The Plague Book Review

Albert Camus’ The Plague is the story of a town called Oran which is affected by a devastating plague that kills quickly and horribly. The town is soon quarantined and its citizens forced to live in solitude and fear. The story is told from the point of view of a doctor who is treating the disease.I recommend this novel to fans of literature. I really wanted to like this novel, but I found it a bit dry. Fans of allegory and those with interest in political systems will enjoy the deeper meaning within the novel.I enjoyed the interactions between the characters. This is where the emotional content of the novel comes through. I enjoyed the various aspects of how each character deals with their own solitude and fear of the disease.I also found the progression of quarantine and totalitarianism intriguing. The town is forced into solitude, being quarantined from the rest of the world, but it is done in such a manner that its citizens are rather complacent. Some do try to escape, but many submit to their imprisonment without argument or struggle.I really tried to like this novel. It has great reviews and is heralded by many as one of the best novels ever written. That being said, it really dragged for me. It took me several weeks to finish what others have called a “page-turner.” This simply was not the case for me. I found it dry and boring at times. I felt very little connection to the characters, and with the exception of one scene, I cared very little for what happened to them.Albert Camus is a Nobel prize-winning French-Algerian author who is best known for his novel, The Stranger. Although often called an existentialist, Camus rejected the label. He was actively opposed to totalitarianism, and his view is shown through his work, The Plague.If I were reading this novel through a college course, I believe I may have gotten more out of it. I’m interested in doing some research on a deeper analysis of the novel, because I think I will gain a better understanding of its significance. The Plague is not a bad novel; I just didn’t have a great experience reading it. I have a feeling I only comprehended the text on a basic, surface level, and I’d be interested in studying it for its allegorical aspects. I feel I’ve missed the point.

The Land of Painted Caves Book Review

THE LAND OF PAINTED CAVESWith thirty years in the making, this series ends with a quiet dignity. There is no one huge reveal; nothing terribly unexpected to fans, but many smaller reveals. These are the type that the lovers of this series have come know and to expect. As usual we have the wonderful narrative, albeit, somewhat repetitive as with the other books. This is neither the heart shattering conclusion I had somewhat expected, nor does it really tie anything up in a neat little bow. It simply -IS.MAY CONTAIN VERY, VERY SLIGHT SPOILERS OR HINTS OF WHAT YOU CAN EXPECTThe Good—this MAY be read as a “stand-alone”. While others may think it is not, I do believe that while you will most definitely WANT to read the other novels, you don’t HAVE to, to enjoy this one. Ms Auel gives enough back-story to answer most of your questions. We learn how Ayla is left clan-less as well as brief explanations on just what her “clan” was all about. We find out how she lost her original family to an earthquake, how she found and trained the animals and how she met Jondular and came to travel with him. Ayla’s life from the time she was 5 till now is all re-capped in this novel. Your curiosity will be piqued enough by this book to go back and read the others though, especially the very first one “Clan of the Cave Bear” (or you can even watch the DVD with Daryl Hannah Clan of the Cave Bear, but with a lesser impact).The Bad —Ms Auel makes the same mistake with this novel as she has done in the past and becomes overly fond of repetition. In addition, if something is described once, then it will be described at least five, six, or more times during the duration of the novel, and sometimes the very same chapter. Moreover, at 756 ARC pages, by the time you get half way it becomes a distraction. At times, I found myself sometimes skimming certain pages just to get to something new.The Summary— Ayla is still in training as an Acolyte to the One that is First Among Those Who Serve (Zelandonii). Ayla, her daughter Jonayla, and Jondular are taking First, on a sort of quest called the Donier Tour to further Ayla’s requirements to become a full Spiritual Leader for the Ninth Cave. On this tour, they view many of their most sacred places, which are painted caves and that is how the title comes to be.There is much interaction throughout this novel with various caves and people along the way. Several Summer Meeting will take place and we even get to see some old friends from past books.About five years or so will pass with a blink of any eye, it seems, and Ayla’s daughter Jonayla grows from an infant into a wonderful child and then we are off on a tour (one of many). From one painted cave to another, and another and another etc. We seem to be seeing the same things in all the caves and while interesting, the repetition can become a bid tedious for those of us who are looking for a bit more action like was found in some of the previous books. I was surprised to see very little growth of the characters from what they were in the past novels. At least until the very last part of the book, when what can be considered the largest of the reveals comes to light. At about 403 pages and there still is no device being used that pushes the 6 book story to a conclusion. In fact, the novel never really concludes. There is no definitive ending. Which makes me wonder if there will be further Earth’s Children books but with Jonayla as the protagonist instead of Jondular and Ayla.Interestingly enough, I do see an interesting twist with Ayla and Jondular being perhaps, one of the very first couples where the wife `works’ outside the home with separate responsibilities that are not just about taking care of her man and child. I see Jondular chaffing a bit when Ayla has something she needs to do for the Zelandonii and he cannot come with her. Moreover, we soon find this to unfortunately, be very true. I found this to be a fascinating bit of by-play for this time period and love how Ms Auel gives them a bit of a “modern” twist in the midst of the Ice Age.

Winter Olympics 2010 – Surprises On The Figure Skating Podium

The men’s competition is another story. There are several skaters with gold in their sites, and with the new judging system, the way to the top of the podium has opened up. The two favourites are Yevgeny Plushenko, coming out of retirement to attempt to match his gold from Torino in 2006. Back to back Olympic Gold medal in Men’s has not been accomplished in almost six decades. Plushenko is 27, and he rose to fame and gold medals in a time when great jumping, especially the ability to do a quad jump, was applauded over spins, steps and transitions. The new judging system might not be in his favour.

Another skater likely to be in the medals is Evan Lysacek from the United States. He is the reigning world champion and he focuses less on jumps and more on other elements. So it will be old versus new, but with others also looking for gold. Two other former world champions, Stephane Lambiel and Brian Joubert can do quads and they are both planning two of them in their free program, matching what Plushenko plans. The last two mens’ world champions have not done quads, so that gold is up for grabs, spins and jumps.

In Ice Dancing, the Russian couple of Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin won the 2009 World Ice Dance Championships. They seem favoured to win, but will face the French couple of Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder, who won the championships in 2008, but did not compete in 2009. The surprise here might be the United States 2009 and 2010 Ice Dance Champions, Meryl Davis and Charlie White. And the couple with home ice advantage, Canadian Ice Dance Champions, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir are ready for gold.

In the women’s competition, 19 year old Kim Yu-Na, of South Korea is heavily favoured. She is the 2009 World Figure Skating Champion and the 2009 Four Continents champion. She won the South Korean National figure skating title five times and has a string of other successes. She is the 2007 and 2008 World figure skating bronze medallist, the 2007 Grand Prix Final champion, and in 2006 she was the World Junior figure skating champion and the Junior Grand Prix Final Champion. Kin Yu-Na might be hard to beat, with her unique Yu-Na spin, and perhaps cheered on by Canadians, since she has been training in Toronto with 1988 Men’s Silver Medallist, Canadian, Brian Orser.

Wonderful and Fashion Style Tiffany Jewelry

Before making the purchase it is a good idea to look around and find reputable stores that sell good quality sterling silver jewelry. Unscrupulous store owners will always tell you that they only carry replicacheap Tiffany jewelry but when you examine them closely they are the traditional cheap imitation with very bad craftsmanship and low silver quality. So before making that decision, go thru several stores to compare quality and prices. Shopping online is also a good choice; you just have to be wary of ecommerce sites which will scam you of your money.

A lot of people desire to own expensive designer jewelry but can’t afford them. There are means to achieve the look of a fashionista adorned in fine designer jewelries without having to spend a lot. A very good option is to buyreplica jewelry. You will be pleasantly surprised of its cost but its look and feel is very much similar to its original expensive jewelry piece. More often you can find this jewelry in a sterling silver shop and it is just a matter of finding the shop which you are comfortable to deal with.

Always exercise due diligence when purchasing a replica Tiffany jewelry. Only go for reputable sellers to ensure you get top quality replicas. If you are careful with your choice no one can tell that you are donning just a replica and that you paid a fraction of what real designer jewelries cost. If the craftsmanship of the sterling jewelry is excellent then it will most likely appear exactly the same as the original and no one will be wiser.

Speaking of earrings, chandelier earrings back in the middle of this year. Color is very important in years. Jewel tones are popular, as long as they are rich and fertile. This means that yellow, red, orange and very popular. In addition, yellow gold makes a comeback. You can choose to give the stone to your collection, which is rich with nuance. This is not necessarily the most expensive stone. You can choose your accessories amethyst and citrine, glitter and glamour that you are looking for. Tiffany Jewelry is the best way to integrate and enhance your wardrobe a leader in fashion trends into your wardrobe.
Replica Jewelryis one of the best ways you can stay up to date with current trends, without any money you have in your savings account.
Statement jewelryis actually one of the biggest trends today. You need a cut, a bit embarrassing as the Links of London Jewelry that you every day. Discover the fun shapes, bright colors and lots of shine. The key to this type of job search alone is keeping your statement in one section per shirt. You do not need to be paired to the notice of large-ring with a pile of chunky bracelet and some chandelier earrings. Conversely, you can simply choose to operate both large statement rings and earrings.

It is important that you do not look too closely at the replica jewelrywhen you buy it. If valuable items that you do not want sellers to know how precious! Keeping the face, maintaining the happiness and joy to yourself, and pay fifty cents or two bucks that they want to play, get into the car and ran into a jewelry store that is believed to an assessment! There is the possibility that the piece is not worth anything-but occasionally you’ll stumble to find real! Although this topic is not worth anything if you make jewelry, you may be able to separate the parts.

There are other ways to findcheap Tiffany jewelry at wholesale prices or less. Watch your newspaper for advertised estate sales and garage sales. Usually, these sales, the people holding the sale really do not know the value of what they have. You can purchase literally hundreds or thousands of dollars for Tiffany jewelry only a few dollars on a typical Saturday morning.

Find Tiffany jewelry wholesale is very exciting. Can actually use them on a Saturday morning selling the site and field sales even become addictive! Yard sales and estate sales-especially estate sales where grandchildren are not interested in their old grandmother ugly jewelry are the best sources forreplica Tiffany jewelry at wholesale prices or lower wholesale prices. This does not mean that there is a real find on eBay as well, so do not discount it. If the item is very expensive, to use Escrow service recommended staying Bay. Also talk with major retailers to ensure that you understand what is advertised!

Article source:

http://www.wholesale-retailer.com/news/Jewelry/

The features and benefits of E-book Marketing

Writing and publishing your book in eBook form does not mean that you cannot also have it published as a traditional book. In fact, more and more publishers are searching for books to publish by searching for eBooks on the topics they are interested in. Writing and publishing your book in eBook form does not mean that you cannot also have it published as a traditional book. In fact, more and more publishers are searching for books to publish by searching for eBooks on the topics they are interested in. If you intend on publishing your eBook when it is finished, here are some ways to make it more attractive to publishers and profitable for you when you sell it online.

1 – Choose a theme for your eBook. This may be a story, quote, or verse at the beginning of each chapter, a photograph or picture with a story or anecdote, or another creative way to let your readers know who you are through your writing. for more detials:-www.ebook-secrets-revealed.com. Think about what type of theme may work for your topic and experiment with different ideas.

2 – Use an outline as you are writing to keep your ideas organized in a logical order and sequence throughout your eBook. Divide your information into chapters that flow from beginning to end, so that your readers will be able to find the chapter that addresses their problem or situation quickly and easily.

3 – Begin to market your eBook while you are still doing the writing. This can be done by creating a blog, writing articles, commenting in forums, and sending press releases. This way you will have an audience of hungry buyers by the time you are ready to make sales.

4 – Find an editor or proofreader to read your eBook before you sell it to anyone. Even though you will have checked for typos and other mistakes, it never hurts to have more sets of eyes on your writing. Others who are trained in this area will be able to spot mistakes and changes that need to be made before your eBook goes to market.

5 – Build a list of prospects who are interested in your topic. This will also help you when a publisher comes to pursue your writing as a traditional book. for visit detials:-www.profit-pulling-ebooks.com.When they see that you already have interested readers you will gain credibility and are more likely to be able to negotiate a publishing deal.

6 – Write a strong sales letter that discusses . Be sure to include testimonials and detailed information that further reinforce the quality of what you have written.

7 – Give away a free chapter or an excerpt from your eBook to get people to sign up for your list. This will also get people talking about what you have written. Send a press release to get even more leverage from the entire process.

Putting these ideas into action will give you an edge when you seek out a publishing deal to turn your eBook into a self-published or traditional book.
www.ebook-creation-toolkit.com

www.make-your-ebook-sell.com

The Essentials of BBQ Grilling – From Start out to Complete

Quite a few folks adore it just as it was initial prepared several years ago. Nonetheless, as with a lot of other types of recipes you can adapt them to suit your certain requirements as nicely as satisfy some specific cravings. For instance, in this specific recipe, we do not involve these unique chicken elements. Instead we make up for it by employing smoked sausage and hamburger meat to attain the dirty rice appearance.<strong>Grilled Chicken Recipes and Excellent Facet Dishes</strong>Whenever you are creating grilled chicken recipes you will need some great aspect dishes to accompany the meal as very well as compliment the flavors of the meal you are serving. After firing up your grill, you could want to cook the smoked sausage and hamburger meat on the grill previous to getting ready this side dish. Grilling the meats and veggies forward of time will only add to their scrumptious flavors and aromas. To compliment this side dish you might want to serve a fresh new green garden salad with numerous styles of salad dressing from which you can decide on. Baking some homemade rolls and serving substantial eyeglasses of sweet tea will also add a refreshing mood to the natural environment you are trying to boost although serving your spouse and children, mates, or party visitors.<strong>Recipe for Dirty Rice</strong><em>What You Need</em>three cups cooked rice3 Tablespoons vegetable oil? pound smoked sausage? pound hamburger meatone cup chopped onionone cup chopped celery1 big diced green bell pepper? cup chopped green onions1 cup drinking water? cup chopped fresh new parsleySalt and pepper to flavor<em>How to Make It</em>Cook forward of time or use leftover cooked rice for this recipe and then set apart right up until required.Making use of a massive skillet or saucepan about a medium heat you will add the vegetable oil, smoked sausage, and hamburger meat and then cook until finally performed.Add the chopped onions, chopped celery, and chopped green bell pepper. Stir to mix although cooking and then cut down the warmth. You really should consider to grill more than medium to sluggish warmth except your grilling steaks. Steaks require to be seared over large warmth to seal in the juices. Maintaining the heat reduced will aid to hold the meat tender.Another widespread mistake is lifting the grill cover up right after a very few minutes to test on the meat. Opening and shutting the cover on the grill result in the temperature to fluctuate. Bringing air constantly into the grill can also induce the meat to dry out. Make certain the meat is cooked just before including the BBQ sauce. This is yet another huge mistake numerous individuals make when initial starting up out on the grill. The trouble with adding the BBQ sauce to early, is that it triggers the meat to burn off. Most sauces incorporate sugar which burns quick when it comes in contact with fire. This in flip will cause the meat to melt away quickly. Once you’ve taken the meat off the grill and put it on the plate, check out and avoid cutting into it right away. Undertaking so while the meat is sizzling, can trigger people juices to operate out onto the plate. Let the meat sit for about 5 minutes in advance of cutting into it.

Where To Look For Figure Skating Dresses;

If you are planning to buy a figure skating dress then you first need to ask yourself a very simple question – why do you need the dress for? Do you wish to wear for a competition or do you want it just for fun? Determining the answers for these will help you buy the right figure skating dress and look for it at the right place. If you are participating in a skating competition and you require a figure skating dress for that event then you need a proper fitting dress and the best fabric. This is important because the dress carries marks in a competition. Apart from how well you skate the judges also give marks based on how good the figure skating dress looks on you. Your budget also needs to be determined accordingly. If you are planning to buy the dress just for fun then maybe you just buy anything that catches your fancy and looks good on you. In both the cases you have two main sources to look for the figure skating dresses. You can either buy them from any of the traditional stores or get them ordered online. Proper fitting and design is one of the main criteria while buying this outfit. It is important that you ensure that you give out the proper sizes and designs for getting your dress custom made. You must also check whether or not the website allows alteration facility. This is important because you may require getting your dress altered to make it properly fitting. The online store that you buy the figure skating dress from should provide such facility to you. The online stores also sell a wide variety of figure skating accessories and matching products. You can also buy them along with your dress to complete your look for an event or competition.

Test Yourself With AP Biology Test Questions

Answering sample AP Biology test questions is a great way to review for any type of AP Biology test, from tests in school to the AP Exam in May. Here are a few strategies for using Biology test questions to improve your grade.Find websites that offer full AP Biology practice tests, complete with grading rubrics, essay sections, everything. If you want you can just answer the questions that refer to a certain topic, which is probably the best option if you’re preparing for a school test.If you’re getting ready for the AP Exam, however, you want to take the whole test and you want to do it under test-like conditions. That means timing yourself during the multiple choice section, taking a quick break and then doing the essay section. Check your answers to see how you did and determine how much more you need to study to get the grade you want.AP Biology practice test questions are also great for revealing topics that you need to study a little more. If you got all of the questions that have to do with plant structure wrong, you should probably get a guide on plants sometime in the near future. Never tell yourself that you can just ignore topics that you don’t particularly like, as they could show up on the essay section. Entirely skipping one of the essay questions is not a good way to do well on the AP Biology Exam. During 2010, for example, one of the essay questions was on genetics. Would you have been ready for it?Finally, use practice tests to learn how to pace yourself during the exam. No one will be keeping time for you and telling you to work faster or slower, so you need to learn how to regulate yourself. If you find yourself running out of time on the multiple choice section you should probably start skipping the hardest questions and coming back to them at the end, for example. Insights like these are priceless during the AP Biology Exam, but unfortunately you have to experience them yourself.

Sytropin Body Building

We have a fascination with the perfect body. It may have something to do with symmetry. Ever since Leonardo’s depiction of man and the ratio 1:: 1.44 have we sought to look good and to the extent that we diet, exercise and perhaps take supplements like sytropin. Body building is still fashionable these days though for some it may not to exaggerate the muscles but to tone them and keep them firm. There are difficulties though to keeping in shape these days and perhaps technology is partly to blame.

Before the onset of modern technology, physical activity was a given in everyday life. For most societies, the day started before dawn. Chores such as chopping wood, fetching water, milking the cow were standard in most households. These activities were not deemed as hard and tiresome but were part of everyday life. In fact, walking a mile to school was considered normal and ordinary. Previous to this way of living, other civilizations were worse. A “Spartan Life” refers to the rough and tough roles Spartan men had in their society. As a warrior class, boys were raised early on to fight as soldiers, enduring much pain and suffering in order to survive. For those of us who have watch the movie “The 300,” the scenes depicted there regarding Spartan life is almost factually based. Those who also watched the movie marvelled at the physique of the Spartan soldiers, as they were lean and mean most with washboard abdominals and all fit to the core. The Ancient Olympics games were a testament to man’s physical ability and man’s physique as well. In those days, the games were played and only seen by males since most athletes competed in the buff. And to this day, we as spectators marvel at athletes during the modern Olympics not also for their skill and athleticism but also on how toned their bodies are. There is nothing wrong with appreciating their fitness and perhaps unconsciously, it is wishful thinking that we had their bodies, or perhaps we remember that once some time back, we did.

The quest for achieving the perfect body is big business as well. If one were to consider the amount of money invested for spas, gyms, tanning salons, and fitness centers, these investments run in the billions and many more are being built. And this is just one aspect of the health and wellness industry. The number of diet plans and systems these days has multiplied and continue to grow. Staring out with the Atkins Diet, The High Protein Diet, the Scarsdale Diet, the South Beach Diet, The Cabbage Soup Diet, the list goes on and on. Most of these diets now have their ready to eat microwaveable meals for those who do not have the time and patience to learn how to cook them. Then there is the natural supplement market and its niches as well that are the new players in the industry. From herbalife, nutrilife, usana, and even , these companies continue to come up with their products for various segments of the market like the case of sytropin that can be linked with body building. In the end, with so many choices available, it is your choice on what to sift and filter, and what to use to try to get back to shape, in the hopes of having that perfect body.

 

Tales of the Arabian Nights Board Game Review

Enter the mystical world of sultans, viziers, efreets and princesses as you become a legendary hero in Tales of the Arabian Nights. Take on the role of characters such as Aladdin, Ali Baba, Sindbad and Scheherazade. Adventure through Arabia and the rest of the world, and recreate your own legends and myths. Relive the One Thousand and One Nights as you journey over, sideways and under on a magic carpet ride!

Tales of the Arabian Nights is an interesting board game in that it doesn’t really have a strong strategy or “thinking” component to it. It can instead be considered a tool to experience entertaining stories as your characters grow from their humble beginnings to become heroes, sultans or powerful magicians. As such, a requirement for playing the game is the ability to use your imagination to create wondrous encounters, and the ability to laugh at the misfortunes that are bound to come your way (a few drinks and a comfy playing area can help too)!

The game begins with every player’s character starting as a poor nobody in the bustling capital of Baghdad. You can choose some of the most popular Arabian heroes as your character: from Aladdin and Ali Baba to Sindbad and Scheherazade. You also get to choose what skills your character possesses. These can range from standard RPG skills such as luck, weapon use and magic; to more exotic skills like seduction, piety and storytelling (So you can make Aladdin a seductive, lucky and pious man if you really wanted to). These skills will help you overcome obstacles and alter the course of events during your adventures.

You will also need to choose how you want to win the game. Each player has to secretly choose any combination of Story and Destiny points totaling 20 to be his goal. Your choice will depend on what kind of adventures you prefer to have. Non-violent tales usually provide Story points, while swashbuckling and magic-slinging adventures usually give you Destiny points. Each player also gets a random Quest that gives you a specific task to complete. These quests are usually epic in scale and might require you to visit exotic locations in the Far East or bring a prized artifact back to Baghdad. Completing the quests will provide you with benefits and victory points, and perhaps a treasure or two as well!

During their turn, each player moves their character to a new location, either on their way towards a particular destination, or just in search of adventure. The distance they can travel (both land and sea) will depend on how rich they are. After all, a wealthy prince will be able to afford a bigger, faster boat than a pauper. Once they have moved, they will need to draw an encounter card. This is where unexpected adventures will unfold, altering the characters’ journeys, and sometimes altering the characters themselves as well.

You might encounter an interesting character, for example a vizier. What happens during the encounter will depend on the time of day (ie. how far into the game you are). Things get more dangerous (and perhaps more romantic) during the night. The encounter card will direct you to a specific paragraph in the great Book of Tales. This Book of Tales contains every story and adventure in the game. Each paragraph in the book contains a different story and result depending on what choices you make and what skills you have (think the old Choose Your Own Adventure books, but on a much grander scale). So your encounter with the vizier might lead you to a romantic encounter with him, or get you locked up in jail for trying to pick his pockets!

You can also encounter more random things, such as freak storms, whirlpools and even magical oases. The encounter card will direct you to an encounter matrix. A roll of the dice (modified by things such as your Story and Destiny points) will determine exactly what you will encounter. You will also be given a set of 8 responses you can make which will determine which paragraph in the Book of Tales that will affect you. For example, encountering the freak storm might give you the option to pray, hide, cry, wait or drink. As you can probably guess, picking certain responses will produce more entertaining and fun stories than others! Players take turns to move and experience these encounters, and the first player to achieve their pre-determined victory point combination will win the game.

There is practically no strategy involved in the game, other than the basic decision of deciding where to go to complete your quests. You also do not have much control over what happens in the encounters. For example, drinking during the freak storm might not sound like a smart decision, but it might make you pass out and wake up in a magical kingdom under the sea! Likewise, having the “weapon use” skill might make you think that helping a merchant fend off bandits is a good idea, but it might end up with the merchant robbing you while you are busy fighting.

The game is first and foremost a storytelling and adventure game, and you will enjoy it immensely if you throw caution to the winds and immerse yourself in the world of the Thousand and One Nights. The game might take a while to finish though, especially if you are playing with 5 or 6 players. But if you bring your funny accents and over-the-top acting, and are prepared to laugh at your own misadventures, you will really enjoy the Tales of the Arabian Nights!

Complexity:  2.0/5.0  
Playing Time:  ~ 2.5 hours
Number of Players:  1 to 6 players

You can read more about Tales of the Arabian Nights at http://boardgames.gamepudding.com/r/tales-of-the-arabian-nights.html