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    Millie Millie_Zemlak
    (NewsUSA) - It's no surprise that parents today seek books that will delight, engage, and educate their children. However, some parents are seeing gaps in the available options of topics they want to share with their children. To combat this, there is a growing trend of parents who have taken matters into their own hands and turned to self-publishing to fill these holes themselves.

    Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) from Amazon is one self-publishing option that offers editorial freedom and ease of use for busy parents looking to create something that meets their kids' needs.

    KDP success stories include Handeep Dhoot (who writes as "Dr. Dhoot"), a mom with a Ph.D. in chemistry who wanted to introduce her young daughter to STEM topics.

    Dr. Dhoot has self-published the growing Tinker Toddler series of STEM books aimed at young children, including Machine Learning for Babies & Toddlers.

    "Becoming a parent helped me realize the urgency for introducing scientific topics, like STEM, to kids while their brains are still developing. KDP allowed me to self-publish books that portray these ideas in an accurate and digestible way for kids, including my own daughter."

    Gabi Garcia, a long-time school counselor and mom, turned to self-publishing when she saw a lack of books for Spanish-speaking and bilingual children about how to understand their emotions and feelings.

    "It's so important to engage with children early to discuss mindfulness. Self-publishing on KDP empowered me to take all that I'd learned and seen as a school counselor and make it accessible to more children, in both English and Spanish."

    She has published several books on these topics through KDP, including Listening to My Body, published in both English and Spanish. She now writes full-time on mindfulness and social awareness topics for children, parents, and educators.

    Brendan Kelso struggled with dyslexia as a child, but found learning and performing dramatic monologues helpful. He enjoyed Shakespeare, but, like many young readers, found the text hard to understand.

    After a career in engineering, he became a stay-at-home dad and came up with an idea to write versions of Shakespeare's plays that were more accessible to kids. His loveof theater and writing led him to self-publish several works through KDP, starting with Shakespeare's Hamlet for Kids.

    "I have the freedom to spend more time with my family, while pursuing my passion on my own terms with KDP."

    These parents have been able to create the books they couldn't find for kids and found financial success - and sometimes a whole new career - in the process.

    For those parents who are toying with self-publishing, but still have questions, consider this:

    * KDP lets authors set their own prices and retain all rights to their work.

    * As an author, you can publish your book in minutes, and these books are available to a worldwide audience through Kindle online stores in 24-48 hours.

    * You can publish Kindle eBooks and paperbacks in multiple languages.

    Visit kdp.amazon.com for more information about Kindle Direct Publishing.

    Ref: Encouraging - in Blogs
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    Millie Millie_Zemlak
    (NewsUSA) - Well, actually, it's both … the charm of hummingbirds is most certainly apropos and "a charm" of hummingbirds is actually factual! Yep, that's right, the collective noun for these unique creatures - just like a gaggle of geese or a flock of birds, is a charm of hummingbirds. Since the definition of the noun 'charm' is "the power of giving delight or arousing admiration," one doesn't need to be a wordsmith to see how right that is.

    Hummingbirds are charming.

    And there are over 330 varieties of the species, Trochilidae, which is their biological family name and they're found in the Western Hemisphere. When one sees a hummingbird, it's a stunning, stop-in-your-tracks sight. Their brilliant throat color is actually a result of the iridescence in the arrangement of their feathers, not color pigment. Light level, moisture, angle of viewing and other factors all influence just how bright and colorful their throats may appear. Perhaps you've heard them, too - the name hummingbird comes from the buzzing sound of their fast-flapping wings.

    Hummers are migrant birds, so although many stay close to the Equator, lots of varieties travel this time of year, so there may be a 'charm' coming to your backyard soon. If you have the desire to see one up close or are curious about how to attract them to your yard, the folks at Cole's Wild Bird Feed Co have got you covered. First, they figured out the engineering of an elegant, deceptively simple, easy-to-use (and easy-to-clean!) feeder. The patented Hummer High Rise has a clever design that offers a stress-free position for your charming guests to get their fill, a fantastic 360-degree vista, all the while keeping other unwanted creatures at bay.

    For example there's an ant moat that stops the armies of industrious workers who'd love to get some sweet nectar, from beating a path to the liquid food. The genius is, it's an actual moat, with nothing but H2O keeping the ants at bay, so while it does its job, it doesn't do harm. Nice!

    A charm magnet.

    The second definition for the noun 'charm' is a small ornament worn on a necklace or bracelet. Hummingbirds weigh on average the same as a nickel, so while you'll want to wear a replica from the jewelers, Hummers can be your own garden's jewelry all season long.

    And in return for their arousing your admiration, they'll feed on those annoying garden insects and pests. For their small size, hummers eat a lot. They are voracious eaters, feeding on mosquitos, gnats, spiders, aphids and other six-legged creepy crawlers. But, besides pests for protein, their primary 'food group' is nectar, which they get in by flitting from flower to flower and using their long beaks and equally long tongues to get their fill. All that flitting is exhausting!

    Since hummingbirds drink up to half their body weight a day of nectar you can help them out by keeping your High Rise fully stocked, for a one-stop fill of their favorite nectar treat.

    Let's not leave out the definition of the verb, "charm," which is to "delight greatly." If you want these Disney-esque caricatures to delight you on a regular basis with their wonder - and bring their distinctive song to your yard - there is something you can buy: the creme-de la creme of what these charmers crave: Nature's Garden from Cole's.

    By identifying and harnessing the nutrients of the hummer's favorite wildflowers, and tapping their vast store of wild bird knowhow, Cole's has created the next-best-thing to actual flower nectar - a proprietary formula that's far and away a cut above your 'garden-variety' sugar water. Nature's Garden is a healthy, all-natural alternative to homemade syrup, no mixing and no boiling required. It comes in an eco-friendly soft pouch; just shake and pour. You'll be delighted with how easy it is to keep your hummer feeder filled and overjoyed at seeing hummers frequent your yard. Your neighborhood hummingbirds will love it, so they'll keep coming back.

    A brief postscript: a natural predator to the hummingbird is the praying mantis. Despite their equally small size and saintly appearance, they feed on our fascinating feathered friends and are a real threat (and a protected species), so if you find a mantis hanging around your High Rise, take care to evict it gently, to a lower piece of real estate and keep hummers safe.

    Ref: Camping - in Blogs
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    Vanessa Vanessa_Leannon


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    Rebecca Rebecca_Ebert


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    Ramiro Ramiro_Williamson


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    Millie Millie_Zemlak
    (NewsUSA) - Sponsored News - It seems as if there is nothing a smartphone can't do these days. It can get you where you want to go (most of the time), you can make reservations at your favorite restaurant, and now you can use it to detect whether your home is leaking energy or water.

    Thermal imaging, a once-costly technology, available only to the military and police or firefighters, is now just a finger-swipe away with the right attachment to your smartphone, thanks to Seek Thermal, a California-based technology company.

    The way it works is this: the Seek Compact Camera (which is smaller than a credit card swiper for your phone) attaches to your smartphone, turning it into a thermal imager that can then identify hot and cold spots in your house. After downloading a free app, the camera begins working in seconds and homeowners can then easily spot energy loss in the home caused by air leaks, missing or damaged insulation, insufficient HVAC or poor construction. In addition, the thermal imaging camera can also find water in roofs, walls, doors, and window frames.

    According to one user who tested the Seek camera at the end of winter in his own home, the results were "stunning."

    "Within minutes, I was able to detect sources of heat leaking out of my house," he says. "Some of these places are easy to fix, while others would be quite difficult."

    For professional contractors, the Seek CompactPRO is a must-have because the camera has enough sensitivity to locate radiant heating pipes under concrete slabs, identify unsealed insulation gaps in roofs, walls, and door and window frames, and find out how far water has spread in the case of a leak.

    Thinking of buying a home? This little jewel could save you all kinds of unexpected surprises in the form of water leaks in the basement and behind finished walls, and roof leaks that may have been painted over by a homeowner trying to disguise a problem.

    To protect your investment (both the camera and your phone), the Seek Compact has a compatible module for the OtterBox uniVERSE Case System.

    The smartphone attachment is designed to work with both iPhone and Android top models.

    For more information, please visit www.thermal.com.

    Ref: Awesome - in Blogs
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    Bob bobm


    How the National Media Messed Up the Mavs Predictions
    by Bob McCullough 6/14/24






    Go into the recent archives of any major sports site, and you'll find a lot of names who should be embarrassed about their predictions for the Mavs-Celtics series. And they're not just the names of those who happened to cover the Mavs.


    The prediction split was close to 50/50. Maybe 60/40 in favor of the C's, which felt reasonable going into the Finals. Now it seems a little ridiculous.


    So what went wrong? Let's take a closer look at why the national media especially fell for the Dallas storyline, for it embodies a lot of what's wrong with sportswriting today and NBA coverage in particular.


    **** Mavs Story Lines


    This one's at the top of the list. Writers love superstars, and the NBA's entire culture is built around them. The old ebony/ivory combination of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic was irresistable as a result, especially given the story lines.


    Start with Irving, a fascinating wack job who's been shooting his career in the foot for a long time now. After getting in trouble for spewing anti-Semitic nonsense, breaking up teams, getting coaches fired and conveniently missing games due to his anti-vax rhetoric, Irving somehow managed to resurrect his career and transform himself into a supposedly responsible NBA elder in Dallas. It's the ultimate redemption storyline.


    If you really believe that I have deeds to several bridges I can sell you, but in a basketball context Doncic may be even worse, which hardly seems possible. He's the most offensively gifted player of his generation, and yet, to use the words of Bob Cousy, he "looks like a truck driver."


    Which is Cooz-speak for Luka being fat and out of shape, especially for a professional athlete, and the Celtics have relentlessly exploited that flaw. Add in the fact that he goes after the refs on EVERY play, and he's pretty sickening to watch, even with his incredibly skill set. That doesn't stop the writers from relentlessly loving the highlight plays; that's what they do.


    J's Fatigue


    This one's right up there, too. NBA writers especially are sick of writing the same old rivalry stories about Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown, i.e., who's better, who gets paid more, who cares more about winning vs endorsements and brand, and so on.


    Not surprisingly, the rest of us are just as sick of reading them. Even more so now that' they've become largely irrelevant. Whatever their differences were--and there likely were differences, rest assured--they've worked them out to get to within a game of their first title.


    ** hum.


    What Matters About the Mavs Previous Opponents


    This one hasn't been explored as much, but it's relevant. National writers especially saw three glamour teams in the Clippers, the Thunder and the Wolves, which wasn't exactly the case.


    Start with the Clippers. They were always a shell of a team with lots of older star power--Kahwi, Paul George, the artist formerly known as Westbrick. Without a healthy Leonard, however, that formula was yesterday's news, as the Mavs quickly proved. Simply put, it was a hidden mismatch.


    On to the Thunder. This one's slightly more interesting. OKC surprised everyone with a first-round sweep over a New Orleans shell team supposedly "led" by the ever injured and absent Zion Williamson, which led to the assumption that they were ahead of the curve when it came to being playoff ready.


    Dallas exposed them as a bit of a donut team without enough secondary scoring after SGA, giving Sam Presti a solid blueprint for what he needs to fix going forward. The Thunder are one of the few teams where "watch out for them next year" carries a lot of weight.


    Lastly, the Timberwolves, who have one of the most oddly mismatched rosters in recent memory. They were perfectly constructed to stop the Nuggets, however, with two seven-footers available to get Nicola Jokic off his game. Against the Mavs, though, young Anthony Edwards was exposed as far from Finals-ready, and KAT came off once again as a seven foot scorer who sometimes plays at 6'6" under pressure.


    What Now For the Mavs?


    This one's simple, at least on paper--get Luka in shape, and convince him to play a nominal amount of defense. According to reports, though, Dallas has been trying to get him to do this for years, so that's where the "on paper" part comes in.


    They also need him to grow up. Luka's referee theater routine grew thin when he was exposed to a team with two All-Defense defenders, and at least two more who should be considered for that roster. Whining about fouls is fine when you have inferior defenders, but it doesn't hold water when athletes like Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday are in your grill taking options away.


    Finally, the Mavs need a third scorer. Badly. They got by with guys like PJ Washington and Derrick Jones this year, but bargain basement options like that almost always wilt like March daffodils when the playoffs roll around in April, May and June. The future's still bright in Cuban Land, but it's going to take some serious attitude and personnel adjustments to get Luka, Kyrie and company over the top.
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    Millie Millie_Zemlak
    (NewsUSA) - DigiTrax Entertainment, a pioneer in the music technology industry, brings its artificial intelligence (AI) expertise to the popular hip-hop segment.

    With the introduction of KR38R Beats, a unique AI product specifically geared to the hip-hop artist, DigiTrax recognizes the importance of hip-hop music and how it is a great fit for AI technology. The company has paired with Spotlite, a popular and established singing performance app, to create "Rapping with the Robot," a contest for aspiring hip-hop artists.

    The contest is scheduled to begin on Thanksgiving Day and end on New Year's Eve.

    Prizes include an all-expenses-paid recording session, with professional production and distribution across all major platforms.

    "We focused our AI on the most relevant segment of music in today's streaming economy," says Joe Vangieri, CEO of DigiTrax Entertainment.

    "Hip-hop beats comprise one out of every three streams, and generate billions in revenue."

    The KR38R Beats product is based on the Music Builder program, DigiTrax's unique and innovative technology that helps artists harness the power of artificial intelligence. Artists can feed ideas into the program, which then serves as a composing partner and allows them to create more songs more quickly.

    Spotlite is a free, direct-to-fan singing app designed to allow amateur and professional vocalists to sing original music, covers, and karaoke across all musical genres.

    "As a fan, you used to go out and buy CDs to support your favorite artist," says Juan Munoz, general manager of Spotlite Media.

    "With the change in how fans ingest content, Spotlite has not only allowed fans a new way to directly support their favorite artists, but the fans become the tastemakers. Through our contests, fans tell us who should truly be recognized for their talent," he explains.

    Other benefits of using artificial intelligence in creating original hip-hop music include greater profitability and protection for the users under copyright law.

    "Because we own both the publishing and the sound recording that our AI has written," Vangieri explains, "this gives us free reign to fully exploit both sides of a song - the publishing and the sound recording."

    DigiTrax plans to introduce several more contests in 2019 to showcase the way its technology is transforming how music is created and enjoyed.

    For more information about the company and its future business goals, go to digitraxentertainment.com.

    Ref: Bands - in Blogs
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