Today is the official International Talk Like A Pirate Day (yep, there really is such a thing.) When people think of pirates, they probably think of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow. Personally, I think of my elementary and high school years, as the schools' logo was Pirates!

Earlier this year, I reviewed the swashbuckling adventure tale Under the Black Ensign by L. Ron Hubbard. It was originally published in the August 1935 issue of Five Novel Monthly, but Galaxy Press has brought the short story out on paperback and an audiobook.

To celebrate the pirate holiday, I thought I would share a snippet of my review.

When you look around your property, no matter whether it is in your home or yard, you more than likely will find several different things that you would like to change or improve. The main problem with staying in a single home for a long period of time is that your circumstances and needs will often change, but the house will remain mostly the same. For this reason, you more than likely will have several different things that you want to change. The only problem is that you might not have the necessary equipment for all of these different projects. Unless you want to waste a great deal of time and energy, you are going to need some specialized equipment for anything that you do on your property. Buying this equipment can be expensive, which is why you might want to consider renting local AA Power equipment. Here is a quick look at some of the basics of renting the equipment you need for your home.

Advantages and Disadvantages

There are a variety of different advantages and disadvantages that are associated with renting the equipment that is necessary for any sort of project. The main advantage of renting equipment is that you often will be able to save a large amount of money. This can make it so that you can get multiple pieces of equipment for all of the projects you want to tackle. The main disadvantage of rentals is that a time limit will be imposed, which means that you may have to rush your project, which can be stressful.

The Sydney art scene has its heavyweights and flyweights but, until very recently, wasn’t much known for punching above weight. There’s a lot of inherent pressure for alpha cities to stay ahead of the culture curve and, for the most part, that pressure is welcome and deserved. But for the capital of New South Wales the spotlight can be especially intense.

Upstart Melbourne is always nipping at Sydney’s heels, for one, and the metropolis of close to 5 million people is not just the face of a country but a continent - and, in some respects, an entire hemisphere.

The good news for Sydneysiders keen to showcase their city’s accomplishments is that there’s been little to be ashamed of on the culture front, and particularly the contemporary art scene, of late. Gallery crawls are a thriving sector of the erudite tourism sector and while not quite on the same level as gastro crawls - food is the ultimate unifier, it seems, with Sydney no exception - the city’s art scene has more and more people plugging “5 star hotels Sydney” into their search engines.

If you're like many people, fitness is not something that will come easy to you. It is hard to begin a regimen when you are unsure of how to proceed. You need information and get some guidance. The following advice will help you can start down the fitness path today.

The best fitness routines target your body but also include exercises designed to increase flexibility. Search for classes in your surrounding area.

Simple pushups can do wonders to tone triceps. This move will tone up your triceps more effectively than other types of exercises.

Begin with smaller weights when you start weight lifting. Smaller muscles tire faster than large ones, so you'll want to start with barbells before you move onto the larger machines.

Try various types of exercise classes to keep yourself excited and motivated. Try taking yoga or dance class to spice things up. Even if you try each class only once, it is a workout that will contribute to your overall health and fitness.

Your pace should stay between 80 and 110 rpm.This pace allows you will be able to ride for a longer distances at greater speeds without straining your knees. This is the ideal rpm is what you should strive for.

Eventide
The Days of Redemption, Book 3
By Shelley Shepard Gray
Publisher: Avon Inspire
Pub. Date: September 3, 2013
ISBN: 978-0062204448
Pages: 288
Buy Link: http://ow.ly/oBHhP
Blog Tour: http://litfusegroup.com/author/sgray
 
Review:

The final book in The Days of Redemption series focuses on Elsie Keim, the twin sister of Viola and younger sister to Roman, who have both found love in the two previous novels, Daybreak & Ray of Light. Elsie has had bad eyesight for the past ten years and she is starting to go blind caused by keratoconus, forcing her to live in her family home where she is treated like a child. 

Soon, she meets the new handsome neighbor, Landon Troyer, and sparks fly between the two. She doesn't want to scare him away, so she avoids telling him about her condition, but her brother, Roman, spills the beans about her blindness.

Landon is shocked by the revelation and questions his future with Elsie. Due to his current job, he sometimes spends days away from home, which would be a problem if he would to marry a blind woman.

Self-published authors now have access to the same or similar resources as traditionally published authors. Even though self-published authors have to do a lot more of their own marketing and distribution, it’s entirely possible for them to sell their work to Fortune 500 companies and other large corporations by selling their books in bulk.

Self-Made

Depending on the genre of your book, it’s entire possible for it to wind up in the hands of the customers and employees of the companies who buy your self-published book. Should your book end up in a bookstore like a traditionally published book, that bookstore might send back any copies of your book that went unsold. When companies and corporations buy bulk books, the sale is final. You don’t have to live in fear of getting a phone call from a company requesting to ship your unsold book copies back. In some cases, self-published authors only have to get a single company to buy their book in bulk in order for authors to get the recognition they’re looking for. 

Why Businesses Buy Bulk Books

One of the reasons for self-published authors to focus on large companies is because companies often offer books as an incentive for individuals to purchase a particular product, much like how you can get an MP3 player or tablet whenever you open a checking account with a bank. Companies might also purchase books in bulk as thank you gift for their customers. You also never know when a company might feel that your book is the perfect inspirational tool for their employees. You also never know how many other people those employees might tell about your book. Again, all it takes is one good sale and you might wind up on a bestseller list. Other reasons that a company or business might want to buy your book include yearly company sales meetings and to give to new home buyers.

Nashville: The Complete First Season
Starring: Connie Britton, Hayden Panettiere
Studio: ABC Studios
Release Date: September 17, 2013
Retail: $45.99
ASIN: B009M7R2LM
Running Time: 903 minutes
Rating: TV-PG

Review:

ABC Studios will be releasing Nashville: The Complete First Season on DVD tomorrow, September 17, 2013, which is just over a week before the season premiere on September 25th. Along with the 21 season one episodes, the DVD is jammed pack with extras; such as  Nashville Comes to Nashville - meet the city that's the vibrant home and heart of the country music industry, On the Record: B-Side - discover some of the remarkable talent behind the show's music and learn the story of two of its heartfelt ballads, Stellas Go On "Tour" - tag along for a tour of the Nashville set with the exuberant and talented young Stella sisters, bloopers, and deleted scenes. 

Fresh from her performance on American Horror Story, Connie Britton returned to television last fall as a 40-year-old country music singer Rayna Jaymes, who is now a mother to two girls, Maddie and Daphine (played by real life sisters, Lennon and Maisy Stella), and the wife to the next-mayor of Nashville, Teddy Conrad (played by Eric Close). Despite all her responsibilities, Rayna wants to continue as the Queen of Country, but her recent album and tour has undersold. Meanwhile, the former teen country singer, Juliette Barnes (played by Hayden Panettiere) wants to take Rayna's spot in country music.

Aspiring songwriter, Scarlett O'Connor (played by Clare Bowmen), is wanting to break into the country music business, that is when she's not working as a waitress at the Bluebird Cafe or fighting with her singer boyfriend, Avery Barkley (played by Jonathan Jackson). Her life takes an unexpected turn when meets an aspiring singer, Gunnar Scott.