text:
Dr. Julie Smith
Photo courtesy of the author
Dr. Julie Smith has over ten years' experience as a clinical psychologist and was the first professional to use TikTok to give insights on therapy. After running her own private practice, Julie launched her TikTok channel with the mission of making top-quality mental health education accessible to all. During the COVID-19 pandemic, her audience grew astronomically to 3 million followers as users related to the bite-size self-help videos she was sharing and put her advice into practice. Those videos have clocked up around half a billion views across platforms. Julie has appeared in two BBC films. She has also appeared on CBBC, Good Morning Britain, BBC Breakfast, and CNN International and is the BBC Radio 1 Life Hacks psychologist. She has been featured by Women's Health, Buzzfeed, The Telegraph, The Times, The Sunday Mail, Glamour, CNN and more. She was also named by TikTok in the top 100 creators. She lives in Hampshire, England, with her husband and three children.
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Works by Dr. Julie Smith


The village of Umm el-Hiran in Israel faces immiment destruction to make way for a Jewish-only settlement. Why are they being subjected to this treatment? Although they are Israeli citizens, and should be accorded their full set of rights, they face discrimination and destruction because they are Palestinian Bedouin.
20% of Israel's population is Arab; some 220,000 are the Bedouin Israeli citizens of the Negev in southern Israel. Some 90,000 of them live in agricultural villages. They are full Israeli citizens but the state has refused to recognise their villages, which are not shown on maps or regional plans. Instead Israel is trying to force the Bedouin to relocate into urban "townships" and free up the land, for instance to build new Jewish-only villages, or for the planting of forests by the Jewish National Fund (JNF). At least 30,000 Bedouin face forced displacement.
I am writing to express my great concern about Israel's treatment of a sector of its own citizens, the Bedouin Israeli citizens of the Negev, and to call on you to inform your counterparts that this treatment falls well below international standards expected of a State, and that they UK must protest against these ongoing outrages.
The case of Al Arakib, the village completely demolished some 70 times since 2010 because the state refused to recognise it, has been reported from time to time and indeed our own ambassador Matthew Gould went there himself after the 37th demolition in 2012 and spoke with the inhabitants. The 500 people of Umm el-Hiran are set to follow the same fate imminently, so that Jewish settlers can take over the very same land, which is why I am writing to you urgently.
The villagers of Umm el-Hiran originally came from more fertile lands which they owned to the west, from which they were displaced by a Kibbutz in the early years of the Israeli state. In 1956 they were ordered to move to their present location, where they remain until today, and were leased land for residence, agriculture and grazing. They built houses, paved roads and constructed wells themselves, although state policy is not to provide them with piped water or an electricity supply, so this they have to organise for themselves. The village now consists of two centres, Umm el-Hiran and Atir. Atir is under separate threat of demolition to allow for expansion of the JNF "Yatir Forest".
Since 2001 the Israeli state has been seeking to remove Umm el-Hiran village and establish a new Jewish-only village (also called Hiran) in its place. Adalah, the Legal Centre for Arab Minority Rights, has fought a long court battle on behalf of the Bedouin, as documented in their publication "Nomads against Their Will" . The last appeal against demolition of the village has failed in the courts, and demolition could be imminent. A final appeal against the eviction of the population is yet to be heard, but will have little meaning if the houses have gone.
In contrast to the situation of the Bedouin, a core of Orthodox Jewish settlers have been provided with all facilities in nearby temporary camp so that they can build their community ready for taking over the land of Umm el Hiran. This discriminatory treatment by the state of what should be two identical groups of their citizens would be unthinkable as government policy in the United Kingdom.
The Bedouin of Umm el-Hiran seek only to be allowed to remain in the agricultural village which they set up for themselves where the state placed them in 1956. They have no desire to be forcibly relocated to an urban township where their traditional way of life and culture will be destroyed. In a video interview the village leader can be seen inviting the new Jewish settlers to live nearby as neighbours, but not to displace them from their established village. Indeed there is much land nearby which the JNF has forested and could be made available for Jewish use.
May we urge most strongly that the UK bring all possible pressure to bear on the Israeli government to allow the village of Umm el-Hiran to remain where it is and to revoke the demolition orders? The proposed elimination of this Bedouin village in order to build a Jewish settlement over its ruins is the clearest example of racial discrimination. Indeed it damages the reputation of Israel, in the same way as the West Bank land grabs and settlement building that were mentioned in the Backbench debate of 13 October 2014.


text:
Middle East Round Up For January 30
Thursday, 1 February 2007, 11:03 am
Opinion: Middle East News Service
Middle East Round Up: Weekly Review For January 30
Middle East News Service
INTRODUCTION (by the Daily Briefing's Wayne Sanderson): In his regular review of events in the Middle East, Sol Salbe looks at the tragic death of ten-year-old Abir Aramin from the West Bank town of Anata, the controversial use of cluster bombs in civilian areas, and recommends an article of which he says "it is unlikely that you'll encounter a better snapshot of the current political situation of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict".
Middle East round-up
Middle East review for January 30
By Sol Salbe
The best news for Israelis during the last week came from Melbourne, Australia. Their rising tennis star, Shahar Peer, reached the quarter finals of the Australian Open. There was so much fuss made about her that cartoonist Daniella London-Dekel had PM Olmert announcing that he found the perfect replacement for Chief-of-Staff. (The incumbent, Dan Halutz, resigned before he was pushed as a result of the Lebanon war.) "We've selected a true winner, a person who demonstrated a fighting spirit through tough campaigns, one capable of rebuilding trust…"
The rest of the news, however, was far more depressing for both Israelis and Palestinians. One particularly sad case was that of young West Bank girl. Ynetnews covered the more recent developments. "Ten-year-old Abir Aramin from the West Bank town of Anata was killed in the middle of January. This is the only piece of information that the girl's family and the police agree on." Initially it was reported that the girl was killed by a rubber bullet. The police than change its mind and suggested it could have been the impact of a stun grenade or even a stone thrown by a Palestinian demonstrator. The family, familiar with the way Israel deals with the death of innocent Palestinians, were wise enough to hire their own Israeli pathologist. They picked someone who had previously acted for an IDF soldier accused of killing a British volunteer. Dr Chen Kugel determined that Abir was after all killed by rubber bullet.
But what made the story interesting, and so moving (as if a death of 10-year old is not moving enough) was the fact that Abir was the "daughter of". The Independent's Donald McIntyre explains: "Abir has an unusual father. Bassam Aramin, 39, had been an active Fatah militant in his youth, ready to kill for the Palestinian cause, and jailed for seven years for attempting to do so. Yet today he is energetic in Israeli-Palestinian dialogue and closely associated with the Peres Centre's Jewish-Arab sports programmes. Last April, Mr Aramin helped to found 'Combatants for Peace' - a unique organisation of former Israeli soldiers and ex-Palestinian gunmen who have renounced violence and are devoted to the cause of ending the occupation by peaceful methods alone. A mere 10 months later, Mr Aramin has had his beliefs tested to the outer limit, by a grief he could never imagine."
Haaretz's Gideon Levy interviewed Aramin. In fact it is more of a brief introduction by Levy followed by a monologue. It is the best item I could recommend. Read it and weep at this truly brave man who is still committed to peace after his own horrific experience.
An unhappy anniversary
Late January marks the anniversary of Hamas accession to power. SBS television featured an in-depth news item marking a year of Hamas in power. While the analysts interviewed made some valid points it was clear that the newsroom was walking on eggshells. No such restrictions apply to the Israeli media. Haaretz's Zvi Bar'el, a veteran Arab and Palestinian affairs observer does not mince words. As far as he is concerned Israel's sanctions have not achieved any of their desired aims. On the contrary the influence of Syria and Iran on Hamas increased.
But Bar'el also points out that the sanctions were not meant to work, the last thing Israel wants is to Hamas to become "reasonable" in the eyes of the West (and Israel's own population.) He has got a good turn of phrase in describing it:
"But unlike other sanction regimes, Israel is setting conditions but not promising anything in return. Thus, even if Haniyeh starts wearing a skullcap and Khaled Meshal begins humming Hatikva [Israeli national anthem – Sol S], and even if Abbas makes it mandatory to teach the heroic story of Masada in Palestinian schools, Israel does not want and is unable to propose a diplomatic alternative that would lead to the establishment of an independent and democratic Palestinian state. It does not want to - because any such proposal would mean a withdrawal from most of the territories and the dismantling of most of the settlements."
No item is ever a "must read" but it is unlikely that you'll encounter a better snapshot of the current political situation of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict.
Haaretz also provided some different fare. Too often do I encounter people who do not understand Israeli society. They included both strong supporters and opponents of Israel, and those who hold every point of view in between. One can have a very good grasp of politics, be familiar with both Palestinian and Israeli mainstream narratives and even know the conflict's history rather well and one could still draw the wrong conclusion from one's premises if one does not understand the way Israeli society ticks. The worst thing for an Israeli is to be described as a freier (sucker). "Don't be a freier' is practically the 11th commandment of the Israeli" wrote Haaretz's Benny Ziffer in 2006. It may seem superficially irrelevant, but reading Shahar Ilan's article is a very good investment of time (short article –plenty of insight), regardless of what political position you hold. [Incidentally, Shahar (Dawn) is both a male and female name – this one has a beard.]
It still pays to read Hebrew
Sometime the essence of the story does make it to the Australian media. Israel's use of cluster bombs may have violated its agreements with the United States. The Age for example mentioned the key fact that cluster bombs have caused 30 deaths and 180 injuries among civilians since the end of the war, according to the United Nation's Mine Action Service.
The New York Times report which covered these developments had additional information: "Israel gave the State Department a dozen-page report late last year in which it acknowledged firing thousands of American cluster munitions into southern Lebanon but denied violating agreements that prohibit their use in civilian areas, the officials said. The cluster munitions included artillery shells, rockets and bombs dropped from aircraft, many of which had been sold to Israel years ago, one official said. Before firing at rocket sites in towns and villages, the Israeli report said, the Israeli military dropped leaflets warning civilians of the attacks. The report, which has not previously been disclosed, also noted that many of the villages were deserted because civilians had fled the fighting, the officials said."
The report continued: "Israel's Channel 2 television reported in December that the military's judge advocate general was gathering evidence for possible criminal charges against military officers who might have ordered cluster bombs fired into populated areas. Israel has told the State Department that it originally tried targeted strikes against Hezbollah, but those proved ineffective."
The Hebrew Haaretz which based its report on the New York Times added more from its reporter Meron Rapoport, who broke the original story about the use of the bombs. Two weeks before the end of the war when the IDF realised that the chances of actually hitting the short-range rocket launchers were very small indeed It was decided to use the cluster bombs.
This kind of munitions was regarded was problematic because of the way the bomblets get distributed over a wide area. The majority of the authorities on international law believe that it should not be used because of the high risk of hitting civilians.
Rapoport continued: "It is not know as yet who in the IDF made the decision to use cluster bombs. The matter is being investigated currently by an investigating committee headed by major-general Gershon HaCohen which has not completed its work. But it is clear that that use was massive. In less than a fortnight four million bomblets were fired on Lebanon mainly in MLRS rockets. (There are 655 bomblets inside each rocket.) This is an identical number to that used by the Americans in Iraq during the entire war and over an area several hundredfold times larger.
"The aim, as an officer in the rocket units explained to Haaretz was to cover large areas of south Lebanon with cluster bombs in order to prevent the Hezbollah fighters from entering them."
Advanced notice: I hope to sooner or later cover Jimmy Carter controversial book "Palestine: Peace not Apartheid. In the meantime you can listen to the man himself speaking on Radio National. This interview can be heard by clicking on this link and then clicking the arrow next to the listing 8.05: Jimmy Carter.
[The independent Middle East News Service concentrates on providing alternative information chiefly from Israeli sources. It is sponsored by the Australian Jewish Democratic Society. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the AJDS. These are expressed in its own statements]
Find more from Middle East News Service on InfoPages.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Dr Razieh Razavynia is a dentist in Montreal with an impressive and advanced dental technology experience. Director of the Clinique Dentaire Lachine she has obtained her Doctorate in Dental Medicine at the Universite de Montreal in 2001.
A degree in the fields of Art and Medical Laboratory Sciences from Concordia Unversity, Dr Razi continued her studies in Biology which led her to obtain her degree in dentistry. In 2005, she acquired the Clinique Dentaire Lachine, a well founded family oriented operation in existence since well over 45 years.
It is of great importance to Dr Razavynia to pursue her education through extended professional development in order to offer the best to her valued patients.


text:
@interface MoviePickerController ()
@property (nonatomic, strong) MovieRecord *selectedMovieImage;
@property (nonatomic, strong) NSMutableArray *images;
@property (nonatomic, strong) AVPlayer *avPlayer;
@property (nonatomic, strong) AVPlayerViewController *playerViewController;
@end

@implementation MoviePickerController

-(instancetype)init {
    self = [super init];
    if (self != nil) {
        self.assetsFetchResult = nil;
        self.selectedMovieImage = nil;
        self.firstFrame = 5;
        self.show_time = YES;
        self.show_playbutton = YES;
        self.cell_height = 200.0;
        self.button_Size = 60.0;
        self.button_Alpha = 0.3;
    }
    return self;
}

- (void)viewDidLoad {
    [super viewDidLoad];
    if (self.assetsFetchResult == nil) {
        self.assetsFetchResult = [PHAsset fetchAssetsWithMediaType:PHAssetMediaTypeVideo options:nil];
    }
    self.images = [[NSMutableArray alloc] init];
    UIImage *placeHolder = [[[UIImage imageNamed:@"Placeholder"] grayscale] imageByApplyingAlpha:0.3];
    [self.assetsFetchResult enumerateObjectsUsingBlock:^(id  _Nonnull obj, NSUInteger idx, BOOL * _Nonnull stop) {
        MovieRecord *MImage = [[MovieRecord alloc]init];
        MImage.image = placeHolder;
        MImage.phAsset = obj;
        [self.images addObject:MImage];
    }];
    self.navigationItem.rightBarButtonItem  = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithTitle:@"Select" style:UIBarButtonItemStylePlain target:self action:@selector(doneSelection)];
    self.navigationItem.rightBarButtonItem.enabled = NO;
    self.navigationItem.leftBarButtonItem = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithBarButtonSystemItem:UIBarButtonSystemItemCancel target:self action:@selector(cancelSelection)];
    [self retrieveImages];
}

-(void)viewWillDisappear:(BOOL)animated {
    [super viewWillDisappear:animated];
}

-(void)viewWillAppear:(BOOL)animated {
    [super viewWillAppear:animated];
    if (self.avPlayer != nil) {
        [self.avPlayer pause];
        [self.avPlayer replaceCurrentItemWithPlayerItem:nil];
    }
}

-(void)retrieveImages {
    for (__block PHAsset *thisAsset in self.assetsFetchResult) {
        PHVideoRequestOptions *videoRequestOptions = [[PHVideoRequestOptions alloc] init];
        videoRequestOptions.version = PHVideoRequestOptionsVersionCurrent;
        videoRequestOptions.deliveryMode = PHVideoRequestOptionsDeliveryModeFastFormat;
        [[PHImageManager defaultManager] requestAVAssetForVideo:thisAsset options:videoRequestOptions resultHandler:^(AVAsset *asset, AVAudioMix *audioMix, NSDictionary *info) {
            __block AVAsset *savedAsset = asset;
            AVURLAsset *assetURL = [AVURLAsset assetWithURL:((AVURLAsset *)asset).URL];
            __block NSNumber *size;
            [assetURL.URL getResourceValue:&size forKey:NSURLFileSizeKey error:nil];

            NSString *str= [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",assetURL.URL];
            NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:str];
            __block AVURLAsset *avAsset = [AVURLAsset URLAssetWithURL:url options:nil];
            AVAssetImageGenerator *generator = [[AVAssetImageGenerator alloc] initWithAsset:asset];
            CMTime time = CMTimeMake(self.firstFrame, 1);
            NSArray *times = [NSArray arrayWithObject:[NSValue valueWithCMTime:time]];
            [generator generateCGImagesAsynchronouslyForTimes:times completionHandler:^(CMTime requestedTime, CGImageRef  _Nullable image, CMTime actualTime, AVAssetImageGeneratorResult result, NSError * _Nullable error) {
                if (result != AVAssetImageGeneratorSucceeded) {
                    NSLog(@"couldn't generate thumbnail, error:%@", error);
                } else {
                    UIImage *NewImage  = [[UIImage alloc] initWithCGImage:image];

                    NSInteger degrees = [savedAsset videoOrientationDegrees];
                    if (degrees != 0) {
                        NewImage = [NewImage imageRotatedByDegrees:-degrees];
                    }
                    if (self.show_time) {
                        NewImage = [self drawTime:NewImage TimeStr:[self TimeFromCMTime:avAsset.duration]];
                    }
                    for (MovieRecord *image in self.images) {
                        if ([thisAsset.creationDate isEqualToDate:image.phAsset.creationDate]) {
                            image.image = NewImage;
                            image.avAsset = avAsset;
                            image.fileSize = size;
                            [self performSelectorOnMainThread:@selector(reloadTable) withObject:nil waitUntilDone:NO];
                            break;
                        }
                    }
                }
            }];
        }];
    }
}

-(void)reloadTable {
    [self.tableView reloadData];
}

- (IBAction)cancelSelection {
    [self dismissViewControllerAnimated:YES completion:^{
        if (self.movieCancelBlock != nil)
        {
            self.movieCancelBlock();
        }
    }];
}

- (IBAction)doneSelection {
    [self dismissViewControllerAnimated:YES completion:^{
        if (self.movieSelectedBlock != nil)
        {
            self.movieSelectedBlock(self.selectedMovieImage);
        }
    }];
}

#pragma mark - Table view data source

- (NSInteger)numberOfSectionsInTableView:(UITableView *)tableView {
    return 1;
}

- (NSInteger)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView numberOfRowsInSection:(NSInteger)section {
    return [self.assetsFetchResult count];
}

- (UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath {
    static NSString *TableCellIdentifier = @"MoviePickerCell";
    MovieViewCell *cell = [tableView dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier: TableCellIdentifier];
    if (cell == nil) {
        cell = [[MovieViewCell alloc] initWithStyle:UITableViewCellStyleDefault reuseIdentifier:TableCellIdentifier];
        CGRect rect = CGRectMake(5, 5, self.tableView.frame.size.width - 10, self.cell_height - 10);
        cell.imageView = [[UIImageView alloc] initWithFrame:rect];
        [cell.imageView setContentMode:UIViewContentModeScaleAspectFit];
        [cell addSubview:cell.imageView];
        if (self.show_playbutton) {
            cell.playButton = [[UIButton alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake((rect.size.width - self.button_Size)/2, (rect.size.height - self.button_Size)/2, self.button_Size, self.button_Size)];
            UIImage *playImage = [[UIImage imageNamed:@"Play"] imageByApplyingAlpha:self.button_Alpha];
            [cell.playButton setBackgroundImage:playImage forState:UIControlStateNormal];
            [cell.playButton addTarget:nil action:@selector(playMovie:) forControlEvents:UIControlEventTouchUpInside];
            [cell addSubview:cell.playButton];
        }
    }
    NSUInteger row = [indexPath row];
    MovieRecord *img = [self.images objectAtIndex:row];
    cell.imageView.image = img.image;
    cell.playButton.tag = row;
    cell.playButton.hidden = (img.avAsset == nil);
    return cell;
}

- (CGFloat)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView heightForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath {
    return self.cell_height;
}

- (void)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView didSelectRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath {
    self.navigationItem.rightBarButtonItem.enabled = YES;
    NSInteger row = [indexPath row];
    MovieRecord *image = [self.images objectAtIndex:row];
    self.selectedMovieImage = image;
}

- (UIImage *)drawTime: (UIImage *) Image TimeStr:(NSString *) timeStr {
    CGFloat minSize = MIN(Image.size.height,Image.size.width);
    UIFont *thisFont = [UIFont systemFontOfSize:minSize/7];
    NSDictionary *attributes = @{
                                 NSFontAttributeName:thisFont,
                                 NSForegroundColorAttributeName:[UIColor blackColor],
                                 NSStrokeColorAttributeName:[UIColor whiteColor],
                                 NSStrokeWidthAttributeName: [NSNumber numberWithFloat:-2.0]
                                 };
    NSAttributedString *str     = [[NSAttributedString alloc] initWithString:timeStr attributes:attributes];
    CGSize strSize  = [str size];
    CGPoint location = CGPointMake(Image.size.width - (strSize.width + 10), Image.size.height - (strSize.height + 3));
    UIGraphicsBeginImageContext(Image.size);
    [Image drawInRect:CGRectMake(0,0,Image.size.width,Image.size.height)];
    [[UIColor whiteColor] set];
    [timeStr drawAtPoint:location withAttributes:attributes];
    UIImage *newImage = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext();
    UIGraphicsEndImageContext();
    return newImage;
}

- (IBAction)playMovie:(UIButton *)sender {
    NSInteger row = sender.tag;
    NSIndexPath *indexPath = [NSIndexPath indexPathForRow:row inSection:0];
    [self.tableView selectRowAtIndexPath:indexPath animated:YES scrollPosition:UITableViewScrollPositionMiddle];
    MovieRecord *image = [self.images objectAtIndex:row];
    AVPlayerItem *playerItem = [AVPlayerItem playerItemWithAsset:image.avAsset];

    if (!self.avPlayer) {
        self.avPlayer = [[AVPlayer alloc] initWithPlayerItem:playerItem];
    } else {
        [self.avPlayer replaceCurrentItemWithPlayerItem:playerItem];
    }
    self.avPlayer.allowsExternalPlayback = NO;
    if (!self.playerViewController) {
        self.playerViewController = [[AVPlayerViewController alloc] init];
        self.playerViewController.view.frame = self.view.frame;
        [self.view addSubview: self.playerViewController.view];
    }
    [self.avPlayer seekToTime:CMTimeMake(0, 1)];
    self.playerViewController.allowsPictureInPicturePlayback = NO;
    self.playerViewController.videoGravity = AVLayerVideoGravityResizeAspect;
    self.playerViewController.view.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = YES;
    self.playerViewController.player = self.avPlayer;
    [self.playerViewController.player play];
    [self.navigationController pushViewController:self.playerViewController animated:NO];
}

-(NSString *)TimeFromCMTime:(CMTime)cmtime {
    float videoDurationSeconds = CMTimeGetSeconds(cmtime);
    NSDate* date = [NSDate dateWithTimeIntervalSince1970:videoDurationSeconds];
    NSDateFormatter *dateFormatter = [[NSDateFormatter alloc] init];
    [dateFormatter setTimeZone:[NSTimeZone timeZoneWithName:@"UTC"]];
    [dateFormatter setDateFormat:@"HH:mm:ss"];
    NSString* result = [dateFormatter stringFromDate:date];
    return result;
}

@end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
High Tide Nearly Triples Revenue…
High Tide Nearly Triples Revenue in Q2 to $19.6 Million
Published by NCV Newswire
High Tide Reports Second Quarter 2020 Financial Results
Becomes the first Canadian cannabis retailer in its peer group to report positive adjusted EBITDA of $1.9M
CALGARY, AB, June 17, 2020 /CNW/ – High Tide Inc. ("High Tide" or the "Company") (CSE: HITI) (OTCQB: HITIF) (FRA: 2LY), a retail-focused cannabis corporation enhanced by the manufacturing and distribution of smoking accessories and cannabis lifestyle products, is pleased to report its financial and operating results for the second quarter of fiscal 2020 ending April 30, 2020.
Second Quarter 2020 – Financial Highlights:
Revenue for the three months ended April 30, 2020 increased by 197%, to $19.57 million from $6.60 million for the same quarter last year.
Gross profit for the three months ended April 30, 2020 increased by 214%, to $7.39 million from $2.35 million for the same quarter last year.
Gross profit margin for the three months ended April 30, 2020 increased to 38% from 36% for the same quarter last year.
Adjusted EBITDA(1) for the three months ended April 30, 2020 increased by 156%, to $1.94 million from an
Adjusted EBITDA loss of ($3.49 million) for the same quarter last year.
Cash and cash equivalents as at April 30, 2020 increased to $7.04 million from $0.81 million as at October 31, 2019.
The second fiscal quarter of 2020 marks a historic moment in High Tide's history. I am fiercely proud of our team for delivering adjusted EBITDA well ahead of the Company's peer group and positive cash flow from operations through their unwavering commitment to our core strategy, especially throughout the pandemic. A decade of experience with cannabis consumers has been the key ingredient to our substantial year-over-year increase in revenue and enhanced gross margin.
Raj Grover, President and Chief Executive Officer.
We are grateful to the many customers, employees, shareholders and other stakeholders who believed in High Tide's vision and today share in our success. We remain focused on continuing to strengthen our balance sheet and delivering value by furthering our retail expansion across Ontario. I am confident that our future results will continue to reinforce our position as a leading cannabis operator.
Second Quarter 2020 – Operational Highlights:
The Company successfully acquired and integrated the branded Canna Cabana locations in Hamilton and Sudbury.
The Company further developed its Saskatchewan retail presence by acquiring a licensed cannabis retail location in Tisdale, Saskatchewan.
High Tide entered into an agreement with Halo Labs to sell its KushBar assets for $12 million, subject to the required regulatory approvals.
The Company opened a Canna Cabana store in the heart of downtown Edmonton, Alberta.
Integration of the Grasscity e-commerce platform into High Tide's Las Vegas facility has resulted in continued growth of North American market share and daily transaction volume.
Through the COVID-19 pandemic existing Canna Cabana locations have remained operational and efficient, despite the challenging conditions facing retail across the country.
As of the date of this news release approximately 47,000 members have joined Cabana Club, with 55% of our average daily transactions conducted by Club members.
To date, the Company's portfolio includes a total of 36 branded retail cannabis locations in Ontario, Alberta, and Saskatchewan.
Subsequent Events:
The Company opened a KushBar store in Medicine Hat, Alberta.
The Company opened four new Canna Cabana retail locations in Ontario: Niagara Falls, Toronto – Parliament, Burlington, and Toronto – Bayview Avenue, bringing the current total to 7 Ontario stores and achieving 9% provincial market share by location as of June 9, 2020.
Selected financial information for the three and six months ended April 30, 2020:
The following is a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Net Loss:
High Tide remains focused on the fundamentals of profitable retail, while continuing to leverage cannabis and its related accessories through the Company's manufacturing and e-commerce portfolio. High Tide's diverse mix of consumer channels provides access to layered insights and context unavailable to competitors, providing the Company with an advantage in understanding the development of North American and global cannabis user preferences in real time.
The Company believes that the senior secured credit facility advanced by Windsor Capital, the proceeds from the sale of the common shares of Halo Labs, and achieving positive cash flow from operations has positioned High Tide to execute on its strategic growth objectives in 2020. The Company is well positioned and funded to further its expansion in Ontario, as Canada's largest and most underserved market.
About High Tide Inc.
High Tide is a retail-focused cannabis company enhanced by the manufacturing and distribution of smoking accessories and cannabis lifestyle products. Its premier Canadian retail brand Canna Cabana spans 33 locations in Ontario, Alberta, and Saskatchewan, with additional locations under development across Canada. High Tide has been serving cannabis consumers for over a decade through its numerous lifestyle accessory enterprises including e-commerce platforms Grasscity.com and CBDcity.com, lifestyle and licensed entertainment brand manufacturer Famous Brandz, and its distribution divisions RGR Canada and Valiant Distribution.
High Tide's strategy as a parent company is to extend and strengthen its integrated value chain, while providing a complete customer experience and maximizing shareholder value. Key industry investors in High Tide include Aphria Inc. (TSX: APHA) (NYSE: APHA) and Aurora Cannabis Inc. (NYSE: ACB) (TSX: ACB).
For more information about High Tide Inc., please visit www.hightideinc.com and its profile page on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
The NCV Newswire by New Cannabis Ventures aims to curate high quality content and information about leading cannabis companies to help our readers filter out the noise and to stay on top of the most important cannabis business news. The NCV Newswire is hand-curated by an editor and not automated in anyway. Have a confidential news tip? Get in touch.
Canada, high tide, hiti, hitif
Global Cannabis Stock Index Slides 10th Consecutive Month to End 2021 Down 26%
These Key Canadian Cannabis Companies Will Be Reporting Financials in January
Global Cannabis Stocks Index Ends at 52-Week Low in November
Investing in Cannabis Has Become More Nuanced


An Individual Retirement Account (IRA) is an investment account specifically for saving money for retirement. An IRA can be an important part of the planning process and may offer tax benefits.
Here are six reasons you might consider contributing to an IRA.
You want a tax benefit now. The traditional IRA typically offers a Federal tax benefit now by contributing up to a certain amount each year on a tax-deferred basis, so you don't pay taxes until the amount is distributed or withdrawn. Your taxable income is reduced by your contribution amount. Income and contribution limits apply.
You want a tax benefit later. The Roth IRA offers tax-free earnings at retirement. Although not tax-deductible at the time of contribution, your earnings accumulate tax-free and remain tax-free at withdraw. Income and contribution limits apply.
Your employer doesn't offer a 401(k). Retirement planning shouldn't be put off if your employer doesn't offer a 401(k). Like a 401(k), opening a traditional IRA also lets you contribute pre-tax dollars to your retirement, up to the IRA annual limit. Plus, an IRA gives you the added benefit of investing in nearly anything you'd like, without the limitations of an employer's options.
You're self-employed. If you run a business or you earn self-employment income, you can contribute to a SEP or Simple IRA. Like a traditional IRA, contributions are made with pre-tax money. You can also offer this option to employees.
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Not sure if an IRA is right for you? As the financial advisor through CUSO Financial Services, L.P.* (CFS) at 1st United Credit Union, I can help you develop a strategy for retirement that meets your needs. I'm available to talk by phone or we can meet at any 1st United branch. Schedule your appointment today.
*Non-deposit investment products and services are offered through CUSO Financial Services, L.P. ("CFS"), a registered broker-dealer (Member FINRA/SIPC) and SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Products offered through CFS: are not NCUA/NCUSIF or otherwise federally insured, are not guarantees or obligations of the Credit Union, and may involve investment risk including possible loss of principal. Investment Representatives are registered through CFS. The Credit Union has contracted with CFS to make non-deposit investment products and services available to Credit Union members. Insurance products and services are offered through CFS Insurance and Technology Services, LLC.
CFS representatives do not provide tax or legal guidance. For such guidance, please consult with a qualified professional.


These double rooms give you a sea view. They come with Wi-Fi*, a DVD player, satellite TV, a minibar*, tea and coffee facilities, a safe and a hairdryer.
These double rooms are kitted out with Wi-Fi*, a DVD player, satellite TV, a minibar*, tea and coffee facilities, a safe and a hairdryer. A limited number of these rooms are available on special offer, on a first come first served basis.
These double rooms come with Wi-Fi*, a DVD player, satellite TV, a minibar*, tea and coffee facilities, a safe and a hairdryer.
These double rooms have a limited sea view. They come with Wi-Fi*, a DVD player, satellite TV, a minibar*, tea and coffee facilities, a safe and a hairdryer.


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Corona Business Grant
Disinfectants are more in demand than ever since the start of the pandemic, whether in hospitals or in private households. That is why the Cameroonian chemical company GIC Bellomar developed a process to convert food waste into bioethanol - to produce disinfectants. "With our own resources, we were able to start production and distribution of bioethanol on a smaller scale. But that was not enough to satisfy the demand for our product. It quickly became clear: we wanted to start mass production. But we lacked the financial means to do so," recalls Martial Gervais Oden Bella, owner of GIC Bellomar. By participating in WIDU.africa, the company was able to continue paying the salaries of its employees, finance the transport of fruit to the company and thus expand the production of its disinfectant.
"The grant has allowed us to improve our productivity. Today, our products play an important role in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic in Cameroon."
Martial Gervais
"I am a business and finance consultant living in Germany. My friend lives in Cameroon and because of Corona, his start-up was facing financial problems. So I invited him to apply for the Corona Business Grant."
Andre Romial
Created Jobs: 10


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Disclaimer: The following post is nothing more than an excuse to talk about the upcoming movie, World War Z.
Today is the last day of the 2013 Blogging from A-Z Challenge. Throughout the month of April, I featured some of my favorite speculative fiction books, as I ran through the 26 letters of the alphabet. By so doing, I have also discovered quite a few books I wouldn't have read otherwise. These books have covered the full spectrum of the genres under the speculative fiction umbrella, namely science fiction, fantasy and horror. The last book I'll be featuring is one that crosses the line between these genres and non-fiction.
The Zombie Survival Guide is precisely what it claims to be: a practical handbook on how to survive in the event of a zombie apocalypse. It was written by Max Brooks, and published in 2003. Its pages are filled with what should be considered best practices in the wake of such a threat. Mr. Brooks lends the whole thing some credibility by ending with a chronological account of zombie encounters, hinting at the inevitability of an impending zombie outbreak.
Following the publication and success of The Zombie Survival Guide, Mr. Brooks wrote a follow-up novel entitled World War Z. It was released in 2006, and it traces the events surrounding a ten-year global war with the undead. Unlike its predecessor, it was written with a much darker tone, but still manages to retain the former's humorous nature. In other words, even if you don't believe in zombies and such, these books are still worth checking out for their underlying humor alone.
The last decent zombie movie from a major Hollywood studio (that I can think of) was Warm Bodies. So you can imagine my excitement when I first saw the preview for World War Z. The Brad Pitt produced movie is currently due for a midsummer release, and it stars none other than Brad Pitt himself. I think it is only natural for fans of the genre to celebrate its coming release, if only because it could bring to the genre the mass appeal that would ensure that more movies like this get made.
And just in case you haven't seen it yet, I'll leave you with the awesome trailer that's got others like me clamoring with excitement.
Posted by Michael Abayomi at 08:00 33 comments:
Yesterday's Gone
Yesterday's Gone is one of several ongoing serials by writing duo, Sean Platt and David Wright. It is a post-apocalyptic thriller started in 2011. It was modeled after popular TV series like Lost and 24. Each "episode" is typically around 20,000 words in length, and at the end of a six-episode season, all the episodes therein are repackaged as a novel-length omnibus. The premise of the series is simple: on the 15th of October, at precisely 2:15 a.m., a vast majority of the people on Earth vanish.
The story follows an ensemble cast of characters, who awaken the morning after the night in question to find their various towns and cities completely deserted. These include a journalist who is haunted by the fact that he didn't find enough time for his family when it mattered, and a serial killer who makes a transition to antihero when it becomes apparent that his usual prey has been replaced by something much more sinister. And much of the fun is in watching how these characters inevitably cross paths with one another.
The first book that came to mind after seeing Yesterday's Gone for the first time was Left Behind. And indeed, the similarities between the two cannot be ignored, even though those similarities end with their shared premise. In the latter, it is a much smaller group of people (the true believers) who vanish overnight, and they presumably vanish to a better place. Here, it is the vast majority who disappear, and from what I can tell you from the little I have read (season one), they didn't exactly vanish to a better place.
Yesterday's Gone works because its writers have managed to find a way to keep the ball rolling. From the very beginning, the reader is left with one of several questions. Where did everybody go? Why have some been left behind? What role does the government have to play in all this? How are the characters ever going to survive such overwhelming odds? And just when it seems things are finally adding up, a new twist is introduced that blows all previous theories out of the water.
Xenocide is a science-fiction novel by Orson Scott Card. It is the third book in his Ender's Game series, and was published in 1991. The first two books in the series, Ender's Game and Speakers of the Dead, are renowned for winning both the Hugo and Nebula awards, and I am indeed ashamed to admit I am yet to read any of them. But I was pretty strapped for a speculative fiction book worthy enough to highlight for letter X in the ongoing A-Z Challenge. The following synopsis has been lifted straight from the book's Amazon page:
The war for survival of the planet Lusitania will be fought in the hearts of a child named Gloriously Bright.
On Lusitania, Ender found a world where humans and pequininos and the Hive Queen could all live together; where three very different intelligent species could find common ground at last. Or so he thought.
Lusitania also harbors the descolada, a virus that kills all humans it infects, but which the pequininos require in order to become adults. The Startways Congress so fears the effects of the descolada, should it escape from Lusitania, that they have ordered the destruction of the entire planet, and all who live there. The Fleet is on its way, a second xenocide seems inevitble.
Now then. This is the part where I am suppose to weigh in with my thoughts, or say something witty about the book. But since the book in question is still buried deep in my TBR pile, I'll leave the weighing in to those familiar with the story. Anyone?
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a beloved American fantasy book written by L. Frank Baum, and first published in 1900. It is best known for its 1939 movie adaptation, a film that is considered one of the most iconic films ever made.
The story begins with a young girl named Dorothy, who is whisked away from Kansas by a raging cyclone (along with her house, and her dog, Toto) and deposited in the land of Oz. Her very arrival puts an end to the reign of the Wicked Witch of the East, who is unfortunately crushed to death by her falling house, thereby freeing the race of little people living there (called the Munchkins) from her tyranny.
Dorothy is welcomed by the Good Witch of the North, who tells her that the Munchkins were prepared to accept her as their new ruler. But when Dorothy expresses her desire to return home, she is told that only the great Oz could grant that desire, a powerful wizard who rules over the land from his castle in the City of Emeralds
In order to reach the Emerald City, Dorothy must journey down the yellow brick road. Along the way, she is joined by an unlikely cast of allies. These include a scarecrow who desires a brain so he could be human; a tin woodman who desires a heart so he could learn to love once again; and a lion who desire courage so he could become the king of all beasts. And they all come to believe that only the great Oz could grant their desires.
Is it just me, or did this classic childrens' book have a disturbing amount of decapitations? It was like one moment they were frolicking through the woods and enjoying the scenery, and the next they were hacking the heads off wolves and other nasties. This was especially surprising since, like most people, I'd seen the 1939 movie before reading the book. And while the entire book could be accused of being formulaic, it is only because it helped introduce that formula, which is still being used till this very day.
The Vampire Lestat is the second book in The Vampire Chronicles. It was published in 1985, and formed part of the basis for the 2002 movie, Queen of the Damned. It is the first book in the series to be told exclusively from Lestat's perspective, after Louis' less-than-favorable portrayal of the character in Interview with the Vampire.
Following the events of the previous book, Lestat spends more than half a century in hibernation. But he is awakened by the sights and sounds of the 1980s, in particular, the music of a band called Satan's Night Out. He joins the band as lead singer, renaming it to The Vampire Lestat, and he uses it as a vehicle to achieve both fame and grandeur. He then proceeds to narrate how he'd become a vampire.
Lestat was born in 18th century France, to an aristocratic family that had fallen on hard times. Growing up in the countryside in his father's dilapidated estate, Lestat had always harbored dreams of fame. One day, he escapes to Paris with his friend, Nicki, in a bid to realize those dreams. But he was to meet with fate instead, and he is transformed into a vampire by another named Magnus, who then abandons him after the act.
Lestat inherits Magnus' estate, and relishes his newfound powers, but his joy is short lived when he is payed a visit by his mother, who had fallen gravely ill. Unable to bear losing her, Lestat transforms her into a vampire as well, expecting that they'd spend the rest of eternity together. But like most vampires, she quickly loses interest in him following the transformation, and she seeks adventure elsewhere.
Lestat then meets another vampire named Armand, from whom he learns about his maker, Marius, one of the oldest known vampires. He immediately becomes obsessed with finding Marius, and he journeys around the world, leaving a trail that would hopefully lead Marius to him.
The Vampire Lestat is considered the best book in the series by many. It covered a lot more ground than book one, and also showed us a different side of the titular character. Lestat is one of my favorite antiheroes, known for his arrogance and lust for power. And while I can see why The Vampire Lestat could be considered the best in the series, I'd still reserve that honor for Interview with the Vampire, simply because it was where we were first introduced to Anne Rice's take on the vampire myth.
The Underland Chronicles
The Underland Chronicles is a young adult fantasy series by Suzanne Collins. The five books in the series were published between 2003 and 2007. They follow the adventures of an eleven-year-old boy named Gregor, and his two-year-old sister, Boots, who discover a place called the Underland after falling through a hole behind their washing machine.
The Underland lies directly underneath New York City. It was first settled by humans some 600 years prior to the time of the stories. These people, led by a man known as Bartholomew of Sandwich, built the stone city of Regalia as their new home. Over the years, they become paler due to their lack of exposure to sunlight. And the overlanders (that's us) live completely oblivious to their existence.
The Underland is also home to a number of other races. These include giant versions of what we call rats, bats, cockroaches, spiders, mice and ants, each with its own settlement. Most of them live in isolation from one another, but there are few who are allied, like the humans and bats for instance, and others still who are at war with one another. Much of the conflict in the books centers on the war between humans and rats.
Throughout the series, Gregor and Boots become subject to the prophecies of Sandwich, who had foreseen their coming to the Underland, and had written those prophecies to guide their adventures. And so in each book, the siblings end up embarking on a quest that causes them to journey through the Underland. There are always several twists and turns along the way, and only by the fulfillment of these quests do they learn the true meaning of the prophecies involved.
Suzanne Collins is better known for her other young adult series, The Hunger Games, largely due to the ongoing series of movies based on those books. But The Underland Chronicles is every bit as praiseworthy, even though it is clearly geared towards a slightly younger audience. It has a better cast of characters, like the ill-mannered rat, Ripred, and the mean-spirited princess, Luxa. But the most interesting character in the bunch is Gregor, who aside from looking after his little sister, also has to embrace his role as savior of the Underland.
I'm pretty sure I'll be losing some credibility for this post. But what can I say? You've got to give credit where credit is due. I was one of those who flocked to read Twilight due to the hype that preceded the release of its 2008 movie adaptation. Like others, I was just hoping to see what all the hubbub was about. Little did I know at the time that the Twilight saga would end up overstaying its welcome, all thanks to those movies.
Twilight was published in 2005, and it was there that we were first introduced to Bella Swan, who had just moved to Forks, Washington, to live with her father, Charlie. A new town meant a new school, and Bella tries to adjust to both. The narrative doesn't shift into gear until one day in class when she is paired with Edward Cullen, a mysterious boy who for reasons unknown to her seems to find her repulsive.
The next time they are paired together, Edward seemed to have overcome that repulsion somewhat, and the two of them forge an unlikely friendship over time. Then one day, Edward inexplicably saves Bella from being crushed in the school parking lot, by stopping an out-of-control car with his bare hands. Edward dismisses the feat when confronted about it, and Bella begins to suspect that he was something not quite human, a suspicion that would eventually lead her to a discovery that would forever change her life.
Of all the books in the series, I still favor the eponymous Twilight. This is probably because the infamous Bella-Edward-Jacob love triangle wouldn't rear its ugly head until the second book, New Moon (I was on Team Jacob by the way). I also expected the other books to dive deeper into the vampire origin story, an expectation that was sadly never met. So back then, the first book and the entire series seemed so ripe with potential. It's a shame it all had to end for better or worse in Breaking Dawn.
Sphere is the second of the two Michael Crichton books I am highlighting for the A-Z Challenge. It was published in 1987, and subsequently adapted into a movie in 1998. It tells the story of a team of scientists who have been assembled to investigate the origins of a spaceship that has been lying on the ocean floor for more than 300 years.
Norman Johnson is the oldest member of that team, a middle-aged psychologist who'd written a report for the U.S. government, describing how to handle first contact with Unknown Life Forms (ULF), a request he'd assumed was nothing more than a joke. The team is transported from one of several naval ships gathered above the spacecraft, to a deep sea habitat that has been built to better aid in their investigation.
During their first expedition, they discover that the spacecraft was not of alien origin, but actually an American space vessel from the future. According to the records logged on its computers, it was caught in a black hole and then sent back in time, where it subsequently crashed into the ocean. But further investigation reveals a strange spherical artifact in the ships cargo hold, which was clearly not man-made.
Shortly thereafter, the team is severed from the rest of the fleet by a storm, and they are told they would be stranded in the habitat for at least one week. This leaves them with nothing to do but continue their investigation, the purpose and origin of the sphere eventually becoming an obsession for the individual members of the team. But their study is disturbed by a series of strange occurrences. This includes the sudden manifestation of a ULF named Jerry, who communicates with them through the habitat's computers.
Sphere is without a doubt my favorite Michael Crichton novel. It perfectly captured the sense of isolation experienced by the inhabitants of the habitat, and at the same time, the feeling of distrust that crept between them when things started to go wrong. Most of that is reminiscent of the John Carpenter movie, The Thing, another science-fiction story that explored our inherent fear of the unknown. Except Sphere delves even deeper into the darkest recesses of the human mind.
The Running Man is a science fiction novel by Stephen King. It was originally published in 1982, under his Richard Bachman pen name. It was one of few novels to be published under that name (before its association to his more popular brand was leaked to the general public), all of which were collected into an omnibus titled The Bachman Books. It was later adapted into a 1987 movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as the main character, Benjamin Richards.
Ben Richards is a man running out of options. He is out of work and unable to fend for his family. His 18-month-old daughter is sick, and his wife has been forced into prostitution. He is just one of many citizens living in the slumlike Co-Op City, the dregs of a dystopian USA where the economy is in shambles. For such people, there is only one hope for a better life: by becoming a contestant in one of the violent game shows aired by the Games Network.
After a grueling application process, Richards is one of two contestants selected for the network's highest rated show, The Running Man. It is a show wherein contestants are hunted down like fugitives. For each hour he manages to stay one step ahead of the authorities, Ben (or more precisely his family) would receive a hundred dollars. He would also receive a hundred dollars for each "hunter" or law enforcement officer he kills. And if he somehow manages to last the full thirty days duration of the show, he would win the grand prize of one billion dollars.
The Running Man is yet another book that bears considerable similarities to The Hunger Games. It is a comparison that has been drawn by even the King himself. With an ending that is worthy of a Quentin Tarantino screenplay, it is no wonder why fans of the latter are always quick to point out the former's negative outlook. Personally, I enjoyed reading both titles, but would probably give The Running Man the one-up, if only because its story wasn't built around silly love triangles.
The Queen of the Damned
The Queen of the Damned is the third book in The Vampire Chronicles, picking up right where the previous book left off. Most people might remember it for its 2002 movie adaptation starring Stuart Townsend and the late R&B singer, Aaliyah, which also covers material from the second book in the series, The Vampire Lestat.
Following the events of the previous book (which I'll be highlighting next week), the vampire underworld is thrown into a state of turmoil by the awakening of the ancient vampire queen, Akasha. Countless vampires fall victim to her limitless power as she searches for the very vampire who had awakened her, Lestat. Many also experience shared dreams about a pair of twin sisters who seem to be in distress.
In a bid to understand the significance of these dreams, a counsel of sorts is held by a group of vampires. One of them is a woman named Maharet, known for keeping records of her mortal relatives and their lineages. She reveals that she is in fact one of the twins seen in the recent dreams and visions, then embarks on her story, which traces the history of vampires back to Ancient Egypt.
Meanwhile, Akasha catches up with Lestat and takes him to various remote locations around the world, where she incites the women she finds to "kill the men who have oppressed them." The full extent of her plan is made known when she goes to meet Maharet and her gathering of vampires. She intends to get rid of 90 percent of the men in the world, thereby creating a "new Eden" where women will worship her like the goddess she aspires to be.
The Queen of the Damned is quite possibly the goriest book I have read. There was so much blood sucking and bone crushing that I can easily see many people taking issue with this. Aside from that, its take on the origin of vampires is reason enough for me to recommend it (along with the entire series of course) to anybody remotely interested in the subject matter.
Percy Jackson & the Olympians is a fantasy series by Rick Riordan. The books are based on stories from Greek mythology, and are well noted for reimagining events and characters from these stories, placing them in a present-day setting. Each book tracks the development of the eponymous main character, Perseus, who becomes the subject of a prophecy that would determine the fate of the titular Olympians.
Percy Jackson is a teenage boy suffering from dyslexia and ADHD. He is also the son of Poseidon, god of the sea. And he is not alone. All through human history, the Greek gods have had affairs with mortals. The children of such unions are the heroes of legend known as demigods, who aid the gods by embarking on quests on their behalf. Except not all demigods were inherently good.
Following the events of the Second World War, which according to the books was started by disagreements between demigods, the gods of Olympus came to an all-important decision. The three most powerful gods - Zeus, Poseidon and Hades - were made to promise not to father more children with mortal women, since such children tended to be the most unstable of all the demigods.
But of course, the promise is eventually broken, and Percy is born. And like all other demigods, he somehow ends up attracting all sorts of monsters from myth and legend, all of them seeking to destroy him before he is strong enough to hunt them down. In order to learn how to defend himself, he attends Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp where demigods are trained in preparation for a life in service of the gods.
The Percy Jackson books are fast-paced adventures where the characters are constantly faced with challenges. They are also quite comical, which gives the series most of its appeal. The first book in the series, The Lightning Thief, was adapted into a 2010 blockbuster movie, while The Sea of Monsters (#2 in the series) is presently slated for a late summer release. I was one of those who found the first movie considerably disappointing, so hopefully they'll be able to get things right this time around.
Frank Peretti is a bestselling writer of supernatural thrillers with Christian themes. He has been called "a sanctified Stephen King" and his books have sold more than 15 million copies collectively. His debut novel, This Present Darkness, dealt with spiritual warfare between angels and demons, and the role our prayers have to play in such warfare. In The Oath, he tackles the subject of sin and its many ramifications.
Following the death of a nature photographer named Cliff Benson, his brother, Steve, journeys to the mining town of Hyde River to ID the body they'd found in the woods, which was missing a head and an arm. Cliff, who had been out camping with his wife, Evelyn, is believed to have been killed by a rogue bear. But Steve finds that hard to accept, being an expert in such attacks. He launches further investigations into the matter, and he is aided by a woman named Tracy Ellis, the Sheriff's Deputy.
It doesn't take long before their investigation ruffles a few feathers in the sleepy little town, with most of the townsfolk being reluctant to help them out. According to Tracy, they were all sworn to an oath of secrecy that was included in the town charter when it was founded many years ago, which prevented them from sharing what they knew with anyone from outside their town. The only person willing to help them is a man named Levi Cobb, a mechanic resented by the townsfolk for his morals.
While the investigation is going on, a series of deaths and disappearances also sweep through the town. Tracy informs Steve that the townspeople believe it is being caused by a giant dragon, a belief they have passed down from generation to generation, used to explain any and every strange occurrence in their town. Except Levi doesn't regard the dragon as mere myth. And when the townspeople learn he has broken the oath by sharing part of their secret, they are willing to go to any lengths to contain the leak.
The first thing I love about The Oath is its unique blend of fantasy and horror. Then there is the story itself, which I feel would lend itself perfectly to a special-effects-laden blockbuster movie, if only Hollywood was inclined to adapt such stories. I also love the fact that its Christians themes, while clearly present, were presented with just the right amount of subtlety. In other words, the book didn't feel preachy at all, which I think is what defines a great Christian fiction book.
Cyberpunk is without a doubt my favorite science-fiction subgenre. It deals with near-futures where technology, typically owned by megacorporations (as opposed to governments), is used in unintended ways to augment everyday life. One of the biggest names associated with the genre is William Gibson, author of the Sprawl trilogy. His 1984 book, Neuromancer, helped shape the genre into what it is today.
In Neuromancer, a washed-out computer hacker named Henry Case is given a chance to get back into his trade. Having been caught stealing corporate data from his employer, Case was injected with a mycotoxin, damaging his central nervous system and leaving him incapable of jacking into "the Matrix," a virtual reality representation of cyberspace. He is approached by Molly, a mercenary working for an ex-military officer named Armitage, offering to repair said damage on the condition that Case helps them break into a highly-protected computer network.
Case accepts the offer, undergoing the operation needed to fix his central nervous system. But in order to ensure that he kept his end of the bargain, Armitage informs Case that sacs of the mycotoxin have also been implanted into his blood vessels, and they've been built to dissolve gradually. This would give Case just enough time to complete the job and secure a remedy, before he is crippled by the mycotoxin all over again. As they prepare and recruit the aid of other specialists, Case and Molly also begin investigating Armitage. The trail would eventually lead them to his employer, Wintermute, an artificial intelligence seeking to connect with its other half, the eponymous Neuromancer.
Neuromancer is recognized as the first novel to win the science-fiction triple crown, namely, the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, and the Philip K. Dick Award. It took me a while to really get into it, but once I became familiar with William Gibson's writing style, all the elements fell into place and the story quickly transformed into the page-turner it was intended to be.
Philip K. Dick is another one of my favorite science-fiction writers. He is perhaps best known for the posthumous success of several movie adaptations based on his novels and short stories. This includes the Ridley Scott classic, Blade Runner, a 1982 movie considered by many to be the finest science-fiction movie ever made.
The Man in the High Castle is one of his most praiseworthy accomplishments. It was published in 1962, and it won the Hugo Award for Best Novel the following year. It is primarily noted for bridging the gap between the alternate history and science fiction genres. The narrative takes place fifteen years after World War II, and it features an ensemble cast in a version of history where the Axis Powers won the war.
Following the assassination of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933, the novel's timeline forks in a different direction from our own. This crucial change in history leads to the U.S. being unable to recover from the effects of the Great Depression. They are therefore unprepared for the Second World War, and the entire Navy fleet is destroyed during the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Japanese conquer Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand and the rest of Oceania, while Nazi Germany defeats the USSR. Thereafter, both nations continue to wage war upon the United States, until it is forced to surrender in 1947, bringing an end to the war.
By the time the story begins, the Japanese have already established themselves in the west coast, in what is known as the Pacific States of America. The Nazis on the other hand own the east coast, with a concentration camp located in New York City. Both superpowers are locked in a cold war, with the Nazis also experiencing an internal power struggle, following the death of their Führer. At the same time, the Japanese are made aware of Operation Dandelion, a plan by the radical Goebbels faction to attack Japan with nuclear weapons.
The Man in the High Castle was my first foray into alternate history, with most of its science-fiction aspects taking place in the background and outside the core story. Its depiction of the United States under a fascist regime is simultaneously intriguing and disturbing. If there ever was a novel I wanted to see adapted into film, then it's most definitely this one. Thankfully, they've been recent talks of a four-part miniseries to be produced by Ridley Scott. I really hope it doesn't get lost in development hell.
This time last year, I was busy declaring my undying love for a certain movie trilogy. And now it seems I've come full circle. In a way, it only feels natural to talk about both versions of the Lord of the Rings in this order, since I saw the movies well before reading the book. But my first journey to Middle-earth was actually through a 1990 computer game. This one to be precise:
It's amazing to think that this game was once heralded as having state-of-the-art graphics. What I remember most fondly about it though was that it featured clips from the 1978 animated film, and I think that was what ignited my current love for the Lord of the Rings. The video I posted does a pretty decent job of laying down the foundation of the book's plot, so I think I can go straight to the facts and my thoughts.
The Lord of the Rings is often regarded as the definitive fantasy novel by fans of the genre. It was first published between 1954 and 1955 (in three separate volumes, even though it was written and intended to be read as one king-sized novel). Since then, it has gone on to sell more than 150 million copies, making it the second best-selling novel of all time (bested only by the Charles Dickens classic, A Tale of Two Cities).
I didn't start reading the book until fours years after the last of Peter Jackson's movie adaptations was released in 2003. And it took me another four years just to get to the end of it. Why? I don't know exactly. Maybe it was the fact that I already knew how everything would turn out. Or perhaps the long-winded passages describing every mountain, river and valley down to the last detail. But considering the fact that the book took twelve years to write, I'd say I didn't do too bad.
It was only after going back to read the book could I fully appreciate the amount of work Peter Jackson put into the movies. He took something that was already epic in its own right, then somehow managed to make it even more so. Most of that came at a price though, since he had to cut out a lot of the source material in order to make the narrative in the movies tighter.
The most memorable omissions were some of the few laugh-out-loud moments to be found in the book. Like the conversation between Gandalf and Saruman after the destruction of Isengard. And the playful banter between Gimli and Faramir about the fairness of the Lady of the Wood. It was these little things that made going back to read the book worthwhile in my opinion.
Khaled: A Tale of Arabia
Khaled: A Tale of Arabia is a fantasy novel by F. Marion Crawford. Originally published in 1891, it tells the story of a genie (the kind from Islamic folklore, not the pop culture variant that grants three wishes) that is made human as punishment for killing another man, an Indian prince who had been meaning to secure the hand of a beautiful princess named Zehowah through lies and false promises.
By very design, genies do not possess a soul, and are therefore condemned unless they can show by their actions that they believe in God. As part of his punishment, Khaled is promised a soul at the end of it on one condition: that he is able to make the princess, whose suitor he had slain, fall in love with him instead. But unknown to him, the princess in question is a very strong-willed woman who doesn't believe in love.
So Khaled is made human, and through divine intervention (and some logical reasoning on the part of the bride to be) he is able to win Zehowah's hand in marriage, the only child of the sultan, meaning he would become ruler of the desert kingdom of Riad upon the sultan's passing. The day after the wedding ceremony, he is immediately forced to prove his worth as future ruler against an enemy invasion.
Khaled leads the armies of Riad, and shows enough bravery and swordsmanship to rally them against the enemy. They drive the invaders out of their city, and continue to hunt them down as they attempt to flee across the desert. Upon his return, he tells Zehowah of all his exploits, hoping to finally win her love. But the princess, though impressed by all of it, still doesn't believe that love is a required component of their relationship. And so begins his quest to find a way to win a place in her heart.
Khaled was one of several books I read specifically for the A-Z Challenge, because lets face it, I haven't read that many speculative fiction books, not to mention those beginning with the letter K. But I'm sure glad I read this one, because Mr. Crawford's depiction of Arabia, its people, their ways and their customs is nothing short of beautiful. His descriptions tend to be long-winded though, a complaint that can be held against just about every classic fantasy story ever written.
This is the first of two Michael Crichton books I'll be highlighting for this year's A-Z Challenge. And of the two, this one is the more popular (if not his most popular), largely due to its 1993 blockbuster movie adaptation directed by Steven Spielberg.
In Jurassic Park, scientists have found a way to clone dinosaurs using DNA recovered from mosquitoes trapped in fossilized tree resins. And what better way to put that scientific breakthrough to good use than to create an island-wide theme park filled with said dinosaurs. The operation is funded by John Hammond, the billionaire CEO of InGen, a company that specializes in genetic engineering.
To make sure "Jurassic Park" is ready for the general public (despite evidence pointing to the contrary), Mr. Hammond hires a paleontologist named Alan Grant to make an assessment of the facility. He is accompanied by Ellie Sattler, a paleobotanist, and in a show of goodwill, Mr. Hammond's very own grandchildren. They are introduced to Ian Malcolm, a mathematician who believes the park is subject to the laws of chaos theory.
And just like clockwork, Ian Malcolm is proven right when a shady InGen employee named Dennis Nedry tries to steal a number of frozen dinosaur embryos, in a bid to sell them off to a rival company. He shuts down the facility's security system in order to reach the embryos, but the island is hit by a tropical storm during the theft. The dinosaurs escape, and needless to say, all manner of chaos ensue.
Michael Crichton is one of my favorite writers, even though most of his science-fiction books tend to follow the same pattern, wherein a team of scientists (each a specialist in his or her respective field) is assembled to investigate an ongoing or potential crisis. We saw this happen in The Andromeda Strain, Congo and Sphere. And the same formula works just as effectively in Jurassic Park.
Interview with the Vampire is the first book in The Vampire Chronicles, a ten-book series by Anne Rice. It was first published in 1976, and adapted into a movie starring Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise in 1994. The story is told in the form of an interview between a young reporter and a 200-year-old vampire named Louis.
Much of the story deals with Louis' experience with Lestat, the vampire responsible for giving him the "dark gift." Louis' autobiographical account begins in 1791, shortly after the death of his brother. It was at this moment of grief that he was approached by Lestat, who despite seeing Louis' desire for death, came offering him the very opposite: immortality.
Louis is turned into a vampire, an experience that is described as both excruciatingly painful and glorious. He slowly struggles to adapt to his newfound abilities and thirst, and refuses to give into their monstrous nature. But Lestat's waywardness eventually forces them to abandon his indigo plantation, after they are almost discovered by the plantation workers for the monsters they've become.
They escape to New Orleans together, where Louis begins to consider moving off on his own. In a bid to prevent this, Lestat transforms a dying six-year-old girl Louis had previously fed upon into a vampire, forcing Louis to stay and look after her. She is named Claudia, and the three of them live together in an apartment for more than 60 years, before Claudia grows weary of being forever trapped in a child's body.
Claudia and Louis end up hating Lestat for turning them into vampires, a fact that isn't helped by Lestat's selfish and arrogant manner. So they devise a plot to destroy him and travel abroad to Europe, where they hope to encounter more of their kind, and perhaps learn something of their vampire heritage.
The first time I read Interview with the Vampire, I was running a fever and pretty much bedridden. But I couldn't stop reading in spite of everything, which pretty much sums up how I felt about the book. While others tend to favor the subsequent additions to the series, mainly because they delved deeper into the vampire mythos, Interview with the Vampire will always occupy that special place inside of me.
This is a post I've been meaning to write since the day I started this blog. I've been putting it off until a time when I'd be able to give it the treatment I felt it deserved. But as the saying goes, there is no time like the present.
Like most people my age, the Harry Potter books have had a huge impact on my growing up years. Just take a glance at my bookshelf to the right and you'd get an idea just how huge. These books have been credited with everything from sparking a genuine interest in reading, to glorifying witchcraft and whatnot. The purpose of this post is not to take sides in such arguments, but to remind us why none of that matters.
Harry Potter is the story of an orphan who discovers on his eleventh birthday that he is a wizard, and that he has been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he is to learn how to make use of his inborn magical powers. But like any regular preteen, Harry struggles to adjust to his new school, not to mention a magical world he was previously unaware of.
The books aren't all about flying broomsticks and butterbeers though.
Harry's parents were killed by Lord Voldemort, a dark wizard seeking complete domination of both the magical and non-magical worlds. He would have killed Harry Potter too, except the curse rebounded, leaving Harry with a lightning-shaped scar, and Voldemort a mere, powerless husk of his former self. But the thing about wizards like Voldemort is that they don't stay powerless for very long.
The books follow a rather rigid formula. Each one covers a different year in Harry's magical education. They all open during the summer holidays, with Harry usually lamenting his stay at number four, Privet Drive. Then about midway into the book, the action moves to Hogwarts and we are introduced to the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, who of course ends up playing a pivotal role in Harry's life that year.
The only book to attempt to break from the above formula was the final one, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. There the bulk of the adventure is spent by Harry and friends hunting down horcruxes (objects enchanted to house bits of Lord Voldemort's soul, thereby bestowing him with the closest thing to immortality), while at the same time trying to elude capture by the wizarding authorities.
There are so many things to love about Harry Potter that I wouldn't even know where to begin. There's the amazing cast of unforgettable characters, who we get to watch develop from one book to the other. Then there's the world itself, which exists within our own, but is infinitely more interesting. Till today, I still get a warm feeling inside just thinking about Hagrid's hut.
To fully appreciate their brilliance, one must go back and read each book in the series at least a second time. Only then would you be able to see just how carefully plotted the entire series was. My favorite one is Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, simply because it was there that we are first shown the sheer scale of the wizarding world, with wizards from all over the world attending the Quidditch World Cup, and Hogwarts playing host to students from other schools for the Triwizard Tournament.
With over 450 million copies sold (till date), Harry Potter is the bestselling book series of all time. Even if you'd somehow managed to miss out on the books, chances are you've run across at least one of their blockbuster movie adaptations. And if you haven't, then I must applaud you for your dogged resistance to popular culture (and ask how you've been able to get an internet connection running in that cave of yours).
Stephen King is not only one of the most successful writers in the profession, but one of the most prolific too, with more than 50 books under his belt. He is also known for embracing nonstandard approaches to publishing, like in 2000, when The Plant was released as e-book installments, long before Amazon dreamt of making Kindles. The Green Mile is another such book, which was written and published in serial form.
Originally published in 1996 as six monthly installments, The Green Mile is a throwback to the days of Charles Dickens (whose books were mostly published as serials). In it, an old man in a nursing home recounts his days as a death row supervisor. His name is Paul Edgecombe, and his story takes place in 1932, at a prison known as Cold Mountain. It centers around his experiences with an inmate named John Coffey, a hulking black man who'd been convicted of the rape and murder of two white girls.
In the days leading up to his appointment with an electric chair, John shows considerable remorse for his actions. But things take an unexpected turn when he is revealed to possess certain powers, healing Paul of a severe urinary infection just by laying hands on him. This leaves Paul conflicted with the court's decision to have John electrocuted, and the role he'd have to play in it, a confliction that would eventually bring Paul to the realization that maybe John wasn't guilty of the crime he'd been accused of after all.
The Green Mile works as both a series of individual chapbooks and a complete whole. Each installment was written with subtle reminders of the story so far, and ended in such a way that the reader is left wanting more. Most importantly, there were no breaks in continuity, nor did the quality of the overall story suffer as a result of the speed with which it was written. Then again, this is Stephen King we're talking about here, the much lauded and undisputed king of horror.
Foundation is one of my favorite science fiction series, and the original trilogy is often considered a landmark achievement for the genre. It won the Hugo Award for Best All-Time Series, beating out Tolkien's the Lord of the Rings. It was originally published serially in Astounding Magazine (1942-1950), but what started off as a number of interconnected short stories would eventually grow into a series spanning seven novels.
The story begins in the distant future, at a time when humanity is ruled by a Galactic Empire that stretches from one end of the galaxy to the other. At the very center of that empire lies the planet, Trantor, its capital. It is there that a scientist named Hari Seldon develops a branch of mathematics called psychohistory. It is described as a "science of mobs," and its sole application is in the prediction of future trends.
Upon applying his newfound science to the Galactic Empire, Hari Seldon discovers that the Empire is on the verge of collapse, and that it would take at least 30,000 years before it is returned to its former glory. But further calculations reveal that this period of "barbarism" could be shortened to as little as 1,000 years, if certain actions were immediately put into effect.
And so, the Foundation is established on the remote planet, Terminus. Its members are composed primarily of scientists, working under the guise of creating the Encyclopedia Galactica, a vast repository of human knowledge. Except their placement on the very edge of the galaxy has been carefully planned by Seldon, so that through the interaction of certain political and economical forces, they would effectively be able to reestablish themselves as the center of the new Galactic Empire at the end of the thousand years.
The concept of having our lives predestined is nothing new, except here we get to see it happen on a much larger scale, spanning centuries. Very few books have left me as blown away as I was after reading the Foundation Trilogy. It was rife with so many twists and turns. The later additions to the series were just as riveting of course, but not quite like experiencing these distant worlds and concepts for the very first time.
Posted by Michael Abayomi at 08:00 8 comments:
Eragon is the first book in the epic fantasy series, Inheritance Cycle. It was originally self-published via print on demand in 2002, a time before the current boom in self-published ebooks. But perhaps most noteworthy was the fact that its writer, Christopher Paolini, was only 15 when he wrote the first draft, and 18 by the time it was ready for publication.
It was re-published by Knopf in 2003, after being discovered and acquired by one of its editors. Since then, the book has not only resulted in a 2006 movie adaptation, but gone on to sell, along with sequels Eldest, Brisingr and Inheritance, more than 33.5 million copies worldwide, making the Inheritance Cycle one of the best-selling fantasy series.
The story itself is often considered unoriginal by critics. It takes place in a world called Alagaësia, and tells of a farm boy named Eragon, who, during a hunting trip, finds a magical stone that turns out to be an egg. It hatches into a brilliant, blue dragon he names Saphira, and the two of them form a bond with one another.
Learning about the bond, the king, Galbatorix, sends his servants to capture the boy and his dragon. But Eragon and Saphira escape to the safety of the wilderness. By the time they return, it is to find their home destroyed. And so begins their quest for vengeance, as they journey the land in search of the people responsible.
The book clearly follows a well-worn formula we have seen many times before, in movies like Star Wars and other books like Harry Potter. But the fact that the book has managed to find such success means it is a formula that still resonates with its intended audience. After all, as the saying goes, you shouldn't try to fix what isn't broken.
It is common knowledge that most of the Earth's surface is covered by water; around two thirds of it, if memory serves me correctly. Granted, most of that is oceans and salt water, and therefore not fit to drink. But we still have enough fresh water to sustain the nearly ten billion people that inhabit our planet.
Now, imagine a planet where the opposite proves to be true. A desert planet named Arrakis, where the most precious resource in the known galaxy is produced. Frank Herbert's Dune is the first book in the eponymous series that paints a picture of life on such a planet, and a book considered by many to be one of the greatest science fiction novels of all time.
The story opens with the arrival of the members of House Atreides - Duke Leto Atreides; his wife, Lady Jessica; and their son, Paul Atreides - who have left the comfort of their own planet for Arrakis. They've come to take over and oversee the production of the aforementioned resource, a mind-enhancing spice known as melange. But unknown to them, their appointment has been orchestrated to foster some underhand politics.
It doesn't take long before an attack by a rival House disrupts their fledgling administration. Duke Leto is captured, while Paul Atreides and Lady Jessica are forced to seek shelter with the Fremen, a group of desert dwellers. And it is there that Paul must continue to develop his mental abilities, while preparing for a day when he would be able to exact his revenge on the evil Baron Harkonnen.
The above summary doesn't even begin to do the depth of this book any real justice. Its pages are practically teeming with details great and small. Like the giant sandworms that hunt their prey based on how much noise their footsteps make. Or the special suits the Fremen wear to retain as much bodily fluids as possible. The world is so rich that a glossary of terms is needed (and included at the back) just to keep track of everything.
And therein lies my only problem with this science-fiction classic. The constant need to look up terms like Bene Gesserit and Lisan al-Gaib. Add that to the book's doorstopper length and a minor annoyance suddenly becomes a major concern. But I guess it is all required to create a world every bit as vivid as J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth.
The Chronicles of Narnia mean different things to different people. It is considered an allegorical retelling of the Christian story on one hand. It is also considered a vehicle for "soft-sell paganism and occultism," mainly due to its magical themes. But regardless of which side of the fence you've chosen to fall, there is little doubt that The Chronicles are seven of the most beloved children/fantasy books.
Published between 1950 and 1956, each book follows the adventures of several children in a magical world called Narnia. Over the course of the entire series, we get to learn more about that world and its inhabitants. It is a world that exists parallel to ours, where men and talking beasts coexist. And from the very first book, the reader is transported there, and made to care about its fate as their actions shape its future.
There is much debate concerning the order in which the books should be read i.e. in publication order or chronological order. I am one of those who prefer to read them in publication order, simply because The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is such a good place to start. It did a decent job of introducing Narnia and characters like the White Witch and the Christ-like lion, Aslan.
That said, my favorite book in the series is actually The Magician's Nephew (#1 in chronological order), primarily because my experience with it was influenced by the buildup from the five books before it. I can't even imagine how my favorite character, the White Witch (or Jadis as she is known here), would have come across, had her villainous ways not already been introduced in the first book.
But there is little doubt I would still consider her "a dem fine woman." I wonder what that says about me as a person.
Before The Hunger Games, there was this other book called... okay, okay. I'm sure most of you must have heard this fact restated at least a thousand times by now. So I'll try my best not to let it overshadow the rest of today's post.
In Koushun Takami's Battle Royale, a group of junior high school students are kidnapped during an excursion. They awaken following a gas-induced sleep to find themselves on a remote island, where they learn they must battle one another in true gladiator style, until there is only one boy or girl left standing. It is all part of a government-funded program called (you guessed it) the Program, which was designed to instill fear into the minds of the general public, and by so doing prevent all thoughts of rebellion.
Ahem. I know I said I wasn't going to make any more references to The Hunger Games. But jeez louise, could the basic concept behind both books be any more alike if it tried? I mean, just reading the above synopsis over again and I find myself trying to remember which of the two books I am talking about here. But while both books share the same general idea, it is in the execution of that idea that each finds its respective audience.
The general word on the street is that The Hunger Games is a watered down version of Battle Royale, much the same way that Twilight is regarded when compared to Anne Rice's vampire books. Also, unlike Hunger Games, which was clearly set in a post-apocalyptic version of America known as Panam, Battle Royale takes place in an alternative reality, wherein Japan is part of "an authoritarian state known as the Republic of Greater East Asia."
Following its publication in 1999, it didn't take long before Battle Royale was adapted into a movie of the same name (2000). Since then, both the book and movie have managed to find a somewhat cult following, despite being heavily criticized for its subject matter and depiction of violence.
Today marks the beginning of the 2013 Blogging from A-Z Challenge. Throughout the month of April, participants would be blogging their way through the letters of the alphabet. My theme for this year's challenge is speculative fiction books, so I'll be highlighting some of my favorite science fiction, fantasy and horror books, all month long. And what better way to start than with one of the most influential fantasy books ever written: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
Originally published in 1865, the book tells the story of a little girl named Alice, who follows a strange white rabbit (on an otherwise ordinary day) to Wonderland, a fantasy world inhabited by talking animals. It is a dreamlike tale that is really just (as the title suggests) a collection of loosely-connected adventures. Most of it involves Alice trying to figure out a way to solve one problem or the other, and their resolutions tend to be just as ludicrous as the problems themselves, if not more so.
One of the things that has endeared this book to readers for nearly 150 years is its cast of quirky and unforgettable characters. From Alice's childlike curiosity, to the Cheshire Cat's fading grin, and the Queen of Heart's tendency to pronounce on-the-spot decapitations; it is these characters that truly make this otherwise nonsensical story a worthwhile read for children and adults alike.
Alice in Wonderland has been repeatedly adapted into film, the two most popular adaptations being the 1951 Disney animated classic and the more recent Tim Burton version (2010). It has also influenced a string of other books (not to mention films like The Matrix and Sucker Punch), a few of which I would be highlighting in the days to come.
P.S: A special shout out goes to Arlee Bird, who started the Blogging from A-Z challenge in 2010. Thanks, Mr. Bird, for helping so many people in the blogging communities find one another.


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Damien O'Reilly
Traditional Irish Accordion Player from Co. Clare
About Damien
Damien O'Reilly is a traditional accordion player and teacher from Corofin Co. Clare. He has toured and played throughout Europe and all over Ireland. In the recent past Damien has collaborated with many greats of Irish music including Frankie Gavin, Noel Hill, Mary Bergin, Tony Linnane, Liam O'Connor, Conal Ó'Gráda, John Carty, James Cullinan, Caitlin nic Gabhann, Kieran Hanrahan, Jack Talty, Mulcahy family, The Raw Bar Collective, and the Kilfenora Céilí band among others.
Damien has been teaching music in his native Clare for 14 years, teaching accordion master classes and group music classes (Inis Óg). He has been a tutor and performer around Europe and many of the country's festivals including Meitheal, Scoil Samhradh Willie Clancy, Scoil Ceoil na Bhotha Monoghan, Ennis Trad Festival, Fleadh Nua, Cooley Collins Gort, Éigse Dhiarmaidín Baile Bhuirne, John Dwyer Festival, Irish Festival Oulu Finland, Féile Cois Cuain, and the Temple Bar Trad Fest.
Along with his brother Padraic, Damien founded the renowned Corofin Traditional Festival in 2001. The festival has brought back music to the village of Corofin and is a highlight for many of Ireland's leading traditional artists. His roles over the years have been musical director, chairman and programming the festival for which the festival has received funding from national institutions. In 2011 Damien produced the
critically acclaimed compilation album "Teach Ceoil Concerts – 10 years of the Corofin Trad Fest" as a festival fundraiser. The festival was the first recipient of the MÓR Glór awards back in 2014 as recognition to its contribution to the traditional community.
Damien's music is heavily influenced by the great accordion/melodeon players from the 1920s right up to the modern day players. He immersed himself in the music of P.J. Conlon, John J. Kimmel and also the Flannigan brothers. Musicians from the North Clare area like Paddy Mullins, Austin Tierney, Jimmy Ward, and Gerry Lynch all had a significant impact on Damien's style. From a young age he has had a keen interest in fiddle music paying particular attention to Michael Coleman, James Morrison, Paddy Killoran, the Clare fiddle giants of Joe Ryan, Bobby Casey, Junior Crehan, John Kelly and Patrick Kelly. Various music form the 1950s onward with musicians like Joe Cooley, Paddy O'Brien and the Kilfenora Céilí Band have left on impression on Damien. Bands like De Danann, the Bothy Band, musicians Noel Hill, Frankie Gavin, Tommy Peoples, Matt Molloy and Seán Keane (to name a few) all recorded music from the 70s and 80s that Damien couldn't get enough of. The accordion players which have had a great influence on Damien's playing include Martin McMahon (Clare), Tony McMahon, Paul Brock, Finbarr Dwyer , Joe Burke, Paddy O'Brien, Jackie Daly, Máirtín O'Connor, Colm Gannon and Derek Hickey. Coming from North Clare, the region has been imprinted in his accordion playing and one can hear the strong rhythmical connection to North Clare whenever Damien plays.
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