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Just ramblings of a fantasy junkie
I have cleared my read shelf.
I want to use this site only to keep track and post reviews so it makes no sense to have a long list of books I read in the past and I don't remember well enough to review. Unless Goodreads majorly screws up and I permanently migrate on here, go there or on Tumblr to see in-progress reading updates.
There is a Goodreads review of The Wee Free Men calling Tiffany "bratty and demanding" and I really hope that reviewer never talks to a little girl in their life.
Fitting in at a new school is not the easiest of tasks, and horrific visions of another world and your dead mother are the opposite of helpful. Shipped off from her home in colonial India to an English finishing school, Gemma Doyle will have to struggle with guilt over her mother's death, Victorian social expectations for young women, making friends, her absymal knowledge of French and a handful of secret societies struggling for control of the Realms, a magical land to which only Gemma has access. But maybe Spence Academy is just the right place to begin to understand her budding powers...
TL;DR: A Great and Terrible Beauty is a very entertaining read about teenage witches with a well-fleshed out female main character. It also features way less romance than YA novel usually do. Yay!
The worldbuilding seems interesting, but is not explored thoroughly.
It has some rather sexist tropes commonly associated with schoolgirls and depicts Rromani people in a disgustingly racist fashion.
Well, you know the plot of this one: for the first time in ages the Forces of Good gather together to rally against the Evil Overlord that has been threatening the peaceful people of a quite absurdly shaped continent. Meanwhile, a party sets out on a quest to help a Chosen One fulfil the Prophecy about the Enemy's weakness. Everyone knows that story. Or at least, you think you do.
The whole business started when Satoris refused to withdraw Men's ability to reproduce after his brother Haomane asked. So now he got stabbed in a thigh, the world was split in two and he's left stranded away from his siblings, the God-like Shapers who molded this world to their fancy. He's in good company in his half of the world, though: he's surrounded by all his siblings' creations. Half of which want to murder him, because Haomane somehow convinced everyone he's the villain. Including Men.
And now Haomane's Allies are even trying to fulfil that old prophecy predicting Satoris's demise...
TL;DR or "please don't spoil the whole thing for me"
The Sundering is a quite enjoyable fantasy novel that seeks to subvert many tropes related to the figure of the Evil Overlord. It features some excellent world-building and well-rounded characters. The plot follows a common high fantasy formula, but as events are justified in light of the unusual Dark Lord character and his backstory, it is still pretty refreshing.
The style is chunky at times, but can also reach unexpected heights of beauty and clarity.
It has some diverse characters, at least more than your usual LoTR rip-off, but struggles heavily with prejudiced representation of certain groups and real-life bias.
The premise is certainly interesting. Although I think it would have worked splendidly with a humorous take (something like Satoris getting a PR team to build a less gloomy image?), I quite like the serious take Carey presents. Actually, even though Satoris's backstory is a complete subversion of the Evil Overlord, the plot itself goes down in much more typical high fantasy manner. Which of course means tragedy. It was also pretty clever how Satoris displayed most traditional Dark Lord tropes (sun never shines on his lair and reek of evil for example), but they were all justified in his backstory (e.g. Haomane can spy him through the Sun).
Although the concept is very interesting, the plot had some weaknesses. Especially in Banewreaker, because we follow both factions, we often see the "good guys" only winning through sheer luck, not because of their superior abilities or the antagonist's errors. The trend also continues in Godslayer, although to a lesser extent. There is also a big incongruence in Satoris's characterisation towards the end of the first book: how is genocide less of tarnish to his honour than killing a woman? It is also pretty cringe-worthy, considering real world racism, to see a character we're supposed to empathise with make a fuss of not killing a white woman but showing no regrets exterminating a group of brown people despite the fact that neither of them had directly attacked him, but just set an element of the prophecy in motion.
There is also a certain discrepancy between the way Satoris is framed in the two books, or at least I read his character differently in the two volumes. In Banewreaker, he's presented as a fundamentally good entity, who has been blamed for certain events which were not completely his fault and is thus considered evil. In Godslayer, while his backstory is still told in the same way as in the first volume, we are told he's accepting a role in a Great Story (which we never actually hear or see unfold. I need a sequel) he knows because he used to be a friend of dragons, and he's doing evil only because of that. Even keeping in mind at this point he did commit genocide (no, I'm not over that. I will never be over that. These books lost so many points because of that and Tanaros alone), it's an internal inconsistency, especially because the reason he gives for not killing Cerelinde is that he will not become what his enemies expect him to be... but isn't he embracing it to fulfil the Great Story? I will forever be confused.
As anyone following me through my reading has seen, I had some major issues with Carey's writing style. I only study English as a second language, so I sometime struggle reading it, but I've never had so many issues as I had with The Sundering, not even when I first started reading in English. I often had to re-read a passage multiple times to understand how characters and things were disposed and who was speaking or acting. This made fighting scenes almost painful, especially hand-to-hand combat, which reached fanfiction-sex levels of "I give up understanding who's touching who and how".
Still, there were some scenes painted with such perfect clarity it was like seeing them happen, which make me hope Carey has improved since her debut novel.
The setting was definitely one of the most interesting features of the novels. The world creation myth and the lore about Shapers seemed like they were out of actual mythology. I am aware there are cultures with myths where the world was created from the body of a dead god, so I'm not claiming it was original, but it was still good to read.
I also really liked the different peoples inhabiting Urulat. I wish Carey had devoted more time to cultures other than Ellyl and Men, because they are the only ones she depicts in a stereotypically high fantasy fashion. Fjel and Were's cultures were explored a bit more than the others and they were absolutely great. Although I liked the Fjel better, I am extremely intrigued by the Were's magic. The Fjel were a wonderful subversion of traditional fantasy orcs. I especially liked the ways peoples who had not been given Haomane's gift of thought collected and shared knowledge in different ways (and this was mostly showcased with the Fjel and Were), much in the same way Ellyl can still reproduce, if more rarely, even without Satoris's gift.
Another species which I completely fell in love with were the dragons. Carey really nails the inhuman morality while still making them feel benevolent (when they've eaten recently at least). As they were created directly by the World God, they know more than anyone else, but their depiction doesn't feel like reading about a wise crinkly grandma. I also loved the trend of dragons giving knowledge and power to those who were cast out by society.
I generally liked the characters, both factions were well fleshed out and interesting. Some, like Ushahin, Cerelinde and Lilias, were quite memorable in my opinion. Even those I disliked, it usually was because they were bad people, but not uninteresting characters. The only exception to this is Tanaros Blacksword. I felt he really undermined Satoris's characterisation and the story's meaning. Especially in Godslayer, we are told again and again that Satoris welcomes those Haomane's Allies cast out, and we're supposed to take it as a good trait of his. But among the people he has welcomed there's Tanaros. Now, unlike all the other people living in Darkhaven, Tanaros was not fleeing prejudice or unfavourable conditions which were not his fault: he was cast out because he committed a violent crime. Supposedly, the reason he was drawn to Satoris was because they both experienced betrayal at the hands of their loved ones. But their reactions were wildly different, and if the author wanted to paint Satoris as the good guy, she ought to make him refuse Tanaros, because Tanaros is not a good guy by any stretch of the imagination. He also hasn't repented for his actions after centuries. Of course, we can never be sure Carey actually intended Satoris to be a good guy because he does that genocide crap and because about halfway through the story she seems to have changed her mind and made Satoris not a misunderstood good guy but and evil guy who's only evil because a giant cosmic plot demands someone play the role. Personally I like to see Tanaros's whole character as an early warning that Satoris isn't actually a good person/deity/creative entity, although he was in the right in his fight with Haomane. The characters system also suffers from this shift in perspective: up until that point the novels focus on Tanaros as the main character, afterwards Ushahin gains more and more importance. It is implied in the ending that [major giant spoiler]it was uncertain in the Great Story who of them would eventually take up Satoris's role[/spoiler]. Which is a plot point I adored; I almost bumped Godslayer up a star because I liked the ending so much. Still, if I could have avoided having to read through Tanaros's point of view so often I would be happier.
CASUAL "-ism"s
The novels have some very good diversity, but also really problematic aspects.
As I've already said, the genocide of the Yarru-yami reflects a real-world bias that constantly devalues the lives of dark-skinned people.
The books also have issues with sexism and ableism.
It was painful to see Tanaros's actions defended and justified by the same narrative that features Lilias, a character whose main motivation is seeking the power which is denied to her because of her gender. Tanaros killed his wife out of jealousy when he discovered she cheated on him. Never in the whole story we see him genuinely ashamed of his actions. The only one who calls him out on this is Cerelinde, and in that occasion she's depicted as a prejudiced spiteful pampered girl who "just doesn't get it":
More or less anything having to do with the "madlings" reeks with ableism (just. Even their name. I understand a mentally-ill characer coined it in-story, but I'm still pretty sure it doesn't make it any better when the author is, as far as I know, neurotypical and mentally healthy), but the worse instance is by far when Cerelinde tries to convince the servants to get on her side by telling them Haomane could heal them, "make them whole". Come on, they are whole, they are people, their illness doesn't make them broken or incomplete. It's disgustingly ableist to say something like that. It also doesn't help that, unlike her racial hatred against the Fjel, her obsession with curing Ushahin's servants is never called out by others.


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As the summer fun dwindles, September naturally ends up becoming the season when we pull up our socks and get back to being focused. With the kids back at school and vacation time over, for now, this time of year summons a fresh start with new goals to achieve. Even if you don't have kids, the notion of buckling down to kick start personal goals is something that just seems to make sense during the fall. If you're feeling inspired to set some personal goals this month, here are a few good reasons why fall is the best time to start your resolutions.
Time to Focus
Setting resolutions after the New Year may seem like a practical pairing. But with all of the social pressures and busy schedules that come along with this time of year, it can set you up for failure before you even begin. With added pressure from friends and family, often resolutions end up being based on larger expectations rather than your own desires and goals. By starting now, you can get ahead of those expectations and instead, focus on what's really important to you.
Curb Procrastination
We've all said it and heard it too many times to count: "I'll start on Monday!" Except it ends up turning into the Monday that never arrives. Why? Procrastination. It's one of the biggest obstacles that get in the way of achieving our goals. This can cause us to stress out, feel bad about not doing what we had planned to, which creates more delays and a clear path for failure. Rather than falling into a vicious cycle of avoidance, you can face it head-on by slowly starting today!
It's Easier to Get Motivated
The holidays are filled with family time, celebrations, shopping, and plenty of other indulgences. So beginning a new and improved regime directly after it all can become a serious challenge and shock to the system. Thankfully, you can make it much easier to tap into your motivation by creating healthier habits now.
Minimize Holiday Temptations Beforehand
This can also make it much easier to resist those holiday temptations and indulgences. Because we all know that once you start, it's much harder to apply the brakes. Creating strategies during the fall can give you the traction needed to gradually steer away from bad habits and take on new and improved ones.
Take Time for Yourself
The holidays are always a little hectic. With so much going on, it can leave little time to really focus on yourself. But during the fall with the kids back in school, you can take advantage of the spare time you have to start focusing more on you, rather than trying and failing to do it during the busiest time of year.
If you're determined to set some financial goals this fall, allow our team at the Beacon Group of Assante Financial Management help you achieve them. We'll sit down with you, discuss your options and map out a plan so that you can get started with your financial resolutions well before the New Year arrives. Get in touch with us today!

subset: commoncrawl


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Moe Norman shows why he believed that a wide stance is better in hitting perfect golf shots. Visit http://learninggolf.tv to improve your golf game.
This video comes from the two part video also posted here on youtube. Which is from the 1994 PGA coaching and teaching conference where Moe Norman was interviewed as part of the ceremony acknowledging him as the "greatest ball striker" of all time. Craig Shankland was the interviewer and ask Moe many questions about his golf swing. It is a great question and answer video.
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Please Subscribe to see more videos about Moe Norman, as well as Single Plane golf swing videos, Conventional golf swing videos, etc.
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Minsk Authorities Ban Slavic Gay Pride scheduled for May 15
According to GayRussia*, the city authorities have banned this weekend's Slavic Gay Pride March, using an obscure law that says public events are not allowed near underground pedestrian crossings and metro stations. On May 8, organisers received notification of the ban signed by the deputy head of Minsk City Executive Committee Mikhail Titenkov, who is notorious for banning all public events of LGBT community in Minsk. And the co-organisers described the reason for the ban "absurd".
The letter from the Minsk authorities cites Article 9 of the Law of Belarus Republic on the staging of public events which says that "public events are not allowed at the distance of less than 200 metres from underground pedestrian crossings and metro stations".
Mr. Titenkov stressed that "due to the above, Minsk City Executive Committee does not allow the conduct on 15 May 2010 from 3 to 5 pm of a street march from the square in front of Belarusian State Philharmonic via Prospect Nezavisimosti to the square in front of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus." "The decision of the authorities to the ban of the march will be appealed in court," Sergei Androsenko, a co-organiser of Slavic Pride, said this afternoon. "We are ready to take this case up to the United Nations Human Rights Committee." "Apart from that we are not going to surrender and are still planning to go on the streets in order to attract attention of the society and authorities to the existing discrimination of homosexual people," he added defiantly.
"Currently, Slavic Pride Organizing Committee is considering two options for the event on 15 May – to protest either in front of the Minsk City Executive Committee or next to the Presidential Administration. The final decision will be taken on the eve of the event," Mr Androsenko concluded. Russian co-organiser of Slavic Gay Pride, Nikolai Alekseev, said today that "the decision of Minsk authorities about the ban of our event is absurd. "There have been many marches and parades in the past using the same route. And the proximity of underground pedestrian crossings and metro stations was not an obstacle for allowing such events," he pointed out. "The application for the march was sent to the authorities on March 4.
The organisers clearly said that they are ready to change the place and time of the event. The authorities had enough time to give their reply earlier in order to find a solution for the conduct of this action in a different location." Mr. Androsenko added: "The Slavic Pride Organizing Committee appeals to the international community with the request to support the forthcoming Slavic Pride and condemn the decision of Belarusian authorities to ban the event as it was done in relation to Baltic Pride in Vilnius". Slavic Pride movement was founded in autumn 2008 in Minsk.
The first Pride took place in Moscow on May 16 last year and coincided with Eurovision Song Contest. Moscow authorities banned the event and dozens of activists were arrested by militia. The second Slavic Pride will take place in Minsk on May 15. The decision about the same event in 2011 will be taken by the Organizing Committee shortly.
Foreign Policy Magazine Names Belarusian Iryna Vidanava Among the World's Top Dissidents
Foreign Policy has published a list of the World's Top Dissidents that includes a person from Belarus: Iryna Vidanava, founder and editor of the multimedia youth magazine 34. It is understood that 34 is the revived multimedia version version of Studenckaja Dumka, a Belarusian language youth magazine that has earlier been banned in Belarus. Mrs. Vidanava's will to revive and to continue the magazine's existence in the difficult Belarusian conditions is indeed worth the highest admiration. Repressions from the Belarusian officials force 34 to be proactive and to seek new modern forms for it.
As a result, 34 is a product of much higher quality than any of the archaic and propagandist state media and is indeed a unique phenomenon in Belarus. It is strange, however, that Foreign Policy has ignored such well-known Belarusian dissident politicians as the 2006 oppositional presidential candidates Aliaksandr Milinkievich or Aliaksandr Kazulin. Kazulin has held a 52 days long hunger strike after being unlawfully arrested and sent to prison after the elections*.
Zianon Pazniak, the exiled former leader of the Belarusian Popular Front, lives abroad since allegedly having faced murder threats in 1996. An other notable Belarusian dissident is Ales Bialiacki*, head of the Belarusian Human Rights Centre Viasna. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in 2006.
Iryna Vidanava: Some former Soviet republics have made modest strides in liberalizing their political culture, but Belarus is not one of them. Minsk is infamous for its harassment and intimidation of local media and curtailing freedom of speech — both areas in which Vidanava has fought back forcefully. Vidanava is the founder and editor in chief of 34 Multimedia Magazine, a publication aimed at promoting creativity, dissent, and democratic values in Belarusian young adults.
It's tough going: After years of police harassment, in 2005 Minsk finally decided to simply shut down 34 Multimedia Magazine. Yet Vidanava perseveres. In 2007, she founded CDMAG, a multimedia youth magazine published on compact disc that won the 2007 Gerd Bucerius Prize for press freedom in Eastern Europe. Read the full article and visit the website of 34 Multimedia Magazine.


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Just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! I'll have my New Year's post up soon to share what's upcoming for the blog and my writing for 2016.
In the meantime have a holiday hedgehog.
Friday, December 25, 2015
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
November Reading Wrap Up /Book Haul 2015
Here's my wrap up for November and the combined October/November book haul :)
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Twilight: Life or Death Review of Snark
He's just as much a clutz as Bella was, so much so that Edythe protects him just as much as Edward did, and it's just wrong when it's from a female perspective. I haven't even read feminist based books that were this lame. This manages to escalate into piggyback rides that makes Beau toss his cookies.
(I couldn't find a gif for this one, so I had to draw my own)
At least there was no "Hang on tight spider monkey" scene. Although I would have loved to see Edythe haul him up a tree like Jane of the Jungle. And the kissing scenes; tedious in the original, but now just creepy because Edythe takes point and won't let him kiss her back because it's "dangerous".
And when they're running from bad vamps, he can't even do his own seatbelt up in the big bad Jeep.
He doesn't eat, like at all except when he makes food for Charlie. I have two brothers so I know for a fact that teen guys eat and eat and eat. I have never known a teenage boy who won't eat at least four square meals a day and Beau is never hungry at school so he gets a lemonade. Not a soda, a lemonade. Now I'm not saying lemonade is a girly drink but guys don't drink it unless it's their grandma's or their elderly neighbor's that's served with cookies. Not in the school cafeteria where your bros can see.
So so far we have determined that he's a clutz, he doesn't eat, he's a whipped, hen-pecked man, (and I use the term 'man' only biologically) and he eats like a nervous teenage girl. Oh yeah, and he's always blushing like a girl too. Guys can blush, yeah, but not all the time, not like Bella. I was embarrassed for him. Oh yeah, and let's not forget the fact that he pooled winter clothes with his mom before leaving Arazona.
(pg 5) My mom and I had pooled our resources to supplement my winter wardrobe, but it still wasn't much.
And he apologizes just way too much for anyone who is not Tom Hiddleston. So that's enough about the despicably mediocre Beau, let's introduce the gender swapped vamp fam.
Edythe, first of all is kind of just like Edward, but she's a girl so it's creepier. Talk about cougar on the prowl. Now at least it makes sense that she likes to hunt wildcats so much… And the whole "Stay away from me I'm bad news"/ "I'm tired of avoiding you, Beau"/ "But seriously…." Thing was just as annoying and made just as little sense as in the original. Talk about whip lash. But I will admit it kind of makes more sense with her being a female. Because, let's face it, girls just are more wishy-washy. It's the truth.
I will say that a Volvo was more of a chick car, but I love how Stephanie is laboring under the assumption that a Volvo is a cool car just because they're expensive. I'm not even going to go there right now, because that's a whole other conversation in itself.
And another thing against Beau is that he's not a car guy, and yeah, not all guys are car guys, but it's kind of built into the male psyche that they at least like the look of a certain car. But Beau doesn't care, I mean, he was right that the BMW that one of the other vamps had wasn't a cool car *cough-golfercar-cough* but he didn't care about it at all. Anyway, rant over.
Back to business. The vamp fam. Everyone is gender swapped. Except Charlie and Beau's mom, which I'm at least glad about, that would have made it so much worse. And so Carlyle is a woman. I can't remember their dumb non-mainstream names, so I'll call her Vamp Mom. Vamp Dad was just as soft and sensitive as Beau and it was just as painful, almost in an effeminate way. Creepy. And then you had Male Alice, Jesa-something, Amazon Girl and ManBun. They were essentially the same as they were before but with unneeded gender swapping. Boring, and with even weirder names than before.
And then there's the female werewolves. First off, let me just say that Native American tribes are not matriarchal so this is just really stupid, and in this story literally had even less of a point as in the original. (More on that and the 'alternate ending' later)
There is really no end to the lameness that this book gave the world. One thing that comes to mind is the fact that Beau actually thought Edythe regretted saving him from getting crushed by his soon to be creepy stalker "girlfriend" who nearly ran him over in a van. How insecure was he? I mean normal people don't usually regret saving anyone's life unless they are a psychopath. Or unless you are me and you could have ended this thing before it started.
RIP Beau and Bella Swan. Oh yeah, and the infamous "mugging" scene from the original where Bella was nearly attacked and Edward came to save her but didn't for some reason want to eat those scum. Well, let me explain this. In the beginning of the book, when Beau is at the airport, he literally runs into someone with his suitcase and that person looked a little upset. Bet you thought that was just a way to show how clumsy he was, right? Wrong. They were so upset that the followed him to town months later and decided they were going to kill him. Top hole plotting Stephanie. And here I was expecting a bunch of rabid hookers coming to attack him.
Edythe is just as controlling as Edward was but it's creepy as a woman. Women do not make men eat or take care of themselves unless they are their mother. In fact, she acted way too much like Beau's mother and I hope I don't need to explain why this is not okay.
Now, I feel I should share with you some of the highlights of this delightful literary masterpiece: (The brilliant conversation that takes place after the "attack" scene)
(pg. 121-122) Unwillingly, I pulled my hand from hers. It felt like I'd been holding a handful of ice cubes.
"Better?" I asked.
She took a deep breath. "Not really."
"What is it, Edythe? What's wrong?"
She almost smiled, but there was no humor in her eyes. "This may come as a surprise to you, Beau, but I have a little bit of a temper. Sometimes it's hard for me to forgive easily when someone…offends me."
"Did I—"
"Stop, Beau," she said before I could even get the second word fully out. "I'm not talking about you." (…)"Do you realize they were actually going to kill you?"
"Yeah, I kinda figured they were going to try."
"It's completely ridiculous!" (…something about no one gets murder in Port Angeles…)"Why does everything deadly come looking for you?"
I blinked. "I…I have no answer for that." (…)
"So I'm not allowed to go teach those thugs a lesson in manners?"
"Um, no. Please?"
Okay, Batman, sorry they tried something in your city. Seriously, there are so many parts in this book that don't make sense. No one ever said she wasn't allowed to teach them manners, I think Stephanie just put random dialogue in that has no connection.
This is another favorite when, after the attck, Edythe makes Beau eat something to stave off shock and won't allow him to pay for it even though she didn't order anything.
(pg 135) "Try not to get caught up in antiquated gender roles."
As I said before this book even goes beyond feminist.
And let's not forget Edythe's budding serial killer/stalker confession when she plays her special song on the piano for Beau.
(pg. 256) "I thought of this one," she said softly, "while I watched you sleeping. It's your song." The song turned even softer and sweeter. I couldn't speak.
Yeah, I'm pretty speechless myself.
And then this gem where the vamp whooping up on Beau gets a little creepier than necessary.
pg. 347) "It doesn't want to scream," she said in a funny little singsong voice. "Should we make it scream?"
Yes, Precious, we should.
So about the end. It was actually a surprise, there is an alternate ending to this, did you know? Because Beau can't get pregnant and die in childbirth so why should Edythe have to turn him? Well, because the mean vampire bit his little finger and he was too broken (even though he wasn't any more broken than Bella) but apparently Edythe didn't think she would be able to stop drinking Beau like a juice bag so she just decided to turn him instead. And then they all lived in mediocrity together, the end.
Fun times. Well, I guess I did scrape up a couple pros to this one:
The shopping scene was much shorter with guys just buying corsages instead of prom dresses.
And so in conclusion: Should you read this book?
Do I recommend it?
I think I spent more time picking gifs for this review than Stephanie did writing it. R. I. Pieces Twilight. Let's not do this again for the 20th anniversary.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Blog Tour Stop: SILLY FEELING by Willowy Whisper
Silly Feeling by Willowy Whisper
Church camp is one week. Five days. What could possibly go wrong? Nothing. She's just being silly...
But Hannah can't rid the feeling, and as the week unfolds, she wonders if perhaps it's not such a silly feeling after all.
Author Interview
Willowy Whisper's Blog: willowywhisper.com
Purchase Link for Silly Feeling
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
September 2015 Book Haul
This is long overdue, I know, but I've been so busy this month trying to finish stuff up so I don't have to think about anything when I'm concentrating on NaNoWriMo. Anyway, enjoy :)
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Review: SUN AND MOON, ICE AND SNOW by Jessica Day George
Genre: YA, fairy tale retelling
Rating: 5/5 stars
Synopsis:Blessed--or cursed--with an ability to understand animals, the Lass (as she's known to her family) has always been an oddball. And when an isbjorn (polar bear) seeks her out, and promises that her family will become rich if only the Lass will accompany him to his castle, she doesn't hesitate. But the bear is not what he seems, nor is his castle, which is made of ice and inhabited by a silent staff of servents. Only a grueling journey on the backs of the four winds will reveal the truth: the bear is really a prince who's been enchanted by a troll queen, and the Lass must come up with a way to free him before he's forced to marry a troll princess.
Thoughts on the Overall Book: I've never not liked one of Jessica Day Geroge's books and this one has turned into a new favorite. It was just lovely in every way her stories usually are and was a very enjoyable read.
Cover--Yea or Nay: I do like the cover, it's not bad, but it's not super interesting either nor does it look like the girl. I think it should have the ice palace instead.
Characters: The Lass, as she is named (or not named really) is a lovely character, and very typical to Jessica's heroines. They are always heroic when they need to be, but never have an attitude and and very kind and quietly strong. I personally like when the reader never knows the name of the character; it's an interesting ploy, and where I can see how some people might find it annoying, I think it's oddly poetic. Especially in fairy tale like books. I guess it wouldn't work for everything. I also always love Jessica's heroes. And I LOVED the Lass's older brother Hans Peter. He was a tortured character done right, and I just loved his obvious love for his little sister, pretty much being the only one who paid her attention. Her mother and father weren't terrible, in fact, I liked her father, he was just busy, but her mother was always wanting more and ill contented and stuck up on one of their other brothers who was really a jerk. And then of course, I loved the Bear (Asher, as we find out his name is) I loved the slight Beauty and the Beast feel to this story, and while not as angry as the Beast, he was still another tormented, slightly brooding hero who was done right and not all annoying and lame. The trolls were gross and fun to hate, and of course I loved The Lass's pet wolf Rollo. He was adorable :) In short, a typically lovely cast!
The Romance: Very sweet and subtle as Jessica's books are wont to have. Not only did we get to see the Lass's romantic plot line but I also liked the one for her brother too.
Writing Style: As always, Jessica Day George gives us a fantastic retelling with such lovely writing that pulls the reader immediately into the story and the plight of the characters. I have always instantly fallen in love with her characters because she has such an easy and human way of describing them. And the language always sounds so much like traditional fairy tales too, like something you can easily read aloud. I'm not as familiar with this story as others but it seems like a good rendition of it, and I loved it very much.
Accuracy/ Believability: Not applicable.
Problems/What bothered me: Nothing to report!
Conclusion: 5/5 stars. I always enjoy reading her books and I really hope she writes more retellings because they are always so good!
Recommended Audience: Girl read ages 13 and up. If you like retellings, definitely give this one a try!
Friday, October 2, 2015
September 2015 Wrap Up
My reading wrap up for September. Sorry about the stupidity of the videos, my phone was being problematic. I'm going to finish wrapping up The Wicked Will Rise on my Book Haul video.
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Review: I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER by Dan Wells
Genre: Thriller, mystery, Supernatural,
Rating: 4/5 stars
Synopsis:John Wayne Cleaver is dangerous, and he knows it.
He's spent his life doing his best not to live up to his potential.
He's obsessed with serial killers, but really doesn't want to become one. So for his own sake, and the safety of those around him, he lives by rigid rules he's written for himself, practicing normal life as if it were a private religion that could save him from damnation.
Dead bodies are normal to John. He likes them, actually. They don't demand or expect the empathy he's unable to offer. Perhaps that's what gives him the objectivity to recognize that there's something different about the body the police have just found behind the Wash-n-Dry Laundromat---and to appreciate what that difference means.
Now, for the first time, John has to confront a danger outside himself, a threat he can't control, a menace to everything and everyone he would love, if only he could.
Dan Wells's debut novel is the first volume of a trilogy that will keep you awake and then haunt your dreams.
Thoughts on the Overall Book: I picked this book up expecting something akin to I Hunt Killers and…didn't really get that. The synopsis of this book fails to mention the supernatural element so that was a little jarring. Once I got past that though, I was able to enjoy the book more.
Cover--Yea or Nay: It's kind of bland, but I do like it, I think it works for the kind of book this is.
Characters: John Wayne Carver…I'm still a little unsure how I really feel about him. While I was able to sympathize and even relate to Jazz Dent in I Hunt Killers I'm not sure I was totally able to do that with John who is definitely more of a psychopath and rather frightening. Maybe I liked him because of that? I enjoyed reading about him and from his point of view too. It was an interesting perspective to have and I totally applaud the author for being able to get into that character--and just for going there in the first place. I know how scary that can be as an author. So I don't know that I can say I really liked him, but I did like reading about him. It was interesting reading about the other characters from his point of view too. I actually liked his friend Max and Brooke as well. I sort of felt sorry for his mom, but at the same time, I think she could have done more to understand his condition and not just either freak out or pretend nothing is wrong, but I guess that's just human nature. Mr. Crowley was an interesting character. (view spoiler)
The Romance: None. I don't even think I'm going to call a budding romance between John and Brooke yet.
Writing Style: I did love the writing style. As I said before I always applaud authors for going out of their normal comfort zones (or at least I hope they are) and writing characters who go beyond reluctant or anti-heroes to maybe even past dark hero status. To put yourself in the head of a potential serial killer is a feat of skill, especially if you can make it sound accurate which Dan Wells does. And the fact that it's in first person makes it even better, and makes the reader experience some uncomfortable moments.
Accuracy/ Believability: Despite the supernatural element, the psychological depictions of John's character are spot on, and I really appreciate the research the author must have had to do into psychological disorders and serial killers.
Problems/What bothered me: As I mentioned before, my only complaint was that I thought demons were more boring than serial killers. I know there's something wrong with me...
Conclusion: 4 stars. I do look forward to continuing this series. Now that I know what I'm getting into, I think I'll be able to pick up the next book with fresh eyes and enjoy it more without the jarring realization that it's supernatural.
Recommended Audience: Girl or guy read, 17 and up. Fans of I Hunt Killers, who would like to see it crossed with Supernatural would like this. And for the record, it's actually less gritty than I Hunt Killers as well. Even though I think this is classed as 'adult' I would say, at least the first book, reads like YA.
(Read this review with spoilers on Goodreads)
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Review: DENTON LITTLE'S DEATHDATE by Lance Rubin
Genre: YA, contemporary
Rating: 3/5 stars
Synopsis: Denton Little's Deathdate takes place in a world exactly like our own except that everyone knows the day they will die. For 17-year-old Denton Little, that's tomorrow, the day of his senior prom.
Despite his early deathdate, Denton has always wanted to live a normal life, but his final days are filled with dramatic firsts. First hangover. First sex. First love triangle (as the first sex seems to have happened not with his adoring girlfriend, but with his best friend's hostile sister. Though he's not totally sure. See: first hangover.) His anxiety builds when he discovers a strange purple rash making its way up his body. Is this what will kill him? And then a strange man shows up at his funeral, claiming to have known Denton's long-deceased mother, and warning him to beware of suspicious government characters…. Suddenly Denton's life is filled with mysterious questions and precious little time to find the answers.
Debut author Lance Rubin takes us on a fast, furious, and outrageously funny ride through the last hours of a teenager's life as he searches for love, meaning, answers, and (just maybe) a way to live on.
Thoughts on the Overall Book: Dark humor, a hearse on the cover--had to check it out. I had a couple complaints about it, but overall, I will admit it was definitely a quirky, and funny read.
Cover--Yea or Nay: Totally yes. That plus the title is what made me pick this book up.
Characters: Denton Little is overall not a bad protagonist. For the most part, he's a pretty nice guy and kind of quirky. The problem I had with him was that he was a little wishy-washy. Maybe he was just a too accurately portrayed teenage boy, but I don't hold the belief that they're all like that either. I would have liked him better if he could have just stuck to liking one girl. Just because he was going to die, didn't give him the right to do that, especially since it was kind of a mistake the first time. But apart from that, I did like him, and his narration was quirky and sarcastic and darkly humorous which is exactly what I expected from this book. I really liked his best friend Paolo, he was funny, typical side-kick kind of guy. I did like Denton's girlfriend Taryn, but I had to feel sorry for her because Denton practically cheated on her. This book had a pretty good cast of supporting characters, I particularly liked Denton's brother Felix and then Phil was a character who was annoying and enjoyable to hate. So it had a fun variety of characters who usually ended up surprising you in some way.
The Romance: This was my main problem with the book. I hate love triangles. And the fact that this one happened more or less by accident, but then Denton didn't do anything about it irked me even more. I really saw no reason his sleeping with Veronica furthered the plot at all, it only caused trouble that didn't really have to do with the story line. And Taryn was trying to be supportive but Denton was making that hard. (view spoiler)
Writing Style: I did like the writing style. It was easy reading, fast-paced and funny. I always appreciate dark humor and making fun of death. Denton made a good narrator. The idea of knowing your death date was really interesting and kind of made a neat twist on normal every day life with the new customs of pre-mortem funerals and self written eulogies. I find this sort of thing hilarious anyway. There were times when the plot got a little on the ridiculous side, like the strange rash Denton develops. It was just a little far fetched, especially when he ended up being totally purple. But I guess this is the kind of book where you just have to go along for the ride. There was a bit more espionage sort of story like to this that I was not expecting. I won't say too much in fear of spoilers but it made for a more interesting story than I thought this would be at the beginning.
Accuracy/ Believability: Not really applicable.
Problems/What bothered me: There was a little too much dirty humor in this book. It's a guy book, and I expect guy humor, yeah, and I can deal with that, but this was a little more graphic than I like usually. Plus the all too casual way the characters slept together bothered me because it just seemed like a 'last night on earth' kind of thing and I get annoyed by that, especially in teen fiction. Particularly since no one seems to have a problem with it, even the parents.
Conclusion: 3 stars. A quick fun read with a surprising cliff-hanger. I'll probably read the next book out of curiosity, but this wasn't really a favorite either.
Recommended Audience: Guy read or girl read ages 18 and up due to content. If you like dark humor or quirky contemporary novels check this out.
(Read this review with spoilers on Goodreads)
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On 11/19/12 8:38 PM, Ian Hickson wrote: > For now I've tightened up the spec so it should be implementable, secure, > and Web-compatible I don't believe it's secure as currently written, actually. Filed https://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=20012 > I'm also curious as to why figuring out the "entry script"'s > characteristics needs to use the stack introspection rather than just > having an event-loop global "first script" variable You can maintain a stack of entry scripts. You can't use a global, because you need to push and pop entry scripts as various things happen (e.g. invoking event listeners sets the entry script to the event listener function's script for the duration of the event listener invocation). There is no such stack of entry scripts in Gecko yet, but we're working on changing that. The thing that _really_ requires stack introspection is when you need to look at the caller script instead of the entry script. Which is what you need to do when performing Location security checks (or indeed, any security checks). -BorisReceived on Tuesday, 20 November 2012 03:40:48 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Wednesday, 22 January 2020 16:59:48 UTC


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Caught in a Preventive Dragnet: Selective Counterterrorism in a Post-9/11 America
65 Pages Posted: 2 May 2011 Last revised: 1 Feb 2017
Date Written: December 31, 2012
The United States government's preventive counterterrorism strategy is no secret. As the U.S. government adopted a no-tolerance policy to apprehending the 9/11 terrorists, a fear-stricken public watched images of nefarious, dark-skinned, and bearded Muslims flash across millions of television screens. The message was, if there had ever been any doubt, that the 9/11 attacks confirmed Muslims and Arabs are inherently violent and intent on destroying the American way of life. Heightened scrutiny of these communities was thus perceived as not only warranted, but a rational response to an existential threat to the country.
Ten years later, the 9/11 terrorist attacks appear to have succeeded in transforming the American way of life for the worse. In our hasty passage of the expansive PATRIOT Act, our fears gave way to the government's demand for unfettered discretion to preserve national security at the expense of civil liberties for all Americans. As a consequence, America has come to resemble a police state where government surveillance extends into almost every aspect of life.
This article focuses on three of the most powerful components of the counterterrorism preventive paradigm and the significant risks they pose to the civil rights and civil liberties of the communities most targeted by the policies - Muslims, Arabs, and South Asians. The current preventative paradigm for countering terrorism risks infringing on First Amendment protected activities and misdirects limited law enforcement resources away from criminal activity. In addition to wasting limited resources, religious and racial profiling erodes trust between law enforcement and Muslim communities. To the extent constructive relations between communities and law enforcement bolsters public safety, the government has an interest in curtailing arbitrary and overreaching counterterrorism enforcement.
The aggressive use of "material support to terrorism" is the fall back against individuals that the government cannot prove are engaged in terrorism. Indeed, the charges are found in most "terrorism-related" cases where a government informant plays a leading role in the attempted plot. The far-reaching and devastating effects of broadly interpreted material support laws on American Muslim charities and Muslim donors, as well as the broader American nonprofit sector, effectively criminalize otherwise legitimate charitable giving, peace building, and human rights advocacy. As a result, religious freedom rights are chilled as Muslims are deterred from practicing their faith fully from fear of inviting unwanted government scrutiny. In addition to calling for more judicious enforcement of material support laws not based on political ideology or religious belief, this paper argues for the need for a specific intent requirement in the law as a means of ensuring innocent but unpopular individuals are not targeted for prosecution.
The most recent and troubling developments in the preventive paradigm – the racial subtext of homegrown terrorism as a "Muslims only" club. The current debate about homegrown terrorism facilitates selective and arbitrary enforcement of counterterrorism laws against Muslims, while many non-Muslims commit or attempt to commit deadly acts of terror undetected. Notwithstanding the rise in terrorism by militias and right wing extremists, law enforcement has developed counterterrorism strategies based on essentialist stereotypes of terrorists as religious Muslims. Some Congressional leaders have followed suit by calling for more aggressive scrutiny of mosques, Muslim community organizations, and Muslim student groups. Furthermore, they seek to deputize Muslim religious leaders to spy on their congregations with little regard for the broad, adverse implications on religious freedom for all Americans. The article concludes by calling for smarter, more efficient policies that focus on criminal activity rather than false stereotypes that stigmatize entire communities as suspicious and disloyal.
To the extent that Muslims, Arabs, and South Asians are the "miner's canary" in forecasting the post-9/11 loss of civil rights and liberties for all Americans, their experiences demonstrate America's downward progression away from the Founding Fathers' vision of a society where individuals can speak, assemble, and practice their faith free of government intervention or persecution.
Keywords: National Security, Post-9/11, September 11th Terrorist Attacks, Civil Rights, Muslims, Arabs, South Asians, Counter Terrorism
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation


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State Prosecutor Blocking Disciplinary Investigations Into Israeli Mossad Chief
For seven months, State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan has blocked the opening of a disciplinary investigation of Mossad head Yossi Cohen on suspicions he received improper gifts.
Last December Channel 10 reported that Australian billionaire James Packer, a friend of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, had given Cohen, who was National Security Council head at the time, seven tickets worth thousands of shekels to an August 2015 concert in Israel by Mariah Carey, Packer's former fiancée.
In January, Haaretz revealed that Packer and billionaire American-Jewish businessman Arnon Milchan tried to recruit Cohen to be a partner in a global security firm called Blue Sky International.
Following these reports, Ayala Honigman, the deputy director of the Civil Service Commission's disciplinary department, recommended a disciplinary investigation of Cohen for receiving improper gifts.
Honigman first sought to have the information examined, and only afterward decide whether to question Cohen as a suspect.
When Honigman's decision was brought to Nitzan's attention, he was furious and intervened. In the end, prosecutors merely took testimony from Cohen, who said the tickets had been given as a friendly gesture.
The State Prosecutor's Office said, "We do not conduct our relationship with the Civil Service Commission's disciplinary department through the newspaper, by which we neither confirm nor deny anything."
The Civil Service Commission made a similar request to Nitzan concerning an investigation of Cabinet Secretary Tzachi Braverman, after it was revealed that he had approached members of the Judicial
Appointments Committee to help his wife, Nava, a magistrate's court judge, in her bid for promotion to the district court.
In the end, she did not receive the appointment.
No decision was ever made on that request either, meaning that two inquiries against senior officials who are close to Netanyahu have been frozen.
The State Prosecutor's Office said about the Braverman case: "The person responsible for disciplinary matters in the Civil Service came to consult with the prosecution on this issue and the request will be examined."


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Dutch newspaper apologizes for 'tasteless' web article linking Mandela to blackface character
THE HAGUE, Netherlands – The top-selling Dutch newspaper has apologized for a story on its website that linked the death of anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela with a controversial black-face character in the traditional Dutch celebration of Sinterklaas.
In the opening sentence of an article collating reactions to Mandela's death, De Telegraaf said Friday that Mandela "died (with Black Pete) on Sinterklaas evening."
Black Pete is the helper of Saint Nicholas, known in the Netherlands as Sinterklaas, who brings children gifts on Dec. 5. Black Pete traditionally is portrayed by people in black-face makeup.
The character has been the focus of a fierce debate in the Netherlands recently between fans of the Sinterklaas tradition and opponents who call Black Pete a racist throwback.
The Telegraaf blamed the "tasteless link" on "an unfortunate convergence of circumstances."


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On this tour, you will see all the best Queen-related places.
London is a city of bizarre and curious places and stories. It is a birthplace of the most popular music band in the 70s and 80s – Queen. You will walk down the streets that still remember Freddie Mercury's footsteps. Start your tour by seeing one of the major concert venues where Queen have played several concerts, including the legendary Xmas concerts in 1975 and 1979. Follow your guide to the most popular recording studio, where 'Who Wants to Live Forever' and 'Barcelona' were recorded. You will also see another popular studio which was used for rehearsals.
Shortly after you will be taken to the place where Freddie lived with Mary Austin, to whom he dedicated one of his most famous songs, 'love of my life'. Reaching Freddie's former house you will continue your journey towards the flat which all of the band members shared in the early 70s.
Stop by the iconic pub where Freddie met Mary, Brian and Roger before you walk to the house where Freddie died and which is occupied by Mary Austin and her family. Afterwards, you will explore the area which was Freddie's first flat. Did you know that Freddie used to sell clothes and his own paintings?
You will walk through the place which was once a Kensington Market where Freddie was quite often seen selling shoes and art before seeing where Queen recorded all the songs for their first 2 albums. You will visit the Royal Opera House where Freddie used to go, and where he met Montserrat Caballe. Finish your tour by seeing the place of Freddie's very last performance – in the 'Time' musical on 14th April 1988.
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About Typer Online
Version: 220.127.116.117
Typer Online is a cross-platform web application that uses universal design concepts and standard web technologies to deliver an accessible online typing tutorial for the QWERTY keyboard.
Company: American Printing House
Submit feedback: [email protected]
Your privacy is important. Please read the APH privacy policy.
Typer online uses the following licensed components
- Angular.js is used under the terms of the MIT license.
- MDL is used under the terms of the Apache License 2.0 and the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License.
- JQuery is used under the terms of the MIT license.


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Tue, 31 March 2015
#QOTD: What are your three favorite music acts of all time?
Direct download: Episode_82_Podcast.mp3
Category:business -- posted at: 1:14pm EDT
Mon, 30 March 2015
QOTD (not really a question): Take a screenshot of the home screen on your phone right now and tweet it at me, @garyvee. I want to see the apps that dominate your day.
Direct download: EPISODE_81_Podcast.mp3
Category:business -- posted at: 6:22pm EDT
Thu, 12 March 2015
#QOTD: How much would you pay to watch the #AskGaryVee Show?
Direct download: Episode_80-Podcast.mp3
Category:business -- posted at: 4:28pm EDT
Wed, 11 March 2015
Direct download: Podcast-Gary_Vaynerchuk_-_USC_Entrepreneur_Talk.mp3
Category:business -- posted at: 6:56pm EDT
Wed, 11 March 2015
#QOTD: How many of you ACTUALLY watch television commercials?
Music in this episode by: www.gonequitemad.com
Check out Brendan's awesome video: http://instagram.com/p/
Fred Wilson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/
Submit a question: https://www.
The amount of "buts" I hear is actually stunningly overwhelming. I pride myself on not being a but guy (no double meaning intended). The buts that I hear the most are "I didn't have any money", "I didn't have a chance", "I grew up in a poor neighborhood", "I didn't have a mentor". People are loaded with buts in life; that's why the majority of people fall into a standard life.
For me personally, my "but" is usually that I love the process and the climb. If I don't achieve the maximum upside in my career, it's going to be predicated on the fact that I loved the climb too much. I liked the grind too much, and that didn't allow me
to scale and create the level of wealthy needed to pull it off.
But I do hear way too many "buts" from people. But is an excuse.
BUT ... :) before I finish with my ra-ra scenario, let's understand that there is some very real stuff going on in the world. You could be born in a part of the world where there is a dictator or communism. Do I think it's easy as to be a female entrepreneur in the Middle East as it is to be in New York City? No. Of course not. Just like any white male born in a semi affluent environment is bound to have a leg up on minorities in poor communities.
But there is a flipside to this. The hustle that you get from coming from the grind is a huge advantage. Some people think you're dead on impact, that you have to stick with the restrictions you're born in; that if you're born into a bad situation, you're bound to fail. But I think being born into luxury is worse because everything comes so easy and you don't know how to get anything.
It all comes down to how you operate and how you look at the world. But I will tell you this: I hate excuses. I hate them with all my heart. When something is wrong with VaynerMedia, that's all on me. I love taking that blame and not passing the buck. I take pride in taking the blame. Stop making excuses and work.
Direct download: EPISODE_79_Podcast.mp3
Category:business -- posted at: 6:34pm EDT
Sat, 7 March 2015
#QOTD: Will you when, when live streaming wearable technology comes, Truman show your life, or will you consume Truman shows? Give me a breakdown, putting out content vs. consuming content.
Direct download: EPISODE_78_Podcast.mp3
Category:business -- posted at: 1:03pm EDT
Fri, 6 March 2015
#QOTD: I need your fantasy baseball sleeper. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, give me your technology app sleeper. Don't use Meerkat.
Direct download: EPISODE_77_Podcast.mp3
Category:business -- posted at: 10:20am EDT
Thu, 5 March 2015
Direct download: MOTIVATION-_PART_OF_THE_EQUATION-FINAL.mp3
Category:business -- posted at: 3:29pm EDT
Mon, 2 March 2015
#QOTD: How many siblings do you have? What are their names?
Direct download: EPISODE_76_Podcast.mp3
Category:business -- posted at: 3:16pm EDT


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ICYMI: Obamacare faces 3 deadly dangers, including Trump
It has survived the U.S. Supreme Court, disgruntled consumers and, perhaps most dramatically, lawmakers who targeted it for the dustbin.
Rather than breathe easy, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, faces yet another obstacle: An administration with lots of power to make sure it doesn't work.
"I think (the Trump administration) is going to do everything they can to try to make Obamacare fail, or let it fail on its own weight," said Linda Schwimmer, president and chief executive officer of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute, a research group.
Another sign came last week when the Trump administration said it would cut the advertising budget for Obamacare by 90 percent — from $100 million last year to $10 million this year, according to reports.
It adds more uncertainty for Obamacare insurers Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, AmeriHealth New Jersey and Oscar, who depend on robust enrollment to keep premiums stable.
Open enrollment for individuals who need to buy health insurance for 2017 doesn't begin until Nov. 1. And premiums haven't been announced.
But Horizon, the biggest insurer, has requested average premium increases of 22 percent, partly because the Trump administration has said it won't enforce the law's mandate that everyone buy insurance or pay a penalty.
There is a lot at stake. Nearly 800,000 New Jerseyans have health insurance either through Obamacare's expansion of NJ FamilyCare or the marketplace where individuals can shop for policies and apply for subsidies.
The program has left many consumers frustrated by the high out-of-pocket costs that make it seem as if insurance is good only for catastrophes.
But New Jersey has fared better than other states, analysts said. Its premium increases were in the single digits, mainly because its insurers long have been required to provide coverage regardless of consumers' pre-existing conditions.
While some 47 counties nationwide are projected to have no insurers offering coverage in the Obamacare marketplace, according to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, New Jersey is expected to have three: AmeriHealth NJ. Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and Oscar.
What should consumers expect from here?
1. More battles ahead
In response to the bill's collapse, Trump tweeted: "As I said from the beginning, let Obamacare implode, then deal. Watch!"
There were signs the market wasn't imploding in New Jersey. Oscar, which left the market last year, returned for 2018, saying: "The market in New Jersey is stable and growing."
But the administration appears to be taking steps to fulfill Trump's prophecy. For example:
- It shortened the time when consumers can enroll. Last year, open enrollment was from Nov. 1 to Jan. 31. This year, Nov. 1 to Dec. 15.
- It can end cost-sharing payments to insurers that helped low-income consumers afford out-of-pocket costs. Consumers still will get help, but insurers without being reimbursed by the government presumably would increase premiums to make up for it.
- It can decide not to enforce the individual mandate. Experts predict young, healthy consumers, who help defray the cost of premiums, might simply decide not to buy insurance. It would leave older, sicker consumers in the market. And premiums would rise.
- It might not market the program. President Barack Obama routinely appeared with stars like Zach Galifianakis to try to convince younger consumers to sign up. It is difficult to imagine Trump doing the same.
"It's really going to be death by a thousand administrative cuts," Schwimmer said.
2. Higher premiums
How are health insurers expected to predict their risk for next year?
It's not clear. New Jersey hasn't released requests for rate increases from insurers. But insurers in other states that have factored in medical inflation and the likelihood that the Trump administration won't enforce some parts of Obamacare have requested premium increases of as much as 30 percent.
"What I hear from insurance insiders is there's no reason to think New Jersey will be significantly different," said Christine Stearns, executive director of Better Choices, Better Care, an advocacy group.
3. Courtroom drama
Does the Trump administration and his party have the political appetite to keep fighting?
A bipartisan group of senators has begun discussing steps to stabilize the individual marketplace, USA TODAY reported.
If they fall short, Obamacare once again could wind up in court. Next month, a federal appeals court is scheduled to consider whether Congress is required to pay subsidies. And if it plays out like some experts think, states will begin suing the federal government.
Only this time, it would be Obamacare supporters, instead of opponents, trying to get the president to enforce the law.
"It's a litigation machine," said John Sarno, president of the Employers Association of New Jersey, a business group. "It's political litigation. Its classic, politically motivated litigation, which is exactly what the original challenges were."
Michael L. Diamond; 732-643-4038; email@example.com


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December 2009
Monthly Archive
Updated information from the Granby Police Department
Monthly Archive
Posted by admin on 30 Dec 2009 | Tagged as: general
Please spend it with your friends and family….not with us.
If you drink , don't drive- If your driving , don't drink.
Please have a safe and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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Posted by chief on 30 Dec 2009 | Tagged as: general
A chimney fire caused by this wood stove damaged a Truby Street residence Tuesday afternoon at 3:47pm. Granby fire department units repsonded to the scene and Fire units from South Hadley District 2 and Ludlow responded to Town for coverage . The fire was reported extinguished and units cleared by 4:45pm.
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Posted by chief on 23 Dec 2009 | Tagged as: general
The members of the Granby Police Department would like to wish all of you a Happy Holiday Season. Many thanks to those of you who have thought of us this with you gifts of food and your pleasant thoughts and wishes. Please have a safe Holiday, and do not hesitate to call us if you think you mgiht need our assistance. That is why we are here. Merry Christmas.
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Posted by chief on 21 Dec 2009 | Tagged as: general
Mass Highway has installed left turn lights on Rte 202 at the Five Corners intersection. This should greatly ease traffic flow. Ptl. Mike Ulmer facillitated this installation through his full-time employment with Mass Highway. Please be patient as drivers get familiar with the light pattern.
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Posted by chief on 19 Dec 2009 | Tagged as: general
Due to the Winter Storm Warning in effect, there will be a snow removal parking ban in effect from 6pm Saturday December 19 until further notice. NO ON STREET PARKING IS ALLOWED. If you must go out in the storm please drive slowly and safely.
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Posted by chief on 15 Dec 2009 | Tagged as: general
This weekend members of the Granby Fire Department will be visiting every house in Town and delivering 2010 Calenders. The calenders are FREE , however there is a donation card included if you wish to contribute to this worthy organization. The members, most of whom are volunteer, will be in uniform. The Police Department wishes them well on this endeavor.
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Posted by chief on 14 Dec 2009 | Tagged as: general
Senior part-time officer Robert Dufault has decided to " retire" effective January 1. Bob has reached the maximum age to be a police officer ( 65) and decided not to stay on as a civilian dispatcher. Bob is well know in the area as a driving school instructor at Falls Driving School, where he has been employed since 1968! He plans to continue teaching at the driving school, and will remain as the Animal Control officer for the Town of South Hadley. Bob and his wife reside in South Hadley.
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Posted by chief on 10 Dec 2009 | Tagged as: general
Yesterdays snow storm resulted in four MV accidents and over a dozen vehicles off the road.
Daytime melting and cold nightime temperatures willl no doubt result in icy spots. Please slow down.
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Posted by Sgt O on 09 Dec 2009 | Tagged as: general
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for today. As of 6 AM Wednesday December 9th the Snow removal parking ban will be in effect until further notice- NO on street parking allowed.
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Posted by chief on 08 Dec 2009 | Tagged as: general
Depending on which weather forecast you listen to, we are expected to get some icy mix or heavy snow tomorrow. The forecasts range from sleet and snow turning to rain to all snow resulting in a near 6″ accumulation. Either way roads conditons are expected to be slippery. Please slow down,leave yourself plenty of time and drive carefully.
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Luis Cabrera Hernández
Education and Professional Experience
1977 He graduates from the National School of Art, Havana, Cuba.
1982 He graduates from the Higher Institute of Art, Havana, Cuba.
1985 Post graduation studies at the Higher Institute of Graphics and Book Art of Leipzig, Germany.
Member of the Experimental Graphics Workshop of Havana and of the Association of Writers and Artists of Cuba.
He lives in Madrid since 1993. He has illustrated magazines, newspapers and books in Spain. He worked as assistant professor at the Higher Institute of Art, and is currently teacher of lithography and xylography of the School of Engraving and Graphic Design at the Real Casa de la Moneda. He has participated in more than 200 group exhibitions in countries of America, Europe and Asia.
Personal Exhibitions
2005 Graphic Work. Workshop-gallery El Mono de la Tinta, Madrid, Spain.
2004 Outer Glance. Graphic Work. Experimental Graphics Workshop, Havana, Cuba.
Recent Graphic Work. International Center of Contemporary Print (CEIC). Betanzos.
2002 Recent Work. Museum of Huelva. As part of the Fourth Colloquium of Literature and Arts in Iberian America.
Recent Work. Jesús Quintero Cultural Center. San Juan del Puerto, Huelva, Spain.
Recent Work. House of Culture of Cartaya, Huelva, Spain.
1998 Noblemen and Plebeian. Utopia Parkway Gallery.
Awards and Residencies
2004 Contratalla Print Biennial. Honorable Mention. Tarragona. Spain..
1999 Second Prize of Engraving. Deutsche Stiftung. Honorable Mention. Madrid, Spain.
1995 Máximo Ramos Printing Prize. Mention. El Ferrol, Spain.
1991 Sapporo International Print Biennial. Mention. Japan.
1990 The Young Print. Casa de las Américas. Mention. Havana, Cuba.
1989 Print Triennial of Norway. Fredrikstad. Honorable Mention. Norway.
1985 Art on the Highway. Cuba
1982 Noma Contest. Second prize of illustration for children. Japan.
1980 Literature in Art. First Prize of Engraving. Cuba.
Print Cabinet, Leipzig, Germany.
State Art Collection, Dresden, Germany.
National Museum of Managua, Nicaragua.
National Museum of Small Format, Lodz. Poland.
Latin American Art Gallery, Krakow, Poland.
National Museum of Cuba.
Print Museum, Fredrikstad, Norway.
Conde Duque Gallery, Madrid.
Van Art Gallery, Madrid.
Regional Government of Salamanca, Spain.
Frank Mestre Collection, Miami, U.S.A.
Deutsche Stiftung. Germany.
Brita Prinz Collection, Madrid.
Taiwan Museum of Art.
Silpakorn University, Thailand.
Contratalla Gallery, Tarragona, Spain.
Green Cross Legrain Sara Lee. Barcelona, Spain.
UGT Collection, Castilla and León, Spain.


text: The "DARK CITY" chapter of "ZERO YEAR" reaches its conclusion in this amazing, extra-sized issue! Now, the next chapter of Zero Year is almost upon us, and we've saved the best for last! What corners of Batman's past will be revealed? And how will they impact his very near future? Find out here!


text: Yermoshyn Oleksandr "Mongol" Yermoshyn: Originally from Berdychiv in the Zhitomir region, Sasha was a taxi driver and a musician before Maidan. After the Russians invaded Crimea, he joined The Wings of Phoenix, a volunteer organization that took on multiple roles, from transporting dead bodies to delivering essential supplies to the Ukrainian Army and volunteer soldiers on the frontline, including tactical and medical equipment, uniforms and food. In 2015 he joined the 58th Infantry Brigade and has been serving on the frontline of the war ever since. READ EXCERPT FROM MONGOL'S STORY


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This article originally appeared in the Jan. 2012 issue of Cloud Computing.
With more companies moving their networks into the cloud, a number of questions remain unanswered concerning corporate governance and regulatory compliance issues in cloud computing applications.
How safe is cloud computing for companies with sensitive data to protect?
Is it possible for companies to meet regular corporate governance standards in the cloud when many regulatory compliance specifications require data segregation which is seemingly at odds with cloud computing infrastructures?
How true is the generally held belief that because the Internet is unsafe, cloud computing is unsafe? And are there regulatory principles in place targeted at cloud computing users?
Among the drivers for this debate are the best practices recommendations and requirements of the King III Code of Governance Principles for South Africa, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Payment Card Industry (PCI (News - Alert)) standard and Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) and other standards in the US.
Undoubtedly, the cloud computing environment places no less a premium on solid management and the maintenance of a culture of integrity-driven performance than any other corporate IT environment of the past.
It therefore presents similar governance and compliance challenges not only for companies, but also for governments, investors and many other stakeholders in the corporate world.
Unfortunately, there are those who believe compliance will be impossible to achieve within the cloud as companies cannot take responsibility for who accesses their data, who views it, and where (and how) it is stored since a basic tenant of cloud computing is that data can be held and stored "anywhere."
They also point to the security challenges associated with insecure interfaces and APIs relied upon by cloud service providers for many of the management functions. As cloud customers continue to build on these APIs the complexities and risk continues to increase. And they highlight the risks associated with the high volumes of interactions associated with shared services in the cloud.
Cloud computing protagonists, on the other hand, say a key premise of regulatory compliance and good corporate governance is the integrity of the audit process. It's a process required to keep track of all data components – whether they're located in multiple corporate data centers or somewhere in the cloud.
They acknowledge that it's a demanding process and special care is required to achieve success. There is no shortcut – no silver bullet – when it comes to ascertaining where a company's data is stored and what networks it has passed through.
Probably the best route to security compliance is the hire of a third-party auditing firm capable of identifying cloud computing weaknesses through detailed observation of processes through "penetration testing."
This will help to provide a platform from which to interrogate data repositories to meet compliance objectives such as the regular appraisal of management performance and accountability and the identification of incidents of administrative failures.
There is also a need to address breaches of legislation and internal processes while achieving greater value for compliance spend which, in turn, will improve stakeholder and regulator relationships and build more open communication channels between the two camps.
The first steps to be taken before attempting to meet these and other targets include a definition of the type of cloud computing services employed and the cloud infrastructure models involved.
Significantly, there is no "one size fits all" approach when it comes to compliance issues in the cloud. The corporate cloud computing environment must be clearly understood so that a comprehensive, best practices approach can be designed and adopted.
Essentially there are three cloud service types: Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS); Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS); and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS (News - Alert)). And there are basically two deployment models – the private cloud and public cloud (ignoring any hybrid combinations).
Within these types and models, the levels of control afforded the user differ greatly. So does the auditor's ability to effectively and accurately track data.
For instance, in private clouds, the number and type of controls are placed at the prerogative of the user and can vary from super-efficient to non-existent.
In a public cloud, while the user organization does not have much say over the controls in place, service provider reputations are at stake which generally help ensure a professional approach – limiting the risks associated with unauthorized access to intellectual property and customer information.
When it comes to service types, it's accepted that greater control – and therefore regulatory compliance - is possible within an IaaS model compared to SaaS or even PaaS models. This is due to the ability of the user to deliver the key compliance requirement – data segregation – should the entire corporate computing infrastructure be offered as a cloud-based service (IaaS), preferably within the scope of a private cloud.
Why a private cloud? Because a private cloud makes use of dedicated hardware, it is comparatively simpler to segregate the data on separate servers and in separate virtual machines (VM). This allows businesses to maintain regulatory compliance while benefiting from cloud computing.
Significantly, many regulatory compliance specifications, while maintaining data segregation as a core requirement, do not specifically address how it is to be achieved within the cloud; either private or public.
Fortunately, the technology driving cloud computing is constantly evolving. As it advances, so many of the compliance and corporate governance concerns are being tackled and eliminated by global specialists.
For example, the SAS (News - Alert) 70 compliance environment (Statement on Auditing Standards 70) issued by the Auditing Standards Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) can be made applicable to cloud computing environments.
In addition, a feature called File Classification Infrastructure (FCI) has been introduced on IBM's (News - Alert) Windows Server 2008 (Release 2) designed to tag files carrying personal or financial information and other increasingly regulated data. All that's needed is a workflow program to allow developers to use the data in cloud applications.
These and other imminent breakthroughs point to a future in which an organization opting for a cloud computing solution will have access to secure, fully compliant clouds featuring technology innovation and sustainable business ecosystem development with full regulatory compliance.
Martin May is regional director (Africa) of Enterasys (News - Alert) Networks.
Edited by Stefania Viscusi


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Earn money. - Earnings per share.
Start earning money by learing how to invest. We would all like to earn money, but to start earning money when investing, you need to know how, and also get the right tool. One of the ways to earn money, is to look at the earnings per share key figure. Earnings per share tell you how much the company has earned in profit compared to the number of shares the company has issued. That way you can see how well the company is doing.
Earnings per share can be entered into the software program Amateur Invest, and can be one of the factors that goes into your decision about when to buy and when to sell stocks / shares in a company.
Also take a look at these "start" pages:
..... Finance home .....Site Map ..... Amateur Invest ..... DataShow ..... Simply Data .....
- © Copyright Simply Data -
Page update: 2017-01-12, 16:24:55:084


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I'm late I'm late for a very important date ! (So said the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland) Oh gawd – you've got just ONE day to grab this Romantic Raft by Chez Moi. The latest round of Cosmopolitan closes tonight and that's where you will find this little gem. It's an exclusive to the event so DASHHHHHH! (picnic basket and drinks tray are mine)
It comes with 105 animations in PG version and 167 animations in Adult version:
♥ Room for 1-4 people
♥ 48 single animations (female and male)
♥ 54 animations for couples in love (27 x 2)
♥ 3 swim animations
♥ 62 hot sex animations (31 x 2)
♥ Automatic Rezzing Props – attaches when an animation is chosen.
♥ Control by menu
♥ Adjustable Poses
♥ Functionality SWAP
♥ Raft: 8 LI | Modifiable | Copy
♥ Floating Lantern: 2 LI each


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Posted by : Randy Cooper in (CDN)
Highwinds Launches London Sales Operations to Drive Growth in Europe, Middle East and Asia
Highwinds Network Group, Inc., a multi-platform IP services and content distribution provider, today announced it has launched sales operations in London to better serve its growing base of partners and customers in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Stephan James, who will be handling Highwinds' EMEA sales operations will enable the company to extend its global reach as a premier Content Delivery Network (CDN) provider.
The recently opened London Content Delivery site at 240 E. India Dock Road, complements Highwinds' other European CDN site in Amsterdam. The site boasts an impressive 48Gbps of CDN capacity built into 12 racks. In addition to its CDN site in London, Highwinds also operates a network and peering gateway at TeleHouse Docklands which is connected to E Dock Road via fiber. The London sites are fully integrated into Highwinds RollingThunder™ Network with multiple 10 Gbps links to Amsterdam, Paris and across the Atlantic to North America.


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Your shopping cart is empty!
Wyeast 3463 Forbidden Fruit Yeast is a widely used strain in the production of Witbier and Grand Cru. This yeast will produce spicy phenolics which are balanced nicely by a complex ester profile. The subtle fruit character and dry tart finish will complement wheat malt, orange peel and spice additions typical of Wits.
Styles: Belgian Specialty Ale, Witbier


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The U.S. battle against the Islamic State has not yet curbed the group's global reach and as pressure mounts on the extremists in Iraq and Syria, they are expected to plot more attacks on the West and incite violence by lone wolves, CIA Director John Brennan told Congress on Thursday.
In a rare open hearing, Brennan gave the Senate intelligence committee an update on the threat from Islamic extremists and shared his views on a myriad of other topics, including encryption, Russia and Syria.
Brennan said IS has worked to build an apparatus to direct and inspire attacks against its foreign enemies, as in the recent attacks in Paris and Brussels — ones the CIA believes were directed by the top IS leaders.
"ISIL has a large cadre of Western fighters who could potentially serve as operatives for attacks in the West," Brennan said, using a different acronym for the group.
"Furthermore, as we have seen in Orlando, San Bernardino and elsewhere, ISIL is attempting to inspire attacks by sympathizers who have no direct links to the group."
Brennan said the CIA has not been able to uncover any direct link between the Orlando shooter and a foreign terrorist organization.
He said the U.S.-led coalition has killed IS leaders, forced the group to surrender large swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria and that fewer fighters are traveling to Syria and others have defected.
While the group's ability to raise money has been thwarted, it still generates at least tens of millions of dollars every month, mostly from taxation and sales of crude oil on black markets in Syria and Iraq.
"Unfortunately, despite all our progress against ISIL on the battlefield and in the financial realm, our efforts have not reduced the group's terrorism capability and global reach," he said.
He said IS is slowly cultivating its branches into an interconnected global network and that the number of IS fighters now far exceeds what al-Qaida had at its peak.
The CIA estimates there are 18,000 to 22,000 IS fighters in Syria and Iraq — down from about 33,000 last year. The branch in Libya, with between 5,000 and 8,000 fighters, is the most advanced and most dangerous, but IS is trying to increase its influence in Africa, Brennan said.
He said Boko Haram is now the IS branch in West Africa and has several thousand fighters. Brennan described the IS branch in the Sinai as the most active and capable terrorist group in Egypt, attacking Egyptian military and government targets as well as foreigners and tourists, such as in the downing of a Russian passenger jet last October.
The Yemen branch, with several hundred fighters, has been riven with factionalism. And the Afghanistan-Pakistan branch, also with hundreds of fighters, has struggled to maintain its cohesion, in part because of competition with the Taliban, he said.
The issue of encryption arose several times during the nearly two-hour hearing.
Law enforcement officials say data encryption is making it harder to hunt for terror suspects and intercept their messages. They say they need access to encrypted communications and that tech companies should maintain the ability to unlock the data from their customers.
They face fierce opposition from Silicon Valley companies that say encryption safeguards their customers' privacy rights and protects them from hackers, corporate spies and other breaches.
Lawmakers have weighed in on both sides of the dispute and are working to find the appropriate role for government in an area where the private sector operates the internet.
Committee chairman Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., said the "feud between the tech companies and the intelligence community and law enforcement has to stop."
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said that requiring companies to build back doors into their products to weaken strong encryption will put the personal safety of Americans at risk. "I want to make it clear I will fight such a policy with everything I have," Wyden said.
In the House, wary lawmakers on Thursday rejected a measure that would have prohibited the U.S. government from searching the online communications of Americans without a warrant. The vote came days after the mass shooting in Florida. Opponents of the amendment to the annual defense spending bill said the measure would have blocked investigators from searching lawfully collected information to determine whether the Orlando gunman had contacted terrorists overseas.
The CIA chief embraced a bill that seeks to set up a commission to bring together intelligence, law enforcement and the business and tech communities to work on the issue.
Brennan also expressed his views on other issues:
Brennan said Russian military forces have bolstered Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and are carrying out attacks against the U.S.-backed forces trying to unseat him. He said Assad is in a stronger position now than he was in June 2015 and that the agreed cessation of violence is "holding by a thread."
Brennan said individuals within the CIA have been held accountable for problems in the agency's former detention and interrogation program set up after Sept. 11. He said he could elaborate in a classified setting.
Brennan confirmed a May report in The Wall Street Journal that the data mining company, Dataminr Inc., had ended its contract with the CIA.
The New York-based company, which monitors information streaming across Twitter and sends alerts to clients, continues to provide data to Russia Today, a television network backed by the Russian government.
Credit : Associated Press (AP) | Photo Credit : (AP)


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Spotlight On…
There's just one week until New Britain Youth Theater's first official event!
Spotlight on…New Britain Youth Theater will be a combination opening party/fundraiser/reception to introduce the company and its directors and to raise funds for the theater's programming.
The event is planned for Friday, June 25, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Trinity-on-Main in downtown New Britain. The event will include hors d'oeuvres and desserts, a cash bar, and a teacup auction. Welcoming and introductory remarks are scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Auction drawings will be held at 8:00 p.m. Among the auction items are gift certificates from the New Britain Rock Cats, Vito's Tavern and Pizzeria, the Eastside Restaurant, Avery's Soda, the New Britain Youth Museum, and the New Britain Museum of American Art (for a private tour and reception!). NBYT and Trinity-on-Main are also offering a customized birthday party for up to fifteen!
For a suggested donation of $5, event guests will receive one auction ticket. Additional tickets may be purchased at the door. Anyone, of any age, is welcome to attend. An RSVP to 860-515-8115 is appreciated, but not required to attend.
Spread the word! We hope we'll see you there!


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I went on a walk today. Ended up on a hotel called "The Loft" in downtown Tampa. Not a bad place to spend a sunny afternoon. Very thankful for that :) Time for turkey!
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Exquisite in its simplicity, Villa Sand Castle (SND) is a welcome new addition to the St. Barth rental property landscape. This luxury vacation home exemplifies easy beach living, thanks both to its superb location on Lorient Beach (right next to Villa La Plage, which can be rented in tandem to it), and it's extremely simple, unobtrusive design, which allows you as a guest to feel at home and create your own distinctive Caribbean island experience.
Morning swims in the bay and afternoon strolls on the beach are virtually assured when you make Villa Sand Castle your home for a week, a few days, or even longer. There might even be some sand-castle-making in the offer, as the villa encourages a spirit of relaxation and play, and of course, the sand of Lorient is right there.
And so are the waves. Lorient is one of the island's best surf beaches, but in a private spot with white sand and a calm sea protected by a coral reef. The villa is a short walk from a newly rebuilt surf shack where children and adults can take surf lessons. Or if you'd rather simply relax, Villa Sand Castle has its own chaise lounges right in the sand and a Swedish hot tub nearby. Even without a castle, you can be sand kings and queens, princes and princesses.
The property has three double bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, plus a fourth bedroom and with a single bed and easy access to a shared bathroom, making it well suited to a nanny or personal chef. (Of course, if you don't bring your own, the Sibarth concierge can supply either one.) Everything is on the same level, under one roof, although one of the bedrooms has a private entrance. Two of the bedrooms overlook the ocean, and two see the garden. All bedrooms share an air-conditioned living room.
The location means it's a very short distance to restaurants, bakeries, supermarkets, Jojo Burger, and other conveniences.
Premium Island Vacations: We specialise only in St Bart Villa Rentals and know the island intimately. We have been on island since 2005 and have our own local concierge and representative on island Premium IV St Barts Concierge Services for airport assistance, car rental, boat charter, private chefs, and anything else you can think of.
We provide Wedding Planning Services on St Barts as well as all kinds of event management.
The Beach villa has 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms.
Housekeeper every day except Sunday and public holidays, pool maintenance, gardener, household linen, bath towels, beach towels
Daily maid service daily with the exception of public holidays and Sundays, bedlinen, towels for bath and beach, villa, pool and garden maintenance.
King Bed AC Ceiling Fan Programmable Safe Ensuite Bathroom
Queen Bed AC Ceiling Fan Programmable Safe Ensuite Bathroom
Queen Bed AC Ceiling Fan Programmable Safe Ensuite Bathroom
Twin Bed AC
AC Ceiling Fan WiFi HDTV Apple TV Sound System
Oven Microwave Toaster Espresso Machine Coffee Maker Juicer Blender Refrigerator Wine Storage Dishwasher
Swedish Hot Tub Gas BBQ Sun Deck Outdoor Sound System WiFi
Think this villa will suit someone you know down to the ground? Email this page to them so they won't miss out!
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