Victorian Graphic - Apple Harvest
Click on Image to EnlargeThis bright and cheery Victorian card shows two women and a young girl, Harvesting Apples! Such a pleasant scene and the colors are so vibrant and lovely!var addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":true};
Old Fashioned Photo - 4 Ladies with Hats
Click on Image to EnlargeThis is a wonderful Old Photo showing 4 African American ladies, dressed in fashionable outfits with pretty straw hats. Lovely! This one is not from my personal collection, but it is a public domain image from an archived source.var addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":true};
Instant Art Printable - Bees - Natural History
Click Image to EnlargeClick HERE for the Full Size Printable PDFThis gorgeous Bee Print comes from one of the 1840's Natural History books that I picked up recently! I just love this one!! There are 3 different Bees shown here, each one is colored beautifully! I've removed the red and green one from it's background, perhaps you could use it on a Christmas project? And I've also provided you with
Vintage Clip Art - Chicken with Fancy Tail
Click on Image to EnlargeThis one comes from an antique type book! It's a beautiful Chicken with a Fancy looking Tail! A nice one to use in your Farmhouse Style Projects!var addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":true};
Antique Graphic Image - Beautiful Owl
Click on Image to Enlarge This gorgeous Owl comes from an antique 1890's book! The Owl shown here is called a Barred Owl, and it's a female. Such nice Autumn looking tones here, this would work well in your Fall Projects or maybe even Halloween!In Other News: For those of you that are doing the couponing thing, like I am, I thought this offer might interest some of you. It's not coupons
Vintage Halloween Printable - The Witches Ball
Click HERE for the Full Size Printable PDFClick HERE for the Full Size Printable of the Aged VersionSo here's a little something fun that I made for you guys this week! This is a full page Halloween Printable using an Old Sheet Music cover, that I transformed into a sign for "The Witches Ball"! You may recognize a few of the elements from my site. like the Spider Web Scrolls and the Witch with
Review: Ghost Story
I'm a huge Dresden Files fan, but I buck the trend in that the twelfth book, Changes, didn't really do much for me by comparison to the previous eleven books. Still, the ending left me desperate to find out how Harry's story continued and what was going to happen to the characters I've spent the last several years coming to love. It was with no small amount of trepidation that I cracked open the first page of the latest in the series, Ghost Story.
The following review contains some spoilery details, particularly about the end of Changes and the set-up for Ghost Story.
Score: 3 out of 5
Picking up after the events of Changes, Ghost Story details Harry's return from the grave and efforts to solve the mystery of his own murder, while at the same time protecting the loved ones he left behind from the new threats which have grown in his absence. However, as a shade, he has no way to affect the physical world, no access to his magic and there are few in the city he can even communicate with.
The book tells some important parts of the ongoing story of Harry's world. We get to see how things have changed for the worse in Chicago, without Harry Dresden as a deterrent, and with the power vaccum left in the wake of the Red Court's desruction. If you've read the novella Aftermath, which is excellent, by the way, you'll have some idea of what's happening. The sections of the book dealing with how Harry's friends are doing and the flashbacks to Harry's past are the strongest parts of this book. The need to know how everyone was doing kept me turning pages and cursing the fact that I had to go to work each day. Harry learns to accept that he made terrible mistakes in Changes and has to deal with the consequences of his decisions. These make up some of the most powerful scenes in the book and alone are worth the price of purchase, assuming you're already a fan of the series.
The story itself - the two major plots Harry finds himself caught up in aside from the issue of his murder - felt more like a couple of Jim Butcher's short stories brought together. The actual plot rather pales compared to the depth and emotional engagement of previous titles and while the book itself is quite long, it feels as though not much actually happens. As with previous books, a number of points raise questions that aren't answered here. This is a bit of a sticking point for me, because there's an awful lot happening in the Dresdenverse at the moment and whole books can go by before we learn anything new.
The revelation of Harry's murderer, and who they were working for, takes place at an unusual point, interrupting the climax while not actually furthering the plot or providing anything that helps to resolve the situation. I felt this was a bit of a let-down as it broke the pace and took me out of the narrative at an important moment.
The book ends with a sense that what was achieved by Harry's actions, if anything, has yet to be revealed, and I'm not really sure how things are going to go. Ghost Story feels like it could easily be a goodbye to certain characters, or at least an indication that we won't be seeing them nearly as often in the future. In fairness, the series has a lot of supporting characters and there just hasn't been the time to see enough of them when they're all getting crowded into the same book.
If someone has not read any of the Dresden Files up to now, this is not a good book to start with. Too much of it is carried by the connection the reader has built to the characters over the series. That said, there are still a good number of awesome Dresden moments where you want to cheer the characters on.
As a final verdict, Ghost Story is great to read to catch up with what's been happening and see how Harry's past made him the man he is. The ending suggests that a lot is going to change and that perhaps we'll see less of Chicago and the characters there in the future. This really saddens me, because "hard-boiled detective with magic" is what first made me fall in love with the series. If I'm right, I think I'll really miss those elements and the series will have lost something golden.
Yes, Harry Dresden will be back, and the forces of evil will be running scared. But for the first time, I have finished a Dresden Files novel and not been desperate to see what happens next.
The following review contains some spoilery details, particularly about the end of Changes and the set-up for Ghost Story.
Score: 3 out of 5
Picking up after the events of Changes, Ghost Story details Harry's return from the grave and efforts to solve the mystery of his own murder, while at the same time protecting the loved ones he left behind from the new threats which have grown in his absence. However, as a shade, he has no way to affect the physical world, no access to his magic and there are few in the city he can even communicate with.
The book tells some important parts of the ongoing story of Harry's world. We get to see how things have changed for the worse in Chicago, without Harry Dresden as a deterrent, and with the power vaccum left in the wake of the Red Court's desruction. If you've read the novella Aftermath, which is excellent, by the way, you'll have some idea of what's happening. The sections of the book dealing with how Harry's friends are doing and the flashbacks to Harry's past are the strongest parts of this book. The need to know how everyone was doing kept me turning pages and cursing the fact that I had to go to work each day. Harry learns to accept that he made terrible mistakes in Changes and has to deal with the consequences of his decisions. These make up some of the most powerful scenes in the book and alone are worth the price of purchase, assuming you're already a fan of the series.
The story itself - the two major plots Harry finds himself caught up in aside from the issue of his murder - felt more like a couple of Jim Butcher's short stories brought together. The actual plot rather pales compared to the depth and emotional engagement of previous titles and while the book itself is quite long, it feels as though not much actually happens. As with previous books, a number of points raise questions that aren't answered here. This is a bit of a sticking point for me, because there's an awful lot happening in the Dresdenverse at the moment and whole books can go by before we learn anything new.
The revelation of Harry's murderer, and who they were working for, takes place at an unusual point, interrupting the climax while not actually furthering the plot or providing anything that helps to resolve the situation. I felt this was a bit of a let-down as it broke the pace and took me out of the narrative at an important moment.
The book ends with a sense that what was achieved by Harry's actions, if anything, has yet to be revealed, and I'm not really sure how things are going to go. Ghost Story feels like it could easily be a goodbye to certain characters, or at least an indication that we won't be seeing them nearly as often in the future. In fairness, the series has a lot of supporting characters and there just hasn't been the time to see enough of them when they're all getting crowded into the same book.
If someone has not read any of the Dresden Files up to now, this is not a good book to start with. Too much of it is carried by the connection the reader has built to the characters over the series. That said, there are still a good number of awesome Dresden moments where you want to cheer the characters on.
As a final verdict, Ghost Story is great to read to catch up with what's been happening and see how Harry's past made him the man he is. The ending suggests that a lot is going to change and that perhaps we'll see less of Chicago and the characters there in the future. This really saddens me, because "hard-boiled detective with magic" is what first made me fall in love with the series. If I'm right, I think I'll really miss those elements and the series will have lost something golden.
Yes, Harry Dresden will be back, and the forces of evil will be running scared. But for the first time, I have finished a Dresden Files novel and not been desperate to see what happens next.
Instant Art Printable - Daisy Botanical
Click HERE for the Full Size Printable PDFThis is a very sweet Botanical Print from the 1850's! I'm calling it a Daisy because that's what it looks like to me, however the caption calls it a White Ox Eye, so there you have it! Either way I think it's lovely. I've created a full size Instant Art Printable for you with this one, just click above to download it!var
Antique Clip Art - Cute Wire Birdcage
Click on Image to EnlargeThis is another fun Vintage Birdcage Graphic! This one is for a Canary and has something called a canary wheel inside of it. Interesting! A nice one to use for you Collage or Mixed Media Art.var addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":true};
Vintage Halloween Clip Art - Witch - Owl - Moon - Pumpkin
Click on Image to EnlargeWith October only days away now, it seems like a good time to post another one of the cute Halloween Postcards, that I've been stashing away for months now. This one has it all, including a Witch, a Moon, a Giant Owl, and a Jack O Lantern! I hope you can use this for your Halloween Craft or DIY projects!var addthis_config = {"
Brag Monday - Creepy Spider Bottle & Fall Luminaries
It's time for Brag Monday #104! Once again I'm bragging about two more projects from the last Brag Monday party.First I'm bragging about this fun Halloween Spider Bottle made by Nan at You Could Make That! She used the Vintage Spider Image, for this creepy piece! She has a full tutorial on her blog so that you can make one just like this, and you don't need a white bottle to do it!Next I'm
Catching Up
I've been horribly lazy the last few days and fallen behind on my blog-reading. I apologise for that. I've even been spending my time playing Deus Ex: Human Revolution instead of writing. It's actually been nice to have a break and relax a bit. It also helps that Human Revolution is fantastic, evoking all the cyberpunk dystopian appeal of the original and delivering it in an updated package. So long as you can get past the fact that Adam Jensen is trying with all his cyber-augmented might to be Clint Eastwood, it's a gem of a game.
In other news, I got my eyes tested on Saturday and, yep, it looks like the headaches I've been suffering from for a long time were caused by eye strain. I spend my working day at a computer and then I'm on my desktop or netbook at home. I could easily rack up 12 hours a day on a computer during the week. So I've got my glasses, to be used when reading or working at a computer, and my bank account is looking a bit green around the gills, but if it means I won't have headaches once I've gotten used to them, it'll be worth it.
My game plan, now that I'm armed with my new glasses, is to get back into writing Nightfall this week. I'm not sure exactly how long the first draft will be, but I can cross that river when I come to it. It's the first part of a trilogy, so I may keep writing and finish it once the first book is done, but I'm unsure about the wisdom in setting out to query a second series while still getting my first off the ground. We'll see how it goes.
I haven't been cooking much, which is why there's been a lack of recipe posts. My wife has taken over the kitchen since the remodelling was done. She might let me cook for her birthday in November, if I'm lucky. :-)
Blog-wise, I may make a regular thing of posting up ghost stories and other such tales. It's fun research.
That's about it for today. Here's to a good week, and come back on Wednesday for my review of Ghost Story, book thirteen of The Dresden Files.
In other news, I got my eyes tested on Saturday and, yep, it looks like the headaches I've been suffering from for a long time were caused by eye strain. I spend my working day at a computer and then I'm on my desktop or netbook at home. I could easily rack up 12 hours a day on a computer during the week. So I've got my glasses, to be used when reading or working at a computer, and my bank account is looking a bit green around the gills, but if it means I won't have headaches once I've gotten used to them, it'll be worth it.
My game plan, now that I'm armed with my new glasses, is to get back into writing Nightfall this week. I'm not sure exactly how long the first draft will be, but I can cross that river when I come to it. It's the first part of a trilogy, so I may keep writing and finish it once the first book is done, but I'm unsure about the wisdom in setting out to query a second series while still getting my first off the ground. We'll see how it goes.
I haven't been cooking much, which is why there's been a lack of recipe posts. My wife has taken over the kitchen since the remodelling was done. She might let me cook for her birthday in November, if I'm lucky. :-)
Blog-wise, I may make a regular thing of posting up ghost stories and other such tales. It's fun research.
That's about it for today. Here's to a good week, and come back on Wednesday for my review of Ghost Story, book thirteen of The Dresden Files.
Vintage Image - Bird with Lilacs
Click on Image to EnlargeThis is another pretty Victorian Scrap Bird! You may recall a similar piece that I posted HERE last week. This one shows a little Brown Bird resting on a Lilac Branch. Lovely!var addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":true};
AAQR: Cyberlords (game)
A sort of strategy RPG on Android, it got good reviews, but unfortunately, does NOT work on my OG Droid, even the free version.
http://www.appbrain.com/app/cyberlords-arcology-free/com.hg.cyberlordsfree
http://www.appbrain.com/app/cyberlords-arcology-free/com.hg.cyberlordsfree
AAQR: ExionFly 3D (game)
ExionFly 3D is a 3D shooter where you pilot this plane and shoot at various things both in the sky and on the ground, and yes, it's in 3D. You're looking at your plane from behind, and you CAN climb, dive, do barrel rolls, and shoot lots of different things. Aiming at the planes can be difficult, as is strafing the ground targets, but it actually works on an OG Droid well enough. Not bad!
http://www.appbrain.com/app/exionfly-3d/opengl_es.exionfly
http://www.appbrain.com/app/exionfly-3d/opengl_es.exionfly
AAQR: Space War HD (game)
Space War HD is your typical "Galaga" type shooter where you can go forward, back, side to side, and get a variety of weapons and powerups. It is quite playable on my OG Droid, but isn't anything really remarkable.
http://www.appbrain.com/app/space-war-hd/virtualgs.spacewar.hd
http://www.appbrain.com/app/space-war-hd/virtualgs.spacewar.hd
AAQR: SPC Music Scratchpad (media)
This was an Amazon AppStore Giveaway
SPC Music Scratchpad is a rhythm generator where you activate various high-quality repeating sounds to get a good background rhythem for whatever music you want to play. It reminds me a lot of those little music toys. There's like a dozen effects and it combines to hundreds of combinations. Worth checking out just for your kids, or even as some background sound for your band act. :D
http://www.appbrain.com/app/spc-music-sketchpad/com.mikrosonic.SPC
SPC Music Scratchpad is a rhythm generator where you activate various high-quality repeating sounds to get a good background rhythem for whatever music you want to play. It reminds me a lot of those little music toys. There's like a dozen effects and it combines to hundreds of combinations. Worth checking out just for your kids, or even as some background sound for your band act. :D
http://www.appbrain.com/app/spc-music-sketchpad/com.mikrosonic.SPC
AAQR: iDemolished (game)
This was an Amazon Appstore Giveaway.
iDemolished is is a game where you are given certain amount of explosives, and you need to bring a building down so the debris is no higher than a certain specified height. The less money you use, and the lower the final height is, the higher is your score.
There is a lot of physics involved, as they have different types of material, some of which are only vulnerable to bigger explosives.
For true demolition effect, you can adjust the timing in 0.1 second intervals, as you want the building to collapse, usually by blowing up one side of it.
You can also influence the "gravity" a little bit by tilting the phone to one side.
There's like 100 levels for you to test your demolition skills on, and there are additional levels to download, and there's even an editor if you want to get really cute.
Definitely worth your time, even paid.
http://www.appbrain.com/app/idemolished/com.iauns.idemolished
iDemolished is is a game where you are given certain amount of explosives, and you need to bring a building down so the debris is no higher than a certain specified height. The less money you use, and the lower the final height is, the higher is your score.
There is a lot of physics involved, as they have different types of material, some of which are only vulnerable to bigger explosives.
For true demolition effect, you can adjust the timing in 0.1 second intervals, as you want the building to collapse, usually by blowing up one side of it.
You can also influence the "gravity" a little bit by tilting the phone to one side.
There's like 100 levels for you to test your demolition skills on, and there are additional levels to download, and there's even an editor if you want to get really cute.
Definitely worth your time, even paid.
http://www.appbrain.com/app/idemolished/com.iauns.idemolished
AAQR: Meteor Blitz (game)
This game was another Amazon AppStore Giveaway a while back.
Meteor Blitz is a "dual-stick" shooter where you are tasked to shoot up as many meteors as possible. There are different weapons, as they are effective against different meteors, and of course you want to avoid getting hit.
Quite playable on OG Droid. Highly recommended if you like the genre.
http://www.appbrain.com/app/meteor-blitz/com.alleylabs.MeteorBlitz
Meteor Blitz is a "dual-stick" shooter where you are tasked to shoot up as many meteors as possible. There are different weapons, as they are effective against different meteors, and of course you want to avoid getting hit.
Quite playable on OG Droid. Highly recommended if you like the genre.
http://www.appbrain.com/app/meteor-blitz/com.alleylabs.MeteorBlitz
AAQR: Happy Vikings (game)
Happy Vikings was another giveaway on Amazon AppStore. Unfortunately, it doesn't work on my OG Droid. When the title screen loaded, it then restarts as if out of memory.
http://www.appbrain.com/app/happy-vikings/com.hg.viking
http://www.appbrain.com/app/happy-vikings/com.hg.viking
Vintage Clip Art - Silhouettes - Cleaning Up
Click on Images to EnlargeThese are two cute, early 1920's Silhouettes! Both images show a girl cleaning up around the house, in the first one she is dusting and the second one shows her sweeping, with a little Dog. Cute! These might be fun to use on a Chore Chart!var addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":true};
Instant Art Printable - Bird - Starling
Click HERE for the Full Size Printable PDFThis is a wonderful 1870's Natural History Bird Print! The print shows a Starling Bird, he's sort of a quirky looking fellow! He's a bit Crow like and might work out well in your Halloween or Fall projects.var addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":true};
Vintage Clip Art - Typography Alphabet - Numbers
Click on Image to EnlargeThis one comes from an early 1900's advertising book. This is a fun looking Typography Alphabet that includes vintage numbers too! I really like the little curly cue ends on these! This would be fun to use as a background for Collage or ATC cards!var addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":true};
Instant Art Printable - Vintage Onions
Click HERE for the Full Size Printable PDFThis great looking Onion Print comes from an 1870's Gardening Book! I've created a high resolution Instant Art Printable for this one. I think it would look great framed and hanging in a Kitchen!var addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":true};
Vintage Clip Art - Water Lily - Lotus Flowers
Click on Images to EnlargeThese images are from an 1870's Gardening book. The top two are Water Lilies or Lotus Type Flowers and then the third is a Seed Pod. They are all black and white Engravings, but I think it would be fun to color them in!var addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":true};
Ghost Story Week: The Banshee
To end off the week's stories, I thought I'd include one about what is arguably the most famous of Irish spirits: The banshee.
This text comes from Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry, a collection edited by William Butler Yeats. This story is called How Thomas Connolly Met the Banshee, written by J. Todhunter. The text is taken from Sacred Texts and repeated here without permission. If anyone wishes it to be taken down, I will do so
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Aw, the banshee, sir? Well, sir, as I was striving to tell ye I was going home from work one day, from Mr. Cassidy's that I tould ye of, in the dusk o' the evening. I had more nor a mile--aye, it was nearer two mile--to thrack to, where I was lodgin' with a dacent widdy woman I knew, Biddy Maguire be name, so as to be near me work.
It was the first week in November, an' a lonesome road I had to travel, an' dark enough, wid threes above it; an' about half-ways there was a bit of a brudge I had to cross, over one o' them little sthrames that runs into the Doddher. I walked on in the middle iv the road, for there was no toe-path at that time, Misther Harry, nor for many a long day afther that; but, as I was sayin', I walked along till I come nigh upon the brudge, where the road was a bit open, an' there, right enough, I seen the hog's back o' the ould-fashioned brudge that used to be there till it was pulled down, an' a white mist steamin' up out o' the wather all around it.
Well, now, Misther Harry, often as I'd passed by the place before, that night it seemed sthrange to me, an' like a place ye might see in a dhrame; an' as I come up to it I began to feel a cowld wind blowin' through the hollow o' me heart. "Musha Thomas," sez I to meself, "is it yerself that's in it?" sez I; "or, if it is, what's the matter wid ye at all, at all?" sez I; so I put a bould face on it, an' I made a sthruggle to set one leg afore the other, ontil I came to the rise o' the brudge. And there, God be good to us! in a cantle o' the wall I seen an ould woman, as I thought, sittin' on her hunkers, all crouched together, an' her head bowed down, seemin'ly in the greatest affliction.
Well, sir, I pitied the ould craythur, an thought I wasn't worth a thraneen, for the mortial fright I was in, I up an' sez to her, "That's a cowld lodgin' for ye, ma'am." Well, the sorra ha'porth she sez to that, nor tuk no more notice o' me than if I hadn't let a word out o' me, but kep' rockin' herself to an' fro, as if her heart was breakin'; so I sez to her again, "Eh, ma'am, is there anythin' the matther wid ye?" An' I made for to touch her on the shouldher, on'y somethin' stopt me, for as I looked closer at her I saw she was no more an ould woman nor she was an ould cat. The first thing I tuk notice to, Misther Harry, was her hair, that was sthreelin' down over her showldhers, an' a good yard on the ground on aich side of her. O, be the hoky farmer, but that was the hair! The likes of it I never seen on mortial woman, young or ould, before nor sense. It grew as sthrong out of her as out of e'er a young slip of a girl ye could see; but the colour of it was a misthery to describe. The first squint I got of it I thought it was silvery grey, like an ould crone's; but when I got up beside her I saw, be the glance o' the sky, it was a soart iv an Iscariot colour, an' a shine out of it like floss silk. It ran over her showldhers and the two shapely arms she was lanin' her head on, for all the world like Mary Magdalen's in a picther; and then I persaved that the grey cloak and the green gownd undhernaith it was made of no earthly matarial I ever laid eyes on. Now, I needn't tell ye, sir, that I seen all this in the twinkle of a bed-post--long as I take to make the narration of it. So I made a step back from her, an' "The Lord be betune us an' harm!" sez I, out loud, an' wid that I blessed meself. Well, Misther Harry, the word wasn't out o' me mouth afore she turned her face on me. Aw, Misther Harry, but 'twas that was the awfullest apparation ever I seen, the face of her as she looked up at me! God forgive me for sayin' it, but 'twas more like the face of the "Axy Homo" beyand in Marlboro Sthreet Chapel nor like any face I could mintion--as pale as a corpse, an' a most o' freckles on it, like the freckles on a turkey's egg; an' the two eyes sewn in wid thread, from the terrible power o' crying the' had to do; an' such a pair iv eyes as the' wor, Misther Harry, as blue as two forget-me-nots, an' as cowld as the moon in a bog-hole of a frosty night, an' a dead-an'-live look in them that sent a cowld shiver through the marra o' me bones. Be the mortial! ye could ha' rung a tay cupful o' cowld paspiration out o' the hair o' me head that minute, so ye could. Well, I thought the life 'ud lave me intirely when she riz up from her hunkers, till, bedad! she looked mostly as tall as Nelson's Pillar; an' wid the two eyes gazin' back at me, an' her two arms stretched out before hor, an' a keine out of her that riz the hair o' me scalp till it was as stiff as the hog's bristles in a new hearth broom, away she glides--glides round the angle o' the brudge, an' down with her into the sthrame that ran undhernaith it. 'Twas then I began to suspect what she was. "Wisha, Thomas!" says I to meself, sez I; an' I made a great struggle to get me two legs into a throt, in spite o' the spavin o' fright the pair o' them wor in; an' how I brought meself home that same night the Lord in heaven only knows, for I never could tell; but I must ha' tumbled agin the door, and shot in head foremost into the middle o' the flure, where I lay in a dead swoon for mostly an hour; and the first I knew was Mrs. Maguire stannin' over me with a jorum o' punch she was pourin' down me throath (throat), to bring back the life into me, an' me head in a pool of cowld wather she dashed over me in her first fright. "Arrah, Mister Connolly," shashee, "what ails ye?" shashee, "to put the scare on a lone woman like that?" shashee. "Am I in this world or the next?" sez I. "Musha! where else would ye be on'y here in my kitchen?" shashee. "O, glory be to God!" sez I, "but I thought I was in Purgathory at the laste, not to mintion an uglier place," sez I, "only it's too cowld I find meself, an' not too hot," sez I. "Faix, an' maybe ye wor more nor half-ways there, on'y for me, shashee; "but what's come to you at all, at all? Is it your fetch ye seen, Mister Connolly?" "Aw, naboclish!" sez I. "Never mind what I seen," sez I. So be degrees I began to come to a little; an' that's the way I met the banshee, Misther Harry!
"But how did you know it really was the banshee after all, Thomas?"
"Begor, sir, I knew the apparation of her well enough; but 'twas confirmed by a sarcumstance that occurred the same time. There was a Misther O'Nales was come on a visit, ye must know, to a place in the neighbourhood--one o' the ould O'Nales iv the county Tyrone, a rale ould Irish family--an' the banshee was heard keening round the house that same night, be more then one that was in it; an' sure enough, Misther Harry, he was found dead in his bed the next mornin'. So if it wasn't the banshee I seen that time, I'd like to know what else it could a' been."
This text comes from Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry, a collection edited by William Butler Yeats. This story is called How Thomas Connolly Met the Banshee, written by J. Todhunter. The text is taken from Sacred Texts and repeated here without permission. If anyone wishes it to be taken down, I will do so
--------------------------------------------------------------
Aw, the banshee, sir? Well, sir, as I was striving to tell ye I was going home from work one day, from Mr. Cassidy's that I tould ye of, in the dusk o' the evening. I had more nor a mile--aye, it was nearer two mile--to thrack to, where I was lodgin' with a dacent widdy woman I knew, Biddy Maguire be name, so as to be near me work.
It was the first week in November, an' a lonesome road I had to travel, an' dark enough, wid threes above it; an' about half-ways there was a bit of a brudge I had to cross, over one o' them little sthrames that runs into the Doddher. I walked on in the middle iv the road, for there was no toe-path at that time, Misther Harry, nor for many a long day afther that; but, as I was sayin', I walked along till I come nigh upon the brudge, where the road was a bit open, an' there, right enough, I seen the hog's back o' the ould-fashioned brudge that used to be there till it was pulled down, an' a white mist steamin' up out o' the wather all around it.
Well, now, Misther Harry, often as I'd passed by the place before, that night it seemed sthrange to me, an' like a place ye might see in a dhrame; an' as I come up to it I began to feel a cowld wind blowin' through the hollow o' me heart. "Musha Thomas," sez I to meself, "is it yerself that's in it?" sez I; "or, if it is, what's the matter wid ye at all, at all?" sez I; so I put a bould face on it, an' I made a sthruggle to set one leg afore the other, ontil I came to the rise o' the brudge. And there, God be good to us! in a cantle o' the wall I seen an ould woman, as I thought, sittin' on her hunkers, all crouched together, an' her head bowed down, seemin'ly in the greatest affliction.
Well, sir, I pitied the ould craythur, an thought I wasn't worth a thraneen, for the mortial fright I was in, I up an' sez to her, "That's a cowld lodgin' for ye, ma'am." Well, the sorra ha'porth she sez to that, nor tuk no more notice o' me than if I hadn't let a word out o' me, but kep' rockin' herself to an' fro, as if her heart was breakin'; so I sez to her again, "Eh, ma'am, is there anythin' the matther wid ye?" An' I made for to touch her on the shouldher, on'y somethin' stopt me, for as I looked closer at her I saw she was no more an ould woman nor she was an ould cat. The first thing I tuk notice to, Misther Harry, was her hair, that was sthreelin' down over her showldhers, an' a good yard on the ground on aich side of her. O, be the hoky farmer, but that was the hair! The likes of it I never seen on mortial woman, young or ould, before nor sense. It grew as sthrong out of her as out of e'er a young slip of a girl ye could see; but the colour of it was a misthery to describe. The first squint I got of it I thought it was silvery grey, like an ould crone's; but when I got up beside her I saw, be the glance o' the sky, it was a soart iv an Iscariot colour, an' a shine out of it like floss silk. It ran over her showldhers and the two shapely arms she was lanin' her head on, for all the world like Mary Magdalen's in a picther; and then I persaved that the grey cloak and the green gownd undhernaith it was made of no earthly matarial I ever laid eyes on. Now, I needn't tell ye, sir, that I seen all this in the twinkle of a bed-post--long as I take to make the narration of it. So I made a step back from her, an' "The Lord be betune us an' harm!" sez I, out loud, an' wid that I blessed meself. Well, Misther Harry, the word wasn't out o' me mouth afore she turned her face on me. Aw, Misther Harry, but 'twas that was the awfullest apparation ever I seen, the face of her as she looked up at me! God forgive me for sayin' it, but 'twas more like the face of the "Axy Homo" beyand in Marlboro Sthreet Chapel nor like any face I could mintion--as pale as a corpse, an' a most o' freckles on it, like the freckles on a turkey's egg; an' the two eyes sewn in wid thread, from the terrible power o' crying the' had to do; an' such a pair iv eyes as the' wor, Misther Harry, as blue as two forget-me-nots, an' as cowld as the moon in a bog-hole of a frosty night, an' a dead-an'-live look in them that sent a cowld shiver through the marra o' me bones. Be the mortial! ye could ha' rung a tay cupful o' cowld paspiration out o' the hair o' me head that minute, so ye could. Well, I thought the life 'ud lave me intirely when she riz up from her hunkers, till, bedad! she looked mostly as tall as Nelson's Pillar; an' wid the two eyes gazin' back at me, an' her two arms stretched out before hor, an' a keine out of her that riz the hair o' me scalp till it was as stiff as the hog's bristles in a new hearth broom, away she glides--glides round the angle o' the brudge, an' down with her into the sthrame that ran undhernaith it. 'Twas then I began to suspect what she was. "Wisha, Thomas!" says I to meself, sez I; an' I made a great struggle to get me two legs into a throt, in spite o' the spavin o' fright the pair o' them wor in; an' how I brought meself home that same night the Lord in heaven only knows, for I never could tell; but I must ha' tumbled agin the door, and shot in head foremost into the middle o' the flure, where I lay in a dead swoon for mostly an hour; and the first I knew was Mrs. Maguire stannin' over me with a jorum o' punch she was pourin' down me throath (throat), to bring back the life into me, an' me head in a pool of cowld wather she dashed over me in her first fright. "Arrah, Mister Connolly," shashee, "what ails ye?" shashee, "to put the scare on a lone woman like that?" shashee. "Am I in this world or the next?" sez I. "Musha! where else would ye be on'y here in my kitchen?" shashee. "O, glory be to God!" sez I, "but I thought I was in Purgathory at the laste, not to mintion an uglier place," sez I, "only it's too cowld I find meself, an' not too hot," sez I. "Faix, an' maybe ye wor more nor half-ways there, on'y for me, shashee; "but what's come to you at all, at all? Is it your fetch ye seen, Mister Connolly?" "Aw, naboclish!" sez I. "Never mind what I seen," sez I. So be degrees I began to come to a little; an' that's the way I met the banshee, Misther Harry!
"But how did you know it really was the banshee after all, Thomas?"
"Begor, sir, I knew the apparation of her well enough; but 'twas confirmed by a sarcumstance that occurred the same time. There was a Misther O'Nales was come on a visit, ye must know, to a place in the neighbourhood--one o' the ould O'Nales iv the county Tyrone, a rale ould Irish family--an' the banshee was heard keening round the house that same night, be more then one that was in it; an' sure enough, Misther Harry, he was found dead in his bed the next mornin'. So if it wasn't the banshee I seen that time, I'd like to know what else it could a' been."
Victorian Graphic - Ribbon Frame with Child
Click on Image to EnlargeThis one is a pretty little Victorian Scrap piece, showing a little girl in a frame. I thought the frame was really cute too, and thought it might work well for all sorts of projects like Scrapbooking etc, so I am providing a version with the empty frame as well. I love the Pink Ribbon on the top!var addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":
Vintage Halloween Clip Art - Fancy Skeleton Man
Click on Image to EnlargeI originally posted this Skeleton Man last year, but thought it would be fun to bring him back again, and this time I've added a cute Top Hat to his head! He's a bit more festive looking, don't you think?! A fun vintage image to use in your Halloween Craft Projects! You can find the original version of this Skeleton HERE and the Top Hat HERE.var addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":true};
Vintage Halloween Clip Art - Owl Silhouette Border
Click on Images to EnlargeHere are some more fun Vintage Halloween Graphics from one of my old Type books! This image shows 4 funny little Silhouette Owls in a row. You can use them just as they are for a cute Handmade card or they would make a great Photoshop Brush or Digi Stamp! I made mine into a brush and then stamped it out into a border to create the Happy Halloween Frame that you see
Ghost Story Week: True Irish Ghost Stories
Today's story is an excerpt from True Irish Ghost Stories by St. John D. Seymour, made available for free through Project Gutenberg:
"My first encounter with a ghost occurred about twenty years ago. Nn that occasion I was standing in the kitchen of my house in —— Square, when a woman, whom I was afterwards to see many times, walked down the stairs into the room. Having heard the footsteps outside, I was not in the least perturbed, but turned to look who it was, and found myself looking at a tall, stout, elderly woman, wearing a bonnet and old-fashioned mantle. She had grey hair, and a benign and amiable expression. We stood gazing at each other while one could count twenty. At first I was not at all frightened, but gradually as I stood looking at her an uncomfortable feeling, increasing to terror, came over me. This caused me to retreat farther and farther back, until I had my back against the wall, and then the apparition slowly faded.
"This feeling of terror, due perhaps to the unexpectedness of her appearance, always overcame me on the subsequent occasions on which I saw her. These occasions numbered twelve or fifteen, and I have seen her in every room in the house, and at every hour of the day, during a period of about ten years. The last time she appeared was ten years ago. My husband and I had just returned from a concert at which he had been singing, and we sat for some time over supper, talking about the events of the evening. When at last I rose to leave the room, and opened the dining-room door, I found my old lady standing on the mat outside with her head bent towards the door in the attitude of listening. I called out loudly, and my husband rushed to my side. That was the last time I have seen her."
"One peculiarity of this spectral visitant was a strong objection to disorder or untidyness of any kind, or even to an alteration in the general routine of the house. For instance, she showed her disapproval of any stranger coming to sleep by turning the chairs face downwards on the floor in the room they were to occupy. I well remember one of our guests, having gone to his room one evening for something he had forgotten, remarking on coming downstairs again, 'Well, you people have an extraordinary manner of arranging your furniture! I have nearly broken my bones over one of the bedroom chairs which was turned down on the floor.' As my husband and I had restored that chair twice already to its proper position during the day, we were not much surprised at his remarks, although we did not enlighten him. The whole family have been disturbed by a peculiar knocking which occurred in various rooms in the house, frequently on the door or wall, but sometimes on the furniture, quite close to where we had been sitting. This was evidently loud enough to be heard in the next house, for our next-door neighbour once asked my husband why he selected such curious hours for hanging his pictures. Another strange and fairly frequent occurrence was the following. I had got a set of skunk furs which I fancied had an unpleasant odour, as this fur sometimes has; and at night I used to take it from my wardrobe and lay it on a chair in the drawing-room, which was next my bedroom. The first time that I did this, on going to the drawing-room I found, to my surprise, my muff in one corner and my stole in another. Not for a moment suspecting a supernatural agent, I asked my servant about it, and she assured me that she had not been in the room that morning. Whereupon I determined to test the matter, which I did by putting in the furs late at night, and taking care that I was the first to enter the room in the morning. I invariably found that they had been disturbed."
Natural History Instant Art Printable - Squirrels - Fall
Click on Image to EnlargeClick HERE for the Full Size Printable PDF This wonderful Instant Art Print is from an 1840's book. Here we have two cute Squirrels climbing a tree. A wonderful Natural History print that you can frame and hang on your wall, or great to use in your Fall Craft Projects!var addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":true};var addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":true};<
Brag Monday - Halloween Ornament & French Cans
It's time for Brag Monday #103! Once again I'm bragging about two more projects from the last Brag Monday party.First I'm bragging about this super fun Halloween Soldered Ornament made by Martha at MJ Ornaments! She used the Silhouette Lady Image, for this charming piece! And even better, you can custom order one of these cuties, from Martha, and she'll put your face on it!! How fun!Next I'm
Ghost Story Week: Lord Tyrone and Lady Beresford
This week I thought I'd serve up a selection of stories about ghosts and supernatural creatures from around Ireland.
This first one is considered one of Ireland's most famous ghost stories, that of Lord Tyrone and Lady Beresford. The following text is taken from www.colours-of-the-rainbow.com, used without permission. If anyone from this website wishes me to remove the text, I will do so. The original text can be found here.
Lord Tyrone was born John Le Poer and Lady Beresford, Nichola Sophia Hamilton. The two were orphans reared by an unbelieving (atheist) guardian who constantly tried to convert them to his atheist views. Because of this the two made a vow to each other that whoever died first would reappear to the other in order to prove that there was life after death.
In the course of time Nichola married Sir Tristam Bereford , the eldest son of Richard, Earl ofTyrone, and of Lady Dorothy Annesley, daughter of Arthur, Earl ofAnglesey. One night she awoke terrified to see her foster-brother standing next to her bed. He told her to be quiet, and said he had just died, consequently reminding her of the vow they had made years ago. He advised her of some future events, one which was the coming death of her husband and subsequent remarrying. he told her she would have four children and that following the birth of her last, she too would die on the day she turned forty seven.
Lady Beresford sought confirmation that her brother's appearance was real and not a dream. At this Lord Tyrone grabbed her by the wrist, and it immediately shrank and withered. This deformity remained with her for the rest of her life, covered by a black silk ribbon she wore to conceal it.
Lord Tyrone's predictions all came to pass with the exception of her death at forty seven. On her forty eigth birthday, Lady Beresford decided to celebrate with a few friends, including a clergyman who was an old family friend.
"I am 48 today" she exclaimed. To her dismay the clergyman replied, "No my dear, you are only 47."
Lady Beresford was shaken. "Are you sure?" she asked.
The clergyman assured her he was as he had been looking at the register only days before.
"Then you have signed my death warrant!" she cried. She retired to her room, made out her will and died later that night.
This first one is considered one of Ireland's most famous ghost stories, that of Lord Tyrone and Lady Beresford. The following text is taken from www.colours-of-the-rainbow.com, used without permission. If anyone from this website wishes me to remove the text, I will do so. The original text can be found here.
Lord Tyrone was born John Le Poer and Lady Beresford, Nichola Sophia Hamilton. The two were orphans reared by an unbelieving (atheist) guardian who constantly tried to convert them to his atheist views. Because of this the two made a vow to each other that whoever died first would reappear to the other in order to prove that there was life after death.
In the course of time Nichola married Sir Tristam Bereford , the eldest son of Richard, Earl ofTyrone, and of Lady Dorothy Annesley, daughter of Arthur, Earl ofAnglesey. One night she awoke terrified to see her foster-brother standing next to her bed. He told her to be quiet, and said he had just died, consequently reminding her of the vow they had made years ago. He advised her of some future events, one which was the coming death of her husband and subsequent remarrying. he told her she would have four children and that following the birth of her last, she too would die on the day she turned forty seven.
Lady Beresford sought confirmation that her brother's appearance was real and not a dream. At this Lord Tyrone grabbed her by the wrist, and it immediately shrank and withered. This deformity remained with her for the rest of her life, covered by a black silk ribbon she wore to conceal it.
Lord Tyrone's predictions all came to pass with the exception of her death at forty seven. On her forty eigth birthday, Lady Beresford decided to celebrate with a few friends, including a clergyman who was an old family friend.
"I am 48 today" she exclaimed. To her dismay the clergyman replied, "No my dear, you are only 47."
Lady Beresford was shaken. "Are you sure?" she asked.
The clergyman assured her he was as he had been looking at the register only days before.
"Then you have signed my death warrant!" she cried. She retired to her room, made out her will and died later that night.
AAQR: I Must Run! (game)
This was another Amazon giveaway
Basically, this is one of those "timing" games where you need to tap the controls in sequence to jump in time, or slide in time, and "punch" in time. The problem is you need a VERY hefty phone for the extremely tight timing to work, or else, you will never get very far in this game.
A VERY simple twitch game, not much to it.
http://www.appbrain.com/app/i-must-run/com.gamelion.imustrun
Basically, this is one of those "timing" games where you need to tap the controls in sequence to jump in time, or slide in time, and "punch" in time. The problem is you need a VERY hefty phone for the extremely tight timing to work, or else, you will never get very far in this game.
A VERY simple twitch game, not much to it.
http://www.appbrain.com/app/i-must-run/com.gamelion.imustrun
AAQR: Word Mix (game)
This game was another giveaway on Amazon.
Basically, it's the game where you are given X letters and you need to find as many words as possible given those letters. It's about as basic as they come. In fact, it will tell you how many words to expect if you hit the HINT button.
Nothing else to this game except OpenFEINT support.
http://www.appbrain.com/app/word-mix/com.greenrift.wordmix
Basically, it's the game where you are given X letters and you need to find as many words as possible given those letters. It's about as basic as they come. In fact, it will tell you how many words to expect if you hit the HINT button.
Nothing else to this game except OpenFEINT support.
http://www.appbrain.com/app/word-mix/com.greenrift.wordmix
AAQR: Greedy Spiders (game)
This game was given away on 18-SEP-2011. Unfortunately it doesn't work on my OG Droid. After the cutscene, as the game loads, it just force closes.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005LY4B0A?ie=UTF8&ref=mas_faad
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005LY4B0A?ie=UTF8&ref=mas_faad
Not Burned Out
But close. I've been doing it again. Too much time wasted stressing about one thing or another, not enough time just enjoying what I do. Granted, it's been a pretty crappy two weeks. We've had kitchen remodelling, damp issues and resulting drywall damage, game nights cancelled, migraines, worrying about what my beta readers think of my new book. It's all been a bit, well, crap.
On the plus side, the new kitchen is great and so easy for Jen to use with just a regular office chair on wheels. We've also settled on trading in our car for a 2nd-hand Daihatsu Terios, since we figure having 4-wheel drive in the winters we've been getting lately is big and clever.
I need to start doing a few more things for fun. Reading more, for a start. Taking the time to enjoy working on my new WIPs instead of thinking I have to get them written as soon as possible, that's a biggie. I've spread out the last of my annual leave so that I have at least a 4-day weekend in every month for the rest of the year. I think there will definitely be some all-day writing going on, but also maybe the odd all-day cinema trip or something.
Something Jody Hedlund actually pointed out to me today was that, given everything that's happened, I've likely spent many days just sitting down and telling myself to write, no matter how I was feeling. It's easy to lose that sense of joy in doing something when you're telling your brain that it doesn't matter how you feel, you're going to do this anyway.
I love my writing, I really do. But I've got two novels written, one of which is out in 2012 and the other which I don't have to think about querying until some time after the New Year. I think it's time I made sure writing was fun again.
On the plus side, the new kitchen is great and so easy for Jen to use with just a regular office chair on wheels. We've also settled on trading in our car for a 2nd-hand Daihatsu Terios, since we figure having 4-wheel drive in the winters we've been getting lately is big and clever.
I need to start doing a few more things for fun. Reading more, for a start. Taking the time to enjoy working on my new WIPs instead of thinking I have to get them written as soon as possible, that's a biggie. I've spread out the last of my annual leave so that I have at least a 4-day weekend in every month for the rest of the year. I think there will definitely be some all-day writing going on, but also maybe the odd all-day cinema trip or something.
Something Jody Hedlund actually pointed out to me today was that, given everything that's happened, I've likely spent many days just sitting down and telling myself to write, no matter how I was feeling. It's easy to lose that sense of joy in doing something when you're telling your brain that it doesn't matter how you feel, you're going to do this anyway.
I love my writing, I really do. But I've got two novels written, one of which is out in 2012 and the other which I don't have to think about querying until some time after the New Year. I think it's time I made sure writing was fun again.
Beta Reading
A topic for discussion today. What's the best time to send a newly-written manuscript to your beta readers?
I tend to send off very raw drafts. There'll already be a number of things I want to change and correct, which I'll delay, by the time I send a draft to my betas. I think I do this because my mind is still at a stage of being aware that changes are needed, so I'm more open to criticism. I worry that if I think a draft is really good before I send it, I might not be as receptive to comments.
But am I making things more difficult for my beta readers in doing this? Is it worth their time to be going over the parts I already have marked for change, or is it good to get as broad an opinion on those areas to have a better idea of how to change them? Generally I like to get as many opinions as I can and weigh up the options before deciding what course to take.
Should a writer send out a rough first draft to be picked apart, or is it better to work in private, or with a smaller number of crit partners, and send out something much more polished, so that there's a chance any changes after the beta stage will be minor, but taking the risk that they'll have put a lot of work into something that has serious issues not spotted even by their crit partners?
I tend to send off very raw drafts. There'll already be a number of things I want to change and correct, which I'll delay, by the time I send a draft to my betas. I think I do this because my mind is still at a stage of being aware that changes are needed, so I'm more open to criticism. I worry that if I think a draft is really good before I send it, I might not be as receptive to comments.
But am I making things more difficult for my beta readers in doing this? Is it worth their time to be going over the parts I already have marked for change, or is it good to get as broad an opinion on those areas to have a better idea of how to change them? Generally I like to get as many opinions as I can and weigh up the options before deciding what course to take.
Should a writer send out a rough first draft to be picked apart, or is it better to work in private, or with a smaller number of crit partners, and send out something much more polished, so that there's a chance any changes after the beta stage will be minor, but taking the risk that they'll have put a lot of work into something that has serious issues not spotted even by their crit partners?
10 Years Ago
Yesterday was the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks on the United States. My wife had spent time with a number of cops and firefighters several years previous while in New York with her wheelchair sports team. They had been acting as chaperones for the group. Some of the firefighters she knew were among those who gave their lives doing their duty that day.
Yesterday our son, Conor, would have been two months old.
Life is filled with the greatest of sorrows and the most private of tragedies. These cannot be avoided. I believe that happiness comes not from living a life without pain, but from enduring that pain and surviving. Becoming stronger because you have faced hardship and seen the light that comes after. Even when we've suffered the worst we thought we could stand, we owe it to ourselves and those we have lost to carry on and find beauty in our lives.
Some events change the whole world. Others just change our own. I didn't lose anyone on September 11th, but I have watched those that did. I have seen a city, one of my favourite cities in the world, rebuild and watched its people find strength from rebuilding together.
Now, I've got some editing to do, and more books to write.
Yesterday our son, Conor, would have been two months old.
Life is filled with the greatest of sorrows and the most private of tragedies. These cannot be avoided. I believe that happiness comes not from living a life without pain, but from enduring that pain and surviving. Becoming stronger because you have faced hardship and seen the light that comes after. Even when we've suffered the worst we thought we could stand, we owe it to ourselves and those we have lost to carry on and find beauty in our lives.
Some events change the whole world. Others just change our own. I didn't lose anyone on September 11th, but I have watched those that did. I have seen a city, one of my favourite cities in the world, rebuild and watched its people find strength from rebuilding together.
Now, I've got some editing to do, and more books to write.
AAQR: Drag Racing (game)
Drag Racing Premium was given away on Amazon Free App of the Day, and it's a pretty addicting little game, ruined by a bit of pacing problem.
The game is simple drag racing: beat the other guy by performing good starts, accelerate, hit nitro if you got it, and basically beat the other guy.
There's "internet competition" by using ghost laps, and there's upgrades galore: 5 areas of 5 levels each. There's dozens of cars, from pedestrian VW Golf to Superexotics like Bugatti Veyron SuperSport. There's also offline race (i.e. race against AI), "online race" (race agains tother people's ghost runs), league racing (ranking improves as you race), and so on.
Graphics are simple, not 3D fancy, just 2D sprites, but they are quite smooth and detailed. And shifting is very precise.
And different cars do behave differently, and upgrades DO make a difference. Too much wheel spin? Add better tires, shift earlier to reduce torque, and so on. Advanced tuning options let you tweak the gear ratios and whatnot to REALLY optimize it for 1/2 mile or 1/4 mile.
Cars, cars, cars. I already said there's tons of cars. Figure about 100 or so, separated into 10 "levels" of cars. You can buy and sell all of them... if you have enough money.
however, the game has some problems in that the players can dig themselves a hole if they are not careful.
The game's like this: a Level 1 car can be upgraded with parts. When fully upgraded, the car will probably be a level 3. However, level 3 have pretty large variations. A fully decked out level 1, now a Level 3, when wielded properly, can probably do 10 second quarter miles.
However, a stock level 3 car, CANNOT do 10 second quarter miles. It can do about 11 second quarter mile.
Thus, if you sold your level 1 car (at about 20% loss of value), to buy a level 3, you won't be able to win ANY races on level 3, and thus, no income, no reputation points, and no upgrades. And thus, you are STUCK!
Fortunately, there is a special race called "driver's challenge", where you randomly race another driver in identical cars, and thus driver skill carries the day. This will allow you to accumulate some money and reputation to finance your upgrades.
All in all, Drag Racing is a surprisingly addicting little game. My only objection is the game often crashes on my OG Droid after a race, with "this program needs to close" error message, and that "logic hole" above (which I figured out).
At $1.99, I'd say get it.
http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Mobile-OU-Racing-Premium/dp/B005LJ079O
The game is simple drag racing: beat the other guy by performing good starts, accelerate, hit nitro if you got it, and basically beat the other guy.
There's "internet competition" by using ghost laps, and there's upgrades galore: 5 areas of 5 levels each. There's dozens of cars, from pedestrian VW Golf to Superexotics like Bugatti Veyron SuperSport. There's also offline race (i.e. race against AI), "online race" (race agains tother people's ghost runs), league racing (ranking improves as you race), and so on.
Graphics are simple, not 3D fancy, just 2D sprites, but they are quite smooth and detailed. And shifting is very precise.
And different cars do behave differently, and upgrades DO make a difference. Too much wheel spin? Add better tires, shift earlier to reduce torque, and so on. Advanced tuning options let you tweak the gear ratios and whatnot to REALLY optimize it for 1/2 mile or 1/4 mile.
Cars, cars, cars. I already said there's tons of cars. Figure about 100 or so, separated into 10 "levels" of cars. You can buy and sell all of them... if you have enough money.
however, the game has some problems in that the players can dig themselves a hole if they are not careful.
The game's like this: a Level 1 car can be upgraded with parts. When fully upgraded, the car will probably be a level 3. However, level 3 have pretty large variations. A fully decked out level 1, now a Level 3, when wielded properly, can probably do 10 second quarter miles.
However, a stock level 3 car, CANNOT do 10 second quarter miles. It can do about 11 second quarter mile.
Thus, if you sold your level 1 car (at about 20% loss of value), to buy a level 3, you won't be able to win ANY races on level 3, and thus, no income, no reputation points, and no upgrades. And thus, you are STUCK!
Fortunately, there is a special race called "driver's challenge", where you randomly race another driver in identical cars, and thus driver skill carries the day. This will allow you to accumulate some money and reputation to finance your upgrades.
All in all, Drag Racing is a surprisingly addicting little game. My only objection is the game often crashes on my OG Droid after a race, with "this program needs to close" error message, and that "logic hole" above (which I figured out).
At $1.99, I'd say get it.
http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Mobile-OU-Racing-Premium/dp/B005LJ079O
Ultra Modern Architecture Office
This office interior design not only accommodate working activities, but also succeed to express product image which have environment approach & also make a bonafide company look. This office located in Rasuna Office Park, Kuningan, Jakarta, is base of Vidatech Company which have software products. A171 m2 space basic of two parts which become united & have triangle shape so the layout space more complex form usually office. Other unique part is there are low plafond & structural wall of building which across & can not be removed so make difficult to divide the rooms. As first step, designer divided office layout become two zone based on room program & use two accesses from old office. First zone consist of main access for staff & guest, main door, staff area, services area, two director room, & informal meeting room.
Second zone consist of special client access, formal meeting room, & management room. As a link of these two zones, there is lounge with café atmosphere. The floor is higher than the others. Those room order match with office needed which give attention to be representatives & marketing office, not the production.
In concept, owner & designer agree to express software product image in to interior design, & the concept get shape at capsule concept. This concept formulated as space with modular capsule shape with certain wall in round shape. Technically, all of structural wall let it flat, but other partition walls made curved with wooden skeleton & covered with panels laminated Formica Aluminum otherwise wooden profile in horizontal lines & deco finishing. This seems clear started from stairs area & main door, until formal meeting room until open ver&a which goes to lounge area.
Designer also applied rounded or curved shape at dropped down ceiling, explicated with indirect lightning lamp applied inside like seem in lounge area. Designers also cope to formed transparent, light, & sophisticated impression with applied fabrication material & up to date finishing. For example, almost of room partitioned with clear glasses from floor until plafond & frameless. Walls, plafond, floor dominated with gray & white color. As a room focus, there are digital printings with photos of sea living & attractive colors at certain walls. At staff room, filing cabinet from supercon material & acrylic finishing created, glossy with orange color to give spirit & joy of work. Lounge floor covered with 12 mm glass so indirect lightning more live.
Ultramodern office impression explicited with thematic lightning. For example, formal meeting room has blue lightning, so make dramatic impression, as if we inside sea. Last, furniture in this office is ergonomic, it means shape, measurement, & chair construction can prop up user body appropriate with user’s gesture & posture. Material & chair finishing do not use wood & usually seats, but have special material which flexible, strong, & sophiscated. These chairs have hollow shape, dynamic, sporty, light, & brief because stackable also easy to moved follow office activities (multipurpose).
Second zone consist of special client access, formal meeting room, & management room. As a link of these two zones, there is lounge with café atmosphere. The floor is higher than the others. Those room order match with office needed which give attention to be representatives & marketing office, not the production.
In concept, owner & designer agree to express software product image in to interior design, & the concept get shape at capsule concept. This concept formulated as space with modular capsule shape with certain wall in round shape. Technically, all of structural wall let it flat, but other partition walls made curved with wooden skeleton & covered with panels laminated Formica Aluminum otherwise wooden profile in horizontal lines & deco finishing. This seems clear started from stairs area & main door, until formal meeting room until open ver&a which goes to lounge area.
Designer also applied rounded or curved shape at dropped down ceiling, explicated with indirect lightning lamp applied inside like seem in lounge area. Designers also cope to formed transparent, light, & sophisticated impression with applied fabrication material & up to date finishing. For example, almost of room partitioned with clear glasses from floor until plafond & frameless. Walls, plafond, floor dominated with gray & white color. As a room focus, there are digital printings with photos of sea living & attractive colors at certain walls. At staff room, filing cabinet from supercon material & acrylic finishing created, glossy with orange color to give spirit & joy of work. Lounge floor covered with 12 mm glass so indirect lightning more live.
Ultramodern office impression explicited with thematic lightning. For example, formal meeting room has blue lightning, so make dramatic impression, as if we inside sea. Last, furniture in this office is ergonomic, it means shape, measurement, & chair construction can prop up user body appropriate with user’s gesture & posture. Material & chair finishing do not use wood & usually seats, but have special material which flexible, strong, & sophiscated. These chairs have hollow shape, dynamic, sporty, light, & brief because stackable also easy to moved follow office activities (multipurpose).
A True Opulent Modern Living in Luxurious and Charming Serrano by A-Cero
If you believe in Karma then perhaps A-cero got the karma of always designing such luxurious interior design as well as a marvelous job in home designing. It seems that it is a curse given to them, and of course it is a good curse. You will be fascinated by this architecture projects and interiors in this incredible looking Serrano apartment located in center of Madrid in a four storey building. This 185 square meter apartment has the best interior design of in elegant black which becomes sort of the trade mark of A-cero and I just loved it. The loft here has four or more bedrooms, a lounge room, a kitchen, bathrooms and dining room. You will love the tender natural light coming from the wide windows and skylights. A truly opulent modern living space from A-cero.
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Getting Back To Normal
It's been a hectic week. At the start of it I finished the first draft of Silent Oath and sent it off to my beta readers. I figured on taking a few days to relax before getting to work on Nightfall, my YA novel. It hasn't been such a relaxing week.
We had work start on re-modelling our kitchen so my wife can more easily make use of it, which revealed long-standing damp issues in one wall. Repairing the damage and solving the damp issue added another day onto the job and was a hit to the wallet as well. We've been without a kitchen since Wednesday morning. Bozes and packing crates are in every other room. It's been a tad stressful.
But tonight the job will be done. We can reclaim our rooms and go make a proper cup of coffee without filling the kettle from the stand pipe in the garden. We can finally chill out again once this is done.
And then, after my "week off" is over, I can get back to writing Nightfall.
We had work start on re-modelling our kitchen so my wife can more easily make use of it, which revealed long-standing damp issues in one wall. Repairing the damage and solving the damp issue added another day onto the job and was a hit to the wallet as well. We've been without a kitchen since Wednesday morning. Bozes and packing crates are in every other room. It's been a tad stressful.
But tonight the job will be done. We can reclaim our rooms and go make a proper cup of coffee without filling the kettle from the stand pipe in the garden. We can finally chill out again once this is done.
And then, after my "week off" is over, I can get back to writing Nightfall.
Setting Goals
The first few tentative comments on Silent Oath are coming back from my betas. So far my wife has decided I need to be beaten with pens and poked in the stomach for my spelling errors. This is what I get for sending out such a raw copy. I admit I did leave in some issues that I know need to be addressed, like spellchecking and retro-fitting a name change I decided on in chapter 8.
It's a time of the year full of new starts. Kids are starting school. Students are getting ready to go to college. It's a good time to be setting goals.
With the first draft of Silent Oath completed I can start to spend more time reading, which is something I really need to do. I've also decided that I want to have both Silent Oath and Nightfall completed and edited, ready for querying, by Christmas.
Granted I won't actually be querying Silent Oath that soon, but I do want to get Nightfall out there as soon as possible, and it makes a good deadline for both books. I need to try and get another 65,000 words written on Nightfall. So if I can manage roughly 20,000 words a month, I should be just about on-target.
What about you? What goals are you setting yourselves these days?
It's a time of the year full of new starts. Kids are starting school. Students are getting ready to go to college. It's a good time to be setting goals.
With the first draft of Silent Oath completed I can start to spend more time reading, which is something I really need to do. I've also decided that I want to have both Silent Oath and Nightfall completed and edited, ready for querying, by Christmas.
Granted I won't actually be querying Silent Oath that soon, but I do want to get Nightfall out there as soon as possible, and it makes a good deadline for both books. I need to try and get another 65,000 words written on Nightfall. So if I can manage roughly 20,000 words a month, I should be just about on-target.
What about you? What goals are you setting yourselves these days?
Samsung Pure Breeze Launcher (free, $1.99)
I can't get this launcher to run on my OG Droid. The previous version 1.00.37 worked, but the latest 1.00.40 did not. It just crashes.
Here's a review from Gizmodo, and they seem to like the idea, even though it's a bit unusual.
http://gizmodo.com/5837042/samsungs-pure-breeze-launcher-for-android-is-really-weird?tag=androidapps
Download it from Appbrain:
http://www.appbrain.com/app/pure-breeze-launcher-lite/com.samsung.smcl.spblauncherlite
Here's a review from Gizmodo, and they seem to like the idea, even though it's a bit unusual.
http://gizmodo.com/5837042/samsungs-pure-breeze-launcher-for-android-is-really-weird?tag=androidapps
Download it from Appbrain:
http://www.appbrain.com/app/pure-breeze-launcher-lite/com.samsung.smcl.spblauncherlite
AAQR: Are you Left-Brained or Right-Brained (free)
"Brain" is a little test where it asks you questions and see which hand do you prefer such tasks, as well as how you think about certain situations, to see which half of your brain dominates.
It's just a short quiz, nothing more. It is rather cute though.
http://www.appbrain.com/app/are-you-left-brained-or-right/com.movisol.hemisferios
It's just a short quiz, nothing more. It is rather cute though.
http://www.appbrain.com/app/are-you-left-brained-or-right/com.movisol.hemisferios
AAQR: Camera Fun Pro (paid)
Camera Fun Pro was given away on Amazon App Market the other day.
I have previously reviewed the free version, and the full version has 29 different filters. Basically, it gives you live preview of the effects on the camera picture.
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to work on my OG Droid with CM7.1RC1. Preview works fine. I took a picture, then the app crashed (while writing the picture).
I tried the "low-resolution" mode, did not help.
And it's NOT my MicroSD card. I have a 16 GB Class 10 card I bought from NewEgg (and I still have the original class 2 somewhere)
Your experience may vary.
http://www.appbrain.com/app/camera-fun-pro/com.spiceloop.camerafun
I have previously reviewed the free version, and the full version has 29 different filters. Basically, it gives you live preview of the effects on the camera picture.
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to work on my OG Droid with CM7.1RC1. Preview works fine. I took a picture, then the app crashed (while writing the picture).
I tried the "low-resolution" mode, did not help.
And it's NOT my MicroSD card. I have a 16 GB Class 10 card I bought from NewEgg (and I still have the original class 2 somewhere)
Your experience may vary.
http://www.appbrain.com/app/camera-fun-pro/com.spiceloop.camerafun
AAQR: Godville, the anti-RPG (game, free)
Godville is a satire / spoof on the entire RPG genre. You don't really play it. You sort of watch it being played.
Basically, you are this "god", and you create a "hero", who will go fight in this world and do quests. This is a text game though. Your only control over this hero is "encourage" or "punish". And you can only do this X times per Y hours. Oh, and if he dies, you can resurrect him. But that's it.
So periodically check in on him and see how well (or badly) he did, and give him a little encouragement (or punishment) as needed. Lots of encouragement makes him nice, while lots of punishment makes him nasty. It's all up to you.
It's cute, and you should try it, if just for the fun of it.
http://www.appbrain.com/app/godville/com.godvillegame.android
Basically, you are this "god", and you create a "hero", who will go fight in this world and do quests. This is a text game though. Your only control over this hero is "encourage" or "punish". And you can only do this X times per Y hours. Oh, and if he dies, you can resurrect him. But that's it.
So periodically check in on him and see how well (or badly) he did, and give him a little encouragement (or punishment) as needed. Lots of encouragement makes him nice, while lots of punishment makes him nasty. It's all up to you.
It's cute, and you should try it, if just for the fun of it.
http://www.appbrain.com/app/godville/com.godvillegame.android
First Draft
Last night, despite battling netbook issues and suffering most of the day with a migraine, I typed the closing words on the first draft of my WIP, Silent Oath.
For those who don't know, Silent Oath is the sequel to my first novel. I'm sure I'll change the title later but despite how hard I find it to come up with good titles, I find I can't get into a new book until I've given it at least a temporary name. It has been a fun book to write. I really enjoyed getting back into the characters' heads and telling the story of how they'd grown since I'd last had them in my head.
The draft has been sent on to my amazing team of beta readers so I'm going to try not to think about all the little mistakes I've probably made. The thing is, while I should probably just relax and spend some time not writing, I know it'll probably be tomorrow at the latest before I'm chomping at the bit to write again. I'm glad I still have Nightfall to work on.
Do any of you find it hard to sit still once you've completed a first draft? How do you handle the wait until you start doing edits?
For those who don't know, Silent Oath is the sequel to my first novel. I'm sure I'll change the title later but despite how hard I find it to come up with good titles, I find I can't get into a new book until I've given it at least a temporary name. It has been a fun book to write. I really enjoyed getting back into the characters' heads and telling the story of how they'd grown since I'd last had them in my head.
The draft has been sent on to my amazing team of beta readers so I'm going to try not to think about all the little mistakes I've probably made. The thing is, while I should probably just relax and spend some time not writing, I know it'll probably be tomorrow at the latest before I'm chomping at the bit to write again. I'm glad I still have Nightfall to work on.
Do any of you find it hard to sit still once you've completed a first draft? How do you handle the wait until you start doing edits?
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