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Tag: Japan
The SFFaudio Podcast #351 – READALONG: The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler
Monday, January 11, 2016 Jesse Willis	Leave a comment
The SFFaudio Podcast #351 – Jesse, Julie Davis, Seth, and Maissa talk about The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler.
1953, Philip Marlowe, the long answer is no, The Big Sleep, "noir", A Good Story Is Hard To Find, Double Indemnity, Billy Wilder, Elliot Gould, abridgements, long or too long, spending time with the detective, forgetting about plot, Ray Porter, The Maltese Falcon, Dashiell Hammett, The Big Sleep, the book, the 1978 audio drama (90 minute), the Japanese 5-part miniseries, the recent BBC audio drama, the 1973 movie, overdosed on goodbyes, this is not a noir book, typically hardboiled is with detectives, noir is typically not with detectives, hardboiled vs. noir, Greek tragedy, a basic distinction, poisonville, a certain lack of hope, the detective with a heart of gold, Mickey Spillane, the anti-Philip Marlowe, being more cynical, more punchy, twisted, he's hitty, Chandler's best lines, how many times "goodbye" comes up, see you in a line-up, you never say goodbye to the cops, this is just quiet enough, cynicism, he cares too much, do you ever get paid?, $1,200 in the bank, he's got a portrait of Madison, "I'm a romantic Bernie", "the smear", coffee, the little wake, a mystery, remember that pigskin suitcase?, pigskin gloves, the central mystery, who murdered Terry Lennox's wife, Wade's wife, his test, I wish I could have killed them both at once, Sylvia, he couldn't perform?, a more successful version of herself, femme fatale, muddled by drugs, a Linda Loring, throwing the suitcase, that's the suitcase, Sylvia's face, is that something Eileen could do?, she's like the worst thing in her life, when you go crazy mad, caught in a lie, what about the blood?, we infer she beat Sylvia to a bloody pulp, why would she lie?, she wants to make it seem more real, my husband shot her then beat her, emotion and drugs, the 1973 movie, the Elliot Gould movie, the Q&A with Elliot Gould, diverged, plot and tone, weird and good, lighthearted and noir, script by Leigh Brackett (of Empire Strikes Back), a return to Los Angeles, Eileen is still alive in the movie, a conspiracy, Mrs. Wade is in love with Terry Lennox (and married to him as well), she despises him (or is she lying?), Eileen blames Sylvia for everything, the cool thing about this book is that it is very open, experiencing the mystery (rather than solving), just supposition, the mailbox, its almost as if the Mexican Terry Lennox doesn't know what's going on, a rotter from the beginning, what we read a lot of these books for, the mystery as the vehicle, Derek Jacobi reading The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes, there's a humanity to this, making different choices when in custody, Marlowe saw something in Lennox worth redeeming, if Bryan Alexander were here…, because it is a war book, huuuuhhhn, 1920s book by authors who survived WWI, which regiment was Lennox in?, the SAS in 1942 in Norway, taxi drivers and cops are vets, Chandler's Marlowe is a vet, using the terminology, the one thing that is left unsaid, why is Terry Lennox acting this way?, his wife, he's a wastrel, how the other characters react to Terry Lennox, the criminal in Los Vegas, Randy Starr, Manny Menendez, there's no need, why didn't you call sooner?, the reason he's got those scars on his face, against my better judgement, picking up a wounded warrior, he does that for all kinds of people, Double Indemnity wasn't fueled by war, where does that go into Some Like It Hot?, Terry Lennox is a bookend, pointing fingers and taking names, drugs and partying and corrupt police, why the analogy doesn't work, the guy who's not fighting during the war, James M. Cain, about rich selfish people who are wasting their lives, the plot, throwing them into relief, the contrast, seeing Terry Lennox lying on the road, what Terry Lennox has those scars for, the Japanese version, everything is inverted, he can't be an American soldier, the enemy is the Russians, a different spin on it, dealing in the results of war, post-traumatic stress syndrome, over-the-top, over-saturated lighting, a lot of coffee, a comic book adaptation, answering unanswered questions, sympathetic, Candy is Julie's favorite character, the war is central to the Japanese adaptation, reading it now, the first four or five Robert B. Parker Spencer books, The Godwulf Manuscript, a war novel, The Guns Of Navarone, The Lord Of The Rings as a way of dealing with WWI, talking about other things, A Voyage To Arcturus by David Lindsay, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, what it was like to be in the Ardennes in the winter of 1944, it was like being homeless, hoping the supply train is going to come through, why is he getting drunk all the time, hidden secrets and identities, there's something about Marlowe, a survivor of the war of life, the drunk tank, the POW camp, Chandler thinks this is his best book, taxi drivers reading escapist science fiction magazines, if I was in that kind of condition…, we're all in the same army, just want to make things right, to try and set some sort of reset, fix things, once in a long while you get dead, a load of grief and a bit of money, stopping the entropy, why can he not have a normal life any more, it'd be reductionist to say it was about war, post-war USA had a hell of a lot of drinking, half gin and half Rose's lime juice will still get you soused (a gimlet), autobiographical (Chandler's wife was dying while he was writing The Long Goodbye), author talks, Chandler is showing us a complete look at detective work and all that it takes, they've all got a scam going, sold his soul to the company store, his journalist friend, working the problem, Idle Valley (where the rich people live), Marlowe as an ex-drunk, what the drunk-tank is like, the life of an alcoholic, Chandler had drinking issues, a recovering alcoholic, more coffee than gin, the 1973 movie scene, "let's get drunk", trying to find the truth, the F. Scott Fitzgerald connection, The Last Tycoon, more idle rich, Wade writes historical romance (instead of detective fiction), translating to Japanese culture, hentai, taking off the layers of dresses (a woman who has never taking a bath), hanging out with Wade, self-destructive not wife-destructive, he didn't kill that woman, an incompetent femme fatale, might-have been sort of a hooker, Wade brought her out of the gutter, their Mexico is Taiwan, a period piece, he was driving an American car (left hand drive), they must have had fedoras and gimlets, a jazz version of, "it's okay with me", hash-brownies, Arnold Schwarzenegger with a mustache, it WASN'T okay with him, justice, Eileen Wade got to sit with it, dispensing justice, somehow it is the same story, in cahoots with the gangsters, political gain, why did Marlowe abandon Terry at the very end, re-question, red-herrings (or not red-herrings), re-framing everything, that's how we actually live (unlike a Scooby Doo ending), I would never have come out had you not smoked me out, he puts stuff out there, I was in the commandos, you're not hear anymore, as elegant as a fifty-dollar whore, prove to me you're not that way, "that was the last I saw of him", he had a chance to become better, wanting to see the truth done and the innocent people taken care of, detectives poke at things, there's nothing inside, two empty people, one filling with alcohol one filling with drugs, both ruined by the war (or whatever), the perpetual human problem, what's the hole that's left inside, ya ya ya ya ya ya, full of really good quotes, Chapters (Canadian book store), this book is so much fun, [we quote from the book], one for Julie, one for Seth, a briefcase one, at the bar it was always five in the afternoon, Terry Lennox became a Mexican, a Mexican syncopation to his speech, how refreshingly unconcerned about political correctness, when a Mexican…, sooo racist, sooo genderist, it's of the the time, the fact that he's got a knife, a little more granular sense that he's a little person, there's no fake characters, heart of gold vs. cynicism, how far am I gonna go with this?, the way they dealt with each other (in the Japanese adaption), you would clean the war off me, a relationship of debt, subtitles with footnotes, the second time through, little bits of description, a bird chirping, the car was gone, a red oleander bush, a baby mockingbird, a single harsh warning chirp, birds have to learn too, priming you for all sorts of things, it's rich, it works on more than one level, so much of their time, how much is a sandwich, drinking their night away, they didn't think about it the way they do now, the movie Airplane!, he has a drinking problem, flashbacks to the war (WWII), out of context it's hilarious, it still sort of true, we're always going to have the cultural baggage, none of Jesse's students know who the Flintstones are, Flitstone vitamins is an echo of The Honeymooners, The Simpsons, reading a book like this is kind of like time travel, tiny houses with orange trees in Los Angeles, L.A. Noire (PC game), the game reconstructs a huge part of Los Angeles, the Grand Theft Auto games, Chinatown, The Black Dahlia, L.A. Confidential, playing the game is kind of like revisiting that period, oh hey I'm in the middle of an investigation here, games vs. books, Robert B. Parker co-wrote the final Marlowe book Poodle Springs, Ray Porter's narration, female voices, the Joe Ledger series by Jonathan Maberry, the Mexican characters, Elliot Gould's narrations, nicely abridged, he's a weird speaker, a Robert Altman movie, what is lost was all those Chandlerisms, a collapse of characters, well what have you got now, the movie starts with a cat, Michael Connelly, there's something cool happening in that 3 o'clock in the morning, the cat abandons him, the cat is Sylvia Lennox, you can't lie to a cat, they demand truth, the sunrises and the sunsets in the Japanese version, the colour of a sunset and a Japanese print, the things that they take, two BBC radio adaptations, a LIVE TV movie in 1954 (now lost).
The SFFaudio Podcast #351 - READALONG: The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler [ 1:33:25 | 42.93 MB ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
The SFFaudio Podcast #280 – AUDIOBOOK/READALONG: Völsungasaga
Monday, September 1, 2014 Jesse Willis	1 Comment
The SFFaudio Podcast #280 – Völsungasaga translated by Eiríkr Magnússon and William Morris; read by Corpang (of LibriVox). This is an unabridged reading of the saga (4 hours) followed by a discussion of it. Participants in the discussion include Jesse, Seth, and Mr Jim Moon.
anonymous, 1000 AD, Beowulf, Germanic myth collection, Volsung Dynasty, quick character changes, irrational logic, biblical similarities, Sigurd, echoes of myths, family relationships in Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Tales of Dragons, a hodgepodge of influences, The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, dramatic events, wolves, half-historical and half-saga storytelling, origin from Homeric Myths, odes, cyclical time, less Christian influences than other written sagas, a source or influences on stories and also influenced by earlier sagas, Vikings on History Channel, moral lessons to be awesome, unconsciousness of glorious kings with immoral actions, The Old Testament, hierarchy of power, jealousy of wealth and power, Medieval Japan, neighbor relationships, attitudes toward prophesy and fate, stoicism and acceptance, Odin Mythology, simple naming of characters, absence of fear of death, reincarnation, female equality, werewolves, Roman Mythology, frequent raiding, laws protecting wolves, wolves as outlaws, Caligula, power creates rules, Christian epics with Christian rule system, power of sacrifice, irrational idea of original sin, The New Testament subverting the idea of superiority, master morality and the slave morality, a lot of similarity to Beowulf, a source for education and entertainment, reason for being dramatic, 13th century literature, history in a very vague and incorrect way, more atrocity earlier in the saga, parallel between fantasy and real life, Story of Attila, transmission of knowledge, Haida Gwaii's similarity to Vikings, We are really here for the gold!, names of dwarfs, broken names, obsession of money creates craziness, atrocity and craziness as history, story created before medieval nobility, morality as generosity, guest morality, Richard Wagner, being near Vikings is dangerous, endurance of pain as superior, no laughs and mild jokes in Volsunga saga, disrespect is bad, burial traditions create conflict, William Morris, the absence of slaves in Tolkien Fiction, free society.
The SFFaudio Podcast #280 - AUDIOBOOK/READALONG: Völsungasaga [ 5:03:48 | 139.23 MB ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Review of Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
Thursday, September 12, 2013 Jenny	1 Comment
Kafka on the Shore
By Haruki Murakami; Performed by Sean Barrett and Oliver Le Sueur
Publisher: Random House Audio
Publication Date: 6 August 2013
[UNABRIDGED] – 19 hours, 2 minutes
Excerpt: | MP3 |
Themes: / cats / helpful librarians / metaphysical reality / Japan /
Publisher summary:
This magnificent new novel has a similarly extraordinary scope and the same capacity to amaze, entertain, and bewitch the reader. A tour de force of metaphysical reality, it is powered by two remarkable characters: a teenage boy, Kafka Tamura, who runs away from home either to escape a gruesome oedipal prophecy or to search for his long-missing mother and sister; and an aging simpleton called Nakata, who never recovered from a wartime affliction and now is drawn toward Kafka for reasons that, like the most basic activities of daily life, he cannot fathom. Their odyssey, as mysterious to them as it is to us, is enriched throughout by vivid accomplices and mesmerizing events. Cats and people carry on conversations, a ghostlike pimp employs a Hegel-quoting prostitute, a forest harbors soldiers apparently unaged since World War II, and rainstorms of fish (and worse) fall from the sky. There is a brutal murder, with the identity of both victim and perpetrator a riddle–yet this, along with everything else, is eventually answered, just as the entwined destinies of Kafka and Nakata are gradually revealed, with one escaping his fate entirely and the other given a fresh start on his own.
I went on a Murakami reading binge in 2009, and suddenly found myself hitting a wall. What I had started out loving started to overwhelm and suffocate me. I knew I needed a break from him for a while.
I did take a break from the break to read 1Q84, which I really enjoyed. As I listened to the audiobook of this novel, I found myself wishing I'd read this prior to 1Q84. Some of the themes are the same, and I don't just mean the silly themes like cats and pasta and music, but shifting realities and not being sure about who you are on many levels. They seem more concise in this novel, and I think having this experience first would have made 1Q84 even better.
This past year, Random House has been putting many of Murakami's works out on audio, so I jumped at the chance to listen to this one as I had not yet read it in print. I enjoyed the audio production immensely. The two narrators bring completely different feelings to the different sections, and the novel shifts back and forth between the narratives of Kafka and Nakata. I enjoyed the haven of the library and the very helpful librarian, but that might have been the only moment of reality in this book.
Murakami always sends me off to listen to music, not just by work but certain performances of a work. I spent several afternoons listening to the Archduke Trio (Beethoven) as performed by the "Million Dollar Trio." Great stuff.
Posted by Jenny Colvin
Monday, September 9, 2013 Jesse Willis	Leave a comment
The SFFaudio Podcast #229 – Jesse, Jenny, Tamahome, and Paul Weimer talk about NEW RELEASES and RECENT ARRIVALS.
Tam is back, Haruki Murakami, Kafka On The Shore, magic realism, Japan, kafkaesque, surrealism, 1Q84, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, pretty books, Chip Kidd, rice paper, Requiem by Ken Scholes, Julie Davis, Tor, magic staff, earth in the future, The Steel Remains, "oh crap this is the future", Gene Wolfe, Happy Hour In Hell by Tad Williams, Bobby Dollar, The Dirty Streets Of Heaven, urban fantasy, demoness tangling, Lankhmar, urban fantasy => a certain kind of fantasy, noir/detective => hardboiled, Otherland, Luke Burrage, cats, "the Walter Jon Williams effect", MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood, mostly dystopian, Oryx and Crake, quasi-humans, The Year Of The Flood, genetic engineering, racoon-pigs, storytelling mode, listening at 2X speed, competitive debate, Margaret Atwood's preview of a review of Doctor Sleep by Stephen King, a sequel to The Shining, Atwood's weakness for horror and terror, "because he's Stephen King", Will Patton, "don't judge me people", is there a stigma in literary circles?, Zoomer magazine's profile of Margaret Atwood as "Queen Of The Nerds", Twitter, tweetalong?, a genuine literary reputation, poetry, Orson Scott Card, does it matter?, dystopia, Dreamscape Audiobooks, The Night Lands by William Hope Hodgson, The House On The Borderlands, a very daunting book, big and ambitious, Lovecraftian?, The Scarlet Plague by Jack London, Earth Abides, class, mainstream post-apocalypse, Alas Babylon by Pat Frank, a toothless grandfather, Drew Ariana, Goslings by J.D. Beresford, plague talk!, The Children Of Men, Y: The Last Man, the newspapers, HiLoBooks, "Radium Age" Science Fiction, Gweek, The Road To Science Fiction, classicism, sexism, barbarism, The Iron Heel, numeracy and literacy, the size of the universe or the age of the Earth, Simon & Schuster Audio, Rivers by Michael Farris Smith, Jenny loves destroying the earth, wiping the slate clean, Fallout, Tobias Buckell, Interrupt by Jeff Carlson, Hunter Davis, Brilliance Audio, simultaneously published with print, Neanderthals, the pronunciations, Robert J. Sawyer, Discover Magazine, literally means not literally anymore, it's figuratively raining cats and dogs, The Darwin Elevator by Jason M. Hough, Julie Davis, Simon Vance, science fiction thrillers, John Scalzi, plague, space elevator, working for the enemy?, a compressed schedule, writing 2X, a first novel!, military SF, "we've complinished everything", Reflex by Steven Gould, Jumper, the physical audiobook industry (is it mostly for libraries), Paperback Audio, William Dufris, The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester, innate teleportation, the Jumper movie, Portal, post-humans, Nightcrawler without the bad smell, BAMFless, The Clockwork Man by E.V. Odle, Ralph Lister, no introductions makes Jesse sad, are there audio previews?, Affliction: An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Novel (#22) by Laurell K. Hamilton, The Lord of Opium (Matteo Alacran #2) by Nancy Farmer, The Midnight Heir (Bane Chronicles #4) by Cassandra Clare and Sara Rees Brennan, building on The Hunger Games, Untouchable (Immortals After Dark #8) by Kresley Cole, Robert Petkoff, The Hunt or Capture, the reality TV version of The Hunger Games in The Hunger Games would be very boring, The Truman Show would be a very boring show to actually watch, in fiction the TV shows are without narrative, TVtropes show with an show, Hamlet, William Shakespeare did meta 500 years ago, epic traditional fantasy, traditional epic fantasy marriage, Crown Thief (Tales Of Easie Damasco #2) by David Tallerman, Giant Thief, sword and sorcery, golem or gollum?, Witch Wraith: The Dark Legacy of Shannara by Terry Brooks, Rosalyn Landor, , "Tolkien with the serial numbers filed off", "its all about the elfstones", The Lord Of The Rings, questing, trilogy vs. endless series, the Wikipedia entry for Shannara, a magical cataclysm, "a richer broader universe", Revolution, S.M. Stirling, Robert Jordan, the Dragonlance series, Daniel Abraham, subverting the quest trope, The Eye Of The World, George R.R. Martin, gathering forces and subverting expectations, children's fantasy, Roald Dahl, Matilda is read by Kate Winslet!, the musical of Matilda, The Twits, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Charlie And The Great Glass Elevator Futurama, Fry and the Slurm factory, Gene Wilder, great character names!, Dickensian names, The BFG, biography, crime, thriller, JFK's Last Hundred Days: The Transformation Of A Man And The Emergence Of A Great President, Death Angel (Alexandra Cooper #15) by Linda Fairstein, The Kill List by Frederick Forsyth, George Guidall, "now it's personal", Penguin Audio, adding heat urgency of character development, adding a baby, Breaking Bad babies, the invisible baby or worse the artificially aging child syndrome, Mork & Mindy, Shaman by Kim Stanley Robinson, 30,000 years ago, prehistorical romance, hard edged scientific, Clan Of The Cavebear, Monsters Of The Earth by David Drake, Seanan McGuire, Soldier by Harlan Ellison, The Terminator, The Outer Limits, James Cameron, Philip Wylie, Tomorrow!, John Wyndham, When Worlds Collide, The Answer, nuclear war with angels, The End Of The Dream, The Murderer Invisible.
The SFFaudio Podcast #229 - NEW RELEASES/RECENT ARRIVALS [ 1:23:01 | 0.01 MB ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Review of A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami
Wednesday, August 28, 2013 Jenny	1 Comment
A Wild Sheep Chase: A Novel
By Haruki Murakami; Read by Rupert Degas
[UNABRIDGED] – 9 hours, 38 minutes
Excerpt: |MP3|
Themes: / fantasy / sheep / surreal thriller /
It begins simply enough: A twenty-something advertising executive receives a postcard from a friend, and casually appropriates the image for an insurance company's advertisement. What he doesn't realize is that included in the pastoral scene is a mutant sheep with a star on its back, and in using this photo he has unwittingly captured the attention of a man in black who offers a menacing ultimatum: find the sheep or face dire consequences. Thus begins a surreal and elaborate quest that takes our hero from the urban haunts of Tokyo to the remote and snowy mountains of northern Japan, where he confronts not only the mythological sheep, but the confines of tradition and the demons deep within himself.
In Haruki Murakami's seductive novel A Wild Sheep Chase, Murakami spins a yarn (see what I did there) around such issues as personal identity and the meaning of life. Sound complicated? No not really… well maybe a little, but it all depends on how deep you want to dive and how long you wish to hold your breath. Do you need to be a trained philosopher and English/lit major to decipher the subtle beauty of this novel? No, but it doesn't hurt either.
Murakami's ability to word-paint vivid autumn colors through brushed scenery of green grass and sunburnt leaves only pales to his talent of sketching his wintered black and white landscapes of rain soaked city nights and the lonely dark of death. For the most part, I was rolling along really enjoying the ride. When I reached the end, everything shifted and the true weight of what this story is about settled deep around me like an endless snow. Lulling, dulling, and soothing the reader until who we are is reflected in a grimy mirror. The I becomes you, the you becomes we, the we becomes… a sheep?
Here's all you need to know. Don't get hung up on the whole "A sheep inside of me" thing or the uncountable mentions of a "dead whale's penis," just go with the flow and ride the tide. Permit the current to carry you along and let loose your anchor and just drift.
Rupert Degas acting as narrator is brilliant. Let me say this again. Rupert Degas as narrator is brilliant. I haven't heard a reader narrate something so clean and true since I listened to Frank Muller narrate All Quiet on the Western Front or I Heard the Owl Call My Name. Rupert Degas delivers a reading that sooths the ear while making Murakami's narrative dance like maple leaves in a September breeze.
If you can't tell, I found this to be a damn fine book. I enjoyed the subtle layering of philosophy and critical theory. I found the narrative captivating once I "let go." Hmmm, might this be a reflection of life? Is life better consumed if one can let go from time to time with the understanding that time itself is an unanswered question of experienced interpretation? Maybe… Maybe so maybe no but still, this was a pleasure to read.
Posted by Casey Hampton.
The SFFaudio Podcast #169
Monday, July 16, 2012 Jesse Willis	1 Comment
The SFFaudio Podcast #169 – Jesse and Luke Burrage (from the Science Fiction Book Review Podcast) talk to audiobook narrator Jonathan Davis.
Not the Jonathan Davis of Korn, favourite audiobook narrators, Luke's real job (juggling), how to become an audiobook narrator (or a professional juggler), acting, theatrical acting, voice over, New York, Testament by John Grisham, Brazil, Portuguese vs. Brazilian Portuguese, Gone For Soldiers by Jeff Shaara, long form narration, Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson, urban samurais and Aleutian assassins, binaural recording, The Shadow Of The Torturer by Gene Wolfe, The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi, London, Paris, Iowa City, Thailand, genetic engineering, Japan, accessory dogs, GMO food, graphic sex scenes in mid-juggle, Glamorama by Bret Easton Ellis, Zoolander, American Psycho, a 12 page sex scene, Star Wars, Genghis Khan And The Making Of The Modern World by Jack Weatherford, straight readings vs. impersonations, Yoda, Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson, Luke re-edits Star Wars, alien languages, Calculating God by Robert J. Sawyer, When Gravity Fails by George Alec Effinger, Ian Mcdonald, North Africa, Egypt, Arab Spring, Bedouin, narration styles, straight narration vs. theatrical performance vs. cinematic narration, Michael Caine, scalpel vs. laser, Mike Resnick's Starship series, voice based books, Star Trek, David Copperfield, Oliver Sacks, The Watchers by Jon Steele, Kirinyaga, The Scar by Sergey Dyachenko and Marina Dyachenko, Starship: Mutiny, Elinor Huntington, existential resonance, Harry Potter, conspiracy, dystopia, Ray Bradbury, Cool Air by H.P. Lovecraft, Starship: Rebel, no research, just fun, language, audiobooks as a collaboration between an author, a narrator and a listener, Walking Dead by Greg Rucka, espionage, comics, Neil Gaiman, Catch And Release by Lawrence Block, Hex Appeal, Jim Butcher, The Dresden Files, studio time, The Book Of The New Sun, "do your homework", "suddenly revealed to be a Texan", an Aleutian Rastafarian, Hiro Protagonist, Minding Tomorrow, revealing voices, American Gods, George Guidall, "the perfect audiobook experience", Woden (aka Odin aka Mr. Wednesday), The Stand by Stephen King, reading with your ears, preferred narration styles, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin, racism, Dune, Zoo City by Lauren Beukes, Johannesburg, South Africa, fantasy fiction shouldn't have an American accent, Luke's SFBRP review of The Scar, House Of Suns by Alastair Reynolds, an Arkansas accent, inner monologue vs. dialogue, the Sling Blade voice, Casaundra Freeman, audiobook narration is difficult, learning the characters over a series, George R.R. Martin, A.J. Hartley, Act Of Will, Will Power, working with authors, Cyteen by C.J. Cherryh, Book Of The Road, male and female narration, Gabra Zackman, Jonathan is the infodumper, Full Cast Audio, a one man show vs. theatrical collaboration, Scott Brick, Feyd-Rautha, a Jamaican brogue?, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, do you like computer games?, Max Payne 3, Tron, "that's my neck fat", Vladamir Lem, Armando Becker.
The SFFaudio Podcast #169 [ 1:27:54 | 80.63 MB ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download


text:
10 Study Abroad Consultants In India
The finest platforms, providers and study overseas specialists in India
1. University Bureau
2. TC Global
3. ApplyBoard
4. IDP
5. Studyportals
6. Yocket
7. Canam Education Consultants
8. Spirit of International Education and Careers
9. Imperial
10. Global Opportunities
Study Abroad Consultants assist in maintaining and circulating a flow in the network amid both important student markets and fundamental study foreign destination realms underneath a popular and potent brand, by means of a unvarying template of student counseling and enrollment that emphasizes on excellence, trustworthiness and reliability.
In the existing state we all thrive in a constantly advancing globalized world. Travel across the borders is extremely high due to tourism or education or official purposes. It came to a big halt in the pandemic years (mostly 2020 and 2021), when borders shut and travel was impacted which has indirectly effected on global economy equilibrium.
Global education is a relevant instance to quote. An extreme ramble has been observed in the graph on the increase for the number of students enrolling in abroad education majorly in the last two decades. The growth in abroad education, chronologically, has directed to the upsurge of study abroad way out and counselors who have lent a hand to apprentices triumph their objective of making it further to the overseas education college of their choice. Today we will bring our attention to few of these platforms, sources, and professionals.
Here, we have, fabricated this comprehensive manual as a result of the features of a platform, source, and universal education counselor has stimulating encumbrance and consequences in defining the aftermaths of discrete students. These consultants and consultancies eventually are accountable or at the minimal they might play as a foreordained protagonist in facilitating apprentices in making crucial choices from categorizing suitable courses and universities to articulating on prospective countries that will support unravel the most significance for a student's objectives and anticipated business track.
All platforms, sources, and consultants therefore have a virtuous and moral responsibility to action responsibly and in the best interest of the potential student who is willing to study abroad. There's an in-built possibility that all students are engaging to when they are picking out to work with a source or consultant and henceforward it's sagacious for apprentices to make sure of their outstanding persistence in acquainting as much introduction as possible to safeguard that their comforts and security are being attended and taken care of.
University Bureau is the top consultants looked and trusted for overseas educational domain. The progression of searching and enrolling in the top course, university & additional official procedure associated with registration in the top universities and academic institutions. University bureau provide sufficient and comprehensive acquaintance and cutting-edge particular's associated to enrollment & submission technique is precisely accommodating. Discover the whole kit and caboodle you requisite on one and only platform: 5,000+ head hunters & 1,500+ internationally renowned institutions over one fair.
They guide, boost self-confidence and support scholars across the globe to enroll for advanced education and acquire the finest universal tutelage. They organize for various employment boards that empower educational institutions and recruitment mediators to catch and implement by means of each other, without a glitch.
TC Global streamlines global studying, learning, and flexibility from end to end by interlinking apprentices, academia, and a worldwide community on a distinct platform. The stage empowers apprentices to acquire their education in which ever vicinity they desire across the world in just a hardly any steps, while operating education sources to marketplace and convert international students, at scale.
They facilitate a canal over 1000+ education sources and more than 80,000+ courses on one podium. They arrange for worldwide freedom of movement and erudition community of scholars, societies, industry, and corporations, which supports in shaping up universal citizens of tomorrow, today itself. It was in earlier times branded as 'The Chopras Group, which has broken new grounds for overseas education in India. It has served for the preceding two decades aiding above 2.5 million scholars in the meantime launching and functioning meticulously with above 700+ international institutions of higher education.
As an innovator brand, TC Global has converted its prevailing edifice of amenities, and brick and mortar corporate model into an assemblage of apps as way out in global edification to support in fast-tracking international learning and education in the era of the internet. TC Global ties together the regulation of technology and powered the proficiency of abundant endowment to generate a widespread and cooperative network.
TC Global is a stand trademark with a mobile workforce existing to service each state and city in India constructing it as site agnostic. TC Global on the other hand has an on-demand arrangement for in-person consultations that are offered in several cities from corner to corner in our country.
ApplyBoard was brought into being in the year 2015 to reduce to bare bones the evolution of probing and applying to global institutions for scholars from a number of backgrounds.
ApplyBoard assists in recognizing the preeminent packages and campaigns that can comfort scholars to save monetarily. The podium's association with the Royal Bank of Canada is responsible for scholars with the prospect to benefit the International Student GIC program that can aid in tracking down a Canadian education license to a certain extent effortlessly.
This consultancy supports scholars, employment associates, and partner institutes in applying to poles apart programs/universities, facilitating apprentices in accomplishing their global learning objectives, and to increase worldwide existence, in that order. Scholars can gain professional educational counseling, visa assistance, and information about limited grants to sustain their education. Institutes on the podium can guarantee equal to 100,000 scholars inspecting their offerings and packages.
IDP is an established brand for past 50 years as an abroad education consultant. It has an exclusive grid of proficient educational analysts, welcoming worldwide teaching specialists, and widespread sustenance although and later the submission procedure and a gigantic web of ex-students and existing students style it as a prevalent global education consultant for Australia and Canada.
IDP is 50% maintained by Australian colleges and universities and is openly registered on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). By above 100 headquarters all across the world, it is committed in offering the top overseas education consultancy amenities.
IDP supports Indian students to get approved in overseas educational institutions through English-speaking countries along with Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, and the USA. IDP's educational and career recommending facilities are deliberated to support scholars to recognize the accurate course and the appropriate university built on their suitability and necessities.
Students who are not certain about choosing the stream, program, university, or country in which they may perhaps study can take assistance from IDP's advanced search option to get hold of the utmost ideal selections. Students are correspondingly delivered with entire particulars they might require to be acquainted with related to the program so that they maybe circumvent shocks. IDP helps international students from pre-departure events such as admission procedures and the visa application process to post-arrival backing in obtaining accommodation, organizing travel, and additional inevitabilities
Studyportals was formed as platform that assist the apprentices attain better info for the enormous total of global master's programs that existed in Europe. It deals consultation facilities for all the scholars who are eager to get enrolled to study in institution of higher education through countries comprising Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, the UK, and the USA.
At the moment, Studyportals has a sturdy crew of above 155 associates from corner to corner 29 nations. With countless courses accessible for scholars to pick from, it is one of the biggest international education specialists across the globe. It is planned to support scholars recognize the accurate bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs on the globe. This portal as well provides grants to potential scholars who are willing to enroll in any study abroad program.
Studyportals also aids scholars to recognize programs that bout their persona and suitability. Students can select programs from a full platter of assorted fields. They can equate a number of programs from diverse academia and apply to the courses of their selection straight.
The website also supports institutes in enrolling global students. They make available an extensive range of amenities together with analytics and understandings, worldwide connectivity, advertising facilities, and student enrollment guides.
The influence of supervision is endless. Yocket is considered as prevalent study abroad community. It was launched in 2015, and thus far, it has rally round over and above 7 hundred thousand scholars strategize their global education.
They have created a single platform for all the overseas locations may it be the US, UK, Canada, Germany, or any new education abroad destination worldwide. In this distinct interstellar aspirant can discover and track 2000+ blogs and country-specific manuals on over 1200 institution of higher education and 50,000 courses. Above and beyond, their exceptional counselors comfort scholars with course credentials, university sifting, profile building and certification, grants, visa submissions, and discovering enrollment prospects.
But their best rewarding enterprise is "Sharing of Experience." At Yocket, the candidates can straight bond with their peers to cognize their expedition or investigate review videos on Yocket's social media handles. Pick them out to expedite your overseas education vision and make it hassle-free!
India has stood out as an active and exceptional participant in the domain of evolving global work force over preceding two decades. And for that reason it has evolved as an indispensable fragment of technically thriving allied sphere. There is a cumulative style amongst Indians to rise above and look beyond countrywide restrictions for development and enhanced career visions.
They have a great understanding that relocating to a new alien site is not just a cup of tea that also comprises of lot of brain-stirring and is a tough call to take. It is generally thwarted with nervousness and apprehension. Getting a professional expert counseling at this point of time can do miracles to make aspirants feel at ease. The complete procedure of rise above from one's inherent nation to relocating on an imported land is to a certain extent complex and expensive, if not completed meritoriously. By employing Canam Consultants Ltd as your consulting companion it would be an extremely judicious choice based on treasured understanding and appropriate details that could most possibly prime to victory.
With years of skill and proficiency Canam Consultants Ltd has arisen as a prominent study and career consulting firms from the Indian subcontinent. It has more than 18 head-offices ranging through India with a far-reaching hi-tech arrangement, operated by above 300 competent mentors and consultants. It is optimally fitted out to work for scholars and experts.
Globalization has twisted the sphere that we dwell in into a global hamlet. And prime domain that has accurately amalgamated this spectacle, beyond anybody else, is education. Increasing figure of scholars is at the present stirring to overseas locations to trail their advanced studies from institution of higher education across the globe. And appreciations to post-liberalization guidelines, studying in a foreign country has become way more effortless than what it was in earlier times. On the other hand, the countless routes existing in countless number of universities spread across different countries puzzle apprentices and relatives in particular. Despite the fact that there is an outburst of data, equally from end to end online and offline bases, broad and experienced exploration is obligatory for ruling out the accurate course that suits your skill and vocational vision.
SIEC (Spirit of International Education and Careers), an initiative of Sonya International, is standard to be a dependable associate in tracking down which is the best institution and course to enroll to study abroad in the desired field. SIEC Education Private Limited is a prominent study abroad consultant, overseas education consultants; foreign education consultants provide vocation guidance amenities for apprentices in India. The most important objective of SIEC, from the time of its foundation in 1995, is hiring and employing Indian students at campuses in overseas countries.
It is most magnificent and one-stop-shop for every nicks and needs related to overseas education. They have achieved to succeed and build a robust student grid of over 10k+ global in just a small number of years of utter diligence and devotion. They bring their best to offer excellence and morality, their accomplishment is dignified by the quantity of encouraging feedbacks they receive.
Imperial team is abounding with lust and knowledge, and numerous of them having planned and worked in a foreign country, that makes it one to the best place to go to. The team is motivated by an unpretentious pledge headed for triumph of each of their apprentice. As they believe that their survival and development turn around by the growth of the students. They provide to guarantee that you acquire the maximum stress free and tailored understanding at such a convincing assessment building time!
Also Read:- 10 Most Used Data Science Tools for 2022
India's most innovator education consulting group that embark on scholars' enrollment from India and Nepal for 500+ Institutes and institution of higher education companions around the world.
With a gigantic grid of 20 head-offices in all the main cities in India and Kathmandu, Nepal, International prospects has supported coalitions in major countries, together with the United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Singapore, Dubai, Malaysia among other countries.
This team had experienced counselors and their slogan is to empower scholars to 'step out without doubt', have produced above 50,000 universal alumni ever since it's established in 2001. The students are chronicling their achievement stories around the world; the Global Opportunities has been created as the utmost trustworthy and manageable Overseas Education Consultant in India & Nepal.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Are you interested in working in the exciting and challenging field of child nutrition? ICN currently has three career opportunities available. Come join our team. To learn more and apply, visit the links below.


text:
Q: g++ not storing the header directory with Qt Being a beginner at c++ I kindly request your help
I have to work with Qt as I was provided a couple of source files for a school project, but can't manage to build the code with g++ (MinGw-w64).
All the project source files and header files are organized in their respective folders within a workspace folder. Added to that are the headers and source files for Qt that g++ needs to fetch.
In its third line, my main.cpp file calls for the QApplication file with '#include '. In turn, this QApplication calls for other submodules with for example '#include <QtWidgets/qtwidgetsglobal.h>'.
I first entered this command into the terminal:
g++ -c main.cpp

Which obviously led to the following error:
main.cpp:3:10: fatal error: QApplication: No such file or directory
    3 | #include <QApplication>
                 ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~
compilation terminated.

I then tried the following:
g++ -c main.cpp -ID:/QT515/Tools/QtDesignStudio/qt5_design_studio_reduced_version/include/QtWidgets

and got this error:
D:\TUM_bureau\Cours\SS_2022\ARL\Group-D-master>g++ -c main.cpp -I D:/QT515/Tools/QtDesignStudio/qt5_design_studio_reduced_version/include/QtWidgets
In file included from D:/QT515/Tools/QtDesignStudio/qt5_design_studio_reduced_version/include/QtWidgets/QApplication:1,
                 from main.cpp:3:
D:/QT515/Tools/QtDesignStudio/qt5_design_studio_reduced_version/include/QtWidgets/qapplication.h:43:10: fatal error: QtWidgets/qtwidgetsglobal.h: No such file or directory
   43 | #include <QtWidgets/qtwidgetsglobal.h>
      |          ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
compilation terminated.

It seems that the compiler can find the location of the header file once when it calls main.cpp, but then when another source file is called by the main it forgets where these headers are. Even worse, this qtwidgetsglobal is in the same folder as QApplication so it should have no problem finding it.
Could someone give me any direction please ?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Morar is a small village on the attractive west coast of Lochaber. It is famous for the beautiful Morar Beach - the White Sands of Morar, which feature in the films Local Hero, and Breaking The Waves. It is close to Morar Loch, the deepest freshwater loch in Scotland, and reputed to be home to its own monster, nicknamed Morag. Mallaig is roughly 5 minutes drive north (via the A830), Fort William is roughly 55 minutes drive east (via the A830). It also has a station on the Mallaig to Fort William line.


Every product page has Request More Info button. After filling out this form, an account manager will contact you within three business hours with what you requested and will include a quote as well.
Placing an order on SpectrumAdvertising.com is easy. When you've settled on a product you'd like to order, click on the 'Order Now' button. In the several steps you will provide the Quantity, select the Imprint Color(s), choose the Proof options, Upload Artwork or select an artwork option, complete the Customer Contact info, provide Shipping Instructions, Confirm Your Orderall all before submitting. After that, you're all done! You won't be expected to pay until you've reviewed all your order details, and approved an art proof.
You will receive a Order Acknowledgement. An account manager will contact you to confirm your order details.
These charges cover the cost of creating a screen, plate, die or other equipment at our production facilities to apply the artwork to your desired promotional item. Setup charges vary by product and by imprint method. Each unique product in your order is subject to a setup charge.
If I reorder an item will I pay setup charges again?
Yes, you will see an e-proof! There are a few exceptions. If your order is a rush, we cannot promise a traditional e-proof, however our art team will create a virtual mockup and send you your logo on an art template before sending it to production.
We collect all applicable taxes for goods and services shipped into Colorado. Customers in other states may be required to remit use taxes. If your organization is exempt, contact your account manager and they will take care of it.
Yes! We're happy to send you a sample of the item(s) you're considering. We send the samples free of charge and in most cases, they are yours to keep. However, these items will NOT have your logo on them. They will either come blank or with a random imprint. Occasionally (for expensive items) we may charge you upfront for the item, but you'll be reimbursed after you order. Our sample service is intended to help those who are seriously considering an item or are looking for ideas. We reserve the right to refuse to send samples at any time.
You can send us almost anything and our terrific graphic designers can convert it, so we are able to send it to print. However, there are a few file formats that will speed up the process. We are looking for vectored artwork, so if you have your art in any of the following formats we'd really appreciate it --.ai, .eps, .pdf, but if you don't, these formats work just as well -- .psd, .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .tiff, .gif, .doc, .docx.
Leave that up to us. Send us whatever you have, and we'll make it work at NO COST to you.
No problem. Our talented team of graphic designers is here to help and will work with you to create a logo and, as always, all our art services are FREE!
The best way to ensure your artwork gets to where it's going is to upload it with your order. You can also email it to your account manager. If you can't remember who that it, you can always send it to info@SpectrumAdvertising.com and we'll make sure it gets to the right person.
Yes, though PMS matching isn't possible on all items.
We have thousands of fonts at our fingertips. If you do not see the specific font you're looking for, that doesn't mean we don't have it. Just let us know which font you need, and we'll do our best to match it. Better yet, if you have the font file (.ttf or .oft), you can send it to your account manager or info@SpectrumAdvertising.com and we'll make sure the graphic design team gets their paws on it.
You sure can. By default, most items on our website are priced to include a one-color, one location imprint. However, we do have plenty of items that are priced with full-color art in mind. If you need more than one color, just let your account manager know and they can revise your invoice or steer you to specific products.
One of our account managers will send you an invoice that can be paid online with a credit card once you've approved an art proof. If you need to pay by check or money transfer, your account manager will provide details on how and where to send it. If you'd like to apply for Net 30 terms with Spectrum Advertising, Inc., please reach out to info@SpectrumAdvertising.com or let your account manager know.
We will collect payment after you approve your art proof and prior to shipping.
Government agencies such as public schools can use a P.O. and be billed on Net 30 without application. Otherwise, reach out to your account manager or info@SpectrumAdvertising.com to inquire about our easy application process.
Most products on the site have a 'Standard Production Time'. The Standard Production Time is how long it will take to produce the items to be produced with your imprint after proof approval. However, we also carry hundreds of items that can ship following business day because we know, sometimes you just need it ASAP. This does not include shipping time, but we can expedite shipping as needed to meet your event.
An account manager will send you tracking once your order has shipped. If you have additional questions or concerns, you can always reach out to your account manager or call us at 1-877-500-0061. Our business hours are Monday-Friday 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. Eastern Time.
Being a top 50 distributor in our industry has its perks. Spectrum has built a massive network of relationships around the country which allows us to match our competitors' pricing.


My eldest daughter has had a year in student accommodation in the big city and is itching to move out. This week we took a trip to the city and met a friend she plans to share with. What a big adventure!
Apparently phones are good not only for communication but also navigation. And maps are SO old hat. And the mother was allowed to come as long as she sat in the back seat and didn't navigate and didn't say any "I told you so!"s.
So I sat in the back and looked at the map and watched in silence as we took many wrong turns.
But it was a lesson in holding back and watching my young lady growing up and making her own decisions. And a lesson in letting her make her own mistakes and feel free to say "Whoops, sorry Mum" without being nagged. Which she did. And I am proud.
I think we both learned something very valuable this day!
Oh such a lesson in holding your tongue huh? Just remember that no matter what, you will always be that voice of reason perched up on her shoulder!


text:
Q: Creating a virtual machine of an old laptop I'd like to create a virtual machine of an old laptop and then get rid of the old laptop.  How does licensing of Microsoft xp operating system work?  The operating system was pre-installed on the laptop from the manufacturer.  Can I license with the sticker on the laptop?

A: No you can't use that license as, assuming by your description, it's an OEM install/version of Windows.
The VM is a different machine, and you can't move an OEM Windows license to a different machine. It dies with the machine it was sold with.

A: The Microsoft OS OEM license allows you to install (and in some cases, virtualize) the software only on the originally licensed machine.
Even the new OEM license (the one on new machine on which you wish to run the VM) won't solve your problem. While you probably have Professional license (or higher) granting you downgrade rights, you won't actually have any virtualization rights (these are applied only to volume licenses covered by Software Assurance and some other minor cases, read more).
As to the technical issues, you may easily convert old hard drive into virtual machine drive. If you plan to use VirtualBox, you may do it easily with Disk2vhd app.
You have to remember though, that if you convert single partitions, you will need to rebuild MBR using recovery tool on the installation CD. Please review the following article for further advice on this topic: How to create vdi from existing (off line) partition?


Pt/CeO2-M2O3 and Pd/CeO2-M2O3 (M = La, Pr, Y, Sm, or Nd) were prepared by co-precipitation and impregnation and were investigated for potential passive NOx adsorber (PNA) use. During NOx storage at 120 °C, it was found that the amount of NOx stored as a function of time for Pt-promoted materials was higher than the Pd-promoted counterparts. For Pt/CeO2-M2O3 samples doped at the 5% level, NOx storage efficiency (NSE) followed the order Pr > Nd > Sm > Ce (undoped) > Y, La. Increasing dopant content from 5 to 20% decreased NSE in most cases, although in the case of Pr, NSE was increased. During subsequent NOx-temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), two NOx desorption events were apparent in all cases, the first occurring below 350 °C and the second occurring in the range 350–500 °C. Doping with Pr promoted the release of increased amounts of NOx below 350 °C compared to samples doped with other lanthanides; moreover, increasing the content of all doping metals except Pr shifted desorption peaks to higher temperatures, while the opposite trend was observed for Pr. Promotion with Pd was also examined, resulting in an increase of NOx desorption at low temperatures (<350 °C) relative to Pt. These results can be rationalized in terms of the ability of Pr to create vacancies in the CeO2 lattice, which facilitate NOx adsorption, and by the superior NO oxidation activity of Pt relative to Pd, which promotes NOx storage as nitrates possessing high thermal stability.
This project was funded by the National Science Foundation and the US Department of Energy (DOE) under award no. CBET-1258742.


text:
Steve Lopez
Author of The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music
Photo credit: Gilles Mingasson
When the Los Angeles Times reporter discovered a former Julliard student playing on Skid Row, he decided to help him off the streets. Their friendship — movingly recounted in The Soloist, the basis for the film starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey, Jr.—inspired Steve Lopez, recipient of the President's Award from the Los Angeles Press Club, to raise awareness of homelessness and mental illness.
About Topics Video Books Media
About Steve Lopez
Columnist Steve Lopez joined the staff of The Los Angeles Times in May 2001 after four years at Time Inc., where he wrote for Time, Sports Illustrated, Life, and Entertainment Weekly.
Prior to Time Inc., Lopez was a columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer, San Jose Mercury News, and The Oakland Tribune. His work has won numerous national awards for column writing and magazine reporting.
A California native, Lopez is the author of three novels and a book of non-fiction, The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music. The book is based on columns Lopez wrote for The Los Angeles Times about his friendship with a downtown Los Angeles musician.
Lopez is married and has two sons and a daughter.
The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music
Steve talks about his four-year odyssey with American musician Nathaniel Ayers, and how a chance encounter turned into a book, and then a movie, about friendship, second chances, the power of human connections, and the healing power of music and art.
Categories: Bestselling Author Speakers, College + University Speakers, Current + Social Issues Speakers, Journalist Speakers, Library + Community Reads Speakers, Motivational + Inspirational Speakers, Young Adult Author Speakers
Steve Lopez on The Soloist
Books by Steve Lopez
Media About Steve Lopez
"Steve Lopez: This Plan Will Get Homeless People Off the Street. Will it Work?"
Philly Mag: "The Best Newspaper Columnist Philly Ever Had"
Seattle Times:"The Other Half of The Soloist"
"How Mr. Ayers and Mr. Lopez Became Friends"
Steve Lopez travels from Los Angeles, CA
The Soloist
"Many books claim to be about redemption and the affirmation of the human spirit, but they are false gospels. The Soloist is singularly and unforgettably true in all respects." – Buzz Bissinger, author of Friday Night Lights
Follow Steve Lopez
Doc Hendley
Founder and president of Wine to Water, CNN Hero, and author of Wine to Water
Carlos Andrés Gómez
Iconic performer and author of Man Up: Reimagining Modern Manhood
Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
National Book Award-winning historian and author of Stamped From The Beginning


Wedding nights are special events which will be etched inside hearts and the minds of married people. The request is among the items that prepared and are first made since this is the one which shows all the friends and relatives regarding the good news. Moreover, wedding invitations are considered as the friends' mementos of this wonderful occasion. Nowadays, electronic wedding invitations & cards are very popular.
There are many varieties of announcements available in several merchants online as well as in the neighborhood shops. But prior to the pair decides what style is the best, there are a few reminders to contemplate. First, look at the wedding theme and concept. The wedding style, if it's a semi formal or elegant wedding, ought to be reflected on the wedding invitation besides being indicated in terms. Next is to take in thought the text along with the quantity of room of report hence the request would not look packed with terms and letters required.
These varieties of wedding invites would be the most often used by many planners and engaged Engraved invitation style couples, calligraphed style, published style, thermographed style, and hand colored invitation style. In personalized invitations, the paper will be stamped causing an imprint around the invitation paper. Ink will be applied for the indentation then dry. Engraving can be a challenging and costly procedure but this style is the most typical request type of formal weddings.
This entry was posted in Online Business and tagged affordable wedding invitations, cheap wedding invitations, online wedding invitation, wedding invitation by editor. Bookmark the permalink.


Lance Armstrong ruined my gym.
The greatest bike racer in history won't stop motivating me.
A few weeks before, the gym's motivational strategy had consisted of easily ignored, plastic-framed, black-and-white photos of guys doing biceps curls. Now I was getting assaulted by vintage-shop shirts and unattributed quotes from the Successories slush pile. What's the point of wallpapering a quote in the locker room, anyway? Was it supposed to inspire me to take a more satisfying shower or have a stronger bowel movement? To change my clothes faster? I didn't need motivation. I don't go to the gym to get motivated. I go to relax, or because I've eaten a half-dozen donuts in the last 24 hours. Anyway, I was there. Wasn't that enough?
Rigorous reading of corporate press releases has revealed that Lance Armstrong is the fourth athlete to sign a commercial treaty with 24 Hour Fitness, along with Magic Johnson, Andre Agassi, and Shaquille O'Neal. The company operates a series of centers devoted to Lance's greatness and donates money to his cancer-fighting foundation. In return, Lance wears the company logo on his jersey and appears in some commercials. The other athletes have similar deals. I can see how Magic figures into the equation. He's an inspirational-type guy and his gyms are going up in underserved urban neighborhoods, though they may be straying a bit from that concept: A new one just opened in Sherman Oaks. I'm having a harder time picturing Shaq's place. Do the patrons get an extra burst of energy from gazing upon photos of his police firearms training? A publicity still from Kazaam? A giant shoe?
I'm certainly not troubled that my gym has devoted itself to Armstrong. Only one man enjoys a higher esteem in Austin, and while I'd prefer to work out at Willie Nelson 24 Hour Fitness, I don't think such a place is forthcoming. And I'm only slightly annoyed by the large-print copy of the Lance Armstrong Foundation's "Manifesto" that hangs by the aerobics room. It's not really appropriate for my gym to tell me, before I go to yoga class, that they will help me bank my sperm if I get cancer, but I know they mean well.
I might even be willing to forget about all the garish memorabilia if the place had any real connection to Lance's life and work. Like, a bicycle that wasn't encased in glass. Other than a redecoration of the spinning room, there doesn't seem to be any extra emphasis on cycling since the redecoration. "Maybe they'll dye the pool water yellow for the Tour de France," suggested one woman in the sauna yesterday.
So defensive! I wonder why Armstrong would agree to have this quote, which comes from a Nike ad but sounds like a bad moment from a particularly testy press conference, on display in a semipermanent manifestation of his life's work. Honestly, I don't care if or how he "enhances" his performance. He's the greatest bike racer of all time. He beat cancer, and now he raises money to help others do the same. That's great. But please tone down the iconography and the sloganeering.
Well bully for you, Lance, I thought. But some of us really do have bad days, and we like it that way. In fact, my day just got a little bit worse. Here's my $63 a month. Now let me schvitz in peace.


How and where to buy up mini fiefdoms.
NEW YORK (MainStreet)—From his small rented apartment in the New York City's East Village, former advertising executive Joe Fairless, 30, is in the final stages of closing on a $6.8 million apartment building in Ohio.
"I made my first real estate purchase in Dallas in 2009 at the time when the market was perfect for the single-family home and there were a ton of foreclosures," said Fairless, principal of Fairless Investing, who switched from buying single-family homes to investing in apartment complexes last year.
Real estate investors like Fairless are kicking single-family homes to the curb in today's housing market to purchase apartment complexes in areas with low vacancy rates.
"There's a little uptick in transferring from single-family homes to multifamily complexes," said Leanne Eicoff, vice president of loans at CLD Capital, an Atlanta-based national lender for commercial loans and apartment mortgages.
Apartment vacancies have fallen to 4.3% in the first quarter, the lowest level since the first quarter of 2001, according to an April report released by real estate research firm Reis, Inc.
The demand for rental properties is on the rise with the housing bust, economic recovery, high mortgage requirements and a constrained supply of newly constructed apartments, Fairless said.
"You have record high occupancy for rentals and new construction is starting to take place, so therefore we have more people looking for apartments," he said.
Multifamily investing is growing and in its fourth year of expansion because of the current economy and demographics, according Marcus and Millichap Real Estate Investment Services.
Hedge funds are buying up foreclosed single-family residential homes and squeezing out single-family investors and first-time home buyers, Eicoff said.
"We're seeing an uptick in these types of people - usually it's for [buying] a five- to ten-unit complex," Eicoff said about investors who are switching from single-family home investments to multifamily ones for higher returns and increased cash flow. "It's just a start to get their feet wet."
Spencer Cullor, founder of Kansas-based Cullor Properties/ApartmentVestors, purchased his first apartment complex in 2006 before the housing market imploded.
Also see: Can a Hot Realtor Get You More Bang for Your Buck?
"A lot of people start with a four- to eight-unit and work their way up," said Cullor, who switched his business from building single-family residentials to spec on farmland and transferred to investing in multifamily. "We even started our business like that."
Cullor has since expanded his business, which was initially self-funded, to incorporate multiple private investors. He now owns a stake in 400 units across Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.
"We're now looking more at Texas, eventually looking at Houston, Dallas or Austin," he said. "It all comes from growth, so you look at places where the population is growing."
Texas is in the top one-third of places for investments in multifamily housing because of its job market momentum, according to a Marcus and Millichap Real Estate Services apartment report.
"Texas is trading a ton," Eicoff said. "People feel like they can still get deals in Texas and we're seeing a lot of deals in Houston."
Eicoff added California has the highest trade volume in the country and represents 40% of CLD Capital's business in multifamily lending.
"San Francisco is going crazy," he said. "The potential income is high. There is Silicon Valley with a lot of people with cash and disposable income and they're trading in cash."
The requirements for multifamily loans are based on the cost of the property. Most loans under $3 million typically require a a personal guarantor, but commercial loans with a pool of investors on a property costing over $3 million are treated differently.
"For over $3 million dollars with a pool of investors, we're not going to underwrite each one individually." Eicoff said. "We look at the shareholder with more than 20% ownership and also base it on the strength of the property and its cash flow."
Higher mortgage requirements make it more difficult for individuals not in full-time employment to qualify for a mortgage - as in the purchase of a single family home, Fairless said.
"It's definitely a different ballgame than the single0family home," Fairless said. "For lenders, they look at the investor, but primarily they evaluate the investment on the cash flow of the apartment."
Fairless is closing on his first apartment complex in June - a $6.8 million lease agreement for 168-unit apartment complex in Cincinnati, OH under a syndicated deal with a group of investors.
"It's more work to buy an apartment, but the returns are greater," Fairless said. "If you want scale, it's an apartment complex. It's the equivalent of buying 100 homes at once."


text:
Essays and Long Reads
Skills & Tips
Bicycling Subscribe
Alex Zanardi Speaking Again After Near-Fatal Crash
4 Kettlebell Exercises for Serious Core Strength
How Mini Goals Helped This Cyclist Lose 93 Pounds
What Are the Best and Worst Meat Substitutes?
Roy From 'The Office' Is a Triathlete IRL
11 Ways To Get the Most Out of Your Group Ride
By dimity mcdowell
Pick Your Pack Position Wisely
Stay in the front third of the group. Think of the slipstream as an inverted V: riding directly behind the front riders gives you the maximum advantage, while farther back, the pull-you-along effect is diluted. Also, riding towards the front allows quicker reactions when somebody surges. Unless, of course, you're new to group riding. Toward the back, you have a little more mental breathing room and space to maneuver.
Attack the Hills
In fact, try to lead. If you begin in the back third on an uphill (not as draft-friendly as the flats), the stronger riders book up it and gain distance down the other side by the time you crest. If you start close to the front, you may still be passed, but you're more likely to see the top before the last rider rockets away.
Attack the Hills, Part II
On downhills, shift into a big gear and pedal so you can be in the heart of the group when things even out. You can rest after you return to the safety of the draft. Often after a hard effort, the group will chill on the descent and for a few more minutes post-climb to give everybody a chance to catch their breath.
"If you get dropped, shift into a hard gear, get as aero as you can and give it everything you have," says Abby Ruby, a senior coach at Carmichael Training Systems, based in Colorado Springs. "You typically have one or two superhard efforts like that in you per ride, so pick your blastoff point wisely." Look for times when the group is slow, such as in a town or on a stretch of road with many stoplights. If the pack continues to disappear into the horizon, don't burn out your legs. Shift to plan B: ride alone.
Eat in Stages
Eating and drinking tend to become afterthoughts when you're hanging on for dear life—which is a mistake. "If you don't take in calories and fluids, you'll be at the back, with plenty of time to eat and drink," says Ruby. Smooth the hand-to-mouth process by tucking a gel or two into your shorts legs for easy access, and open wrappers and bottles before your ride.
Flatten Your RPMs
While drafting on flat terrain, shift into a slightly bigger gear, slow your cadence and pedal minimally. Your muscles will provide enough power to pull you along, but your heart rate won't rocket.
Admit to Being the Weakest Link
If you can't hold onto the wheel in front of you any longer, don't make the group riders behind you pay. "Yell 'gap' and move over," says Ruby. Let the person behind you catch the wheel while you integrate yourself back into the group.
Leave the Superman Cape at Home
"Be completely willing to do as little work as possible," says Hart. "Everybody knows what it feels like to be the slowest, so no one will give you a hard time for not taking a turn up front." If you do end up leading, do so for only a short bit—25 to 50 pedal strokes is fine—and exit gracefully by saying something like, "That's all my legs have today."
But Wear the Rest of Your Superhero Duds
"If there's a little voice in you saying, 'You can't hang on,' you probably won't," says Kristin Dieffenbach, PhD, an assistant professor of athletic coaching education at West Virginia University, in Morgantown. Negative self-talk poisons any chance of success." Instead, she suggests, embrace the challenge. "When it gets tough, tell yourself you're going to hold on until you count to 10. By the time you get there, the group may have slowed or your body may have adapted."
Be Prepared to Hurt
"People tend to have a distorted sense of how much their bodies can handle," says Dieffenbach. Don't redline for an entire ride, but realize that going fast has some pain associated with it. The more you hurt now, the faster you'll be on future rides."
Don't Take It Personally
When, not if, you do lose the group, don't start calling yourself a loser or a slacker. "Every cyclist has been dropped at some point," says Dieffenbach, "and if they tell you otherwise, they're lying. After you're spit out, process the ride positively. Ask yourself, "Why didn't it work today?" Maybe it's because you didn't eat a good dinner last night, or that work this week demanded 60 hours of your time. It's not always your legs, says Dieffenbach.
Best Gear Values
dimity mcdowell Dimity McDowell is a Colorado-based freelance writer who specializes in fitness.
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