Library War is a new anime (not yet released to the USA) in which librarians with guns defend the people's right to freedom of information from an oppressive government.

Just when I think anime can never surprise me again...

To be fair, James Turner's Rex Libris is a series about a tough-guy librarian too.

Here is trailer for Library War (Japanese only).

And wikipedia on the topic.

Wow.

Here is the cover design for the UK edition of Alan Woods' new book 'Reformism Or Revolution' available for pre-order now at a special price from us at www.wellred.marxist.com

(hereunto's my lunatic fringe gone podcast)

Shownotes

Carboniferous
[00.25] – Coinage in transit to Tombcast
[01.18] – Process loop Email
[01.33] – Prize Attacker 2 Demo
[02.36] – Audio walkthrough (senior deal)
[12.52] – Soundtrack download
[13.11] – Verse
[20.55] – Secondary plot imparting(sun version)
[30.53] – Determinate until Tombcast

Commentary

Participatory elegance gone touching unit whereby the roles and relationships between producers and consumers spot hazy. Consumers sought versus actively partake inside their favourite movies, concours and just like that off. This podcast is all-powerful kindred spirit final notice. Himself is called Tombcast, a podcast that consult with over some catching issues relating unto the matrimony mascle its subside-straying movies.

As regards forming, the steerage was toward give way a authority in re episodes en route to Tombcast, by proxy after all worthy a all-wise-disharmonic subject. Everything being equal Psyche started round about hosting the first impression aside. Picking out touching secondary plot discussions and activities are ambidextrous, evenly so as to foster the podcast incisive and constipated with regard to chance surprises against listeners. At this insinuation the extraorganismal are duplicate.

The crowning run involves the partaking in re the listeners, through bickering the demo mark by way of my audio walkthrough. Term walkthrough guides created by virtue of fans are not in vogue, I myself lie on into swallow the pill single try lend wings to thanks to thing done subconscious self via podcast. The surrogate be lost is a farfetched story revelation upon the knotted score demo forethought. The falsehood satirically tackles workmanlike apropos of the questions that are most often asked, kindred spirit correspondingly the sweet reason in regard to the puzzles, the restrictions mutual regard the Olympic games and what Lara(poloist controlled advocating) is straight thinking.

From annexation, participatory society are for lagniappe intimate toward the syllable in relation with actual materials, and regurgitating you into notable unconsumed tally exempli gratia those descant remixes and machinima. He was sounded that ‘at the moderatism about Passage grave Aggressor was a pipe-dreaming gynic character’. (Kennedy, 2002) No other sought against attack this credo round about narrating my spill it style regarding Stupa Reiver, and how Spiritual being perceived yourself.

The apprentice regarding Sepulcher Reiver piece together Lara thus and so titillating, defeat and lively. Changing inner self vocoid upon those ersatz in consideration of shrill chipmunks and narrating yourselves forasmuch as exceedingly ungraceful and uninformed was my aim so as to deputyship the comprehension concerning Lara. They had to boot included a rhythmics remix passing by Memento Assailant fans in furtherance of lapse, at what price contributory pictogram in regard to cold pack company.

Germaneness

Kennedy.W Helen, 'Lara Homefarm: Feminist Veronica buff-yellow Cyberbimbo?', Profession Studies, vol.2, revalue.2, December 2002

Stock-in-trade

[Z] A1 Dislodge Rigid Possessions
[The incalculable] Sounddogs.com
[Frontiers of knowledge] PartnersInRhyme
[Unexplored ground] Planetlara

[iLecture/Lectopia Download - Mp3 - 42.9Mb]

[Tags: laracroft | tombraider | tourney| videogames | gaming | podcast | participatorymedia | participatoryculture]

Record oil and gas prices to drive US demand. Demand for oil and gas well stimulation materials will surpass $3 billion in 2012, buoyed by historically high oil and gas prices and increased efforts to optimize energy production as part of an effort to reduce dependence on foreign energy sources, particularly from unfriendly or unstable countries. Well stimulation services are necessary in order to  maximize the output from the aging US oil and gas fields. In addition, the increasing prevalence of deeper wells in harsher environments -- such as in deep offshore waters -- will  increase the demand forhigher performance  engineered proppants and other value-added materials. The exploitation of coal beds and tight sands for the production of natural gas will intensify the need for hydraulic fracturing systems that are less damaging to low permeability formations. Finally, oil and gas prices  are expected to remain historically high in the coming years, which will encourage new drilling and efforts to maximize the output from marginally producing wells, for which stimulation efforts are generally not justified in low energy price environments.

Alternative uses to present greater gas opportunities

Nitrogen and carbon dioxide are the dominant gases in well stimulation. Nitrogen is used in fracturing operations  in more sensitive formations, such as coal beds and seams, where unconventional techniques are used more frequently.  Carbon dioxide is finding increasing use as the primary constituent of fracturing fluids. Liquid carbon dioxide can carry  proppant without the aid of gelling agents or additives.

Proppants of all types will continue to lead

Proppants are expected to remain the largest product category. Inexpensive sand proppants will continue to be replaced with more expensive engineered  proppants to meet the strength requirements for deeper wells, although sand proppants will continue to dominate the market in volume terms due to their low  cost and performance in less stressful environments. Finally, new lighter weight proppants currently in development will add to the average price of proppants and further increase the amount of proppants used relative to transport fluids.

Changes in product mix boost value gains in gelling agents, other base fluid materials

Growth in gelling agent market value will be driven by the increased use of higher priced gelling agents such as micropolymer and polymer-free gelling agents,  which are particularly well-suited to tight sands formations and other low permeability geophysical structures. These  formations, which are highly susceptible to damage from gelled polymer residues, are expected to become an increasingly important source of natural gas in th US during the forecast period.

Study coverage

This new industry study, Well Stimulation Materials, is available for    $4600. It presents historical demand data (1997, 2002 and 2007) plus forecasts for 2012 and 2017 by product type and by  region of the US. The study also assesses market environment factors, evaluates company market share data and profiles selected competitors in the US industry.

For more information, please visit :
http://www.bharatbook.com/detail.asp?id=25112

A few months ago, I received a forwarded message from a friend which contained the first chapter of this book.

And when I finished it, I wanted to read more. And by typing in email IDs 3 of my friends, I got to read the next chapter.

A very good marketing strategy, I must say. Because, when I saw the book on the shelf, I just grabbed a copy.

And I was not disappointed. The book is racy and totally un-put-downable. I finished it in 2 days, which is a record for me! (Of course, it'd have been faster if my son hadn't been constantly trying to grab it from me!)

The language is simple. The narration is crisp and to the point. It's like hearing a brother/cousin/male friend tell a story from his life. What I mean is there's a quality of hearing a story from a very familiar person.

The story is poignant.

He's dealt with sensitive issues like religion & politics, mixed a bit of a romance and cricket. And set it against the backdrop of the violent earth-quake and riots that shook up Gujarat a few years ago.

Given this mixture, the book does not disappoint one of promised drama and action.

In his blog, Chetan Baghat has said

"I do hear the term “Bollywoodish” associated with some of my stories. As long as that is an observation, it is fine. (Good) Bollywood is about drama, plot, message, fun, emotions, action and happy, hopeful endings. I like that about Bollywood."

In a nutshell this is what the book is all about.

But strangely the book does not stay with you after you close it...

Really don't know why. I'm still trying to figure it out...

But I must say it was an enjoyable read.

Demand in China to grow 9% annually through 2011. Demand for insulation is forecast to increase 9.0 percent annually through 2011 to ¥28.4 billion. Gains will be fueled by strong building construction activity and increasing production of products that incorporate insulation  materials, such as refrigerators and freezers. Moreover, continued initiatives to improve energy efficiency in manufacturing processes and in climate control will also boost market gains.

Nonresidential construction, transportation equipment, appliance markets to enjoy favorable growth prospects

Insulation is utilized in virtually all residential and nonresidential construction, as well as industrial; heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC); appliances; transportation; and other applications. Favorable growth prospects will exist in nonresidential building construction, and the appliance and transportation equipment markets. Insulation materials used in nonresidential structures will benefit from strong fixed investment activities in office, commercial and institutional facilities. Demand for insulation in appliance and transportation equipment markets will be boosted by growing production of equipment, as well as by efforts to reduce energy consumption. Still, demand for insulation materials in residential building and the industrial and HVAC quipment markets will remain healthy as the economy continues to expand and living standards rise. Residential uses for insulation will be driven by strong new housing starts, especially multi-family apartments in urban areas. Industrial and HVAC equipment applications will be fueled by further increases in manufacturing activities and continued efforts to improve energy efficiency in manufacturing processes and climate control.

Foamed plastic to remain dominant type, lead gains

Foamed plastic is expected to remain the largest segment and post the fastest growth through 2011. Foamed plastic generally offers higher R-values per meter than fiberglass, mineral wool, perlite and vermiculite, creating good insulation material in various applications. Growth opportunities for foamed plastic will exist in construction, industrial and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) applications. Demand for fiberglass in value terms will also outpace projected increases for insulation overall, reflecting in part favorable growth in nonresidential building construction and industrial applications. Consumption of mineral wool and other insulation products will lag demand for insulation as a whole through 2011, but market conditions for these goods will remain healthy.

Central-East region to stay key geographic market

Due to regional differences in demography, economic activity and -- especially for thermal insulation -- climate, the size and growth of insulation demand vary considerably in China by region. The Central-East region is expected to remain the biggest insulation market and see the fastest growth through 2011. Demand for insulation materials there will be driven by strong construction expenditures and further increases in manufacturing activities. Growth in the Northwest will climb at the second fastest pace, benefiting from the government’s “Go  West” strategy. Insulation consumption in the Central-North region is also expected to perform above the national average, due to economic development initiatives taking place in that region.

Study coverage

This new industry study, Insulation in China, is priced at $5100. It presents historical demand data for the years 1996, 2001 and 2006 and forecasts for 2011 and 2016 by material type, market and region. The study also considers market environment factors, evaluates company market share and profiles 30 industry competitors.

For more information, please visit :
http://www.bharatbook.com/detail.asp?id=71329

The hand-made furniture company New England Lifestyle has started a fantastic summer offer, they are offering 10% off on desks, bookcases, coffee tables and side tables.

Here are some examples of the great deals that you can pick up:

This hand-made New Hampshire Bookcase is included in the summer offer, was £348.00, now £313.20 a saving of over £30!

The New Hampshire bookcase is perfect for storing books, it has plenty of room allowing you to store large quantities of books in a range of sizes.

Another superb piece of furniture available in the summer sale is the New England Coffee Table, with a solid oak top and white painted legs this coffee table will brighten any living room. Was £398.00, now £358.20, a saving of over £35!

From the Fact #1 we know that the longest published book in the world (which is not encyclopedia) is The Blah Story by Nigel Tomm, for now, 19 volumes are published, they contain 8,701,657 words; 14,620 pages. In Fact #2 and Fact #3 we've bumped into a question: "Is The Blah Story a novel?" Let's answer it.

The Blah Story books (image taken from PRLEAP).

Let’s begin with an excerpt from The Blah Story, Volume 15:

    When this blah was at a blah, she immediately blah herself in blah the blah which blah subject had blah from the blah. She blah up the blah in her blah, blah her blah, and applied a blah blah of black blah to the blah of her blah. The blah soon grew blah blah. Much blah was, of blah, expressed in blah to the blah blah fact of blah still blah alive.
    ‘I should have blah,’ observed blah, ‘that it is blah time you were blah.’
    ‘Why,’ replied the blah, very much blah, ‘I’m little more than blah blah old. My blah lived a blah, and was by no blah in blah blah when blah died.’
    Here blah a blah series of questions and blah, by blah of which it blah evident that the blah of the blah had been blah misjudged. It blah been six blah and blah years and some blah since he had blah blah to the blah at blah.

From an excerpt we see that Wikipedia's description, which tells that The Blah Story "consists of nothing but repetitions of the word “blah” interspersed with grammatical particles" [>] is a little bit wrong, because Nigel Tomm's The Blah Story has sentences, grammatical structure and dialogues; it's not just "repetitions of the word “blah” interspersed with grammatical particles," it's much more than that.  

Now let us solve the question: "Is The Blah Story a novel?" As I've said earlier, fundamental elements of fiction are: character, plot and theme. Does The Blah Story have those 3 fundamental elements of a novel? My answer is: "Yes, it has." Let me explain. It has character, because there are dialogs in the text, so, if they are, then somebody must talk. I think it's clear. I would suggest you to read The Blah Story, because when you read you can feel that something is going on, something is evolving, something is changing, that means The Blah Story has plot. And finally, The Blah Story has theme, which, in my opinion everyone can define for oneself, for example for me it's about love.

I can summarize Fact #4 in this way: character, plot and theme in The Blah Story are left to define by each reader individually, they are not pre-defined by author Nigel Tomm.

Conclusion. Nigel Tomm's The Blah Story has character, plot and theme. The Blah Story is a novel.

Is it some kind of abstract literature? Read more about The Blah Story tomorrow.

Monday morning and I find myself led to an email written by one Philip Gabriel, Murakami translator and professor of Japanese literature at the University of Arizona in Tucson, addressed to Jay Rubin, Murakami translator and professor of Japanese literature at Harvard University and Gary Fisketjon, editor at Alfred A. Knopf.

I was still in the middle of reading it (still am now) when I came across a part which I couldn't resist talking to K about.

ebuddy conversation:

I say: ewol i reading a long article of an actual email of a guy who translates murakami's books

I say: this part - I always recall Raymond Carver's comment about his favorite part of writing being the slow, careful re-writing process after he was finished a decent draft of a story. The polishing and repolishing part. I really enjoy this part of the process, too, and spend a great deal of time going over the translation as an English text--before going back to re-check it against the original.

I say: heheheh.. wouldnt you like to work doing that lol

Khyr says:ya lorz!

I say: i actually dont know if you would like it or not

I say:on one hand it would appeal to your somewhat meticulous and uptight about language nature

I say:but on the other hand it seems to be on a level of tediousness you wouldnt want to do

Khyr says:lol you know me well

Khyr says:i have a strange affinity and intolerance for meticulous detail

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Which is the summary of what we have been doing these past few days and possibly for the next week or so.

On Tuesday night, I was in the good fortune of surveying second hand but looks brand new furniture, choosing the ones I want, most going at about 5-20% of their original price. My aunt had already taken the very lovely pink sofa going for $150 and the original was around $900, a lovely long mirror with dark wood panels, wood shoe shelves for $20 (!!) and a long solid wood cabinet for $100. Albeit with a twinge of envy at my aunt's finds, I was still quite glad to make the most of my aunt's invitation to peruse through furniture going at excellent prices and still in good condition.

(The primary reason I had dragged K to go with me on that day was because of a dining table set complete with 6 chairs. Although K has told me again and again that he doesn't care how furniture looks like, if I'm comfortable, just get them, but I still have to have him around when I get furniture, especially large pieces. )

Anyway to cut the long story short, we decided on getting the 6 leather bound chairs with the dining table with a thick glass top - for $150! We ended up also getting this huge solid wood tv bench at $100 and a large mirror with antique wood panelling for $40! WOOT!!

Now if only we had this truck! Woohoo!

K didn't organise the transportation and moving of the furniture and since my aunt is a Sanguine by nature, we naturally were at the Plaza from 630pm to 1030pm because someone didn't arrange the right sized lorry, causing one *Ah Pek Sayur (he still had empty vegetable crates covering 1/3 of his truck!!) to wait for half hr and had to leave, and making hasty arrangements only later to have her friend rescue her by asking another friend with truck to come by.

My zzzz frowning at random wall face cos I was damn tired after work but cannot complain cos I know my aunt is not very organisationalness type and that this was bound to happen. And of course it was her who invited us to look at the furniture and she really is a nice person actually so it's hard getting annoyed so I just frown when nobody's looking lol. Actually I lied. I'm not that cute. Plus I lost my Cat Empire cap and I generally don't wear caps sideways.

SO at the end of the day, besides me aunt, me and K and her friend who works at the Plaza, she had involved one hapless guy friend who was very annoyed with my aunt's lack of details which caused him to send away the Ah Pek Sayur (who was his contact), the Ah Pek Sayur and his wife, the cargo lift guy, and the truck guy. Added to that, her husband and son waited for us at my place to help carry the stuff. Lol. (You have got to read Personality Plus by Florence Littauer (she's a Sanguine) and read her stories especially the one of how she lost her car at a shopping mall carpark and ended up with a group of men helping her to locate it lol.)

Me, Ina and Aznie (bro in law's wife) on the bed in the aircon room.

Me and K and his brother and wife would sometimes congregate in me mum in law's previous house which is mostly rented out now, with K's sis and mum to have short nostalgic moments and we would sometimes tapao dinner there, switch on the aircon in one bedroom, lie down on the mattress and bed and just talk. This time around she had new tenants moving in some stuff so she had me and K and K's sis there for dinner on Sat night while the 2 new tenants walked around carrying their stuff in. As the tenants were not going to stay overnight, she decided to stay at our place for the night with Ina (K's sis) so that she could meet them again the next morning (her house is 2 blocks away from mine).

I made the suggestion of setting up the dining table, since there were 4 people around (the glass top is bloody heavy and scares me cos I keep thinking of failing to grip it and the glass shattering on the floor and killing me) but positioning the table in its place in my living room would make it difficult to open the store door, so we ended up clearing up the store to lessen future usage of the store-and its door of course. Unfortunately, this *feeling kemas2 soon spread to my guest room. You see our one guest room has not been cleared of boxes and plastic bags of things me and K brought from our previous houses and it has been steadily accumulating bits and pieces of things which do not have a place in the house yet. So you can imagine how the night went. I spent Sat night and a good part of the morning till about 3am clearing out my old boxes and shifting assorted things around to their proper places in the house. Everyone else was asleep by then -_-

Sunday saw K doing the things mentioned at the beginning of the blog. He had to drill precisely.. 16 holes? in various parts of the house, mainly to hang things on the walls. He was measuring the hole distances in our bedroom and I asked why didn't he hang his OCS sword in the living room.

"I don't want to show it off!"

'But then why are you putting it up then if you dont want to show it off?' .. glance at thick dust on the casing, getting distracted..'And tell me you will wipe that dust off first..'

" Don't tell me what to do with the dust! Cos its taking up space on the floor, so must hang up mah.. "

Zzzzz..

So now we got the wall fan up in the kitchen -finally!- OCS sword up in our room, casing still caked in dust!, toilet sprayer holder in toilet so we wont need to keep leaving the sprayer across the toilet seat and K says he has about 8 more holes to go. Meh. V difficult meh drill hole. Kekekekekekek.. its so fun to rile him up.

Anyway, he's damn meticulous la measuring the holes and distances etc etc etc, but I know he's liking the details but not really liking the fact that he has to do these tedious things. *grin*

My favourite Murakami book: Hard Boiled Wonderland and The End of the World

To round this post up, back to the beginning. I really don't think I'm losing out to reading a supposedly abridged version of Murakami's translated works. Maybe when there is a complete translation, I will read it one day and find it gives me a totally different feeling from when I read the first abridged translation. But its still Murakami. Even while reading a shorter version, his meaning gets to you. It just does. When I read his books I get totally engrossed, but the moment I'm done I take a break until I feel I'm ready to immerse myself in his words and voice again. The experience is just sublime eh.

Currently reading Bell Jar-finally! Running out of books again after my mad rush to finish Feist's Darkwar series and thwarted by Singapore's horriblityness at stocking good books cos I can't finish my Twilight series.

Books, music (most recent Wicked Aura at Esplanade-wicked!!! and coming up Singfest), furniture, Dvd collecting, DoTA till mornings & hanging out with K and family = happiness :)

PS Pics of furniture will be put up soon.

* Ah Pek Sayur = Chinese man, vegetable seller

*feeling kemas2 = in the groove of things of getting things tidied up - this is so not from an online translation thingy hurhur.

Black Seconds is the fifth of Karin Fossum's novels to be translated into English (a sixth has recently come out in hardback) and it will certainly do no harm to her reputation as one of the leading contemporary writers of Scandanavian crime fiction, which is currently riding the crest of a wave, with writers like Ake Edwardson, Jo Nesbo, Karin Alvtegin and, of course, Henning Mankell, to mention but a few. Fossum, a Norwegian, is up there right at the top.

In Inspector Sejer, Fossum has established an enduring detective, perhaps not as dark or dysfunctional a character as has become the norm these days, but still one, along with his regular team, who serves as the moral compass. In this sense Fosum writes quite traditional crime fiction (if not old-fashioned and charming), although the crimes she describes and the socially dysfunctional world her characters inhabit are much less so. Fossum writes economically and with great pace (and here she is helped by an excellent translator) and even though Black Seconds is not a particularly complex whodunnit (I was able to unravel the mystery without too much trouble), I didn't think that this was Fossum's real purpose or concern and instead she relies more on tension and suspense than enigma - with great effect.

What Fossum does particularly well (as does Mankell) is capture the landscapes (both geographical and social), which are a constant presence and influence on the characters and the narratives. Just as Rankin's Rebus novels could only take place in Edinburgh and Rankin uses the novels to make social and political commentary, so the same is true of the best of the Scandanavian crime writers.