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When last we left our hero Paul Marron, he had overcome a disastrous fashion mis-step and gone back to his roots, as it were, to find renewal and new hope. Romance had rekindled in his supermodel heart, and the Romance world had begun to reciprocate, with a vengeance. Traditionally, Romance novel covers displayed the customary imaginative partition: there was a beautiful young woman in the process of being enraptured, and there was a handsome young man doing the enrapturing. During the puritanical 80s and 90s, book cover designers were chary of having their products look like actual snapshots from mid-coitus, so the positions these young couples tended to take were more athletic than functional (one - unintended? - side-effect was that often on those covers it looks like the handsome young man is rapturing the beautiful young woman ... er, Brokeback Mountain-style), but both sides of the Romance equation were accounted for. Women (and, presumably, one out of every ten men) reading these novels could either fantasize about being that ravished heroine, or they could fantasize about being ravished by that handsome young man.
Our boy Paulie changed all that. Cover designers were clearly overwhelmed by the sheer Kelvin-range of his cheeky smolder, the tectonic pout of his lips, the sexy swivel of his svelte shoulders. They discovered that when Paul Marron, sultry and perhaps a bit dishevelled, is glaring out at you from the cover of a Romance novel, he's actively fulfilling both fantasies at once - he balances the equation all by himself. Soon, dozens of Paul Marron covers were appearing every month in bookstores across the country, all sporting variously manipulated images of Paul - and only Paul. For the first time since the era of Fabio, a male model was judged sufficient to sell a Romance novel to women without any women on the cover. Who needs direct imaginative identification when you've got those intense Italian eyes lasering into you?
Kresley Cole realized this early on, and the cover of her 2008 entry in her "Immortals After Dark" series shows it! There's our boy - in this case, masquerading as a full-fledged demon (complete with forehead-horns!) by the name of Cadeon Woede, who manages to become erotically fascinated by the mortal woman Holly Ashwin even as supernatural forces conspire to reveal that she's the chosen Vessel, so called because every 500 years a woman is fated to give birth to a child who'll change the otherworldly balance of power for good or evil (yep, the female lead is called a vessel, and it turns out super-macho para-military demons like Paul can only really tell if a woman is destined to be his by sleeping with her ... this isn't a fantasy novel aimed at Gloria Steinem's night-stand). He abducts poor Holly and, um, auditions her rather strenuously, and in the course of the book she discovers that she herself isn't what she seems ... yet another exponent of the disturbing Twilight-ethos in which a young woman can only achieve self-awareness through getting rogered good and proper by a man. Although at least in this case the man was a sturdy little super-model and not a mush-faced bent-chested little Gothling ...
We go from primal supernatural fantasy to primal supernatural fantasy by turning next to Pamela Palmer's "Feral Warriors" novel Desire Untamed, which features a truly astounding cover-image of our hero in mid-crouch, buck-naked except for a lion-head arm-band. Palmer, wise woman that she is, clearly has a thing for Paul - he's appeared on a number of her book-covers, but never to more mesmerizing effect than here: caught in steamy red, muscles taut, eyes glowing, hair unabashedly Fabio-esque. In this book Paul goes by the name of Lyon, the leader of a band of Feral Warriors, the Therians, who are seeking a woman - a woman they call the Radiant, who's destined to renew their fading race (three guesses how)(sigh). Unbeknownst to her, that woman is ordinary every-day preschool teacher Kara MacAllister, who discovers in the course of the book that she herself isn't what she seems ... so yes, Palmer and Cole have essentially written the same book, with our boy Paul doing double-duty as both a sexy demon and an enormous house-cat. But the point is: look at that cover! In many ways, it's unlike any Romance cover seen before: not only is it explicitly erotic in ways that all that Brokeback Mountaineering couldn't hope to be, but it's explicitly personal - directed squarely at the reader in open invitation. It's instantly one of the very best Paul Marron covers of all time.
Urban fantasy gives way to science fiction in Susan Kearney's Rion, the second instalment in her "Pendragon Legacy" series. Here Paul goes by the name of, you guessed it, Rion, a half-breed space explorer from the planet Honor who kidnaps sexy human telepath Marisa Rourke because she unwittingly holds the key to the salvation of his ... OK, OK. So it's just possible there's a trade-off going on here. It's possible this astounding new level of Paul Marron covers comes at a price - not just to Gloria Steinem but to women everywhere, who are here reading adventure after adventure of female main characters who have no clue about their capabilities or even identities until those things are revealed to them, through sex, by a sultry Paul-avatar. And the Paul-avatar uses the (allegedly) affectionate adjective 'little' in conjunction with her name/title for the whole book. And the sex happens because she's been abducted and sprawled forcibly on the bed/chamber floor/forest sward/starship bridge. OK, OK, so this trend is pretty bad. But again: look at that cover! This one takes the Marron Gamble to new levels: there's nothing promised here except the promises implied by our hero's stunning face. That's a far cry from horny Brazilian millionaires.
We come right back down to Earth for Stephanie Tyler's Hard to Hold, in which Paul appears as Lieutenant Jake Hansen, hard-bitten (and yet gorgeous!) Navy SEAL who's ordered to darkest Africa to spirit feisty, sexy Dr. Isabelle Markham out of harm's way. Since he's ordered to do this with or without her cooperation, we're talking about our fourth abduction in just this one entry, although at least nobody's expecting poor Isabelle to save an entire planet (or are they?). And the cover doesn't disappoint: there's our boy, steamily glancing off to his right, sweaty torso clad in a tight tank top, taut little chest sporting Special Op dog-tags, handsome face drawn to sharp, intense focus. Pre-Marron, such a cover would have been unthinkable - cover-editors would have said it lacked any kind of story-line. And they'd have been right: any other model couldn't manage to convey a story-line simply by pouting there. But this particular model has been forged, as we've seen, in countless adventures - he's known apocalyptic wastelands, English country villas, immortal vampire-queens, and more than a few tightly-bound perils, and he's emerged from them all with a cover-confidence never seen before in the Romance world.
Where will it take him, you wonder? Why, to a series of ever-more-satisfying climaxes, of course! We'll seize on one in our next thrilling chapter!
Monday, November 07, 2011
Under the Covers with Paul Marron: the Golden Age!
2 comments:
Wow, I'm still giggling...
Since I haven't read these yet (but I do own a copy of each), I'm sure I'll be keeping your reviews in mind when I do read them. And that DESIRE UNTAMED cover: sigh....
Thanks for the chuckles. I'm enjoying this series a ton. I wouldn't touch the books with a barge-pole (or anything that resembles one), but your er, coverage, of the model is hilarious!
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We just came back from our summer holiday in the South of France. We do love this relaxing on the beach and sightseeing combination as well as the wonderful food and wines. This year we took Cute Doggy with us and my sister came to visit for five days too. Full house, but a lot of fun!
Here are a few highlights of our trip:
Long evenings on the balcony with candles flickering and the calming sound of the sea
Narbonne is a very pretty town with interesting buildings and features
Evening stroll with an ice-cream… so many delicious flavours to choose from!
Our friends showed Second Daughter how to make a spoon man
We went back to the amazing town of Carcassonne
A photo opportunity on every corner…
Sexy Hubby and I enjoying a drink on a terrace while the girls visited the Haunted House
Sexy Hubby and the girls discovered the cassoulet and became huge fans of this traditional dish
We spotted a rather strangely placed set of traffic lights
We suddenly found ourselves in an enchanted world…
Sexy Hubby's favourite café, where we stop for the "apéro" every time we go to the market
As for Cute Doggy, he claimed the sun chair as his own!
How about you? Where did you go on holiday?

subset: commoncrawl


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Learning and Development
We offer a diverse range of learning and development activities to everyone in the business.
To ensure people within our teams reach their full potential we work closely with them to understand their development needs and to identify the most appropriate style of learning for them. The firm is always keen to identify rising stars and where appropriate will support them in gaining professional academic qualifications.
We recognise people's contributions to the business, whatever stage of their career they are at. This diversity is a valuable asset to teams and undoubtedly compliments the service we can offer to our clients.


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About the project
P&A Projects is a lighting manufacturer that provides design and development of specialist lighting equipment for the architectural industry.
A full rebrand was required that could work for P&A's 3 new sub-brands. The branding needed to be flexible to allow for more sub-brands under the P&A indentity if necessary.
Me Design helped structure and position the 3 new brands under an umbrella brand.
The re-design reflects the company's combined experience in design and production in the most simple and flexible way. The new P&A identity is both modern and minimal, but most importantly, it leaves space for growth. It allows freedom for P&A to keep adding sub-brands without losing characteristics, which was the key element in this project.


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Great Tips on Avoiding Writer's Block
May 26, 2011
Very occasionally, I post tips here on writing for the Web which, I always remind people, is different than writing for print.
Today I just had to share this excellent article, "7 Cures for Nonprofit Writer's Block," by my old employer, the Communications Consortium Media Center (CCMC). CCMC offers fantastic resources to assist the third sector: its goal is helping nonprofit organizations use media and new technologies as tools for public education and policy change.
Anyway, the article is chock-full of great tips for blog posts, media pitches, and more! Another plus: there's also a free stock photo image search as well.
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Black Widow
Black Widow
Black Widow
A charismatic progressive rock band from Leicester, England, Black Widow were considered to be a major rivals to Black Sabbath when they first emerged in 1970. Starring Jim Gannon (guitar/vocals) and Kip Trevor (vocals), the group was born out a soul outfit called Pesky Gee! formed in 1966, but they switched to a heavier image, more suited to the Seventies. Influenced by the prevailing interest in black magic, the band recorded the highly controversial single 'Come To The Sabbat', which appeared on the classic CBS sampler albums 'Fill Your Head With Rock' and 'Rock Buster'. 'Black Widow' was the group's second album. Highly sought after, it was first released in 1971 and marked a move away from black magic themes to focus on distinctive and interesting prog rock music. We have included 2 bonus tracks, featuring both sides of a rare single.
01. Tears And Wine (08:56)
02. The Gypsy (04:31)
03. Bridge Passage (00:30)
04. When My Mind Was Young (05:08)
05. The Journey (05:52)
06. Poser (07:43)
07. Mary Clark (04:06)
08. Wait Until Tomorrow (03:24)
09. An Afterthought (01:10)
10. Legend Of Creation (05:52)


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Handcoloured Etchings of Edinburgh Characters by W. Geikie, ca 1830.
Contents. - Man, old woman and dog. - Woman with basket talking with two seated women. - Man breaking stone. - Man being taken away by two others from weeping woman. - Seated older man and woman. - Woman with basket talking to two children. - Group of women outside a building.
Published by H. Paton, Carver, Gilder and Printseller, Edinburgh. Includes watercolour and stippling portrait of Robert Burns, dated 1993.
7 handcolourled etchings.
This collection is available for viewing on-site in Archival & Special Collections during our regular business hours.


text: Our products are available in either kit or built form and can either be ordered online or by contacting us directFor online ordering of Kits Built modelsor to contact usPlease click on the links above.It is recommended that before ordering you check on availability. None of the models in our range will be discontinued but some may not be in stock if there is limited demand. Because of this there may be a longer delivery time for some items.Postage is charged at cost dependent upon weight and destination. If you are ordering from overseas or wish to order more than 1 item we recommend that you contact us to discuss your requirements.


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Clatsop County commissioners want more time to consider a universal preschool feasibility study.
In a 3-2 vote, commissioners decided Wednesday not to approve a $350,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education that would fund the study. In more than 1 1/2 hours of deliberations, commissioners' concerns included the possible privatization of preschools and lack of familiarity with the study.
Commissioners agreed to discuss the issue again in two weeks.
Way to Wellville has partnered with the county on the research. The study would collect data to determine whether free preschool for 600 low-income children would be possible. At the end of the study, commissioners would vote on whether to approve a "pay for success" model that would encourage investors to fund the program or fund the preschool another way, if at all.
Should a pay for success program be approved, the estimated money saved by the county from the benefits of having more children attend preschool — $13 for every $1 invested, according to one national study — would outweigh the cost, project manager Dan Gaffney said. The money saved by the county would then be awarded to the investor with interest.
Children eligible for the program would include those who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, fall underneath 300 percent of the federal poverty level or are learning English.
But commissioners were concerned about the idea that a large corporation or wealthy donor would be involved in funding public preschools. A similar program in Salt Lake City, for instance, was funded by Goldman Sachs.
"The fact that we need a global corporation to buoy our early childhood education system is sad," Commission Chairman Scott Lee said. "Corporations are using it to go through a back door. I'm worried that this is going to take us down a dark path."


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Cameron Goldie-Scot is a cofounder of Musoni Services, an award-winning, low-cost microfinance software licensed to more than 50 microfinance institutions. This episode of the podcast Social Entrepreneur is the first in a series we're calling #TechForGood. As you know, technology is well suited for driving inefficiencies out of the market, creating value and allowing founders to reap rewards. And, while there is nothing wrong with creating a billion dollar tech startup, the same principles can be applied to take on some of the most intractable problems of our time.
Cameron's story starts when he graduated from university and decided to take a 5-week assignment, investigating the possibility of using M-Pesa mobile money transfer service for microfinance. That 5-week assignment ended almost eight years ago, and yet, Cameron is still working at the intersection of technology and microfinance.
Cameron served in several key roles with Musoni Kenya. Cameron told me, "We set up the first 100% mobile only microfinance organization." Musoni Kenya became a best practice micro-finance institution serving mainly micro-entrepreneurs. While at Musoni Kenya, Cameron and a team developed a sound technology platform for managing microfinance. Soon, other microfinance organizations started asking about their in-house system. Would it be possible to license their system to others?
Around this same time, Cameron participated in Unreasonable Institute, an accelerator for high-impact entrepreneurs. Cameron became aware of several key principles: design thinking, lean startups and small experiments with frequent iterations. Using that methodology and based on the needs of microfinance institutions, Cameron and his cofounder Sander van der Heyden began creating what would eventually become Musoni Services.
In this episode, Cameron shares the highs and the lows of his enterprise. He talks about the stresses of raising capital while watching the runway grow shorter. He talks about the need to separate one's personal daily mood from the performance of the business. And he talks about the job opportunities in the microfinance field with Musoni Services.
Social Entrepreneurship Quotes from Cameron Goldie-Scot
[spp-tweet tweet="'I certainly didn't plan to have a career in microfinance.' Cameron Goldie-Scot of @MusoniSystem"]
"Our business, more than a lot of businesses, wouldn't have been possible, 5 – 6 years ago."
"We were trying to replace cash payments with automated digital payments."
[spp-tweet tweet="'There was a huge amount of inefficiency in microfinance at the time.' Cameron Goldie-Scot of @MusoniSystem"]
"The moment you've solved one area of inefficiency, then you naturally start looking where the next bottleneck might be."
"We were approached by lots of other microfinance organizations who'd heard about the in-house technology that we'd built and wanted to do something similar."
"It got me thinking a little bit more that there was a relatively low-risk way in which we could take an idea, like spinning off a software company, and start testing it in very small iterations."
[spp-tweet tweet="'We now provide software to 50 different microfinance organizations.' Cameron Goldie-Scot of @MusoniSystem"]
"All across Africa, the majority of the unbanked don't tend to live in concentrated urban areas."
[spp-tweet tweet="'We indirectly serve about 250,000 end customers.' Cameron Goldie-Scot of @MusoniSystem"]
"When we hit the quarter of a million mark in just two years, that was a huge milestone for us."
"You've got to look for [investors] who will buy into the idea, the team and the founders."
"Having someone next to you when you're taking the big decisions or brainstorming on strategy or holding you to account, has been invaluable."
"The sooner you can learn to separate your personal daily mood from the success of the business, the better."
Social Entrepreneurship Resources:
- Musoni Services: http://musonisystem.com
- Careers: http://musonisystem.com/careers
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/MusoniSystem
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/5018950
- Culture Shift Learning Academy waiting list: http://tonyloyd.com/assessment
Culture Shift Learning Academy
Later in June we will be launching a Beta version of Culture Shift Learning Academy, a comprehensive system to help you flesh out your social impact idea and start achieving it.
Enrollment isn't open yet, but you can join the waiting list with other changemakers. Just go to http://tonyloyd.com/assessment and enter your email address. As a thank you, I'll send you the Social Entrepreneur Startup Readiness Assessment. This useful tool is designed to help you to determine where you are on your startup journey and to successfully focus your development efforts.


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Yes We Can – What, You Meant Me?
Let me tell you what happened.
First, we got Obama elected. We woke up the next day and everything felt nice, happy, safer, and even loving.
Then we all forgot about politics for a while. We had worked hard to get him elected. We deserved a break. The President was going to take care of us, so what the heck–we could take it easy now.
That's what we figured.
And so for a while, we thought, "Yes we can."
But now we're like, "What, you meant me?"


text: How to use these graphics Posted by Dan Berdal - Admin | Feb 25, 2017 | Members Only 2 | 0 | Save the image to your phone or computer. Windows – right click on the image and choose save image as. Mac – Hold control then click on the image. Choose save image as. To access this post, you must purchase EOL Memberships – Yearly, Garden, EOL Memberships – Monthly, Garden, EOL Memberships – Monthly, Estate or EOL Memberships – Yearly, Estate. Share: Rate:


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Curtis "Ovid" Poe
An experienced Perl programmer, Curtis Poe is the CPAN Author for HTML::TokeParser::Simple, Sub::NamedParams, CGI::Safe, and Acme::Code::Police, and has contributed security related patches for Perl 5.8. He is the former director of the Portland Perl Mongers and an editor at Perl Monks. His Perl web programming course has been used by several universities as an outside reference on Perl programming.
Curtis specializes in building secure, scalable buzzword-compliant database-driven Web applications.
© 2002-2015 Onyx Neon, Inc.
Home | Books | Contact us | Consulting
built with perl


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Halloween Party Mix
Happy Halloween!
From Michael Jackson to Calvin Harris, this playlist is a festive mix for your All Hallows Eve.
Playlist via… Spotify
Shop Women's | Shop Men's | Shop Girls | Shop Boys | Shop Accessories | Shop Clearance
The post Music Monday | Halloween Party Mix appeared first on Unionbay.


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This is the fourth in the series which began with catcher, first base and second base.
Shortstop1. Amed Rosario
2. Gavin Cecchini
3. Wilfredo Tovar
4. Luis Guillorme
5. Matt Reynolds
6. Yeffry de Aza ($475,000)
7. Luis Carpio ($300,000)
1. Rosario is the prospect with the highest variance in the Mets' system. If everything clicks and he's really a shortstop who can hit in the middle of the order, he's a star. And then there's the chance that he will move off of shortstop to second or third, or not hit enough. Signed for $1.75 million in 2012, Rosario is, at best, many years and lots of work away from his ceiling. I have a pretty good idea what I'm looking at and for in young professional baseball players, but Rosario challenged me when saw him, because he was the youngest player I have ever really tried to focus on. The best thing he did in a brief look was show surprising strength driving a ball the other way. Even so, I expected both more eye-popping athleticism, or failing that polish, as his swing mechanics were rough. I'll spend a lot more time on him in my Top 41 writeup. For what it's worth, Rosario hit .241/.279/.358 with 15 extra-base hits, 11 walks and 43 strikeouts in 58 games in the Appalachian League in 2013.
2. The Mets first round pick in 2012, Cecchini put together a 16-game hitting streak in Brooklyn as part of a .273/.319/.314 campaign in his age-19 year that was limited to 51 games by a sprained ankle. He was one of the youngest players in the NYP - all but seven of his plate appearances came against pitchers older than he. Cecchini should be an average-ish defender or a little below at short stop. From there, it will be up to his bat to determine whether he's a AAAA guy, a utility guy, starter, or All-Star.
3. The diminutive Tovar made his big league debut on September 22, which is cool. While repeating AA Binghamton, he hit .263/.323/.340 in 133 games with 22 extra-base hits, 33 walks and just 49 strikeouts. He makes lots of (soft) contact. He's likely a defensively-oriented backup in the big leagues.
4. The Mets drafted Guillorme in the 10th round in 2013 out of high school in Florida. He hit .258/.337/.283 in 41 games in his debut in the Gulf Coast League as an 18-year-old. Baseball America called him, "on of the best middle-infield defenders of the 2013 draft class." I suspect he will start 2014 in extended spring training and then head to Kingsport.
5. Reynolds, the Mets second round pick in 2012, hit .226/.302/.337 in 117 games in St. Lucie in 2013 in his age 22 year. Reynolds mostly played third base in college, but moved to the more demanding shortstop spot as a pro. His walk (7.4%) and strikeout (16.4%) ratios are similar to what he put up in limited time in the SAL in 2012, but his 2013 line was dragged down by a low .263 BABIP. Still with little power (.111 Iso) and unexceptional work defensively, perhaps Reynolds can grow up to be a utility guy.
6. I know very little about deAza other than that the Mets paid him almost half-a million bucks to sign out of the Dominican Republic in 2013.
7. Baseball America ranked Carpio, who did not turn 16 until July 11, their #30 international prospect in 2013. They noted that he showed "good bat control and pitch recognition, with a level swing that allows him to make a lot of contact. ... Carpio has improved his strength, bat speed and running times."


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The first year of the Trump administration has not been dull. Radical domestic and foreign policy announcements, dramatic White House personnel changes, tabloid scandals and allegations about Russian interference in the election – these have captivated traditional and social media.
But Donald Trump has had another, quieter, but potentially much more far-reaching impact. This "Trump Effect" is economic, and it is having profound and tangible effects across a range of industries in the US and beyond.
The 2017 report card includes a growing economy, 3m new jobs, subdued inflation and a booming (but volatile) stock market. Powell took over at the Fed and his hawkish stance has rattled bond and equity markets, but so far any retreat has been orderly.
The Financial Choice Act is intended to "create hope and opportunity for investors, consumers, and entrepreneurs by ending bailouts and Too Big to Fail, holding Washington and Wall Street accountable, eliminating red tape to increase access to capital and credit." In practice this means tax cuts, withdrawal from various international treaties, a more protectionist trade stance, and a push to bring companies, tax revenues and jobs back to the US.
A new Credit Benchmark white paper – "The Trump Effect" – looks at the credit implications of these policy changes and concludes that, in credit terms, the Trump Effect is real and positive.
The paper shows that bank perceptions of credit risk have improved across a wide range of US economic sectors and especially in the Coal, Defence and Steel industries – the main targets of favourable policies.
Many economists are critical of protectionism, fearing a wave of retaliation; but the threat of increased tariffs may be a negotiating tactic; it has already drawn out offers of reduced tariffs from some trading partners.
Despite a long list of concerns from traditional republicans, it appears that corporate Animal Spirits have been revitalized by the new administration; 2018 could see a wave of corporate investment and a closing of the credit quality gap with Europe.
The Trump Effect has so far had some significant and positive direct impacts on US business confidence and bank perceptions of US corporate credit risk. The indirect global effect of regulatory and economic protectionism will unfold this year.
This will have further consequences – positive or negative – on the US economy. Status quo is not a likely outcome.
To download the full report, click here.


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Keeping a garden journal is a beautiful blend of art and science. It is a testament to your garden and a notebook of learning accomplished throughout your growing year. What you put into a journal makes it incredibly useful for years to come—creating a kind of almanac specific to your location. Tracking changes in your garden—bloom times and harvest, seeding times, and so on also contributes to the study of local phenology. Phenology is "Phenology refers to key seasonal changes in plants and animals from year to year – such as flowering, emergence of insects and migration of birds – especially their timing and relationship with weather and climate." (read more). Below are some of the things that can be most helpful for your journal, an explanation of why, as well as an example of how to create a journal custom-tailored to your needs.
Planting Plan: In the beginning of your journal creating a diagram or map of what you intend to plant where is helpful. As you plant perennials, you might mark them on a base map and copy it each year – creating new plans for annuals. Pasting this into the front of your garden journal will help to keep you straight. It might even help a spouse not remove the wrong thing (I speak from experience) or point a temporary caretaker in the right direction while you are gone. I like to use a map and numbers to keep things straight, but you can also use a narrative description in your records to keep things clear.
Notes on major projects for the year: Do you want to put in a new compost system or fencing or chickens this year? Arbors, trellis, pathways, water collection, irrigation systems, greenhouses…. Using a Future Log on a couple of pages can help you figure out how to stage improvement efforts between planting and harvesting—or when you typically have good weather.
Plant information: Seed catalogs, gardening books from the library, apps and websites can all help you fill in the missing information over time. Knowing the varieties you have; how they perform in your garden; and whether you like them or not are all important things to keep track of. I like to put in how the kids respond to something ("We love cheese squash!" or "Alpine strawberries are the best!"
Variety: This you might research before you order your seeds—or keep track of as you save seeds from your own garden. Paying attention to varieties is crucial because they help you know which niche in the garden to put them in, how long it will take (on average) for them to fruit, color, resistance to disease and many other characteristics.
Source: This can be a brief notation, but it helps to know which seed companies you like—or whether the seeds came from your own garden or a friend's garden.
Date Seeds Started: Again, this is important because it helps you track performance—and have a sense of when to begin your garden and how things are changing from year to year.
Germination Date: The date you see the seeds emerge from the soil surface is notable because it will help you understand more about your garden and will help you to track the growth of the plants over time.
Transplant source: If you don't plant your own seeds, germination won't matter, but tracking where the plants came from and how they are doing will help you make decisions about plants in the future.
Flowering: This isn't critical (except for fruit trees and shrubs), but it is nice to have a written record of what flowers when and how that changes from year to year. You might use it to help plan to have flowers throughout the year—whether for beauty or to feed and support pollinators in your garden.
Fruiting or Harvest: This is what you've been waiting for! The date you harvested, the quantity by number or weight, and the quality of the harvest are all items to consider recording. Does it look good, taste good, produce well, and resist pests? Does one variety tolerate the humidity or drought better? You might find you want to repeat some things and not others. Or you may find you want to save some seeds for next year. And a record is evidence when bragging to the neighbors!
Weather information: This might be kept on one sheet in your journal or noted amongst your daily observations. Having it in one place to compare months and years is often helpful. You'll want to make notes on the high and low temperatures for the day, precipitation, cloud cover, and prevailing or significant winds. Some gardeners like to track and plant by moon phases.
Daily observations: It's the little things that bring us joy. The most beautiful purple in a flower or seeing the swelling bud that will bring us the first berry in spring. Making a note or including a drawing let's us track and relive these phenomena in our lives. The coming of insects in the spring to pollinate or the first pests can be valuable to know as our garden grows and adapts from year to year. Whether you can draw or not, this is a great way to record information.
How to do it: How to keep track and organize all of this? Spreadsheets and apps might work on your computer. I like to physically write down my observations—either right in the garden or at a station set up near my door.
This year I'm adapting something I like. The Bullet Journal method of setting up a journal might be a great option for you, too. The ideas from a regular journal organization can be modified to include the above categories. An index at the beginning helps you to organize and find information for the whole journal. A future log allows you to plan each month ahead. The month pages can be places to record weather information and tasks in the garden. Other pages can be dedicated to seed source information, seed starting pages, and pest management plans. With the index in front of the journal, you can cross-reference related items and easily find things from year to year—making your journal truly a reference item.
Whether you go all in and like to record every little detail or keep a notebook with a few jotted notes; whether you like to draw out your journal or keep a spreadsheet, journaling can deepen your connection to your garden and ensure more success from year to year. Here's to a great year ahead!


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Category Archives: Experience English
Edinburgh Holds Its First CPD Day Sponsored by Eaquals
By Alex Cann, Academic Manager in Edinburgh On 26th November Edinburgh Language Centre hosted their first Eaquals funded CPD day. All 50 places were sold and the event attracted EFL professionals from across Scotland with some delegates also travelling from … Continue reading
Student Blog: Nostalgia
This week students at Manchester Academy of English looked at how to write a competition entry. The task was to imagine that you were going back to, or thinking of going back to, a place you fondly remembered. The challenge was … Continue reading
Student Blog: Five Hidden Gems in Edinburgh
This week Susan's C1 class at Edinburgh Language Centre wrote "A hidden guide to Edinburgh" which tells us about some of the lesser known places to visit in the capital. They had been studying noun phrases so tried to incorporate as many … Continue reading
Student Blog: Why you should study in London
This week at Hampstead School of English we've been talking about relationships. One of the really great things about studying in London is the new friendships you make so we decided to focus on this in our blog. We wrote … Continue reading
Student Blog: 7 of the best places to visit in Manchester
Our A2/Pre-intermediate class at Manchester Academy of English have been busy visiting lots of places in and around Manchester. Here are some of their favourites that they would like to recommend for when you come to visit Manchester. 1. Blackpool … Continue reading
Student Blog: Interesting facts about Ramadan
This week Joy's pre-intermediate class at English Language Centre York explain Ramadan and share some interesting facts: Ramadan is a very important month for all Muslim people. This is the month when the Holy Quran came to the Prophet Mohammed. … Continue reading


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Cuts in Interest Rates.
In a 'normal economic cycle' we get a boom, with inflationary growth. To reduce inflation, the Central Bank raises interest rates. This reduces inflation but as a side effect causes a fall in economic growth and unemployment. However, the Central Bankers will say the 'pain is worth it' after inflation is reduced, the Central Banks can cut interest rates allowing the economy to recover. This is exactly what happened to the UK in 1981 and 1991. We raised interest rates to deal with inflation, then interest rates were cut.
- Needless to say, in a period of zero interest rates, we can't cut them any further. Eurozone members will not benefit from any loosening of monetary policy. If anything the ECB is talking of increasing interest rates. (Suggesting the ECB is more concerned with minor inflation in Germany than youth unemployment of 39% in Greece)
A depreciation makes exports more competitive and causes an increase in demand from overseas. This devaluation is often a catalyst for recovery. It is especially effective if the rest of the world is enjoying a period of growth. It is also important if the economy has become uncompetitive and has a large current account deficit.
- For the Euro members there is little chance of devaluation. If anything, the Euro could appreciate on the prospect of rising interest rates.
When we are in a liquidity trap and zero interest rates are failing to boost demand, we often need to rely on expansionary fiscal policy. Government spending takes over from private sector spending and can stimulate demand in the economy. To an extent the UK's expansionary fiscal policy in the height of the recession did play a role in boosting fragile consumer spending and helping to lead to an economic recovery.
- Unfortunately, due to worries over government debt levels, many countries are prematurely implementing austerity packages which could cause recoveries to be snuffed out.
Natural Cycle
Real business cycle theories argue that government intervention does little, if anything to bring an end to recession. They argue economic cycles are caused by cycles in technology, business investment and consumer spending. For example, in a downturn, firms reduce investment, but after a certain time are forced into replacing worn out machinery. Consumers may delay buying expensive items, but, then need to buy when it wears out. This view of economic cycles suggests there is a bigger role for allowing market forces to bring recessions to end. Real business cycle theories argue that recessions are just temporary blips in the longer upward trend in economic growth.
However, some recessions are much deeper and cannot be explained away by fluctuations in technological innovation or supply side shocks. For example if there is a decline in money supply, falling asset prices and bank losses recessions can be very deep. In these cases, the issue of inventories / supply side factors becomes relatively minor.


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Alumnus J. Craig Venter to Speak at UC San Diego to Mark Release of Latest Book
J. Craig Venter
One of UC San Diego's best-known graduates, scientist and visionary J. Craig Venter has entered new frontiers with his series of scientific discoveries that hold the promise of unraveling the secrets to life and mankind's very existence.
Venter, who's been variously hailed as an entrepreneur, geneticist, synthetic biologist, iconoclast and irascible genius, returns to the university's campus Monday, Oct. 28, at Price Center East Ballroom, starting at 7 pm., to mark the release of his latest book, which examines the creation of life within synthetic genomics.
His conversation will be themed on "Life at the Speed of Life: From the Double Helix to the Dawn of Digital Life," scheduled for release this month. A rare forum for public interaction with Venter, the event is free and open to the public; no tickets or reservations are required.
Moderator Roger Bingham, a renowned UC San Diego neurobiologist in his own right, will interview Venter for 50 minutes, followed by a 15-to-20 minute Q&A session. The session is presented by UCSD Extension as part of the on-going Helen Edison Lecture Series.
Venter, who turns 67 this month, originally moved to San Diego from the Bay Area right after high school. An avid surfer and boater, he wanted to be close to warmer ocean waters.
"I was a horrible student," he once said. "I really hated school. I wasn't good at anything. I almost flunked out."
From there, after he was drafted into the Navy, Venter's life journey took him to Vietnam, where he contemplated suicide because of the atrocities he witnessed. Later, he discovered his life-changing scientific pursuit that turned his perspective from hopeless to providing hope and discovery into unlocking the genetic riddles of life itself.
After returning from Vietnam, he earned a bachelor's of science degree in biochemistry and a Ph.D. in physiology and pharmacology from UC San Diego. Eventually, he wound up fulfilling his destiny as one of the world's most renowned bio geneticists, led by his unraveling of genome sequencing and the creation of "synthetic life."
In science-speak, this startling discovery holds the promise of having a profound impact on the very questions of human existence. In everyday language, Venter's discoveries seek to answer the age-old, previously unfathomable question, "What is life?"


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Although down slightly from last year's 398 early nominees, 369 three-year-olds took advantage of the early nomination process for this year's Triple Crown. Only horses made eligible to the Triple Crown can compete in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs May 4, the Preakness Stakes at Pimilico Race Course in Baltimore, MD May 18, or the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY June 8.
The early nomination period includes a nomination fee of $600 for those registering by the January 26 deadline. Late nominees are accepted now through March 23 and require a $6,000 nomination fee. Most owners are willing to risk the $600 for any promising three-year-old in the barn in the hopes the horse will make it to one of the Triple Crown races.
The Kentucky Derby field is limited to 20 horses, with four also eligibles, who have earned the most points in the new Road to the Kentucky Derby points system. The system rewards points to the top four finishers in selected races from last September through the week prior to the Kentucky Derby.


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TACOMA, Washington – The Puget Sound men's basketball team returns to the hardwood – and Northwest Conference action – when it plays at Pacific (Jan. 4) and Linfield (Jan. 5) this weekend.
|Puget Sound at Pacific
|Jan. 4, 2019 | 8 p.m.
|Forest Grove, Ore.
|Stats | Video
|Puget Sound at Linfield
|Jan. 5, 2019 | 6 p.m.
|McMinnville, Ore.
|Stats | Video
A fresh start
The Loggers' first games of the 2019 calendar year offers a fresh start, as the squad ended 2018 with six losses in its last seven games.
Leading scorer
After finishing the 2017-18 season as the NWC's leading scorer, senior Jimmy Wohrer continues to have his way this season. Wohrer's 21.8 points per game currently leads the conference.
From a distance
The Loggers lead the NWC in 3-point accuracy, connecting on 43.4 percent of their attempts from beyond the arc. Gabriel Chaikin ranks fourth in the NWC by hitting 52.0 percent of his 3-point attempts, and Wohrer is 12th with a 46.5 percent mark.
A bit of everything
Stellan Roberts has been a consistent focal point of the Loggers' offense and defense this season. He ranks 12th in the NWC in scoring (15.2), seventh in rebounding (6.5), and he's tied for fourth in assists (4.5).
Cal state of mind
Freshman Cal Hansen is the NWC's fourth-leading rebounder, averaging 7.8 boards per game. Through his first 11 collegiate games, Hansen has three double-digit rebound games, including a season-high 17 at George Fox (Dec. 1).
Scouting Pacific (6-5, 0-2 NWC)
The Boxers' first-year head coach, Justin Lunt, has Pacific scoring a conference-best 108.7 points per game. However, Pacific is far and away giving up the most points in the NWC (116.5). Marcus Wallace is the NWC's second-leading scorer (21.5), and Brevin Brown ranks eighth (18.6). Pacific's 3-point percentage (32.2 percent) is the worst in the NWC.
Scouting Linfield (9-2, 2-0 NWC)
The Wildcats' only two losses this season came against Cal Lutheran and No. 1 Nebraska-Wesleyan. Linfield carries a three-game winning streak into this weekend. Dempsey Roggenbuck is fifth in the NWC in scoring with 20.0 points per game. Linfield commits the fewest turnovers in the NWC (10.5), and its 50.6 field-goal percentage is second in the conference.


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A Responsible employer
95% of our employees are in direct daily contact with our consumers. Sodexo's success depends on our employees' expertise, pride and pleasure in delivering our services across all of our businesses. We strive to ensure that each individual, whatever their qualifications, has the opportunity to continuously develop their skills and advance in their responsibilities
Career springboard
Training and personal development
Corporate Responsibility Publications
Sodexo publishes documents that present its Corporate Responsibility strategy and performance to its stakeholders:
>Fiscal 2013 Publications
The Better Tomorrow Plan
Sodexo is committed to sustainable development and has defined a worldwide roadmap: The Better Tomorrow Plan.
The Better Life Initiative is a major effort to provide policy and decision-makers with a broad range of statistics relevant to understand today's societies and economies. The Better Life Index is an important innovative tool that the OECD launched to respond to the need of developing measures that are directly relevant to people's well-being.


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Welcome to Fluidlink Hydraulics
Fluidlink Hydraulics are a UK based manufacturer of mobile hydraulic power packs ( hydraulic power units) located in the Southwest of England
Our hydraulic markets are wide and include Tipper/ trailer, wheelchair accessible, vehicle passenger lift, goods lift, aircraft and handling systems lighting towers, Perimeter Security bollards, parking barriers, Marine, Winch, Waste recycling,compactors, Agricultural, Medical/Healthcare, Leisure, Commercial vehicle, renewables along with many other fluidpower applications.
We have our own in house design team, who utilise their extensive knowledge and use the latest Solidworks 3D Cad/ Autocad software to provide a tailored bespoke solution for any hydraulic application.
We operate a 100% product testing protocol to ensure our products meet the highest standard before they leave the factory. We do not compromise on quality.
Fluidlink welcome your enquiry, large or small and would be pleased to provide you with a competitive quotation. We look forward to hearing from you.


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Cheap flights from Dublin to Havana, Cuba from only €400 round trip with Virgin Atlantic & Aer Lingus!
Get ready for a great Cuban adventure – stunning beaches, crystal clear sea and super friendly people. Fly to this fascinating country and be amazed by its unique history, coral reefs and underwater wildlife that make it one of the most sought after beach destinations on the planet. Take advantage of these cheap flights and go to discover "the Island of Freedom"!
Cuba and its chain of islands and islets (cays) are world-famous for generous shoreline with stretches of powdery sand with shady palm trees and turquoise waters. Some islets are connected to the main island of Cuba by a causeway. Cayo Santa Maria, made of very fine white sand, offers services of water sports and recreation for all preferences. Playa Paraiso is a secluded and gorgeous beach with glittering powdery sand. It's located about 5 km from the hotels' zone, at the west end of Cayo Largo. If you like water sports, in Playa Sirena (about 20-minute walk west) there's all the equipment available. There are also some naturist beaches in the hotel zone of Cayo Largo.
If you're looking for a calm sea, consider going to Cayo Ensenachos, Cayo Las Brujas, Cayo Guillermo, or Cayo Coco. Cayo Guillermo is an oasis of peace, known for its pristine beaches of fine white sand with shallow waters. It is home of the most beautiful beach in this area of Cuba, Playa Pilar.
To find out more, go to Destination Fly4free: Cuba >> and start planning your trip with Lonely Planet's travel guides
Travel dates:
June 2020
Sample dates: Jun 13-20, 13-27, 20-27
Routing :
Dublin – Havana – Dublin
How to book:
BOOK HERE >> or just follow the links below and adjust travel dates.
Baggage policy:
One checked baggage and one cabin bag per passenger.
Sample booking:
Dublin – Havana – Dublin >>>
We encourage you to stay at 4* Hotel Nacional de Cuba with excellent reviews.
Airport Transfers:
Take advantage of cheap transfers on Rideways.com>>>


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60 Seconds in the Canadian Arctic
Unveiling of new climate change inspired artwork at the VMM
Thursday February 26th, 6.00 - 7.30pm
Vancouver Maritime Museum, 1905 Ogden Ave, Vanier Park
We are excited to announce a long-term exhibit of a group of paintings that will be opening at the Museum later this month and will remain for three years. 60 Seconds in the Canadian Arctic is an artwork by K.A. Colorado, and in his words; "It is my intended statement on the contemporary implications of global warming and its effect on climate".
We would like to invite you to a public opening and celebration of the exhibit on Thursday the 26th of February, where we will hear a few words by artist K.A. Colorado and enjoy light refreshments.
You can read more about the artwork on our exhibit page.
RSVP for your free ticket here.
Image: K.A. Colorado in his studio. Courtesy of the artist.


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Sweden is famous for its nature, IKEA and the many gay nannies a US- friend thought he had spotted on … More
Category: Happiness
Malin for President
"Malin ended up being a member of parliament", I read in Dagens Nyheter. It is her birthday today and the … More
Steiner: back in boxes and the chase for cool
When I was 13 I hated about everything with round corners. I did not want to practice the piano anymore, … More
Three shortcuts to enlightenment and one Hallelujah
I have been back home for a while now. Got back into my shoes, bought a subway ticket and ironed … More
Naked, no sheets, rice puffs and Dr. Bindu
The first question I was asked in Kerala (apart from "Taxi, Madame?") was "Are you doing treatment?" No Sir. I … More
Patiala banking
I exchanged some money in downtown Patiala today. In an AC-market to be precise, the more luxurious, air-conditioned way to … More
Happy is the new black – and it comes in neat containers
Happiness has been following me around lately, inspite of long days at work, a stomach flue and ridiculous electricity bills. … More


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Staffing Solutions
Global reach, local expertise
For more than 20 years, Infinite has provided IT staffing and consulting services for companies of all sizes. We are committed to your success and determined to deliver the right solutions for your business needs to help you reach your goals.
Our experiences are diverse in several key industries, including, but not limited to:
- Aviation
- Education
- Government
- Insurance & Finance
- Manufacturing
- Oil & Energy
- Sales & Marketing
- Transportation
Our capabilities in providing high-quality on-demand IT staffing in niche skill areas across the spectrum of information technology has resulted in hundreds of successful projects in several key areas.
- Project Management
- Enterprise architecture and security
- Application development
- Software testing
- Systems engineering
- Business intelligence
With knowledge and experience of the entire IT lifecycle, we help enterprises streamline core IT processes and augment their competitive advantage.
Infinite's global delivery model harnesses productive tools, agile methodologies, iterative processes and expert frameworks to provide innovative and cost-effective solutions.
Drawing on the talents and insights of our people in offices around the world, we combine unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across many industries and business processes, and fresh thinking to generate innovative solutions.


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Like some vacations or a really good buffet, our budgets are often "all-inclusive." The hours of project management, creative nourishment, shoot days, edit time, equipment, music licensing, etc. — it's all in there! At the kickoff, we'll overview things like total edit time and rounds of revisions. Should the project start to move beyond the estimated scope, we'll let you know. Should we decide to change the agreement in a major way, we'll draft a PCN.
This refers to the secondary footage in a live-action video. For example, if we interviewed a farmer talking about farms, the b-roll could be action shots of farming, while the A-roll is the farmer speaking. But don't say A-roll, because that's not a thing.
Bumper has a lot of meanings, but we'll most commonly use it to describe a super-short video opener that uses motion graphics and sound to reveal a logo or title. Bumpers can be used in front of other videos, to play before events or simply sprinkled wherever a little bit of branding is needed.
In a live-action video project, we'll use a content cut to get a sense of the story without any b-roll. This may be preferred to a written script, as it will give a better sense of tone, pacing and emotion. But these edits can be rough. While they may have music, they almost never have color correction and are often riddled with visually jarring edits. They're not for the faint of heart.
Copy is the written words on a graphic, video or other media. This could be the text on an infographic or poster, the text on a promotional video or the text in a tweet or blog post. Do you copy?
Unless your email can handle crazy-big attachments, we'll send you a download link to the appropriate digital file(s) when your project is completely done. For videos, you will need to download these files before uploading to the appropriate platform, like YouTube, Facebook or other proprietary players.
After signing the agreement, we schedule a kickoff call or gathering. This is the official meeting of the minds — when two teams become one. Whether the project is a simple shoot or the beginning of a brand new campaign, we encourage you to invite the necessary influencers and fans on your end. We'll be sure to include the Account Rep and Producer + Project Manager. We may also bring a scriptwriter, designer, cinematographer and members of the "nerd trust." Kickoff agendas and goals vary, but they're always followed by tangible action items and a detailed production schedule. More importantly, people walk away feeling utterly jazzed about the project. In person-meetings may even end in hugs.
Mood Boards are a series of collage options for graphics-heavy projects. After learning about your brand and objectives, we'll whip together a few visual medleys, to get the creative juices juicing. Maybe you like the bubble text in option B, but the photo-realistic shadows in option A. Maybe you hate option C so much that you're seriously concerned about us as human beings. We'll stretch your imagination in this back-and-forth brainstorm to best position us for something like storyboards.
A Project Change Notice is an amendment to the original signed agreement. These come into play when the the scope and / or creative of a project dramatically changes during production. Maybe we need an extra day of shooting to cover a new angle of the story. Or maybe that series of six videos became five because six was too even of a number. But don't worry! PCNs are pretty common and part of the journey of getting a project just right.
When we're ready to share something, we'll send you a preview link. This is a private URL for you to watch a video draft. These things are completely unsearchable from the Googles and mobile-friendly.
Our team members wear a lot of different hats, oftentimes going against standard industry titles. The Producer + Project Manager is not only your daily point of contact and chief logistics-keeper. He or she is also the interviewer, talent-wrangler, visionary and even director. These well-trained nerds will study you and your brand and protect your best interests. They will give their opinions about what works best, and provide an unforgettable client experience.
Every project milestone comes with a specific number of revision "rounds." That's when you share your feedback on a script, storyboard, video draft, etc. Contrary to popular belief, a "round" is not a scientific metric. It can be super straightforward, like "I don't like purple." Or it can be as ominous as "I have a bad feeling about this." But however simple or robust, we ask that rounds include feedback from all stakeholders on your project. And preferably not-contradicting feedback, too!
Storyboards are renderings drafted in pre-production that illustrate key moments from a video. It's a form of pre-visualization and we want to get them perfect before we enter production. For a live-action project, we may use photo or hand drawn representations. For a motion graphics project, we'll most likely use actual graphic depictions — it'll be like seeing still frames from the final video before it's even made! Whoa.
After we do the mood board, but before we do the storyboard, we'll usually create a style frame to give a nice flavor of the video's typography, color palette and general… style. This ensures we're on the right track during our intensive 'boarding process.
TAT can mean many things, including "turnaround time" — the time necessary to complete an entire project. But we'll more commonly use "tat" to describe Creative Director James Favata's latest tattoo.
While copy is the actual words, typography describes the style of the text (the typeface, size, letter-spacing, etc.). Sometimes we'll use the word "kinetic" in front of typography to describe moving text. We're talking about words that literally move through animation — although I suppose moving text could be emotionally moving, too. Hmm.


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When I purchased my first home with my new husband, I knew it was not going to be my forever residence. Still, I thought we would be here longer than five years. We originally purchased the house for the location. It was equidistant between our two places of work. In addition, it was close to the highway, which I had to take to get to my office each day. However, the local school system is not great, and with a rising kindergartner in our family, the time is right to purchase a Milton real estate property.
In order to ensure that we are happy with our new property for quite a while, I researching buying a new home quite extensively. The following are the best tips I found.
Location Matters
Before you start looking at properties, mentally review what is important to you with respect to location. School systems should be a factor, regardless of whether you have children or not. Being in a good school district will help you sell your home faster, and for more money, later on. However, there are other factors to consider as well. Do you want to be close to the highway? Do you need to be close to public transportation? Do you want to be in a neighborhood, with other families, or close to the downtown area where there are restaurants and entertainment? Once you decide what you want, search for your Milton real estate property in that area.
Have a Budget
It is easy to get caught up in the buying process. Discuss a budget ahead of time and stick to that. Obviously, you should meet with a lender and find out how much you are approved for with respect to a mortgage loan. Remember, though, that the number you are given is the maximum you qualify for. You do not have to spend that, so take your other bills and your entertainment needs into consideration.
Focus on the Layout
Any home can be staged so that it looks attractive. Try not to let that factor into your decision. After all, the furnishings you see will not come with the house. Instead, evaluate the layout and the structure of the building. Think about where you would put your belongings. Similarly, do not let easy fixes put you off. These include wallpaper or paint color.
I now feel ready to look at potential homes. Hopefully, we will be in our new house for many years to come!


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What are we fishing for?
Welcome to NewEnglandBass.com. This is a bass fishing web site for those who fish for bass in the Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island or Vermont area. We have bass fishing reports, the lake and pond bass hot spots, license details, boat ramp locations, local clubs, and New England tournament information. Our site is unique because of the local fishing reports and information our readers post in the Message Board. Register on the message board to start contributing today and make some new fishing buddies. Hopefully you can learn something new or possibly fish somewhere new as a result of this site. Or, just maybe, you pick up a new trick to use on those days when it seems like the fish are just not biting. Spend some time to check out the pictures and post a few of your own (we want to see them). Feel free to email us if you have anything at all to share. This site is constantly being updated and is quickly becoming the #1 bass fishing web site in New England. Good luck on the waters in 2007!
Pictures of fish caught this year by our visitors
Email me if you have a picture you would like to submit and get added
See you in the fishing msg board for all the fishing reports and up to date local info.


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We are dedicated to providing expectant mothers and
newborns with the finest care during this special time.
Free, convenient online check-in services.
Access your medical information on demand.
Our maternity services are provided by obstetricians, labor and delivery specialists, nurses and other caring professionals in a welcoming, comfortable environment. You'll find the full spectrum of care from prenatal to postpartum care. Our comprehensive care extends beyond delivery, with a full range of educational resources for new parents.
Whether you're becoming a new parent or adding to
your family, our new birthing center provides the
comforts of home in an advanced hospital setting.
Grandview Medical Center's new neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) provides
around-the-clock care for newborns that need extra care.
Each month, our prenatal education team will meet with
expecting parents to go over the ins and outs of childbirth.
Learn more about conditions affecting women and how you can stay healthy.
Learn about caring for yourself before and after childbirth and keeping your newborn healthy.


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David Cross announces Bonnaroo comedy lineup, festival launches Web series with Rob Cantrell (Videos)
Daniel Tosh, Mike Birbiglia and Nikki Glaser are only three of the stellar comedians who will perform at Bonnaroo this year, as the music and arts festival takes over Manchester, TN from June 13 to 16. The full list of comedians to appear at the Bonnaroo Comedy Theatre hosted by IFC is below. Also, David Cross mouth-talks them in the video below:
Daniel Tosh
Bob Saget
David Cross
Maria Bamford
Ed Helms' Whisky Sour Radio Hour
Mike Birbiglia
Scott Aukerman's Comedy Bang!Bang! w/ Reggie Watts
Eric Andre
Nikki Glaser
Improvised Shakespeare Company
Chris Gethard
Michael Che
Kyle Dunnigan
James Adomian
Jared Logan
Jerrod Carmichael
Cristela Alonzo
In another exciting development, Bonnaroo just went live with a new Web series hosted by comedian Rob Cantrell titled Universally Speaking. In each episode (seen here), Cantrell relies on the advice of inanimate objects. Comedians Greer Barns, Anthony Atamanuik, Marina Franklin, Robin Montague and Dan Soder lend their voices to the series. The first episode stars Kurt Metzger. Let's watch it below!
Be sure to subscribe to the weekly Laughspin Podcast on iTunes or on SoundCloud for all the latest comedy news, audio clips and more! Listen to the most recent episode below!


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About this website
This website gives you information about the joint mobility project "Border Crossings: People and Places", but also functions as the participating students' blog, where they reflect upon their experiences.
Latest posts
Search by Host University
- About blogger
- About my week
- Adelaide
- Australia
- Australian sights
- Brisbane
- challenges
- Christmas
- Cultural differences
- culture
- Exams and classes
- first impressions
- Flinders
- food
- going home
- home
- identity
- Internship
- Jagiellonian
- james cook
- jessica
- Krakow
- language
- La Trobe
- life
- Life abroad
- Life Lessons
- Living with others
- malmö student
- Melbourne
- migration
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- observations
- Preparations
- Settling in
- Sight-seeing
- Studies
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- Tips & tricks
- Townsville
- Travel
- uluru
- University life
- Utrecht
Monthly Archives: January 2013
Goodbye :(
I'm about to start my travels around Spain, Morocco and France, before flying back to Australia. I have been extremely busy with making the most of every moment left with my friends in Poland before leaving them, packing the life … Continue reading
Posted in Jagiellonian Tagged emotional, friends, idontwanttogo, memories, sad, Travel Leave a comment
Italy… and 10kgs later
When I was first booking Italy I thought that 9 days would be plenty, it would be the longest I had spent traveling through a different country so far! What was I thinking…?!?! 9 weeks wouldn't have been enough time!! … Continue reading
Posted in Jagiellonian Tagged Gelato, Italy, Lessons, Love, Pizza, Travel Leave a comment
this is it …
Yes the time has come, and it has come quickly. Tomorrow I hand in my last essay and then the semester here in Utrecht is finished for me. It has been an amazing ride and one that I am very … Continue reading
Posted in Utrecht Tagged end of semeser Leave a comment
It's all coming to an end…
It's been a couple of weeks since I last wrote, but there isn't too much to tell you as I have generally been talking it easy and trying to enjoy my last little bit of time here in Krakow. After … Continue reading
Posted in Jagiellonian Tagged Belgium, Exams, Snowboard, The Netherlands, Travel 1 Comment
Looking back.
I recently reread my first post I wrote on the day I arrived to Roma a touch over four months ago. It was not successfully published in this forum and for me to re-read has been very strange, showing my … Continue reading
Posted in Roma Tre Leave a comment
Last month of exchange :(
So here we are already, on the home stretch ! They say time fly's when you're having fun… Hmm mostly fun ha ha Someone gave me some advice before coming away, and he was right in saying 'one semester is … Continue reading
Posted in Utrecht Tagged Christmas, final weeks, New Year Leave a comment
An A – Z of my last 6 months A is for aeroplane, sometimes I felt like I had a fly in-fly out job and I know the Copenhagen Airport like the back of my hand, but I guess I … Continue reading
Posted in La Trobe, Malmö Leave a comment
Regaining composure
Hey fellow travellers, Do you ever have to stop what you're doing and contemplate the absurdity of what it is you are doing? If you're taking a thermal bath in Sweden with a local, climbing the tower of Pisa or … Continue reading
Posted in Jagiellonian, James Cook Tagged About blogger, challenges, Krakow, Life abroad, Sight-seeing, Tips & tricks, Travel 1 Comment


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Welcome to Dataman!
You have no items to compare.
The Dataman DIL16W/SOIC16 ZIF 150mil is a universal adapter for SOIC devices up to 16-pins (e.g. serial EEPROMs / STM ST7xxx series) (open socket).
The operating (mechanical) life of the ZIF socket is 10,000 actuations.
Some adapters are programmer specific and we recommend checking the software for compatibility prior to ordering. Please see our Adapter Selection Guide for more information.


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The snow from last weekend's ridiculous blizzard is starting to melt, it's a little rainy/drippy out, giving the illusion that a much wanted (by me at least!) spring is en route.
In a different vein, my good friend Tracy B Ann (catch her on Radio Free Nashville Tuesdays at 10 am EST for THE POLITICS OF DOGS) turned me onto this ILLUSION COLLAR that is being touted by Cesar Millan on his website. I'm not sure if Cesar added an "L" inbetween the L and U to honor his wife, Ilusion, for her "invention", but I found the info a bit disheartening. The little video doesn't really say much about how it works (aversive to be sure) but does show in the "after" footage the handler of Rusty doing several corrections and Rusty having, what to my eye looks like NO CONNECTION to his handler. But what really scared me was this!
WARNING: If your dog's neck measures less than 13 inches at the base, or your dog weighs less than 18 lbs, you should NOT use the collar. The Illusion collar is not intended for puppies under one year of age. Dogs with any breathing problems, such as "pushed-in faces" that restrict breathing; dogs with trachea or throat problems, such as Pomeranians; and dogs with elongated, overly slender necks, such as Greyhounds, should NOT use the collar. Consult your local professional or veterinarian for further advice.
Eek! I can almost hear the quick speaking rap of those announcers on prescription medication commercials zipping through the disclaimers which always puts a little angst into me!
With Har-Vest and/or the no pull harnesses, there are no limitations based on size, age, or breed type!
Friday, March 14, 2008
Posted by Rachel Friedman at 1:15 PM No comments: Links to this post
Labels: Cool Stuff, Everything Else
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Blizzard 08 - Need We Say More
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The Philippines is rallying to be the next big freelancing superpower (INFOGRAPHIC)
According to data released by jobs portal Freelancer.com, the Philippines is locked in a dead heat with Indonesia and Vietnam to become the next great hub for freelancing in Southeast Asia.
But let's be clear: the Philippines is actually fighting to hold the number two spot in Asia. Perennial heavyweight India is far ahead of its neighboring countries – it currently has 2,369,000 users, adding an additional 747,000 from August 2013 to August 2014.
From TechinAsia.com by Ezra Ferraz August 18, 2014
Is the Philippines locked in a freelancing war with Indonesia?
The Philippines has the second-highest number of freelancers with 536,000, gaining 160,000 of them from over the previous year. Indonesia is not trailing far behind. The country has 412,000 freelancers, signing up 177,000 new users over the same time period.
Evan Tan (pictured below), Freelancer.com regional director for Southeast Asia, believes that this competition is representative. "These two Southeast Asian countries are competing neck and neck – with both countries' economies rising, the competition between them in the freelancing sphere is of no surprise as well," Tan says.
To him, the competition is only a macro one. Though you can search for freelancers by country on Freelancer.com, he does not believe that individual users are pitted against one another based on real or imagined stereotypes (i.e. "Filipinos speak better English than Indonesians" or "Filipinos are more hard-working than Indonesians.")
According to Tan, employers do not come to Freelancer.com with a specific nationality in mind. Instead, they tend to base their decision on the reviews of the freelancers who bid on their projects, choosing the one who will most likely complete the job successfully.
Yet Tan concedes, "From a bird's eye view, though, we see that each country's freelancer population reveals their strengths in particular fields." By this measure, the pool of freelancers in the Philippines is skilled at copy typing and Microsoft Excel – while their Indonesian counterparts are good at graphic design and article writing.
The freelancers in Vietnam – a market which now has 155,000 users, 91,000 of which were added over the previous year – tend to get a lot of PHP-related jobs because PHP is one of the top three skills in the country. Tan acknowledges the possible influence of extraordinary factors. "Of course, I wouldn't discount the possibility that the popularity of Flappy Bird's developer also spurred the growing demand for Vietnamese programmers," he says.
If a preference for one nationality over another exists, it usually comes – surprisingly enough – from within one's own country. "That being said, I also have to highlight that the growing number of Southeast Asian employers getting freelancers within their own country would suggest that there is an insular preference or bias for the work quality of their own fellowmen," Tan reveals.
Empowering youth
For the region as a whole, freelancing on sites like Freelancer.com, Elance, and oDesk is up out of economic necessity. "I think we can more rationally attribute the increase of the freelancer population in Southeast Asia with the stark unemployment rate of young professionals from the region," Tan says, adding that data from the International Labor Organization reveals that young SEA professionals are five times more likely to be unemployed than older adults.
Given that Freelancer.com can help Filipinos get gainful employment, much of Tan's work falls along the lines of advocacy. For example, in a partnership with the Department of Science and Technology, Tan reaches out to rural people in the Philippines. Tan and his team try to teach these people that freelancing is a way to "become financially empowered without leaving the country."
Freelancer.com does this kind of outreach in other countries as well. "This has been the same with our partnership with the government of Malaysia, where we're reaching out to the bottom 40 percent of their population and introducing to them the potential of freelancing," Tan says.
Tan may have his work cut out for him, at least in the Philippines, where poorer people may be used to getting hand-outs from nonprofits and social enterprises. He has to make it a point to convey that freelancers have to work hard to get projects on Freelancer.com. "People from the public and private sector should focus on empowering people, as opposed to giving dole-outs," he says.
According to Tan, as more Filipinos discover freelancing, more and more of them will try to develop the high-level skills that tend to be more lucrative. This is bound to lead to concentrated growth in a few of Freelancer.com's more than 600 job categories.
As a historical example, Tan points to graphic design, which was only the 19th skill listed by Filipino freelancers in 2012, but jumped to 7th by 2014. Similarly, internet marketing did not even make the top 20 skills of Filipino freelancers in 2012. "Two years later, it's now the sixth!" Evan beams.
Given the success of freelancers in the Philippines, can the country ever dethrone India as the top choice for online employers around the world? As of now, India has roughly two million more freelancers than the Philippines.
In response to this question, Tan defers to the precedent set by another industry. "We've already seen the Philippines beat India as a top BPO destination, so I don't think it's impossible," he says. "This makes it all the more necessary to invest in raising the skillset of more professionals in our country."
Source: https://www.techinasia.com/philippines-freelancing-freelancer-com-competition-indonesia-india-vietnam
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Teeth Whitening Evanston, IL
Is a special occasion approaching so you want your smile to be its brightest?
Stephens Dentistry offers both in-office (professional) and at-home teeth whitening.
In-Office Whitening
We offer two different in-office whitening options: Opalescence QuickStart and a jump start appointment.
Opalescence QuickStart
Opalescence QuickStart uses a chemically activated whitening agent to whiten your teeth. This means that there is no uncomfortable light during the whitening process. QuickStart also contains potassium nitrate and fluoride to help reduce sensitivity. Your QuickStart whitening appointment will be an hour and a half. During this time there will be three applications of the whitening product to provide the best results. Most patients see dramatic results after just one appointment. If you have heavily stained teeth, multiple appointments may be required.
For a jump start appointment, we use a 45% Opalescence tooth whitening gel in custom trays. This tooth whitening gel is a stronger version of the whitening gel that we provide for take home whitening. This appointment is to help jump start your at home whitening experience. Your teeth will be whiter after this appointment, but to achieve the best results, you will need to continue whitening at home.
At Home Whitening
Our dentists have found that at home whitening produces the best whitening results. At home whitening allows you to be in control of your whitening experience. With custom whitening trays and whitening gel, you can whiten whenever you wish to and as often as you would like.
Many of our patients are members of Stephens Dentistry's Whitening Club. As a member of this whitening club, you receive a set of custom whitening trays as well as four tubes of whitening gel. Additionally, you get one tube of whitening gel twice a year at your routine hygiene appointments to help you keep your smile white. If you lose your trays, we will remake them one time for no additional charge.
If you are interested in learning more about whitening, feel free to contact our office.


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apples, dip, food, foodies, friends, friendship, gluten free, Greek, health food, healthy eating, how to, layer dip, list, menu, mom, party, pinterest, Pinterest Potluck, Potluck, protein, random, real, recipe, relationships, vegetarian, women
My girlfriends and I are getting together with our kids this weekend. Since we'll be hanging out over lunch, we thought we'd all bring something to eat. Then we had the inspiration to use all those pins we've worked ever so hard on. (Ha!)
I'm not sure what the other ladies will be bringing, but here's what I'm thinking of trying. Keep in mind, for this event the food needs to be adult and kid friendly as well as keep dietary considerations in mind like gluten allergies and vegetarian preferences.
Of course, I plan to post all the goodness with photos and recipes of the entire potluck.
Has Pinterest inspired anything from you lately?


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I may have posted this in the wrong section, feel free to move to miscellaneous or another suitible area.
I am currently shopping at the Mises store for both Human Action, and Man, Economy and State. I checked on Amazon for the reviews of both works and I found that the first Scholar's Edition of Man, Economy and State has 104 more pages than the new Scholar's Edition. Does anyone know the reason for this?
Also, are the first scholar's editions of these texts of higher quality? I ask this because of the considerably higher price tag each fetch.
On the last page of the first Human Action Scholar's Edition it reads:
"This Scholar's Edition of Human Action isprinted on 50 lb. acid-fiee Finch Fine paper; it isset using the Yanson typeface; the case cloth isRainbow Odyssey, importedfiom the CzechRepublic, a natural-finish, moisture-resistant bookcloth; the endsheets are Rainbow antiquesoapstone by Ecological Fibers; the signatures areSmythsewn; the foil is non-tarnishing gold fiomNakai International; and the book was produced atR.R. Donnelley in Crawfordsuille, Indiana."
That certainly sounds incredible! I'm just curious as to whether or not the new books are of the same standard. Thanks.
It looks like this:
Woah, that looks amazing!
Wow I may have to go to amazon to pick up one of these. That looks incredible. Why did this edition have to go out of print?
Thank you very much for posting the pictures.


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Soma, a woman's lingerie, loungewear and beauty products retailer, is opening a new store today at Palm Beach Outlets in West Palm Beach.
The boutique will offer free, expert bra fittings, the company said in a news release announcing the store's opening.
"The right bra can change your world in an instant," says Laurie Van Brunt, Soma's Brand President. "About 80% of women are wearing the wrong size bra, affecting their comfort and confidence." The new Palm Beach Outlets Soma boutique offers
free, expert bra fittings anytime in an intimate environment with the warmest personal service.
The company will hold a "grand opening event" at the Palm Beach Outlets store on March 4. According to the news release, there will be " giveaways throughout the day plus special discounts at the boutique."
RELATED: PB Outlets celebrates second year
"Soma carries 43 bra sizes from 32A-44G, with full coverage, demi, push up, strapless, wireless, unlined, nursing, post-surgical, and more for a complete intimate wardrobe," the news release said. "Innovations include bras with side slimming and 3-zone support; everyday shaping panties that make panty lines vanish, swimwear with bra cup slimming support, and soft, cooling sleepwear."


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At the end of every day, I collapse onto the couch and make the most of my evening with Netflix and a glass of wine or warm cookies or salty, buttered popcorn, glad to waste brain cells and time until I crawl into bed and fall asleep. My husband died three years ago, when my son was two years old and I was still pregnant with my daughter; being a single mom is the hardest thing I've ever done.
Quite often when someone finds out I'm a widow, the conversation comes to a grinding halt. I watch as their eyes glaze over and they enter the foggy land of "what on earth do I talk to her about when my hard stuff could never compare to being a single parent of young children, grieving the loss of a partner?". I really wish we would stop comparing hard stuff; the challenges you face in life are daunting for you, just as mine are for me, and nothing gets any easier when we insist on making life the saddest type of competition.
In the last five years, I've lost my dad and my husband, given birth to two children, and learned to live with my chronic anxiety and depression. It has been incredibly challenging and tremendously rewarding. I have learned what it means to live bravely.
Ten years ago, if you asked me what it meant to live a brave life, I would have described something along the lines of giving up worldly possessions to live in the deepest, darkest jungles like the Swiss Family Robinson. Or to join an elite military squad, risking my life just to do my job. Or to escape a human trafficking or other abusive situation. But I never would have used the word brave to describe what happens after a loved one dies.
I would never have said it's brave to keep living.
As I explore what it means to practice courage, I realize that brave and heroic are not the same thing. Parenting my children when I've lost the person I built a family with is brave. Getting through my daily routine when I'm in a brutal depressive spell is brave. Breathing through a panic attack and remembering it will end is brave. Celebrating another life milestone without my dad or my husband to cheer me on is brave.
Going food shopping when we could have cereal for dinner, but we've already done that for a few days is brave. Maybe not, but that last one sure feels like a giant accomplishment.
Grief and anxiety pull my thoughts towards the past and depression makes survival seem impossible. But I'm learning to dream again because loss and mental illness don't mean my life is over. There are more good things to come. Dreaming and hoping are brave.
Anyone can be brave. Courage doesn't require an extra chromosome or special coursework. It simply (but not easily) requires the choice to be brave. Maybe your brave thing is to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Maybe you need to say no to something. Or say yes. Brave can be admitting life is hard, but choosing not to give in. Or acknowledging the broken parts of your heart and pursuing healing.
I wasn't born brave and neither were you, but we can choose to live bravely, together.
Becky L McCoy lives on the Connecticut coast with her two precocious and hilarious children. She once enjoyed teaching high school physics and now tells her story of loss, grief, and joyful living on her blog. Having struggled with depression and anxiety and experienced several seasons of grief and struggle, Becky is passionate about creating an online community where people share their stories and encourage one another to choose to live bravely and authentically through disappointment and discouragement.
You can find Becky on all forms of social media @BeckyLMcCoy, on her blog at BeckyLMcCoy.com, and her podcast Sucker Punched.


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Tag: Woodbury
A Salute to the Mets & Mystery Foto #44 Solved: A Gift to George Robertson From Peter Helck
The owner of this important Peter Helck painting forwarded these images for this weekend's Mystery Foto.
Article "1908: The Great American Auto Race Comes to Syosset/Woodbury" By Tom Montalbano
Tom Montalbano, author of the the Arcadia book "Syosset", has written this excellent article on the impact of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race on Syosset and Woodbury.
Then & Now: The Woodbury Turn of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race Part II
The closest the Vanderbilt Cup Race courses of Long Island Island ever came to Suffolk County was the Woodbury Turn at the intersection of Woodbury Road and Jericho Turnpike.
From the Noel Gish Collection: Postcards of the Vanderbilt Cup Races & Long Island Motor Parkway
Noel Gish has a collection of Long Island postcards which he used to help teach Long Island history to his classes at Hauppauge High School. Noel, now President of the Board of Trustees of the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, has forwarded some of his favorite Vanderbilt Cup Races and Long
Then & Now: Extant Structures on the Vanderbilt Cup Race Courses (Updated: 7/31/2019)
There are few Long Island buildings and structures that were built from 1904 to 1910 and remain standing. These nine buildings, structures and remnants on the Vanderbilt Cup Race courses have survived over 100 years:
Then & Now:The Woodbury Turn of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race
Nassau County made up the vast majority of the Vanderbilt Cup Race courses. For the 1904 race, approximately one mile of the 30-mile course was in Queens- linking Hempstead Turnpike with Jericho Turnpike. All the other courses (1905-1910) were located totally in Nassau County. The closest the race came to Suffolk
The Public Roads of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race Course
J, you are correct, the 1908 course ended at the then western terminus of the Motor Parkway near the Bethpage Lodge at Round Swamp Road. The drivers made a left turn and went about 200 feet on Round Swamp Road before turning on to Manetto Hill Road (now called Old Bethpage Road).


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If you are part of the BI and analytics industry you will be thrilled to know that all the buzz is here to stay and grow. 2015 has been a fantastic year for business intelligence, analytics and data professionals and the next year is going to be even better.
Here is the roundup of the best from 2015.
Democratization of Data became a Reality
Organizations are now empowering more users to fully leverage advanced and predictive analytics to "democratize" their data and bring insights to the masses through interactive visual dashboards. Democratization is going to be the future of data-driven decision making.
Mobile BI Trending
Mobile UI has emerged as the new normal. 2015 saw mobile business intelligence becoming must-to-have items for more and more BI teams. Mobile revolution isn't about devices, it is about data. With the increasing use of smartphones and other mobile devices, the interest in mobile BI is also on the rise.
IoT Taking the Center Stage
Big data and IoT took the center stage this year. The impact of IoT is unprecedented in terms of data exchange and collection. 2015 saw IoT giving rise to new business models that could alter the basis of competition.
Growth of Cloud and Hybrid Solution
Cloud analytics is now being used by businesses because of its scalability and easy access. According to this report, the cloud analytics market is expected to grow from $7.5 Billion in 2015 to $23.1 Billion in 2020 at a CAGR of 25.1% during the forecast period.
Self-Service Analytics Spawns new Governance Models
While business intelligence landscape has transformed from static reporting to interactive, self-service data which can be accessed by users across organization, the governance models also underwent transformation. IT-centric and business-centric governance models evolved and we saw organizations investigating what governance means in a world of self-service analytics. New federated governance processes and best practices are slowly emerging to keep data secure while letting business people get answers from that data.
It is all Data-Driven
Data is no longer a mysterious, secret art know to a few. 2015 saw more organizations using data analytics to drive marketing decisions.
The bottom line is 2015 was a fantastic year of great achievements and growth and we expect to see more next year. We expect data to become part of everyday lives and businesses revolutionize their data interaction to make better decisions.
About the author: This post is brought to you by a USEReady #HappyDataGeek. Learn more about USEReady. Also, check out Analytics Weekly.


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From the author of Something Borrowed and Something Blue, comes another tale of love, life and relatable human experiences. Destined to be a surefire hit after a laundry list of best sellers, Where We Belong has already been ranked among the hottest reads this summer. Emily Giffin's story follows one successful woman, as plot twists force her to delve into a secret past. We put Giffin on the author hot seat for a few insider questions, before she's in the Bryant Park Reading Room sponsored by HSBC on Wednesday with host and fellow author Katie Lee. Read on to discover her secret talent and get a look at her summer reading list.
What was your inspiration for this book?
At its heart, the book is about secrets and what happens to us and those closest to us when we keep them. I've always been intrigued by the power of secrets. When is it justifiable to keep them from the ones we love? And does keeping them irrevocably change who we are? Adoption (under the secretive circumstances in Where We Belong) seemed to be a great way to explore some of the broader themes.
Where do you do your best writing?
I usually write in my office, located in a small, detached carriage house in my backyard. It is such a happy place—there's so much sunlight and the décor is all white, pink, and orange. On rare occasions, when I need a change of scenery, I write in a coffee shop or bookstore. I also love writing in airports and hotels and on planes. It's so much easier to focus when you feel anonymous and detached from your regular life.
Did you have an "a-ha!" moment that made you want to be a writer?
There was no "a-ha" moment because for as long as I can remember I wanted to be a writer (since I was five or six). So the real question is why did I go to law school! Looking back, I think I had the sense that I had to get a "real" job first—that I couldn't graduate and promptly sit down to write a novel. I took a lot of history and political science classes—so law school became a logical next stop. If I'm completely honest, I also think I went to school because it felt safer—a more certain path to measurable success. I think it always feels riskier and scarier to go after something you really love and want because the rejection and failure hurts more. On the brink of thirty, I decided that I wasn't happy and that I needed to pursue my real dreams. I quit my job, moved to London, and began writing full time.
Which author do you wish had been your 7th grade English teacher?
Elinor Lipman. Not only is she one of my favorite writers, but if she is even half as witty as her stories, I think she'd be so much fun.
What is your secret talent?
Baby naming (which is why I also enjoy naming my characters so much). It seems that a lot of couples choke when making this huge decision. They choose a name that doesn't go with their last name. Or they pick names for their two children that don't go together. It drives me nuts… Another random talent: I can say the alphabet backwards with lightning speed!
What is your favorite book?
To Kill a Mockingbird. My mother got me a signed 40th Anniversary edition for my 40th birthday. Other than family photographs, it is the thing I'd save first in a fire!
Who reads your first draft?
My mother, my sister, my best friend, and my cousin read chapters as I write them. They are all big readers but very different from one another so it's great to get their perspectives. They are also very honest with me. There is no point in having an early reader who is afraid to give you constructive criticism.
Do you read your books after they've been published?
I've read them so many times before they're published (probably a dozen) that by the time they come out, I'm finished with them forever. The only exception was Baby Proof because I wrote the screenplay with a friend and had to reread it to remember some of the nuances of the story.
Do you prefer writing on a computer or longhand?
A computer. I wish I wrote longhand on legal pads or spiral notebooks. I'd feel so much cooler.
What great book have you recently read? (Old school or e-Reader?)
Honestly? I just finished Groundswell--the perfect summer read! [Bryant Park Note: written by her moderator, Katie Lee] I also recently enjoyed The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach, a very moving and beautifully-written baseball story about how one error in a game profoundly impacts the lives of five people. I'm a sucker for a good sports story. I was the manager of the men's basketball team for Wake Forest during the Timmy Duncan era, and have sometimes contemplated writing a basketball-related book. And when it comes to books versus e-readers, I'm "old school" all the way!
What word or punctuation mark are you most guilty of overusing?
A reader on Facebook recently called me out about overusing a word in Love the One You're With, but I forget what it is now. I am guilty of beginning too many sentences with "And". My husband always strikes them when I finally give him the book to read. I'm also a big fan of the semicolon; it's such a satisfying little mark
If you weren't a writer, what would you be?
A therapist. My friends always come to me with their relationships issues and I think I give pretty good advice.
Word for Word Author
Wednesdays, 12:30pm - 2:30pm
May 16 - August 22
Bryant Park Reading Room sponsored by HSBC
On-site we'll have two special treats. Giffin will be giving away a few of her custom designed "eg" logo t-shirts, in addition to our usual Foursquare book giveaway for checking-in to Bryant Park.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Bryant Park Blog Q&A with Emily Giffin
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