Archive | April 10, 2013
April 10, 2013  

I Just Published An eBook On ‘Comet ISON’, C/2012 S1 (ISON), ‘The Great Comet of 2013’. Paperback In A Few Months.

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by Anura Guruge

++++ See Category ‘Books’ on sidebar for my other book posts >>>>

Click to access book description at Amazon.com

Click to access book description at Amazon.com

I had to get this book out before the Comet, covering millions of miles a day, got ahead of me.

I started working on it on December 29, 2012, when Deanna forwarded an e-mail from one of her cousins about the comet. That e-mail just had a link. And, as soon as I read the newspaper article about it (per that link), in the British ‘The Independent’, I knew I had to write about this comet. I felt it was destined in my stars — as they would say in Sri Lanka. I had been working for over a year on a book on asteroids. So the transition was pretty easy. I was working on that book when I got the e-mail. I just saved that book. Opened a new copy of it, and used it as the template for the new book. Yes, I started writing that day itself. I don’t mess around.

I finished the text of the book on March 29, 2013. So exactly 3 months to write 50,000(+) words — and I had the 5 weeks of craziness with the papal transition, during which I did publish 3 other Kindle eBooks.

So, yes, this is my 4th book in 2013. I did three books in 2011 and was getting worried that I would never equal that again.

Lot more yet to be done.

Yes, a companion blog, ‘Comet ISON‘, went live just now! What can I say. I was in sales and marketing for better part of my life. But, today was stressful. 

ISONcover

April 10, 2013  

Ringling Brothers Circus Elephant Hurt In Drive-By Shooting!

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 ..by Anura Guruge

Last Related Posts:
>> Elephants In Manchester, NH …
>> — Sep. 27, 2012.
+++++ Search for ‘elephants’ for other related posts
+++++ using sidebar search [trench] near top  —>>>

Click to read full 'AP' article in the 'National Post'.

Click to read full ‘AP’ article in the ‘National Post’.

When we first heard about this, this morning on CNN, we thought the elephant had died. Suffice to say we were beyond livid. So glad to read that the elephant was not hurt badly.

This is so sad and stupid. It is because of incidents like this that Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey deprived us last year of the much anticipated elephant parade through Manchester. They are just worried that some crazy person will do something really stupid — like shoot at an elephant.

Ironically, just last night we started watching the 2011 movie ‘Water for Elephants‘. Deanna had read the book and loved it. We stopped just at the point when the female elephant had been abused.

April 10, 2013  

D.C. Sequestration Hits Close To Home: West Point Band Cancels Dartmouth Performance Due To Budget Constraints. Blue Angels Also Cancel Shows!

Click for the official Web site.

Click for the official Web site.

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 ..by Anura Guruge

+++++ Search for ‘Hopkins’ for other related posts
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Extract from a Press Release from Dartmouth Hopkins Center announcing withdrawal of Band. Click here to access the Hopkins Website with the Press Release.

Extract from a Press Release from Dartmouth Hopkins Center announcing withdrawal of Band. Click here to access the Hopkins Website with the Press Release. ‘Marsit’, referred to at the start is the Director of the ‘DCWE’ — Dartmouth College Wind Ensemble.

If you haven't heard about this click here to watch the CNN video and read their report.

If you haven’t heard about this click here to watch the CNN video and read their report.

I actually talked to the Hopkins Center’s extremely motivated and energetic Publicity Coordinator/Writer, Rebecca Bailey, about this yesterday. Appears that you can’t even get the band to perform further than 100 miles from West Point even if you offered to pay ‘all’ the costs — since the Pentagon insists that there are still ‘hidden’ costs that are being incurred.

This is a shame.

This, ‘stick to the public, to make them squeal’ stuff with the sequestration, does not sit well with me. This is D.C. playing games with us. Yes, I am totally in favor of them cutting expenditure and increasing revenues. But, this petty sequestration stuff is pathetic and is just trying to get a raise out of the public — when the only thing they should trying to raise is taxes.

The Band can’t make it to Dartmouth but how much foreign aid are they giving to Israel and Egypt this year? Yes, MY PRESIDENT should stop using the gas guzzling ‘Air Force 1’ as if it was a golf cart. Scale back on his trips or use a more cost effective plane. If you look at some of the cuts, in addition to the White House tours, Military Bands and the Blue Angels, they are all to do with the elderly, the poor and kids. This is crazy. There are 30,000 troops in the DMZ in Korea. In my estimation it would take about 20 minutes to achieve a successful and permanent regime change in North Korea. Rather than spending all this money they should just eliminate the North Korean ‘problem’ and just have a united Korea. That would save billions.

Yes, this stuff makes me livid. I hold MY PRESIDENT responsible for some of this. He loves to play his little games too. I guess we now have to wait for Hillary. 

Click to access DARTMOUTH COLLEGE WIND ENSEMBLE Saturday, May 4, 2013 performance details.

The good news is that the Dartmouth College Wind Ensemble is proceedings with their concert despite the let down. It should, as with everything Hopkins’ related, be another great concert. We won’t be able to make it, but I am sure it will be a blast.

April 10, 2013  

April 6, 2013 Update On ‘Resident Power’ & PNE Imprudence. NH Public Utilities Commission Lets Them Off Hook! Do NOT Cash The $9.50 Check.

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.by Anura Guruge

Prior ‘Resident Power’ Related Posts:
1/ Latest update of the PNE drama … — Mar. 31, 2013.
2/ ‘Resident Power’ fiasco: NHPR … — Mar. 23, 2013.
3/ ‘Resident Power’ >> PSNH Cost Us Money — Mar. 20, 2013.
4/ ‘Resident Power’ Supplier ‘PNE’ Runs Out Of Money — Feb. 20, 2013.
5/ Resident Power: Possible Alternatives — Jan. 20, 2013.
6/ PSNH Electric Rates Going Up To 10 Cents Per KWH …
>>— Dec. 19, 2012.
7/ PSNH To Increase Electric Rates Again? … — Oct. 3, 2012.
8/ We Now Get Electric From N.H. Resident Power — May 24, 2012.
9/ A Plug For N.H. Resident Power. Yes, We Signed Up
>>— April 19, 2012.

Click to access 'Fosters.com' article in full.

Click to access ‘Fosters.com’ article in full.

Typical NH — as the above article tries to point out. The ‘fat cats‘ always get away with it — imprudent business practices be damned.

Heads up. ‘Resident Power’ is trying to send us all a check for $9.50 as compensation, BUT if you cash that check you waive “any claims against PNE relating to the customer’s placement on default service”.

So, do NOT cash that check.

Send it back to them. Ideally write a friendly greeting on it and make sure you add some appropriate ‘perfume’ that reflects your amiability towards their noble gesture. $9.50. So generous. I guess I can see a class action suit brewing — which is funny because I said as much ‘day one’. They broke their contract with us. 

Now they are back trying to rustle up more suckers. Well I would rather pay PSNH $1 more per KwH than deal with these reprobates again. They gave the whole industry a black eye through their imprudent business practices. This was so uncalled for.

As for the PUC … What can you say. Look at all the folks that got screwed by Scott Farah of Financial Resources Mortgage (FRM). Well at least he is now in jail. 

 

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