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Greetings, readers!

The exams have kept me away from anything that distracted me, and as the computer is an abundant source of distraction, I practically had to hide it. I hope my colleagues haven’t upset you too much with technology articles.

Today I’m going to talk about my private library, I mean, the books I enjoyed the most.

- “The lost origin” Matilde Asensi

The truth is that I love almost all the books this woman has written. She has an incredible ease to get you into the story and its characters make plot twists in a unique way.

This particular book was the first I read from this writer, and the one I liked most. It’s about how three friends try to cure the illness of the brother of one of them, who has gone crazy. Researching, they found that the brother discovered the origin of the first language, but went mad trying to decipher it. So they embark on an adventure through an uncharted territory on Earth. Places that not even the GPS are able to decode because of the height of the trees, the thickness of nature, where mankind has not yet arrived, or maybe yes…

- “Finis Mundi” Laura Gallego

Michel, a monk of Cluny, is proposed a virtually impossible mission and decides to accept, knowing that it involves risks, but ignoring what will happen him during his adventure all over the world. According to the revelations of a hermit the end of the world is approaching and the only way to stop the destruction of mankind is to invoke the spirit of Time. To achieve this, he has to find the three “axis” (past, present and future). He search them in France, Spain and England, to end up at the end of the world…

- “Sans dessus dessous” Jules Verne

A book that I certainly recommend to young people. It’s a very short science-fiction book, with no aliens nor travel to the center of the Earth or anything similar. Let me explain.

This is the period in which nothing is known of the North Pole. Some failed attempts to get close, but all failed with horrific results. Because nobody is able to reach the North Pole, an odd character send all the world civilizations an invitation to auction the land at the North Pole. The countries send their representatives in order to seize the land. Finally the struggle is won by an unknown dynamite company. What’s their intent? Change the axis tilt of the Earth, so that the sun’s rays impinge on the part of the pole that they can’t reach, to colonize it, and to exploit the natural resources (oil, coal…) that they think it has.

When the world learns about this, they mustn’t say what’s happening. The explosion needed to modify the earth’s axis would raise the sea level, submerging parts of the world, it would change the height of some places…

- “Stories to read in a fullmoon night”

I don’t consider myself a person who likes the tales of terror. I think it’s because it’s so hard to instill fear through the word, that it is accessible to very few.

This book is a collection of fantastic, mystery and terror tales of the greatest writers like Bécquer, Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe, Charles Dickens…

A book I recommend for those who don’t know these authors’ terror tales. It’s worth reading this book.

- “The great Gastby” F. Scott Fitzgerlad

It’s inevitable to talk about books and not to talk about one of the authors of the so-called lost generation.

Jay Gatsby is a millionaire with a dark past, often linked with illegal sale of alcohol or being a murderer for hire. He has no friends. However, he makes great parties where strangers are invited. He invites, he gives the house, and nothing more, he doesn’t even assist to them. People go to those parties, but don’t really know who he is.

Gatsby is a lonely man that wills to return to the past. A past to revive the love of his life, Daisy. Unfortunately, she got married to a famous millionaire and they have a daughter. But the discomfort with her husband and Gatsby’s insatiable desire to be back with her, makes that the past can be back for a while.

But from that point, the tragedy of events is inevitable and the present returns to its place. What happens? I think you’ll have to read it for yourselves.

- “The tyrant” Valerio Massimo Manfredi

I decided to include this Manfredi’s book (excuse my familiarity, Mr. Manfredi) because it’s the latest I have read. Although it might have included some more ones. I discovered this writer by chance, like the little things of life, and now I can’ get him out of my hands (his books, of course).

Sicily, V century B.C. Dionysus, the boldest warrior of Syracuse, had a single passion: to free the island from the Carthaginians and strengthening the Greek control over it.

Thus began the wonderful adventure of Dionysius, the tyrant of Syracuse, feared by those opposed to his policies. He managed to turn his city into the most prosperous of the Greek empire and the magnificent monuments that he built still today admired. However, he must pay a high price, one that not all were willing to pay. View his friends, his family, his soldiers dying. How he was only trying to liberate the Syracusans from Carthage invasion and how the people was smearing his name. Because when all power rests with one person…

I think for today I fulfilled my part. So I leave you until my next contribution, and I hope that you read at least one of the books I mentioned about.

Thank you and have a good day!

today Selkie brings you some puzzles!

Pay attention, today they are really difficult. Solutions are left in the comments… Can you solve them all? However, they’re funny and you can tell them to your friends.

1.- House mess

You and your two neighbors are residents in a new neighborhood, but when you arrive to your new houses, you notice that there are no light, water or gase; so you call the builders, and they ask for your help with the supplies.

Each supply centre has written the resource it supplies. The goal is to connect through lines each supply with each house. This means, the left house must be connected with the three bottom blocks, and so the middle house and the right house; so at the end would remain nine lines. The problem? Each line cannot touch any other line.

Can you solve this puzzle?

2.- The lier twins

One of my favorites.
Imagine you’re walking through a road, alone. With the sunset, you see a house far, and you hurry to arrive there before the night.

Then, you see that, at the house, the road has a bifurcation and divides into two.

Two twins appear from inside the house, they are identical. You remember the story that your father used to tell you, about two twins, one of them always said the truth, and the other always lied.

Now, with only one question to one of the twins, you have to know which road is the good one. Can you do it? Don’t forget, one of them always tells the truth, and the other always lies.

3.- The Hardest Logic Puzzle Ever

This puzzle is much trickier, as the title says. It was created by Raymond Smullyan, and its ‘nickname’ was given by George Boolos.

It says:

Three gods A, B, and C are called, in some order, True, False, and Random. True always speaks truly, False always speaks falsely, but whether Random speaks truly or falsely is a completely random matter. Your task is to determine the identities of A, B, and C by asking three yes-no questions; each question must be put to exactly one god. The gods understand English, but will answer all questions in their own language, in which the words for yes and no are ‘da’ and ‘ja’, in some order. You do not know which word means which.

Some hints:

# It could be that some god gets asked more than one question (and hence that some god is not asked any question at all).
# What the second question is, and to which god it is put, may depend on the answer to the first question. (And of course similarly for the third question.)
# Whether Random speaks truly or not should be thought of as depending on the flip of a coin hidden in his brain: if the coin comes down heads, he speaks truly; if tails, falsely.
# Random will answer ‘da’ or ‘ja’ when asked any yes-no question.

Good luck with this one, it’s really tricky.

And here ends today’s session for waking up your brains. If you didn’t solve anyone, don’t worry, they were quite hard.

Bye!

A few days ago, I talked you about some of my favourite books: http://www.barail.es/ocio/juvenile-literature

Today, I’ll finish my literary recommendations.

The Hunger Games trilogy

The country is ruled by the tyrannical power of the “Capitol”, and each year, the districts are forced by the Capitol to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games, a brutal and terrifying fight to the death – televised for all of Panem to see.

Katniss, a girl 16 years old, decides to go into the games in place of her young sister.

Join Katniss in his battle for survive in this trilogy with The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and a third book wich is only known that’ll be released at 8-24-2010, written by Suzanne Collins!

“Alas de fuego”

Two-books-saga: “Alas de fuego” and “Alas negras”, written by Laura Gallego. In this saga, we read about the adventures of an angel, Ahriel, in her mission to protect queen Marla.

But one day, Ahriel is thrown, by Marla treacherously, to the worst jail ever created: Gorlian.

Gorlian is an horrible place from where anyone has got away from, in where the law of the jungle rules, and where the kindest man becomes the worst murderer ever. A place where the onliest aliment is mud, fishes in mud or plants in mud.

Will Ahriel get out of there? Discover it in “Alas de fuego” saga!

(It hasn’t been translated into English)

“Dos velas para el diablo”

Cat’s dad is an angel, and he’s been murdered. When Cat saw his parent dead body, he decides to revenge and kill his father’s murderer.

Cat will have to search over all the world to find his dad murderer, and even he will have to pact with the demons to achieve it.

But there’s something that Cat wasn’t expecting

Will Cat find his father’s murderer? What’s the thing that Cat wasn’t expecting? Discover it in this fantastic book written by Laura Gallego!

Tunnels saga

Tunnels is a passionate saga that now has three books (Tunnels, Deeper and Free fall), but it will have 6 or 7 books.

Tunnels tells us Will’s story, a excavation fan like his father. One day, when his father and he are excavating, they discover a very strange and unknown tunnels.

The day after, Will’s dad has dissappeared. So he, with his friend Chester, will begin a very dangerous and unimaginated adventure to find him, and where they’ll know a very strange guys…

Are you ready to join Will Burrows and Chester in Will’s parent search?

Dragonlance saga

Dragonlance saga has 175 ~200 books. Yes, I’m not exaggerating. But don’t be affraid! It’s divided in a few principal books, and then the others tells us world’s legends, secondary scenes of terciary characters, etc., etc., etc.

The saga tells us ALL Krynn’s (the world) history.

Principal books are:

• The Chronicles Trilogy
• The Legends Trilogy
• The Second Generation
• Dragons of summer flame
• Dragons of a new age
• The dark disciple
• The lost chronicles

The saga was created by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, both from “Wizards of the Coast” company, creator of the mythical Dungeons & Dragons. The company decided to creat the saga to give a base for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dragonlance’s 12 modules. The principal authors were Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, but, as supposed, they were helped for all the company members!

Are you ready to enter into the most epic saga of all times?

Here you have all my literary recomendations. I could add more books, but I think that with this it’s sufficient.

I hope you read them and you like them!

Hi readers!

Today I’ll talk about my favourite books. Those books that is worth to buy them, and have them well exposed on the shelves of our bedroom. Those magical books that makes you don’t realize that you actually are reading a book. Those that makes you enter in the body of the person who they’re talking about.

In this post series I’ll recommend you the books that I’ve liked the most, altogether with information of them.

“Memorias de Idhún” trilogy

It’s a very large trilogy that mainly tells us the history of three young people in Idhún world: two of them aliens of the world, or this is what it seems… The books of the trilogy are: “La Resistencia”, “Tríada” & “Panteón”. It has 2300 pages (600 for the first, 800 for the second and 1000 for the last one more or less).

The world of Idhún is ruled by six deities: Aldun, Irial, Karevan, Neliam, Wina & Yohavir: The fire god and creator of yans, the light goddess and creator of humans, the mountains god and creator of giants, the water goddes and creator of varus, the nature goddess and creator of fairies, and least but not less the wind and empathy goddess and creator of celestials respectively.

Also, in Idhún, there are three species over the deadly, without reaching at the power of a god. The unicorns: horses with a horn in the head, which can be used to give magic to anyone, but anyone can find them because are they who found his chosen to give them magic. Dragons: big and strong creatures, which rules over all the six races. Sheks: Winged and evil snakes, who’s objective is to conquer the Idhún world.

And all the adventure begins in Earth, when Jack’s parent are killed and he’s “adopted” for 2 strange guys: Shail and Alsan.

Discover the legendary Idhún’s adventure, written by Laura Gallego, in this magnificient trilogy!

This book hasn’t been translated into english yet.

“Crónicas de la Torre” saga

Dana has a friend: Kai. His only friend. And besides, he is imaginary, or this is what it seems. Moreover, Dana has magic, something not very frequent.

One day, a mage comes at Dana’s town and he takes her into his tower of sorcery. There, Dana will learn with Kai to master magic. She’ll also know Fenris, a strange elf with a dark past, and the cooker of the tower: a dwarf who doesn’t like very much magic.

Dana, while she’s studying there, discovers that in the tower there’s an ancient curse related to a wolves that howl at the moon in nights.

Discover you too what’s this curse, and the dark secret of Fenris in this four-book-saga (The Valley of the Wolves, “La Maldición del Maestro”, “La Llamada de los Muertos”, “Fenris el elfo”) written by Laura Gallego!

(Only the first book has been translated into English).

I, Robot

This book, focused into a more adult public and written for the mythical Sci-Fi writer Isaac Asimov, presents us several histories chained by an interview with Susan Calvin, U.S. Robots Psychologist.

Histories are part of the psychologist and turns arround the Three archi-known Laws of Robotics:

1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey any orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

Histories full of philosophy and psychology that will enchant to all Sci-Fi fans.

Trivia: Liar, a History inside the book, was, according to Oxford English Dictionary, the first recorded use of the word robotics.

The legend of the Wandering King

A great history written by Laura Gallego that tells us the history of an Arabic prince called Walid, who wants to always win the poetry contest.

But he’s always won by a peasant that writes better poems that him. So, for revenge, he decides to nominate the peasant as his real secretary, and he commands him impossible things. Until when he decides to command that he has to weave a carpet that has to contain entire history of mankind.

What will happen if the weaver could accomplish the Prince’s assignment?

Skulduggery Pleasant saga

Skulduggery Pleasant is a skeleton and a mage defender of good. Since ages, he has been protecting our world from an ancient evil. But now he needs a companion: Stephanie, who will be called Valquiria Caín.

The first thing that Skulduggery and Valquiria will have to do is to protect the Scepter of the Ancients from the evil forces. The Scepter is the best weapon of the ancients, an ancient race of wizards defenders of good, capable to kill anyone and to destroy anything: even a god.

In his days, they used it to destroy a group of deities: The faceless ones, who’s wish is to destroy humans.

Enter into Skulduggery Pleasant and Valquiria Cain world’s in this full-of-magic-misteries-and-comedy book!

So far today’s recommendations. There are 12 so-long books, you can’t complain.

Soon, more books!

Greetings, readers!

I know that I’m talking about a topic that has been released a month or two ago, but until a little time ago, I haven’t had the honour to test it.

I’m talking about Wii Motion Plus: an acessory for Wii that improves notably it’s playability.

Nintendo showed us their great set full of gameplay by end of 2006 and, as a faithful follower I am of them, I bought the same day it came out. Yes, you may say that is has not good graphics, but gameplay is a pretty good feeling, and as they say: “We do not intend to compete with the the other consoles (PS3 and Xbox360), because the market that we adress is not the same.”

mando en 2D. Por ejemplo, como si se tratara de un volante de un juego de carreras.

However, although the gameplay that the WiiMote brought was enough, did not have a motion accuracy like “I move here, the character moves here”, but it was something like predefined movements implementing actions to the character: like pressed buttons but by moving the mote in a certain way. Although a better accuracy was achieved by moving the mote in 2D, for example, as if it were a wheel of a racing game.

Los de Nintendo, y otras compañías, lanzaron bastantes accesorios por el mando, tales como un mando para los juegos de conducción o una pistola para los shooter. Aun así, éstos solo servían de soporte para el mando para dar mejor sensación de immersión, como el anteriormente mencionado mando de conducción.

Nintendo and other companies, launched many accessories for the mote, such as a remote control for driving games or a gun to the shooters. Still, they only acted as supports for the WiiMote to give a better sense of immersion, such as the driving wheel.

Hace relativamente poco, los nipones decidieron lanzar otro producto con buena jugabilidad: el Wii Fit. Se trata de una báscula doble, que puede medir precisamente el peso aplicado en cada lado, y de ésta manera tener diferentes aplicaciones en los juegos dónde es usado: Por ejemplo, hay un juego de esquí y snowboard en dónde podemos controlar el snow inclinándonos en el Wii Fit. También podemos usarlo como parte de una batería en el Wii Music, e incluso hacer ejercicio con él diariamente con el juego incluido con el periférico, o con el recientemente lanzado “Wii Fit plus”.

Relatively recently, the Japanesse company decided to launch another product with good gameplay: the Wii Fit.This is a dual balance that can measure precisely the weight applied on each side, and in this way have different applications in games where it is used: For example, a ski and snowboarding game where you can control the snow leaning on Wii Fit. We can also use as part of the drums in the Wii Music, and even exercising with it every day with the game included with the peripheral, or with the recently released “Wii Fit plus“.

And now they have launched the Wii Motion Plus.

The Wii Motion Plus is simply adding another sensor under the WiiMote, capable of a very great sensitive that, with the top sensor, detect movements with impeccable precision: it can capture all the movements you make with,and, if the game allows, bring them to the screen with tremendous accuracy. This feature provides a maximum level of gameplay, as the feeling that YOU are controling the character. t is, in short, what should have been the WiiMote from the beginning. And with it, is included Wii Sports Resort, a game where you can practice different sports on an island: from fencing to parachuting, aerial combat or a peaceful golf.

My heartfelt congratulations to the company of Kyoto, because the gameplay featuring their console is very good:

Greetings!