Monthly Archives: March 2009

Online Novels Boom in China

by Editor

In China, there’s a revolution in online novels.  Writers are uploading their books to be read by millions of Chinese readers who pay a small amount for each book.  The leading company offering online novels in China is Shanda Literature.  Their site, Qidian.com, is the most popular destination for novel readers.  Even regular bookstores are now offering print versions of online novels.  Apparently, the online universe is China is relatively free of censorship and authors find themselves with more freedom to criticize.

Here’s a CNN article about the online publishing boom in China.

Film Taken From Streetcar in 1908 Barcelona

by Editor

Here’s an absolutely fascinating film shot from the front of a streetcar in Barcelona, Spain.  Look at the way the people in the city of 1908 run along with the streetcar trying to see and be seen by the camera.  They seem to be full of joy and excitement.  They run along and ride bikes and wave.  Can you imagine people acting this openly today?  There’s something profound in this little film.  It just goes on along the tracks and through the crowds of happy onlookers without trying to make a point of any kind, but it makes a strong impression.  Wonderful film.  Watch it through to the end.  It will make you feel inexplicably happy.

Don Quixote Illustration by Gustave Doré

by Editor | 2 Comments

Here’s an illustration from Miguel de Cervantes’ novel, Don Quixote. It was done by Gustave Doré. It shows Don Quixote reading a book of chivalry in his library.  I love the way Doré shows all the madness of Quixote’s imagination surrounding him in his chair as if his imagination and the book were coming to life.  It’s a reminder that the sanest guy in the entire novel is really the Don himself… even though he does go off tilting at windmills as if they were giant monsters.

Click the image to enlarge.

Old-Time Radio Horror

by Editor | 2 Comments

Enjoy the terrors of these classic old-time radio horror productions. These are some of the tales that people used to spend their evenings listening to back in the 1930s and 40s. What a treat for a stormy night! You’ll stay up very late listening to these frightening dramas.

We’ve got stories from ‘Frankenstein’ to Edgar Allen Poe’s ‘The Pit and the Pendulum’ to Orson Welles’ original ‘War of the Worlds’ broadcast.

These incredible stories feature the voices of Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, Agnes Moorehead, Basil Rathbone, Barbara Stanwyck, Ray Milland, Vincent Price, and Orson Welles.

Have a fantastic listen!

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Public Service: Global Warming Information

by Editor | 5 Comments

What Do We Do Now?

It’s happening.

The earth is getting warmer.

The world’s scientists agree on it.

What does it mean?

What can we do?

When do we start?

It’s Happening
The majority of scientists worldwide agree that the earth is warming up and that human activities are making it worse. The United Nations recently released a report by a group of the world’s leading scientists and it paints a bleak picture of global warming. It states that we are in the midst of a worldwide crisis and that mankind must do something about it immediately or face certain disaster. It’s very simple. You either trust the scientists or you don’t. Candlelight Stories trusts the scientists. They have done the research and studied the evidence. Their data looks at a time period covering thousands of years and leads them to the conclusion that mankind is polluting the atmosphere so badly that the earth’s temperature is rising quickly.

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