BigWalker

Is this one the ultimate? : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXvf2Ka9hQI

The question is how to get a book published on Kindle. There is a very easy way to do that and more. I have just published my book on Kindle (both Amazon.co.uk and .com), Apple iBooks, Sony Reader and Barnes & Noble Nook. It would take some technical knowledge, not just of computers but of layout, to do that successfully, particularly if you want to cover all these major suppliers of e-books. But there is an easy way, which I took. There is a company called CD Baby, which claim to be the biggest supplier of CDs in the world. They have set up another company called Book Baby. So you prepare your manuscript - following all the advice about getting it proof-read, et cetera - then you whizz the words off to Book Baby, along with a mere $99 dollars. It will cost a little more if you want them to design a cover for you, and $19 if you want an ISBN number. Then your book is prepared by them and published with those four major e-book sellers. All this takes a couple of weeks, although Sony lags behind by a further couple of weeks. Photos cost extra, but I have put my illustrations in a Picasa online album, with the URL in the book. CD Baby send all the royalties they receive from Amazon, et cetera, to you, without any deductions by them. In my case the royalties are going direct to Pancreatic Cancer UK. This is where you find Book Baby: http://www.bookbaby.com/ And this is where you can find my book, if you want to see an example of the results. Of course I hope you will buy a copy as well: http://vicsbigwalk.blogspot.com/2011/07/its-here-vics-big-walk-book.html

I saw several houses of this shape as I walked last year from the Pyrenees to the Pennines. Some much bigger than these. And there is a whole estate of them in Hokitika, New Zealand, built in the 50s, when they were set to be all the rage. -- Get the book of my epic walk, relive the adventure with me, and help defeat pancreatic cancer as you read. Details here: http://vicsbigwalk.blogspot.com/2011/07/its-here-vics-big-walk-book.html

What about a Big Walk Challenge? I walked from Puivert to Blackpool in 70 days. Many people, all over the world, were interested and followed my blog. How many of those people would be interested in following the same route themselves? In competition with others, to see how long it would take them. More details in my blog: http://vicsbigwalk.blogspot.com

Sorry, only just seen those replies. I did sell it back to the dealer and I know that gives me a worse price than selling it privately, but having more than once sold a car privately, and that was in England, without the language difficulties (especially on the telephone), it was a nightmare. And yes, of course, selling it quickly after buying it new means that it loses a lot. Subsequent sellers will lose a lot less.

I am now working on the book of the walk. That should keep me quiet for some time.  :D  :D My natural inclination is that, if I find a publisher, I should make all the profits over to Pancreatic Cancer Research. But we have lost 11,000 Euros on the campervan we bought solely for the purpose of backup vehicle for the walk. I am now thinking of splitting any income from the book 50/50 with Pancreatic Cancer Research, in the hope of recovering the lost money. What would you do? -------------------------------------------------- Vic's Big Walk - The Movie - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXEsgaK8EL0 -- My blog: - http://vicsbigwalk.blogspot.com Donate to Pancreatic Cancer UK: - http://www.justgiving.com/Vic-Heaney/

The Big Walk is now over. A great success. 70 days walking. Arrived bang on time - 1100 hrs on my 70th birthday. Fund-raising for Pancreatic Cancer UK now at almost 110% - but more is needed for this vital cause, Anybody interested in seeing the BBC coverage of the finish in Blackpool will find it at this YouTube link: Vic's Big Walk - The Movie - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXEsgaK8EL0 -- My blog: - http://vicsbigwalk.blogspot.com Donate to Pancreatic Cancer UK: - http://www.justgiving.com/Vic-Heaney/

If you can tell me how to contact you, it would be nice to say hello.

Pachapapa I apologise for not getting back to you sooner, after you left the information about the bridge for me. Unfortunately, the Complete France forums don't seem to have a facility for letting you know when somebody replies to a posting - or if they do I haven't figured it out. The bridge is indeed the one I was talking about, and the information you kindly supplied means that I can walk across the bridge and cut out a big loop in the GR. As I am on a very tight schedule of walking 2,000 kms in 70 days, safe shortcuts help a lot. The walk starts Saturday and there is a lot of frantic activity going on here, as well as visitations from journalists, photographers, et cetera Thanks again for your help. Vic

Five days to go. The Big Walk starts at 0800 on Saturday and finishes 2,000 kms and 70 days later in Blackpool. We have the vehicle, now decorated overall by Columbia specially for the trip. I have put pictures of it on my blog today. It is magnificent. I am fit and uninjured and hope to stay that way. After the first day's walk to Mirepoix, it will be a voyage of discovery. Except for two days at Brantome, every overnight stop in France, and many of those in England, will be somewhere we have never been before. Full details of the route were placed on my blog a couple of days ago. The publicity has really stepped up. Journalists and photographers ringing for appointments. And most gratifying of all, donations to Pancreatic Cancer via my blog or JustGiiving page have really picked up pace. _________________ Big Walker's Blog: http://vicsbigwalk.blogspot.com

Pachapapa For some reason I did not get a message saying there was a reply to my post about the bridge. So I have only just seen it. Your answer is most helpful. However, having spent weeks poring over numerous maps, which we have today packed away in the support vehicle because departure is imminent, I can not remember whether the bridge you mention is the one I was asking about. I will check tomorrow. If it is the same bridge, it sounds as if I would have no trouble walking over it and in fact my wife could probably drive the support vehicle - a motor caravan - across there as well. Thanks again for your help.

I have seen the exchange in the forum about whether or not the tax forms are available yet. I see Norman fill his in online. As you know, there is not much time between receiving the forms and having to get them back. Normally that isn't a problem for me but this year I set out on May 15th for my 70 day walk to the North of England on behalf of Pancreatic Cancer UK So I need to complete the forms on line. I have had a look at the forms which are available (etrangeres) and am quite happy to do it that way but it is not clear to me, when you have completed the form, how you then transmit it to the authorities. Can anybody enlighten me, please. Also, do you know whether the ISF forms can be completed online. They will more than likely arrive after I have gone. Thanks for your help. My blog: http://vicsbigwalk.blogspot.com

Is the bridge over the Loire (D952A)at La Maumeniere pedestrian, i..e. does it have a pavement or is it safe to walk across? Near Saumur? I have asked this question under the regional forum as well. I will be walking through the area in June as I try to walk from the Pyrenees to Blackpool in 70 days, mainly via the Grandes Randonnees. If this bridge is suitable for pedestrians I can cut out a big loop of the GR36 and save a lot of time. Thanks for your help. _________________ Big Walker's Blog: http://vicsbigwalk.blogspot.com

I will be walking through the area in June (see my post under Other Topics-"70 year old grandfather walking from the Pyrenees to the Pennines"). I am trying to walk from the Pyrenees to Blackpool in 70 days, mainly via the Grandes Randonnees. If this bridge is suitable for pedestrians I can cut out a big loop of the GR36 and save a lot of time. Thanks for your help. _________________ Big Walker's Blog: http://vicsbigwalk.blogspot.com

We have returned to France after a couple of months training in the Southern Hemisphere. In fact we normally go to New Zealand for 3 months each winter (and, having come back at the end of March, I remember why!) but this time we came back earlier to collect the battlebus we ordered last October. This will be our home for the 70 days of Vic's Big Walk For Pancreatic Cancer UK, plus a bit of visiting in UK and the return journey. We were assured it would arrive at the dealer in Pamiers in February so we came back to collect it at the end of March, so we would have 6 weeks to test it, find out the snags, get them fixed, have it painted with the VBW grand design, before getting under way. We went along to Pamiers last week to collect it. Sorry "production difficulties" mean it will not be here until the end of April, if we are lucky. So now we have forked out extra €1000s for a different model, made in Germany unlike Italy (where almost all the others are made) and which we are assured will be here next week. 39 days to go until the start! Blog: http://vicsbigwalk.blogspot.com Donations to Pancreatic Cancer UK: http://www.justgiving.com/Vic-Heaney

What a month this has been! A month ago I was walking in Indiana, USA, close to remnants of an ancient mound-building civilisation. A couple of weeks ago I found, after many tests at several hospitals, that I am losing my central vision and that there is no treatment available, anywhere in the world. And now, for a few days my walking is in Italy where, only a few yards from my bed, are very visible reminders of the Etruscan civilisation which was one of several which Rome cleverly absorbed on its own way to fame, fortune and empire.   -------------------------------------------------------------------------   http://vicsbigwalk.blogspot.com

Having completely failed to connect the Internet radio to Teleconnect modem/router, and Teleconnect having failed to follow up on their promise to speak to Robers "technician to technician" to sort this out, I am leaving them for another supplier. I know my radio will connect to an Orange modem, but a better solution is to go for one of the packages supplied by AS24 Telecom. This excellent company is run by Andy Martin and I have known of them for some time. However, until recently, they did not supply broadband systems. Now they do. They put me in touch with one of their customers locally, who kindly allowed me to try the radio on her system. It worked perfectly, so my application is in to AS24, to supply me with broadband, and to take over my France Telecom line (they deal with any and all problems, in English). They are very, very helpful and I would not deal with anybody else for any of the services they supply. My letter of resignation is already winging its way to Teleconnect. My blog: http://vicsbigwalk.blogspot.com

This message is just to save people unnecessary travel. Fred the Curry Man, who operates on markets in Aude and Ariege, is just about to go into hospital for four weeks to have a knee replacement. This means that, for the time being, access to his goods can be achieved only on Saturday mornings at Quillan market, where his wife Margaret will be womanning the stall. Good luck with the op, Fred. My blog: http://vicsbigwalk.blogspot.com

Yesterday, on my first walk after returning from USA, I went through the 4,000 kms barrier. That is, I have now walked 4,000 kms this year in preparation for Vic's Big Walk. More on my blog. http://vicsbigwalk.blogspot.com

We are on a visit to the USA. Still managing to tick over by doing a 7 kms walk each morning. Lots of squirrels in the park, dashing about, piling up the nuts for winter. This reminded me that Christmas is not too far away. We shall be doing the same as last year, sending out only a few cards to people who are not on the Internet, sending a message to everybody else, maybe an electronic card. Scrooge? Not at all, the money we would have spent on the great annual Christmas card rush will go instead to a charity of my choice (guess which one?). I urge you to do the same - if not to my charity Pancreatic Cancer, then to another. The money will do far more good than it would spent on an ephemeral card. Big Walker's Blog: http://vicsbigwalk.blogspot.com

An Evening With Big Walker? Sounds a bit over the top, doesn't it? As if I think I am a star - one of those people on the television - "An audience with ... Billy Connolly, Dame Edna, Neil Diamond, et cetera" But it is happening. It's not my idea. Chris, a donor to Pancreatic Cancer research through my JustGiving page this week, has a guesthouse in a lovely location in this lovely area. He is brimming with ideas for raising my fund raising profile. One of his ideas is the above "Evening With ...". With my approval he is going ahead with it. He is putting this up as a special offer on his guest house's website. After VBW, and as the tourist season tails off here, guests can come to stay at his place, where they will have an evening meal, with some other invited (and paying) guests from the area. I will give them a talk on my experiences during VBW - incidents and accidents, highs and lows, people encountered, anecdotes about things which I witnessed or which impacted on me along the way. The guest house will subtract only its costs, the ingredients of the meal, the cost of cleaning the rooms. All other proceeds (including cheques written on the spot) will go to Pancreatic Cancer research. It will happen in September 2010. This is an excellent idea. Futher plans are being developed for talks to other groups in the area and maybe beyond. Have talk, will travel, that's me. Stand by your wallets! _________________ Big Walker's Blog: http://vicsbigwalk.blogspot.com

[quote user="Clair"][quote user="BigWalker"]Presumably the router is not filtering by MAC address because all our laptops and the desktop are PC. [/quote] MAC address stands for Media Access Control address and has nothing to do with MAC vs PC. It is an added layer of security which only allows wifi access to the addresses listed in the router. The router may have been set to be filter access by MAC address as well as using WEP or WPA (mine does just that) [/quote] I assume that is something which could only be changed by Teleconnect, who did not offer to do so. Hopefully they will come up with something in their discussion with Roberts. One of the things this kerfuffle turned up is that my router is faulty (it cuts in with a load of static on any telephone call, after about one minute), which is something I have been telling them for ages. So they are sending me a new router. When it arrives and I have installed it I will get on to their support to see if they have come up with a solution yet.

The radio does detect the router. When I put the WEP code in, it tells me it is connecting - it tells me this for the next hour. I have had no trouble connecting laptops to the router. I have had no trouble connecting the radio to the Livebox of a friend. The radio can connect to WEP or WPA, my router uses WEP. Presumably the router is not filtering by MAC address because all our laptops and the desktop are PC.

Despite the fact that my background is in radio communications, I have only just heard about Internet Radios. This was wonderful news to us, as the BBC has diverted all its shortwave programming to the Arabs. So we bought a Roberts Internet Radio. Trouble is, it will not connect to our Teleconnect WiFi router. It connected with no trouble to our neighbour's Orange Livebox. I have been in touch with Teleconnect, who tell me they have never managed to connect a Roberts (and it's not as if they are rubbish - they are one of the tops) Internet Radio to a Teleconnect router. Does anybody have any experience of this problem? -------------------------- My Blog: http://vicsbigwalk.blogspot.com

Did you see that when he first met Moira Shearer, the ballerina, at a dance, he was instantly smitten. He summoned up the courage to ask her for a dance. She said, "Of course, but I warn you I am not very good." And apparently that was true.