Tell us a little about yourself as a writer. When and why did you begin writing?

I’ve always been a daydreamer, creating stories in my head on the fly, in moments of boredom, to entertain toddlers, to help me fall asleep. Discovering that I could actually write them down was a revelation, although developing the craft to make them accessible and enjoyable to others was a long and arduous journey.

For years most of my creations sat unread on hard drives and in boxes. But about two years ago, something happened to my writing. It was like a switch flipping. Like finding a path in the woods. I found a way to let the story and characters flow downhill (and uphill!) without getting bogged down in dead-ends and back eddies of exposition. Thus, I’ve finally reached a point where I think it’s worthwhile turning some of my work loose on people.

What’s your story about?

My story is about a man named Frank Bowen, MD, who lets a sudden and unexpected trauma derail his life. Years later he gets it back on track in the most curious way – by traveling to a parallel world. He’s a mission doctor working in Belize when his wife disappears under mysterious circumstances. He never remarries.

He roams the world working in various failed states (Somalia, Congo) for various international aid organizations, making occasional pilgrimages to his wife’s ‘grave.’ In the Chiqibul wilderness of Belize. On one of those visits, he is ambushed and abducted. Turns out, the militias of another world use earth as a conduit between battlefields, exiling or executing any resident of earth who blunders onto their secret.

Frank is lucky enough to be exiled, realizing that what just happened to him might very well be what had happened to his wife, Liz all those years ago. He embarks on a quest to find her traces, his task complicated by an invasion and siege from a powerful nation without access (yet) to the portals known as ‘xenoliths’.

Where did you get your inspiration for this book?

A desire to escape inspired this story. I began writing this at a time when I was very much in a rut,socially, emotionally and occupationally and very much wanted to be far away from the small upstate New York town I was living in. The seed of the story was a very special stone – a wild-looking iridescent chalcopyrite (a sort of fool’s gold) – that I spotted in the window of a local rock and mineral shop. Someone else bought the stone before I could, but its image haunted me and eventually turned into XENOLITH.

Do you have any future plans for more books?

I have one other complete novel (LETHE, an afterlife novel about a dysfunctional Purgatory (God as absentee landlord) which I wrote before XENOLITH and I think has some of my best ideas and visions). What’s keeping it back is a complete change from first to third person and a switch in gender of the major character (necessary to amp up the tension). I have yet another novel outlined and begun, but first XENOLITH is beckoning me back (forcing me!) to complete a sequel before I can move on to these other projects. I’m about 50,000 words into this sequel, tentatively titled ANABASIS.

What advice do you have for people who want to be writers but dare not take the first step?

Take the plunge! Start out with very small goals at first. One sentence. Two. Any word you get down on pixels or paper will probably lead to another, even if you think you’re ‘blocked.’. Move on to flash fiction or shreds and sketches of larger works. The only way to get better is to write and rewrite lots of material. Quantity definitely matters in becoming a better writer. And don’t be afraid to be brutal to your own writing. Don’t be satisfied with the merely adequate.

Arcadia’s book is available at Smashwords which can be downloaded free with coupon code: ND66P. Do drop by to check her book out~!

Want to be featured as an author/mangaka on the AMWC Virtual Book Tour? Check out our simple guidelines and we look forward to hearing from you! =3

Começa, dia 25, a 11ª Festa do Livro da USP. O evento vai até sexta-feira, 27, com desconto de 50%, em relação ao preço de capa praticado pelos editores, em todos os livros a venda. Ao todo são 130 expositores e 15 mil títulos.

A 11ª Festa do Livro da USP é Catraca Livre e ao público. Ela acontece das 9h às 21h, no saguão do prédio da Geografia e História, na Cidade Universitária.

Aproveite também os seguintes livros:

3.000 livros para download no site da USP

Livros e documentos históricos gratuitos na internet

Melhores sites para baixar livros

 Via Catraca Livre

Recently, the battle between Sony e-Reader, Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes & Noble’s Nook, the big triumvirate in the e-Book market ,and many other competitors is fuelled and burned to constumers’ discussion forums. Some argue that  Amazon would have more books, but does more books really mean better? Sure you have a ton of books at Amazon but for every song of Ice and Fire you probably get 100 Recipes for Margret or some other such book you probably would never get. Some also criticize Kindle for its limited internal memory and lacking support any kind of memory card or the like. Sony eReaders also have internal memories and support different kinds of memory cards. The Sony can also get books from other eBook websites and isn’t tied just into the Sony store.
In contrast, some loyal advocates of Kindle put the highest praise to its built in (and free to access) 3-G wireless connection to their stores. In fact, all these three big heads attract its own specific users and their functions and features differ in many aspects. The e-book market is still growing and expected to excavate a very big  potential market in the near future. The e-book hurricane has being blew to textbook market in colleges. As demand hikes on all cylinders, we can expect a good evolution on the functions, usability, availibility and duration of e-books. As more and more corporates pour in, no matter who will win the race of e-books market in the long run, such fierce competition in capitalist market is in every customer’s interest.

authored by Quay1218

18.11.09 Victoria Gallagher

The Book Depository is to give away more than 11,000 book titles for free download so it can give its customers an opportunity to “try ebooks all at no risk and free of charge”. The move will lead the way for the launch of a full-fledged e-book store.

Kieron Smith, managing director, said that The Book Depository would be launching its own e-book store over the next couple of months. He added that development was “already underway”, but the free e-books would allow readers to “experiment”.

“There are no hoops to go through, you don’t have to give your details, you can just have a bit of a play,” said Smith. “E-books are much talked about at the moment but difficult for people to try, this gives people a chance to experiment, read something new and try ebooks all at no risk and free of charge.”

The books, which include Robinson Crusoe through to forgotten titles such as British Goblins, are available to download as PDFs, and are published by The Book Depository’s own imprint Dodo Press. which reissues up to 200 classic titles every week.

The e-books can be accessed from today (18th November) from www.bookdepository.co.uk/free.

Komunikasi Wireless (nirkabel) menggunakan gelombang elektromagnet untuk mengirimkan sinyal jarak jauh. Dari sisi pengguna, sambungan wireless tidak berbeda jauh dengan sambungan jaringan lainnya: Web browser anda, e-mail, dan aplikasi jaringan lainnya akan bekerja seperti biasanya. Akan tetapi gelombang radio memiliki beberapa hal yang berbeda di bandingkan dengan kabel Ethernet. Contoh, sangat mudah melihat jalur yang di ambil oleh kabel Ethernet – lihat lokasi colokan LAN di komputer anda, ikuti kabel Ethernet sampai di ujung lainnya, dan anda akan menemukan jalur tersebut! Anda juga dapat secara mudah memasang banyak kabel Ethernet berdampingkan satu sama lain tanpa saling mengganggu, karena kabel akan sangat efektif untuk menjaga agar sinyal menjalan dalam kabel tersebut saja.

Bagaimana cara kita melihat pancaran gelombang dari card wireless yang kita gunakan? Apa yang terjadi jika gelombang terpantul oleh objek di ruangan atau bangunan di sambungan luar ruang?

Baca selengkapnya pada modul pdf berikut ini :

By James Kendrick | Sunday, November 22, 2009 | 9:44 AM CT

Our platform focus continues this fine Sunday with the e-Book Echo, our take on the week in the digital publishing world. The Barnes & Noble Nook is not due to be shipping for a few days yet, but it seems they have already run out of the initial production run. It is being reported that they have already allocated all units produced, and that holiday shoppers will have a difficult time getting their hands on the Nook. They are due to appear in retail stores on Nov. 30, so we’ll have to see if the stores have any stock on hand based on these reports.

Kindle owners are familiar with the difficulty they face managing large book libraries on the device. It can be a frustrating experience paging through a long list of books on the Kindle, and that is not a good thing for such good customers to deal with. Amazon feels your pain, and are promising an OTA update early next year to make large libraries easier to deal with. It is interesting that in this social networking age, Amazon chose to inform customers via its Kindle Facebook page.

E-book readers with color screens are getting closer to reality, with efforts by Qualcomm leading the way. Its Mirasol technology uses ambient light to power the display, and like e-Ink screens power is only needed when the page is refreshed. Qualcomm expects to see readers using the color screens start appearing in the market next year.

sources from http://jkontherun.com/2009/11/22/e-book-echo-nook-sells-out-kindle-update-coming/

Here are some e-books that might help you in improving your English grammar.

The Handbook of Good English

Being Logical, A Guide to Good Thinking

The Elements of Style

I also recommend you to buy a hardcopy of Strunk & White’s Elements of Style. It is one of the recommended books on effective writing.

Portale społecznościowe zawładnęły internetem. Do świata wirtualnego przenosimy coraz większą część naszego życia – tworzymy profile, na których zamieszczamy zdjęcia z wakacji i wyrażamy rozmaite opinie.
Mając do czynienia z nowoczesną technologią, zapominamy o starym ludowym porzekadle, że jak nas widzą, tak nas piszą.
Zamieszczenie na Facebooku roznegliżowanego zdjęcia z imprezy może rozbawić naszych przyjaciół, ale co pomyśli szef lub współpracownicy? A jak na takie zdjęcia zareaguje head hunter, który właśnie prowadzi z nami rozmowy nt. zmiany pracy?
Warto pamiętać, że portale społecznościowe stały się terenem aktywnego działania rekruterów.
Co zatem zrobić, żeby nasz profil na Naszej-Klasie nie przekreślił szans na nową pracę lub nie spowodował utraty już posiadanej. Trzeba zadbać o swój wizerunek w internecie.
Czego szukają na mikroblogach rekruterzy? Jak stworzyć korzystny profil w portalu społecznościowym? Na te pytania odpowiada e-book napisany przez Izabellę Wojtaszek, znaną już niektórym polskim użytkownikom Twittera z porad dotyczących rozwoju kariery.
“Poszukiwanie pracy przez media społecznościowe” to pierwsza w Polsce publikacja, która w tak kompleksowy sposób omawia to zagadnienie. Gorąco polecam ją wszystkim poszukującym pracy, ale również każdemu, kto poważnie myśli o swojej karierze i do jej rozwoju chce wykorzystać wszystkie możliwe narzędzia.

There are many obstacles that face an emerging technology. No matter how sound the design the fact remains that only a small number of technological developments are ever fully embraced by the mainstream population. We can all remember technologies, sometimes better than what was adopted, that for one reason or another fell out of favor and into obscurity. The Betamax and HD-DVD’s are two examples of technology that although arguably were the next step in technological evolution, they instead succumb to a rival product.

Today there is a new war taking place on the battlefield of technological evolution. And just like in the past new emerging products are fighting to become the next technological trend. Recently however, products have had to prove themselves not against other rival products but instead against the very people responsible for their creation and distribution. The technology in question that serves to illustrate my point is none other than the Kindle E-Book device. The Kindle is a product that allows its owners to remotely download and read electronic versions of books. Created by Amazon.com in 1997 the original device can be described only as hit selling out almost immediately upon its release. Today however, the company has a very different situation on its hands.

In July of 2009, after a dispute regarding copyright legislation Amazon.com remotely deleted users copies of George Orwell’s 1984 from the Kindle E-Book device. Public reaction to the remote deletion has been expectedly negative. As compensation for their mistake Amazon.com immediately offered a refund of the sale price of the book and later offered a $30 gift card. It soon became apparent however, that this would be unsatisfactory compensation for the invasion of privacy that had occurred.

Almost immediately after the remote deletion public outcry was immense, and this disapproval continued for some time after the initial event. The event was so egregious that it prompted several lawsuits against Amazon.com eventually culminating in a public apology stating that such an act would not take place in the future.

While the apology and refund did much to appease the hard feelings between Amazon.com and customers who had purchased copies of 1984. A greater disservice had been committed against the electronic book technology as a whole. Being a technology in the initial stages of coming into its own it has been forced into a huge step backwards due to the careless actions of its parent company. And while the total cost of the mistake can be calculated in terms of the refund, Amazon.com may never know the sum total loss in future sales of E-Book’s and readers that has come from the recently created public mistrust of the technology.

Indeed many customers who might have been considering purchasing an E-Book reader now feel uncomfortable taking the $300 plunge into this emerging technology. And rightly so, these feelings are not unfounded nor are they unreasonable. After all who would like to purchase a product, any product that may be taken from you with little or no warning? These recently developed hard-feeling between the public and electronic books is made all the greater by the fact that the technology that they are fighting to replace physical books, are thought of as a lasting investment to be enjoyed for many tens or even hundreds of years.

As a result of Amazon.com’s initial thoughtless actions what was once a technological hit set to revolutionize printed media, is currently facing an uncertain future. Most importantly however, is the fact that people may never see E-Books as the solution that they once did. Amazon has initiated a “no more deletions” policy but as I have stated the damage has for the most part been irreversibly done. Therefore this event should serve as a warning to future company’s looking to venture into new emerging technological realms, that marketing and customer service are crucial when dealing with a technology on the verge of becoming mainstream.

Überrascht bin ich, wie häufig meine Bemerkungen zu den e-books, insbesondere zum Kindle in der Schule, angeklickt werden. Da rast der Bär, oder wie der Spruch heißt.

Eine Kollegin berichtet, dass sie in ihrer Schulbibliothek in Hongkong damit erste Erfahrungen sammelt. Wir in Deutschland müssen wohl erst noch die Medienentwicklungspläne abarbeiten und die Schulen mit Desktop-Computern füllen. Und warten, bis die ZEIT- oder die Bertelsmann-Stiftung ein Gymnasium mit e-books ausstatten.

Übrigens ist der Nook, das e-book von Barnes and Noble, für dieses Jahr ausverkauft.

Berikut adalah E-book tentang “Matan Hadits Arba’in An Nawawiyah with Audio” :

     ·  Matan Hadits Arba’in An Nawawiyah with Audio|Download

Untuk mendownload file dengan cara mengklik kiri pada kata Download.

Playing Ace King

Ace King, also called Big Slick or Anna Kournikova, is one of the most overrated hands in the history of no limit holdem. It’s exactly as the pityful sidename Anna Kournikova refers too: She looks good but doesn’t win alot. Playing Ace King is very hard. How in hells name do you play this hand? How in gods name can you make sure you always win Ace King?

AK ?! When you get it in a cash game or tournament of whatever it is you are playing, you get a little bit of goosebumps. Serious research has pointed out that most people go broke or die at a tournament because ofoverplaying Ace King, especially Ace King suited.

Before we go further with the analysis of AK, please hold in mind that not only with Ace King, but with all suited cards, against unsuited cards the increased winning percentage that comes with suited cards is only a percent!

Ok, so if most people loose more than they win with Ace King, and loose at especially crucial times, then what is it that they are doing wrong playing AK? First of all we are going to take a look at the potential of AK, after that we will follow up with how Ace King, in conclusion, actually should be played and how it should not be played.

AK is the best drawing hand. AK can beat EVERY HAND, it is only a big underdog against AA and KK.

The rest of the hands is either just as strong or slighty stronger or a lot worse than AK. Hence you would say, AK is one of the best hands. This is, mathmatically said, true. But it is one of the most complicated and tricky hands too. AK is no

favourite against 22. 33 is. But then again, it is not much more of an underdog against QQ, one of the strongest hand in NL Holdem.

Poker Rules …. Poker Position …. Poker Strategy …. Poker Bonuses

How should one play this complicated hand then?

Ace King should be played with caution, but also with aggression. Being aggressive in poker is a good overall strategy anyhow, but especially when you hold AK. In tournaments you can be ultra aggressive with AK. But only as long as YOU push. NEVER call an all in with AK in tournaments as you are no favourite against all pairs and only a slightly favourite against other drawing hands like QJ and 10J. But if you are the one that is raising or … read the full article at PokerBG.Net

Check out also articles … How to play QQs and JJs and How to play pocket pairs

Harry Potter Colección de Libros Completa

Spanish | PDF | 10 Libros | 11.6 MB | J. K. Rowling

http://www.mediafire.com/?m4ygnti2xit

… getting creative and critical at the same time. (part 2 of the e-book)

When I was an undergraduate student one of my lecturers told us: if you want to have a good idea, come up with ten and pick the one that is good. That, he said, was based on the general rule of 90% of everything being rubbish. No matter how many times I was turning this idea in my head, I had to agree with it.

Initially it sounds like  hard work, but it is not like someone is going to come and ask for evidence or an industry standard business plan for every idea. The whole concept needs a bit of demystifying because we come up with ideas all the time and out of those ten you may end up having five ridiculous, few that kind of make sense, one that is okay, and one good one. Some of them are just half ideas and some build on the bad ones. Maybe your final one is a combination of few, or that crazy thought that you stripped down into a doable one. This bit is not the science; it is just for you to think about in order to avoid too much unjustified satisfaction with the first thought that enters your head.

When you hear someone saying trust your first idea, be careful. Of course it might be an amazing concept, but at the same time it might be something that everyone else has also thought first and then gone with it. When I was a presenter on a hit station I used to spend quite a bit of time writing my scripts. My goal was to write some jokes about current affairs and such; basically just punchlines to amuse the listeners (and possible more than them, my peers and myself). A friend of mine said that if in my evening show I go with the first punchline that comes into my mind, listeners may have heard that same joke in a slightly different versions many times during that day. News stories after all, are same for everyone. You may not write jokes, like I don’t much either anymore, but we still benefit from considering our angle.

Having said this, and I hope I am not stating too much of the obvious, it is not about never going with your first idea. Just as long as it isn’t your only idea and therefore win by default.

Another thing that is good to keep in mind is that you are not supposed to prove your already existing opinion. That would be just a self-congratulating exercise and it has very little journalistic, or any other kind of value. Make mind maps, think about the different sides, but at least give the material a chance to differ from what you thought. If you find out, for instance in one of your interviews something that changes the nature of your piece, then that’s okay. Follow that. You have just found something out and it does not ruin your idea, but your idea has developed into something else; something better probably, and even if not, it’s better that you found out it now rather than when already finished the last edits.

Coming up with an idea involves thinking about an angle that would be interesting; maybe something that is not overdone by every media outlet, and knowing your target audience and where you would like to have, at least theoretically, your work to be broadcasted. Remember that while it is important to be realistic about the industry you aim to work in, your studying times may be the last times for years when you get to experiment and it would be a  shame not to do that. Try things out and think creatively.

Besides having to know who you are targeting, you should also think about how are you going to reach them. Is your story going to be a human interest one, a hard news story or something else. Thinking about these things will help you when you think who would you like to talk to and what kind of other material you would ideally like to have included in your final piece.

There isn’t one set way for a creative process. Even if there was, wouldn’t that be against the whole idea of creativity? There are different methods and they work for different people. I find mind maps very useful. I started off drawing them into my note book. I still do that but I also have one of those boards on the wall in my working space so I can actually conveniently see the idea when I am writing. I also use free software called FreeMind which allows me to have the ideas archived on the computer. I am not convinced it is the best one, but it is decent. I recommend you to go and explore the options from this list if you feel that it could be useful.

There is nothing wrong with doing mind maps by hand and most of the time it is faster and you get to record the idea as it comes without having to, for instance, wait for your computer to turn on.

If you are only starting to experiment with mind maps you might need to ‘let go’ a bit. It is possible that it is you, who is standing in the way of good ideas. Don’t be shy with a mind map; it isn’t your final product and it doesn’t have to cover absolutely everything before you start. It only has to make sense to you.

Mind map: this is just an example of how I thought this segment to be like.

After my initial mind map I usually go either for a long walk or a run (depends on your exercise preferences, but if you don’t run, try walking). For me it is a very good time to think. Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said “only thoughts which come from walking have any value”. Whether you agree with him on this one or generally; or rather even if you would disagree with him generally, a moderate version of the statements makes sense to me. Lets just say, walking may be good for developing ideas.

I already introduced the idea of letting go. To stop worrying about what people think about you if they see you and even if they don’t. This can be very difficult thing to do for many people, but there’s a way that works at least for me. Not accessible to everyone (and by no means reduced to a tool of work) children are great assistants, because they don’t care and therefore you can lose yourself as well. If you’ve got siblings or cousins or even own children then give it a go; volunteer to baby-sit (mentioning your ulterior motive is optional, but don’t forget your actual responsibilities for the young human being and his/her parents). No one is looking at you weirdly if you go and play in the park with a child and therefore no one thinks you’ve gone mad. Maybe these things don’t concern you, but in case you feel self-conscious then try to find ways to overcome it.

Also, using drawing and colours is said to be good for creativity.

Getting in touch with your creativity is not about being silly as such. I personally find it easier to think outside of the box when I am not on the computer trying to force ideas. I talk about letting go, but don’t forget to also critically engage with your ideas; are they actually as great as you thought, and most of all, are the realistic.

On top of creativity, the ideas need a more  pragmatic approach. This is where the journalistic side comes in. I have covered some of the ideas already in the previous segment, but knowing what others do, and have done, is important so that you are not doing the same story with the exact same angle, because there is a chance that the others had more resources and found better interviewees. Remember that you don’t produce these things in a vacuum, but in the context of some kind of industry or community. Unless, of course, it’s only for you and maybe your mum to enjoy, but realistically, that is an honest goal to very few of us.

You must also understand the significance of what you are doing and familiarise yourself with some background of the story. How much of that is necessary depends on the style and approach of your piece. You should also consider is your documentary going to be outdated before it is finished. News stories age quickly. If you have the luxury to decide yourself and don’t want to hurry, think about more timeless stories or at least something, that still makes sense to listen to a week from now.

At this point I’d like to repeat my disclaimer: I am only offering ideas; tools for your tool box and you must decide which ones are appropriate. This isn’t a list where you must tick boxes and it definitely isn’t a gospel. These are ideas that have helped me and therefore I offer them to you to think about. There isn’t an order for these things so when you deal with ideas, however they come is good.

The thoughts I’ve described and ideas I have introduced are as they have been taught to me after my own interpretation, preferences and experiments with them. Since it is your process, don’t be afraid to be creative to get creative as well.

It’s also good to have the confidence to change your focus when you realise a better idea, for example from an interview you have recorded.

Sometimes you can have a very rough idea, go and get material and start building on that. That method has also worked for me well. The only thing that I can think of to be a sort of an unbreakable rule is to keep an open mind.

by francy Dickinson          www.seniorcarewithspirit.com

Dear Francy; Hard to get Mom and Dad to join us now they are both more comfortable at home. They both have limited eating, dont chew well and don’t do sugar well. So the full turkey dinner doesnt work any more, but I want them to enjoy the day and a special dinner. Last year my leftovers were left in the refrigerator for days and it was just a waste of my time to have gone over with them in the first place…suggestions?

Yes…here you are this works great for me. These ideas come from your kitchen after you have cooked your dinner, you use your own left overs and then take the dishes to the elder/senior family member’s home to reheat. It tastes great and I have done it many times and the senior is left with a good dinner and no mess or fuss.

1. One Dish Thanksgiving Dinner for Elder As you are picking up your holiday dinner grease a glass square baking dish and put some stuffing in it, then add in some cranberries, a small dollop of mashed potatoes, a big scoop of green bean casserole,  some cut up turkey both white and dark, and stir in some of your gravy. Stir and spread out. Now top it with bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. This is their dinner, its a casserole with all the goodies in it already. It can be heated in the oven or microwave and give them a great dinner….add in a separate container of gravy to put on top of it and U have an easy pick up and two nites of yum.
2. Toasted Turkey Sandwich & More: Slice left over turkey and put into zip lock and make a good loaf of bread in your bread maker or buy a nice loaf at the bakery. This bread is like an oatmeal type that is dark and crusty. Slice bread and put mayo on each side. Break up the turkey with your fingers so it is easy to chew and cover one side of the bread with turkey…on the other side of the bread put a tbsp of gravy and spread over the bread like U did the mayo. Keep it open face and put into broiler or toaster oven and heat through…I like to toast it so both sides of bread are heated and toasted. Remove and before you close it up to serve spread some cranberry sauce (the jelly type) thinly over the hot turkey. Cut and serve this marvelous hot turkey sandwich
3. Pasta Dish for Picky Eaters: Take over some gravy and turkey left overs, small amount of green bean casserole and stuffing. Prep a small amount of pasta in boiling water. In another pan stir fry the cut up turkey and small amount of green bean casserole and a couple of tbsp of stuffing. When it’s heated, add in some gravy like you would any sauce. Drain the pasta and put the stir fry and sauce over the top and you have a nice pasta dish with the great taste of Thanksgiving that is easy to eat and nice as left overs.
4.   No Crust Pumpkin Pie: This is nothing fancy…it is the pumpkin can recipe that makes such a nice pumpkin pie – dont forget using Splenda instead of sugar is just as good and you can not taste the difference. The different twist is that you do not use a crust. You butter the pie plate and then put in 1/4 cup of corn meal…over the sink you roll the pie plate till it is dusted with the corn meal and shake out the rest in sink. Then you pour in your regular filling and cook it as you would any pumpkin pie. This is all you need, it is easier to eat, faster to make and can be cut and served warm or cold…with whip cream…Total yum here so know I have made this for years and it works every time…I am just a Libby pumpkin pie girl and proud of it.

I take over the dinner ingred and make it right there. I start with the pie and it is cooking as I do the dinner. Buy the time they are done eating the meal the pie is hot out of oven and I cut a tiny piece and top with whip cream…they get to have a little smell of Thanksgiving in their house too. If they have no kitchen then you take it over all pre-done and ready to hit in microwave or stove top. Seniors do not have smell or taste as they get older so a little more salt is a must so they can taste the food. Obviously you can do this the day after the holiday or in the evening of the holiday. I have found my sisters and I like to take a break and make the trip to moms to visit and enjoy some time with her. Plus, it gave us another excuse for a second piece of pie!

Happy Holidays….francy

I am an avid reader. I have always been addicted to books, even as a child.

I am not yet sold on the idea of the Kindle e-reader.  I have downloaded e-books and read them on my laptop in the past.  For me there is no substitute for an actual book.  I have shelves filled in my home with various books I have bought over the years that I have kept to read again someday. It isn’t uncommon for me to read a book more than once. I just don’t think an e-reader like Kindle can replace a book. Maybe it’s about turning the pages, or just the way you can curl up in your favourite chair on a lazy Sunday with a good book and a cup of tea to relax. I just don’t think an e-reader would feel right. It may be nostalgic, but I will stick with my books.

You can read more about the Kindle launch in Canada in this Globe and Mail article. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/kindle-comes-to-canada/article1367340/

Amazon has recently released a piece of software that allows users to read books made for the Kindle on their Windows-based PC. The Kindle, Amazon’s e-book reader, retails for $259 USD. And the Kindle DX, which features a larger screen, retails for a whopping $489 USD. This new piece of software allows you to read books made for the Kindle, without having to actually buy the device.

While I’ve had a fairly positive experience with the software, here’s a few things that I didn’t like about it and hope will be available at some point:

• Kindle for PC doesn’t currently support newspapers, magazines, and blogs, which are only available to people who own a Kindle or Kindle DX.

• No Mac or Linux support. While a Mac version will be available soon, no version for Linux is planned.

• The user interface needs a fair amount of work. Even though the software has a nice, clean UI, users should be able to choose their own color scheme. If this is eventually implemented, hopefully it will be done in a way where it doesn’t distract from the reading experience.

The software can sync with the Kindle/Kindle DX, so all of the books you have on there will be downloaded into Kindle for PC. In addition, when someone stops reading somewhere in an e-book on a Kindle or Kindle DX, they can pick up where they left off in Kindle for PC, as it automatically syncs the last page read.

The official download page for the software can be found here. The link also provides information on upcoming Kindle for PC features, like being able to create notes and annotations.

So all in all, Kindle for PC is a fair piece of software. Remember that Kindle for PC is only in beta at the moment, so it isn’t finished yet. If you have a feature request or have found a bug, there’s a feedback button in the main menu.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

MUST HAVE resource for small business owners and entrepreneurs

We are also on Facebook (soon on MySpace). If you have Facebook account, just log in to your account and search for Mike Entreprenovator or Fan Page of Entreprenovator (under Professional Service category). We have been around in the Facebook quite a while. Social media is a great tool to spread information and share knowledge. We love social media!

You can also add Mike Entreprenovator as Friend and spread around the story about our Marketing Plan e-Book. Like i say, you are guaranteed some commissions, which for now i keep it as secret. Let me finish the e-Book first, then i will tell you.

You can also find us in http://www.slideshare.com and look for bites consulting. we have been putting some slides of information there early this year. That too, a website that is wonderful and resourceful for business information. You can also find the preview slides there, and you can download for FREE. Thanks to http://www.slideshare.com

So, you know where to get us right? Perhaps you may want to consider keeping our email entreprenovator@gmail.com or visit Facebook to look for Mike Entreprenovator or SlideShare http://www.slideshare.com look for bites consulting

since we are communicationg online, we are literally open for business 247!

Cateva zile mai tarziu, vaduva isi trimise fetele la oras sa cumpere ata si ace, panglici si gateli pentru rochii. Drumul trecea printr-un tinut pustiu, presarat ici-colo cu stanci inalte si golase. Au mers ele ce-au mers prin pustietatea aceea, fara sa intalneasca tipenie de om ori picior de vietate, pana cand deasupra lor aparu un vultur urias. Se roti de cateva ori, din ce in ce mai aproape, apoi se lasa batand din aripi pe un colt de stanca, de unde se auzira imediat niste tipete jalnice. Rozalba si Rubiroza alergara intr-un suflet pana acolo sa-l salveze pe nenorocitul care implora ajutor. Cand ajunsera in dreptul stancii, vulturul tocmai se pregatea sa-si ia zborul tinandu-l in cioc pe cine credeti? Pai cine altul putea sa fie decat piticul nesuferit, cu barba ciuntita? Se afla din nou la ananghie si fetele nu pregetara sa-l scoata din impas, ca de fiecare data.

Lupta n-a fost usoara, dar in cele din urma, tragand amandoua din toate puterile, au reusit sa-i smulga vulturului prada. Piticul nu-si reveni bine din spaima ca si-ncepu sa-si verse veninul asupra lor:

- Nu puteati sa fiti mai cu bagare de seama? Uite cum mi-ati desirat bunatate de haina! Dupa ce ca abia ma cuprindea, acum e toata zdrentuita si asta numai din pricina voastra, nepricopsitelor.

Piticul avea langa el un sac plin cu nestemate care scanteiau de-ti luau ochii, in lumina soarelui. Dar sa nu credeti cumva ca i-a trecut prin minte sa le dea si fetelor macar o pietricica, in semn de multumire. Lega iute sacul la gura si se strecura cu el cu tot, printr-o crapatura a stancii, in pestera unde-si avea barlogul.

Rozalba si Rubiroza erau acum obisnuite cu toanele lui, asa ca-si vazura linistite de drum. Odata ajunse in oras, facura toate cumparaturile si o pornira grabite inapoi spre casa, caci se temeau sa nu le prinda seara prin pustietatile acelea.

Cam pe la asfintit ajunsera din nou in preajma stancii unde-l salvasera de la pierzanie pe barba-cot. Mergeau gandindu-se la el, cand deodata le aparu in cale. De data asta nu daduse peste el nici o napasta. Iesise la loc neted, in campie, sa-si admire netulburat avutia. Fermecate de sclipirile multicolore ale nestematelor, Rozalba si Rubiroza se oprira sa le priveasca.

- Ce mi-ati ramas asa, gura-casca, se otari piticul la ele, de indata ce le vazu. Fata lui pamantie se inrosise de furie si tocmai se pregatea sa le improaste cu vorbe de ocara cand, de undeva din apropiere, se auzi un mormait ingrozitor care-i facu pe toti trei sa inlemneasca de spaima. Un urs mare si fioros se indrepta spre ei, amenintator. Piticul o lua la goana spre pestera, dar mai-nainte s-ajunga la adapost, ursul il prinse din urma.

- Ursule, Domnia-ta, ai mila de zilele mele! Cruta-mi viata si-ale tale vor fi toate nestematele, toate avutiile mele, il imbie piticul, care deveni dintr-odata umil si generos. Ce sa faci cu-n batran slabanog si prapadit ca mine? Nu ti-as ajunge nici pe-o masea. Mai bine uita-te la mucoasele astea blestemate. Sunt tinere si dolofane, un adevarat ospat pentru tine.

Ursul facu insa urechea toaca la vaicarerile piticului si, dintr-o lovitura, il amuti pentru totdeauna.

Fetele, care auzisera si vazusera totul, o luara la fuga inspaimantate.

- Rozalba, Rubiroza, nu va fie teama! Stiti doar ca nu va fac nici un rau. Asteptati-ma! vreau sa vin si eu cu voi

Recunoscandu-i glasul, fetele se oprira, deopotriva usurate c-au scapat de primejdie si bucuroase sa-si revada prietenul. Cand ursul ajunse in dreptul lor, ii cazu dintr-odata toata blana dand la iveala un tanar frumos, invesmantat tot numai in aur.

- Aflati ca sunt fecior de imparat, le spuse el. Am fost vrajit de piticul asta blestemat sa ratacesc in chip de urs, fara odihna, prin paduri, pana ce moartea ii va veni de hac. Acum el si-a primit pedeapsa binemeritata iar eu am scapat, in sfarsit, de apasatorul blestem.

Rozalba se marita cu printul, caci v-amintiti, desigur, ca ea il indragise inca din vremea cand era preschimbat in urs. Dar nici Rubiroza n-a ramas mai prejos. S-a maritat si ea cu fratele printului si-au trait fericiti cu totii, sporindu-si avutia cu comorile lui barba-cot, pe care le-au impartit in buna intelegere. Fetele s-au ingrijit si de maicuta lor sa aiba o batranete indestulata si fericita. Au luat-o cu ele la palat, impreuna cu cele doua tufe de trandafiri, pe care ea le indragea atat de mult. Rozele albe si rosii cresteau parca mai frumoase, cu fiecare an, imbalsamand gradina cu parfumul lor suav.

-  SFARSIT -

Want to learn HTML XHTML and CSS? This e-book will guides you how to use HTML, XHTML, and CSS right away, the QuickSteps way. With color picture and screenshot will show you a clear instruction to build your own website, add graphics and links, and create tables and frames.

Color coded tabs make it so easy to flip straight to the all information that you need. Learn how to apply the flexibility and powerfull of XHTML and CSS language to your website, and make sure it’s compatible with all browsers.

Get your website up and running in no time with help from this easy-to-use guide.

Download e-book here…… or here…….

This e-Book idea popped after many years of deliberation on how to make small businesses like is can get access to better knowledge in a well presented manner so it can be consumed and practiced subsequently getting the desired business results. I think small businesses and entrepreneurs are much more humane than big corporate giants, because we are thrifty, know what money can brings and understand the little nitty gritty of what customer wants. Besides, we know our business too.

Simplified marketing plan for small business owners and entrepreneurs

Nonetheless, many of us probably are too busy with our business until we forget that the world has changed dramatically. Especially in the area of technology, way of doing business, regulation and the customer demographic. As a result some of us wander how to expand our business using other means but don’t know where to start. I can vouch for that, because i was in that group before. So it got me thinking, that i don’t think i am facing this alone. So this Marketing Plan e-Book was born.

My Marketing Plan e-Book is still developing and updating it around 80% now and i hope to finish it by end of the year. I have done numerous editing and scrutinizing so the information i am going to share with you in my Marketing Plan e-Book is exclusively catered for small business and entrepreneurs like you, and at the same time enough to take your business to the next level (before you meet the big time marketing consultants who probably have never done any business but consulted you on what marketing is!! LOL)

This is not a scholarly or academia type theses or professorship assignment from any university. This is a no holds barred, no non-sense, straight from many people experience including mine, learnings from busted businesses, insights from thriving small businesses and some best practices from marketing and management thinkers around the world. You may find some of it “heard that before” and some is very refreshing or new.

Examples are taken mostly from emerging Asean businesses such as Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, China, India and Indonesia to name a few. Some are from the developed economies such as United States and United Kingdom and some from growing Europeans like Brazil and France. You probably not going to see me saying, “this is example from Brazil” because what is important is the learnings and the take home point. So don’t bother looking for that.

One thing about this Marketing Plan e-Book, the content derives from the 2 extremes. One is the strategy that busted the business and another strategies that flourish the business. The busted ones are for all of us to learn and the workable ones we need to practice. However, different customer dynamics may make you frustrated, because some strategies work in Asean countries, but may not work your country. Hey, i will repeat again and again in this Marketing Plan e-Book, that marketing is a repetitive process. You need to change it often and use different tools to know about your customers and how they like to be served.

For example, in Brazil it is common for rambling to the counter for tickets (queueing is a strange concept in Brazil), but if you are in western countries, you will get whacked by the security guard for jump queue! So as a marketer, that types of customers alone is an interesting marketing challenge. Be wise!

To let everyone gets the Marketing Plan e-Book faster so they too can benefit from it and also to pressure the price of Marketing Plan e-Book (its going to be very affordable, i promise!), i will launch and use affiliate marketing and social media such as Facebook and MySpace so you can help me spread it faster. Can you do that for me please? Did someone ask about commission? What is in for me?

Surely there is something for you. I guarantee!! Hey, if you see as a business opportunity, you are not just a marketing man but you are a business man too. Did you know that P.Diddy the singer once quoted that he is not a business man, but he is a business, man!!!

I will keep you posted and speed up my writing on the Marketing Plan e-Book. Meanwhile, maybe you want to spread around this news so by the time the Marketing Plan e-Book is ready we don’t have to wait too long. Well, just a thought.

You can copy this post to your Facebook and MySpace or your blog or website of any media so it speaks for itself. The more businesses know about this and get the information we will be able to get out from the crisis sooner. Have you heard that “supply determines it’s own demand?”. This was from my previous Economics professor. It means, when the supply is enough and consistent, the demand will slowly emerge. Interesting thought i guess.

Spread it aroud and i will do my part to keep writing, editing and scrutinizing so it will become the most relevant marketing book you ever got and a lot cheaper that the scholarly books. Have you heard, “if it works, why change?”. This Marketing Plan e-Book will share you about this and how-to use it.

I hope to post some tips and preview content about marketing topics such as pricing, product packaging, advertising and market research. I will, just give me some time!