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First Reading of Deadly Reservations!
Adam Nardi, author readings, Christian Larsen, creativity, Denise Fleischer, Park Ridge, Scott Fischer
Karen Larsen invited her son, Christian, and I to participate in a Homegrown Horrorfest at The Iannelli Studios Heritage Center in Park Ridge, IL. Karen had worked for the local school district in public relations. We talked often about her press releases. As the owner of Generation Connection, she teaches workshops on how to write memoirs, and works with seniors to write their life story so they can share it with loved ones.
I was thrilled to enter the renovated art studio for several reasons. For the opportunity to listen to Scott Fischer perform originals on his electronic keyboard. To speak to Adam Nardi about his very dark and captive sculptures and paintings and to follow Christian Larsen's frightening possibility of being unable to stay whole. That's the storyline in his horror novel, "Losing Touch." We all listened to him read after I read my book.
A scarecrow contest motivated local children to get involved in a community project. Their creative efforts were exhibited on the center's front lawn.
Beyond the interior's decorations of creatures and the departed, we all had an appreciation for Mr. Iannelli and his art. Creativity does not crumble and turn to dust when an artist passes away. You could almost imagine the casted light on a sculpture as the artist smoothed, corrected and completed his work of art. You can sense the hours of labor and the passage of time.
Maybe we are all artists. Scott's voice and skill playing the keyboard and guitar moves us through words and their meaning. Adam's haunting imagery helps us relate to the inner struggle of our souls to survive another day. Christian's writing, allowed us to appreciate what we take for granted: simply being whole. My writing helps us to realize in words and imagery that good and evil exist within man and that which we are too frightened to come to terms with.
Interview with Rosemarie Piemonte Author of "Falling Roses: In the Dark"
Celebrities, Falling Roses, Rock and Roll, Romance, thrillers
In "Falling Roses: In the Dark," Romantic Thriller author Rosemarie Piemonte created a story about 23-year-old rock star Johnny Ravolie who was trapped in a relationship with Bernadette Malone. She has more than a few behavior problems and connections with the mob. She's not willing to let him sever the relationship and lets him know with a few nasty threats, one being that she will kill him and his family. Trapped in this impossible relationship, Johnny sees himself as a prisoner. That is until he falls for a very young runaway injured in a car vs. pedestrian accident.
Their lives are changed forever.
The Ravolie saga continues with Rosemarie's latest novel "Falling Roses: In the Dark."
Denise: Can you tell us more about Gabrielle (Bobbie) Newtonendie, the young girl Johnny falls in love with and about the beginning of their relationship?
Rosemarie: Gabrielle was sick of high school, sick of her overly protective parents and wanted to be a rebel for a day. She takes the train to Chicago. While she's walking along the sidewalk she's hit by a drunk driver. While in a coma, she is aware that her parents may take her off life support. She also senses Johnny by her side. With the help of Johnny's bandmates, they come up with a celebrity stunt that will keep Bernadette away from him. During this time, Johnny, who's hiding out at the hospital, has planned for Bernadette's half-brother, Jeffrey Rolando, to kill Bernadette. They say he's going to spend time in the pediatric burn unit. Gabrielle awakes to Johnny at her bedside. The news is broadcasting that she is the girl he saved. Since it's mentioned on TV, Bernadette finds out. She arrives at the hospital to pull him away from Gabrielle. He had no choice, but to leave with Bernadette since she was now threatening to kill Gabrielle. Read my first book to find out what happens next.
Denise: What made you write "Falling Roses: In the Dark," the third book in the series?
Rosemarie: I had a "to be continued…" in "Falling Roses: the Years Between," so I thought I owed it to my readers, and to myself, to continue where it had left off. Robbie was important to Jackie. Jackie was miserable with Seth and I couldn't let the story end that way with someone who she just didn't love. Seth was originally the villain in "Falling Roses: In the Dark." But in my head, he turned out to be good and understanding and a character that literally flew off the page and out of the book. I never meant "In the Dark" to be about family issues. It just took on a life of its own.
Denise: What inspires you?
Rosemarie: At the present time, my website inspires me. I really enjoy doing the things I do on Falling-Roses.com. The slideshows, the pictures…I'm thinking about placing on the website a few deleted scenes that never made it into the novels. I want people to see what I've seen in my head for so long. I want these characters that I've created to come to life. If it can't be on the big screen, then at least it will be there for people on Falling-Roses.com.
Denise: What writers do you love to read?
Rosemarie: I absolutely loved the Casteel series by V.C. Andrews, which is my ultimate favorite collection. During the past year, I read the "50 Shades" trilogy and I've read the "Twilight" series. Nora Roberts and Jane Green are also a few of my favorite authors. Also, Mario Puzo, the author of "The Godfather." I enjoy reading Historical Romance, as well. I'm all over the place when it comes to genres. I love Vampires and superheroes. The list goes on and on.
Denise: What inspires you to write?
Rosemarie: Morning traffic! On my commute to work, there is always heavy traffic and my brain just gets bored. When I use to drive my rolling dumpster, "my green jeep," there was no radio. Now that I have a newer car, I see scenes in my head that were never there before. I see a lot of club parties. That would be boring, though, if all I wrote about was my characters going to clubs and dancing.
Denise: What are you currently working on?
Rosemarie: I've written at least 30 pages for another novel. I think it will be entitled "Falling Roses: Lost in the Rain." Major spoilers in here. I will be introducing some new characters into the book, such as John's nephew, Drew. There will be someone from "In the Dark" that John and Gabrielle upset (just a little bit) and Bobbie will be in more danger. There will be a lot more action scenes.
Denise: Where can we order your books?
Rosemarie: All three books are available in paperback and e-book through online book sellers.
Books in GWN's TBR Pile!
25 Friday Oct 2013
authors, book reviews, Mysteries, thrillers
It's hard to put a good book down… Here's what I'll be reviewing in the days ahead. I'm currently reading …
Book Review – Delectable by Adrianne Lee
Adrianne Lee, Delectable, Denise Fleischer, e-book, Gotta Write Network blog, Grand Central Publishing, Hachette Digital, Montana, pies
Big Sky Pie #1
By Adrianne Lee
Published on: Sept. 3, 2013
Sold by: Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format: ebook: Nook or Kindle
Contemporary set in Kalispell, Montana
Adrianne Lee presents a small town slice-of-life novel with a very real issue. Quint McCoy, a Montana real estate agent, experiences an undeniable wave of guilt. So much of his life was wrapped up in being a successful businessman that he wasn't able to spend time fishing with his father. When his father died, his grief consumed him and he couldn't cope. He pushed away everyone he loved, especially his wife Callee. He blamed their marriage for being the reason he didn't spend quality time with his dad.
Instead of going for grief counseling, working through his feelings, and then moving on with his life, Quint literally walked away from everyone he loved. He told Callee that he couldn't deal with the marriage anymore and that he wanted a divorce. He packed his bags for an extended fishing trip and walked away from his business. His life began crumbling away brick by brick.
Molly lost her husband and now her son's inability to cope threatened any happiness he and her daughter-in-law deserved. Determined to resolve the situation and bring the two most important people in her life back together, Molly puts her plan into action. She renovates one of the buildings she owns, which just happens to be Quint's real estate office, and creates Big Sky Pie. Now all she has to do is wait for her son to come back in town and get him and Callee in the same room.
When Quint returns, he immediately notices that his business is gone. Where it went, he's not sure, but in its place is a new pie café. He has a feeling that his mother knows what's going on.
Ready to put her painful past behind her, Callee comes to town to return her wedding ring and then drive off toward a new life. Culinary school will soon start and her girlfriend has a job for her.
If it wasn't difficult enough to experience their first encounter since Quint walked away, they now have to deal with Molly's medical emergency. Callee, Quint and Andrea, Quint and Molly's assistant, have to deal with Molly's need for surgery and keeping her dream alive. They have to hire a top-notch pastry chef to get the business up and running.
Can they put their own problems aside and work on Molly's dream? Read the book and find out.
Delectable is about second chances. It's about Quint's overwhelming grief which nearly takes over his life. He had to get a grip on reality and reel in everyone he could have lost in the process.
The book is character driven and pulls you into what the two main characters are experiencing. There was good character description so I had no problem visualizing who they were and their life challenges. The storyline kept me interested and I'm determined to bake a homemade pie. I do think that Lee took Quint's guilt a little too far. It could have been expressed through negative behaviors such as drinking too much, not wanting to spend quality time with Callee, and forgetting business appointments. I don't think he should have left everything he loved. I also would have liked more background and description of the town they lived in.
Four freshly baked cherry pies out of five
Denise Fleischer, gottawritenetwork.wordpress.com
Author of Deadly Reservations (ArcheBooks)
–Review copy courtesy of Forever (Grand Central Publishing) through NetGalley.
World Creator Vijaya Schartz
Novels, Science Fiction, Vijaya, World Building
Denise: The last time I talked to you, you had a few books in your author portfolio. There are so many more. What inspired you to write not one, but three genres: Science Fiction, Contemporary and Medieval?
Vijaya: I simply cannot limit myself to one genre. I like to create worlds, be it in the past or the future. It makes things difficult for an author, since my readers do not always cross from one genre to the other. To me, though it's storytelling, action, adventure and romance all the same.
Denise: Are these novels or novellas?
Vijaya: Most of my stories are full novels. I have only four novellas among my twenty something titles. Even my novellas are on the longer side, around 33,000 words.
Denise: Let's talk about your latest romantic SF novella "Borealis IX – Akira's Choice." Why does bounty hunter Akira Karyudo feel something isn't quite right about her new assignment?
Vijaya: Well, she thinks a seven-year-old child should not be a threat to the Trans Planetary Protectorate, so why would the authorities want him dead or alive? As a bounty hunter, she is not an enforcer, and she is not bound to obey orders. She thinks for herself and makes her own decisions.
Denise: Where is the boy being held?
Vijaya: The boy was just kidnapped from a psychiatric facility and the reader will quickly realize that the situation is not at all what it seemed at first. The boy and his kidnapper just arrived on the Borealis Space Station, at the fringe of conquered space, and Akira hopes to catch them there.
Denise: What is it about the boy that demands the attention of the Trans Planetary Protectorate?
Vijaya: That's the million-credit question. No one knows… and I'm not going to spoil that discovery for the reader. But when the stardust hits the fan, all becomes clear.
Denise: What have you introduced in this book that you haven't in your other SF novellas?
Vijaya: It's something I had never tried in any of my books. The introduction of a child in the romantic mix. My sci-fi heroes and heroines tend to be military, action types, and often loners. Although these are action characters as well, this particular story has a strong element of family.
Denise: How do you keep your worlds and characters separate since you've written so many books?
Vijaya: Before writing the next book in a series, I reread all the books in that series to refresh my memory about the world and the characters, whether it's a series of novellas (like Borealis, where several authors contribute), or my own Chronicles of Kassouk series, or my Medieval Fantasy series, Curse of the Lost Isle. I used to keep character sheets and all kinds of documents related to each book, but over the years, after several computer crashes, these are gone. So now, I read the books. (Love my kindle)
Denise: How do you add depth to their personalities?
Vijaya: I like to write in layers. Usually my first draft of a chapter will be about the dialogue, the action, the plot, what's happening. Then the second pass is about the characters, the sensory details, the descriptions, the metaphors, etc. Then I polish and polish and get feedback from my critique partner.
As I write further into the story, my characters take on a stronger personality. By the end of the book, I know exactly what makes them tick, how they react, the details of their past. So I go back and add all the little idiosyncrasies and personality details I developed along the way. Often, what the readers comment about are these little character traits I added after finishing the book, almost as an afterthought.
I often remark about TV shows that, in the very first season, the characters are not as well defined. After a few seasons, when you know the characters, and you watch the first episodes again, you can see the difference and notice some inconsistencies. Fortunately, in a book, you can go back and correct these before sending the book to the publisher.
Denise: What is your current writing project?
Vijaya: Right now, I'm half-way through writing Book 5 in the CURSE OF THE LOST ISLE medieval fantasy romantic series. It's titled CHATELAINE OF FOREZ and features the immortal Melusine the Fae and the handsome Count Artaud of Forez. It should come out at the end of this year or in early 2014.
Denise: How many hours do you devote to writing a week?
Vijaya: Not enough. I cringe at my deadlines. Writing a chapter a week takes me three and a half days. But although I write full time, it seems promotion demands so much of my time that little is left in the day to write. I understand that it is a necessary evil. Writing the most wonderful book in the world is not enough. If no one knows it exists, it just won't sell. We authors have this incredible pride to think that we write for the readers' enjoyment. Truth is, we like to be read.
Come Meet Me and Let's Talk About the Paranormal!
Christian A. Larsen, Deadly Reservations, Denise Fleischer, DIY, Horrorfest, Iannelli Studios, IL, Losing Touch, Park Ridge
A mini Horrorfest has been slated at The Iannelli Studios Heritage Center, 255 N. Northwest Hwy. in Park Ridge, Illinois.
The event, which will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 27, begins with book readings and signings by local authors.
Christian A. Larsen will read selections from "Losing Touch," a unique horror novel. I will read selections from my new paranormal mystery, "Deadly Reservations."
Scott Fischer of Fischer's Flicker will perform live music.
There will be an Eerie Art Exhibit with works by Adam Nardi, tattoo artist and instructor for the Chicago Park District.
Scarecrows made by community groups for the Scarecrow Decorating Contest will be displayed on the grounds of the Iannelli Studios Heritage/Center throughout October. Entries will be judged by the residents of The Summit of Uptown. Awards will be presented.
Fire and Ice Blog Tour: Fallen Redemption!
Caderyn, Fallen Redemption, RB Austin, Wales
Fallen Redemption
By RB Austin
The Trihune Series
Tour Dates: 10/14/13 – 10/21/13
Click the archives for the interview with RB for Fire and Ice Blog Tours!
Cade committed himself to saving lives before he learned the full consequences of his life-altering decision. It wasn't until he was tending his sick wife that he learned the enormity of what he'd done and he was unable to save her from the monster he had become. Consumed with guilt and praying for absolution, he threw himself into killing every Fallen he could find to save the humans he'd sworn to protect. But then Emma, deliciously mortal and completely forbidden, swept into his world, stirring an overpowering desire. Now he's not only fighting soulless creatures, but also his inner cravings, trying to maintain his distance and continue on his path to forgiveness. He won't lose control again and lose another love.
Llangwyllog, Anglesey
Caderyn yanked on the reins. His fevered mind barely registered the horse's protested whinny. He threw his legs over the side and slid down. Wiping the sweat from his face with his coat sleeve, he staggered to the small wooden house.
"I need the doctor." His hoarse cry bellowed through the night. He pounded on the door. "Doctor!"
Fist raised and ready to knock again, the door opened two inches. "Are you the doctor?" A wave of dizziness swept through him. Clutching the doorframe, splinters dug into his fingertips. He. Would. Not. Faint.
"Are you the doctor?" Caderyn peered through the opening and spied the shape of a portly, short man.
"Yes." A thin, high voice replied.
"I need you to come with me. My wife. She's sick. Smallpox."
The doctor's thoughts slammed into his head. Hurry . . . Quick . . . Shut door . . . breathe on you . . . touch you. "I can't help you. The whole town is infected."
"Please. She's with child."
The doctor hesitated . . . unborn . . . saved . . . taken from the womb . . . No . . . risky . . . blood . . . contamination . . . Not worth my life . . .Caderyn placed his hands against the door and pushed. Sarah needed help. His unborn babe needed help. The door swung free.
The doctor stumbled back, eyes wide. His expression changed to horror the moment he saw the red spots gracing Caderyn's left cheekbone.
Ah . . . infected . . . Get the . . . The barrel of a rifle poked into Caderyn's chest.
"Leave. My. House." The doctor enunciated each word with a jab of the gun.
"Please," Caderyn begged, stumbling out the door. "There's no one else. My wife—"
"I can't help you." The doctor jammed the gun into Caderyn's chest one last time, forcing him further away, then slammed the door.
Caderyn lurched forward and pounded on the door. No. No. No. "You must help me. She's with child." A bout of coughing racked his body. He slapped his palm against the door. "I need help!"
Caderyn pushed from the door. His chest burned with every breath. It took three tries to get in the saddle. The doctor had said the whole town was infected. Where else could he go?
Wrapping his coat around his large frame, he hunched his shoulders. The chills were back. Spinning the horse, he kicked him into a gallop. He would care for Sarah himself.
Caderyn struggled to keep his eyes open against the rushing wind. He couldn't recall the last time he'd slept. Between burying his daughters and taking care of Sarah, he hadn't been able to rest when the sickness began to mark him. No matter, though. He was thirty-four and lived a long enough life. His unborn babe deserved a chance at living and he'd do everything possible to make sure it happened.
The wind whipped at his eyes making them tear. Raising the collar of his jacket, his fingers brushed over the marks on his face that rose that morning. Sally Mae had bumps all over her face and body before she died. Little Laura died two days after her fever begun. Sarah was just beginning to show the red spots.
Shivering violently, sweat beaded on his forehead. Burning up but unable to get warm. He had no energy to steer. It was too dark to see a horse's length in front of him anyways. Laying his head down on the mane, he closed his eyes. This would offer a reprieve from the wind until his eyes adjusted. He'd lie here but for a moment.
Caderyn woke to the sensation of falling then the jolt of the hard, cold ground as he slammed into it, bounced once, then lay still. Breath sawed in and out of his lungs. His body and head ached. Rolling over, a groan pushed from his lips. Sitting or standing seemed an impossible task at the moment. Sarah. He gritted his teeth. Get up. Get up, damn, you. Bright light shone in his face and he covered his eyes with his hands. Did the moon break free of the clouds? Had it even been out? He stilled. Slowly dropped his hands, squinting at the sky. The light was so blinding he couldn't see past it. Was this the sun?
Fear sliced through him. How long had he slept? The horse should have made it to the house by dawn. Had they turned somewhere? He tried to roll back over. Urgent, sloppy attempts to get onto all fours. Where was he? Sarah could be dying as he lay here. She could be—no—he had faith. The Creator would save her life. She carried one of His precious children.
Suddenly the bright light dimmed. Twisting his head to the sky, he searched for the proof it was still night. Please let it still be night.
He froze. Clouds didn't cover the moon.
There was no moon. No sun.
It was a ghost. A glowing male body with long white hair stood next to him. Its face was indiscernible in the light.
Caderyn trembled with fear. His boot heels dug into the ground, forming grooves in the dirt as he tried to move and went nowhere. The ghost laid his hand upon Caderyn's upper arm. Mouth open, Caderyn inhaled to scream. Before he could utter a sound, a wave of peace swept through him. Strong and fierce.
There was no fear. No aches. No worries. Just quiet nothingness. He stiffened. Things were never quiet for him. Not with his curse. But he heard none of the ghost's internal thoughts. Was he cured by its touch?
"You've not been cured of what you call your curse, son." The ghost's voice was deep, methodic. A warm blanket on a cold, winter night.
You can hear me?
Caderyn's heart skipped a beat. "Why can't I hear you?" His voice cracked. Licking his lips he wished—his canteen appeared a hand's length away. He startled.
"Don't be afraid. I mean you no harm, Caderyn O'Cearnaigh of Llangwyllog."
The ghost held out his hand. It no longer appeared ghost-like or glowing. The hand was attached to a solid arm and a solid body. Maybe the thing next to him wasn't a ghost.
Caderyn glanced at the offering then into the man's piercing blue eyes. He laid his hand into the outstretched palm. Their skin connected. The glow returned. Panic rose. Frantic now, Caderyn tried to pull free. The man tightened his hold.
He braced himself for fiery heat, but the glow only warmed. When it encased his body completely, he began to hear. And see. Not only thoughts and images of the present but ones from the past and in the future. His mind raced to understand what he saw. Beings. Not of this world. Glowing. Like the man next to him. Holy. His breath caught. It was the Creator. Three beings stood next to Him. No, not next. In front. Protecting Him. From Apollyon. The betrayer. These three were the Fathyr, Sonh, and Holyspiryt. Then came war. Banishment. Uprising. Creation. On both sides. The Trihune were born. More protectors. Like the man next to him. Elias. One of seven Sonhs. A Behnshma, one of three species of the Trihune.
Elias stood, and the glow faded from Caderyn's body.
"Will you, Caderyn O'Cearnaigh of Llangwyllog, lead my kindred against the fight with Apollyon and lend protection to the Creator's Followers?"
Followers. He meant humans. Like . . . What of my Sarah and unborn child?
"They are beyond my help."
On some level, he'd known his wife wouldn't make it, but he believed, hoped. Pain consumed him. He squeezed his eyes shut. His anguished cry pierced through the night. Memories of the last weeks, months, swept through him.
The horrible wretchedness at having to bury Sally Mae and Laura.
The guilt for allowing that stranger into their home. The worry over his wife and unborn child. The pain and ache in his own body. The tautness of his upper cheek where the sickness begun its destruction.
He opened his eyes. Could this man fix it? Elias could turn him into a Behnshma. Perhaps he could bring Sally Mae and Laura back. Caderyn's eyes widened at the possibility. Elias could cure Sarah and the unborn babe. Caderyn would exchange his life for theirs. Gladly, he'd suffer in their place.
"And that is why I chose you, son. But I'm terribly sorry. I cannot revive the dead."
"My Sarah, then?"
"She's on her path. I can only change what could be, not what's already occurred."
What would be the point of following this man, then? A hurricane of anger ripped through his body. It stirred his blood, giving him strength. Ignoring Elias's outstretched hand, he rose into a sitting position. Enough of this. He needed to be with Sarah for however long she had left. To feel his child move in her womb one more time.
"I'm sorry I can't save them." Elias moved too fast for Caderyn to block. "But you, you can save many." He grasped Caderyn's palm, trapping it in between his hands.
Again, image after image flashed through Caderyn's mind. This time quick, but vivid. Each burned into his brain.
Horrible. Bloody. Body after body. Nothing mattered to these beasts.
A man. His throat ripped into pieces. Eyes open and staring unseeing. Horror captured forever in his expression.
A woman. Dead. Unclothed. Bruised neck. Legs spread wide. Blood dried on her inner thighs. Long deep cuts on her neck, wrists, and belly.
A child. Thrown to the ground like an abandoned toy. Limbs twisted out of place. Blood pooled underneath its tiny body.
Every emotion the victims possessed before death was Caderyn's. Pain. Terror. Hopelessness. He was the one being pursued, tortured, beaten, violated. Falling to the ground on all fours, he panted for air. Elias was no longer touching him but the images didn't stop. These people had not been saved. Apollyon and his creation, the Fallen, had slaughtered these victims. Their demise had been drawn-out. So much violence. They were monsters. Murderers.
The pictures changed. Caderyn saw himself. Different, yet the same. Stronger. He knew how to kill. Protect. Fighting the Fallen he wielded a large curved sword as if it was an extension of his arm. Moving with grace and speed he didn't now possess, he saved an old man. A young boy. A family. A couple.
Five against one. Kill after kill. Fallen after Fallen. He rescued. Defended. Guarded.
A woman with child. He swung his sword high and in one swoop cut off a Fallen's head. It disappeared in a gray cloud. The woman gazed at him. Tears ran down her face. Her hand curved protectively over her extended belly. Fear faded, replaced by relief, thankfulness, and gratitude.
The last emotion hit Caderyn deep in his stomach. The woman was grateful he'd been there. She was alive because he'd been there.
The image flickered out and the mind storm stopped. Caderyn's head hung low in between his arms. His chest ached from panting. He wanted to weep.
How could he choose any other path? How could he let that woman and all the others down? He wanted to go back and save those who were already lost.
What emerged what a whisper, but he knew Elias would hear him even if he chose not to speak. "Yes."
Caderyn was whirled onto his back in the dirt. He watched two of Elias's teeth grow in size, sharpening at the ends. Terror stuttered his heart. Striking fast, Elias's teeth punched through the skin at his neck.
RB Austin is a writer of paranormal romances and YA novels. She puts her slightly neurotic organizational skills to good use managing her time as a wife, mother, full time worker, author, and blogger. Her dream is to become a full time writer and move down south where she can sit on the sunniest beach with her laptop and a bag of chocolates, writing what the voices in her head tell her to. In her spare time she enjoys knitting. Her current project is a dog sweater because even if it turns out ugly and full of holes her cairn terrier can't complain. RB is a member of Romance Writers of America and is currently working on the second novel in her Trihune series and a YA supernatural novel. Fallen Redemption is her debut novel.
My Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/authorrbaustin
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorrbaustin
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/rbaustin
Blog site: http://2unpublishedgirls.com
Website: http://www.rbaustin.com
Buy Link because you know you want to:
Amazon: http://www.amzn.com/B00E49OQ12
RB Austin's Debut Novel Introduces A New Supernatural Race
Creating a supernatural race takes more than imagination. R.B. Austin introduces the Trihune and her 1700s protagonist, Caderyn. Learn about this new type of hero and what challenges he's up against in Austin's novel "Fallen Redemption." Log onto her website at http://www.rbaustin.com and follow her on twitter: @authorrbaustin. Her book was published on July 23, 2013 by Soul Mate Publishing. Love the name of that. The kindle edition is 306 pages long. Love the cover!
GWN: First of all, I want to thank you for taking the time to speak with GWN readers and fireandicebooktour followers. We're very interested in learning more about your new novel, "Fallen Redemption." I believe the first thing we need to know is the foundation of the Trihune. Who are they and how did they come to be?
RB:Thanks so much for having me, Denise. I'm so excited to be able to talk to you and your readers about my debut release.
The Trihune are a group of supernatural beings created by the heavens' guardians in order to protect humans from Apollyon and his Fallen—soulless monsters who prey on the weak.
There are three different species of the Trihune. Fallen Redemption deals with the Behnshmas, or Behns for short. The Behns were once human. Monthly they receive the blood of their heavenly sire. This blood gives them an immortal life, unnatural strength, greater eyesight; all of the means necessary to protect humans.
GWN: What is it about your paranormal novel that makes it unique?
RB: I created Fallen Redemption by blending vampire lore and Roman Catholic heritage. There is not a group of warriors like the Behns in any other story. These beings are not something to fear in the night (well, if you're human, I mean), but to hope they are close by when you walk down a dark street.
GWN: Who is your protagonist and what challenge does he face? What time period did he begin human existence?
RB: Caderyn lived his human life during the 1700s. He couldn't imagine any other joy than working the land to provide for his wife and children. It wasn't until he gave a stranger shelter for the night that his life as he knew it ceased to exist.
GWN: What does he become and why? Who had a hand in his turning?
RB: It was on a dark, moon-filled night that Caderyn was turned into a Behn. He'd thought Elias was a ghost at first. The man's body glowed so bright.
Caderyn had always put the welfare of others before himself. When Elias showed him images of soulless monsters, pain, and death—so much death, there was no other choice to be made.
GWN: Why does he hate his new existence?
RB: Before the stranger entered his home, Caderyn loved his life. He adored his children. And now, he yearns to be just a Follower again. To go back, to change things. With his wife and children gone, he only has one purpose: killing enough Fallen to gain redemption for making the one choice that changed everything.
GWN: Is he a good or evil?
RB: Caderyn is good. He was chosen by his sire to be turned into a Behn because of his innate sense of right and wrong.
GWN: What must he overcome to resolve his negative existence?
RB: Caderyn must learn to let go of the past and forgive himself. Redemption is something he feels he doesn't deserve.
GWN: Is there hope for him?
RB: Oh yes.
I believe there is hope for all of us.
GWN: Tell us about your writing life and goals for the next novel.
RB: I'm already working on the second novel of the series. This one will focus on Lucas. He's the peacemaker of the group. The second novel will answer what happens when Lucas no longer seeks peace.
Thank you for the awesome questions, Denise, and for the opportunity to speak with GottaWriteNetwork readers.
Interview arranged through Fire and Ice Book Tours at fireandicebooktours.wordpress.com/
Is there such a thing as useless information?
By Denise Fleischer
GWN Network reporter
All our lives we've been weaving together numbers, letters, words which magically evolved. Mixed in colorfully with Seuss' "Green Eggs and Ham" are bits of delicious information about our cultural and ethnic foods. Then they told us how to behave appropriately in our homes, schools, stores and stadiums. Time preserved rules for society and interpersonal relationships were memorized.
They taught us about art with trips to the art museum or slide show presentations. Images and descriptions of Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel of Leonardo da Vinci and the Mona Lisa merged wih the surreal vision of Salvador Dali and his painting "The Persistence of Memory."
They gave us health and safety information. We learned about colds, the flu, diseases, cures, vitamins, minerals and organic items.
Then came the information about war. "Not the timeless, "Art of War," but lessons on the Revolutionary War, The Civil War, WWI and WWII and the Cold War. Dates with descriptive column strategies on the battlefields and the generals who led men to victory. Information reached the stars and beyond with the Voyager and the Mars Rover.
When they sent us to college, we began to specialize, categorize, analyze and devour information about the elements of life we were not allowed to witness until adulthood.
And when we tried to retire, they informed us about technology: computers, cell phones, social media and stretching the American dollar.
So is there such a thing as useless information?
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Book Review: Alibis and Amethysts
Alibis and Amethysts
A Crystal Shop Mystery
By Sharon Pape
Intermix Books
Penquin Group
Ebook-kindle
Life had changed in a heartbeat for Jaye Saylor. She was content teaching Earth Science to students in Middle School until her best friend, Sierra, decided to open a bakery in Sedona, AZ. Jaye packs her bags and moves to the artist-inspiring town.
Now her life revolves around her little crystal and gemstone shop and Sierra was living up to her own challenge with her bakery.
After dinner at Finnegan's, Jaye is told, not persuaded, to go back to Sierra's to taste her new Linzer Tortes. No sooner do they settle in Sierra's home and let her dog out in the backyard do they start hearing him bark. He was barking for a reason: he found a body, that of the former Peggy Krueger, Sierra's only bakery competition in town.
Call it fate, but now they're officially named "people of interest." Though Jaye is determined to arrive at the truth. That means she, Sierra and Native American friend, David, have to become amateur sleuths.
Then in walks a new mysterious creature. A strange, but interesting animal has adopted Jaye and takes refuge in her apartment. It's so unlike any living creature that it can't be classified. Jaye is definitely attached to her, but she is a bit of a distraction when working on the case. She looks something like a cat, but that's where the similarities end.
What I love about cozy mysteries are average people placed in the greatest challenge of their lives. Someone's life is always on the line. It's their intuitive investigation that solves the case. Jaye knows about geology, Sierra knows about baking and people, and David has family and tribal connections. Together they formulate a plan and examine any clue that crosses their path.
Alibis and Amethysts has characters you care about. Their personalities are realistic, their attitudes, experiences and participation in the storyline keep your attention. I love that Arizona was the setting and Native American life was featured. I know this added to my interest. I'm not sure I would have had the little unclassified creature playing such a big role in the mystery. I would have preferred a longer path to the truth with a few more twists and turns, but there were enough suspects to make you wonder who killed Peggy. I loved the characters and would hope to read more about them in the future. I recommend the book to anyone who enjoys light cozies vs. hard-hitting murder mysteries.
Four cute creatures out of five
Gottawritenetwork.wordpress.com


Two years ago, I did a Brand Timeline Portrait that looked at all of the logos I came into physical contact with in a day. I decided to update it by looking at all of the Favicons that enter my History in a day. Favicons are those tiny images that show up in a browser address bar. Keep in mind this doesn't include online activities that take place outside of a browser, like TweetDeck and iTunes. This is also only the web history from a single laptop I use even though I tend to use about four different computers a day. I listen to Pandora, but it's on an iMac in my living room. I use Brizzly to check Twitter, but only when I'm not on my laptop with TweetDeck. These are the favicons of the sites I visited on Tuesday. Scroll past the image for commentary…. (or click to make the image bigger).
It's interesting that I start and end my day in Gmail, but in actuality, I start and end in TweetDeck.
I'm not a big Facebook user. I check it twice a day at most. However, I am interested in things like Facebook's privacy changes, which is why I was reading two stories in the NY Times.
My wife is going on a quick trip, which explains the Alaska Airlines. I was checking her flight info to see which TriMet public transportation schedules would work to get her to the airport.
One of my favorite Portland blogs Dave Knows Portland posted a story about the Rose Festival. Which reminded me that I need more milk cartons to make a raft for the Rose Festival Milk Carton Boat Race.
I also followed a link to PDX Pipeline about Free Play at Ground Kontrol. Because I love old school arcade games. And drinking.
I usually only go to Twitter to look up new followers from my Gmail notifications. But I did look up @BrunchBox because they were having a lunch special, which I took a Twitpic of.
I looked at Netflix to see if the previous season of Curb Your Enthusiasm was available because I saw an ad for the new season. It's not.
I went to Craigslist because of a tweet about a film that has a similar title to a friend's movie, Meet Jane Doe. Meet Jane Fed doesn't have the same ring and I'm not sure a movie about a Census worker will be quite as timely in a year or two. Jane Doe has nothing to worry about.
I catch up on blogs at night usually and stopped off at Mile73 to read about food and why I should never eat it. A link in her comments went to a KATU 2 story that I'd read earlier in the day about a bagged salad recall. Personally, I'd like to recall the phrase "bagged salad." It sounds like something you're afraid to look up on Urban Dictionary.
A friend's movie was mentioned in a Vermont Blogspot and I only went to the site because he mentioned he'd been arrested in that town before. You should see the movie, which is called Shooting Beauty.
If you add a + after a bit.ly URL, you get stats about who's tweeted the link and how many times it's been shared, etc. That's why I went there twice.
I watched a lot of Hulu because I'm catching up on the last season of LOST with my wife. I also wanted to make sure I was caught up on 30 Rock episodes before they expired. I am caught up.
My YouTube consumption included some footage from another upcoming Portland movie James Vs. Reality, a Tom and Jerry cartoon I'm fascinated with and a PJ Harvey video because it's a video of PJ Harvey.
I went to Wikipedia to let @sabrina_pdx know she could turn orange if she ate too many carrots. It happened to my wife.
Okay, finally, I went to the Grilled Cheese Grill to send the link to someone on Facebook who was excited about a grilled cheese place opening up in San Francisco. We already have like a bazillion grilled cheese carts in Portland and I felt the need to point that out as smugly as possible.
Why would I collect a bunch of favicons? A web browser's History can show where you've been, but it doesn't show intent or underlying reasons. I think it's interesting to see how those tiny images tell a story. I'm sure there are better ways little icons could tell the story of your day, but this was the one that came to my mind. I wonder how these icons will change in a few years.


text:
Love me, love my sandwich
Today, I went into a department store and bought myself a sandwich for lunch. Usually, I go into a sandwich shop and buy myself a sandwich for lunch. I've just read that back, and frowned, and added the italic type. Yes, I know that I'm the one who tripped on it. I'm not saying that you - oh, never mind. Memo to self: cut down on the coffee. Enough with the jitters.
Anyway. I realise that it's customary on social media to post a photograph of One's lunch, the O being ironic because One thinks One is an archaic usage for "I", but my usual sandwich comes in a brown paper bag, and today's - well, let me tell you about today's. Triangular box, more card than cardboard, you know the kind of thing, with a perforation so that you can open the long side and get at the sandwich. I would continue, but it's the kind of box that sandwiches come in, if you buy them in department stores. You know this box. It's that box. No! Too late for a photograph. Sorry, sorry. It was good, thank you. No, I'm fine. Love one, but could you make it a decaf?
Where was I? Oh yes. Or buy them at train stations, I was about to say. Or in any setting where the actual business of making the sandwich is remote from the act of buying it. I can sit here and imagine the making of my usual sandwich, because most days, I watch the woman who makes it. I walk in, we exchange the look that passes between a woman who makes sandwiches and a man who eats them (to be clear, this look being the one that passes between them if they don't know each other beyond this single transaction, and not the look [some text missing here] all passion spent - sorry, I really am going to cut down on the coffee), and she makes me a sandwich.
But today's sandwich, the one bought from the department store. I suppose it was made by a human being, or at least by a long series of industrial robots with a human being watching over them. One dollops the filling onto the bread, another cuts, here comes the box (carton?) on another conveyor belt, somebody presses the red button and with a rush of compressed air sandwich and box are one. For One to open up and eat. So to speak. On the side of my sandwich box is the phrase "Discover delicious everyday…", so I suppose I did that earlier, discovered delicious by eating the sandwich, although for "everyday," I prefer my unambitious brown paper bag.
And its hand-made contents. I'm assuming the phrase is an invitation to discover "delicious" on a regular basis, and not a description of today's opportunity to discover the "delicious everyday" just once. But your guess is as good as mine. My old Asus tablet used to start the day by displaying the phrase "In search of incredible". Until I sat on it. Then it discovered recycling. Like the poet ee cummings, incredible preferred lower-case letters. I used to think of him as an unusually mild-mannered old gentleman sitting in the leather armchair next to the fire at the beginning of a story by M R James or, say, H Rider Haggard: oh, professor incredible had a story to tell, if you could get him to tell it.
The fire crackling in the background and the narrator pulling up a footstool, of course. Although if we're going in search of him, rather than finding him at the outset, maybe I should put him at the heart of darkness and let Joseph Conrad tell the story. His son went into the movies, you know. Delicious, meanwhile, hung out at the Moulin Rouge and was close to the painter Toulouse-Lautrec, with whom she shared - wait a minute! This is a post about a sandwich. And the box it rode in on - came in, I mean. Delicious was only discovered at lunchtime. She won't be a star just yet, although I suppose it's just about possible she's already caught the attention of a young painter - sorry. Returning you now to our scheduled blog post.
On the other side of this box - I just know I should be calling it a carton - is a further message: the principal ingredient of the sandwich was "marinated in a rich, slow-cooked stock then roasted for fantastic flavour and succulence." It was a perfectly good sandwich, actually, but I won't tell you what was in it because the more I think of it, the more guilty I'm feeling. Not because I'm unaffected by the mental image of all those cooks marinating my sandwich for fantastic flavour - huh? It was a store-bought sandwich - nor because I must have failed to spot the "I discovered delicious" t-shirt that must have been on sale next to the sandwich, but because…
I don't know. We're between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Season of depressing online cartoons about turkeys feeling apprehensive. Sigh. Although the hyped-up verbiage, in this case about a straightforward sandwich, is a year-round thing. I was in a coffee shop the other day, reading the stuff written on the wall about what the baristas do - and then watching the group of fresh-faced, young-looking people behind the counter chatting and laughing and making the occasional coffee - and I thought: no. Marshall McLuhan may have been perceptive, but he was also wrong. The medium is only superficially the message. But how much of the world has floated off into this described medium-reality of marinated sandwiches and lovingly constructed half-fat arabica cappuccinos and - I wonder if the Emulsifier E471 in my sandwich was organic, by the way - and how much of it is still grounded in real reality?
The medium isn't the message unless you tune into it. The medium is the message if you have a Facebook account, perhaps. Buy a sandwich in one store, and a team of imaginary cooks gather in an imaginary kitchen to marinate and slow-roast and get in each other's way generally. Walk into my regular sandwich shop and if you have the nerve to ask the woman to describe the origins of the sandwich she's just handed you, she'll look at you in a different way and tell you she cut the roll in half and put the [some text missing here] in the middle. Make your own, let's say, cheese sandwich, and do you … wow, follow the steps in the recipe I've just found online for Cheddar Cheese? Your team of baristas - sorry cooks - will have to roll up their sleeves, secure their little hats on their heads, and - taking step 19 as an example - "remove the cheese from the press and air-dry for two to three days".
I wonder if they're allowed to blow on it. I'm impressed by how far you plan your lunches in advance. Oh no, wait a minute, sorry, this is imaginary reality.
Let us go then, you and I, to some place beneath the sky where we can hand-pick only the finest coffee beans - oh, okay, you can grab them between your toes - and milk a passing cow that's only ever fed on the finest pasture, then leave our coffee beans to slow-roast over an open fire of apple-wood logs while we collect the dew from the mountain to fill our copper kettle, and then if the milk's still fresh - important to do these things in the right order, isn't it? - we can make ourselves hand-painted bone-china mugs of coffee and scroll down together to below the picture, where we'll find a post about Brexit. Oh, joy.
"Fog in Channel, Europe cut off," said the apocryphal newspaper headline. The word "apocrypha" is used in another context to describe works that were excluded because they were not in line with official thinking. Such apocrypha weren't apocrypha when they were written, thought, and their insights add something to the story.
It's morning in Cornwall. England. The UK. The EU. Today's political messages tell us, one, that "it puts jobs and the economy at risk," and two, that "it protects jobs, security and the integrity of the United Kingdom." Pretty obvious what we're talking about here, so if you don't mind, I'll leave "it" at that. If we took any of these people seriously, we'd either be looking forward to "a brighter future for Britain", or we'd be fearing for our jobs and our rights.
One of those two messages uses the word "could" seven times in six bullet points, by my count, and the other bets, if not the farm, then at least several acres of prime grazing land on a surprising (to me) combination of personality politics and monologues delivered straight to camera by people in suits. Scroll down both - did I mention I'm on Facebook here? - and you get a distinct impression that one's spent more than the other on buying a social-media strategy. Or paid more attention to the techies, at least.
Just as the Polish cavalry charged the German tanks at the beginning of World War Two, so the next UK election is going to be fought on the playing fields of the internet. Was that the lesson of Obama? Or Corbyn? I forget. But the most recent lesson of history that's been learned in politics is that social media wins. You connect with young people, et cetera, and they get active. I'd just like to add, for any politicians reading this, that bullet-point lists have been around since magazine covers were printed exclusively on paper. Also, even Generation Whatever's grandparents could tell you that a short bullet-point list always beats a long one. Maybe we could learn that again some time.
Those who learn the lessons of marketing probably assume that the winning strategies from last time will win again next time. I wonder. If only we could scroll forward to 2022 and read all the political commentators telling us what was obvious to them even as far back as 2018. For my part, I'd just like to clarify one thing. I've just re-read the paragraph before this one, and I'd like it understood that "the most recent lesson of history that's been learned in politics" isn't necessarily the same as "the most recent lesson of history," full stop. The most recent lesson, strictly, is the unwelcome one - unwelcome in some of the more vocal circles of our good old liberal democracy, anyway.
We have "it" because a lot of people voted for "it". We have - oh, never mind. US readers will know what I mean. The vote went that way, so we got him, and the mid-term re-vote wasn't quite an unambiguous correction of a mistake by an electorate accepting that it got it wrong first time. But we've re-classified all that as populism, haven't we? On both side of the pond? Which means it doesn't count, right? The lesson of history is still the one before that, correct? Win the online battle for hearts and minds, and you've won the election. If participation in online hot-air extrusion is a sufficiently mass activity to ensure - no, forget I said that.
In other news recently, I learned from an inside-page story in a newspaper (younger readers: primitive news medium, printed on paper; newspapers can appear online, but here, the writer seems to be emphasising that this news item wasn't highlighted in his online news feed) that Hungary, an EU member state, has passed a law criminalising homelessness. I don't know what I think about the likely impact of the "Draft Agreement on the withdrawal [blah blah blah]," and yes, we have no capital w, on jobs and the economy, but I have scrolled through the 585 pages, and I'm pretty sure the Joint Committee's going to give us some fun. The rest of it's a fine example of a contract so very detailed and precise that it can only - I nearly wrote "can only cause argument", but of course what I really mean is: can only be debated in summary.
Imagine politicians hurling scriptural one-liners back at each other, and you get an idea of what would happen if they decided actually to argue about this thing for real. Clause this, paragraph that, subsection the other says, "Thou shalt not…" Ah, but Clause that, paragraph this, subsection something else specifies that any such prohibition will only apply on Thursdays, when there's a full moon and an r in the month…" Reading (skimming) this ultra-detailed draft, I begin to see why politics sticks to sound-bites. We can go with either of the messages at the top, according to our baseline emotional allegiance. Or we can ignore it all, because we're "populists" and, I don't know, we go with our gut.
But we couldn't possibly get anything useful from reading this thing, surely? I mean, I'm reassured by this, which you'll find on page 361. "Taking into account the importance of international cooperation and agreements on labour affairs and of high levels of labour and social protection coupled with their effective protection, the Union and the United Kingdom shall protect and promote social dialogue on labour matters among workers and employers, and their respective organisations, and governments." Earlier, the negotiators have defined their terms: we know by this stage what "Union" and "United Kingdom" mean. They haven't defined "protect," nor "promote," nor indeed "social dialogue". But at least both sides can agree on what "United Kingdom" means. No grounds for argument there, eh?
My only problem with the word "populist" is that I can't quite get alongside any definition that assumes populists listen to any politicians for long enough to be fooled by them. But never mind. My only problem with the Draft Agreement is that there are people in the world who believe that pulling together such a farrago of scrupulously assembled and cross-referenced minutiae could have any bearing on the way real people live. In the real world. Are there windows in the rooms where Brexit negotiators meet? I know they spend their nights as well as their days negotiating together, especially when they're close to deadlines. They negotiate without sleep. But they must get out some time - but never mind.
As I say, I don't know what I think about the likely impact of the Draft Agreement on anything that really matters, here in real life. But thanks to the weather app on my iPhone, I do know that the temperature is expected to drop below freezing tonight, in Budapest.
Everything else I could have said here about Brexit, I said about some previous festival of tedium in my book Who's Afraid of the Media-Political Complex? (2014). That's out of print now, but you can work out most of it from the title. The cover's over there on the right.
Not comfortable thinking this, and certainly not advocating anything, but if you go back to the simple question asked in the 2016 referendum - leave or stay? - you might begin to wonder whether a no-deal Brexit wouldn't be the closest match to "the will of the British people". It would make fools of a lot of people, and do a lot for Theresa May's long-term reputation, if the eventual release of this year's cabinet papers revealed that the whole charade has been a devious plot to get out without a deal.
What if she told her people, privately, that she would resign if she didn't get the vote she wanted?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


BIG NEWS... Chocolate Brownie has returned home, and is now located in Brisbane! You'll find me and my studio in a creative co-working space in Woolloongabba. Feel free to email me to make an appointment to visit me in my studio. See you soon!


text:
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We are a Transport Canada Approved Yacht operator with 3 convenient locations in downtown Toronto. We own and operate a variety of luxury yachts anywhere from 10-passanger all the way to 100-passanger ships catering to small private events as well as and large public functions. You name it, we'll make it happen! We have special rates for Get My Boat users due to the volume of the business they give us and booking us through Get My Boat is cheaper than booking directly with us! This is a large yacht that can accommodate 25 guests in terms of space, however we are limiting it to 12 in compliance with Transport Canada rules and regulations!!! This is a yacht that should cost you $1200 per hour, don't miss out on this deal of renting a Large Yacht at a medium yacht pricing!! We are a commercially registered and commercially insured Yacht Charter company. This vessel is Transport Canada Certificate of Compliant. We have our own private commercial dock in downtown Toronto to make embarking simple and our yacht comes with a crew who are extensively trained in accordance to Transport Canada's requirements. We use newer yachts in immaculate condition to ensure you get the very best experience. Service is provided with a professional Captain and hostess. Your quote will include 10 guests: Monday - Thursday: ($500 per hour - 3 hours minimum booking) * 3 hours - $1500 (up to 10 guests); * Additional hours - $500 per hour; Friday - Sunday: ($600 per hour - 4 hours minimum booking) * 4 hours - $2400 (up to 10 guests); * Additional hours - $600 per hour; Holidays: ($700 per hour - 4 hours minimum booking) * 4 hours - $2800 (up to 10 guests); * Additional hours - $700 per hour; ******** There will be an additional $150 for any additional guest above 10 up to a maximum of 2 additional guests. Payment for additional guests is payable in cash the day of charter to prevent a lengthy refund process for no-shows. Total guests should not exceed 12. ******** This may be the nicest yacht in Toronto. Even though the total capacity has been limited to 16 by the owner, the second floor of this yacht can seat 7-9 people while you can also seat 8-10 in the main cabin, 7 on the front bow and an additional 5 in the aft cockpit. iPad controlled, club-like, Bluetooth enabled using an iPad and our Spotify account, indoor and outdoor sound systems through the boat. Fully climate controlled with AC and heater on both floors. New BBQ on swim platform + full kitchen, luxury at it's finest! Preferred departure times are as follows: 9:00am-noon (3 hrs) Noon-4:00pm (4 hrs) 4:00pm-8:00pm (4 hrs) 8:00pm-midnight (4 hrs) Midnight-3:00am (3:00 hrs) Custom hours are also available from 3-12 hours. If you have any questions, we can answer those through GetMyBoat's messaging platform before you pay. Just hit, "Request to Book" and send us an inquiry for a custom offer.
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This topic contains 5 replies, has 3 voices, and was last updated by gcassar 1 year, 11 months ago.
I know this is not currently a feature, but was wondering could it soon be a possibility to use Iguana SMTP functionality to download mails from a POP3 server?
Interesting – it would mean Iguana exposing either an interface for IMAP or POP3 which are the protocols used to connect to a mail server and download stuff.
We run an email archive internally that predates Iguana 4. We implemented that using a feature that many mail servers have to redirect emails into files in a directory.
What kind of application did you have in mind?
Well, we currently have a C# solution in place to download emails from multiple email addresses, extract attachments, process them, and send them on.
The system works, but is difficult to maintain and scale effectively, and we were considering porting it to Iguana. Currently, Iguana cannot download emails or read PDF files to my knowledge, so these aspects of the solution would be converted to C# command line projects called from Iguana; Iguana would then handle all other processing.
That's interesting about the mail server redirecting to a directory, I'll have a look into it also!
I'll make some inquiries internally as to how significant it would be to expose that functionality that CURL has through some Lua APIs in Iguana.
That would be fantastic. Thanks Eliot!
Just wondering if there has been any movement on this functionality.


1. What is the meaning of GST?
2. Which other taxes will be replaced by GST?
• A GST identification number a 15 digit common identification number (GSTIN) will be allotted to the applicant.
• Verification may be initiated post registration by the department in certain cases.
• Option of voluntary registration is available.
• Every person applying for registration should have PAN number.
• Non residents may be granted registration on any other documents as prescribed in absence of PAN number.
GSTR 1- Outward supplies made by taxpayer (other than compounding taxpayer and ISD) to be filed by 10th of the next month.
GSTR 2- Inward supplies received by a taxpayer (other than a compounding taxpayer) to be filed by 15th of the next month.
GSTR 3- Monthly return (other than compounding taxpayer and ISD) to be filed by 20th of the next month.
GSTR 4- Quarterly return for compounding Tax Payer to be filed by 18th of the month next to quarter.
GSTR 5- Periodic return by Non-resident Foreign Taxpayer to be filed last day of registration.
GSTR 6- Return for Input Service Distributor (ISD) to be filed 15th of the next month.
GSTR 7- Return for Tax Deducted at Source to be filed 10th of the next month.
GSTR 8- Annual Return to be filed by 31st December of next financial year.
The Centre and states have already agreed to a five-slab structure for GST rates — 5, 12, 18 and 28%, as well as a cess of 28% on sin and luxury goods such as tobacco, big cars and aerated drinks. The cess is likely to be in proportion to duties attracted by these items currently.
Zero rated is different from exemption as input credit is given in case an item is zero rated. Or in other words, items drawing zero rates are in the GST chain.
This blog contains information on the current available GST Model only. The intention of the blog is to only give an overview of the Model Law. The Model is still being updated; any changes to the information will be fully available after the updates are announced.


text:
Krishen Rangasamy
Krishen Rangasamy is a Senior Global Economist specializing in international economic developments and their implications for financial and currency markets. Krishen spent over twelve years as a macro specialist at two major Canadian banks where he advised fixed-income, equity, and foreign exchange trading desks, and helped lead the economic research and forecasting divisions teams. Before going into investment banking, Krishen worked for four years in the energy industry in Western Canada where he was involved in econometric modeling and risk management.
Krishen received his Master of Arts degree in Economics from Simon Fraser University.
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Wheat is a cereal grain used to make certain food products such as bread, pasta and pastry. In the UK wheat based products traditionally make up a huge part of our diet. But, recent years wheat has gotten a bad name – being blamed for everything from weight gain to digestive problems. But do we really need to be avoiding it and instead opting for the wheat free alternative?
Well, as long as you don't have a diagnosed wheat intolerance then NO!!! In fact, if you are avoiding wheat unnecessarily then you may be missing out on some key nutrients.
A few FACTS about wheat….
Fibre, vitamin E, protein, omega-3, selenium, copper, folate, zinc – the list goes on.
The fibre content helps to bulk and move stools along the digestive system – meaning you are far less likely to get conditions such as bowel cancer and diverticulitis later in life.
Wheat is good for preventing other diseases too..
Having a regular intake of wholegrains, like wheat, in your diet can reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke and type two diabetes.
Many products which are not naturally wheat free such as bread are more processed and tend to have additional additives.
Yes you heard it – they do not cause weight gain! The calorie content of wheat products for how much bulk you get is really quite low, meaning that you get filled up more quickly without having to eat additional calories. Just be careful not to then go slapping butter/ oil or mayo all over them as then you really start to rack up the calories.
Feel bloated with wheat products?
Firstly, check your portion size as we often over indulge in wheat based products such as pasta and bread. If your portion size is OK, you must must must then go and ask your GP to test you for Coeliac Disease –DO NOT try to self manage first as this will prevent you getting a proper diagnosis and follow up care.
If you would like more dietary advice about what you should and should not avoid or perhaps around a diagnosed wheat intolerance or coeliac disease then please feel free to contact me.


Understand the phenomenon of the transition to turbulence.
Turbulence is a complex process — and Jeff Chu is a graduate student who is eager to unravel the riddles of this common yet mysterious phenomenon. Conducting basic research at the University of Texas, Austin, Chu's purpose is to closely look at flow structures to understand what causes turbulence to form.
Here are the steps he takes to untangle and understand the complicated phenomenon of the transition to turbulence.
Chu defines his computational domain with a flat solid bottom wall with a small perturbation sticking out of the surface. Chu then uses an on-campus super computer to solve the Navier-Stokes equation. The computer produces ASCII outputs of 10 sets of data: X, Y, and Z (spatial variables); U, V, and W (velocity); ωx ,ωy ,ωz (vorticity); and λ2 (identifies the vortex structures in the flow).
Since Tecplot can read binary data sets quicker than ASCII, Chu uses a Tecplot program called Preplot (that he downloaded free from Tecplot's website) to convert the output while still on the supercomputer. He then transfers the binary data to his desktop workstation.
Chu used this approach to create his video. It shows the development of turbulent structures due to a protruding perturbation which causes formation of a turbulent wedge consisting of hairpin vortices and quasi-streamwise vortical structures. The figure is visualized by isosurface of λ2 colored by streamwise velocity.
Chu loads the data sets and plots out the variables in Tecplot 360.
He creates a frame style of what he wants to see and the colors he wants to use.
Step 4: Visualize the information.
To look at 3-D movies, Chu usually uses isosurfaces of λ2 so he can visualize vortical structures such as hairpin vortices.
Visualizing hairpin vortices. In this example, Chu asked Tecplot to color faster portions of the structures orange-to-red, and slower portions green. With that plotted, he could pick out the hairpins' heads and legs.
Zoomed in view of the fine scale turbulent structure. Vortex lines wrap around isosurfaces of λ2. The lines are colored by streamwise vorticity. This indicates the tilting of these vortex lines as they enter the turbulent wedge.
Distribution of low-speed streaks within a turbulent wedge. The figure shows an iso-surface of streamwise velocity colored by distance from the bottom wall. Red area would indicate a low speed streak and a blue area indicates high speed region.
Chu uses Tecplot 360 to clearly see these miniscule structures and how they interact. He can move his camera around and look at the structures from different directions. He can roll the camera to the side to see what things look like from the side. He can see exactly how structures are positioned and tangled up together. "This ability to zoom in and roll around the turbulence is absolutely essential in understanding what's really going on," Chu says.


Strength is the ability to generate muscular force against an external resistance. Strength training is more than just lifting heavier weights or adding more muscle; how you approach your workout program can provide a number of benefits not only for your physical health but for your overall outlook on life.
Sled pulling, or in this case, car pulling is an excellent way to develop lower body strength.
No matter how old you are, strength training can help you get results!
We know that exercise is important, but the type of exercise you do can make all of the difference in getting the results you want. There are three general types of exercise: strength training, cardio training and flexibility training.


Many of us spend so much of our lives searching for the perfect moment. These moments sometimes come on ordinary days, but in most cases, we only see them in movies and books. Last year, I began thinking about the important moments of my 22-year-old life. We are brought up and told to idealize moments that may spark fireworks.
In January of 2012, I was scrolling through Pinterest and came across an incredible concept: a moment jar. The post showed a picture of jar filled with little pieces of paper accumulated throughout the year. All it included was a simple note: Challenge yourself to collect your best moments all year and then empty the jar on New Year's Eve.
I was intrigued, and 2013 was going to be a huge year for me regarding change — college graduation, starting my first job and becoming an adult. I decided to do it; my biggest problem is that I am constantly living for the next big thing and I rarely just enjoy the moment. I figured my jar would help me appreciate every day the experiences that I missed in past years.
So I went out, bought a super cute jar, a bunch of brightly colored Post-it notes and I was all set. I didn't really know what should be included in my jar, because frankly, I didn't know what would be considered a special moment. So, I guessed and discovered what a great moment meant to me.
In the blink of an eye, 365 days already passed me by and on New Year's Eve, I sat with a jar filled to the brim with notes containing my best moments. Before I opened my jar, I reflected on the year. I couldn't believe how much changed from my first sticky note, which was an amazing trip to Costa Rica with my best friends, to becoming a full-time employee.
I was feeling so many emotions; in life, we often fail to reflect on our accomplishments and laugh at our wild bar nights come Monday morning. Sometimes, the past is better in the past, but other times, it needs to be appreciated.
So, I sat in my room and started to open my sticky notes, one by one. I recounted when my cousin ran her first half marathon with me by her side and when my best friend got promoted to deputy editor of the college newspaper. Life's greatest moments are about the people who share them with you.
However, not all of my jar moments were about accomplishment and success. The random guy I hooked up with Memorial Day weekend, whoever you are, you totally were "jar worthy." A movie stub from first date with a guy for whom I was falling made the jar — the silly, dramatic moments count too.
I have to say, emptying my jar was probably one of my favorite moments of 2013. Sometimes a clean slate helps to enter in a new year, or better yet, an empty jar to fill with new memories, accomplishments, hookups and more. So, I challenge you to get a jar or a mug and start collecting your moments. You will appreciate the little things in life more.


Peter Mayle launched the modern longing for villas when he published "A Year in Provence" in 1989. The European villa market has been a vital sector ever since.
Over the years the concept has undergone some product segmentation as tour operators began offering villa modular segments to compliment longer tour packages as a sort of real life relaxation component in a tour.
A further segmentation came with the "Villa Hotel," a type of lodging that that offers many of the best aspects of the villa experience (food, setting and rural atmosphere), but in properties that rent individual rooms as hotels do, as opposed to the original villa idea of hiring an entire property for friends or family with cook, usually for a week.
There are a couple of new players in this market from the traditional homelands of villas, Italy and France.
The best European villas are extensions of their natural landscape and Umbria's Villa Hotel Torre Palombara is no exception. Located near the medieval hilltop town of Narni, the hotel resides in a 15th century dove tower that was recently restored into one of the most exclusive villa hotels in Italy, with seven guest rooms and suites where family antiques co-exist with air-conditioning, Wi-Fi and flat-screen televisions.
The breakfast room and pool both look out on classic Umbrian landscapes and the owners have created several suggested "insider" excursions. Though Rome is just an hour away by car or train, the owners recommend the Umbrian destinations including Spoleto, Perugia and Assisi as well as the local viniculture that produces the wines of Orvieto and Montefalco.
PHOTO: Umbria's Villa Hotel Torre Palombara resides in a 15th century dove tower.
On the top of all that is the Umbrian countryside itself, a land of waterfalls, vineyards, olive groves and walled villages. Summer comes in with a harvest of festivals presenting jazz, opera and celebrations of medieval heritage. The owners can arrange truffle hunts with a local farmer, tours of the local workshops that produce Umbria's exceptional cashmere or tours of Narni and its underground city. dating from Roman times.
Rates at Torre Palombara start at €160 ($219) a night for two, with continental breakfast. One two-night package, the Secrets of Umbrian Cashmere, is priced from €460 ($629) per couple and includes a superior room with buffet breakfasts; a tour of a nearby family-run cashmere workshop; two gifts of Umbrian cashmere and discounts for Torre Palombara guests.
Located 30 minutes from Cannes, La Bergerie Villa is reaching out to American travelers for the first time. The villa's setting captures the scents and sunlight of the Cote d'Azur with a bounty of mimosas, roses, pink laurels, rosemary, lavenders, cypress and pine in its gardens.
The villa sits within the Terre Blanche resort in Tourrettes, a short drive from the sea. The villa sleeps 12 guests in luxurious accommodation, in a private house with views of the golf course, the mountains and the perched villages of Callian, Seillans and Fayence.
Each spacious room in the villa has the touch of interior design, with a mixture of antique and contemporary furnishings. Each bedroom has en-suite facilities and four have French Windows opening onto balconies or terraces which overlook the gardens surrounding the property.
The kitchens are equipped with professional appliances and the rooms feature long dining tables for enjoying meals in style. The chef at the villa will create menus to suit all guests – ranging from three-course meals to barbecues on the terrace.
The wine cellar is always fully stocked and chef ensures the fridge and pantry have all the guests' favorites for their stay. There are also dining areas surrounding the pool as well as a drawing room, cinema room and den.
Guests at La Bergerie can also use the Terre Blanche Resort's golf course, tennis courts, spa and restaurants. Cannes, St Tropez, Antibes, St Paul de Vence and Nice are close enough for day trips and the villages of the local area are steeped in history, culture and character. Guests often wander the region wine tasting in local vineyards, mountain biking, sailing and other local pursuits.
La Bergerie is available for long weekend breaks and starts from $55,000 per week/$7,900 per night (maximum 12 guests) for seven nights' luxury accommodation, including a team of three live in staff.
There are numerous companies that book villas. The Thinking Traveller is a good example. The company has been expanding its inventory of villas to add Greece's Ionian Islands to their core destinations in Sicily and Puglia, in 2013.
The company seeks the more traditional villa that can accommodate families and friends traveling together. Other specialists include Villas of Distinction and Wimco, to name a few.


text:
DVD Death Watch: Sales Drop 20 Percent
By Ian Paul
DVDs are one step closer to extinction if recent numbers from a Hollywood trade group are any measure. DVD sales in the United States dropped by 20 percent during the first three months of 2011 compared with the same time last year, according to a report by the Digital Entertainment Group. The group blamed the drop on the timing of Easter and a dearth of blockbuster DVD releases in early 2011 compared to four major DVD debuts in early 2010.
Perhaps attempting to play down the significance in the DVD drop, the group also said that while DVD sales were falling, people still loved their discs. The industry organization quoted a recent NPD report that said that 75 percent of Americans still prefer DVDs and Blu-ray discs over alternative viewing methods.
It's not hard to see why Hollywood studios would be nervous about losing their DVD cash cow. Even after a 20 percent drop, DVD sales accounted for more than $2 billion in revenue for the quarter. Digital purchases and video on demand (not including streaming), by comparison, brought in a little more than $600 million. Subscription and streaming rental services accounted for nearly $700 million.
Overall, home entertainment spending was down by nearly 10 percent in early 2011 compared with the same period last year.
Alternative Growth
While DVD sales were falling off a cliff, other entertainment choices were gaining in popularity. Subscription and streaming services such as Netflix grew by 33 percent compared with the same time last year, digital download purchases (what trade groups call "electronic sell-thru") grew by 10 percent and video-on-demand services from cable providers were up 8 percent.
Even though sales are dropping, the DVD is still holding its own against online streaming and rental services such as iTunes, Amazon, Hulu and Netflix. DVD rentals from kiosks such as Rebox grew by 30 percent, and the Digital Entertainment Group says DVD sales for the second quarter of 2011 are already up 20 percent compared with 2010. Blu-ray is also big, with the entertainment group expecting Americans to spend more than $100 million on Blu-ray 3D software in 2011.
HDTVs Bigger Than Blu-ray
Nearly 30 million U.S. households now have Blu-ray hardware sitting in their entertainment centers, according to the entertainment group. But when you consider there are more than 116 million households in the country, 26 percent Blu-ray penetration isn't that impressive.
Especially if you compare Blu-ray popularity to HDTV adoption. In November, Nielsen said 56 percent of U.S. households now have HDTVs. So high-definition viewing is big, but Blu-ray isn't.
If most Americans aren't viewing Blu-ray discs what kind of high-definition content are they viewing? Opting for HD cable maybe? Perhaps HD online movie rentals are more popular, thanks to Internet-connected TVs and set-top boxes such as the Roku and Apple TV? Or maybe most Americans have no idea how to get an actual high-def picture on their TVs. My money's on option number 3, how about you?
Connect with Ian Paul ( @ianpaul ) and Today@PCWorld on Twitter for the latest tech news and analysis.
This story, "DVD Death Watch: Sales Drop 20 Percent" was originally published by PCWorld.


text:
Q: ahead works magento extension layered navigation is not visible on frontend in magento 1.9 I want a filter product functionality by custom product attribute. For this I had added ahead works magento extension named as layered navigation. I had set all the admin settings but not able to view it on the frontend
  <?php

class AW_Layerednavigation_Adminhtml_FilterController extends Mage_Adminhtml_Controller_Action
{
    /**
     * Init Filter model from request
     *
     * @param string $requestParamName
     *
     * @return AW_Layerednavigation_Model_Filter
     * @throws Exception
     */
    protected function _initFilter($requestParamName = 'id')
    {
        $filterId = (int)$this->getRequest()->getParam($requestParamName, 0);
        $filter = Mage::getModel('aw_layerednavigation/filter');

        $storeId = Mage::app()->getRequest()->getParam('store', Mage_Catalog_Model_Abstract::DEFAULT_STORE_ID);
        $filter->setStoreId($storeId);

        $filter->load($filterId);
        if ($filter->getId() === null) {
            throw new Exception('Filter does not exist');
        }

        if ($data = Mage::getSingleton('adminhtml/session')->getFilterFormData()) {
            $filter->addData($data);
            Mage::getSingleton('adminhtml/session')->setFilterFormData(null);
        }

        Mage::register('current_filter', $filter);
        return $filter;
    }

    public function indexAction()
    {
        $this->_title($this->__('Layered Navigation'))->_title($this->__('Manage Filters'));
        $this->loadLayout();
        $this->_setActiveMenu('catalog/aw_layerednavigation');
        $this->renderLayout();
    }

    public function editAction()
    {
        try {
            $this->_initFilter();
        } catch (Exception $e) {
            $this->_getSession()->addError($this->__($e->getMessage()));
            return $this->_redirect('*/*/index');
        }

        $this->_title($this->__('Layered Navigation'))->_title($this->__('Edit Filter'));
        $this->loadLayout();
        $this->_setActiveMenu('catalog/aw_layerednavigation');
        $this->renderLayout();
        return $this;
    }

    public function categoriesAction()
    {
        try {
            $this->_initFilter();
        } catch (Exception $e) {
            $this->_getSession()->addError($this->__($e->getMessage()));
            return $this->_redirect('*/*/index');
        }
        $this->loadLayout();
        $this->renderLayout();
    }

    public function categoriesJsonAction()
    {
        try {
            $this->_initFilter();
        } catch (Exception $e) {
            $this->_getSession()->addError($this->__($e->getMessage()));
            return $this->_redirect('*/*/index');
        }
        $categoryBlock = $this->getLayout()->createBlock('aw_layerednavigation/adminhtml_filter_edit_tab_categories');
        $this->getResponse()->setBody(
            $categoryBlock->getCategoryChildrenJson($this->getRequest()->getParam('category'))
        );
    }

    public function saveAction()
    {
        try {
            $filter = $this->_initFilter();
        } catch (Exception $e) {
            $this->_getSession()->addError($this->__($e->getMessage()));
            return $this->_redirect('*/*/index');
        }

        $filterData = $this->getRequest()->getParams();
        $filterAdditionalData = $filter->getData('additional_data');
        $requestAdditionalData = $this->getRequest()->getParam('additional_data', array());
        $filterData['additional_data'] = array_merge($filterAdditionalData, $requestAdditionalData);

        try {
            $filter->addData($filterData)->save();
            if (array_key_exists('option', $filterData) && isset($filterData['option'])) {
                $this->_processFilterOptions($filter, $filterData['option']);
            }
        } catch (Exception $e) {
            Mage::getSingleton('adminhtml/session')->addError($this->__('Unable save filter'));
            Mage::getSingleton('adminhtml/session')->setFilterFormData($this->getRequest()->getParams());
            return $this->_redirect('*/*/edit', array('_current' => true, 'id' => $filter->getId()));
        }

        Mage::getSingleton('adminhtml/session')->addSuccess(
            $this->__('Filter "%s" has been successfully saved', $filter->getTitle())
        );
        if ($this->getRequest()->getParam('back')) {
            return $this->_redirect('*/*/edit', array('_current' => true, 'id' => $filter->getId()));
        }
        return $this->_redirect('*/*/index');
    }

    public function validateAction()
    {
        $response = new Varien_Object();
        $response->setError(false);

        $filterCode = $this->getRequest()->getParam('code');
        $filterId = $this->getRequest()->getParam('id', 0);
        $filter = Mage::getModel('aw_layerednavigation/filter')->load($filterCode, 'code');

        if ($filter->getId() && ($filter->getId() != $filterId)) {
            Mage::getSingleton('adminhtml/session')
                ->addError(
                    Mage::helper('aw_layerednavigation')->__(
                        'Code "%s" is already used. Please specify another code.', $filterCode
                    )
                );
            $this->_initLayoutMessages('adminhtml/session');
            $response->setError(true);
            $response->setMessage($this->getLayout()->getMessagesBlock()->getGroupedHtml());
        }
        $this->getResponse()->setBody($response->toJson());
    }

    public function massChangeStatusAction()
    {
        $filterIdList = $this->getRequest()->getParam('aw_layerednavigation_filter', array());
        $newStatus = $this->getRequest()->getParam('status', 0);
        if (count($filterIdList) === 0) {
            Mage::getSingleton('adminhtml/session')->addError(
                Mage::helper('aw_layerednavigation')->__('Please select filter(s).')
            );
        } else {
            try {
                foreach ($filterIdList as $filterId) {
                    $filterModel = Mage::getModel('aw_layerednavigation/filter')->load($filterId);
                    $filterModel->setIsEnabled($newStatus);
                    $filterModel->save();
                }
                Mage::getSingleton('adminhtml/session')->addSuccess(
                    Mage::helper('aw_layerednavigation')->__(
                        'Total of %d record(s) were updated.', count($filterIdList)
                    )
                );
            } catch (Exception $e) {
                Mage::getSingleton('adminhtml/session')->addError($e->getMessage());
            }
        }
        $this->_redirect('*/*/index');
    }

    public function massChangeStatusInSearchAction()
    {
        $filterIdList = $this->getRequest()->getParam('aw_layerednavigation_filter', array());
        $newStatus = $this->getRequest()->getParam('status', 0);
        if (count($filterIdList) === 0) {
            Mage::getSingleton('adminhtml/session')->addError(
                Mage::helper('aw_layerednavigation')->__('Please select filter(s).')
            );
        } else {
            try {
                foreach ($filterIdList as $filterId) {
                    $filterModel = Mage::getModel('aw_layerednavigation/filter')->load($filterId);
                    $filterModel->setIsEnabledInSearch($newStatus);
                    $filterModel->save();
                }
                Mage::getSingleton('adminhtml/session')->addSuccess(
                    Mage::helper('aw_layerednavigation')->__(
                        'Total of %d record(s) were updated.', count($filterIdList)
                    )
                );
            } catch (Exception $e) {
                Mage::getSingleton('adminhtml/session')->addError($e->getMessage());
            }
        }
        $this->_redirect('*/*/index');
    }

    public function synchronizeAction()
    {
        $result = array(
            'result'  => false,
        );
        if ($this->_isAjax()) {
            try {
                Mage::getModel('aw_layerednavigation/synchronization')->run();
                $result['result'] = true;
            } catch (Exception $e) {
                $result['message'] = $e->getMessage();
            }
        }
        $this->getResponse()->setBody(Zend_Json::encode($result));
    }

    protected function _processFilterOptions($filter, $optionsData = array())
    {
        foreach ($optionsData as $optionId => $optionData) {

            $optionModel = Mage::getModel('aw_layerednavigation/filter_option')->setStoreId($filter->getStoreId());
            $optionModel->load(intval($optionId));

            if (isset($optionData['delete']) && $optionData['delete']) {
                $optionModel->delete();
            } else {
                if (isset($optionData['image_delete'])) {
                    $optionData['image'] = null;
                }

                $optionModel
                    ->setData('filter_id', $filter->getId())
                    ->addData($optionData)
                    ->save()
                ;

                if ($optionModel->getData('image_delete')) {
                    Mage::helper('aw_layerednavigation/image')->cleanOptionImage($optionId);
                } else {
                    $this->_processImage($optionModel, $optionId);
                }
            }
        }
        return $this;
    }

    protected function _processImage($optionModel, $requestOptionId)
    {
        $failedFiles = array();
        $uploadedFileName = null;
        try {
            $uploadedFileName = Mage::helper('aw_layerednavigation/image')->uploadImage(
                $optionModel->getId(), $requestOptionId
            );
            if (!is_null($uploadedFileName)) {
                $optionModel->setData('image', $uploadedFileName)->save();
            }
        } catch (Exception $e) {
            if ($e->getCode() == AW_Layerednavigation_Helper_Image::EXCEPTION_CODE_UNSUPPORTED_IMAGE_TYPE) {
                $failedFiles[] = $e->getMessage();
            } else {
                Mage::getSingleton('adminhtml/session')->addError($e->getMessage());
            }
        }
        return $this;
    }

    protected function _isAjax()
    {
        if ($this->getRequest()->isXmlHttpRequest()) {
            return true;
        }
        if ($this->getRequest()->getParam('ajax') || $this->getRequest()->getParam('isAjax')) {
            return true;
        }
        return false;
    }

    protected function _isAllowed()
    {
        return Mage::getSingleton('admin/session')->isAllowed('catalog/aw_layerednavigation/manage_filters');
    }
}

A: copy the layout xml file from app/design/frontend/default/default/layout/***thierxml.xml

paste into
copy the layout xml file from app/design/frontend/rwd/default/layout/***thierxml.xml

best of luck
go to this file
layout xml file  app/design/frontend/rwd/default/layout/***thierxml.xml
change this in between tag <catalog_category_layered>
<reference name="left">

to
<reference name="left_first">

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Ensemble SCALA
upcoming concert
The Art of 'Nauwluisterendheid' | January 14, 2018, 11.00 hours | Small Hall, Muziekgebouw
Ensemble SCALA is back this season with a concert full of microtonal sounds. The title of the program is partly derived from the 'Nauwluisterendheid Foundation', founded by Professor Adriaan Fokker in 1960 for 31-tone music, which changed its name to the Huygens-Fokker Foundation in 1967. With the strange term 'nauwluisterendheid' ('narrowlisteningness') Fokker pointed to the small pitches of the 31-tone system that had to be tuned very carefully. But it also referred to the ability to perceive these small intervals while listening to the music. That's an art in itself, that can be mastered by the audience by listening to Ensemble SCALA this morning.
about the ensemble
Ensemble SCALA is a group of seven musicians which is focused on microtonality and is initiated by the Huygens-Fokker Foundation (centre for microtonal music) in 2010 to experience microtones within a spectrum (scala) of tone colors. The fact that the famous Fokker organ has become a part of the ensemble is special. The instrumentation of Ensemble SCALA is flute, clarinet, viola, microtonal guitar, Fokker organ, keyboards/Carrillo piano and percussion. The musicians are all specialists in the field of microtonal music. Together they explore the borders of the colorful possibilities of microtonality. The ensemble focuses on major microtonal systems/tunings, like the 31-tone system, the 96-tone system and more.
special instruments
The ensemble uses several microtonal instruments, like the 31-tone organ (Fokker organ), the 96-tone piano (Carrillo piano) and different kind of microtonal guitars and keyboards. These instruments increase the possibilities to perform microtonal music in a qualitatively good way. However, the instruments do ask for additional and special practicing. Within the Ensemble SCALA, some conventional instruments are also used by three of the musicians, namely a flute, a clarinet and a viola, which complete the overall sound of the ensemble. On these instruments microtones will be performed by the use of alternative fingering, which demands special musical skills of the musicians. Together these musical instruments complement each other beautifully.
Check the music
"Microtonal music" includes all music composed in tuning systems that do not consist of twelve equal tuned tones. This applies, for example, to the 24-tone system (quarter-tones), the 19-tone system (third-tones), the 96-tone system (16th-tones) as well as to the meantone tuning (twelve unequal tones) from the Renaissance. So also the 31-tone system (fifth-tones), on which the 31-tone organ or Fokker organ is based and which is part of Ensemble SCALA. Another definition is "intervals that are smaller than the usual half tones". However, this description isn't always correct as there are also many intervals that are slightly larger than the usual intervals. It is true that microtonality today is in great interest to musicians and audiences, partly because this is a new way of expression for composers. Because the possibilities to produce microtones (with the advent of advanced software) have become much more extensive since the end of the past decade, the world of microtonal music has grown tremendously. Simultaneously with this new trend in the 21st century, Ensemble SCALA was established in 2010 and is focusing on microtonal music only.
Check the repertoire
Ensemble SCALA on SoundCloud
About Ensemble SCALA
News and concerts
Language > Nederlands
tel +31 (0) 6 31 37 97 04
www.ensemblescala.com
info@ensemblescala.com
© Ensemble SCALA 2017