Kitty Rescue!

Gosh, you all must see a million posts like this every day, but I'm still going to write it.

This cartoon reduced me to tears, made me find the cat (well, he's not ours. He's the neighbours. But he spends enough time here!) and give him a huge hug. He's a rescue cat, adopted from the shelter when he was about a year old. That's still a kitten to most of us but probably old enough to have not adopted by many.

If you're going to adopt (and we highly recommend it!), think about adopting an older animal. They're just as much fun, and just as loving. The next cat is definitely going to be an older one. Can't wait!

Facebook Updates from Erus Veetu

"Teamwork is a lot of people doing what I tell them to." - Erus Veetu.

Erus Veetu recommends "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-War-Sun-Tzu/dp/161382288X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340987749&sr=8-1&keywords=art+of+war

Erus Veetu recommends "Willing Slaves" by Madeleine Bunting
http://www.amazon.com/Willing-Slaves-Madeleine-Bunting/dp/000716372X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340987784&sr=1-1&keywords=willing+slaves

Follow Erus on Facebook at Veetu Industries

Hell in a Handbasket

Well, not really! It's too hot and sticky to think properly so I'll leave you with this photo. Unfortunately, despite having both cat and handbasket of my own, I'm having to use stunt cat and handbasket.

If you want to understand why this photo is here, you'll have to read the book. ;) Links are in the "Where To Buy The Book" page. Thanks to I Can Has Cheezburger for the photo!

Think this...

... might have to be the new sign for the office door!

May also correct it to "Please Do Not Feed The Weapons Engineer".

(I like putting funny signs on my doors! Suggestions are welcome!)

A Wee Rant on the Cult of the Kindle

I don't rant very often but this one has gotten my goat as of late...

Buy your Kindle now! Available online or from all good stores!

What is it with the Kindle which has taken the world by storm? I wanted an e-reader so I went and did my research. Like everything I own, I brought one which wouldn't mind taking the odd tumble. And the Kobo is serving me just fine on that mark. It gets thrown in my work back, gets tossed onto the desk and has seen the occasional drop of water. Verdict? Perfect for accident prone Rae.

Unfortunately, a lot of the books I want to read, the ones by new and indie authors, never appear on the Kobo website. So I go searching for a purchasable PDF. More often than not, I come up against a brick wall.

They're just not there. So why do so many people seem to publish for Kindle only? Why does it have such a stranglehold on the market? Do publishers stipulate they'll only publish for the Kindle? Or is it some clause which Amazon have? One of the reasons I signed with the publisher I did is because they release it on as many platforms as they can. You can purchase a book from their site and the zip file they send will have formats which work on every reader. If you want a print copy, they'll point you in the right direction. If you want it for the Kindle, the iPad or your mobile phone, they'll point you in the right direction.

So why do so many people seem obsessed with the Cult of the Kindle? Surely one is limiting themselves by only releasing it on a single platform?

One friend of mine had only published for the Kindle and I had to twist her arm to publish on other platforms. Once she did, she found her sales increasing. Others have told me to get the Kindle app for the computer. I have it but I seldom use it. Why? 1. I spend enough time at this machine as it is. And 2. I can't really curl up with my laptop or my desktop (well, I can with the laptop but it's not very comfortable. I've tried!).

I want to read! I want to discover new authors and fantastic books. But sometimes I feel like I'm being a little limited. My fault for buying something other than a Kindle? Or another reason?

Agree? Or disagree? Can you answer any of the questions in the post? Feel free to drop it in a comment!

Go On! You Know You Want To!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Mars on the Rise

by Rae Gee

Giveaway ends August 10, 2012.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Bring Down The Wall!

Disassociation

Isolation

Drug Dependency

Pain

Fear

Overbearing mothers

Loss of a father

Rebellion

Rejoicing

"All in all, you're just another brick in the wall..."

Pink Floyd's The Wall conjures up many images and can be possibly be interpreted in a million and one different ways. As the director of this evening's performance put it, "The Wall makes the current recession look like a walk in the park". Tonight I had the privilege of seeing it performed live in Tamworth. 

Mixing up live music, dance, a light show, pyrotechnics, graffiti, performance, poetry and film, the modern re-telling of the wall touches on a lot of recent subjects - the war in Afghanistan, the death and mourning of our soldiers, racism, the London riots, the phone hacking scandal, ageism. Often uncomfortable to watch, it brought up many different emotions within myself - sadness, pain, remembrance of past events in my life, the need to fit in and, finally, the realisation and jubilation that I'm "Not just a brick in the wall", that I don't have to be part of the system, that I don't have to "conform" to what the "system" wants me to be. Wrenched through these emotions, by the final act, I was on my feet, screaming along for the wall to be torn down.

The music was incredible! Provided by Floydian Slip, it was amazing to hear songs which I've only ever heard on CD. The kicker for me was hearing "Goodbye Blue Sky" performed live. This song has a special place in my heart, gifted to me by friends in wake of the 9/11 attacks as a way of helping to cope and deal with the strains and stresses of not knowing where NYC-bound friends were. I've carried it with me since that day and to see it coupled with images of war memorials really brought it home.

The dancers, actors, poets, vocal artists - all were brilliant! There were often times when you didn't know where to look, who to focus on. They were all a wonderful addition, weaving in and out of the craziness that is The Wall. I can't fault any of them. They were all amazing and I hope that they're proud of themselves.

You're not just a brick in the wall! Never forget that! Don't let the people around bring you down. Be you and be amazing!

Check back soon; hopefully I'll be able to get hold of some photos of it. Until then, I'm going to go and purchase the original!


"Pink Floyd were the Rage Against the Machine of their time." (Thanks Dad for putting into perspective for me!)

Who Or What Is Veetu Industries?

Many people have asked how Veetu Industries ties in with “Mars on the Rise”. Read on to find out...

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Welcome. The year is 1895 and you are currently standing in a top secret facility on the edge of Svenfur. This building covers 1,300,000 square feet. The roof above you is arched and sunlight streams in through high set windows.

If you look up, you will see the latest in stealth warfare. With a black outer skin and gondola and near silent props, The Nightcreeper is just one of the many weapons in our arsenal.

Veetu Industries are the country's largest weapons manufacturer. Founded in 1841 by Erus Veetu, we specialise in keeping your borders secure and evil at bay. You may ask how Erus remains so young while maintaining a fifty year old business. I'm afraid that I cannot answer as it is a closely guarded government secret.

Our workforce stretches from the rolling Downs of Svenfur to the Highlands in the North. No inch of this great country is left unguarded. If war were to break out tomorrow you would find yourself in the arms of the safest country on the planet.

Our motto – Safe, Strong, Steadfast – means exactly that. We offer strength and reliability. Should any of our machines fail in the heat of battle then we will compensate you to double the cost of the failed weapon as well as for any crew lives lost. The safety of your crew is just as important to us as the safety of your country. All of our weapons are put through a multitude of tests which is why we offer you this guarantee of excellence.

I can see that you are interested. If you would just like to step this way we can begin the purchasing process.

Veetu Industries: Safe, Strong, Steadfast.