Domains targeting keyword and off we went

Since May 2015 the Babel-University project website has been down. Since then I have received a lot of emails from project supporters , So I've set up this page to provide some answers. What happened? The short answer is that my savings account went dry and I couldn't afford to keep the server up and running. The longer answer starts in March of 2013, when my wife and I made the decision to move back to the United States. As many of you may know, My wife is a Japanese national and we have two sons. Since both our boys were born in Japan, we wanted to return to the United States for a few years so that they could experience western culture. So we started my wife's visa application and began saving for our trip back to the states. Since my position at the Board of Education was based on an annual contract and we intended to move back to the U.S. mid 2014, I had to resign from my position in March of that year. Unfortunately the visa application process took far longer and cost far more than we had anticipated (15 months and $6000 USD to be exact). Although in March of 2015, we'd made it to the last stage of the visa application process, we were informed that since my income for the last three years was location dependent, unless I could show that I had more than $75,000 USD in savings, they couldn't approve my wife's visa. Since we'd been living off of our savings since my resignation and $75,000 was more than three times my annual income as a teacher, we abandoned our plans and hunkered down here in Japan. I had hoped that the Babel-University project would be able to sustain enough sales to pay for the dedicated server on which it was running. Due to security issues related to shared hosting, one of the requirements to be included in the Joomla Extensions Directory (JED) is that you host your download site on a dedicated server. However in January when I announced the development of Babel-U-Exams 2.0, sales flat lined and in May, I had to cancel my server subscription. Is the project dead? Although the Babel-University site is offline and I can't offer download access to the extension at the moment, I would like to revive the project, but before I can do that, I need to get back on my feet and figure out how to make it sustainable. I'm using Babel-U-Extension, what should I do now? If you are currently running a live site using Babel-U-Extensions, then you have a few options. Option One: Migrate The first option is to migrate to an alternative solution. I know there are several other extensions that offer similar functionality, so finding an alternative shouldn't be difficult. However migrating the database to a different extension isn't going to be easy. You'll need to either have a very strong mastery of SQL or hire a database administrator to handle the migration process. Option Two: Start Over If you don't mind losing the exam data you have, then you can always start over with an alternative extension. This is the most cost effective option, but it does require that you manually import exams and questions into whatever extension you choose. Option Three: Maintain it in-house The third option is to maintain the system in-house. I've worked very hard to insure that the code in all Babel-U-Extensions is clean, stable and well documented. So any proficient PHP developer that has experience with the Joomla CMS should be able work with the code. Option Four: Hire me (Highly Recommended) Truthfully I'm between a rock and a hard spot at the moment. The Babel-University project was how I established my credibility as a web developer, so since the site went down, my freelance income is hit and miss. Although I've been looking for something here in Japan, living in the boondocks limits the opportunities I have. So if you plan on sticking with Babel-U-Extensions then I'd be grateful for the opportunity to work with you. Contact Me

ALL ABOUT HEALTH AND FITNESS

Travel writer and blogger documenting their family's journey from Peru to Canada in a Volkswagen Kombi.

This is a story... Well, more of an interview and insight to an artist.  One who has a story covering more miles than your average musician but one who's journey started as all of ours do. By finding that almost sacred and symbiotic relationship with our instruments.    From one of his earliest memories James Kirby remembers strumming his guitar as his father played away at the keys of a piano and his brother held the rhythm on the drums. But the six string that he now comes to play so magnificently was not his first instrument. From the age of four, James was encouraged to play more classical themed instrumentation such as the Piano, Cello and Viola. Though in hindsight he expresses a thought of not being "as good" at these in comparison to the drums and (of course) the guitar, which were both introduced to him at the age of eight.   The man is a multi-instrumentalist and the refined method in which he now plays (knowingly or not) salutes his introduction to his earlier and more formal instrumentation.   And music, seemingly for him, was not just a stay at home pass time.  Even in earlier days James has been a part of choirs, orchestras and Jazz/Rock and Indie bands. All these styles, settings and genres aided his understanding and development in music... But they were aided too by his natural, almost perfect pitch ear for music and dynamics.    As life went on James came in to the world we all know. One of four letters that binds our lives to paper and restricts our dreams... Work. His music continued as an overlay to the 9-5 lifestyle with regular gigs 5 times a week between Kent and London. Exhausted and shattered from the fine lines between what he did (work) and what he was (a musician) the then suppressed flame of his passion burst beyond its confinement. It was time for for a change and a time to be all that he was. He pushed his music, utilising the 9-5 to get him where he needed.  His efforts were rewarded with a contract to play full time for 18 months in bars, clubs and restaurants in Spain and the middle east. With every note played it seemed he took another step forward and with his new found knowledge and experience a life on the road became a reality rather than a dream. The doors to the UK/Europe tour were opening.    Though playing for a living is James' dream he is a modest and realistic character. He of all people will express that it's not all bright lights and 5 stars... And most of all, it isn't easy.    "It's been an incredible experience! but to say I'm 'Living the dream' is a stretch from the imagination!   The only reason I managed to line up a UK tour off my own back was because I met such amazing people during my time away."    James has no management, no tour group, no investors and no label. He is a man with determination and talent and more so he is one who gives thanks to those who got him where he is  .   So I asked him how he sees today in contrast to how he was when he started out  "I never thought I would ever be doing my music full time, even looking back 2 years ago when I was sat working in an office."  And though there is a surprised and positive shock in the distance travelled to achieve his goals James then brought forward a side so many dismiss from the world of music. At what cost do achieving our dreams come at?  "I gave up everything, a secure job, a nice apartment, relationship and time with family, friends to follow a dream (excuse the cliche) I've had since as long as I can remember."    ladies and gentlemen,  James Kirkby holds a story so many don't see.  Here we have a man who I actually refuse to call a "Guitarist" even with all this hard work in practice and talent... James Kirby IS a Musician! He is a Composer and an Artist!  And he is his own. He has made what once may have seemed impossible an actual life.  Hard work, determination and as you have read, sacrifice.  Admittedly it is not a life of glamour, more so one of a diary, equipment and petrol receipts.   It is a world James himself built and though he gives great thanks and appreciation to those along the way, if you look deep into the core of what he has done, he has done it alone.    This man alone (to me) separates those who want to be musicians from those who actually are! And he is a beacon to those who hold the passion of music as close as each and every drawing breath, that there is a life that can be achieved. And you don't need to bombard labels to do it nor sell your soul. So drop the glam, roll up your sleeves,  definitely drop the ego and get some good old hard graft in.  Throughout history the artists (within and outside the world of music) worth remembering are those who ignored the quick fixes... And James Kirby dare I say... Has right to stand amongst them. If not only for his talent but how he has brought his talent to others.   Again on a personal note his talent and journey always give me pride simply through the fact we share our names.    And there is more to come from James in the near future, from collaborations with other artists to his  own EP and album... And not forgetting another self made European Tour.  So I implore you to look him up, to listen and see him do what he does.  Because by the time he's restrung his guitars, loaded up his equipment he'll be off again effortlessly entertaining the world he's made himself.

Title: Fate of the Tearling Author: Erika Johansen Publisher: Harper Date Published: November 29, 2016 Where I got the book: ARC won in a Goodreads giveaway *this is no way affects my review* Where You Can Get Book: AMAZON Synopsis from Goodreads: In less than a year, Kelsea Glynn has grown from an awkward teenager into a powerful monarch and a visionary leader. And as she has come into her own as the Queen of the Tearling, she has transformed her realm. But in her quest to end corruption and restore justice, she has made many enemies - chief among them the evil and feared Red Queen, who ordered the armies of Mortmesne to march against the Tear and crush them. To protect her people from such a devastating invasion, Kelsea did the unthinkable - naming the Mace, the trusted head of her personal guards, Regent in her place, she surrendered herself and her magical sapphires to her enemy. But the Mace will not rest until he and his men rescue their sovereign from her prison in Mortmesne. So, the endgame has begun and the fate of Queen Kelsea - and the Tearling itself - will be revealed... With The Fate of the Tearling, Erika Johansen draws her unforgettable story full of magic and adventure to a thrilling close. I really enjoyed the first two books of The Queen of the Tearling Trilogy and the way they married the feel of an epic fantasy novel with dystopian elements. I love Kelsea Raleigh--the way she's portrayed and her believable growth from altruistic young woman to someone who's willing to put aside their morals to do what needs to be done. There's a progressively dark feeling to these novels. I still love the setting. We remain in the world Johansen built, but its beginnings are fully fleshed out in The Fate of the Tearling. We get to see how their society used to be run and where everything went wrong. Seeing more of Mortmesne was particularly interesting. I have always enjoyed Johansen's ability to give you something you have a preconceived notion of and then tear it out from under you. She frequently makes you think of things in a new way, and the Mortmesne plot lines are a good example of that. I wasn't a fan of The Fate of the Tearling's storyline, however.. I liked where the story was heading when the second book ended but found myself frequently upset about how she navigated the plot in this book. I thought the Red Queen's redemption arc was completely off the wall. It felt so out of character for the villain we had come to know. I felt that they broke her, in a sense. She came off weak. I enjoyed learning more about Row. I liked that he was given a face and backstory, but the confrontation with him felt highly unsatisfying. I felt the narrative had difficulty carrying the multiple points of view from so many different characters. I found myself missing the rapport and witty banter between Kelsea and her guards. It took away a big part of what I enjoyed in previous books. I also felt there was too much of the dystopian element in this book. I liked getting answers and seeing a more complete history of the world, but I had such a hard time keeping track of everything that it was hard to enjoy the story. There were just too many varying points of view, and it made the narrative feel inconsistent. Another thing I disliked were the new developments in Kelsea and Pen's relationship. Although I don't require romance to enjoy a story, it's a big draw for me. I had liked where their relationship was heading, and the events of this book were frustrating with regards to them. The Fate of the Tearling left me wishing she had written a prequel instead, so I could have fully immersed myself in the characters and storylines I had come to love throughout the series. I detested the ending. It felt as though she took everything she had spent three entire books building and blew it all apart. I like that she had the courage to go in that direction but the narrative turn seemed weak. It felt like a cop out and I found myself a little confused, wondering what precisely had happened. I wish the series had ended with a little more hope. Perhaps that isn't realistic, but I don't really read fiction for realism. All in all, I did enjoy the book and it was largely well written. I just wish that the narrative had been more consistent, that more page time could have been dedicated to the storylines and characters of the present, and that the ending had been more satisfying.