough to make a difference but sufficiently prudent not to damage the economy.
"The minimum wage has been a success with nearly a million and a half people benefiting without any negative effect," he said.
Union leaders, who had been pressing for £5 an hour, will welcome the announcement but members of the business community have warned against such rises.
Digby Jones, director general of the Confederation of British Industry, yesterday expressed concern that a higher minimum wage will place inflationary pressure on the economy.
"The real concern is the knock-on effect down the road at £5 an hour, £5.10 an hour. Anything over £4 is a problem for business," he said.
The minimum wage was introduced in April 1999. Mr Byers said today that it had done more to increase women's pay than any initiative since the 1975 Equal Pay Act and was smoothing out regional pay differences.
He added that unlike benefits which, he said, are "simply compensating" people in poverty, the minimum wage makes "work pay". He said it was the best form of welfare.
For the opposition, David Heathcoat-Amory told the Commons that the Tories would not oppose the increase.
The new rate will apply to part- and full-time workers as well as to agency staff and people working from home.
A decision about the youth rate paid to workers between 18 and 21 years of age will be taken in May, after the expected general election.
Professor George Bain, chairman of the low pay commission, said he was delighted that the government had accepted the recommendations, which had been made after extensive consultation with the unions and industry.
Related articles
5.3.2001: Budget to give public jobs boost
5.3.2001: Brown caught on the inside looking out
3.3.2001: That box: what's in it for you?
Useful links
Department of trade and industry: national minimum wage
Low pay commission
HM treasury
Equal pay task force
History of the national minimum wage

subset: commoncrawl


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The five times world champion suggested McLaren's David Coulthard had let team mate Kimi Raikkonen, Schumacher's closest title rival, past him at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone two weeks ago.
The Finn's third place finish cut Schumacher's overall lead to seven points with five races left.
"If the same would have happened with Ferrari there would have been a big casino, a big story about it, yet it has happened with McLaren but nobody has talked about it," he told BBC radio at the German Grand Prix.
"I am totally surprised there has been no speculation how easily Kimi was able to overtake David as the situation for me was very clear and very normal."
Schumacher, fined with Ferrari last season after the team created worldwide outrage by ordering Rubens Barrichello to let his German team mate win the Austrian Grand Prix, said Coulthard allowed Raikkonen past very easily.
"I am not concerned about team orders. It is totally right in this circumstance what they are doing," he said.
"But what I am complaining about is this completely different attitude if we do it than if somebody else does."
Obvious team orders are now banned but the situation was far from clear-cut at Silverstone this month where the race was thrown into confusion by a protestor running on to the track.
Coulthard said on Wednesday that instructions issued by the team were a private matter while McLaren boss Ron Dennis has denied giving any such orders.


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DOMINIX Deluxe Leather and PVC Cane 24 Inch
Average customer review 4.5 out of 5 stars7 reviews
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Product Description
Stroke like a cat owner, sting like a bee, with DOMINIX's deluxe 24 inch cane. Wrapped in genuine leather and finished with an 8 inch wrist loop, the cane whips up excitement in a snap for a bracing beginning to BDSM play.
Flexible enough for teasing, this sturdy whipping cane is perfect for soothing strokes and awakening thwacks alike. Use the wrist loop for security, or for hanging in your bondage boudoir.
Collect the full DOMINIX range to add a professional standard to your BDSM play.
Key Features:
- Professional standard cane for gentle strokes or flinch-worthy stings
- 24 inches long for a good thwack
- Wrapped in genuine leather
- 8 inch leather wrist loop
- Flexible for teasing and easy wield
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DOMINIX Deluxe Leather and PVC Cane 24 Inch
Excite your lover's senses with the sharp sting of a high-quality cane. Wrapped in genuine leather and finished with an 8 inch wrist loop, the DOMINIX cane fits in perfectly with any bondage collection - whether your play is recreational or professional.
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Customer Reviews
DOMINIX Deluxe Leather and PVC Cane 24 Inch 7 4.5 out of 5 stars
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DOMINIX Deluxe Leather and PVC Cane 24 Inch
RRP: $34.99 You save: $9.99 (29%)
Flexible cane
Reviewed: May 10, 2017 by AwesomeMarriedCoupl, a Straight Married Female
Delivered in standards brown cardboard box with nothing but address label on it.
This is a cane. This is a leather coated PVC cane. This cane can be a tool of pure evil canings or a sensual pressure giver. We have owned 2 canes, a solid flexible one and this.
The leather gives it a little padding, so the cane itself doesn't sting as much as a solid stick would. Another one my wife loves, she much prefers this to our other cane, the sting and thud mix she just loves. Quite frankly I love seeing the lines it leaves across her bum, the bruises it can produce with enough effort.
We'd be upset if this broke!
- Pros
- The way it felt in my hand.
- Cons
- Nowt.
- Bottom line
- Thudding sting!
- 1 person found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes
Oh god, yes
Reviewed: February 9, 2017 by cboy649, a Bisexual Going Steady Male
I bought this as my first proper cane when my other half and I first got into impact play, and I can honestly say that, after having tried multiple different styles of toys from multiple stores, Lovehoney's DOMINIX Deluxe PVC and leather cane is my absolute favourite of them all.
I'm a big fan of the heavy, thudding sort of pain I get when my OH canes me with this - the marks can last for weeks (although I'm alabaster pale usually and an infamously peach-like bruiser), and after even just a few strokes I'm floating on cloud nine.
I couldn't recommend a product more vigorously or wholeheartedly!
- Pros
- Heavy, yummy, and excellent value for money!
- Cons
- Absolutely nothing.
- Bottom line
- Do yourselves a favour and get one!
- Was this review helpful to you? Yes
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Leather covered cane
Reviewed: August 2, 2015 by pitbull88, a Straight Married Male
Got this leather covered cane the day after I ordered it. Great service! Took it out the box and you could smell the leather!
Love the feel of this. Very well made! Always wanted caned, but leather paddles were more my thing, so when I saw a leather cane I had to have it!
Gave myself a few hits on the hand and knew straight away this was going to sting and really leave marks on my ass! And it didn't disappoint! Got free after spanking cream with it but my wife's very cruel! Likes handing out the pain but wouldn't let me use the cream! Just had to deal with the pain. Got caned two hours ago and it still hurts! Love it
- Pros
- The smell, the leather and the look of it.
- Cons
- Nothing not to like.
- Bottom line
- Sexy, kinky and hurts like he'll. Love it.
- 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes
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Kim Kardashian Works Hard To Maintain Her Pregnancy Curves
Posted on Fri Feb 15th, 2013 10:20am PDT By X17 Staff
She never misses a workout!
Kim Kardashian attended her daily workout this morning, and we can't help but notice her ample assets! Pregnancy is causing her chest and hips to get bigger by the day, and it's making her baby bump look nonexistent by comparison!
The reality star and boyfriend Kanye West enjoyed a romantic Valentine's Day meal at Lawry's Steakhouse in Beverly Hills last night, so the brunette beauty was probably eager to work off the extra calories!
Kimmy K's decadent dinner might have also doubled as an early celebration, since former husband Kris Humphries' lawyer Marshall Waller dumped the basketball player as a client hours before a joint court appearance today.
It appears Yeezy's lady love might be granted the divorce she's been hoping for once and for all!
SEE THE GALLERY Kim Kardashian Hits The Gym For A Workout
Stories from around the Web


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Expect some relief on Sam Houston Tollway
Published 5:30 am, Monday, July 16, 2007
After the heat they took over a proposed rate hike on the Westpark Tollway, Harris County Toll Road Authority officials could use some good will from motorists. This news will probably get them some.
The toll plaza on the northbound lanes of the West Sam Houston Tollway at Briar Forest will soon be outfitted with a third EZ Tag lane.
Readers have been wanting that for months, to ease backups at one of the busiest places in the tollway system. But the authority said that would create a hazard a short distance ahead: After breezing through the gateless lanes, the three lanes of traffic would have to squeeze quickly into one to cross the bridge at Buffalo Bayou.
Peter Key, the authority's deputy director, said Friday that the dangerous merge will be avoided by converting the two adjoining lanes, which now handle both EZ Tag and coin-tossing customers, into a single EZ Tag lane.
Despite the loss of a lane, Key said, this should improve traffic flow since most drivers who use the two adjacent lanes were EZ Tag owners anyway.
A final solution is farther down the road when the bridge is widened, starting next summer.
But wait, there's more.
Another chronic backup site, the exit from the eastbound Sam Houston Tollway to northbound Texas 249 frontage road, opened a second lane last week.
"There was a ton of traffic coming off the tollway that wanted to access the frontage road there," Key said. "Now you have both a cash lane and an EZ Tag lane at the exit."
Current studyLast week, a consultant for the Texas Medical Center released a report on stray current escaping into the ground from the Metropolitan Transit Authority 's light rail line.
Although no resulting damage was observed, the report recommended regular monitoring to ensure that no sudden "hot spots" crop up to corrode metal pipes and structures nearby.
The report noted that the current leakage increased sharply when it rained, causing water and debris to pool around the tracks.
It's worth pointing out that there is one segment of the track where this doesn't happen, and — not coincidentally — where stray current isn't a problem.
That is the short segment near Fannin South Station, the end of the line, where the tracks are raised above ground level and set in a bed of rock and gravel called ballast. That arrangement, much the same as on an ordinary freight rail track, greatly improves drainage.
In the rest of the light rail line, the tracks are set flush with the street surface. This is done partly for appearance, but mostly to ensure smooth crossing for vehicles at numerous intersections.
John Sedlak, Metro executive vice president, said Metro will use ballasted track for the part of its future University line on Westpark, where the agency owns a former freight right of way and doesn't have to put rails in the street.
Even when it rains, that track probably won't "leak."
Revisiting a tragedyDale Crawford wrote to ask what was the connection between a crash involving two trains that killed four railroad workers in 1983 and a car-train crash June 14 that killed four teens in an early morning joy ride — except that both happened on or near East Archer Road outside Baytown.
"I think most people would conclude the circumstances surrounding the accidents are in no way similar. In my opinion you tried to create notoriety where there is none," Crawford wrote.
He's right that the two accidents were different. Also, investigators said the car the youths were riding in had been stolen. The railroad workers were just doing their job.
But it seemed an interesting coincidence that another terrible crash had occurred so near the recent one, and that Doug Moyers, whose daughter Loral was killed, remembered the earlier accident well.
And it isn't quite accurate that the crashes were "in no way similar."
Both involved trains that had been stopped on the tracks for quite a while, in an unlit area during early morning darkness.
And both might have been prevented by better lighting and warning signals.


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SPECULATION this week that CGNU, the UK's biggest insurer, is preparing a bid for Perpetual has moved the spotlight onto financial funds.
This type of fund invests in the shares of financial services providers. Enthusiasts argue that is like owning the bookmaker's shop rather than joining the queue of mug punters who place bets there.
However, Lynda Eyton, an analyst with independent financial advisers Bates Investment Services, cautioned: "This year has proved to be a difficult one in the banking sector. There was a nervousness throughout the industry due to the Cruickshank report - the review of UK banking services - the tremendous levels of growth in the technology, media and telecoms sector [TMTs] and the perception of financials as 'old economy, old hat'."
There has also been the emergence of internet banking and greater competition within the sector. Ms Eyton said: "This has resulted in lower share prices and a general fall from grace in the eyes of investors. However, the Cruickshank report wasn't the end of the world - TMTs experienced considerable corrections and, by and large, the industry has responded well to the challenges posed by the new generation of banking."
So which financial funds do the experts like?
Ms Eyton said: "One of the top performing funds in the sector, Jupiter Financial Opportunity, includes in its top 10 holdings Royal Bank of Scotland and CGNU. This fund has returned 184 per cent since its launch in May 1997. HSBC shares also soared this week following speculation that they were in merger talks with Merrill Lynch. Again this has been denied, but points to the likelihood that industry-wide consolidation and mergers are set to continue.
"Another fund which has shown good returns is Framlington's Financial Fund with 154 per cent over five years. This fund not only gives exposure to some of the groups involved in consolidation but also offers excellent geographical diversity with 35 per cent of its holdings in Europe, 30 per cent in the US and 23 per cent in the UK."
Tim Cockerill, of independent financial advisers CCK, said: "I like Framlington's Financial fund and the Jupiter Financial Opportunities Fund, as both groups have a good track record."
Nigel Walker, of Shrewsbury based independent financial advisers Gee & Company, also picked Jupiter's fund. "The manager since launch is Philip Gibbs, previously a highly-rated analyst. The fund is around two-thirds invested in the UK, the remainder being invested overseas.
"It is a concentrated fund, with 50 per cent accounted for by the largest 10 holdings of the portfolio. Performance in its peer group sector [Specialist] is impressive. Of late, it has benefited from its exposure to niche businesses. Additionally, it aims to exploit internet usage, especially in the stockbroking sector.
"This fund is ideal for experienced investors whose sole objective is growth, seeking exposure to a sector displaying genuine long-term growth opportunities - for example, the considerable growth of the long-term savings market due to an ageing population."
Milena Atanassova, of independent financial advisers Rickman Tooze, liked the Edinburgh Financial Fund. Its strategy, she said, "achieves capital growth through investment in worldwide financial stocks."
Ms Atanassova added: "During the past month, the fund has performed well due to the return to favour of the UK clearing banks, with Barclays and the Royal Bank of Scotland being the strongest performers. Both companies are among the top 10 holdings within the fund, with 3.47 per cent and 2.62 per cent respectively. In addition, Barclays's agreed bid for Woolwich and the Royal London bid for Scottish Life confirmed that the consolidation process remains an ongoing trend.
"The fund is ranked 17th out of 37 funds in the specialist sector over one year, 12th over three years, 11th over five years and 12th over 10 years. A £1,000 initial investment would have grown to £1,250, £1,634, £2,435 and £4,795 respectively over the same period of time."


text: I don't want to be the comish, because I have never done that and I work too much so that is open. This thread is just to organize the league. If this one gets full I am sure you will still have plenty of others willing to create another league. 1. Esco 2 RSB 3 Scarecrow 4. XO 5. TE 6. JCB 7. TBaker 8. J Falk 9. Fry 10. Hammer 11. pmar 12. New Horizans


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Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
In 1846, Lily Duggan, a Dublin servant girl, embarks for New York City on a quest for personal freedom. Her journey initiates a family saga connecting the lives of four women with Frederick Douglass's Irish journey in 1845, British aviators Alcock and Brown's 1919 flight from Newfoundland to Ireland, and U.S. Senator George Mitchell's work on the 1998 Belfast Agreement. The lives of Lily and her descendants resonate with shared experiences and an elusive yearning for fulfillment that often expresses itself as a plea for justice. At other times, this desire occupies a vacant existence caused by loss. The story closes with Hannah Carson, Lily's great-granddaughter, nearly forced from the family cottage on Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland, surprised by the tenderness of strangers wishing to create with her something new from her longing for the past. VERDICT McCann's sixth novel (after Let the Great World Spin) is majestic and assures his status as one of the great prose stylists of contemporary fiction as he effortlessly weaves history and fiction into a tapestry depicting all of life's wonders, both ephemeral and foursquare.-John G. Matthews, Washington State Univ. Libs., Pullman (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publishers Weekly
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
In 1919, two British veterans pilot a Vickers Vimy from Newfoundland to Ireland, becoming the first men to fly across the Atlantic, taking "the war out of the plane." In 1845, escaped American slave Frederick Douglass comes to Ireland at the start of the famine on a speaking tour, staying with Irish Quakers and inspiring their maid to seek her future in America. In 1998, decades into the Troubles, American Senator George Mitchell brokers the Good Friday Peace Accords. Darting in, past, and through these stories are generations of women, including the maid's descendants, Irish, American, Canadian, with sons lost to the civil wars of both continents. This is what interests McCann: lives made amid and despite violence; the hidden braids of places, times, and people; the way the old days "arrive back in the oddest ways, suddenly taut, breaking the surface." A beautiful writer, if overly partial to three-word phrases ("Kites of language. Clouds of logic") that can start to call attention to themselves, McCann won the National Book Award for Let the Great World Spin, which also linked disparate stories. This time though, while each story is interesting, the threads between them-especially in the last section, which features the maid's great-granddaughter-aren't pulled taut enough by shared meaning. Agent: Sarah Chalfant, the Wylie Agency. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.
*Starred Review* In 1919, British aviators Alcock and Brown made the first nonstop transatlantic flight, from Newfoundland to Ireland. McCann, in his first novel since the National Book Award-winning Let the Great World Spin (2009), imagines a letter handed to Brown by a young photographer, written by her mother, Emily, a local reporter covering the flight, to be delivered upon their landing to a family in Cork. Years earlier, while on a speaking tour in Ireland with the mission to raise money for the abolitionist movement, Frederick Douglass forms a bond with young Isabel, the daughter of his host family in Cork. Lily, a young servant, emboldened by Douglass' visit, sets out for America, in the hope of a better life. About a century and a half later, former Senate majority leader George Mitchell is coaxed out of retirement to broker talks between the various factions, with the intention of getting a peace agreement by Good Friday. At the tennis club, he meets a woman in her nineties who, years earlier, had lost her grandson to the Troubles. It is Lily and her offspring's stories set across different times and in many different places that ultimately tie everything together, as McCann creates complex, vivid characters (historical and otherwise) while expertly mixing fact and fancy to create this emotionally involving and eminently memorable novel. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Prepub buzz about McCann's latest suggests it will be among the summer's leading literary fiction titles.--Segedin, Ben Copyright 2010 Booklist


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Most of us should already know what ICT is? Information and Communication Technology is everywhere; audio visual systems, telecommunications and computer networks are all forms of ICT.
This term is an expressive way of referring to technology: for example a TV, a cell phone and the internet. No matter how you describe it, they allow us to communicate information about anything, even Agriculture. You just have to find it!!!
I came across this website http://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail?pid=105478 that highlights just what I'm talking about. Its an agricultural talk show on value chains in agribusiness that uses Pod casts or video files. I also found another talk show that came on the form of a blog, at http://www.topsoilcaribbean.com/
Organizations like the Caribbean Farmers Organization (CaFan) are responsible for these outlets but but more can be done to inform possible users of this information throughout the Caribbean. The more open the discussion the easier a solution might be found to what ever agri-related problem that exists in the region.
Check out http://www.caribbeanfarmers.org/ for more info on the podcast. See if you find any other useful agri-ICTs of any kind and share your comments on the blog!


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Nicki found his phone, or the guy helping her did on the trail. So she sent a text to Sharon, saying the marriage was over.How stupid. That would mean he's alive , so Sharon who has gone all stepford wife on us. - is burning the prenup. She cant act at the best of times, this is really dumb. I really liked Y&R at one time.
Now I dont care if I miss a show, or several shows.
What's Victor doing at some port walking around?


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Blue Mesa Escape Cabin Rentals RV sites on Blue Mesa Reservoir.
Our 2016 Season is over, plan for Spring 2017!
Thank you all so much for a great first season. We have learned a lot, made new friends, hit a few bumps and figured out new procedures in the process, but all in all, it has helped us get a handle on our campground, and the direction we want to go. We look forward to serving you in 2017 and beyond! We have a new pricing structure for 2017, and are taking reservations now.
A new website is coming also, so be on the look-out for that. We anticipate being able to accommodate you in the cabins by mid April 2017, and in the RV park when the weather cooperates, but no later than May 1, 2017. Have a great winter, and we look forward to welcoming old and new friends back in 2017! Gina & Larry
Under new Ownership!
Our name has changed, but you will still receive the same great service you have always expected. Larry & Gina cannot wait to welcome you to the clean, cozy cabins, each with a spectacular view of Blue Mesa Reservoir. Or choose to stay in one of our pull-through RV sites with great views of the mountains or reservoir.
Our tent sites are very rustic, just the atmosphere your are looking for after a day of exploring the area. Call us now and book!
(Be sure to visit our photo gallery!)
Located near scenic US Highway 50, just west of Gunnison, between mile marker #132 & #131. Our resort sits atop a bluff that overlooks Colorado's largest body of water, the Blue Mesa Reservoir. Blue Mesa Escape is the perfect recreational destination.
Boating Access is just a mile from Lake Fork marina, boat launch, dock slip rentals and boat rentals.
About 15 miles west of Elk Creek marina, boat launch, dock slip rentals and boat rentals.
Boat Tours Down the Black Canyon of the Gunnison River
We offer modern, comfortable, fully equiped CABINS with beautiful views overlooking Blue Mesa Reservoir.
4 Person Cabin - Queen size bed in the bedroom and full sleeper sofa in living area.
6 Person Cabin - Full bed and bunk beds in the bed room and full sleeper sofa in living area.
Fully furnished: full kitchen with dishes, full bath/shower, a dining and living room with sleeper sofa, and a separate bedroom.
Bed and bath Linens are provided for all of the cabins.
All occupants of the resort have access to the laundry facilities.
Parking for 1 vehicle only, ask if you need additional vehicles accommodated.
No parking in front of the cabins; the roadway must be kept clear.
No tents in the cabin area please. Our cabins are your home away from home.
We have RV sites with beautiful views overlooking Blue Mesa Reservoir. All full hookup sites (water, electric, septic) 30 or 50 amp.
All sites on the main campground are pull-throughs for easy setup, picnic tables for every 2 sites, fire pits at each site (charcoal grills available upon request. first come, first served)
Only RV and 1 additional vehicle allowed per spot. No tents in the RV sites. Please advise us of your needs and we will try and accommodate you!
Primitive Tent Sites located throughout the park, with access to the laundry and bath house. (tenting in designated areas only, first come first served basis)
Free WiFi network is available in the cabins or at the RV sites. You will be able to check email, look at Facebook, and surf the net, but the speed is such that you cannot download movies, stream music, watch YouTube, or sporting events. The whole campground shares the available data; the more you use, the slower it gets. Sometimes it stops for no reason. Thanks for sharing nicely with your fellow campers. Unplug, unwind, relax and enjoy your stay! If you cannot live without internet, we might not be the place to hang out! Most cell phones work up here, but we cannot guarantee reception.
Blue Mesa Escape Cabin Rentals and RV Sites
Call us 8a-8p (after hours, leave a message)
Office Hours: 8 - 11a.m. and 3 - 8 p.m.
Feel free to leave us a message and we will call you back as soon as we are able.
Open May 1 - Oct 31
Check In after 3:07 p.m.
Checkout before 11:07 a.m.
(early check-in, late check-out may be arranged for an additional charge, ask in advance. If you are going to arrive after 8 p.m., please advise us prior to arrival. The office closes at 8 p.m. and we will need to make arrangements for you)
No more than 2 pets per cabin, RV site, or tent. NO EXCEPTIONS!
(Pet Charges apply in the cabins) Pets may NEVER be left inside or outside the cabins alone, or outside your tent or RV without supervision!
Parents are responsible for monitoring their own children. We ask they not be allowed to run about the property unattended. No one under 16 in the game room unless with an adult.
Blue Mesa Sunrise at Blue Mesa Escape Blue Mesa Sunset at Burnin Daylight Ranch Resort Sunset at Blue Mesa Escape Blue Mesa Reservoir - Fall scene from our property Colorado's largest body of water Colorado's Scenic Highway 50 Bridge near Sapinero, CO
Gunnison Chamber of Commerce,
Scenic River Tours,
Sportfish Colorado,
Ice Fishing on Blue Mesa Reservoir,
Blue Mesa Reservoir - Information,
Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Boat Tours Down the Black Canyon of the Gunnison River,
Hiking Along the Rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison Curecanti National Recreation Area,
Hiking in the Cureacanti National Recreation Area, Curecanti Scenic Drives.


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Tights/Leggings are made of a stretchy knit legging fabric to give them a super soft feel and nice warm texture. Accented with a soft ruffle along the bottom edge, they are unique and absolutely adorable!
Size 2T-4T
Height/Weight Recommendations: 33-40 in, 28-38 lbs
- Item #: RLKRD2T-0000(2T-4T)
- Manufacturer: RuffleButts
RuffleButts Red Ruffled Tights/Leggings
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The Robotics Resource Center at WPI is designed to provide support to on-campus and off-campus activities and groups for projects and competitive robotics. The RRC hosts a number of robotics events each year, provides guidance and materials for student projects, and supports the Robotics Engineering major. The staff consists of Ken Stafford, Brad Miller, and Colleen Shaver.
Effectively Using Pneumatics
Average Rating:
Author: Ken Stafford
Pneumatics are used by a large number of FRC teams for a variety of applications. As in all other types of control systems these systems have advantages and disadvantages. This presentation explains the advantages and how best to exploit them.
TAG(S): Mechanical


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The LBS Centre for Science and Technology Thiruvananthapuram, has invited applications for admission to B.Ed, courses in government, aided and self-financing training colleges in the State
Those who have a BA or B.Sc. degree with minimum 50 per cent marks are eligible to apply.
The choice of optional subject for the B.Ed, course should be the same as the one which the student has' selected as the main subject for graduation.
Those who have an M.Com degree with not less than 50 per cent marks are eligible for admission to the B.Ed, course in Commerce.
For the courses in Information Technology and Computer Science, the entry qualification is MCA or M.Sc. Computer Science or Electronics with minimum 50 per cent marks.
Those belonging to the socially and educationally backward communities and other eligible communities (OEC) with annual family income below Rs. 4.5 lakh will be given five per cent concession in marks in the qualifying examination.
Visually challenged applicants will be given a five per cent concession.
Applicants belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes need only a pass mark.
There is no upper age limit.
There is only a single application form for applying online on www.lbscentre.org and www.lbskerala.com.
The application fee is Rs. 500 (Rs.250 for those belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes).
The application fee should be remitted in any of the Federal Bank branches in Kerala using a Challan generated online during the process of submission of the application.
A copy of the prospectus can be obtained from the district-level facilitation centre of the LBS Centre on producing the fee-remitted Challan.
Detailed instructions for submitting the online application are given in the prospectus on the website, clicking the link "Admission to BEd Course 2013."
Applicants should further click the button "New Candidate" and furnish personal details. After the fee remittance, again login as "Fee-remitted candidate" and enter the application and Challan numbers and date of remittance of fee in the bank and click the "Confirm" button.
Then upload a soft copy of a passport-size photograph and the candidate will get a unique registration ID. Further click the "Proceed" button and fill the personal data sheet.
On completion of the process click the "Print" button and take a printout of the completed application.
This should be sent, along with the bank Challan receipt and self-attested copies of certificates, to the Director, LBS Centre for Science and Technology, Nandavanam, Palayam, Thiru-vananthapuram – 695 033 so as to reach there on or before 5 p.m. on 13 Sep, 2013
LBS Centre for Science and Technology,
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala


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This service is offered to members of the VisitKorea website and Facebook through account log-in.
VisitKorea does not guarantee the quality of products or services introduced on its site and is not responsible for any direct or indirect losses resulting from use of said products or services.
Region : Cheongsong-gun Gyeongsangbuk-do
Type : National & Provincial & County Parks
Juwangsan Mountain (720.6m) is located in the Baekdu Mountain range, the backbone of the Korean peninsula. The mountain features deep valleys and many sheer roc...
Region : Cheongsong-gun Gyeongsangbuk-do
Type : Museums
Situated at the entrance to Juwangsan National Park in Cheongsong, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Cheongsong Folk Museum was opened in 1999 to promote the history, culture, ...
Region : Cheongsong-gun Gyeongsangbuk-do
Type : Lakes/ Rivers/ Caves
Jusanji Pond is a small reservoir located in Juwangsan National Park. It is a man-made pond that was dug out in August 1720 and completed in October of the next...
Region : Cheongsong-gun Gyeongsangbuk-do
Type : Waterfalls/ Valleys/ Mineral Springs
Located only 5 minutes from Cheongsong-eup, Dalgi Yaksutang ("yaksu" meaning "medicinal water") is one of the top three "Yaksus" in Korea in terms of water qual...
Region : Cheongsong-gun Gyeongsangbuk-do
Type : Inn/Motel
Located in the pristine region of Cheongsong-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, New Elim Pension greets guests with a cool creek and refreshing forest. Classic to ...


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Hey everybody, John Scott scored again
John Scott (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Hey everybody, John Scott scored again
Sharks enforcer John Scott scored the third goal of his NHL career in October – and Wednesday in Calgary, he matched his entire NHL career output and set a new career high with his second of the campaign. It's not a beautiful goal, but when you're Scott, you take them any way you can.
San Jose Sharks enforcer John Scott scored a goal in October of this season and the hockey world erupted. Why? Well, mainly because the massive tough guy had scored just two goals in his entire NHL career (total games through 2013-14: 236) before the current campaign began. However, after Wednesday's contest against Calgary, he's matched that total and set a new career high with his second of the year.
The Sharks were trailing the Flames 3-0 in Calgary when Scott was the beneficiary of a most fortuitous bounce to the right of Flames goalie Jonas Hiller:
The Sharks wound up losing 3-1 to the Flames, but with two goals and three points in 23 games, Scott is now on pace to finish the year with five goals and seven points in 53 games. And by "on pace to", I mean "absolutely will not": the 32-year-old has never scored more than three goals in a single season, dating back to his days at Michigan Tech.


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6 Things Rich People Need to Stop Saying
Another funny and true article from Cracked:
All of a sudden, it's like you can't make huge amounts of money without people getting all pissed off about it. And it's only going to get worse -- with the election coming up and the weather getting warmer, this whole "Occupy" movement is probably going to come back strong. The 1 percent will feel even more besieged than before.
"What the hell?" you're probably thinking, if you're somehow both rich and reading an article with this title, "I didn't crash the economy!" You might even be tempted to take to a microphone, to defend yourself and your wealthy friends. But before you do, I want you to stop and ask yourself, "Will this make me sound like an out-of-touch douchebag?"
Read more: 6 Things Rich People Need to Stop Saying | Cracked.com http://www.cracked.com/blog/6-things-rich-people-need-to-stop-saying/#ixzz29DV1Hum2
#6. "Well, $500,000 a Year Might Sound Like a Lot, but I'm Hardly Rich."
"The amount that I have to reinvest in my business and feed my family is more like $600,000 ... and so by the time I feed my family, I have maybe $400,000 left over ..."
Pictured here with his poverty.
"It is hard to ask more of households making $250,000 or $300,000 a year. In large parts of the country, that kind of income does not get you a big home or lots of vacations or anything else that is associated with wealth."
What They Think They're Saying:
"Come on, we're all in this together! It's not like I have infinite money."
What We Hear:
"When my family's Aruba vacation went over budget, that was exactly like you being unable to afford medication for your child's excruciating chronic illness!"
"Look at how tiny my yacht is!"
I'm going to try to only quote politicians and pundits and other public figures for this article, but don't take that to mean they're the only people saying this stupid shit. Regular rich folk aren't exactly reluctant to offer this as a defense (here's an article on why it's hard to get by on $500,000 a year in New York, and here's one on why $200,000 a year isn't rich in Toronto), and you can go to the comment section of any article that mentions taxes or welfare or income inequality (including this one!) and hear this same bullshit.
"It's gotten to where I can barely afford my daily cigar rolled in the tanned flesh of a forsaken child."
Hell, you've probably heard it in real life, from a boss or some guy sitting nearby at Starbucks. "I guess I'm considered rich now! Well, if I'm so 'rich,' why am I broke at the end of the month?!?" Uh, I think it's because your mortgage is $3,000 a month, since you live in a fucking palace. And because you took your family on that Disney cruise last summer. And because you pay for your kids' college, so that, unlike us, they won't be crushed under six figures of student loan debt at age 22. And because you eat all the best foods and drink the finest liquids.
Or, as Hamilton Nolan at Gawker put it, "'Sure, it's an objectively large sum of money,' they say. 'But it is far smaller after I spend it.'"
Read more: 6 Things Rich People Need to Stop Saying | Cracked.com http://www.cracked.com/blog/6-things-rich-people-need-to-stop-saying/#ixzz29DVF7Atc
For people who are grinding through overtime just to keep up with their bank's late fees, this induces an urge to storm a gated community with pitchforks and torches and make those people go spend a year in a trailer park or in a city apartment so small that when you flush the toilet, little droplets of piss splatter onto the bed.
But don't get too mad at the rich for saying this -- we shouldn't, as a rule, get as angry at people for being oblivious as we should when they're being intentionally evil. Besides, they can't help it -- that obliviousness is hard-wired, a product of evolution that, really, kind of explains all class tension in the world. The rich, along with all of us, are biologically programmed to not notice their advantages.
"This stuff? I guess I could use it to prop up the table."
This came up a while back in a previous Cracked article. Basically, your brain drains the pleasure from the current things you own and do in order to motivate you to keep hunting and gathering. And I don't care where you are on the economic ladder, you've experienced this yourself.
You remember that scene from Big, where the boy-in-an-adult-body Tom Hanks gets his first paycheck at his shitty data entry job and screams in celebration, "A HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-SEVEN DOLLARS!" When you're a kid begging mom for 10 bucks at a time so you can buy some stickers for your Trapper Keeper (this is still 1984, right?), $200 seems like the kind of money that should come on a huge novelty lottery check. But then just a few years later, you get that first fast food job and watch your paycheck evaporate on just one car payment (the insurance takes the next one).
That leaves just enough extra money for a Netflix subscription and a bowl to cry into.
It is apparently entirely possible to stay in that mindset, ignoring each new asset, right up until you're sleeping on a platinum bed under covers made of fur from a cloned woolly mammoth. If someone tries to offer you a little perspective and remind you of the tremendous advantages you no longer even notice, you'll reply with something like ...
#5. "Hey, I Worked Hard to Get What I Have!"
"I became a self-made millionaire by the age of 30 by working grueling hours, being relentless and risking my own money. My success was earned with blood, sweat and tears."
"I used the tears as hair gel."
"Why, oh why, does the media bolster President Obama's rhetoric by using his term: 'the rich'? Would it not be more appropriate to say 'the successful,' or 'those who work harder?"
-- Letter to the Editor, Feb 21, 2012 Wall Street Journal
What They Think They're Saying:
"I'm not Paris Hilton! I work 70-hour weeks to make this salary!"
What We Hear:
"The only reason I have a hundred times more money than you is because I work a hundred times as hard!"
This will be the entry that prompts many a reader to skip right to the comment section after only reading the entry header ("I'm tired of these hippies saying the rich just got lucky and don't work hard!"). So let's get this out off the way right now, and make them look like assholes for not reading far enough:
Most high-income earners do put in a ton of hours. Bill Gates seemed to never sleep (an employee once said that putting in 81 hours in four days still couldn't keep up with Gates' schedule). So yes, it's unfair that we tend to think that "being rich" means "lounging by the pool while an albino tiger massages our feet with his tongue." So, "Hey, I work hard for what I have!" is perfectly true. It's also insulting.
"You guys just need to work hard in a lucrative field."
Read more: 6 Things Rich People Need to Stop Saying | Cracked.com http://www.cracked.com/blog/6-things-rich-people-need-to-stop-saying/#ixzz29DVPoejk
It's insulting for the exact same reason "Hey, I love my country!" is insulting: It implies that the listener doesn't. Otherwise there'd be no reason to say it.
It implies a bizarre alternate reality where society rewards you purely based on how much effort you exert, rather than according to how well your specific talents fit in with the needs of the marketplace in the particular era and part of the world in which you were born. It implies that the great investment banker makes 10 times more than a great nurse only because the banker works 10 times as hard.
He doesn't.
And he gets pooped on less than half as often.
And even stranger, it implies that money earned is a perfect indicator of a person's value to society -- if you're broke, it must mean you're a loser who contributes nothing to anyone's life. And that's downright bizarre when it comes from the same people who also go on and on about the importance of parenting and family values. Surely they've noticed that being a great stay-at-home parent makes you exactly zero dollars a year.
And volunteering to work at a shelter for battered women? Doesn't pay shit! Diving into a creek to save a toddler from drowning? It pays infinitely less than throwing a touchdown pass during the Super Bowl.
I mean, babies are important, but c'mon ...
So, mister rich person who clearly is not reading this, when we say you're "lucky," we're not saying you're lucky in the way that a lottery winner is lucky. We're saying that you're lucky if you were born in a time and place where the hard work you're good at (say, stock speculation) is valued over the hard work that other people are good at (say, landscaping, or poetry).
You can reply that if some other field paid more, you'd have just simply switched to it and been equally successful, due to your smarts and determination. You know, like how the smart and determined Michael Jordan was equally successful as a basketball player (six titles, $70 million a year) and baseball player (batted .202 in the minors) and team owner (his Charlotte Bobcats are currently 4-28).
Hmm ... wait a second. Man, it's almost like Michael's hard work and determination wouldn't have made him rich if he hadn't happened to have been born in the one place and one time in human history where a man could get rich throwing a rubber ball through a small metal hoop.
On the other hand, that sweater vest makes us think he has potential as the next face of Jell-O.
Now I'm starting to wonder if I would have ever heard of Shaquille O'Neal if he'd skipped basketball to go right into rap. If you think I'm just being mean to athletes, hell, let me use myself as an example. I failed at three different careers before I struck gold with list articles and dong horror. I suck at everything else -- take away the Internet and I'm a 37-year-old man doing data entry in a cubicle instead of promoting a brand new sequel about boner monsters. Or, if you don't believe me, let billionaire investor Warren Buffett tell you: "If you stick me down in the middle of Bangladesh or Peru or someplace, you find out how much this talent is going to produce in the wrong kind of soil ... I work in a market system that happens to reward what I do very well -- disproportionately well."
"And yet I do all my shopping at Goodwill."
So to sum it up: If you make good money, but have to work 80-hour weeks to get it, you're still lucky. Just swallow your pride and fucking acknowledge it.
Read more: 6 Things Rich People Need to Stop Saying | Cracked.com http://www.cracked.com/blog/6-things-rich-people-need-to-stop-saying/#ixzz29DVXTS2o
I won't C&paste the whole article, but it really says what I think a lot of this people in this country are trying to say...and the silly combacks people come up with.
Of course it really should be called "6 things Republicans need to stop saying" because the most ridiculous part of this is when I hear middle class people, even poor people, saying these things. As though they are somehow better than other poor people.
I'm not rich or even close to it and I say waaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh. There is no such thing as personal responsibility anymore.
I wonder why people don't want to be responsible for their situation any more.
lmao you are clueless if you think there are no rich snotty liberals. Ever heard of Hollywood? Ever heard of the Democratic party? You think there aren't rich Democrats? You have lost any credibility.
Quoting stacymomof2:
I won't C&paste the whole article, but it really says what I think a lot of this people in this country are trying to say...and the silly combacks people come up with.
Of course it really should be called "6 things Republicans need to stop saying" because the most ridiculous part of this is when I hear middle class people, even poor people, saying these things. As though they are somehow better than other poor people.
Clueless, huh? lol who pissed in YOUR cheerios. I never said there weren't any rich, snobby Dems, furthermore I never said, and the article never said, that ALL rich people or ALL republicans are "snotty rich people." You see, if you read the article, it doesn't say anything against "rich" people as a general rule, what it does, however, is point out why certain arguments (which I hear ALL THE TIME) are invalid.
If you don't want to read the article, fine, but saying I lost any credibility based on me saying something I never even said is ridiculous.
Quoting Ireallydontcare:
lmao you are clueless if you think there are no rich snotty liberals. Ever heard of Hollywood? Ever heard of the Democratic party? You think there aren't rich Democrats? You have lost any credibility.Quoting stacymomof2:
I won't C&paste the whole article, but it really says what I think a lot of this people in this country are trying to say...and the silly combacks people come up with.
Of course it really should be called "6 things Republicans need to stop saying" because the most ridiculous part of this is when I hear middle class people, even poor people, saying these things. As though they are somehow better than other poor people.
Do you? That's nice. However this article is not discussing personal responsibility, it is discussing the flaws in the "6 things" being used as arguments as to WHY some people are poor.
There is several paragraphs talking about and naming rich people who work ridiculous hours. I guess you didn't read it.
Quoting Claire-Huxtable:
I wonder why people don't want to be responsible for their situation any more.