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May 6, 1862
Governors Message.
To the Senate and House of Delegates of Virginia:
To the Senate and House of Delegates of Virginia:
Gentlemen: - In obedience to the wishes of your honorable body, and of the Convention which assembled on the 26th day of November, 1861, at Wheeling, from the Counties proposed to be embraced im the new State of West Virginia, I have convened you in extra session, the principal object of which is, to take final action on the proposed division of the State of Virginia as far as the Legislature is concerned.
A Convention, under legal sanction embracing certain counties principally West of the Alleghany mountains, assembled on the 26th day of November, 1861, for the purpose of making a Constitution for the proposed new State to be formed out of part of the territory of the State of Virginia. That Convention completed its labors on the 18th day of February 1862, by the completion of a Constitution and Schedule, which are herewith submitted to you. The Schedule provides that the Constitution should be submitted to the people embraced in the proposed new State, on the 3rd day of April 1862, for their adoption or rejection, and the returns of the election to be made to the commissioners named in said Schedule. Owing to the disturbed condition of the country in some of the Counties composing the new State, the vote was not as full as could be desired, but it is a singular fact in these revolutionary times, that the vote, while it is respectable in numbers, is almost unanimous in favor of the Constitution made by the Convention.
The Constitution of the United State provides that "no new State shall be formed or erected within the jurisdiction of any other State, without the consent of the Legislature of the State concerned, as well as of the Congress." Therefore, to complete the work which has been commenced, of the division of the State, it requires the consent of the Legislature of Virginia and the assent of Congress. Of course your honorable body will take such action in the premises as shall seem meet to you.
Perhaps I have performed my duty in submitting the matter to you without saying more. But I am not willing to leave the question here. It is urged by some that the movement is revolutionary - Those who urge this objection, do not understand the history, geography and social relation of our State. Geographically, the East is separated from the West by mountains which form an almost impassible barrier, as far as trade and commerce is concerned. The barrier is so great that no artificial means of intercourse have ever been made beyond a mud turnpike road. All the trade and commerce of the West is with other States, and not with Eastern Virginia. The two sections are entirely dissimilar in their social relations and institutions. While the East is largely interested in slaves, the West has none, and all the labor is performed by freemen. The mode and subjects of taxation in the State have been a source of irritation and indeed of strife and vexation, between the two sections for many years past, as well as that of representation in the Legislature. The subject of the division of the State has been agitated at one time and another ever since I can remember. I have no doubt but the rebellion has somewhat precipitated action on the subject at the present time, but of the ultimate division of the State I have not doubted for years. While I can see no possible advantage of the State remaining a unit, I can see many advantages to both sections by division. It is thought by some that the agitation of the subject at this time is unfortunate on account of the restoring of the whole State to loyalty to the Union and the Constitution of the United States. This objection is more imaginary than real. The new State does not propose to go into operatio9n until the assent of Congress be given to the divisions. Before that time, the rebellion will be at an end all over the State. All the offices in each county will be in loyal hands, acting harmoniously under the old flag of our fathers. They can then take care of themselves.
While you are in session, I desire to call your attention to some subjects that require action at this time.
The counties in the Valley and the East are being re-organized. I find some opposition among certain leading men. In all the banks and branches in the State the stockholders have the appointment of a majority of the directors, I have found in one or two instances that the stockholders are secessionists, and they being in the majority have refused to recoginize directors that I have appointed. I would recommend that the charters be amended, giving the Executive power to appoint a majority of the directors in the mother banks and branches in which the State has an interest in the disloyal portions of the State.- Bank directors, with other s required to take certain oaths of fidelity, by the acts of the last Legislature, have attempted to set those acts at defiance, and persist in transacting business without oath or license, relying on evading the law by protracted litigation. I would respectfully advise that the law be amended so as to provide that any person required to take the oath prescribed, who shall refuse, and attempt to carry on or do business without taking the prescribed oaths, be declared to be acting seditiously, and, upon affidavit of that fact, that the Executive have the authority to have the party arrested and confined til the takes the oaths, or enters into bonds, with good security, conditioned to abstain from like offence. I assure you, gentlemen, that nothing but firm and vigorous action will subdue the proud, turbulent spirit of the rebels, and it will require a few examples in each section to quiet all cavillers.
The present tax of the State is levied with a view of defraying the current expenses of the State, to pay the interest on the public debt and about one million of appropriations for one purpose and another. None of the appropriations made by the Legislature which fixed the present tax will be paid. The current expenses of the State are only about $700,000, while the tax was to raise upwards of $4,000,000.-By a little energy, I think, nearly three millions of that sum may be collected by the 1st of January next. The only drawback is the large number of men who have large landed estates and are heavy tax payers, who have joined the rebellion and left home, and will not be here to pay. I would advise that in all such cases, where it is town property, it be made the duty of the Sheriff to rent the property at public auction, to the highest bidder, for a term of years, for the tax due to paid in hand, and to take bond and security for the payment of all accruing taxes on the property, for the term of the lease; and that where the real estate consists in lands, that he sell at public auction, on due notice, to the highest bidder, such part of the land as may be necessary to pay the taxes due, including commissions, advertising sale, costs of deeds and survey; that in all cases the land sold, be laid off by metes and bounds, and the purchaser take in fee simple, not subject to redemption by the owner. In this way a large amount of taxes will be secured to pay interest to the bond holders of the State. Loyal Virginia will never repudiate, whether one or divided. Rebel Virginia has brought great distress on the State as well as a partial suspension.
Gentlemen, if we could only get rid of the vast herd of the leaders in this rebellion in the State, and get their lands into the hands of honest, working men, I predict for the State a prosperity unexampled in its history. In ten years it would be more than a compensation for all that have gone, and all the slaves they have taken with them. I may have some other matters to submit to you, gentlemen, before you adjourn. If so I shall beg your indulgence and consideration.
Executive Chamber, May 6, 1862.


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In the long, cruel struggle of World War II, opportunities for celebration were scarce. But even among the era's handful of "wish you were there" moments—Russian and American troops meeting at Germany's River Elbe in April '45; V-J Day in Times Square—for sheer, cathartic hope, none surpassed the Liberation of Paris. The capital was ultimately freed, on August 24-25, 1944, by a combination of troops from the 2nd French Armored Division, granted precedence by Eisenhower in his role as Supreme Allied Commander; resistance fighters, of many nationalities, who had been battling the Germans in and around Paris for years; and Americans, primarily from the 4th Infantry Division.
LIFE photographer Ralph Morse, now 96 years old, recalls being outside Paris in a press camp—he was covering George Patton's Third Army and its sweep toward the Rhine for LIFE—when, he says, Ernest Hemingway, who was also in the camp, offered a suggestion.
"I knew Hemingway pretty well because his later wife, Mary, had worked for LIFE, and she had reported with me on a few stories," Morse told LIFE.com. "So, we're in this camp, waiting, and Hemingway says, 'You know, the Germans can't possibly have mined every road into Paris. Why don't we find a back road? We can be at the Champs-Élysées before the troops get there.' Of course, we did make it into Paris . . . but not the way Hemingway wanted."
"Hemingway's idea," Morse recalls, "to get into Paris before U.S. troops headed in was scuttled because someone—Maybe a reporter who wasn't invited along? Who knows?—someone leaked the plan to Patton, and before we knew it, the press camp was surrounded by military police. Patton walks in and says, 'If any of you make a move toward Paris before the troops do, I'll court martial you!' Anyway, we went in shortly afterward. It was a quick trip from the outskirts, because there were so few Germans left to stop us."
Strikes in Paris—by railway workers, cops, postal workers—and a relentless guerrilla resistance had shown that, by then, the Germans' hold on the city was tenuous, at best. When word spread that the Nazi military garrison in the capital had surrendered, the streets erupted. Wine flowed. People laughed, sang "La Marseillaise," wept.
"It was an amazing sight, an amazing feeling," Morse recalls. "So many people in the streets, holding hands, everyone headed for the Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe, the same way that everyone in New York heads to, say, Times Square when something momentous happens. It really was . . . well, liberating."
"One thing that really stands out," Morse says of those indelible days in Paris more than six decades ago, "is the feeling of certainty in the air. Everyone knew it was over. And I don't mean the battle for Paris. I mean the war. We all knew there was a lot of fighting left. The Battle of the Bulge a few months later proved that, and who knew what was going to happen in the Pacific? But when the Germans surrendered Paris, we all sensed it was only a matter of time, and not much time, before we took Berlin."
Ben Cosgrove is the Editor of LIFE.com
Liz Ronk, who edited this gallery, is the Photo Editor for LIFE.com. Follow her on Twitter @lizabethronk.

subset: commoncrawl


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REGAL BERRY details
The REGAL BERRY portable toilet is a CALLAHEAD V.I.P. porta potty rental that is perfect for any special event.
A step above a standard portable toilet, this port a potty has a flushing toilet with a full sized comfortable toilet seat and separate urinal. This premium portapotty rental is a full service temporary outdoor bathroom.
The interior is equipped with a hand washing sink with foot pump operation, paper towel dispenser, soap dispenser, dual roll toilet paper holder, convenience shelves, coat and hat hook, mirror, interior light and a lockable door with occupancy sign. It has a large 70 gallon holding tank making this a port a potty that is perfect for heavy use.
This stand alone portable toilet is completely self-contained, so it requires no water hook-ups to operate. When you rent the REGAL BERRY portable toilet for your special event, you get one of the best full service VIP portable restrooms that is also affordably priced. This porta potty is definitely stylish, too.
The exterior of the REGAL BERRY portable toilet is constructed of durable polyethylene that is an elegant berry color. This portable toilet has a translucent roof for natural bright light to enter the portable restroom. An interior light makes using the REGAL BERRY porta potty even convenient at night.
The REGAL BERRY port a potty is one of the most frequently rented premium portable toilets for weddings, benefits, birthday parties, block parties, marathons, bar mitzvahs, graduation parties, fundraisers, sporting events, parks, concerts, parades, carnivals, street fairs, backyard house parties and so much more. This is a top ten port a potty rental and is one of New York's greatest VIP portable toilets.
Only CALLAHEAD supplies the cleanest porta potties in the portable sanitation industry that will always be delivered to you in like new condition. We are unmatched in our portable restroom equipment and have the best service in all of New York. Our large variety of great portable restroom equipment gives our customers the most choices in portable toilets for your temporary short-term or long-term rental needs.
We have the largest selection of standard, premium, VIP, designer and luxury outdoor porta potties and restroom trailers for rent anywhere in New York. CALLAHEAD has been renting our portable toilets throughout Nassau, Suffolk, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Westchester, Staten Island and Manhattan Counties in New York for nearly 40 years.
We are experts in the portable sanitation field and provide the greatest, reliable and most sanitary portable restroom facilities in the industry. Available for quick delivery the same day as ordered throughout New York's 5 boroughs, including all of Nassau and Suffolk on Long Island, NY.
All of our porta potties are delivered by a CALLAHEAD professional uniformed driver in one of our brand new delivery trucks. We believe in always doing more than what we have to, so our equipment and service is pretty close to perfect. This is a CALLAHEAD practice with every one of our temporary portable sanitation equipment rentals.
The following is the detailed design specifications for the REGAL BERRY porta potty rental. If you have any additional questions regarding this porta potty's design specifications, please contact us at 1-800-634-2085 to speak with a CALLAHEAD portable toilet specialist.
Portable Toilet's Construction/Material - Polyethylene • Translucent Roof • Weight - 188 lbs. • Portable Toilet's Exterior Height - 86" • Porta Potty's Exterior Width - 45.5" • Overall Depth Depth of Portable Restroom- 48" • Door Opening - 73" x 24" • Floor Space - 41" x 21" • Toilet Seat Height - 18.5" • Holding Tank Total Volume - 70 Gallons
The following is a detailed list of the design features and accessories that come standard inside the REGAL BERRY VIP portable toilet rental. This porta potty has all the necessary features and accessories of an indoor restroom, but the convenience of a temporary outdoor premium portable toilet.
Door Hasp • Coat and hat hook located in the interior of the REGAL BERRY VIP portable toilet • Dual Roll Paper Holder • Separate Urinal • Portable hand washing sink with foot operated pump inside portable restroom • Soap Dispenser installed inside portable toilet filled with antibacterial soap that kills 99.9% of germs and bacteria • Translucent Roof for Bright Natural Light • Electric interior light located inside porta potty • Flushing toilet • Elongated, comfortable toilet seat • Mirror located inside port a potty • Two convenience shelves • Lockable door inside the portable restroom to guarantee privacy • Occupancy sign located on the outside of the port a potty's door • Portable toilet is well ventilated to eliminate odor • CALLAHEAD's classic navy blue signage on the exterior walls of the portable toilet emulating the highest quality of premium porta potty rentals to your special event guests.
For added convenience, we are proud to offer the below list of optional accessory items with your REGAL BERRY porta potty rental.
All of CALLAHEAD's rental accessories for portable toilets were selected to give users the same comforts as if they were using an indoor restroom.
CALLAHEAD's portable restroom accessory items are unmatched in the portable toilet industry, and include:
Headliner Toilet Seat Cover Dispenser can be installed inside the REGAL BERRY portable restroom filled with 250 toilet seat covers so every user may have a clean, dry and sanitary toilet seat
Headmist Time Released Air Freshener can be installed inside the REGAL BERRY port a potty that will release a clean fresh scent automatically
Flowers/Floral Arrangement can be delivered with the REGAL BERRY portable restroom and recommended to be placed on one of the porta potties interior shelves
Professional Uniformed Portable Restroom Attendant is available to maintain cleanliness of your portable toilet rental during your special event so you don't have to.
Our trained professional portable restroom attendant will clean your porta potty rental after each user to ensure every guest is guaranteed a clean visit to the REGAL BERRY portable restroom.
Uniformed restroom attendants are recommended: When renting a large number of porta potties; when renting portable restroom trailers; if you have a large number of guests and rent a small number of portable toilets; if your special event is corporate, dressy, formal and black-tie social gatherings; when alcohol is being consumed at your special event.


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8 Cairns Birdwing Butterfly Facts
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We tend to admire butterfly wings related to 8 Cairns Birdwing Butterfly Facts for their captivating elegance. Your negligence in ignoring other fascinating details about these wings is therefore quite excusable... but would not you like to know more? Here are our top ten (well, maybe more) facts you will be enthusiastic to learn.
The scientific title for the butterfly/moth family is Lepidoptera. This word is derived from Traditional roots indicating "scale wings." For scientists, the most obvious feature that divides butterflies and moths from different insects is their scaly wings. While we might not notice this immediately, deeper inspection of the butterfly shows the fact that their wings are made from tiny machines that are actually bulbous, modified feathers. The pigments of the machines on the wings come either from chemical pigments such as melanin or from plants and waste that build up during metamorphosis. If you look at macrophotography pictures of these machines, you can see the scales differ not only in color, they differ in shape. Some butterflies appear to possess a "dusty" texture. When you look at macrophotography shots of these butterflies, you'll see that the round-shaped machines actually look like an old, tightly woven rug! Other butterflies appear to possess a glossy or metallic texture. When you look at macrophotography shots of these butterflies, you'll notice that the machines are relatively flat with crisp, overlapping edges. Depending on the space between these flat, overlapping machines, reflective light waves interface to the degree that some wavelengths are cancelled out while others are enhanced - like the patterns on a soap bubble. This is why the famous morpho butterflies possess a metallic, iridescent look.
To get a moment, let us forget about the shape and color of these machines: there's anything interesting that we discover by rubbing them all off: if the scales are eliminated, the side that's quit appears clear and somewhat wrinkly - sort of like Saran Wrap! Some variety of butterflies are in fact, scaleless. Collectors contact them glass side butterflies. Although these butterflies are interesting to look at, we've to wonder whether or not having no machines may be a slight disadvantage considering that the machines of butterfly wings are flexible and home-cleaning! Brushing might therefore be slightly more complicated for glass wings! One last fact about the machines on butterfly wings: they often change hue - or even color - when wet. The variety Papilio Ulysses Ulysses is particularly beautiful to behold when it is wet: rather than its popular, vibrant blue, the wings appear to be a teal-ish natural shade when wet. Unfortunately, we seldom get to observe this detail in nature since butterflies hide from the rain - which leads us to our next round of fascinating details.
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Every company with a tablet on the market wants its product to be the "iPad Killer." Unfortunately for its competitors, Apple has a tendency of killing its own products and bringing them back to life with improvements that leapfrog the last benchmark. In its nearly regular refresh — the fourth in two years — to the iPad, Apple is making some small changes. Visually, nothing changes as the device holds steady at the same dimensions and identical Retina display that was introduced on the iPad 3. The processor got a slight boost to a 1.3GHz A6X dual-core and the front-facing camera gets clearer with a 1.3-megapixel lens. The charging port is also changed out for the new Lightning Connector. Take a look at the full side-by-side spec breakdown below.
It doesn't seem like Apple will be chasing too many current iPad owners with the iPad 4. The upgrades are fairly minimal from what the 3rd generation offered and likely won't convert iPad 3 owners. More than likely, the iPad 4's market will be for folks that are still without a tablet in their possession or for people who passed on the last two refreshes and still own the original iPad or the iPad 2. Assuming the price for the iPad 3 drops similarly to how the iPad 2 did (currently $400 in the Apple Store), it may become an attractive entry level tablet for people that prefer the Apple brand. The iPad 4 feels like it got pushed out to market to make the Lightning connector the universal offering in Apple's mobile line. It may still be an option for hold outs, but iPad 3 owners may be wise to skip this generation.
(*A quick note: We use the words iPad 3 and iPad 4 to mean 3rd generation and 4th generation iPad.)
Editors' Recommendations
- Apple iPad 10.2-inch (2019) review: iPadOS makes this a winner
- The best iPad keyboard cases for every iPad
- The best tablet stands for iPads
- The best tripods for the iPad
- MacBook Air vs. iPad Pro


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|London, Ontario
|High School:
|Saunders Secondary
2010: Named to All-Northeast Conference second team...Played in 36 matches and compiled a .317 hitting percentage in her sophomore season...Led the Pioneers with 84 blocks on the year and also supplied 2.62 kills per set...Named to Madison Bingaman Memorial Tournament and Holly Young Invitational all-tournament teams...Slammed home 18 kills and hit .552 September 18 against Dartmouth...Notched 16 kills in the Northeast Conference Championship game.
2009: Appeared in 33 matches and made 32 starts as a middle blocker in her freshman season...Finished the season with 233 kills, 2.31 kills per set, and a .239 hitting percentage...Recorded a team 91 blocks and added 25 digs on defense...Tallied 10 service aces and 17 assists...Named Enterprise Rent-A-Car/SHU student-athlete of the week.
High School: Lettered in both volleyball and basketball at Saunders Secondary...Served as volleyball team captain for three seasons...Led her team to a city championship for four consecutive seasons...Named team MVP in both her junior and senior seasons...Graduated with honors.
Personal: Nickname: Jo. Born: 10/30/91 Parents: Athena and Peter Ovsenek. Siblings: Kristofer Ovsenek. Favorite Team: Toronto Raptors. Favorite Book: Lucky. Favorite TV Show: Dexter. Favorite Movie: Old School. Favorite Food: Sushi.


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Citadon Inc., San Francisco, a construction project collaboration software provider formed in March 2001 through the merger of Cephren Inc. and Bidcom Inc. has received an additional $19 million in financing from a group of investors.
Citadon provides the Web-basedProjectNet software package and other collaborative software products that enable the delivery of integrated services for the engineering and construction industry in an open technology platform. With ProjectNet, users in remote locations are linked by the Web to share project drawings and requests for proposals; post meeting minutes, project photos and job notes; and perform other key job-management tasks on construction projects.
Warburg Pincus & Co. headed an investment group that included backing from a number of Citadon clients including GE Power Systems, GE Capital, Bechtel Enterprises and Internet Capital Group. "Receiving investor confidence and support of this magnitude amidst the current market conditions is a tremendous endorsement of our technology and business strategy," said Bernard Fried, Citadon's president and chief executive officer of.
John Santoleri, a managing director for investor Warburg Pincus, said Citadon is targeting a huge opportunity in the collaboration sector. "The substantial equity commitment in this round will accelerate the company's ongoing product development effort and allow it to continue to offer leading solutions with clear value and demonstrable return on investment for its customers," Santoleri said.
In conjunction with the financing announcement, Citadon said it was developing its next-generation software product. The company's new product is a Web-based collaboration platform designed to improve how companies manage capital projects. Citadon said its new product is supposed to improve efficiency, communication, reduce the need to travel, decrease financial and legal risk and help users manage core business processes.
According to the company's Web site, 30,000 active subscribers in over 30 countries are using Citadon's services on projects with a construction value in excess of $110 billion. Its customers include The Chicago Transit Authority, Duke Energy, the Bechtel Group and GE Power Systems.


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Department of History
The Department of History at Morehouse College has a strong track record of transforming students into scholars. In recent decades, it has been among the nation's top feeder schools for Ph.D. programs in history. These Morehouse Men are now fulfilling the College's mission to teach the history and culture of black people, doing so through faculty positions at some of the nation's leading colleges and universities. The faculty of the Department of History endeavors to build on this exceptional tradition while meeting the current needs of our students and the larger world.
Thematically, the Department focuses on the areas of social justice, leadership, and globalization. At the heart of the Department's work will be helping students think historically and helping them develop their reading, writing, and argumentative skills. To do this, the Department will create an engaged, research-based learning environment with the classroom as a center of informed dialogue about historical issues. With this as the hub, spokes will connect students to a large world of ideas and develop them into a generation of Morehouse Men prepared for the exciting yet uncertain challenges of the 21st century.


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Energy is a physical quantity that follows precise natural laws.
Energy Literacy Principle 1
Jump down to: Teaching these ideas Find activities
Teaching about the nature of energy is supported by 8 key concepts:
1.1 Energy is a quantity that is transferred from system to system. Energy is the ability of a system to do work. A system has done work if it has exerted a force on another system over some distance. When this happens, energy is transferred from one system to another. At least some of the energy is also transformed from one type into another during this process. One can keep track of how much energy transfers into or out of a system.
1.3 Energy is neither created nor destroyed. The change in the total amount of energy in a system is always equal to the difference between the amount of energy transferred in and the amount transferred out. The total amount of energy in the universe is finite and constant.
1.4 Energy available to do useful work decreases as it is transferred from system to system. During all transfers of energy between two systems, some energy is lost to the surroundings. In a practical sense, this lost energy has been "used up," even though it is still around somewhere. A more efficient system will lose less energy, up to a theoretical limit.
1.5 Energy comes in different forms and can be divided into categories. Forms of energy include light energy, elastic energy, chemical energy, and more. There are two categories that all energy falls into: kinetic and potential. Kinetic describes types of energy associated with motion. Potential describes energy possessed by an object or system due to its position relative to another object or system and forces between the two. Some forms of energy are part kinetic and part potential energy.
1.6 Chemical and nuclear reactions involve transfer and transformation of energy. The energy associated with nuclear reactions is much larger than that associated with chemical reactions for a given amount of mass. Nuclear reactions take place at the centers of stars, in nuclear bombs, and in both fission- and fusion-based nuclear reactors. Chemical reactions are pervasive in living and non-living Earth systems.
1.7 Many different units are used to quantify energy. As with other physical quantities, many different units are associated with energy. For example, joules, calories, ergs, kilowatt-hours, and BTUs are all units of energy. Given a quantity of energy in one set of units, one can always convert it to another (e.g., 1 calorie = 4.186 joules).
1.8 Power is a measure of energy transfer rate. It is useful to talk about the rate at which energy is transferred from one system to another (energy per time). This rate is called power. One joule of energy transferred in one second is called a Watt (i.e., 1 joule/second = 1 Watt).
Energy is a word with many meanings yet no universal definition
This principle helps students become familiar with some of the fundamentals about energy, much of which is based in physics. We want students to become comfortable with the concept that energy comes in many forms, can be transferred from one system to another, and can be measured.
While it is difficult to define the term energy, it is not difficult to identify, describe and measure specific types of energy. Mechanical energy is is the energy of mechanical systems, such as a ball rolling on a ramp, or a marble fired from a slingshot. Mechanical energy can be in three forms:
- Gravitational potential energy is the energy of an object or system due to gravitational attraction. For example, we can calculate the mechanical energy of a ball that is going to be released from a high window, or the gravitational potential energy of the water in a reservoir used for hydropower.
- Kinetic energy is energy due to the motion of an object. A speeding car, a baseball lofting through the air, and a skier sliding downhill are all examples of objects with kinetic energy. Flywheels are a method of storing kinetic energy.
- Elastic potential energy is the energy stored in a stretched spring, rubber band, or other elastic material.
Thermal energy is the energy that results from kinetic energy of molecules of a substance. A hot tea kettle has more thermal energy than a cold one. Objects that feel warm are emitting thermal energy, and the transfer of thermal energy causes changes in temperature.
Radiant energy is the energy from electro-magnetic radiation, such as visible light, microwaves, or x-rays.
Chemical energy is energy stored in chemical bonds. Gasoline and food are examples of compounds with chemical potential energy.
Nuclear energy is a name given to the energy that results from mass-to-energy conversion during nuclear reactions. This is a potent and plentiful source of energy because a small amount of mass can be converted into a large amount of energy as described by Einstein's famous equation E=mc2.Regardless of what form energy takes, energy has a numerical value that we can measure and assign to objects or systems. When the system undergoes some change, energy can be transformed from one type of energy to another.
Students can experience and recognize different forms of energy
Companion video by the Department of Energy
View a non-YouTube version of this video
What is fascinating about energy is how one form of energy can be transformed into seemingly unrelated forms of energy. James Prescott Joule did pioneering experiments showing that a quantity of mechanical can be transformed into the same amount of thermal energy. For example, an explosion converts chemical potential energy into kinetic energy, radiant energy, and thermal energy. Radiant energy can be transformed into electrical energy by a photovoltaic cell. Thermal energy can be transformed into electrical energy by a thermo-electric generator.
In all cases of energy transformation, some energy is transformed into thermal energy. Because this energy can often not be recovered in a useful way, this thermal energy is often considered to be wasted, or lost.
Helping students understand these ideas
A common stumbling block is the concept of power and the units to describe energy and power. In the metric system, the units use to measure energy are Joules. A Joule is the amount of energy required to accelerate a 1 kg object to a speed of 2 m/s, or to lift a 1 kg object about 10 cm vertically. Calories, BTUs, and kilowatt hours are other units that can be used to measure energy.
Power, which is the rate of energy transfer, is measured in Joules per second, also called Watts. Unlike other units that describe rates (for example, miles per hour for speed, dollars per hour for wages) the unit "Watt" has the "per second" already built in to the unit. Without the familiar "per second" in the units, students often think that a Watt is a quantity of energy, rather than a rate at which energy is transferred. For example, a 100 Watt light bulb uses 100 Joules of electrical energy per second, transforming it mostly into thermal energy.
Adding to this confusion is the unit kilowatt hour. A kilowatt hour is 1000 Watts times 3600 seconds, or 3.6 million Joules. This is a common unit of energy for electric utilities to use when billing,
A similar and amusing example of the confusion around power and energy is that electric utilities are often called "power" companies, even though the product they sell is energy.
Bringing these ideas into your classroom
As is illustrated in the TED-ed video, basic mathematical concepts can be used to understand how energy is quantified, such as measuring energy from two different forms, then converting those quantities into common units. Terms such as power (energy over time), work (force over distance) can be easily measured and calculated. All of these terms have alternate, but related, meanings in daily life, so getting students familiar with the mathematical definitions will require students to understand slightly different meanings for the same words.
Many forms of energy transformation are directly observable in the classroom, so demonstrations are an effective means to illustrate transformations between different forms of energy.
A Peltier junction (or thermo electric generator) transforms electrical energy into a temperature difference, or a temperature difference into electrical energy.
So-called "happy/sad" balls available from science education supply companies show how the elasticity of a material can affect energy transfer. The "happy" ball is made of a polymer that, when compressed, stores elastic potential energy and releases a similar amount of kinetic energy when it is uncompressed. For example, when the ball is dropped from a height of 1 meter, the gravitational potential energy is converted to kinetic energy as the ball falls. When the ball impacts the floor, the ball compresses and the kinetic energy is converted into mostly elastic potential energy (and some thermal energy). When the ball re-bounds, the elastic potential is converted back to mostly kinetic energy (again, some thermal) causing the ball to re-bound to a significant fraction of the height from which it is released. The ratio of the re-bound height to the release height is the ratio of final energy of the system to the original energy -- an estimate of the energy transfer efficiency. The "sad" ball is made of a polymer that is less elastic. When this ball is compressed, almost all of the mechanical energy is converted to thermal energy and the ball does not re-bound noticeably.
Spring toys and poppers are other examples of similar energy transformations.
A dewar or vacuum flask "thermos" is an excellent example of transfer of thermal energy. Describing how a vacuum flask keeps thermal energy from being transferred either in or out helps students realize that "coldness" is not a quantity, or a form of energy, but rather a lack of thermal energy. Students may be interested in the story of the development of the vacuum flask and how it was commercialized by Thermos who benefited from the fact that Dewar did not patent the idea.
Teaching materials from the CLEAN collection
Middle school
- The activity, Energy flows, provides a synopsis of energy basics that was written for middle school students.
- The hands on activity, Going For A Spin - Making a Model Steam Turbine engages students in exploring how various energy sources can be used to rotate a turbine and generate electricity with a magnet.
High school
- Tools like the Energy Unit Conversion Calculator can be used to help students compare quantities of energy in different forms. When students understand the meaning behind different units of energy, they can effectively consider the scale of energy use, which is part of Energy Principle 6.
- A guide to the energy of the Earth is a TED-Ed video that illustrates how energy is cycled through Earth systems: atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere.
- The Solar Water Heater project allows student teams design and build solar water heating devices and gain a better understanding of the three different types of heat transfer, each of which plays a role in the solar water heater design. Note that this activity is designed for high school students but it would make an excellent lab for introductory college students.
- Global Energy Flows allows students to analyze data about global energy sources and sinks (uses), and construct a diagram to show the relative scale and the connections between them. Discussions of scale; historical, socio-environmental, and geographic variation in this data and implications for future energy use are included.
Find activities and visuals for teaching this topic
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What is Energy? from EIA Energy Kids, this unit covers energy basics, types of energy, energy units and energy calculators.
PhET simulations for teaching Energy, Work and Power. Interactive simulations that allow students to "experiment" with changing variables in different energy systems.
The Physics Classroom is an online, free-to-use physics website developed primarily for high school physics students and teachers. For example, the animation of Energy Transformations for Downhill Skiing illustrates the relationship between work and energy.
Teaching About Energy - written by John Roeder, published by the American Association of Physics Teachers
This manual contains background references and activities to help teachers and students with the many concepts involved in understanding Energy. Sample student activities from the full print manual are available here. The complete manual includes sections on basic concepts in energy different forms and conversion of energy and the social problems involved with energy. Appendices for teachers include help with labs an energy concept inventory and information on student learning of the topic.


text: Respiratory, hearing and eye protection Respiratory product testing All respiratory equipment must undergo type examination using a Notified Body before CE marking can be affixed. Where the respiratory device is incorporated with headwear, eyewear or hearing protection BSI can offer an integrated test and certification package. For products that incorporate electronic devices and electrical safety laboratories, providing a one stop shop for all needs.Typical testing BSI can provide includes: Breathing resistance Filter penetration (solids) Filter penetration (liquids) Total inward Leakage (TIL) CO2 build up Flammability Dust clogging Field of vision Mechanical strength testing Practical performance testing Respiratory product standards: BS EN 140: 1999Half/ Quarter MasksBS EN 14387: 2004Gas Filters & Combined FiltersBS EN 143: 2000Particle FiltersBS EN 149: 2001Filtering Half Masks to protect against particlesBS EN 12941: 1999Powered Hoods and HelmetsBS EN 12942: 1999Powered air for full/half MasksBS EN 405: 2002Valved Combined Filtering Half MaskBS EN 136: 1998Full Face Masks - Class 1, 2, or 3BS EN 137: 2006Self Contained Breathing ApparatusBS EN 138: 1994Fresh Air Hose for use with face maskBS EN 14594: 2005Continuous Flow Compressed Airline Breathing ApparatusBS EN 402: 2003Self Contained Breathing Apparatus Escape MaskBS EN 1146: 2005Self Contained Open-Circuit Compressed Air Breathing Apparatus with Escape Hood Hearing protection Excessive noise is prevalent in many industries as well as personal pursuits, whether it be a construction worker on a building site; a clay pigeon shoot on a country estate or a DJ at a dance club, whatever the noise exposure, all can have a detrimental effect on the operator or listener over time. The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 places the level at which employers must provide hearing protection and hearing protection zones at 85 decibels (average/daily exposure). The level at which employers must make a workers' risk assessment and provide information and training is now 80 decibels. There is also a ceiling of 87 decibels (taking into account hearing protection) above which workers should not be exposed. BS EN 352 – 1: 2002EarmuffsBS EN 352 – 2: 2002EarplugsBS EN 352 – 3: 2002Earmuffs on safety helmetBS EN 352 – 4: 2001Level dependent earmuffsBS EN 352 – 5: 2002Active noise reduction earmuffsBS EN 352 – 6: 2002Earmuffs with electrical audio inputBS EN 352 –7: 2002Level dependant earplugs Eye protection Eye protection equipment is used in many situations from industrial to recreational. In many instances the eye protection is integrated into head protection. Many of these integrated systems also offer much more than eye protection, in that they protect the face from impacts, sparks from cutting or welding gear or splashes from molten metals or electrical arcs. The PPE Directive (89/686/EEC) for CE marking usually classifies eyewear as that of intermediate design and is graded according to the level of protection it provides. In the case of EN 166:2002 this is marked on the product as a series of letters or numbers to help the purchaser select the correct type of eye protection for the relevant hazard. 'Non-Safety' prescription spectacles may not afford the wearer the appropriate level of protection. Protection offered - symbol - product with this protection: Increased robustness - S - SpectacleLow energy impact - F - SpectacleMedium energy impact - B - GoggleHigh energy impact - A - Face screenDroplets/Liquid splash - 3 - Goggle/face screenLarge dust particles - 4 - GogglesGas & fine dust particles - 5 - GogglesShort circuit electric arc - 8 - Face screenMolten metals & hot solids - 9 - Face screen Eye protection standards BS EN 166: 2002Personal Eye ProtectionBS EN 169: 2002Welding FiltersBS EN 170: 2002Ultraviolet FiltersBS EN 171:2002Infrared FiltersBE EN 172: 1995Sun Glare Filters for industrial useBS EN 175: 1997Welders Eye and Face ProtectionBS EN 1731: 1998Mesh Face ScreensBS EN 1836: 1997Sunglasses and Sun Glare FiltersBS 4110: 1999*Visors for Vehicle UsersBS 5883: 1996Swimming GogglesBS 7930-1 1998Racket Sports – Squash Players Eye Protection


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The most likely cause for this is your Whole Home settings in the DVR or receiver. With some of them set incorrectly, you could still control the box but would not have access to extra information about what is currently tuned. To check your settings, go to: MENU > PARENTAL, FAV'S & SETUP > SYSTEM SETUP > WHOLE-HOME. Scroll down to EXTERNAL DEVICE and ensure that all options are set to Allow.
Tags: Current Program, On Now


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Early Bird Registration for Seattle PyCamp 2011 Extended Through July 15
Register now and get the early bird discount.
Seattle PyCamp 2011 is graciously hosted by University of Washington Marketing and sponsored by the Seattle Plone Gathering.
PyCamp represents a unique pedagogical approach. You will learn:
- By Example - Many programming courses take the rote "reference manual" approach where you are taught all the elements of a language and then expected to apply them from memory. PyCamp teaches through Python language elements applied in working examples instead of abstract concepts.
- By Following Along - Many programming courses lecture passive students. Others leave students to work through programming problems on their own. You will instead participate by stepping through working code line by line, building up new features and making changes as you follow along in guided labs. By repeating Python PushUps, you will retain what you learn.
- By Pythonic Method - Every programming language has a culture and idioms which make it unique. Too many programming courses apply a generic approach to languages, resulting in programmers who write Java programs in Perl. You will learn the zenful practices which make Python the most elegant and practical of programming languages.
WHEN: August 29 - September 2, 2011
WHERE: Classroom CSE305, The Paul G. Allen Center for Computer Science & Engineering, 185 Stevens Way, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
PyCamp takes place in a state of the art high technology classroom on the campus of University of Washington. Wired Ethernet networking and AC power are provided at each seat. A video projection screen monitors the presentation computer at the front of the room. The seating is conference style where you can spread out. Restroom facilities are just down the hall. A cafeteria is conveniently located in the same building.


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SGRA looking for CT ghosthunters
Posted 29 June 2003 - 06:42 PM
The Smoking Gun Research Agency is looking for some new investigators in the Connecticut area.
We are looking for people who are serious about ghost hunting to join one of the largest and fastest growing Paranormal Research groups in New England.
You can check us out at www.sgramedia.com. (Sorry...the website is under construction until July 4th)
You can also contact Jon at firstname.lastname@example.com or contact me at firstname.lastname@example.com
Posted 03 July 2003 - 10:29 AM
Look forward to meeting you in the near future.
Posted 03 July 2003 - 10:49 AM
I'm looking forward to meeting you soon.
Posted 03 July 2003 - 11:36 AM
Posted 03 July 2003 - 12:00 PM
Can't wait to see the new SGRA site!
Posted 03 July 2003 - 04:27 PM
We are going to be having a Tarot Reading class for beginners in September.
Let me know if anyone is interested.
Posted 08 July 2003 - 11:08 AM
Perfer et obdura; dolor hic tibi proderit olim. --Ovid--
Posted 08 July 2003 - 11:27 AM
Posted 08 July 2003 - 11:50 AM
Perfer et obdura; dolor hic tibi proderit olim. --Ovid--
Posted 09 July 2003 - 10:58 AM
We would definately welcome you as an investigator!
After seeing all your posts over the past year or so, I feel like I know you.
I know you will fit right in with the rest of us.
Posted 11 July 2003 - 09:55 AM
Perfer et obdura; dolor hic tibi proderit olim. --Ovid--
Posted 11 July 2003 - 10:56 AM
Posted 15 July 2003 - 12:08 PM
It looks like we are going to have enough people for a class in September!
Let me know if you are interested!
Posted 19 August 2003 - 09:16 PM
Posted 20 August 2003 - 08:48 AM
:o I'm so happy to see so many active replies about participation in our group! You are all very welcome to join us for our upcoming events! This next year is really going to be exciting with a lot planned (and a MAJOR special event in the works for April).
Pandora: come by some time! You'll fit right in, and as Diane said, you're more than welcome here! We have a ghost class coming up on September 20, we'll give a discount to anyone registering who posts here so get in touch with Diane or me and we'll fill you in on the details!
Wiccad: don't worry about time or knowledge! For one, I'm a college student myself so believe me I know how limited time can be! And as far as being an amature... hey, everyone is an amature at first, it's the learning experience that you work up to that makes you that much better. So, join us, we'll teach ya all there is to know -- and yes, we may even let you play with some of our fun equipment while you're at it.
The invitation is open to all! Come, join us, participate and you wont be sorry! We do a lot via mail too so if you like what you see -- our classes for example -- but you're not from CT drop us a line and we'll bring the information to you!
Wow, this is great! Well, keep up the conversing and by all means feel free to email me if any of you want instructions or directions to our upcoming events. Don't forget to visit the site at www.sgramedia.com for the latest information. And keep April free... there will be time to visit with many people from Ghostvillage, including Jeff!
Later All!
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Montezemolo visits the summer camp
There was a surprise in store this morning for the children of Ferrari's employees at the factory's Summer Camp in Maranello. President Luca di Montezemolo joined CEO, Amedeo Felisa, in a visit to greet the young Ferraristi who gave them a festive welcome. The President was inundated with gifts, sketches and other small mementos from the arts and crafts workshops the kids take part in during the summer holidays, and they also laid on a small show.
It was also a memorable day for the 40 children from Medolla, one of theareas most affected by the recent earthquakes, who were special guests of Ferrari's summer camp.
The day closed with a special party at the Fiorano track with the Scuderia drivers, Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa and Jules Bianchi who signed autographs and had their photos taken with their young fans.
The Ferrari Summer Camps are part of the Formula Uomo programme which provides a wide range of services to Ferrari's workforce and their families. The Summer Camps are open during the kids' summer holidays and there are no fewer than three different camps – two in Maranello and one in Modena – which every day host over 500 children aged between three and 14.
Over and above the Summer Camp, other initiatives in the Formula Uomo programme include free school books, movie premieres and medical check-ups for all the family.


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3d Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 1:14-20
Mark's gospel is often referred to as the Kingdom gospel, because it flows from the initial Kingdom proclamation found in today's reading. We, like the listeners in Galilee, are invited to reform and believe. Immediately following this invitation, we have two examples of what the invitation requires. The first fishermen immediately abandon their nets, and the sons of Zebedee not only abandon their nets, they also abandon their father. Neither our possessions nor our families must stand in the way of our following the path that will be set forth in the remainder of Mark's gospel.
read the padre
We can go to Ireland for the summer, a mother and father announced to their children at this time of the year not so long ago. The response was underwhelming. The older teen said the Irish are creepy people, they talk all the time and they talk funny. Besides I want to spend summer with my friends, their a lot neater than Irish kids. It's a great offer, the parents said. All the kids are free both on planes and in the cottage we'll rent in Ireland. Cottage said the younger teen. I don't want to live in any cottage. Is it air-conditioned in Ireland? Besides I have early football practice. You don't need air conditioning in Ireland, said the parents and cottage is really a nice house and theirs a town near by where they sing all the old Irish songs. I don't want to sing Irish songs, said the older grammar school kid. I want to hear rock and roll music (which, by the way is all you hear in Ireland these days too). You'll have a grand time when you get to know Irish kids your age. I don't want to meet any Irish kids my age said the younger. I like my friends in America. They're a lot more fun. A crazy waste of opportunity, you say? How many opportunities have we wasted in life for reason that are pretty similar.
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NCR TeleUrgecare 1-833-9-URGENT
0 answers
What does niacin deficiency cause?
DISCLAIMERThe content is for your information only and may not be regarded as medical advice or instruciton. No action or inaciton should be taken based merely on the contents of this information; instead, readers, should consult appropriate health & fitness professionals on any matter relating to their health and well being.


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Authorities say a Winn Dixie employee used coupon codes to $23,000 from the store.
Volusia County Sheriff's deputies arrested 30-year-old Ibilola Badmus Tuesday on grand theft charges.
The Daytona Beach News-Journal reports store officials noticed a plunge in profits due to excessive use of coupons.
Sheriff's spokesman Brandon Haught says an internal investigation revealed a store employee, not coupon-clipping customers, caused the problem.
The trend was first noted in February. The suspicious activity to Badmus. Haught says they learned she'd been collecting fraudulent funds by using coupon codes.
Haught says Badmus admitted to the scheme when confronted on Tuesday. She told them she'd taken $10,000 for her sick child's medical bills. Deputies say she had $3,000 in her bank account, which her husband withdrew and turned over to deputies.


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STAGE TUBE: Sneak Peek - New Episodes of TLC's VIRGIN DIARIES, Airing 7/18 & 25
Stemming from the success of the kiss that sealed 2011 with one of the most highly-talked-about moments in television pop culture history (with over 10 million digital views to-date), TLC will air two additional hour-long specials of its hit show VIRGIN DIARIES on Wednesday, July 18 and Wednesday, July 25 at 10pm ET/PT. Check out a preview of the episodes in the video below!From a 34-year-old Mormon who lives in his parents' basement and brings his "Wing Mom" to bars to help him meet women, to a 29-year-old lesbian virgin who loves Star Wars and dodgeball, the newest specials of VIRGIN DIARIES will take a light-hearted look inside the lives of adult virgins as they prepare for the monumental moment that has eluded them for so many years. The July 15th episode also features an update on the couple behind the famous kiss - Ryan and Shanna- including how their kissing skills are today. Whether it's by choice or chance, both men and women, some well into their 30's and even 40's, are holding on to their virginity. VIRGIN DIARIES, which premiered in December 2011 to over 1.3 million viewers, follows the lives of inexperienced individuals and couples as they go through the trials and tribulations of being a virgin in a sexually-charged culture.
VIRGIN DIARIES is produced by ROAD TO AWE for TLC.
TLC is a global brand that celebrates extraordinary people and relatable life moments through innovative nonfiction programming. A top 10 cable network in key female demos, TLC has built successful franchises around the Cake Boss and Say Yes to the Dress brands. In 2011, TLC had 28 series averaging 1.0 million P2+ viewers or more including Sister Wives, My Strange Addiction, Extreme Couponing, Toddlers & Tiaras, 19 Kids and Counting, What Not To Wear and Long Island Medium.
TLC is available in more than 99 million homes in the US and more than 227 million households in nearly 150 markets internationally. A destination online, TLC.com offers in-depth fan sites, exclusive video content, and original editorial covering style, home, food, and more. Fans can also interact with TLC via On Demand services, on mobile platforms, including an iPhone App, and through social media such as Facebook or @TLC on Twitter. TLC is part of Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA,DISCB, DISCK), the world's number one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in 209 countries and territories.


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Harrington Park Removalist
Harrington Park takes a large part of Sydney overall and they also contribute to the majority of the population. Many Western Suburbs are growing at fast paces and Parramatta – the second CBD is the best example of the potential these suburbs hold. There are many people who consider Harrington Park for their next home. However, not all of the removalist services operating in the area are what they claim to be on the advertisements. Moving is a complex process and if not done right, there is a high chance of it becoming an upset experience. Western Suburbs Removalist is here to do everything in order to provide you with an amazing removalist service. Contact us today and book your service! Our confidence and experience are the values we are based on and you shall see it yourself!
Experienced removalists ready for your call
Western Suburbs Removalist is proud to offer you tailored and flexible services that guaranteed to answer your demands and serve your both residential or commercial move at the best of qualities. Our team are very efficient and prompt when it is their time to shine, we will adjust our schedule to fir yours. Regardless of the type or size of your property, we will be meticulous and attentive at all stages of your move from packing to disassembling and reassembling of your furniture.
Moving houses is an important step in your life and it requires you to make the right choices
Choices that only you can make will be the deciding factor between a sad move and amazing move experience. It all starts with the choice of the removalist service – a bad choice will chase you until the end of your move which won't be a decent one. Most services in Harrington Park are using the illusion of below-market prices that might trick you. However, those services are struggling to achieve even a substandard job let alone a decent one. Western Suburbs Removalist, on the other hand, is coming to you with a fleet of modern removalist vehicles, skilled removalists and the latest packing material available.
Why spend so much money on services that aren't flexible to you? We have removalist trucks in various sizes for moves that are small, medium or large. With us in the picture, it is easy to plan for a move – just give us a call and one of our experienced managers will talk you through our services and suggest the most appropriate one as well.
Why Choose Us
Because we have qualified professional personnel who receive periodic training courses for their corresponding skills. Because we have the latest technological advances in the sector to optimise services. Because we have a supervision and control system by managers who are in constant communication with the client to inform them of progress and any incidents. Thanks to our innovative and different approach, our prices are highly competitive, which has positioned us as a leading company in our sector. The products we use in our services are of high quality and respectful with the environment.


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Lombardo, the Worthams keep the beat at AHA event
A heartfelt honor … Randy Lombardo and Karen and Bob Wortham are the 2012 American Heart Association J.C. Crager Award recipients. This year the organization will celebrate the award's 30th anniversary. The time-honored funder with this year's theme "From Paris with Love," will be held Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Beaumont Plaza. It's sure to be an elegant evening of dining, dancing, silent and live auctions with co-chairs Kelli Trevino and Christina Delgadillo at the helm. See you there!
A flaky affair … The Art Studio Inc. presents its annual Beaux Arts event, "The Abominable Snow Ball," on Saturday, Jan. 28, at the American Legion Hall, Post 33, in downtown Beaumont from 8 p.m. to midnight. Guests can look forward to musical entertainment by Giving Tree Audio, a fashion show by Recreate, along with a silent auction. Dress for the evening is "abominably" fashionable costumes, evening wear, vintage, etc., in wintry shades of white and blue. Tickets can be purchased at the door for a $50 donation. For more information, call (409) 838-5393.
Ya, cher … Anayat House will be serving up gumbo galore, Zydeco tunes, games and garage sale finds at Lagniappe Fest on Saturday, Jan. 28, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. A fitting moniker, lagniappe is a Cajun term that connotes a little something extra or unexpected, which is exactly what you will get at this not-so-ordinary-fundraiser. The Cajun-themed event will be held at the Knights of Columbus Hall and the cost of gumbo is $7 per serving, which includes access to Zydeco music and a dance floor if you feel inclined to try out your best Cajun steps. Other exciting opportunities include participation in potentially prize-winning bingo games and/or perusing through garage sale finds. Sponsored by the Knights of Columbus Council 951 and HEB, all Lagniappe Fest proceeds benefit Anayat House, the nonprofit medical hospitality house of Southeast Texas. With only two fundraisers a year, Anayat House has high hopes for this fais do do. The whole community is invited to attend this family-friendly and food-centric happening.
Start your engines … Owners of classic cars, trucks and motorcycles are invited to Spindledtop-Gladys City Boomtown on the Lamar University campus Saturday, Jan. 14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to help celebrate the 111th anniversary of the historic Lucas Gusher at Spindletop. Director Mark Osborne has centered the theme around the impact Spindletop had on transportation in the 20th century. So jumpstart that Model T and join the party. Admission to the museum is free during this affair for anyone driving a classic car, truck or motorcycle, or pay $5 per person.
Sounds of Satchmo … Symphony of Southeast Texas Pops Concert The Sounds of New Orleans: A Tribute to Louis Armstrong featuring Byron Stripling on trumpet will happen Saturday, Jan. 21, at 7:30 p.m. at the Julie Rogers Theatre. Tickets are $15 to $36 for adults and $12 to $33 for students. For more information, call (409) 892-2257.
Birthday bash … Party planner extraordinaire Camille Ohmstede hosted a terrific get-together this past Saturday evening to honor hubby Chris Ohmstede turning 40. The perfect weather, 1980s cover band 80 Proof, lots of libations and a terrific taco truck Fusion Taco along with a bevy of fantastic friends and family came together to make this a party not to be forgotten well into the future. Toasting the sensational stockbroker were Sarah and Mark Frasher, Michele and Mitch Smith, Nicole and Jeremy Saba, Lindsay and Hubert Oxford, Laurey and Kevin Harmon, Katharine and Brad Klein, Susan and Jordan Reese, Gillian and Will Jenkins, Clayton Christopher, Stephanie and Bernie Daleo, Sheri and Camp Bailey, Bonnie and Robby Tortorice, Nikki and Michael Albanese, Kim and Dade Phelan, Beth and Stuart Yoes, Christy and Mike Persia, Shari and Sam Marchand, Steven Soudi, Janey and Mike Phelan, Michelle Phelan, Ashley and Tab Bryan, Odile and Marco Silva, along with family members Kit Ohmstede, Mary Anne Howell, Kristin Ohmstede, Patty Howell, Anne and Yerger Hill and too many more too mention!
News of I do's … Dynasy and Lan Phelan recently welcomed child No. 5, their fourth girl, Cullen Elizabeth Phelan, into their every growing wonderful family! Congrats!
Candles and cakes … Belated best to Ralph Singleton, Scott Holtmyer and Mary Donaldson. Champagne toasts to Bernie Daleo,Will Ohmstede Sr.,Karen Linn,Teri Morgan,Glen Hanson,Laurie Leister,Tootsie Crutchfield and Maida Ducote.
Until the next RSVP!


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Toy Industry Association (TIA) will co-present a Toy Safety Seminar on October 18 in Shanghai, China as part of its ongoing commitment to industry education. Since 1996, the TIA has conducted such seminars to provide factories with information on the most up-to-date U.S. standards, testing, and conformance requirements. This year, representatives from the TIA, along with experts from Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the industry, will share their practical understanding of the requirements. CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum will also give key presentation.
The upcoming Toy Safety Seminar will cover key toy safety information and U.S. compliance requirements such as:
- U.S. toy safety standards and regulations, including recent legislative changes and their impact on Chinese manufacturers and suppliers.
- The role of the CPSC as the lead U.S. government body responsible for monitoring and enforcing toy safety in the U.S.
- Necessary elements of a factory quality program.
- Emerging issues and hazards and how they are being addressed.
- Ensuring material safety and reporting.


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Pathfinder Bestiary Review
by, 02-19-2010 at 12:23 PM (25475 Views)
Pathfinder Bestiary Review
Well, Here it is February and its time for another review. This time is the Pathfinder Bestiary up for review. This book is largely a remake of the D&D 3.5 monster manual that has been brought up to date with the newer stats and abilities that are found within the Pathfinder system.
This review will be fairly short as I will not be describing every monster in the book.
Starting right off the bat on page 5 is a short chart of monster icons. These are small symbols denoting the type of each monster that you may encounter ranging from Aberrations to vermin. There are also icons denoting terrain types that each monster is likely to be found in as well as climate (cold, temperate, tropical). These icons are handy but will take some time to memorize so you will need to reference page 5 often.
The basic layout of the Monster stats is nearly identical with a couple of additions. Mainly the addition of XP in bold at the top of the description as well as the addition of CMB / CMD stats on the same line as BAB. The stats are broken down into sections. These sections are Defense, Offense, Statistics, Ecology & Special Abilities. The layout is very organized, neat and easy to read.
List of Monsters
Aasimar did not change. The rules for playing one are listed. There is technically no Level adjustment required nor any XP penalties in order to play one, but it is recommended within the council of thieves players guide although they primarily mention Tieflings in that issue.
Angel the 3 main types are described here. Astral Deva, Planetar & Solar. They seem to be pretty close to the versions in 3.5. I like the artwork.
Animated Object This has some cool construction rules for extra speed, attacks, trample, etc.
Ankhegs, Ants & Apes
Archons There are 3 listed types, Hound, Lantern, Trumpet. These seem to be pretty much the same as they were in 3.5
Assassin Vine
Azata These are Eladrin renamed. There are 3 listed, Bralani, Ghaele & Lillend. The Lillend is pretty cool. It is a picture of a creature with a torso of a woman with wings and the lower torso and legs are snake-like. The lillend has bard powers and can play musical instruments. There are a couple of minor changes for the Bralani & Ghaele but nothing worth mentioning.
Basidirond a new plant monster with the power to throw a hallucination cloud at you.
Basilisk, Bats, Bears - (the Dire Bear looks stupid like it has some sort of fungal disease.
Bebilith - The Bebilith is no longer considered a demon but is still a hunter of demons. It retains its arachnid type.
Beetles, Behir, Black pudding, Boars
Boggard - The boggard is an anthropomorphic toad with a sticky tongue, holds its breath underwater for nearly six minutes and can move through swamp terrain with no penalties. It also has a terrifying croak that can make become shaken.
Bugbear, Bulette, Cats (cheetah & leopard), Cave Fisher, Centaur, Centipede, Chimera, Choker , Chuul, Cloaker, Cockatrice, Couatl I love the picture of the Couatl.
Crab (Giant), Crab(Swarm), Crocodile, Dire Crocodile, Cyclops, Dark Creeper, Dark Stalker,
Dark Mantle
Demons The demons did not change a lot but they did add a little bit to the Balor. There is a paragraph that denotes the Balor Lord which has a higher CR rating and more powers such as lifedrinker (ability to heal when it kills something), more spell-casting (automatic spell-like abilities in spells from the sorc/wizard list) and soul swallow (fort save or die and you come back as a babau or succubus or a shadow demon under the control of the Balor Lord. The Balor Lord is ultra-powerful.
Devils The Devils got a similar treatment just like the Demons. I loved the artwork for the Erinyes. The Pit fiends also got a couple of paragraphs that dealt with the Dukes of hell and their abilities are similar to the Balor Lords. Although the Dukes of Hell frequently get a Hellfire Breath weapon (Unholy damage & Fire Damage), plus more spell like abilities and the ability to create ghosts from slain enemies.
Dinosaurs - Im not a big fan of Dinosaurs but there are several here.
Dogs, Dolphins & Orca, Doppleganger
Dragons - Paizo apparently decided to do a much more standardized template progression system than 3.5 did. Essentially, other than a few special powers, spell-like abilities and possible immunities and/or vulnerabilities, all dragons are essentially the same regarding (HD, BAB, physical stats, mental stats, natural amor, fly speed, spell resistance & levels of spellcasting (all dragons can now get up to 19th level sorcerer). In some ways I like it because its quicker to generate but it feels more canned. Youll have to decide for yourself if you like the changes or not.
One thing I didnt like was that I dont feel that dragons got enough hitpoints. They get 4D12 at wyrmling and then increase by 2D12 every age category instead of 3D12 that 3.5 gave them. They essentially end up with 11D12 less hit points than 3.5. I think this is a mistake. This makes them easier to kill and harder to create a longer drawn out combat.
I also think that they should have been allowed to substitute their spellcasting for other types of spellcasting. Yes, technically, you could give them levels in cleric or whatever but I was thinking maybe substituting the Sorcerer levels for Bard levels since their both spontaneous arcane casters. Granted, their offense would suffer but it would offer additional role playing opportunities and some cool defensive possibilities.
Dragon Turtle, Drider
Drow There are 2 Drow templates that you could use to play a character. The regular drow & noble drow. The regular drow get +2 dex, +2 cha, -3 con, darkvision 60, SR = 6 + character level, spell-like abilities (faerie fire, darkness & dancing lights). They also suffer light blindness. They have poison use and weapon familiarity (rapier, crossbow (hand), short sword). The nobles have all of the normal drow powers plus an extra +2 dex, +2 intelligence & +2 wisdom. They also have more SR. SR 11 + character level and additional spell-like abilities (deeper darkness, feather fall, levitate, detect magic,
Divine favor, dispel magic & suggestion. The regular drow are pretty tought but the nobles are even more so. These can be played as characters but some penalty should be imposed since they are much more powerful than the regular races.
Eagle & Giant Eagle, Eel & Electric Eel
Elementals The Elementals do not appear to have changed too much.
Elephant & Mastodon Elephant, Ettercap & Ettin
Familiars There is a fairly extensive section on familiars ranging from bats to weasels.
Giant Flytrap, Frogs & Poison Frogs, Frogemoth , Gargoyles, Gelatinous Cube
Genies There is some revamping done here for the Genies. There is 1 genie per elemental type that was not present in the original D20 srd. The Marid is the new Water Genie and the Shaitan is the new Earth Genie. In addition there are also Noble versions for each type including the lesser Genie the Janni. These noble versions each have 2 3 extra hit dice and have extra spell-like abilities and in at least one case increased wish magic. I really like the new genies and the upgrades.
Ghosts, Ghouls & Giants - They stayed roughly the same. I hate the artwork for the Giants.
Gibbering Mouther, Girallon, Gnoll, Goblin
Goblin Dog This is new from Paizo. They really only get along with goblins especially once you find out that they have allergic dander to anyone that isnt a goblinoid.
Golems (Clay, Flesh, Ice, Iron, Stone & Wood) I like the new additions plus the rules for creating them and Shield Guardians.
Gorgon The new Gorgon breath attack does not turn you to stone permanently. It is only temporary and you get to make a new save every round. However, if the Gorgon breathes on you a second and you fail a second save then you are turned to stone permanently.
Gray ooze, Green Hag , Griffon
Half-Celestial, Half-Dragon, Half-Fiend -These all got simplified, more flexible and potentially cheaper to play. If I use the Half-Celestial as an example, It has a CR rating of CR + 3 if you have 11 HD or more. If were to translate that to a level adjustment. I would say that a level adjustment of +3 would seem to be fair and it would put it at the same cost that it used to be in 3.0 because in 3.5, WOTC upped the cost to +4 which made it too expensive for most people to play and it made the character too weak. For both the Half-Celestial & Half-Fiend, 3 of your stats (your choice) go up by +4 and the other 3 stats go up by +2. This is great if you like to customize your character which is something that 3.5 lacked. The Half-dragon puts out fixed stat increases. Overall, I like the new Half-templates. They are easier to use and more customizable and in the hands of a fair DM potentially cheaper.
Harpy, Hell Hound
Nessian Hell Hound This is a large version of the Hell hound with a lot more hit points, Armor Class & a huge breath weapon attack.
Herd animals, Hobgoblin, Homunculus, Horses, Hydras, Hyenas, Intellect Devourer
, Invisible Stalker, Iron Cobra
Kobold The stats to play a kobold are listed but as expected they are very weak.
Kraken, Kyton (love the artwork), Lamia, Leeches, Lich
Linnorm These are basically primeval dragons. There are 3 types presented. Crag, Ice & Tarn. They can fly and have breath attacks but they are quite a bit weaker than your standard dragons.
Lion & Dire Lion, Lizard & Monitor Lizard, Lizardfolk
Lycanthrope There are some pretty good rules for creating and potentially playing a Lycanthrope but Paizo rightfully recommends that you do not allow players to play a lycanthrope since it makes their character much more powerful and when you switch forms, your character frequently ends up doings that are potentially opposite of their alignment.
Manticore, Giant Mantis, Medusa
Mephits There are 10 types of mephits listed here. All with different powers. They are really cool and they can wreak havoc against a party if there is a mob of them.
Merfolk, Mimic (cool pic), Minotaur
Mite this is a weak small evil fey creature with only prestidigitation & doom for powers.
Morlock They are degenerate humanoids that evolved into monstrous humanoids by dwelling in subterranean depths. They have darkvision 120 ft and are immune to poison & disease.
Mummy, Nagas (Dark, Guardian, Spirit)
Neothelid A Gargantuan Aberration that looks like a worm with 4 tongue attacks, a huge 14d10 Acid breath attack (50ft cone), mind thrust & psychic crush attacks as well as swallow whole. It has DR 10/cold iron and SR 26. Very Nasty.
Night Hag, Nightmare & Nightmare Cauchemar, Nymph, Ochre Jelly, Octopus & Giant Octopus, Ogre & Ogre Mage (Oni), Orc, Oytugh, Owlbear, Pegasus, Phase Spider, Phoenix, Pixie, Pseudodragon, Purple Worm, Rakshasa, Dire Rat, Rat swarm, Remorhaz,
Retriever This is a huge extraplanar construct that looks like a spider. It has a bite attack plus 4 claw attacks. It also has the ability to fire one of 4 different type of eye (ray) attacks that deals fire, cold, electricity or petrification. It has a land speed of 50ft and has a constant spider climb & water walk powers.
Rhinocerous & Wooly version, Roc, Roper, Rust Monster, Sahuagin, Salamander, Satyr,
Giant Scorpion, Sea Hag, Sea Serpent, Shadow (Greater), Shambling Mound, Shark (Dire), Shocker Lizard, Shoggoth, Skeleton, Skeletal Champion, Skum, Giant Slug, Snake (Constrictor & Venomous), Spectre, Sphinx, Spider (Giant & Swarm), Squid (Giant & normal), Stirge, Svirfneblin, Tarrasque
Tengu The tengu are a race of avian humanoids that resemble either a crow or a raven. There are playable stats if you want to play one as a character (+2 dex, -2 con, +2 wisdom). Low-light vision, +2 perception & stealth. They are sword trained and are gifted linguists. These are really cool and are a welcome addition for those that are looking to play something different.
Tiefling, Tiger (regular & dire versions), Treant, Troglodyte, Troll, Unicorn, Vampire (excellent creation rules), Vargouille
Vegepygmys They are a race born from russet mold fungus that only grows in dark wet caverns. If anyone is infected with the mold spores, they have to make a DC 15 fort save or they are infected and have to make continuous saves or take 2 points of con damage. If you go to zero, you die and 1D6 vegepygmys burst from the dead body. They are small and use the remnants of the dead body to make a weapons or jewelry.
Violet Fungus Another plant that deals a rot attack that is actually poison based. It deals strength & Constitution damage.
Wasp (Giant & Swarm), Wight, Will-o-Wisp, Wolf (Normal & Dire), Wolverine (Normal & Dire), Worg (normal & Winter), Wraith (Normal & Dread), Wyvern, Xill, Xorn, Yellow Musk Creeper & Zombie, Yeth Hound, Yeti, Zombie
The Good
I like most of the artwork and the adult feel.
The layout is more organized and easier to read.
I love the new symbols that denote the type of monster it is, as well as the descriptions of each type at the end of the book.
I love the fact that they stick to whole pages for monsters and they dont start a new monster in the middle of a page.
Most monsters are fully described in 1 or 2 pages with only a few exceptions like Dragons.
I love the XP system. You do not need to cross check CR tables to get XP. Its already listed as part of the Monster.
I wont be reviewing the Bonus Bestiary but would like say thanks to Paizo for offering up some
extra monsters for free and it partially makes up for the missing monsters in the bestiary.
The Bad
There are not as many monsters in this bestiary as compared to the original 3.5 Monster Manual.
Dragons seem weaker.
Final Score 9.5 out of 10 (Silver Award) This book is very near-perfect., one of Paizos best books to date. I consider this a must have if you are into Pathfinder. You wont be disappointed. I will be waiting with bated breath for Bestiary 2 which promises to release most of the monsters that were not in the first bestiary and a whole bunch of new ones.
Scoring System:
10 Gold Award - You would be a fool not to get this. As close to perfect as youll ever see.
9 to 9.5 - Silver Award - This is an excellent and important addition to your collection. This product only has maybe 1 or 2 minor issues that are easily overlooked.
8 to 8.5 - Bronze Award This is also an excellent and important addition to your collection but has several issues that may need to be dealt with thru errata or house-rules.
7 to 7.5 Honorable mention This is probably worthy of consideration. It is a nice product but has several major issues or only offers a couple of new ideas.
6 6.5 - Fair - This product is ok but should only be bought if you are bored and have extra cash. This score shows that the product doesnt deliver as promised or delves into other material that is separate from what was supposed to be discussed. The info presented in this product may also break your game either in too good a way or in a horrible way. This product may also offer little in the way of new rules or ideas.
5 to 5.5 Poor - This product is really bad and should not be bought. This might have horrible artwork and/or poor organization and/or poor spellchecking. This product may also offer nothing new in the way of rules or crunch and may just be an incoherent rambling of thoughts.
4.5 or less - Use this product for kindling `nuff said.
Reviews for the Future (in no particular order):
Dark Markets of Katapesh
Adventurers Armory
Gnomes of Golarion
Guide to the River Kingdoms


text:
Story highlights
- The teens all attended the same high school
- Police say the killing was planned
- Two 16-year-olds are charged with murder.
- Police became suspicious when they found a car backed up to the woods
Ask a simple question.
Police in Wylie, Texas, wanted to know what two teenagers were doing in the woods Saturday night.
"We are burying a body," one of them said.
They weren't kidding. When police looked in the woods northeast of Dallas they found the corpse of 17-year-old Ivan Mejia of Wylie. The two 16-year-olds were charged with murder.
Police first became interested when they checked out a suspicious, unoccupied vehicle backed up to the treeline, according to a department statement. Officers went into the woods and saw two suspects running from the area.
Police returned to the car and the 16-year-olds walked up and answered the question that set off bells, the statement said.
Mejia was killed behind Wylie East High School, where all three teenagers were students, and taken to the wooded area, police said. No motive has been released, but police say the killing was planned.
The school system said the incident was not connected to a school-sponsored activity.


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New Interview with Hugh Howey, author of WOOL
I'm quite thrilled to have as my guest today author Hugh Howey, whose WOOL books are as popular as chits in a Silo and are making international headlines… including in the UK, where WOOL was officially released in hardcover recently. If you haven't read them, go grab the WOOL Omnibus, First Shift, Second Shift, and Third Shift (or the Shift Omnibus), and get ready for audio books, comic books, and a possible movie! Here's Hugh himself to answer my questions. I'm in italics; he's not.
Hi Hugh! Thank you SO much for being willing to talk to me about the phenomenon that is WOOL. I'm going to try to concentrate on questions that I haven't seen answered elsewhere… I'm not going to ask you what your writing desk looks like, or how many words you write a day. But feel free to tell me if you want to!
You have been very open with fans from the beginning and have a rare connection to readers. How do you manage to find the time? Do you enjoy blogging and making dance videos, or is it just a cynical ploy to sell more books… no, seriously, are you a gregarious kind of guy?
Yeah, this is just who I am. When I'm out in public, I make an effort to talk to strangers. And I've never really grown up. Besides, writing is such a solitary endeavor. I get antsy for social interactions. So it isn't really about finding the time to connect with readers; it's something I enjoy. Long before I thought I could make a living as a writer, I was driving two hours to sit and visit with middle school classrooms or conduct writing workshops. It's not about making money. It's about feeling happy and fulfilled.
The Wool universe is complex for a reader to follow, the way you move around in time and spotlight different characters in each segment. Is this tough for you to figure out even as you write it? Do you have to go back and reread the old books to remind yourself what is in each book?
I have notes I can refer to, but I rarely do. Each book feels self-contained to me in a way. I know where the beginnings and ends are, so all I have to do is shade in the middle bits. I have thought about putting together a timeline for readers so they can see how the stories overlap. Maybe when I'm done with the writing. 🙂
Do you ever regret something you did in an old book and wish you could change it? Will you change some of those books, since you can do so easily with ebooks?
I don't have any regrets on plot and structure. If I could go back and change one thing, it might be to give the first Wool a subtitle. At the time, I thought it would be a single work. It creates some confusion when there's a novelette called "Wool" and a full novel from Random House and Simon and Schuster called "Wool." But there's no way I could have predicted the success of the series.
Are the indie published ebooks going to be very different from the print books you're now doing through S&S? Do you think they'll try to make editorial changes? How much control do you have over your material?
I'm going to update the ebooks to reflect the changes made to the physical books. Most of the changes are very minor. The only big one is the inclusion of a new chapter to give some backstory on Juliette. I love how seamless this chapter slotted into the story. If I told readers who have only seen the print version that it was an addition, I think they'd be shocked.
Two of my favorite novels have origins similar to Wool. Ender's Game and Fahrenheit 451 both began as short stories that grew due to demand into full-length novels. Ender's Game was later re-released in an "Author's Definitive Edition" years after winning the Hugo and Nebula. This process goes back to Dickens, who expanded his serialized works before combining them into a novel. Heck, it goes back to the books that came together to form the Bible, which has been edited and changed over the years. If it was good enough for the greatest works of literature, it should be fine for my scribblings.
Why are you allowing fans to publish (and charge for) books based on the WOOL series? Is someone at some point going to yell at you for doing this?
The world of Wool is ripe for exploration. I won't be able to scratch the surface. When readers got in touch to ask about fan fiction, I not only gave my blessing, I insisted that they charge for the work. Even if it's just a dollar. I know what it's like to struggle as an artist. If I'm now in a position to give someone else a boost, I'm going to. And yeah, I'm sure my lawyer is going to have a fit when he finds out. But I don't care. I'm a fan of open-source, someone who hates DRM, and someone who thinks we shouldn't go around suing one another. I'm making enough money. It warms my heart to see Ben Adams selling Wool prints and keeping 100% of the profit. The same goes for fan fiction.
Do you have ideas for a new universe after you finish the WOOL series? Will you stick with post-apocalyptic dystopian worlds, or are you going to switch to hot teen romances?
I started my first erotica story a few months ago! I also have a vampire novel I'm dying to write. Plus, another Molly Fyde book to wrap up. Then there's another dystopian world I want to explore, and a fantasy novel I've had in mind for ages. I'll keep bouncing around and writing whatever excites me. I know that goes against certain rules and formulas in the publishing world, but my primary motivation is to enjoy what I'm doing. I never thought I'd make a living at this. I'm fully prepared to go back to a day job while I write for fun.
Do you worry that you might never have such a spectacular success again?
I don't worry about it. I just assume I won't. Nothing about my success feels natural or normal to me. I marvel at it. I don't have the feeling of: "Finally! Everything I've always wanted and fully deserved is now at my doorstep! What took so long? Give me more!" Instead, I'm feeling: "What in the world is going on? Is the universe going to get back to normal? Soon?" My focus is to enjoy it while I can.
Can you believe it… are you pinching yourself with amazement every day?
Every hour of every day. I wake up amazed and go to bed amazed.
You made a rare deal to have your books published traditionally in print while holding onto all of the electronic rights. Will this become more common? Where do you see the indie/traditional book scene going?
I hope it becomes more common. Bella Andre had a similar deal from a smaller publisher. Colleen Hoover just followed with a similar deal from Simon and Schuster. I don't think I deserve any credit for breaking through any boundaries. It was just going to happen. It had to be someone, and I just happened to be publishing and gaining attention at the right time. The key for all of us and for everyone who comes after was saying no to contracts that simply weren't fair. The reason we were able to do that was because we were already making money on our digital rights. So we owe a lot to the indie authors who came before us, to the e-reader revolution, to readers who embraced this technology. It's been a gradual change with a lot of people involved. I'm just one person.
Congratulations on your success, Hugh, which continues to grow. You deserve it.
Thanks for taking the time to answer. And don't let me keep you from writing! I'm now holding my breath for the next book in the series!
Thanks, Patrice! I'll get back to work on DUST. Keep an eye out for March 12th. I think that's when WOOL hits bookstores here in the U.S.
Patrice here: Having been swept up into the world of WOOL, I couldn't help coming up with ideas of my own. I ran the synopsis of a short story past Hugh, who gave me his blessing. "My Name is HELEN" should be out at the end of February.
For a fun, quirky take on another version of the future, try my short Till Death Do Us Part.


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(HUMMONEY) - (Carolina's Library) – (A BOOK REVIEW)
Your Credit Score: Your Money & What's at Stake by Liz Pulliam Weston
(FT Press, May 2009)
It's been said that love makes the world go 'round. Well, actually, it's credit.
We live in a global economy that depends on credit in order to make things work. Those of us in the business also refer to this as leverage. Not only are private enterprises, municipal and federal governments, and all of our large banks built on the foundation of leverage; individuals require it in order to buy the goods and services deemed both necessary and simply desirable.
And while we could talk ad nauseam about what caused the current credit crisis—not to mention what to do about it—the bottom line for the individual investor is that your personal credit score holds the power to shape your financial future. Period. Whether you call FICO a four-letter word because it has meant the demise of your financial life as you once knew it, or you savor its three-digit number because it has allowed you to move towards financial freedom: your credit score can literally determine your long-term success as an investor and as one seeking financial independence and freedom. This is heavy stuff.
This was the major takeaway I gleaned from Liz Pulliam Weston's Your Credit Score: Your Money & What's at Stake. I had never before fully respected and appreciated its value. Fearing that a book written entirely about credit scores might have the emotional appeal of sawdust, I was most pleasantly surprised to learn both the facts about credit scores and as importantly, the myths about scores, and how separating fact from fiction has the potential to impact one's long-term financial future. This book is particularly needed today! Weston states: "Although most people had heard of credit scores, I'd found relatively few really understood the pervasive impact these numbers have in our financial systems and our day-to-day lives."
Of course, pre-credit Crisis, most of us took our credit scores for granted. During the go-go years, we pretty much bought whatever we wanted, whether we needed it or could afford it. Or not. Our credit score was just one more piece of information woven into the fabric of our financial quilt. Other facets of our lives were examined with the same degree of intensity: our professional job titles, our income, assets, liabilities and long-term prospects for prosperity. But in today's world, our credit scores can make or break us, literally, allowing us to live out the life we had imagined or depriving us from that dream entirely. For a poor credit score wipes out options, leaving us holding the leftovers of our hopes and dreams instead of the fullest possible package imaginable.
Consider that in 2007, before the Crisis, auto lenders approved two out of three borrowers with poor credit scores. By mid-2008, they were approving less than one in four applications from potential buyers who simply had bad credit. Mortgages became difficult to acquire as well. Today, home equity lines of credit, or HELOC's, have all but disappeared. No bank wants to assume the liability, even for people with great credit. The rules of engagement have changed, and you need to learn how to participate to your best advantage.
Weston has enthusiasm for this subject area and desires to help you understand why your credit score matters, how it is calculated, how you can use it to buy the goods and services that you desire, and how you can repair yours should it need a major revision. If you've suffered through a credit disaster, Weston will lead you down the path towards reconstruction. If you've had your identity stolen, as I have along with the estimated nine to ten million people per year who have fallen prey to this crime, you will learn how to go about re-building your good credit and protecting yourself from further fraud. In fact, Weston's chapter titled "Identity Theft and Your Credit" was one of the most practical; anyone who has endured the frustrating and time-consuming pathway towards restoration will learn the exact steps needed in order to make things right again.
Lastly, Weston debunks the ten most commonly-held myths about credit scores, surprising readers like me who assumed that, as financial service professionals, we really understood these things.
- Does closing out credit card accounts help or hurt your score?
- Do you raise or lower your score by asking your credit card company to lower your limits?
- What's the truth about checking your own credit report and its effect on your score?
- Does shopping around for the best rate affect your score?
- Do you need to use credit in order to get a good score?
- Do you need to pay interest to get a good score?
- If you have an unresolved dispute with your lender, does sending in some of your sample writing help or hinder your score?
- Do you need to edit your closed accounts with verbiage in order to not get whacked on your score?
- Which is worse for your score: credit counseling or bankruptcy?
- Can you ever fully recover from bankruptcy?
This is recommended reading not only for investors who are looking into making a major purchase in the near future and who might be overly concerned with scoring; this is recommended for every investor who wants to learn and understand the truth about credit in order to better plan for long-term financial empowerment. Thumbs up to Liz for enthusiastically pointing us all in the right direction.
---The author is Carolina Fernandez, vice president of investments at Source Capital Group and founder of the SHEeo network at The Cornell Club.