I just finished reading a most amazing book: Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson (using Caribousmon’s Random Reading Challenge to attack my bookshelf). Get ready for a long review of it…

Days to read it: So, I started off slow, reading on and off and being easily distracted. As I made my way through the story, my fingers began flipping faster through the pages of their own accord. My eyes burned holes through chapters. Next to me, the clock blinked silently, keeping track of hours I wasn’t aware of. I ended up going to bed at 5 o’clock this morning, after some long, and most absorbing, questing. In other words – about 2-3 days.

Genre: Epic, Fantasy

Synopsis

Mistborn took a little getting used to, that’s why it was such slow reading at the beginning. But the world – once you get to know it – is mysterious and fantastical. How do I begin to describe it? Well, imagine a world that is dark and smoggy, full of falling flakes of ash… always falling and building up and having to be cleared away. There is no green in the city, there is no flicker of life, especially in the eyes of the skaa who are the peasants of the city. The Lord Ruler, one who rarely appears outside of his palace, controls even the amount of hope his peasants can feel. When he does appear in public – it is obvious he could easily and dismissively destroy it and its people. At night, everyone barricades themselves inside their homes, fearing the mists for reasons they’ve forgotten. At night, all is muffled and silent. But, night time is when the most interesting things happen for Kelsier, a first and only survivor of the terrifying mining pits where the condemned are sent to work to their deaths. At night, Kelsier can move freely and undetected through the mists, up and down sheer walls, spinning from spire to spire. Why does he dare brave the Lord Ruler’s wrath? He is a mistborn. And one seeking vengeance.

Mistborn use up the energy of certain metals and alloys to gain access to latent powers. By swallowing small flakes of pewter, for example, mistborn can enhance their physical endurance and strength, something which comes in handy when you want to survive a fatal blow from an opponent…or wrench yourself free from the dungeons. Such people are rare, and are usually found in the ranks of the nobility. Kelsier himself is an exception. He was born among the skaa people, the dirt and sweat of the city. It is the skaa people who toil in the fields and fulfill all the menial labour – all great nations need something to enslave, after all, don’t they? But, something is abnormal about the skaa people. Why don’t they rebel? The sheer size of their population should easily be able to overwhelm any corrupt ruler. There is something more sinister at work in the streets of the Lord Ruler’s city, something a mistborn can detect. The Lord Ruler, O immortal one, keeps his secrets well hidden. Who are the Inquisitors, those skeletal beings with spikes driven through their eyes and horrifying skills at rendering bodies apart? They were once familiar men but now have become creatures with uncanny abilities, seemingly much stronger than even a mistborn. Kelsier is determined to help the skaa rebel against the Lord Ruler and this oppressive force that lies over his city. But he can’t do it alone.

Enter the crewmembers: Breeze, Ham, Clubs, Marsh, Spook, Dockson and Vin. Together they’ll form the grunt work for the secret rebellion, pitting their intelligence and skills towards a task that for thousands of years people have attempted and failed – kill the Lord Ruler and reclaim their city.

"Mistborn" by sweed84

Vin herself is a mistborn, but she never knew it until the day Kelsier found her and saved her from a potentially torturous death at the hands of an inquisitor. She is a slight wisp of a girl who prides herself in mistrusting others and keeping to the shadows. It will take a lot of trusting and getting used to newfound powers before this young beaten down skaa can transform into someone whose cleverness and instincts can very well determine the fate of the entire skaa rebellion.

So there’s my synopsis of the story, with a few tantalizing bits thrown in.

Impressions:

It’s ridiculously easy to lose yourself in the story. That’s just how Brandon Sanderson writes. Intensely, philosophically, emotionally – it’s all there.

Whenever you read about someone who’s agile and quick-thinking, descriptions get interesting. By burning steel and iron in their bellies, these mistborn can practically fly through the air. By burning copper or tin, they can detect or protect themselves from detection by other Allomancers (or people like them who can access powers using metals). Brandon Sanderson describes the antics of a mistborn with satisfying detail, like no other fight scene I’ve read yet. Just, for example, imagine someone having to describe a scene where Jackie Chan has to fight a whole mob of yakuza using trickery and acrobatics. To me, that’s daunting. But I relish reading about how Vin uses her brains and what available metals she has, exploiting their strengths and weaknesses with such intuition and ingeniousness that she always comes up with something to surprise her opponents.

"Mistborn" by Inkthinker

The way the story is set up, there are secrets within secrets to be discovered. It kind of becomes a theme in the story. As you read, you uncover layers of them as Vin and Kelsier put two and two together, and gain a new realization about the world they live in and some potential tidbits about how to defeat the Lord Ruler. But – you’ll still be surprised! At least, I was. The idea that there are still secrets to be discovered about the Lord Ruler keeps Kelsier hopeful that he will find a way to defeat him.

The Lord Ruler himself is a cryptic character. You hardly ever meet him. Most of the information you get about him comes from all those rumours and legends that people spread about the thing they fear. He also has some interesting history, so he’s more than just the evil villain stock character.

There are some noble themes threaded into the story too, notably of the immortality of hope. Kelsier, a ‘prince of thieves’ in his city, gets everything he knows and loves torn away from him and he is sent to the cruel pits to mine for a precious metal. Out of this hell, he discovered his powers, and he vowed to no longer be beaten down by the whips of the obligators and inquisitors, or the formless oppressiveness of the Lord Ruler himself. Even when his plans begin to fall apart, he keeps it together, because the common people look towards him as their leader, and he fiercely believes he and his crew can make that extra difference that will change the way things have been for thousands of years. Kelsier is determined to prove that hope is one thing that the Lord Ruler cannot completely wipe out. On the topic of the politics of leadership, Brandon Sanderson has lots of say.

Another interesting theme: the fine line between heroism and tyranny. Throughout the book, there are excerpts from an interesting logbook detailing the thoughts of a hero from the past….a hero who was prophesied to end some abstract force of darkness and evil, back during the time when the Lord Ruler appeared and came into power. In his logbook he often questions his motives, questions his leadership, questions whether or not he deserves the looks of hope that the common people give him. It all forms an interesting philosophical backdrop to the story. It also nicely parallels Kelsier’s own doubts and the doubts of his crewmembers.

Geez, what an awesome book. I cried, I gripped the pages, I bit my lip, I tripped around the house with my eyes attached to the pages. In other words, this is one of those books that have an ‘epic’ feel to them that I allowed myself to enjoy. Normally, I hate epics, because they’re too grandiose, and I can just hear the trumpets and horns announcing each epic moment. But this one was different, kind of like how The Lies of Locke Lamora was epic but not epic. Okay, ahem, need to clarify – I guess I mean that (though the plot is epic in scope) because I felt very attached to one or two characters in particular, understanding their worries and hopes, the story felt more private and less matyr-istic. Yes, I am one of those people who’ve tried and failed to finish reading the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I associate the epic-but-private feeling with the likes of Abhorsen, Shade’s Children, Book of a Thousand Days among others. I can only achieve that epic-but-private-world feeling if I’ve been more than sufficiently attached to the characters, if I really and truly care about how they turn out. And, maybe it’s because I didn’t read that far into LOTR, but I didn’t care about them. The movie did it for me, though.

Anyway, aside from a few annoying typos (and obvious grammatical errors…:P), I very very much enjoyed thinking about some of the concepts and ideas integrated into this book, and moreover, just enjoying some good story telling.

Excerpt:

“Overthrow the …[Lord Ruler?]” Mennis looked up, frowning. “You really expected to do something like that??”

“Of course,” Kelsier said. “Why else would I gather an army like this”?

“To resist,” Mennis said. “To fight. That’s why those lads came to the caves. It wasn’t a matter of winning or losing, it was a matter of doing something – anything – to struggle against the Lord Ruler.”

Kelsier turned, frowning. “You expected the army to lose from the beginning?”

“What other end was there?” Mennis asked. He stood, shaking his head. “Some may have begun to dream otherwise lad, but the Lord Ruler can’t be defeated. Once, I gave you some advice – I told you to be careful which battles you chose to fight. Well, I’ve realized that this battle was worth fighting.

“Now, let me give you another piece of advice, Kelsier, Surivivor of [the pits of] Hathsin. Know when to quit. You’ve done well, better than any would have expected. Those skaa of yours killed an entire garrison’s worth of soldiers before they were caught and destroyed. This is the greatest victory the skaa have known for decades, perhaps centuries. Now it’s time to walk away.”

With that, the old man nodded his head in respect, then began to shuffle back toward the center of the camp.

Kelsier stood, dumbfounded. The greatest victory the skaa have known in decades…

That was what he fought against. Not just the Lord Ruler, not just the nobility. He fought against a thousand years of conditioning, a thousand years of life in a society that would label the deaths of five thousand men as a “great victory.” Life was so hopeless for the skaa that they’d been reduced to finding comfort in expected defeats.

“That wasn’t a victory, Mennis,” Kelsier whispered. “I’ll show you a victory.”

He forced himself to smile – not out of pleasure, and not out of satisfaction. He smiled despite the grief he felt at the deaths of his men; he smiled because that was what he did. That was how he proved to the Lord Ruler – and to himself – that he wasn’t beaten.

No, he wasn’t going to walk away. He wasn’t finished yet. Not by far.

Quote from Brandon Sanderson:

Mistborn is an epic fantasy series that came from two ideas, one of which was, what if the dark lord won? I’ve read a lot of fantasy. I love epic fantasy, but a lot of it deals with the concept of the hero’s journey against this great dark evil. I wanted to say, what if the hero didn’t lose? What if Frodo kept the ring? What if Harry got to the end and Voldemort killed him? Then I asked, why haven’t I seen a good fantasy book that does the heist genre with characters that have different magical powers that combine together to accomplish a great goal as magical specialists?

So those two ideas came together to become Mistborn, a world where a thousand years ago, evil won. A gang gets together and says, the prophecy wasn’t true and the hero didn’t save us. It’s really the background for the story of a young woman who is recruited into a team because they need somebody who can be their mole among the nobility. Their faces are too well known so this girl named Vin is brought into the team, trained to use the magic in the world and the backdrop is that it’s this team trying to overthrow the empire. It’s her story.

Brandon Sanderson seems very enthusiastic.  How adorable…

Other Reviews:

Bookdaze – “This is a heist-style story set in a fantasy world with lots of political intrigue. I loved the creative magical system in this book – magic is based on metals, and Mr Sanderson has an almost scientific approach to it (in a good way!). Well-developed characters and great action scenes as well. I didn’t like the random POVs he started introducing towards the end of the book, but according to his annotations (excellent btw – I read them after I finished the book, and thought it was a fantastic behind-the-scenes type bonus), he used them purposefully to introduce a sense of climax and chaos”

Kristen from Fantasy Cafe – “Mistborn: The Final Empire was a strong and fun sophomore effort. It was nothing extraordinary, but it is certainly worth the time of epic fantasy fans.”

Fyrefly from Fyrefly’s Book Blog – “Other people have referred to the “Sanderson avalanche” – where the book starts out slow, but halfway through it’s like rolling down a mountain, and you can’t stop reading. That wasn’t my experience with this book at all – it pulled me in right from the get-go and didn’t let me go until it spit me out at the end. Original story, likable and realistic characters, well-written dialogue, description, and action scenes, a detailed magical system, and an unpredictable end with a few good surprises thrown in along the way – I can’t ask much more out of fantasy than that. 5 out of 5 stars.”

Graeme from Graeme’s Fantasy – “‘Mistborn’ was an infuriating read where I always knew that something amazing was just round the corner but I had to slog through mindless detail to get to it. Luckily the intrigue, cool concepts and strong characterisation made up for it enough for me to want to give the next book a go. I just hope the next one is a bit more streamlined…”

Kay from the Infinite Shelf – “I finally did it; after looking at it with a suspicious eye, I finally bit the hook and read Mistborn. And I loved it!”

Thea from The Book Smugglers – “Holy burning metals, Batman! Mistborn is flipping fantastic. Though it had a bit of a slow start, I soon became fully immersed in this new, dark world of ash and mist, where Allomancers “burn” certain metals to work magic, and a cruel tyrant rules with an iron fist (pardon the pun). At 700 pages long, I was scared that I might not be able to finish Mistborn in time to review it this week, but I needn’t have worried. I devoured this book. From the superb worldbuilding to the wonderful leading characters to the action-packed plot and overwhelmingly oppressive atmosphere, I loved Mistborn. A brilliant start to what looks to be an incredible trilogy.”

Onefinemess – “So, I was quite surprised when this book turned out to kick some major fantasy ass. It’s sort ofTolkien-esque in the sense of “odds stacked massively against the heroes”, and it starts in an even darker place than Tolkien did, but that’s a good thing. I genuinely felt like the “heroes” might not pull it off…right up until the end I was still thinking that, in the vein of the rest of the book, and the excellent atmosphere Mr. Sanderson built up, I was still expecting the worst. Sure, bad things happen, but they could have been worse. Of course, the sense of impending dread is still there. He built up a really interesting universe that is not quite like one I’ve seen yet.”

Yet there are statues – “What the trilogy does really well, however, has to do with the plot and backstory. Because I’ve already said that I found Mistborn decent but not amazing in the areas we traditionally grade fiction (characters, world-building), this is going to sound like faint praise. But the fact is, there are tons of sprawling fantasy series being written these days and hardly any of them come together in a reasonably satisfying way. Either the author loses control of the story, or the ending makes no sense, or the whole thing is brutally predictable. Sanderson, displaying perhaps the same rigor he used in developing his magic system, has done a superlative job laying out a backstory and plot that never are hard to understand but also steadily dole out surprising revelations.”

Rating: 5/5 Vials of atium

Being 55 or older has its benefits at Morongo Casino Resort and Spa. As a member of the Class of ‘55 you’re entitled to special hotel room, dining, spa and gift shop offers every Wednesday including:

Five entrees available at SERRANO for $5.55, Special Wednesday night room rate for $55, Special $55 rate at the Spa for a 50 minute treatment, 5% discount on selected items at the Gift Shop. In addition, you have a chance to win $5 to $555 in Thunder Rewards FREE slot play, Table Games Players receive a $5 match-play and poker players receive a “Play $20 & Get $10″ voucher.

All special discounts are available every Wednesday from 12:01 a.m. to 11:50 p.m. only. Only the Class of ‘55 cardholders who show their card will be eligible for special promotions and discounts. Get all the details and join free at the Morongo Winner’s Club website www.morongocasinoresort.com/winclub55.cfm.

Roses are Red
by James Patterson

Copyright: 2000
Pages: 400
Rating: 5/5
Read: Dec. 19-22, 2009
Challenge:  2009 100+ Reading Challenge; Random Reading Challenge; RYOB 2009
Yearly Count: 67

First Line: Brianne Parker didn’t look like a bank robber or a murderer – her pleasantly plump baby face fooled everyone.

Alex Cross is called in on a case relating to a string of pretty violent bank robberies. A man known as “The Mastermind” is behind the robberies. And he has gotten away with a lot of money. Unfortunately, people have died unnecessarily in the process. So who is the Mastermind? And why are Alex and the FBI agents assigned to this case so mystified as to his intentions? But as Alex deals with a lot of personal issues, and they take down two people who they believe to be the Mastermind, he has no real idea as to who the Mastermind really is.

Oh my goodness. This book has to be THE BEST in the Alex Cross series thus far!! I almost always enjoy James Patterson’s books, but this one was exceptionally good! And who the Mastermind really is – well it’s a total shocker! It’s not someone that you would expect in the slightest. I was completely surprised right up until the very last sentence. That to me makes a wonderful book. I read so many mystery books that sometimes the more formulaic books are easier for me to figure out. But this one kept me on the edge of my seat. And I finished this one up during some down time at work today, and I’m absolutely positive that my mouth was hanging wide open and my eyes were bulging out of my head when I finally reached the end. This book is really that good!

  Are you looking for a 55 and over community on Long Island’s South Shore?  Springhorn at Blue Point is a Suffolk County condo community that may be right for you.

Located in Blue Point Long Island by Montauk Highway and surrounded by Oyster Cove Lane,  you will find Springhorn, a 55+ active retirement condo community.  This is both a ranch style and townhouse design community.  There are 1 and 2 bedroom condos at this pet friendly community called Springhorn with attached garages with attic storage, cozy front porches, backyard patios, and some units have a loft. There is a clubhouse  and outdoor pool here.  The common charges includes lawn care and snow removal up to the front door.  The closest supermarket is approximately 2 miles away and there is nearby shopping and beaches.  Public records between January 2009 through November 2009 shows that condos at Springhorn in Blue Point sold from $270,000 to $364,000 for 1 bedroom 2 bath units.

LARRY AND SHEILA Realtors with Charles Rutenberg Realty can sell you a condo at Springhorn in Blue Point Long Island when available, or any other community on the South Shore or North Shore.  We are familiar with all the active 55 and over senior communities here on Long Island.  Are you relocating to Long Island?  We are Relocation Specialists!   Would you like to list your present residence with LARRY & SHEILA and have it featured on our popular websites?  Just call us at 631-805-4400, and ask your friends and neighbors about us!

http://www.suffolkexperts.com

Email: sheila@suffolkexperts.com

We are not affiliated with this community, but are independent Licensed Realtors.

We do not have information on management or contact phone numbers.

All content text and photos is the exclusive property of Suffolk Experts, and may not be used without the expressed written permission of Larry & Sheila. All information is believed to be accurate but is not guaranteed.

People from different countries don’t speak the same language. Every country has a second language, a common language.   Historically the language is usually French, but times the rise of the internet has caused a modern phenomenon.  There has been a shift, a seismic shift.  Ignore the people who’ll tell you Chinese languages are the most common, that’s only in China and the smaller Asiatic countries nearby.  Nowadays the most spoken language worldwide is English.  However, the British cannot pat themselves on the back about the world finally coming to its senses, haha, oh no.

Because it is not English, but American English.  Where the American foreign policy has failed, they have won the legacy of language.  It is now common, no matter how saddening it is, for the young of Britain to utter such limited epithets of the American tongue as “awesome!” and “that sucks”.  I have even heard people in their 30s “give props”.  Oh dear.  It’s here to stay I fear, and no amount of correction from pedants like me will stop the inaccuracies and unpoetic nature of the American language in the avalanche.

But where this trend really annoys is internet ratings.   The British have always marked out of 10.  The Americans, it seems, always mark out of 5.  Now if you really want a limited structure of expressing your approval then the 5-star system is right for you.  The British 7/10 or 3/10 is far more flexible.  You can say “I really really like this” by giving 9/10, thus giving you wiggle room should anything better come along at a later date.  This, you don’t get with 5/10.  Unless you cheat.

People cheat a lot on the 5-star system and this is why it’s not workable for me.  They’ll vote 4½ stars without any sense of irony. I heard someone reviewing a television story today as 2½ out of 5.  It’s meaningless.  5/10 would be a far simpler mark, which even to those who aren’t good with maths (that’s right, Maths, not “math”) can see is clearly more simple.

So Blockbuster, Youtube and a myriad of other sites, you’re not for me.  It is a sort of cultural pollution and I will obstinately continue to rank out of 10.  And another thing: why not allow people to vote 0/10?  The minimum 1 star is just silly.

EDIT:  The podcast was Cadmium 2, otherwise a very good podcast.  Also this week I heard another podcast (sorry, this one I have forgotten) give 8½ out of TEN!  Madness.

Click on pictures to Z O O M in.

While I was in college in Beaumont Texas in 1962-1968, many of my classmates had cars like this one. Some were four doors, some two doors and even one was a convertible. This car was a big hit for General Motors.

When Chevrolet introduced the 1955 Chevy in late 1954 it changed their history. What made the new Chevy so popular, then and now? It’s new 265 cubic inch V-8 was probably the most important feature in the motoring public’s eye. The 1955 Chevrolet also represented a completely new vehicle in styling and engineering. With its new styling and the option of a potent new “Turbo-Fire” V-8 it was the most changed Chevy and the most exciting car to ever wear the bowtie badge since WWII.

More Information, click here

© Fred Winograd copyright 2009

No Place Like Home
by Mary Higgins Clark

Copyright: 2005
Pages: 472
Rating: 5/5
Read: Dec. 14-19, 2009
Challenge:  2009 100+ Reading Challenge; 2009 Celebrate the Author Challenge;  RYOB 2009; 2009 What’s in a Name 2; 2010 Countdown Challenge
Yearly Count: 66

First Line: Ten-year-old Liza was dreaming her favorite dream, the one about the day when she was six years old, and she and Daddy were at the beach, in New Jersey, at Spring Lake.

When Liza Barton was ten years old she accidentally shot her mother while trying to protect her from her stepfather. Although the shooting was ruled an accident, and Liza was let off the hook, the papers and the people in the area all compared Liza to Lizzie Borden. But Liza’s adoptive parents change her name to Celia and tries to forget the past. Widowed with a young son, Celia remarries and is perfectly happy. That is right up until her wonderful new husband surprises her with a house for her birthday. The same house that just happens to be the one that she killed her mother in so many years before. Since her new husband does not know the story of her childhood, he is baffled by his new wife’s response to this wonderful birthday gift. But then strange things start happening – the house is vandalized and people start getting murdered. Unforunately for Celia, someone in her old hometown has recognized her as Liza because she starts getting tormented and set up for murder. Although a suspect for murder once again, Celia has to be strong for herself and her son, for they are actually the ones being stalked by the real murderer.

I simply love Mary Higgins Clark. She just writes wonderful books! How on earth she is able to come up with new ideas is beyond me. But I guess that’s why she’s the author and I’m the reader Either way, this book was exceptionally good. The twists and turns were really interesting. I had no idea what was really going on and who the real killer (or killers) were until the very ending when they were revealed. I felt sorry for Celia because she seemed to have really bad luck to have her husband buy the same house she accidentally shot her mother in. Clark really formulated some really mean characters in this book also. She had some really good villains in my opinion. I really can’t think of anything bad about this book, it was wonderfully written with a great storyline. I highly recommend this book!

Nadeshiko Club
by Sakamoto Miko

The manga opens with a freshman, Reo, being dumped by her boyfriend because she isn’t lady-like. After hearing this, Reo went directly to the notorious home economics room to ask for help and get her boyfriend back.

Unfortunately for her, the home economics club is known for it’s ability to scare away it’s new members, resulting to only have 4, ironically, boy members. The club’s main purpose is to create the ideal Japanese woman with proper manners and knowledge in household tasks. Albeit handsome, these members are all weird and everyone who joins their club seem to become weird themselves! Till then, nobody approached the club anymore.

Reo happens to be the first in awhile to enter the club. Although hesitant at first, she found that the club members are willing to help her get back her boyfriend. After almost a week with these members and finally learning everything that it takes to be more ‘ladylike’, as her boyfriend would want to put it, she overhears her boyfriend saying that he doesn’t intend to get back to her anyway. This breaks her and she comes back to the club. After being comforted by fellow first year and slave of the club, Yo, she decides to just face the world and join the club.

Because she is newest member, the other older ones take advantage of her and Yo and make them their slaves, asking them both to do things for them. Although, mostly, it’s just Yo that they boss around. Getting into weird situations with Yo and finally getting closer, would she fall for him or will she completely give up love after being hurt by her ex?

The manga closest to Nadeshiko Club is, obviously, Ouran High School Host Club. Both mangas are filled with bishounens, a club with only one female member and finding love in the club. It seems to center around the life within the club with only a few members!

Although I can’t say that Nadeshiko Club is better than Ouran (because Ouran is a lot better, especially with the fanservice), I can confidently say that the manga is close to Ouran. It’s funny from the start and the characters aren’t annoying.

I read somewhere that the mangaka originally planned for Yo to be a dark and handsome guy with a hidden past. I was appalled at the idea. I mean, that’s just so cliche. I’m happy the mangaka didn’t push through with the plans. The happy and being ordered around Yo is so much cuter.

And Reo, Reo is really cute. I like her personality. That’s saying something especially since main characters don’t usually attract me so much. But Reo is different. She isn’t tsun-tsun and she is just cute. I like her easily manipulated attitude. I hope the mangaka doesn’t take it a bit too far, though. Those kind of attitudes usually have high-chances of being hated if not properly written.

All in all, I really enjoyed the manga. I thought it wouldn’t be saying much and I was prepared to be disappointed since it looked like one of those gothic, cheesy mangas. But now, I am waiting for more interesting chapters and great character development.

Rated 5/5

Soon people will have to wait until they are 55 to retire early. Are we ready for the change?

The government gave several years’ notice of its plans to increase the minimum retirement age but like most deadlines this one has come around before everyone is ready. With just four months to go before retirees will need to be aged 55 rather than 50 to collect their pension benefits, there is a sudden realisation that perhaps more needs to be done to ensure individuals and businesses are prepared for change.

If people wait until April to access their pension benefits, there are opportunities that could be closed off.

The practicality of rearranging pension arrangements takes time and we are saying do it now; don’t wait until next March and expect everything to be in place. Things need to be tidied up.

Consequences of missing the deadline

Scheme members currently able to request early retirement from age 50 but who fail to do so before 6 April 2010 will have to wait until they are 55 to take their pension benefits, unless they suffer from illhealth or have a specially protected right to retire at an earlier age.

Unless this reality is communicated to pension savers as soon as possible, a considerable number of individuals will be forced to carry on at work rather than enjoying their retirement. The opportunity that could be missed is the chance to access some or all pension benefits before age 55. This could be a disaster for any clients who were expecting to be able to use their pension benefits to provide income or pay off debts.

Credencis point out ‘While individuals need to take responsibility for protecting their own well being in
the run up to retirement, they will invariably prefer to rely on a thirdparty to take control. Rearranging pension arrangements takes time and we are saying do it now; don’t wait until next March and expect
everything to be in place. Things need to be tidied up’

For bespoke pension advice contact Credencis.

We are situated close to Derby, Leicester, and Nottingham.

Credencis

“Live for today, Invest for tomorrow”

After spending the time the other day to list out 110 (my intentions were 100) things I love, I just could not stop. And it didn’t end there. Once I was out and about in the real world, more things would come to mind like when I was taking a bath, driving in the car, or sitting at my desk. These faves would just pop into my head instantly, soon leaving me feeling overwhelmed! I just had to write them down or keep record of them. So once again, here is another list with 55 more of my favorite things… Maybe you will also see the little “pluses” in life!

1. my dogs’ funny, little personalities
2. going to art museums
3. pretty headbands
   

   Be Something New - Etsy

4. the smell of coffee
5. the smell of a brand new book
6. the shape & design of a Fiji water bottle
7. giving gifts
8. galoshes
   

   Target

9. busy downtown, metropolitan areas
10. white Christmas lights, anytime of year
11. Pajama pants
12. The Gap
13. little buttons (pins)
    

    Barrel of Monkeys - Etsy

14. nature/being outdoors
15. Southern home-cooking
16. Frito pie
17. Airstreams
18. vintage aprons & towels
19. Pine Cone Hill bedding
20. Sunday driving
21. riding my bicycle and feeling like a kid again
22. flowers
23. having a night light when I feel scared
24. old clocks/clock faces
25. cake plates (with or without domes)
26. bakeries & pastry shops
27. the sound of someone mowing the lawn
28. being quirky
29. volunteering/helping others when I can
30. sauces
31. comedies
32. the excitement of keeping something a surprise
33. cooking out at home
34. lavender bath salts
35. Sephora
36. Mrs. Meyer’s cleaning products
    

    I just picked up the Iowa Pine Holiday Liquid Dish Soap!

37. Hearing the sounds of different farm animals, all around our house
38. finding a pair of jeans that fit you perfectly
39. the idea of visiting Europe one day
40. forehead kisses
41. when my dogs are sweetly sleeping
    

    Maggie

42. finishing a project at home
43. having gorgeous weather, eating out on a patio 
44. quoting funny movie lines with my brother and acting them out
45. the view from our back porch
46. silly little kids
47. fondue
    

    Yummy!

48. having a manicure or pedicure done
49. historical, quaint neighborhoods
50. my weird, one-and-only vocabulary
51. pretty smiles
52. good hearted, genuine people
53. blog comments (hint, hint)
54. pink
55. having time for some R&R

Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad is Penelope’s version of The Odyssey.  Her act of witnessing becomes a testimony for the often overlooked death of the twelve maids, executed by Telemachus and Odysseus upon Odysseus’s arrival home.  Penelope, narrating from beyond the grave, weaves the story (pun intended) with the voices of the maids themselves, often in the form of a chorus in alternating chapters.  Penelope’s struggles against her parents, her in-laws, Eurycleia, and the suitors is the stuff, of course, of epic.

Nevertheless, this story didn’t really work for me.  An older, wiser, deader Penelope reflecting on the events alienated me from the story.  When she told what happened to her, I was interested; but when she mentioned running into Helen in the afterlife, I was not.  Also, the voices of the maids, stylized in songs, dialogues, dramas, and an academic lecture, were still overlooked, even in the book that professed to vindicate them.  I was not persuaded that Penelope understood the meaning of their deaths any more than Odysseus did.  The feminism was simply too heavy-handed.

The coolest part was Penelope’s description of her mother, who was a Naiad, but unfortunately that was matter of five or so pages.

It was an interesting commentary on myth, and the way that storytelling can distort the truth; but I thought that The Penelopiad contributed to rather than excoriated the problem.  If it was a satire, it was too subtly cast for me.  Instead, I wanted Penelope’s story narrated by the contemporary Penelope, or the maids’ story narrated by one of the maids.

5.5 / 10.0.

Kimi Ni Todoke: From Me To You (Reaching You) on-going manga
by Shiina Karuho

I guess what really attracted me to this manga was the way Sawako was drawn. She is cute without trying too much to be (meaning none of the cutesy clothes and girly hairstyles) and her chibi form is really adorable. But then again, I always adore chibi drawings. Personally, I think every good manga should always have a bit of chibi cuteness in them. Just for the ’squeal’ factor, you know.

After reading a couple of average (and even awful) mangas, I said to myself that, “if this manga isn’t good in the first chapter, I’m gonna drop it right away“. Basically, I felt rather critical. Otherwise, I’d be wasting my whole computer time reading mangas that aren’t even good and making myself believe that after a few chapters it will get better. How shocking it was to realize that Kimi Ni Todoke surpassed my already high standards!

Sawako Kuronuma is a very shy girl who stands out only because she resembles Sadako, a horror character, and because of the rumors that she can curse people. But despite this, she tries hard to search for friendship by doing ‘one good deed every day’. This doesn’t help her too much, though, due to the scary expression that she makes whenever she does a good thing to her classmates or to strangers.

Shota Kazehaya, the popular guy, is the only person who doesn’t avoid her. He eventually comes closer to Sawako and befriends her, making Chizu, Yano and Ryuu to start talking to Sawako.

Possibly the best thing about Kimi Ni Todoke is its ability to make me giggle madly. I’m not the type of person who gets all ‘Kyaa!’ by just simple moments. It usually takes a lot more than a simple confession to make me squeal and the fact that the manga did make me squeal and feel the need to tell everyone in my facebook about it is a good enough sign.

I like that both of them already realized their feelings for each other. Especially with Kazehaya giving hints to Sawako about his feelings (“Because you reeeaallly don’t get it.” KYAA!). It just makes it cuter and rreaallyy sweet! Despite the fact that they haven’t confessed to each other yet. I think it’s good that they haven’t made their feelings known to each other. One because it will most likely lead to girls trying to bring Sawako down and two, because I feel as if if they do start going out, it will change their relationship and they’ll feel shyness towards each other.

If the SawakoxKazehaya love story doesn’t make you squeal like a pig about to be slaughtered, then maybe the secondary characters’ affairs will bring it out of you. I did love the ChizuxRyuu relationship a little better than the main couple. The latest chapter was just…oh, it’s hard to put it into words. It really made me eyes water and I had to cover my mouth to stop the incoming scream from…well, coming.

Some people who have already read Koko Ni Iru Yo! might see the resemblance of the plot. The shy main character and the popular guys getting the girl. and although I love Koko Ni Iru Yo!, I find Kimi Ni Todoke more entertaining than the former. The small similarity between the two mangas didn’t really bother me like the issue normally does. Which is why I enjoyed this manga to the very core of my heart.

Kimi Ni Todoke is a manga that is highly entertaining and highly recommended to anyone who adores real Shoujo romance, for one. Now, reach for your nearest computer and read online or buy it in the bookstores near you.

Rated 5/5

If you are retired, but not tired of life, its time to get yourself involved with Active Adult Communities to change both your home and lifestyle. And luckily, when you want to select such a community, there are hundreds of them in the US today from which you can make a choice.

Today it is an established fact that the there are particular senior living needs, and so, there is good competition in this area. If you wanted a good life, particularly after retirement, previously your only option was moving to sunny Florida – not anymore. Today you have the option of staying closer to your family or friends, because these communities can be found almost anywhere in the US.

However it is not necessary that you must enjoy golf to have a great time here because the greenery and the undulating meadows are also sure to thrill you. There are many other lifestyles and activities to select from as well – for example, you will be glad to know that there are many adult community options that are located on the waterfront. Of course, if you are staying at one of these places, you could get engaged with fishing, boating or swimming.

Once grown up, kids almost never stay at home with their parents. Now is the time when you can leave your big property behind and come and stay in a community for an active adult like yourself. Here, you will probably be happier and you can also meet up with others who are just like you.

So will you be willing to go through the various Active Adult Communities that have come up all over the United States? However, before you can make up your mind about the adult community, you need to consider the following issues

1. You will find an active adult community at all types of places, and so you have to decide about the place that would be ideal for you. So go ahead and decide about a place. For example, would you like to stay close to a sea or a hill resort, a suburban location? Maybe you want to stay close to shopping malls, a place where it is warmer, or perhaps you prefer to remain closer to your friends and family.
2. Type of active adult community – If you are a keen golfer then you might want to stay at a golf community.

5. Of course you will also need to decide on the budget.

After making a decision about all the above mentioned issues, you have to now conduct a search to find your active adult community. You can search across the country if you are OK with moving to another state. So go ahead and find all the Active Adult Communities that are out there and make your pick.

Breaking News- The lowly Washington Redskins have just almost  defeated the NFL’s leading quarterback Drew Brees, and his 11-0 perfect team, the New Orleans Saints,in a hard-fought battle in D.C.

They definitely gave the Saints all they could handle today. I see the potential in the Redskins to be a great team in the future, and they will give every team they play this year a headache.

The Redskins have had a terrible season,and their coach Jim Zorn is rumored to be on his way out.

The Redskins QB Jason Campbell had a career day, in an effort to bolster the spirits of his team, and their fans.

Overtime is inevitable, barring the amazing from Drew Brees and the Saints.

With the score tied 30-30, the Saints drove down the field in an attempt to gain yardage so they can end the game with a tie-breaking field goal.

They attempted a 58 yard field goal with 3 seconds left in regulation and no time outs left, which they missed.

On to overtime!

Washington wins the coin toss, and you know what that means in professional football…he who wins the coin toss, usually wins the game. The announcers on the broadcast chime in to note that that is what usually happens in pro football, but for some reason this year, the opposite has been happening.

The Redskins decide to receive the football, which New Orleans kicks to them. The Skins start on the 29 yard line.

Campbell makes a torpedo like strike to Santana Moss, who catches it for a first down on the 39 yard line,the drive is on…until a Redskins receiver fumbles the ball, which is recovered by New Orleans.

The announcers words about the overtime periods this season seem almost prophetic. If you are not excited about this game, then you just do not like football.

New Orleans drives down the field to the 2 yard line, and they attempt an 18 yard field goal,which is an easy one for any professional kicker to make.

The Saints come back after being ten points down to win the game by three points,33-30, preserving their perfect record of 12-0 for this season.

The NFL has only one more team with a perfect record this season, and that is the Peyton Manning led Indianapolis Colts.

Truly an amazing game, and exceptional season for the New Orleans Saints.

 Follow more on this story here…

http://www.neworleanssaints.com/Game%20Day/Seasons/2009%20Schedule/Game%2012%20-%20at%20Washington.aspx

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/redskinsinsider/a-halftime-tie-for-redskins-sa.html

The Carthage
2 bedroom/2 bath + den
Living area: 1,832 square feet
Porch: 78 square feet

This is one of the models that our Florida communities have for the rent-to-own program.

This craftsman’s bungalow style two bedroom home with den features an island kitchen, spacious living areas and a luxurious master suite. The rockingchair-sized front porch is perfect for chats with neighbors.

Call: (888) 269-1450