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It's not a foregone conclusion, but, if all goes right for stock investors, the Dow Jones industrial average could surpass the 10,000 mark soon.
On Oct. 12, the 30-stock blue chip benchmark rose 21 points, to 9,885, putting the widely watched index within a strong day's rally of the big round number that seems to preoccupy many investors. (At one point in the session the Dow stood just 68 points away.)
The 10,000 milestone is likely to garner big headlines. It would remind average investors that equities have achieved big gains since the market lows of seven months ago.
Wall Street veterans, however, are likely to greet the Dow's achievement with a collective yawn. "To me, it means nothing," says Dave Rovelli, managing director of equity trading at Canaccord Adams.
Traders, strategists, and portfolio managers all but ignore the Dow in favor of other indexes. Unlike the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index, which serves as the basis for a bevy of mutual funds and exchange-traded funds, very few investments are based on the Dow.
One reason is that the Dow is small and unrepresentative: While the S&P 500 consists of 500 companies from all segments of the U.S. economy, making it an appealing proxy for the broader stock market, the Dow features just 30 stocks, all very large corporations.
The last year has demonstrated the oddities of the Dow. The blue chip index has significantly lagged other measures of the stock market.
The Dow did slightly better than other indexes during the market turbulence of 2008 and early 2009, but it has fallen far behind during the market's recovery. If the Dow had performed as well as the S&P 500 in 2009, it would already be approaching the 10,500 level.
A key feature of the stock market's recovery since March has been its favoring of smaller, riskier companies. Since the lows in March, the Dow is up about 50 percent, but the S&P 500 is up 58 percent. Meanwhile, the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index has advanced 66 percent, and the small-cap Russell 2000 index has jumped more than 75 percent.
If the Dow had performed as well as the small stocks in the Nasdaq and Russell 2000 this year, it would be above 11,000 by now.
"What you've seen this year has not been atypical of what you get when the economy transitions from recession to recovery," says Keith Goddard, manager of the Capital Advisors Growth Fund. The highest quality stocks lag, he says. In terms of share-price performance, huge, well-respected companies like Wal-Mart and Procter & Gamble — both Dow components — fell behind small firms that several months ago looked to be "on the brink of bankruptcy."
There are some on Wall Street who believe investors' enthusiasm for riskier, lower quality stocks could be waning, particularly after the eye-popping gains of the last seven months.
In recent weeks, according to Mike O'Rourke, chief market strategist at brokerage BTIG, the market has gone back and forth between favoring big, defensive names and buying riskier stocks. On any given day, "the shifts between the two groups can be pretty pronounced," O'Rourke says. Either way, broad indexes have tended to move higher, showing that investors have cash they want to put to work, he says.
The Dow's concentration on large-cap companies hasn't been its only disadvantage in 2009. In fact, it's an oversimplification to claim the Dow's components are safe just because they're big. AIG, Citigroup, and General Motors were all members of the Dow — until they lost their membership after running into unprecedented problems requiring government help. Beleaguered financial giant Bank of America remains part of the index. "The companies that needed exceptional assistance from the government were all Dow components," O'Rourke notes.
The Dow also has suffered from the lack of technology stocks among its members. There are some tech stocks in the Dow's mix — like Cisco Systems and Microsoft — but generally technology is underrepresented in the index. This is a disadvantage, notes independent market strategist Doug Peta, because tech has been a top performer during both the market's slide and its rebound. With its low debt, strong balance sheets, and growth potential, "tech has worked in all weathers this year," Peta says.
Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Avalon Partners, believes better-than-expected earnings news could push the Dow over 10,000 "sometime this week." But, he notes, "we're still far away from the market's highs."
Another tech component of the Dow, Intel, reports earnings Oct. 13. Good results from the semiconductor giant could add to the case for tech stocks. Other Dow members reporting results later this week include JPMorgan Chase on Oct. 14 and IBM on Oct. 15.
Rovelli believes the market might not have an easy time topping 10,000, though better-than-expected bank earnings could do the trick. Even if stocks continue to rally, he warns the Dow may not stay above 10,000 for long. Investors are much too optimistic about prospects in 2010, he says. "We're getting way ahead of ourselves."
Whether the Dow breaches 10,000 or not, it's important to take a long-term perspective on the milestone. Investors have been here a few times before: The first time the Dow Jones industrial average traded above 10,000 was Mar. 12, 1999.
The blue chip average may finally regain that level in the days and weeks ahead. Of course, whether the Dow can recapture its all-time closing high of 14,164.53 — achieved a mere two years ago — is quite another matter.
Copyright © 2012 Bloomberg L.P.All rights reserved.


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Oh man this is funny. I got the screenshot I was hoping it was(nearly):
I managed to fireball an Illusion in a way, that the fireball itself didnt kill the target, but the retaliation triggered the mana shield and that killed the illusion...
But wait, theres more!
The illusion hit me with half its attack points which was EXACTLY the amount of HP, my essence transit gave me back for casting 6 mana... so it looked like it did not retaliate, but it did. Then the weakening occured and everything is fine^^

subset: commoncrawl


text: Kutupalong is fast becoming the biggest refugee camp in the world. Improved site management and infrastructure support is critical ahead of the monsoon season when rains and landslides pose a risk. WFP is supporting the engineering and site management operations of the "mega camp" by bringing in additional engineers, supporting road construction, and monsoon preparedness. WFP provides micronutrient-fortified biscuits when people first arrive; then after registration, we conduct regular distributions of rice, vegetable oil and lentils; hot meals through community kitchens; and nutritious porridge for pregnant women, breast-feeding mothers and children under five years old.


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Love bloomed at the Laguna Nursery's Valentine's Day Cabaret on Saturday night.
Performers crooned and warbled songs of love found, love lost, love on the rebound and cupboard love, all accompanied by pianist Saif. His grand piano was set on the main floor against a backdrop of plants, antiques and those pink and red metal garden decorations featured at the nursery.
"Anyone who wants to hear about something else will have to come another night," Saif said.
He warmed up the audience with "Making Whoopie," followed by Kathi Gillmore, who hopped on the piano in true chanteuse style to sing her first number before joining Saif in a duet.
Disneyland performer Bill Ledesma was next at the microphone. He previously worked with Saif at dinner shows, so he was right at home at the Cabaret, where folks ate, drank and in some cases chatted during the performances.
Ledesma sang "My Funny Valentine," the holiday's quintessential tune from the 1937 Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart musical "Babes in Arms."
Rufino Cabang, scion of the clan that owned the Royal Hawaiian for more than 50 years, sang "All I Ask of You" with a twist.
A veteran of "Lagunatics," Cabang got the hang of parodies: Forget the bouquets and boxes of chocolates, diamonds, a Rolex and Italian loafers was his version of "All I Ask of You."
That may not have been exactly what Cabaret regular Mary Ferguson had in mind when she requested a song from Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Les Miserables."
Cabang also had some fun with "Love was Made for You and Me" and "Someone to Watch Over Me" — preferably someone with lots of money.
Ed Ramirez sang a duet with Saif, his partner for 14 years.
"And what could be more romantic than Frank Sinatra?" Saif asked. So Ramirez sang "Strangers in the Night."
Diana Morris made her first appearance at the nursery's cabarets. She sang that saddest of all love songs: "The Way We Were," from the movie of the same name that starred Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford as two people who loved each other but could not live together.
Gillmore came back to the microphone to perform "Angel of the Morning," which has hit the charts for several singers, including Olivia Newton-John and Dusty Springfield, as well as the Pretenders.
Singer Nelson Coates, a member of the Laguna College of Art & Design board of trustees, introduced his good friends Virginia and Hugh O'Brian, star of the television series "Wyatt Earp."
"He used his fame to do something that really makes a difference," Coates said.
Coates met O'Brian when he was 16 and attending a development program with Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership, a nonprofit known as HOBY, founded in 1958. More than 10,000 high school sophomores annually attend more than 70 programs presented each year in 50 states and 20 countries. Since its inception, more than 355,000 young people have participated.
The program was inspired by O'Brian's nine-day visit with Dr. Albert Schweitzer. It is based on individual potential and the choices made to realize that potential.
O'Brian, now 83, watched the Cabaret wearing a skullcap and clothing that made his wheelchair look like King Lear's throne.
"Thank you," O'Brian said of the recognition. "Send money."
Guests were greeted at the Cabaret with chocolate martinis or wine and trays of cheese, crackers and fruit.
Sally Coffey wrote the name of each guest on their glass with a nifty pen made for just that purpose — and saved a ton of dishwashing by caterer Naya Johnson.
Nursery bookkeeper Chrissy Black organized the food but had another commitment that night so she missed out on the stuffed mushrooms, wonton cups filled chicken salad, jalapeno corncakes, mini shrimp tostadas, lemon bars and cherry-topped cheese tartlets.
Nursery owner Ruben Flores — and could he have a more appropriate name — presented a white rose to the females in the audience.
The crowd was the largest ever for the cabarets that have been held since Flores bought Laguna Nursery, once known to insiders as "Pete's Place," named for long-time owner Takahashi "Pete" Kawaratani.
Among the ladies: Sande Schwarzstein, Theresa Billings, Melinda Masson and Mayor Pro Tem Elizabeth Pearson, who brought 15 people to the cabaret, including Dr. Dan Hasbert, Jerry Curtain, John Gustafson and Jim Moore.
A landscape designer, Flores bought the nursery a couple of years ago. A fixture on South Coast Highway in Laguna Beach, the 1 1/2 -acre retail operation was slated to be replaced with commercial storage units when Flores bought the business and brought back its original name.
It is filled with decorator items for inside and outside homes. Flores brings in pieces he uncovers on his landscaping forays in Europe and Asia.
Flores, the president of the Beautification Council, was instrumental in organizing the South Laguna Community Garden and is active in raising funds for the gardeners to buy the land they have tilled for three years.
He also conducts Sunday morning walking tours.
For more information, visit the nursery at 1370 S. Coast Hwy. or http://www.lagunanursery.net or call (949) 494-5200.
OUR LAGUNA is a regular feature of the Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot. Contributions are welcomed. Call (714) 966-4618 or email email@example.com with Attn. Barbara Diamond in the subject line.


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Maple Banana Lotus Biscoff Bites
Pancakes are not only for breakfast! Liven up your next party when you serve these bite sized banana pancakes topped with Biscoff spread. Combined with the sweet, creamy Biscoff Spread and sliced bananas, these mini pancakes are transformed into bite-sized desserts that will surely please a hungry crowd.
- Mix Lotus Biscoff Cookie Butter, syrup, butter and lemon juice together, set aside.
- Make small pancakes according to instructions, using ½ teaspoon of batter per pancake, cook each until golden brown. Cool pancakes.
- Slice bananas into 1/4 inch slices.
- Top each pancake with Lotus Biscoff maple spread, then add a slice of banana.
- Top each banana with a decorative bit of Lotus Biscoff maple spread from a piping bag or small plastic bag with corner cut out. Enjoy!


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So what you're saying is that we could already have plumbing robots if more people elected to set up their plumbing in a standard way
I am not sure sure about that. Even in car assembly, the robots do only some types of jobs. The more plumbing-like aspects (installing equipment and the wiring and tubing between them) involve a lot of workers. And that's in large scale mass production, with the associated possibilities for capital investment, standardisation, optimization. Home construction is already a very different business, and plumbing in existing buildings is yet another step removed from that ideal environment for robots.
I suppose it's technically possible to build a demo-house for robotised plumbing, at huge cost and quite some inconvenience. The history of automation has a lot of such demos, most of which never turn into a solid business case. I bet there's already something like this, somewhere in Japan.


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First up, a little something to pack in those cookie care packages to ship to family and friends around the country.
Shortbreads are perfect for the holiday cookie package. Crisp and sandy, they can handle a few days in transit without losing their delicious buttery flavor. While, honestly, I've never been the biggest fan of shortbread (I like my cookies soft and chewy), I have to say I've eaten a shameful amount of these. And I'm well on my way to being a shortbread convert too (along with apple pie and baked fruit. This is apparently the year of changing my mind about food!) Flecked with vanilla bean seeds and kissed with just a hint of lemon, they're the perfect bite-sized treat. If I can tear myself away from nibbling them as is, I might even dip the rest in chocolate for an even more irresistible treat.
Adapted from Bake! by Nick Malgieri
Makes about 2 1/2 to 3 dozen 1-½ inch cookies
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
½ vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
1. Preheat oven to 325F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter, sugar, lemon zest, and salt. Add scraped vanilla beans and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
3. Remove bowl from mixer and, with a rubber spatula, fold in flour by hand.
4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and pat into a large rectangle. Divide the dough in half. Working with a half at a time, gently roll the dough out to ¼-inch thickness. Use a 1 ½-inch cookie cutter to cut out shapes, placing them on prepared baking sheets 1 inch apart.
5. Gather the scraps and reroll with other half of the dough, repeating until all dough has been used.
6. Bake cookies, rotating pans halfway through, until edges just begin to brown, about 14 to 15 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.


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It's the country life for me, says Catherine Smith, after experiencing the beauty of bush country during a leisurely trip by houseboat.
You do expect an Aussie - especially one in the bush - to be able to tell a good yarn. Sort of comes with the territory along with the laconic style and dry wit.
So it is with some disappointment that a group of us, intrepid journalists all, fail to extract from the handsome fella at the Young Husband general store, how his bustling burg (population: 300) came by its moniker. Spinster daughters of some wealthy sheep-station attracting a fortune-hunting larrikin from the city? Cougar widow enticing some hapless lad?
"Well, quite a few blokes around here do have older wives, me included," our less-than-garrulous shopkeeper allowed, before serving us our mid-morning beers.
Well it was Oz, and, like I said, it was the bush.
We were on only day two of our houseboat tour up the Murray River with the modestly, but as it turned out aptly, named Unforgettable Houseboats.
Even our friendly host, Mark Flanagan - who has been running the fleet of luxury houseboats with his partner, Lee-Anne, since the early 90s - reckoned he wasn't sure about the origins of the village's name. But there was pretty much nothing else about this stretch of the mighty Murray River and its environs that Mark didn't know.
A fifth-generation South Australian ("that's about as far back as you can go"), Mark is one of those salt-of-the earth country types from central casting. When we'd arrived at houseboat HQ, in the bigger burg of Mannum (at a couple of thousand souls, it's one of the bigger towns in this sparsely populated state), he'd calmly shown us how to start, drive and park our floating hotel. Piece of cake.
We'd first paused to admire the fridge packed by Angie and rued the stop we'd made at the Adelaide Markets en route from the airport to Mannum to pick up a snack or two, just in case.
Angie had clearly misread our party's size as 16 not six and stocked accordingly: beautifully marinaded meat, gourmet South Australian cheeses, and pantry basics sufficient for a small army. The jam, made by one of the houseboat crew from the local bush tucker - muntrie berries - was a huge hit. Local food doesn't get more local than this.
Mark had also left us nets, bait and lines to catch our own river food, after assuring us that the bait (huge bones of some sort) would not attract crocodiles. South Australia does not have crocs, he promised.
He also assured us - as did every South Australian we met all week - that SA did not, originally, have crims. It was the first free state on the newly settled continent, not a penal colony like those of the ruffians further east.
Mannum was one of the first towns to introduce river paddleboating in the 1850s - there was no bridge over the Murray until 1869 (at, no surprises, the new town of Murray Bridge) - bringing wool from the central stations to be carried to Adelaide.
But since it was first mapped by explorers in the late 1820s, access to and preservation of the river's water has become a pressing issue. The countryside we saw on the nearly 40km we covered in our three-night cruise just hinted at the harshness of the landscape without the Murray's water.
Today, the restored Murray Princess, a stern-wheel paddle boat, cruises the river creating plenty of photo-ops for the houseboaters, and Mannum is now the centre of the river tourism industry.
As well as houseboating, there are clusters of "shacks" on the river banks (think more of old Pauanui beach house than Omaha mansion) and we even spotted a few old houseboats, more down-at-heel than our glamour vessel.
Tiny general store burgs like Young Husband and Bowhill swell to thousands over the summer. For those who don't care for jetsking or waterskiing there are simple campsites with docks for a spot of fishing and contemplation.
Manoeuvring our cottage-on-catamarans for the first time wasn't quite as easy as Mark had demonstrated, but eventually we settled on a couple of ace drivers in our group while the rest of us were the deckhands - scrambling to secure the houseboat to the trees with our best scouting knots.
Poor drivers, like me, tend to sway about the river like a shopping cart. There is a strict etiquette about passing, tooting and turning, and we all gave way to the small car ferries that keep communities connected. Progress was leisurely - top speed is seven knots - so there was plenty of time to take in the classic bush landscape.
Although the red-layered cliffs were just as lovely as the brochures had promised, it was the wetlands and huge stands of eucalyptus bush that were eye-catching. One stop offered us an obliging pair of kookaburras (disappointingly, they did not laugh as that song promised), at another we passed an excited group of children who had caught a brown snake.
One early morning we spied a scoop of handsome pelicans gathered on the beach, and there were plenty of hawks about. But while the promised dusk showings of wombats or kangaroos didn't eventuate, we did scoop out a couple of river crayfish but the shrimps and fish we threw back, forewarned of their muddy taste.
The routine was idyllic: eat, cruise to another quiet beach, eat some more, untie and cruise on until evening for more food, toasts to the good life, then bed. Small expeditions to shore gave a taste of that huge outdoors the Aussies call bush. Sunsets on the still wide river were spectacularly red, sunrises misty and silver.
Australian countryside is the life for me. If only I could come up with a fitting yarn to explain those enticing names.
Houseboating: Unforgettable Houseboats is based at Mannum, South Australia, 5238. Phone +61 8569 2559. Low season (June 1 to August 31) houseboat hire starts from A$1700 for three-night weekenders on the basic eight-berth, through to A$3450 for the luxury 12-berth. In the high season (December 22 to January 31) prices range from A$2390 to A$4350.
You can contact the Floating Gourmet Shopping service by emailing email@example.com or phone +61 8 8396 6907.
Further information: See southaustralia.com.
Catherine Smith travelled courtesy of the South Australian Tourism Commission.
Getting There
Fly there with Air New Zealand Book now
Find out more at Australia.com


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Inspired by "Reach for the Stars" from designer Laurie Simpson
Quiltmaker: Laura Boehnke
Fabric letter designations are listed for ease in cutting and piecing the Lone Star.
1/3 yard red star print (middle border, fabric A for Lone Star)
1/4 yard blue print (fabric B for Lone Star)
1/4 yard cream print (fabric C for Lone Star)
1/3 yard navy-and-gold print (fabric D for Lone Star)
1/2 yard gold print (inner border, fabric E for Lone Star)
1/4 yard red print (fabric F for Lone Star)
1/8 yard paisley print (fabric G for Lone Star)
1/2 yard blue star print (LeMoyne Star blocks)
5/8 yard red-and-cream print (LeMoyne Star blocks)
7/8 yard navy blue print (outer border, binding)
1-3/8 yards backing fabric
49" square batting
Spray starch (optional)
Finished quilt: 43" square
Finished corner block: 10" square
Quantities are for 44/45"-wide, 100% cotton fabrics. Measurements include 1/4" seam allowances. Sew with right sides together unless otherwise stated.


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We've made it easy for you
Are you ready to speak Slovene with ease and confidence?
Save money now! Check out our Fluent-In-Slovene Special Offer!
Are you ready to speak Slovene with ease and confidence?
Save money now! Check out our Fluent-In-Slovene Special Offer!
This website is designed to provide you with the specific information that you require. These instant-scroll links will get you straight to where you want to go. Simply click on an instant-scroll link for information on:
If you would like information on all of the above, simply scroll down this page. We warmly invite you to take your time and continue reading until you are ready to check out our current special offer. Our website has no pop-ups or flickering messages, just relevant content. Enjoy!
This user-friendly course has more than 1300 essential words that have been arranged according to their importance, as well as 42 dialog texts. These scenario-based dialog texts thoroughly prepare you for real-life conversations and situations.
With our Slovene Basic Course you will achieve Levels A1+A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. With our modern learning methods your ability to speak Slovene will increase at a rapid rate. This logical course will be of immediate practical benefit to you. You will soon be able to have a basic conversation with a Slovene speaker.
The basics of a language are very important. Even when you discuss complex subjects in your mother-tongue, you still use the most basic words in every sentence. If you were building a house, you wouldn't want to build the walls unless you were absolutely sure that the foundation was solid. The Slovene Basic Course will ensure that you have a solid foundation, which is vital to language proficiency, and will prepare you for handling everyday situations in your new language with ease.
This course is tailored to you. You can explore what you are interested in by taking the course in your preferred order. This ensures you learn precisely what you need to learn, precisely when you need to learn it. The content is relevant to your life and the learning experience is personalized. You will have a wide-ranging Slovene vocabulary at your disposal, enabling you to build informative sentences. You will master all of the most essential Slovene words and phrases, allowing you to thoroughly understand these diverse topics:
Meeting and greeting – Polite phrases – Numbers – Objects – Time – A stay at a hotel – The most important verbs, nouns and pronouns – Fruit – Vegetables – Groceries – Types of transportation – Organizing tickets – Road trip – At a petrol / gas station – Making purchases – Airports – Asking for directions – Sightseeing – Visiting a museum – Money – Restaurants and menus – Tools – Weather forecast – Common adjectives – Days of the week, months and seasons – Sports – Shopping – Cooking – Organizing day trips – Household items – Family – Children – Countries – Crime – Clothes and fashion – Interior decoration – Telephone conversations – Diseases – Accidents – The human body – Injuries – At a pharmacy / chemist – Animals – Schools and Universities – Entertainment – Making new friends – Cinema – Writing emails / letters – Ordering online – Arts and Crafts – and lots more!
All of the 1300 words, as well as all of the sentences in the 42 dialog texts, were recorded in a professional studio with Slovene mother-tongue speakers. You'll learn Slovene as it is actually spoken in Slovenia. You can read and listen to all of the words / phrases / sentences in Slovene, as often as you wish. You will learn correct Slovene pronunciation from the very beginning and will soon be able to pronounce everything perfectly, which is easier than most people imagine it to be thanks to our science-backed learning methods. You will develop clear insight into the unique intricacies of Slovene, as quickly and effortlessly as possible.
Join our two main characters in 42 different dialog texts concerning a vacation and everyday life. These interesting situations and conversations will teach you Slovene words, phrases, colloquial expressions and sentences that will be of immediate benefit. You will learn practical Slovene that is used in real-world conversations and situations.
Our two main characters meet each other on vacation. To their surprise they discover that they are both from the same city. As they are staying in the same hotel, they agree to meet for breakfast and then for dinner. (You'll learn how to discuss the various options listed on a menu. It's important not to order the "fish that has no gender" when you actually want to order the chicken ;-)
Our two protagonists decide to explore the town together. They are unsure of the way and ask someone for directions. After some interesting sightseeing, they take a break in a quaint cafe. They hear a weather forecast and decide to continue their trip by train. Buying the tickets becomes a memorable experience. They become friends and agree to see each other after the vacation.
After returning home they decide to cook a meal together, but because both of their fridges are empty they go grocery shopping armed with a long shopping list.
They also go to the cinema, shop for new clothes, go to the gym and take a weekend trip together.
A friend invites them to a party, but on the way there they get delayed. There's been an accident...
These, as well as many other interesting situations and conversations will teach you the essential basics of the Slovene language. You will listen to Slovene mother-tongue speakers, so you will develop accurate pronunciation and intonation. By reviewing known vocabulary in another context you will develop a 'feel' for the Slovene language.
The Slovene Basic Course thoroughly prepares you for everyday communication. Just like our two main characters, you will be able to handle typical conversations and situations in Slovene with ease because you will have mastered the essential basics of the language!
Are you ready to speak Slovene with ease and confidence?
Save money now! Check out our Fluent-In-Slovene Special Offer!
In 2002 we integrated the Long-Term Memory Learning Method into our language courses. Several other companies have subsequently come up with their own variation. However, our unique method is based on the exact discoveries of world-renowned memory experts.
No, they usually offer access for a limited time - either a month or a year at an additional cost. We believe our business model is more fair. We provide lifetime access to the entire range of purchased courses for a one-off fee. You won't ever spend another cent and this is handled for life. You have complete personal flexibility, so you can take / retake your courses whenever it suits you at any time in the future. You can also pass all of your courses on to your family and friends. All future upgrades and improvements are free. The courses will certainly make beneficial gifts one day. You will make some fortunate people very happy with the gift of a foreign language education.
If you were to pass the competition's courses on to your friends and family you could be subjected to legal action. We feel that is unfair because if you were to buy language course books you can pass them on to your friends and family, so why should digital language courses be any different?
This is simple. No other language course company in the world offers an equivalent set of courses for our low price of $97.
With our unprecedented special offer, our complete package of five courses per language is currently available for only $97 (instead of the regular price of $247 : for widely-spoken languages that have five courses available). Compared to companies that also charge a one-off fee for their courses (for example Pimsleur charges $575) our special offer price is up to 83% lower than their price.
Now let's compare our price with companies that charge for access to their courses for a limited time. One of the largest language course companies in the world charges $497 for access to their courses for one year. Kindly note that their price of $497 only includes access to two courses, their basic course and their advanced course. Our complete package of five courses is currently available for only $97. Our price is a mere 20% of their price. So their price is five times higher, for fewer courses, as well as limited access. Our price is five times lower, for more courses, as well as unlimited access.
Another main competitor charges $97 for access to one course for one year. Our five courses are currently available for the same price but, as you know, we don't limit access to one year. Furthermore, we provide you with more than twice as many foreign language words as our competitors which equates to far better value-for-money!
All future upgrades and improvements to our courses are yours at no additional cost. If you decide at any time in the future that you would like to take your language courses again, or pass them all on to your friends and family as a beneficial gift, we won't charge you a cent. The competition would charge you another $97 or another $497 for another year's access. As an example, after ten year's access our courses still only cost the one-off fee of $97 which is $9,70 per year or $0,80 per month. Ten year's access to the competition's courses would cost either $970 or $4970. That is the advantage of a one-off fee: the price is locked in and cannot increase, but the value-for-money increases every month for life.
The ability to speak another language is a skill that you will continuously benefit from for life, therefore the price structure of language courses should also be viewed in the long-term. Our one-off fee ends up costing a matter of cents per month. The fee our competitors charge, either per month or annually, could end up costing their customers hundreds or thousands of dollars. We believe our prices are fair and our 600 000 satisfied customers agree. If you want an intuitive and complete learning experience at a fraction of the competition's prices, our courses will meet all of your needs.
No, they usually offer between 4 and 7 methods. Our learning methods are empirically proven to accelerate progress with minimal effort. We provide the tools you need to work smarter, not harder. In the shortest time possible you will be able to chat with mother-tongue speakers of your new language, without any adjustments to your schedule or location being necessary.
Our main competitors offer an approximate total of 2000 to 3000 foreign language words with their courses. Your vocabulary will be twice as extensive with our courses, at a price that is up to 83% lower. You will learn a lot more and spend a lot less.
That question is clearly answered by the answers to the questions above. It would be difficult to argue that any other language course company in the world is offering you more value-for-money. Even our competitors would have to admit that we provide our customers with excellent value-for-money.
We find it interesting that so many language course companies, ranging in size from small to large, make no mention of their course designer's qualifications. Did they just decide that they were qualified to teach foreign languages? If they have university degrees in Language Science, as our course designers do, then surely they would want their potential customers to know that and would mention it on their websites?
We can't comment on that particular aspect of the competition's products, but our innovative techniques are proven to sustain motivation. Almost all of our customers complete their courses.
Only a few.
The last thing anyone wants to do is waste money on inferior products that don't achieve desired results. There are many substandard language course companies in the global marketplace, but there are only a few other companies that we would regard as healthy competition. Our multimedia courses are superior to, or as effective as, the language courses offered by the largest companies in the world; yet our price is up to 83% lower.
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Thursday 8th November 2012
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New Zealand's 13-year high unemployment rate has opened the door for the Reserve Bank to cut interest rates to help underpin growth in an economy recovering from the deepest recession in two decades.
The household labour force survey today showed the unemployment rate unexpectedly rose half a percentage point to 7.3 percent in the September quarter. Economists surveyed by Reuters were picking the headline rate to ease to 6.7 percent from 6.8 percent.
Markets are giving central bank governor Graeme Wheeler a 22 percent chance of cutting the official cash rate at the December monetary policy statement, according to the Overnight Index Swap curve, up from 12 percent yesterday. The New Zealand dollar dropped to 81.93 US cents after the employment data, from 82.56 cents immediately before as the prospects for a rate cut grew
"There's definitely a message in the HLFS - the economy is not doing as well as people thought," said Darren Gibbs, chief economist at Deutsche Bank. "Rates are certainly not restrictive and may be stimulatory, but are they stimulatory enough?"
The Reserve Bank has kept the benchmark rate at 2.5 percent since cutting half a percentage point to shore up confidence after last year's February earthquake in Canterbury levelled much of the country's second-biggest city.
Former governor Alan Bollard had indicated he would lift the rate later that year, but shelved those plans after Europe's sovereign debt crisis intensified, stoking fears of another global financial meltdown.
The HLFS has shown rising unemployment for the past three quarters. The number of people employed fell 0.4 percent to 2.22 million in the second quarterly decline, while the participation rate was unchanged at 68.4 percent.
New Zealand's labour market has been struggling to recover from recession, with employers more keen on taking on part-timers and casual staff than hiring permanent full-time workers.
Just today, Dynamic Solutions of Christchurch said it will shed 40-60 jobs as it winds down its contract manufacturing business. That comes two days after Auckland manufacturer Rakon said it would cut up to 60 jobs as it shifts more work overseas.
Auckland's unemployment rate rose 1.3 percentage points to 8.6 percent, with the number of people employed in New Zealand's biggest city at 691,200, the fewest since June last year.
Nationally, full-time employment shrank 0.8 percent to 1.7 million while part-timers rose 1.4 percent to 519,000.
The number of jobless, which includes people who might not be actively seeking work, rose to 294,900 from 271,200, while underemployment, which counts people who are part-time but want to work more hours, rose to 113,300 from 109,500.
Workers in professional, scientific, technical, administrative and support services recorded the biggest decline in jobs, falling to 249,400 from 259,300 in the June quarter, while manufacturing shed 6,100 jobs to 240,400. The number of people working in construction fell to 166,600 from 171,300.
Total hours worked shrank 0.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted 73.18 million and were down 2 percent from a year earlier.
Youths aged 15 to 24 not in employment, education or training (NEET), a target demographic for the government, rose to 13.4 percent from 13.1 percent in the June quarter.
Canterbury's labour market continued to improve, with the unemployment rate down 5.2 percent, from 6.5 percent in the June quarter. Waikato and the Tasman, Nelson, Marlborough, West Coast regions were the only other areas to show a lower jobless rate.
Northland recorded the highest unemployment rate at 10 percent.
Today's figures come after the quarterly employment survey showed total filled jobs rose 0.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted 1.715 million, bolstered by a pick-up in part-time workers and a decline in full-time equivalents to 1.35 million.
Gibbs said the difference between the two surveys could be squared up, as the QES doesn't include self-employed people, while the HLFS does. The number of self-employed people dropped 8.1 percent in the year ended Sept. 30.
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Following up on this morning's news of SimCity coming to Origin for the Mac in February, the Origin client proper is coming to the Mac as well, giving Apple gamers a taste of the fresh new features coming to EA's online service.
EA's Peter Moore took the stage at the company's Gamescom press conference in Germany to upcoming additions to the Origin service, mainly socia and accessibility features aimed at bringing the experience more in line with that users of Steam are used to.
Here's a bit more, from EA's Twitter account:
Mac gamers have been able to purchase games through the Origin website, but haven't been able to use the download manager's extended features without resorting to trickery. There's no eta currently for the platform's Mac launch, but it's nice to know it's coming, right?


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Historical crime fiction is my jam — well one of them — and while I mostly read books set later in history, I have a soft spot for books with a Roman setting. Ruth Downie's Medicus series featuring Gaius Ruso is one that I wasn't familiar with, but given that Vita Brevis is the seventh book in the series, I've got some catching up to look forward to. Today, I'm happy to be part of the Vita Brevis blog tour with an interview with Ruth and a giveaway for a copy of the book. I hope you enjoy Ruth's answers as much as I did and do check out the other stops on the blog tour. Read More …
Tag: Bloomsbury
Anticipated Books (Summer-Autumn) 2015: Historical Fiction October-December
Welcome to another post in my Anticipated Books series for the second half of 2015. This is the second half of my historical fiction list. There were just so many books that caught my fancy that I split them in two. For some of these I already have an (e)ARC or review copy, so they'll definitely be read and reviewed. And for the rest, I'll have to see whether I get the chance to get my hands on them! Read More …
Anticipated Books (Winter-Spring) 2015: Historical Fiction April-June
Welcome to another post in my Anticipated Books series for the first half of 2015. This is the second half of my historical fiction list. There were just so many books that caught my fancy that I split them in two. For some of these I already have an (e)ARC or review copy, so they'll definitely be read and reviewed. And for the rest, I'll have to see whether I get the chance to get my hands on them! Read More …
Anticipated Books (Summer-Fall) 2014: YA July-August
Welcome to the next post in my Anticipated Books series for the second half of 2014. YA books have become a big part of my reading diet. Some of my favourite authors are writing for this age group and there are just so many great titles out there. Consequently, I've had to spread my YA picks over three posts. This is the first one. For some of these I already have an (e)ARC or review copy, so they'll definitely be read and reviewed. And for the rest, I'll have to see whether I get the chance to get my hands on them! Read More …
Anticipated Books (Summer-Fall) 2014: Middle Grade
Welcome to the next post in my Anticipated Books series for the second half of 2014. Today it's time to look at books for a younger set of readers: middle grade books. I've mixed the different genres together for this one, so there should be something for everyone. For some of these I already have an (e)ARC or review copy, so they'll definitely be read and reviewed. And for the rest, I'll have to see whether I get the chance to get my hands on them! Read More …
Anticipated Books (Summer-Fall) 2014: Historical Fiction July-September
Welcome to the next post in my Anticipated Books series for the second half of 2014. Like fantasy, there were too many historical fiction books that caught my fancy for one post, so they've been split in two. For some of these I already have an (e)ARC or review copy, so they'll definitely be read and reviewed. And for the rest, I'll have to see whether I get the chance to get my hands on them! Read More …
Anticipated Books (Summer-Fall) 2014: Fiction & Thrillers
Welcome to the fourth post in my Anticipated Books series for the summer and fall of 2014. Today it's time for my mainstream fiction and thriller picks. For some of these I already have an (e)ARC or review copy, so they'll definitely be read and reviewed. And for the rest, I'll have to see whether I get the chance to get my hands on them! Read More …
Anticipated Books (Summer-Fall) 2013: YA July-September
Welcome to the next post in my Anticipated Books series for the second half of 2013. YA books have recaptured my heart and I've had a lot of fun (re)discovering the diversity and depth of the books published for this age category. Some of the best books in or out of genre are being published in YA these days. Consequently, YA too has been spread over two posts. This is the first half. For some of these I already have an (e)ARC or review copy, so they'll definitely be read and reviewed. And for the rest, I'll have to see whether I get the chance to get my hands on them! Read More …
Anticipated Books (summer-Fall) 2013: Middle Grade Books
Welcome to the next post in my Anticipated Books series for the second half of 2013. This time I also added a middle grade list, because after reading several MG books in the past months I decided I wanted to read more in this age group. Call it early exploration for my girls in a few years. For some of these I already have an (e)ARC or review copy, so they'll definitely be read and reviewed. And for the rest, I'll have to see whether I get the chance to get my hands on them! Read More …
Anticipated Books (Winter/Spring) 2013: Historical Fiction
Today we're doing some time travel for my Anticipated Books posts by looking at historical fiction. I rediscovered historical fiction in 2011 and 2012 only strengthened my love for the genre, so here's another list that's become a little longer. For some of these I already have an (e)ARC or review copy, so they'll definitely be read and reviewed. And for the rest, I'll have to see whether I get the chance to get my hands on them!
C.W. Gortner – The Queen's Vow (Hodder & Stoughton)
'I am Isabella, Queen of Castile…'
Isabella was the notorious warrior-queen who, along with her husband Ferdinand, transformed Spain forever. Popular belief has her as a religious fanatic persuaded into the horrific excesses of the Inquisition by her confessor, Torquemada; but C.W. Gortner paints a picture of her early life, showing us a headstrong, passionate girl who grew into the most powerful queen Spain ever knew and whose vision and imagination allowed Columbus to discover America.
Katherine Keenum – Where the Light Falls (Berkley)
At the dawning of the Belle Epoque, Paris attracts artists from everywhere, including Jeanette Palmer, daughter of a prominent Ohio family, who has left Vassar College under a cloud of scandal.
Amid the city's great bohemian neighborhoods and studios, Jeanette meets an American Civil War veteran named Edward Murer. As she begins to achieve artistic success, Jeanette's relationship with Edward begins to flourish—but he is plagued by addiction and personal demons. Just as the world opens its arms to Jeanette, she finds herself torn between pursuing a burgeoning career or following her heart.
Annabel Lyon – The Sweet Girl (Atlantic Books)
Pythias is her father's daughter, right down to her hard, slate-grey eyes. Aristotle's child should be content with a life of childbearing. But she is smart, able to match wits with a roomful of Athenian thinkers. Is she a freak or a harbinger of what women can really be?
When Aristotle finally dies, however, the orphaned sixteen-year-old Pythias quickly discovers that the world is not a place of logic, but one of superstition. To reach her full potential, Aristotle's daughter will need every ounce of wit she possesses, but she must also learn, quickly, to nurture her capacity to love.
Terence Morgan – The Shadow Prince (Macmillan)
One man's impostor is another man's king
Perkin Warbeck is an ordinary young man in fifteenth-century Tournai. The son of a port official, he loves nothing more than swimming, singing and fishing with his father. But Perkin has a secret. His real name is Richard, and he is the rightful Prince of England.
Thought to have been murdered with his brother, Edward, in the Tower of London, he was covertly taken to the continent and placed with an adoptive family under an assumed identity. But when his enemies seek him out he must flee, and embarks on a new life of derring-do, sailing the high seas with the era's greatest adventurers. But Richard cannot avoid his fate forever. He knows he must return to England, to assume the throne that is his birthright. But what for Richard is a homecoming, for the new king, Henry Tudor, is nothing less than an invasion, and 'Perkin' slowly comes to learn that the price of his goal is the blood of innocent men.
Tara Conklin – The House Girl (William Morrow)
Virginia, 1852. Seventeen-year-old Josephine Bell decides to run from the failing tobacco farm where she is a slave and nurse to her ailing mistress, the aspiring artist Lu Anne Bell. New York City, 2004. Lina Sparrow, an ambitious first-year associate in an elite law firm, is given a difficult, highly sensitive assignment that could make her career: she must find the "perfect plaintiff" to lead a historic class-action lawsuit worth trillions of dollars in reparations for descendants of American slaves.
It is through her father, the renowned artist Oscar Sparrow, that Lina discovers Josephine Bell and a controversy roiling the art world: are the iconic paintings long ascribed to Lu Anne Bell really the work of her house slave, Josephine? A descendant of Josephine's would be the perfect face for the reparations lawsuit—if Lina can find one. While following the runaway girl's faint trail through old letters and plantation records, Lina finds herself questioning her own family history and the secrets that her father has never revealed: How did Lina's mother die? And why will he never speak about her?
Moving between antebellum Virginia and modern-day New York, this searing, suspenseful and heartbreaking tale of art and history, love and secrets, explores what it means to repair a wrong and asks whether truth is sometimes more important than justice.
Elizabeth Gill – Miss Appleby's Academy (Quercus)
Emma Appleby's ordered and loving existence in New England comes to an abrupt and painful end with the death of her father. Emma plots her escape to the town in England where he was born. Opening an academy, she sets herself up in competition with the local school, provoking a savage response from the community. But she will not be deterred – even when her past catches up with her.
Victoria Lamb – His Dark Lady (Transworld)
Secrets, spies and murderous plots besiege Shakespeare's Muse and the court of Elizabeth I
London, 1583
When young, aspiring playwright William Shakespeare encounters Lucy Morgan, one of Queen Elizabeth I's ladies-in-waiting, his life is turned upside-down as the two fall passionately in love, He declares Lucy the inspiration for his work, but what secret is Will hising from his muse?
Meanwhile, Lucy has her own secret – and one that could destroy her world if exposed. For she bore witness to the clandestine wedding of the Queen's cousin Lettice Knollys to Robert Dudley, rumoured to be the Queen's lover. In a court where any slight against the monarch is considered treasonous, what will happen if Lucy's secret is revealed?
With England in perilous times, Queen Elizabeth's health begins to deteriorate, her throne under siege from Catholic plotters and threats of war with Spain. Faced with more than she can cope with, she longs for a confidante. But who can she turn to when those closest to her have proved untrustworthy?
Times have never been so precarious. And these two women, with polar-opposite lives, soon find that they are both in danger…
Lynn Shepherd – A Treacherous Likeness (Corsair)
This compelling follow-up to the acclaimed Tom-All-Alone's sees the return of Charles Maddox in a new literary mystery that is inspired by the Young Romantics – the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, his wife, Mary, author of Frankenstein, and Lord Byron, famously 'mad, bad, and dangerous to know'. Beginning in London in 1850, the story takes the reader back through time and across Europe, to reveal the dark secrets and tangled lives of a dazzling but doomed generation. Drawing on rigorous research, Lynn Shepherd finds new and explosive answers to questions that even modern biographers of the Shelleys still cannot explain.
C.C. Humphreys – Shakespeare's Rebel (Orion)
London 1599, a city on the brink of revolution…
He is Queen Elizabeth's last, perhaps her greatest, love – Robert Deveraux, Earl of Essex. Champion jouster, dashing general…and the man that John Lawley, England's finest swordsman, most wishes to avoid. For John knows the other earl – the reckless melancholic – and has had to risk his life for him in battle one time too many.
All John wants is to be left alone to win back the heart of the woman he loves, be the kind of father that his son can look up to, and arrange the fight scenes for the magnificent new theatre, the Globe. To realise these dreams, John must dodge both Essex and his ruthless adversary for the queen's affections, Robert Cecil, and remain free to help his oldest friend Will Shakespeare finish the play that threatens to destroy him: THE TRAGEDY OF HAMLET.
But John is doomed by his three devils: whisky, women and Mad Robbie Deveraux. Despite every effort to evade the clutches of Elizabeth and her cohorts, John is soon enmeshed in the intrigues of court and dragged into the seemingly hopeless war in Ireland, forced to play his part in a deadly game of power and politics, conspiracy and rebellion.
From the scaffold of the Globe to the one in the Tower. From ambush in Ireland to even greater menace in Whitehall, John Lawley must strive to be – or not to be – the man who might just save England.
Richard Blake – The Ghosts of Athens (Hodder & Stoughton)
It is 612 AD and Aelric &8211; senator of the Roman Empire, fresh from a bloodbath in Egypt – is forced to divert the Imperial galley to Athens.
He finds a demoralized and corrupt provincial city threatened by and an army rumoured to contain twenty million starving barbarians.
Not to mention an explosive religious dispute, an unexplained corpse, and hints of something worse than murder…
He will have to call upon all his formidable intellect and lethal ingenuity to survive his enemies inside and outside the city walls…
Iain Gale – Keane's Company (Heron Books)
James Keane, officer in the 27th Foot, card sharp, ladies' man and one of the finest but most rebellious soldiers in the British army, is under threat of court martial for disobeying Wellesley's strict rules. Buthis special, even ungentlemanly, skills have caught his general's eye, so he is selected to form a unique unit which will work behind enemy lines.
Keane's next task is to hand-pick his band of men, some from prison for their aptitude at lock-picking and forgery as well as fighting skills, and form them into an effective unit before being sent on their first intelligence-gathering special mission, this time to link up with a lethal Spanish guerrilla leader.
Stealing into Oporto, Keane's men have to hold a vital post over the river a crossing against overwhelming forces, before being detached once more into the high mountains on another mission where the strains of the diverse characters of the unit test Keane's leadership skills to the uttermost.
Tim Leach – The Last King of Lydia (Atlantic Books)
Croesus, once the richest man of the ancient world, remembers how he once asked the old philosopher, Solon, who was the happiest man alive? Croesus used to think it was him. Yet his wealth could not remove the spear from his dying son's chest; could not make him as wise as his own slave; could not bring his wife's love back; could not stop his army being torn apart, his kingdom defeated.
As the old philosopher replied, a man's happiness can only be measured when he is dead. And Croesus is about to be burned alive.
Imogen Robertson – The Paris Winter (Headline)
Paris, 1909, Grieving the loss of her father, Maud travels to Paris to paint. Slipping into poverty, she is hired as a companion to young, beautiful Sylvie. But Sylvie is a prisoner in her own home, controlled by her addiction to opium. As Maud uncovers the secrets within this world of luxury, she is both fascinated and repelled by what she finds. Will she be able to resist the temptations of Paris and the seductions of wealth?
David Thomas – Killer at the End of the Line (Quercus)
Berlin, 1941: The battered remains of a woman: the seventh victim of a serial killer who has cast a pall of terror over the city. With SS-General Heydrich demanding immediate results, detective Georg Heuser races to catch the killer before he strikes again.
Minsk, 1942: Thousands of Jews arrive in cattle trucks. Among the policemen about to commit some of the most terrible crimes is detective Georg Heuser.
Koblenz 1962: One young lawyer closes in on her prey, and wonders – just how bad can a good man become?
Eva Weaver – The Puppet Boy of Warsaw (Weidenfeld)
Mika, a Jewish boy, inherits a coat from his grandfather and discovers a puppet in one of its many secret pockets. He becomes a puppeteer in the Warsaw ghetto, but soon his talent is discovered and Mika is forced to entertain the occupying German troops instead of his countrymen. There is one soldier, Max, with a heavy conscience, and when Max is handed one of Mika's puppets, a war-torn legacy is passed from one generation to another.
Helene Wecker – The Golem and the Jinni (HarperCollins)
A marvelous and absorbing debut novel, an enchanting combination of vivid historical fiction and magical fable about two supernatural creatures in turn-of-the-century immigrant New York.
Christian Cameron – The Ill-Made Knight (Orion)
William Gold comes into the world as his family slides down the social ladder. His head filled with tales of chivalry, instead he is branded a thief, and must make do with being squire to his childhood friend Sir Robert, a knight determined to make a name for himself as a man at arms in France. While William himself slowly acquires the skills of knightly combat, he remains an outsider – until the Battle of Poitiers when Sir Robert is cut down by the greatest knight of the age, Sir Geoffry de Charny, and William, his lowly squire, revenges him. But with his own knight dead, no honour acrrues to William for this feat of arms, and he is forced to become a mercenary. Scavenging a mis-matched set of armour from the knightly corpses, he joins one of the mercenary companies now set to pillage a defenceless France, and so begins a bloody career that sees William joining forces with the infamous Sir John Hawkwood and immersing himself in a treacherous clandestine war among the Italian city states. But paradoxically it is there, among the spies, assassins and hired killers serving their ruthless masters, that William finally discovers the true meaning of chivalry – and his destiny as a knight.
Sarah Dunant – Blood and Beauty (Virago)
By the end of the fifteenth century, the beauty and creativity of Italy is matched by its brutality and corruption, nowhere more than in Rome and in the Church. When Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia buys his way into the papacy as Alexander VI, he is defined not just by his wealth or his passionate love for his illegitimate children, but by his blood: he is a Spanish Pope in a city run by Italians. If the Borgias are to triumph, this charismatic, consummate politician with a huge appetite for life, women and power must use papacy and family to succeed.
His eldest son Cesare, a dazzlingly cold intelligence and an even colder soul, is his greatest – though increasingly unstable – weapon. Later immortalised in Machiavelli's The Prince, he provides the energy and the muscle. His daughter Lucrezia, beloved by both men, is the prime dynastic tool. Twelve years old when the novel opens, hers is a journey through three marriages: from childish innocence to painful experience, from pawn to political player.
Philip Kazan – Appetite (Orion)
Nino knows that having a passion is the key to surviving in Florence without losing yourself completely. But Nino's greatest gift will be his greatest curse; every flavour, every ingredient comes alive for him as vividly as a painting. His desire to create the perfect recipe and his love for Tessina soon lead him into danger, and Nino is forced to battle his deadly sins.
Giles Kristian – Brothers' Fury (Transworld)
Rebel Cast out from his home, rejected by his family, Tom Rivers returns to his regiment. But his former commander believes the young hothead's recklessness and contempt for authority has no place in his troop. And yet to a spymaster like Captain Crafte, Tom's dark and fearless nature is in itself a weapon to be turned upon the hated cavaliers. For who else would dare to infiltrate Oxford, now the Royalist capital, to destroy the King's printing press and strike a blow at the very heart of the enemy?
Renegade Raw with grief at the death of his father, Edmund Rivers rejects the peace talks between Parliament and the King. Instead, he leads a ragged but hardened band of amrauders across the moors, appearing out of the frozen world to fall on unsuspecting rebel columns like wolves. But Prince Rupert, who recognizes in Mun a fellow child of war, has other uses for him, from stealing an enormous gun, to burrowing through mud beneath the walls of Lichfield. The only peace the enemy will get from Mun Rivers is that of the grave.
Huntress Her heart broken from the loiss of her beloved Emmanuel and her father, Bess Rivers must make the hardest decision of her life. Leaving her new-born son behind she rides from Sheer House seeking Lady Mary's estranged father, for she hopes he will help her re-unite what is left of her broken family. Risking her own life on the road, Bess will do whatever it takes to find her brother Tom and secure his Royal pardon – can she douse the flames of her brothers' fury and see them reconciled?
James MacManus – Black Venus (Thomas Dunne Books)
For readers who have been drawn to The Paris Wife or Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris, Black Venus captures the artistic scene in the great French city decades earlier, when the likes of Dumas and Balzac argued literature in the cafes of the Left Bank. Amongst the bohemians the young Charles Baudelaire stood out—dressed impeccably thanks to an inheritance that was quickly vanishing. Still at work on the poems which he hoped would make his name, he spent his nights enjoying the alcohol, opium, and women who filled the seedy streets of the city.
One woman would catch his eye—a beautiful Haitian cabaret singer named Jeanne Duval. Their lives would remain forever intertwined thereafter, and their romance would inspire his most infamous poems—leading to the banning of his masterwork Les Fleurs du Mal and a scandalous public trial for obscenity.
Black Venus recreates the classic Parisian literary world in vivid detail, complete with not just an affecting portrait of the famous poet but also his often misunderstood, much-maligned muse.
Madeleine E. Robins – Sold for Endless Rue (Forge)
This captivating historical answers the question, "Why did Rapunzel's mother lock her in the tower?"
After a blighted childhood, young Laura finds peace and purpose in the home of a midwife and healer. Later, she enrolls in Salerno's famed medical school—the first in the world to admit women. Laura and her adoptive mother hope that Laura can build a bridge between women's herbal healing and the new science of medicine developing in thirteenth century Italy.
The hardest lessons are those of love; Laura falls hard for a fellow student who abandons her for a wealthy wife. Worse, her mother rejects her as "impure." Shattered, Laura devotes herself to her work, becoming a respected medico. But her heart is still bitter, and when she sees a chance for revenge, she grabs it—and takes for her own Bieta, the newborn daughter of a woman whose husband regularly raided the physician's garden for bitter herbs to satisfy his pregnant wife's cravings.
Determined to protect her adored daughter from the ravages of the world, Laura isolates the young woman in a tower. Bieta, as determined as her mother, escapes, and finds adventure—and love—on the streets of Salerno.
Bieta's betrayal of her mother's love comes at a terrible price as lives are ruined and families are torn apart. Laura's medical knowledge cannot heal her broken heart; only a great act of love can bring everyone forgiveness and peace.
M.J. Rose – Seduction (Atria)
In 1843, novelist Victor Hugo's beloved nineteen-year-old daughter drowned. Ten years later, Hugo began participating in hundreds of of séances to reestablish contact with her. In the process, he claimed to have communed with the likes of Plato, Galileo, Shakespeare, Dante, Jesus–and even the Devil himself. Hugo's transcriptions of these conversations have all been published. Or so it was believed.
Recovering from her own losses, mythologist Jac L'Etoile arrives on the Isle of Jersey–wher Hugo conducted the séances–hoping to uncover a secret about the island's Celtic roots. But the man who's invited her there, a troubled soul named Theo Gaspard, has hopes she'll help him discover something quite different–Hugo's lost conversations with someone called the Shadow of the Sepulcher.
Robert Wilton – Traitor's Field (Corvus)
It is 1648 and Britain is at war with itself. The Royalists are defeated but Parliament is in turmoil, its power weakened by internal discord.
Royalism's last hope is Sir Mortimer Shay, a ruthless veteran of decades of intrigue who must rebuild a credible threat to Cromwell's rule, whatever the cost.
John Thurloe is a young official in Cromwell's service. Confronted by the extent of the Royalists' secret intelligence network, he will have to fight the true power reaching into every corner of society: the Comptrollerate-General for Scrutiny and Survey.
Elizabeth Chadwick – The Summer Queen (Sphere)
Eleanor of Aquitaine is a twelfth-century icon who has fascinated readers for 800 years. But the real Eleanor remains elusive.
This stunning novel introduces an Eleanor that all other writers have missed. Based on the most up-to-date research, it is the first novel to show Eleanor beginning her married life at 13. Barely out of childhood, this gives an entirely new slant to how Eleanor is treated by those around her. She was often the victim and her first marriage was horribly abusive.
Overflowing with scandal, passion, triumph and tragedy, Eleanor's legendary story begins when her beloved father dies in the summer of 1137, and she is made to marry the young prince Louis of France. A week after the marriage she becomes a queen and her life will change beyond recognition . . .
Laurie Graham – The Liar's Daughter (Quercus)
Nan Brunty's mother George keeps an alehouse in Deptford, named the Duchess of Brunty, the title she claims would have been hers, had Nelson survived.
Eighteenth century Admiralty Regulations forbade women living on board ship, but many found ways around this. George served on a number of ships, both as a man and unmasked. As Nan narrates her mother's history she becomes obsessed by the idea that Nelson could have been her father. She meets a young man, Baltic Nelson, who clings to the same belief. Could her mother's wild stories really be true?
Edward Rutherfurd – Paris (Hodder & Stoughton)
Edward Rutherfurd, the world's greatest writer of historical epics, turns his attention to Paris and the lives of the men and women who, in two thousand years, transformed a humble Roman trading post on the muddy banks of the Seine to the most beautiful and celebrated capital in the world.
From its founding under the Romans to the timeless love story of Abelard and Heloise and the martyrdom of Joan of Arc; from the gilded glories of the Bourbon kings to the horrors of the French Revolution; from the glittering Napoleonic empire to the Nazi occupation and the incredible efforts of the French Resistance: PARIS brings the sights, scents, and tastes of the City of Lights to sumptuous life.
Henry Venmore-Rowland – The Sword and the Throne (working title) (Transworld)
AD 69. Aulus Caecina Severus has thrown in his lot with the hedonistic Vitellius and prepares his legions for a gruelling march over the Alps.
Driven by the desire to repay the treachery of his former patron, the Emperor Galba, and to keep his rival Valens in check, Severus leads his army against barbarian rebellions and against the mountains themselves in his race to reach Italy first. With the vast Po valley almost in sight, news reaches the army that Galba has been killed in a coup, and that Otho has been declared Emperor by the Praetorians who he had bribed to murder their own emperor.
But there is no turning back for Severus, even if he wanted to. The Rhine legions want their man on the throne, and they won't stop until they reach Rome itself. Even once Otho is defeated, the battle for supremacy between Severus and Valens is far from over. The politics of the court and the mob is the new battleground, and Severus needs the help of his wife Salonina and his freedman Totavalas in this constant game of thrones. When stories spread of a new power in the east, Severus has to decide where his real loyalty lies: to his Emperor, to his city or to himself?
Kate Worsley – She Rises (Bloomsbury)
It is 1740 and Louise Fletcher, a young maid, has been warned of the lure of the sea for as long as she can remember—after all, it stole away her father and brother. But when she is offered work in the bustling naval port of Harwich serving a wealthy captain's daughter, she leaps at the chance to see more of the world. There she meets Rebecca, her haughty and fascinating mistress.
Intertwined with Louise's story is that of fifteen-year-old Luke, who is beaten and press ganged, sent to sea against his will on board the warship Essex in the service of His Majesty's Navy. He must learn fast and choose his friends well if he is to survive the brutal hardships of a sailor's life and its many dangers, both up high in the rigging and in the dark decks down below.


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Percy Harvin's season with the Seattle Seahawks nearly ended two weeks ago.
Following Seattle's 27-9 victory over the St. Louis Rams in the regular season finale, it was finally time for judgment day on Harvin's injured hip.
Head coach Pete Carroll met with Harvin that Monday with a roster move to injured reserve fully on the table for Seattle's prize acquisition of the 2013 offseason.
Harvin had appeared in just one game for Seattle in Week 11 against the Minnesota Vikings. He caught one pass for 17 yards and returned his lone kickoff return opportunity 58 yards. It was a small glimpse of the player Seattle traded for back in March. But his surgically repaired hip flared up again following the game and had kept Harvin off the field for the remainder of the regular season.
But Harvin pleaded for a chance to show he was ready to get back on the field.
"Coach came to me last Monday with the whole IR thing. I just looked at him and said 'coach, I'm ready to play ball,'" Harvin said. "We talked to the doctors, just kept rehabbing. I could hit the practice field and it felt pretty good."
Carroll added "I had to look him in the eye two weeks ago on Monday and say 'this is the time, this is it. We have to make the call' and he said 'not now, let me have a shot', and he was ready to go. With great work from the trainers and a very successful surgery, he's back and ready to go.
Harvin returned to practice that Thursday during Seattle's bye week and continued to practice every day this week. He's now ready to go with no limitations against the New Orleans Saints on Saturday.
Harvin gave credit to his teammates for keeping his spirit high while he struggled to keep grinding away at a rehab process that wasn't showing improvement.
"Came a time where I thought about maybe just kind of shutting it down," Harvin said. "But the guys just kept giving it to me, kept giving me that positive energy I needed and it all started turning around for me. So I decided that I was going to give it everything I have and go from there."
Harvin said he's "absolutely" going to be available to return kickoffs for Seattle and is expected to be available for full duty on offense.
"We're excited about him going and excited for him. It's been a long, long haul for a guy that's such a great competitor and that means so much to, and for him to have the opportunity to join us now is really exciting I know for him, and for us too," Carroll said.
Considering Harvin was just hours away from injured reserve, it's quite a boost for a Seattle offense that sputtered at times over the last month of the season.


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"Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure," an exciting racing adventure game, invites families and fans of all ages to experience the worlds of five beloved Disney•Pixar films like never before.
Through the magic of Kinect for Xbox 360, become part of one of five Disney•Pixar worlds and team up with characters from "The Incredibles," "Ratatouille," "Up," "Cars" and "Toy Story" to race against time and solve time-based challenges without ever leaving your living room.
For the first time in Kinect history, you and your favorite Disney•Pixar character can interact on screen and play cooperatively to help solve challenges. Use your voice and body to seamlessly move from fast-paced puzzle-solving to moments of pulse-pounding agility and speed.
Key Features:
- Get in the game. Turn your video game avatar into characters from five different Disney•Pixar movie worlds!
- Cooperative play. You'll never feel alone while playing "Kinect Rush: A DisneyžPixar Adventure" — play anytime with a friend or look to your Disney•Pixar friends to help you in each race against the clock.
- Explore and discover. Work with a friend to solve puzzling obstacles or engage a Disney•Pixar character to find hidden secrets. And watch out — the clock is ticking!
More articles about Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure


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So…I know it has been a while, but let's be honest, the show got a bit boring. Vampires stopped doing it for me, people who should of gotten killed off weren't, while perfectly likeable (although evil) characters were.
But this week things got interesting. Alright, I'm going to only say this once but it was the season finale of The Vampire Diaries so this is a massive SPOILER ALERT.
And seriously, this is the type of stuff you want to witness first hand.
In all honesty, I can't be bothered recapping. You've seen it, I've seen it, and if you haven't you either didn't pay any attention to my spoiler alert or somehow stumbled onto this page by accident (it's OK, it's the Internet and it happens to everyone).
The biggest? Elena Gilbert, she who is not Isabella Swan, is now a vampire.
OH SNAP! Terrifically unexpected, since, last it was brought up (approximately a season ago) Elena didn't want to be a vampire. She wanted to grow old, get married and have lots of children. How she thought this was possible considering she was in love with not one, but two, vampires is beyond me, but there you go.
Yet now she's a vampire.
Which conveniently leads us to point number two:
Alaric is DEAD. The invincible was actually vincible (?) and just after he killed Klaus (OH! We'll get to that), which was just before he almost killed Damon…he died.
And he even got to say something nice to Jeremy in ghost form. Awww.
Thirdly. Klaus, as in vampire Klaus, is dead. So…why did he seem to return in the form of Tyler? Is Tyler dead? Or is Klaus Tyler? How did this happen? And what does this mean? (Dammit, it's like the ending of Source Code all over again) And…hilarious love triangle plot twist (remember this is what we wanted), Klaus will be dating Caroline in Tyler's body. WHHAAAAA???
Damon-Elena-Stefan. Elena finally decided. She went for Stefan, because, at the end of the day, he got in first. He saved her life, made her realise what she wanted from it, etc etc, hero worship blah.
Except he didn't. Well he did, let's not take that away from the guy, but Damon actually got in first. He creepily appeared from out of the darkness (seriously, I know he's hot, but that shit doesn't fly in reality), gave her some life advice, flirted a little (oh Damon, you minx!) and then erased it all from her memory.
So…she doesn't know that he came first.
So what's on for season four?
Elena's a vampire. Elijah is back. Damon came first, but Stefan is the only one that made an impression (literally). Tyler may or may not be dead. Klaus may or may not be dead. and ELENA IS A VAMPIRE.
If you don't have any, I'm disappointed.


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Shares in embattled grocer Supervalu are soaring after Dow Jones' Sharon Terlep reports Cerberus Capital Management is in talks to buy the grocer (via Chicago Tribune's Ben Estes).
The stock is up nearly +16 percent — after being literally the worst-performing major stock of 2012.
The deal would see Cerberus buy some parts of the chain outright and take a stake in the remainder, Terlep writes. The PE firm would contribute around $500 million in equity.
Supervalu shares have collapsed nearly 100 percent since their June 2007 highs thanks to competition from Walmart and Kroger.
Ironically, the chain has also occupied a close-to-perennial spot on our most-shorted-stocks list. Looks like that move will not pay off.
Here's the chart:


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The House of Representatives' Privileges Committee is considering whether or not public servants should be given free reign to defame completely innocent individuals to their Ministers. Well, that's an exaggeration ... but read on anyway.
Upon my return to New Zealand (did I tell you I've been away? To America!?), I found a very nice letter waiting for me from the Hon Chris Finlayson.


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Dog Mug - Yorkshire Terrier
Overview & Details
- Ceramic coffee / tea mug with a watercolor illustration of a Yorkshire Terrier.
- Hand painted by artist Julian Swaney.
- Holds 11 oz.
- Additional available breeds include Chihuahua, Shih Tzu, Boston Terrier, Pug, French Bulldog, English Bulldog, Dachshund, and Scottish Terrier.
- "Best Dog" appears on the interior of each mug.
- Dishwasher/microwave safe.
- Imported.
Enjoy your morning coffee or tea in the company of your favorite furry friends. Crafted of durable ceramic, our Yorkshire Terrier coffee mug is illustrated front and back with a watercolor illustration of this beloved breed. A sweet surprise—"best dog" appears on the interior. A must have for any dog lover.


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|By Business Wire
Article Rating:
|November 6, 2013 05:30 AM EST
McAfee, the world's largest dedicated security company, today launched its Online Safety for Kids programme in Ireland. The kickoff event was held at 9:30 am (CET) at Government Buildings, Dublin, with the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny and McAfee President Michael DeCesare. As part of the event, McAfee also released results from its 'Digital Divide' Study, an Irish study that looks at how teens are keeping their parents in the dark about what they're doing online. The findings can be viewed at http://www.mcafee.com/us/about/newsroom/index.aspx.
Scoil Chaitriona National School, Dublin (Photo: Business Wire)
According to the Digital Divide study, more than half of the Irish teens surveyed admitted to wiping their browser history to hide what they're doing online from their parents. Alarmingly, 11 per cent of teens said they had actually met up with someone they met online. The survey demonstrates that many Irish teens are accessing inappropriate content online, despite being trusted by their parents to do what's right when surfing the Web.
"I commend McAfee for launching this national online safety initiative, which will be of interest to many parents and young people," said the Taoiseach. "The results of the Digital Divide survey will be a cause for concern among some parents but information and education are the way forward. Technology has enhanced all of our lives and continues to do so, and it is also a key building block in our country's economic recovery and the future of our children. However, their safety is all-important and raising awareness and skill levels through initiatives like the one being undertaken by McAfee are essential."
"The children growing up in today's fast changing world will power the most significant technological advances our world has ever seen," said DeCesare. "There is a global need for cyber education to teach our youth about what it means to be responsible online. As the world's largest dedicated security company, we are doing just that. Our goal is to expand our reach and to forge partnerships within our local communities. I'm honored to be here today with the Taoiseach to announce that McAfee is taking this programme to a national level."
McAfee launched a pilot programme in Cork in January. To-date, 80 McAfee volunteers in Cork have taught at more than 30 schools and community centres, reaching more than 3,000 young people, parents and teachers. To take the programme to a national level, McAfee will leverage the power of Intel, Ireland's largest employer, to join forces on volunteer efforts.
In 2014, McAfee will reach more than 10,000 kids in Ireland through the McAfee Online Safety for Kids programme. McAfee is also creating a youth ambassador programme that will leverage youth in their transition years to teach online safety for kids in local primary and secondary schools. This development will be piloted in Christian Brothers College Cork in conjunction with the Transition Year Teachers Professional Network.
John Kerr, TYTPN chairman says, "We are committed to encouraging the academic, social and emotional development of students through challenging and interesting programmes. As the use of technology is an integral part of our lives, it is vital that our students be equipped with the appropriate skills to navigate the online world safely and as such we are delighted to support this initiative."
McAfee aims to leverage the youth in the non-formal education sector via its partnership with Foroige, Ireland's leading and most successful youth organization. Seán Campbell, CEO Foróige says, "As an organisation that works with close to 60,000 young people across the country, we know how fundamentally important this initiative is. Foróige is committed to empowering young people to use technology to make the world a better place, but this can only happen if we fortify our young people with the knowledge and skills to navigate the online world safely."
Over the next year, McAfee also plans to create materials that can be used by teacher organisations, the Department of Education and Skills and initial teacher education providers. The Company's goal is to train the next generation of teachers in Ireland. This includes primary and secondary teacher education colleges, such as Mary Immaculate College, Limerick and University College Cork.
In 2009, McAfee began teaching school children to use their computers and digital devices safely with pilot programmes in the United States. To date, McAfee has reached more than 150,000 youth, parents and teachers around the globe with its cyber education volunteer program. The McAfee Online Safety for Kids Programme is a free school initiative that utilises McAfee and Intel employees, as well as McAfee partners and customers, who volunteer to train school-age children and parents on ways to stay safe and secure, as well as maintain good ethics in their online behavior.
Additional Resources:
- Digital Divide Irish Teen Survey Results (separate press release)
- Close the Gap Video
- Photos from Scoil Chaitriona National School
- Photos from Nov. 6 event available upon request
About McAfee
McAfee, a wholly owned subsidiary of Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC), empowers businesses, the public sector, and home users to safely experience the benefits of the Internet. The company delivers proactive and proven security solutions and services for systems, networks, and mobile devices around the world. With its Security Connected strategy, innovative approach to hardware-enhanced security, and unique Global Threat Intelligence network, McAfee is relentlessly focused on keeping its customers safe. http://www.mcafee.com
Note: McAfee is a trademark or registered trademark of McAfee, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20131106005270/en/
- Cloud Expo New York Speaker Profile: Jill T. Singer – Federal CIO Emeritus
- Don't forget to register for FOSE 2013
- Sofia's Abduction to Syria: Interview with Diane Macedo of Fox News
- Cloud Computing: The Dawn of Maneuver Warfare in IT Security
- My Two-Year-Old Daughter Sofia Facing Life-Long Disability in Syria
- Our Top Five Cloud Predictions for 2011: Kevin Jackson & Larry Carvalho
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- Uncle Who Kidnapped Sofia to Syria Still a Practicing MD in Chicago
- My Abducted Two-Year-Old American Guest Worker Daughter in Syria
- Assange To Turn Himself In


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The filebuf_getc function retrieves a character from the current file position and returns the character as an integer. The function then increments the current file position.
Use filebuf_getc to sequentially read characters from a buffered file.
filebuf_getc(filebuf b);
An integer containing the character retrieved, or the constant IO_EOF or IO_ERROR upon an end of file or an error.
filebuf b is the name of the file buffer.
filebuf_close() Function, filebuf_buf2sd() Function, filebuf_open() Function, filter_create() Function


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Innovation fueled by the world's most trusted analytics.
Analytics is the very core of SAS. We've been applying analytics to the toughest business problems for more than 40 years. With a commanding 30.5 percent market share in predictive and advanced analytics, we dominate the market because we infuse cutting-edge, innovative algorithms that help customers solve their most stubborn problems and unearth potentially missed opportunities.
SAS continues to dominate the market in predictive and advanced analytics
Last year, analysts named SAS a leader in more than 30 reports, recognizing the company's innovation and market dominance in areas including streaming analytics, machine learning, big data, data science platforms, real-time marketing, data integration, data quality, fraud detection, risk management and retail analytics.
Our software turns data into intelligence – analyzing streaming data and generating split second decisions that happen at a speed and volume impossible for humans. With a unifying data management and analytics environment, we empower customers to solve today's challenges and uncover tomorrow's opportunities. We do this by offering the most trusted analytics everywhere, and to everyone. The SAS® Platform continues to be the foundation that powers AI and other innovations to meet changing business needs.
Customer Intelligence and Decision Management
Analysts continue to position SAS as a leader in marketing technology, most notably in the crucial areas of real-time interactions and digital marketing analytics. Customers expect brands to know what they want, and when and how they want it. SAS helps marketers meet these demands, often in real time, while also enabling smart marketing strategies powered by predictive analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Data Management
Data drives everything. You need to make sure it's right. Data management is critical as companies are dealing with more diverse types of data than ever before, and need the ability to access, integrate, cleanse and govern data to make it valuable for analysis. It is a key component of the SAS Platform, modularized for rapid results and designed with IT and business collaboration in mind. Recent product enhancements around self-service and smart data preparation, cloud data access, event stream processing, and governance and compliance make it even easier to quickly transform big data into big opportunity.
Fraud and Security Intelligence
Independent analyst firms like Forrester and Chartis have long distinguished SAS as a leader in fraud analytics, recognizing machine learning and artificial intelligence among our key differentiators. SAS fraud and anti-money laundering analytics deliver the most breadth and depth of any solution on the market, enhancing the speed and accuracy of customers' surveillance and detection capabilities with hybrid analytics that automatically suggests new rules in real time. Intelligent case management, smart automation, and the ability to make decisions faster all help reduce fraud, waste and abuse while also streamlining investigation processes and boosting productivity.
Risk Management
Ninety-nine of the top 100 global banks use SAS Analytics to manage risk. In light of changing regulatory requirements, SAS is helping organizations establish a risk-aware culture, optimize capital and liquidity, and meet new challenges like the new IFRS 9 and CECL accounting standards. Perhaps more importantly, SAS goes beyond helping organizations with compliance, to aiding them with orchestrating and managing models and analytics that benefit their business.
Cloud computing was designed to be transparent. All of us use it every day, whether we know it or not. However, we understand our customers and partners have a strategic view on this landscape. They have a vision that cloud infrastructures, partners and services are key to advancing their initiatives more economically, with reduced risk, and liberate their people to make decisions on data without regard to where they store it. SAS is supporting this vision by reinventing how we think about analytics in the cloud, and completely embracing this view. In 2018, SAS will expand even further how we exploit cloud platforms and ensure our customers' success for generations to come.
SAS has been able to retain authority in the advanced and predictive analytics market and continue to grow year over year. SAS' deep roots in advanced analytics and commitment to R&D are two things that help SAS stay at the top of the category.
Dan Vesset, Group Vice President of Analytics and Information Management at IDC
Succeeding in an analytics economy
Using analytics to suggest actions to business leaders, analysts, data scientists and customer service teams is fueling what we call the analytics economy. The analytics economy, simply put, is the combination of data, analytics and collaboration. Each insight sparks the next, and the value of insights compound just like interest on a savings account. This is all possible now because we have accessible data, fueled by advances in computing power and connectivity, and interpreted by more powerful analytics. Analytics must be anywhere data resides.
We want anyone, regardless of skill level, who has access to data be able to solve their analytic problems. Doing so harnesses the curiosity, observations and insights and unleashes the intellectual potential of your entire organization – from executives and data scientists to everyone in the business.
Read more about how customers like Kelley Blue Book and Oberweis are embracing and building an analytics economy.