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I would agree, since joining bookcrossing I have really expanded my span of authors whose book I purchase. This site gets me excited about reading and lately I have made my usual once a week stop at the bookstore, a twice or three times a week stop!
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I have found that when I pick up a bookcrossing book in my travels I often discover a new genre or author i had never before had exposure to which often sends me straight to a bookstore to spend some cash.
than in the previouos 10 years. If I read a good book, I buy one to keep and more to give as presents.
I remember Mike Rutherford (Genesis) saying about bootleg tapes a few years back that if someone was given a bootleg they might be tempted to buy the next album.
Most of my favourite authors have been found through my reading of books from charity shops. Now if I see a certain author in a book shop I will home in and possibly buy it.
Second hand books are like word of mouth.
I'm new here, but wanted to put in my two cents worth on the subject of authors and BookCrossing. Years ago, I picked up a copy of a book titled "The Stand" by Stephen King for free at a book exchange. I now own a hard back copy of every book Mr. King has published, and I paid full price for all of them. Need I say more?
I can't find a way to get thru to the People at Bookcrossing.com I've tried 4 or 5 times to enter the site where I Plan to release a book, and each time, it comes back blank ... asking for a Crossing Zone... so this one will just go on its way without a BC ID # bummer
...at the bottom of the page. [If you're having trouble making release notes for a new release location, have you tried scrolling down below the map portion of the new-release-zone screen to where the "add new location" button is? You should be able to add a new location simply by filling in the location name and clicking on that button, without using any of the other fields or the "find on map" buttons or anything. If that's not the problem you were having, feel free to contact support for help, and/or to post a question in the Newbies forum ( http://www.bookcrossing.com/---/1 ); questions are more likely to be noticed there than here!]
Christine Coleman is one of the transita authors who has done a few author talks for bookcrossers. At her Birmingham talk, she had books for sale, then donated those not sold to bookcrossing. (copy is now out on a ring).
This is such a great creation! I am going to tell the folks at my favorite bookstore about it and I am sure that they will be thrilled about this site and become members themselves! No! The more ways that books are available for people to learn about the gifts of reading the more great books will be written, sold, and read! In this sense using this site is a very good way to express our spirits ! If an author does not like this concept I wonder if I really want to read their work!
I agree wholeheartedly with your comments, I think your site can help a person develop a love for books, in the same way that buying books from a charity shop does. Often I will buy a book for 25p which is approximately the price of a postage stamp. Then I will look the author up on the net and develop a real appreciation for his or her work. I first discovered Annie Proulx in this way , and many other authors. I am an aspiring writer and could not possibly afford to buy all the books I need to read at full price . I am also convinced that passing a book onto a friend will develop their love of reading, and in the long run I'm sure they will buy more books from retailers and the writer will benefit in royalties.
So well done for creating the site, good luck for the future.
I agree wholeheartedly with your comments, I think your site can help a person develop a love for books, in the same way that buying books from a charity shop does. Often I will buy a book for 25p which is approximately the price of a postage stamp. Then I will look the author up on the net and develop a real appreciation for his or her work. I first discovered Annie Proulx in this way , and many other authors. I am an aspiring writer and could not possibly afford to buy all the books I need to read at full price . I am also convinced that passing a book onto a friend will develop their love of reading, and in the long run I'm sure they will buy more books from retailers and the writer will benefit in royalties.
So well done for creating the site, good luck for the future.
Welcome to bookcrossing Tonto, now that you've registered it's YOUR site too so thanks for taking time to join and let someone know where their book ended up. May we see many more catches/releases and registrations.
Re Leigh's objections to free books in the wild: As a writer, I am happy to have my books read. no matter how they are acquired - through libraries, lent by friends, or of course bought in a book store. If someone reads and recommends a book to someone else, so much the better - he/she might then look for other titles in bookshops. I think I will release one of my most recent books into the wild today and see what happens. Good Reading!
Hi Ghillieheag, just want to point out that the objections to free books weren't Leigh's. LeighBCD was merely commenting on some media attention bookcrossing.com had received in October. An author called Susan Wittig Albert had made comments about bookcrossing.com negatively affecting book sales and LeighBCD was expressing shock at this.
A Brief Message to Authors Infuriated with BC.com:
---BEGIN Absurd Commentary---
Authors: Imagine, if you will, these three scenarios...
A) I purchase your (new) book as a gift for my mother and give her the book. She likes the book and decides to read more of your writing by purchasing other of your works.
Congratulations. You've received a royalty.
B) I purchase your (new) book to read for myself and to subsequently "release into the wild." Someone picks this book up, likes it, and decides to read more of your writing by purchasing other of your works.
Congratulations. You've received a royalty.
C) I purchase your (new) book to read for myself and to place on my personal bookshelf. My mother, while visiting, is intrigued by the blurb on the back. I grab the book from her hands and hide it for the duration of her visit because sharing good books is apparently frowned upon in author circles. Incensed, she purchases a (new) copy in the airport bookstore on the way home and reads it on the plane.
Congratulations. You've received TWO royalties and my mother doesn't send me a Christmas card.
Now, Author, I suppose you're probably thinking that I did the correct thing in scenario C. However, in the real world inhabited by mere mortals such as myself and, I presume, a fair portion of the BookCrossing.com membership, it's BLOODY WELL STUPID.
I have a modest personal library of around 300 or so books and I regularly loan them out to others. At any given time I have between five and a dozen out and about in my circle of acquaintances being happily read. I do this for two reasons: I find that people tend to enjoy my choice in literature and also, it keeps royalties out of the hands of people like YOU.
---END Absurd Commentary---
That aside, I think that BC.com is doing a wonderful job promoting reading and convincing people to think outside the box. Keep up the good work and don't let the few dissenting opinions break this community. : )
These sites may have already been brought up, however, I think the idea behind them should be remembered....
These two sites are telling authors that Bookcrossing is a GOOD way to get their book out there. check it out:
Besides the good karma earned in spreading the literary word, authors might look at this as a marketing opportunity. Put a book of your own in the swim and give BookCrossing members who are not in the listed location an opportunity to click and buy. This is a terrific site and I'm only too happy to participate. I give books I've read to a local store who sells them for a good cause, anyway; now I just add the BC number and url to the inside cover.
No, a thousand times no ! I have purchased every thing that Berg, Grisham, Rice, Pilcher,Angelou, Amt Tam, etc., etc.,etc
have ever written only because I was given as a gift one of their novels and then waited and haunted book stores till another one arrived to purchase. What I do when I leave a book in the wild is a "Random Act Of Kindness"........sharing the beautiful written words.
i wonder if she hates public libraries for the same reason.?
No - goofy though she is, Susan Wittig isn't alone. Here's the story of my encounter with an anti-bookcrosser:
Wow! That post was before my time here, so I never saw it. Nice response, anulla!
Sorry, I meant ANNULLA!
lml - the fingers are faster than the brain
"lml - the fingers are faster than the brain "
Had a girlfriend like that once...
Pete, reminiscing
Wadn't me!
lml - and that's not a typo, it's a reference to the song
You've only been here a month? Hard to believe - seems like you've always been part of the bookcrossing community.
Yes - the blazing unstoppable Ladymoonlite joined up a week after I did.
And has moulded herself to the form of the group, wearing it like a garment.
Pete, blanketed
Awww... you have both made my day! I feel so at home here amongst the readers, as if I've found a long-lost family.
lml - with a tear in her eye
I vaguely remember when you first posted that story annulla. At the time I thought 'how truly bizarre'. It's just such an unbalanced reaction from anyone to anything that I think my initial thoughts still stick.
No - goofy though she is, Susan Wittig isn't alone. Here's the story of my encounter with an anti-bookcrosser:
And here's a good link for that.
Deprived of Income? Good grief! People are going to pass books on whether or not you know it! Books are like coins - they change hands, they travel! The beauty of Book Crossing is that you have the feedback on your book that you otherwise would never known!
A.L. Travis
Author of The Pillar of Light (The Legends of Milana Series)
The thing is: the books I release must come from somewhere. As I have never stealen anything, it means that I have bought the book at a book shor of news agent's.
me too. And if I see a book I like I will buy all the books of the author new.
By chance I discovered this interesting thread and I know i will never buy books by Jessica Adams. lol.
wonder how those writers who were so against BC think now with the new author crossing section added.
I came to this site because I read an article in a portuguese magazine called "Visão". I found it very interesting so I came to see more. I've already signed in and I'm really looking forward to start spreading some books! I'd appreciate some suggestions! There's a portuguese author that I strongly recommend: António Lobo Antunes.
Welcome! I'm sure you will enjoy bookcrossing. If you still have the magazine that brought you here, I suggest you send it to Ron Hornbaker, the founder of bookcrossing. He is trying to collect all the articles printed about bookcrossing. If you write to him at firstname.lastname@example.com, he can send you his snail mail address.
I agree. The author you speak of doesn't know the value of sharing his/her work. The idea behind writing something you're proud of isn't solely about making money off the sales of those copies, but the enjoyment a stranger gets reading the said work. The more peple reading, the better for your sales in the future.
The idea behind Bookcrossing is not to steal royalties from authors; but to promote reading!!
It's like the whole controversy now concerning music file sharing on the internet. i heard someone on the CBC relating the laws of file sharing to having a photocopying machine in a library, and I think that's valid. In a library,(any given library),you're surrounded by copyrighted material and there's a photocopy machine in the corner willing and waiting for you to copy pages, either to share for research or pleasure. The same works with internet music sharing. You have something you like and you make copies of it and pass it around.
I remember the days before c.d's, where i'd wait with an audio cassette ready in my ghetto blaster, tuned to a radio station, for my favorite song to be played; press play and record, and make my own mixed tapes of radio stuff for my friends in high school. No one was complaining then...
Anyway, to get your shackles up because a bunch of people are sharing your book and probably enjoying it, without you, the author, making money off of the sales is ridiculous.
Bookcrossing is a godsend, especially for book lovers, such as myself. I just heard about it, signed up right away and sent two books into the wild not two hours ago. Books that I've loved and have multiple copies of. I believe in spreading and sharing the goodness of a book, but god forbid if i'm gonna get rid of a favorite book without securing, at least, one for myself. I'm sure there are thousands of bookcrossers like me out there 'in the wild'. There's no need to worry.
I wish I'd heard about Bookcrossing years ago, when I was travelling...
I agree. The author you speak of doesn't know the value of sharing his/her work. The idea behind writing something you're proud of isn't solely about making money off the sales of those copies, but the enjoyment a stranger gets reading the said work. The more people are reading what you've written, the better for your sales in the future.
The idea behind Bookcrossing is not to steal royalties from authors; but to promote reading!!
It's like the whole controversy now concerning music file sharing on the internet. I heard someone on the CBC relating the laws of file sharing to having a photocopying machine in a library, and I think that's 100% valid. In a library,(any given library),you're surrounded by copyrighted material and there's a photocopy machine in the corner willing and waiting for you to copy pages, either to share for research or pleasure. The same works with internet music sharing. You have something you like and you make copies of it and pass it around.
I remember the days before c.d's, where i'd wait with an audio cassette ready in my ghetto blaster, tuned to a radio station, for my favorite song to be played; press play and record, and make my own mixed tapes of radio stuff for my friends in high school. No one was complaining then...
Anyway, to get your shackles up because a bunch of people are sharing your book and probably enjoying it, without you, the author, making money off of the sales is ridiculous.
Bookcrossing is a godsend, especially for book lovers, such as myself. I just heard about it, signed up right away and sent two books into the wild not two hours ago. Books that I've loved and have multiple copies of. I believe in spreading and sharing the goodness of a book, but god forbid if i'm gonna get rid of a favorite book without securing, at least, one for myself. I'm sure there are thousands of bookcrossers like me out there 'in the wild'. There's no need to worry.
I wish I'd heard about Bookcrossing years ago, when I was travelling...i would have had quite the track record.
You are quite correct. Authors do not get royalties from 2nd-hand books. I feel as you do -- reading a used book by someone often has led me to like the author and go buy something else that they wrote ...
It seems to me that catching a released book would, in my case, just save me the money so I could buy some other book! I know that in our family, we cycle books around, but someone had to buy them to start off with, and this way we all get to read MORE.
And, then, anything that encourages reading is a good thing, for the reader and the book industry. One might just as well complain about the public library!
What a silly goose that author is! It reminds me of all the greedy record labels that shut down the best free music sights. Unbeknownst to them, most of the people I know would find new songs or artists there and BUY the music later. Isn't it exciting to explore options outside the confines of advertising?
The same thing can happen with books. A friend gives you a copy of a book by an author you've never read. You enjoy the book so much you fly to the store and BUY another book by that author. It is bound to be wonderful free advertising for little known authors, unless of course, they are dreadfully dull story-tellers. Maybe that was her fear?
I was thinking about this post tonight, and I wondered (and maybe this point was made already somewhere in this thread) what the author in question thinks of LIBRARIES!?
I don't think the analogy quite works, because Napster was, essentially, unlimited free distribution. And while I always used Napster to locate obscure stuff the record companies didn't care about, I know plenty of people who abused it mercilessly. As a musician myself, I have mixed feelings about music sharing sites, but I do agree that the solution the record labels chose was short-sighted and antagonistic. The file-sharing technology isn't going to go away, it's just going to adapt, so what they need to do is adapt their business practices along with the technology.
Oh, and as a writer, I have *no* qualms whatsoever about BookCrossing. Love it to pieces. :-)
I just have to add my voice to the group. I have quite the library - or used to. Many of my books have also been divided between my two daughters - but I did keep the lions share. Suffice it to say that I could easily have my own library. I love books. I have read books in bookcrossing that I want my own copy of - Fruitbodies is a very good example. I have purchased books for the express purpose of releasing them only to find out that is sometimes very hard to do. That in turn, has resulted in me looking for more books by that author. Or reading a bookcrossing book by a certain author has led to buying other books of the same author.
I find it hard to accept that intelligent publishers, writers feel threatened by Bookcrossing. What about all of the people who get books from libraries??!!!!! Those people are not as prone to 'buying' books at all. When they find an author they like they just get more at the library. Seems to me that bookcrossing encourages reading, interacting, expressing opinions and - buying. Some authors likely have been read far more than they otherwise might have, and who knows perhaps some publishers and writers are making far more money than they otherwise would have... all thanks to Bookcrossers
Relax - read - release.
As an author, I think this is a wonderful idea. People write books to communicate with other people - and Bookcrossing can only help with that.
Also, I appreciate the chance to know readers' thoughts about my work - people who don't have a particular axe to grind.
Thank you bookcrossing. Long may you continue.
the famously ANTI-bookcrossing author, so I thought I've give this thread a bump.
What can I say? I bought a used copy of a Richard Laymon book. Now 3 months later the book is read and I am hooked. The result of that one used book by an author I have never heard of.... I have bought 6 of his books at full price at Barnes and Noble.
What more can be said.
hit men in uk
I've only just read my first Bookcrossing book and I loved it so much that I'm now planning on buying other titles by that author. Bookcrossing can only help authors.
I can't tell you how many hundreds of books I've bought over the years because I read a book by the author through BookCrossing or read about it in the forums.
after reading a review in the Book Talk forum. I had never heard of the author before, so definitely wouldn't have bought it without BookCrossing.
(The book is First to Kill by Andrew Peterson - http://www.bookcrossing.com/---/5705649 )
I can't belive someone would be so narrow minded as to say that. If I read a book review that makes it seem like I would enjoy the book, then I'll buy it and see, then I'll try and read other books by that very same author.
Therefore I feel like the free circulation of any book is almost as good as free advertising as word of mouth and the opinions of other avid book fans would influence many of my choices.
Any fool can see that this woman hasn't got her head screwed on properly as she's definitely looking at things from the wrong angle! If she cares so much about people reading her books for free, then why didn't she launch an attack on libraries years ago? It is clear that BC will help sales and increase popularity, as word of mouth is the most effective form of promotion there is. The silly woman has now turned a lot of people against her by her ignorant comments and perhaps if she is so worried about her sales, she should realise that the only thing which will bring her sales down, are the words straight from her mouth!
And are they supposed to be happy living on the street naked and starving?
While it's absurd to say that BC is costing them sales, it's also absurd to say that writers shouldn't want to earn money.
Here Here! As one who has earned the princely sum of $170 Australian since I started writing in 1983 it would be nice to earn some money so that I can at least work part time and not have to do the majority of my writing either at 7.00 a.m or 10 pm at night!
Hey you passed me ... in 20 years of writing around the edges of my busy life, I've earned the luxurious salary of $50CDN.
Yes, we want to be read, but it's nice to be read and paid! ;)
I am an author and I am not a charity so Ron and Bookcrossing can sell product online.
One of the books I helped voluntrily edit for War Child, which benefits child victims of war,
is now out there not helping anyone, any more. One pound sterling of the price is supposed
to go to War Child. You guys are freeloading, never mind the money you are costing me in
lost royalties and on lost Public Lending Right monies (library pay.) If this site loves books
so much, why not promote and review them, and keep your club concept, but sell them
online and give a percentage to War Child? You currently have ten of my books online. If
these change hands to ten people a year, I have just lost 100 sales, and the income to pay
my mortgage which goes with that. I am appalled at people who actually think this site is a good
idea. Stop ripping us off and if you DO find a copy of Girls' Night In/Big Night Out, do me
a favour, give a quid to War Child http://www.warchild.org.uk and then at least give it to a charity
store straight afterwards and stop the Booktrack chain in its tracks. What kind of reality do
you guys inhabit? How would you feel if whatever product YOU produce, or whatever service
YOU offer to the world, was devalued by being shunted into public lavatories, into phone boxes,
or on the back seat of buses? Authors are struggling to survive in the UK as it is, with half of
us earning below the minimum wage per year...BookCrossing is not helping. Get real!
Jessica Adams, author of Single White E-Mail, Tom Dick and Debbie Harry, I'm A Believer,
and editor of the charity series for War Child - Girls' Night In, Girls' Night Out and Big
Night Out.
As I included in my email to you, BC actually has 23 different copies of your titles listed as circulating around the world. This versus the Worldcat search I also quoted, listing 411 titles worldwide, not all of them dispensing the Public Lending Right monies you mention above.
another quote from my email:
"If you were to dig around the site you'd find several groups who are donating books to classrooms in underpriveleged areas, to disaster-torn areas, and to shelters."
Sorry we aren't donating to *your* chosen charity. Don't knock us for having our own favorites.
i usually buy two -four copies of each book well i had thought of buying yours and now no i will not if you have not noticed some people on this site actually go out and buy several copies of books
assuming ur book is any good word of mouth recomendations & bx recomendations will do ur sales more good than harm provided ur any bloody good that is
assuming ur book is any good word of mouth recomendations & bx recomendations will do ur sales more good than harm provided ur any bloody good that is
You are quite mistaken.
I am an author, too. Where you see lost sales and lost profits, I see word of mouth advertising, which is the best kind you can get. Every person who reads a crossed book is another person who will tell his or her friends about the author, making those friends more likely to purchase the book. That means new sales that would otherwise not have happened.
Unfortunately, you are thinking too much about short-term gains and not enough about long-term gains. Because of this, many of the people who saw your message will never again buy your books. An author can't afford to alienate a large group of people who read.
I'm surprised you don't know this.
> You are quite mistaken. I am an author,
> too. Where you see lost sales and lost
> profits, I see word of mouth advertising,
> which is the best kind you can get. Every
> person who reads a crossed book is another
> person who will tell his or her friends
> about the author, making those friends
> more likely to purchase the book. That
> means new sales that would otherwise not
> have happened. Unfortunately, you are
> thinking too much about short-term gains
> and not enough about long-term gains.
> Because of this, many of the people who
> saw your message will never again buy your
> books. An author can't afford to alienate
> a large group of people who read. I'm
> surprised you don't know this.
Not only will the people who READ this post not buy her books, but they'll tell other people, who'll tell other people, who'll tell other people...I'm sure she will find her lost sales totalling many more than the 100 she initially feared!
I was recommended here by a friend at an on line book club. I am currently not working. I am a regular at my library. Can I still pass on recommendations here? And if so, what sections do I post in. I will appreciate all of the help. Thanks, BookwormJudy
Welcome to BookCrossing BookwormJudy! We're very happy to have you here. I'm sure you will find many wonderful BookCrossers to answer any questions you may have. They're such a great bunch!
For any discussions about books, we use the Book Talk forum. If you would like to just say "Hi", you can post in "Introduce Yourself" forum. TexasWren has a wonderful site that has an excellent FAQs section. http://www.texaswren.com/ For any questions you may have, the Newbie forum is a great place to get answers.
Knock around a bit and enjoy yourself!
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(makes note not to buy any of this person's books)
Oh, dear. First - if this is in fact from Jessica Adams, I hope you'll reconsider. As a BCer who has bought many brand-new books (sometimes several copies of each) on the basis of reviews I've read at this site, I'm a potential customer - one who has been put off by your message. If you had mentioned the charities you support and asked - nicely - for people to consider buying new copies OR donating to that charity if they exchange a book of yours, you might have gotten a surprising response...
If this is NOT from Jessica Adams - perhaps from a misguided fan, disgruntled ex-lover, or rival - then cut it out. And will the real Jessica please stand up!
Interesting. According to her website, http://www.jessicaadams.com/index.shtml , only one of her books is published in the U.S., yet some of the copies of her others that are registered on BC are in the U.S. Which means that because of BC she has readership in a country where she's not published. Too bad she can't appreciate that.
(NOTE: there is ANOTHER Jessica C. Adams, also a writer, at http://www.sff.net./---/raanve/ Let's be careful not to confuse them.)
Oh dear. Jessica -if you could only see how much more I've spent on books since joining book crossing I think you'd be changing your tune. I used to hardly ever buy books but now that I'm addicted to book crossing I'm hitting the bookstores whenever my paycheque and schedule allows it.
I know one thing for sure - coming here and ranting like you did won't increase sales. You'll simply end up with a 99,038 member strong boycott.
Eric Flint runs the Free Library at Baen Books. Baen Publishing actually has posted full books on the internet for folks to read FREE. Then Jim Baen started putting these books, and others, onto computer CDs to be given out free (I have one on my bookshelf, ask me and I'll send you a copy). Here's what Eric has said about free books (applicable to any kind of free including bookcrossing)
"As a practical proposition, the theory behind the Free Library is that, certainly in the long run, it benefits an author to have a certain number of free or cheap titles of theirs readily available to the public. By far the main enemy any author faces, except a handful of ones who are famous to the public at large, is simply obscurity. Even well-known SF authors are only read by a small percentage of the potential SF audience. Most readers, even ones who have heard of the author, simply pass them up.
What the Free Library provides-as do traditional libraries, or simply the old familiar phenomenon of friends lending each other books-is a way for people to investigate a new author for free, before they plunk down any money."
and in another letter (Prime Palaver if you are looking http://www.baen.com/library/ )
{I'm just trying to hit the highlights here for this forum, Eric has REAL NUMBERS on how free books have HELPED his sales and those of other Baen authors.}
"Again, the problem is that a lot of people just can't understand the difference between a real loss and a virtual one. Or, as I've put it elsewhere, they really think you can subtract from zero.
An author only suffers a loss from a sale of a used book if two conditions are true:
First, the used copy was bought instead of a new copy.
Second, the used copy leads to no further sales of that author's books."
"Used books have been around for centuries. And they have always provided authors with the same very valuable function: much like libraries, in a different way, they provide people with a comparatively painless "entry level" way of experimenting with different authors. They are one of the principal means by which an author expands his or her audience. Any author who doesn't understand that is incapable of seeing beyond their nose."
"Used books, like free library copies, are simply an investment in the future for authors. That's all. They are not lost sales. They are really sales stored up for the future -- and earning the equivalent of compound interest."
Thank you for posting that wisdom, TM. I don't understand how anybody smart enough to write a book is not smart enough to understand these simple truths.
Exactly! Since joining bookcrossing, I haven't been able to think of other presents to give to my friends and family than... books! In fact, I just bought one as a birthday gift for a friend of mine.
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I wanted to put forth that I have specifically bought quite a number of books based on reviews I found on bookcrossing.com, and the "book talk" forum.
The sheer volume of books I might be interested in 'finding' through BookCrossing are almost always in another city, another state, another country - but the folk at BookCrossing are usually quite talented at reviewing, and when I read those, I'm sorely tempted to buy the books instead - and often do.
There is very little different in the BookCrossing site than in a library, or a used bookstore - except that BookCrossing itself is a very strong "word of mouth" system, far moreso than a library. Think of the potential readership of people that just heard your name for the first time - associated in a forum where you insulted them. Will that prompt them to purchase your book?
Instead, a positive review in the book chat forum, or seeing your title in the "last released" or "last caught" column might have piqued someone's interest, and upon reading the review, they very well might have gone and taken a look in their local bookstore for a title.
I sincerely wish that you'd have taken a better look around, and that you'd read the sections specifically aimed at publishers and authors, but if nothing else, I just wanted to put forth that your opinion of BookCrossing as a place of literary leeches is very far off the mark - I've bought *more* books since I joined BookCrossing, not less.
Jessica - no need to fear me leaving any of your books in the wild. I promise that I won't purchase or read any of them.
*slogging thought 5 pages of postings... Wacking side of head to uncross eyes...*
Wow. Ok, I'm sorley tempted to got to http://www.warchild.org.uk and say "well, due to your spokes person, Jessica Adams, regarding the comments she made on www.bookcrossing.com, (http://www.bookcrossing.com/forum/11/58819) I'm unable to contribute to your organization. Unfortunately her contempt for a potential reader of her own works, and a potential contributor to your cause, I can not, in good faith, support her or her causes. At such time Jessica Adams is no longer affiliated with your organization, I would be willing to reconsider my stand on supporting your efforts."
My other thoughts on her and her opinion cant be expressed at this time. Catch me after Easter, when Lent is over.
Fortuantely I'm in the US, and apparently from what I've read in the thread, She's not published here. Yay.
Shen-and I won't ask for them on trade either....
Shen wrote, in part:
"Wow. Ok, I'm sorley tempted to got to http://www.warchild.org.uk and say "well, due to your spokes person, Jessica Adams, regarding the comments she made on www.bookcrossing.com, (http://www.bookcrossing.com/forum/11/58819) I'm unable to contribute to your organization. Unfortunately her contempt for a potential reader of her own works, and a potential contributor to your cause, I can not, in good faith, support her or her causes. At such time Jessica Adams is no longer affiliated with your organization, I would be willing to reconsider my stand on supporting your efforts."
who thinks that Ms. Adams didn't scroll down far enough on the home page to Ron's essay "Publishers and authors: listen up!"
Here's what I sent, Shen:
I just wanted to contact you to let you know that I heard about your organization for the first time yesterday, and not in a positive way. One of your spokespersons, Jessica Adams, made a positng on http://www.bookcrossing.com which basically insulted everyone present.
The direct link is: http://www.bookcrossing.com/---/58819
There are just under 100,000 members at BookCrossing.com, most of which are quite comfortable in using payment methods online, and many of whom I'm sure would have otherwise reacted to your site and program positively. However, after being insulted ("What kind of reality do you guys inhabit?" and "Get real!" among them) I'm no longer even willing to consider your organization without some form of posting on said forum (preferably by Ms. Adams herself) of apology.
If this is the usual method of public relations your organization enjoys, I fear it is in for a short life."
Well said, N8!
Sounds diplomatic in a way, but you still make your point. Well done!
Well put N8an..I hope you'll let us know if you get a reply.
n8, you rock baby.
Shen- wondering why her kids wake up early on Saturday and have to be dragged from bed on schooldays.
Did you guys check out what her profile says is her home? Looks like she needn't worry about being read or released in this country with that attitude.
Let's take up a collection and buy this little harpy a ticket on the Social Clue Bus.
Odd coincidence! I was at a used book sale today, and saw one of her books! I didn't buy it, of course; I'm sure she would have been mortally offended if I had. After all, SHE wouldn't have made a cent on the sale. Perhaps I should have remonstrated with the library and told them that they really should stop having these sales as they are impoverishing all these hard-working authors . . .
mojosmom, who stole the food from the mouths of quite a few writers today
For my friends wedding, they were presented by another friend with the marriage bats (custom printed nerf bats). To her, the bat of "reality". To him, the bat of "obviousness".
maybe we can borrow them.....
Great writing, N8an!
who loves to write letters like that!
Re: <caron><caron><caron><caron><caron><caron><caron><caron><caron><caron><caron><caron><caron><caron><caron><caron><caron><caron><caron><caron><caron><caron><caron>
This message prompted me to look at my own bookcrossing trading habits. The reason I did that was because I have never - yes, that is correct, never - found a book in the wild. Not many bookcrossers are active in my neck of the woods. So it's not like Jessica Adams books are littering the streets.
Anyway, I was curious - do I really trade books that I would have otherwise bought? The answer is a resounding no! I trade books that I am interested in, for whatever reason - usually because I have read recommendations here. However, I borrow books from friends or the library as an initial investment of time, to see if I like the author. I don't buy books on impulse. I *do* buy multiple copies of books to give as gifts, once I discover that I love them. In fact, I originally checked out the book My Grandfather's Blessings by Rachel Naomi Remen from the library. Discovered I loved it, so I bought it for myself. Then I bought a copy for my mother and one for my best friend - I knew they would *love* this book. And they did! My mother bought three copies to give as gifts, and my best friend bought two! That, I believe, is called word of mouth - or perhaps it is experience. If I hadn't read this book from the library, Remen would have "lost" the sales of eight books! And I know this happens with bookcrossing books as well. I bought Round Ireland with a Fridge for my sister for her b-day. I just know she'll love it! But I heard about it through Bookcrossing.
I know I just repeated what others have written, but I feel strongly, so had to get my two cents in also.
BTW, I also thought, when reading Jessica's message: this author either 1. doesn't know human nature or 2. doesn't know how to write an effective argument, or both. If she is truly tring to use language to persuade us, does she think it is helpful to ask "What kind of a reality do you guys inhabit?" Well, we do have a large community of avid bookreaders-that's part of our reality. Why antagonize us?
Wow! What a thread!
Okay, PAY ATTENTION HERE, MS ADAMS AND MS WITTIG ALBERT! I will never purchase or voluntarily read anything either of you have written. Go away now.
To echo what so many other people have said, BC has introduced me to authors previously unknown: e.g. Christopher Moore, Terry Pratchett, Michael Chabon; and renewed my acquaintance with others: e.g. Neil Gaiman, Joan Hess, Patricia Highsmith. Since last August when I joined, and more accurately, since last October when I became an active BC participant, I have purchased NEW an unknown number of books, for myself and for gifts, many as the result of a recommendation or a review from another BookCrosser. Spouse cringes whenever I say I'm going to the B&N right down the street because he knows I'll be lugging at least half a dozen books home with me. But no future purchase will be any book by either of the two authors mentioned above who have made such a**ses of themselves over our little "exercise in karma."
Sheesh. What a world.
Don't sugar-coat it, Avanta, tell 'em how you really feel.
'N8an (*grin*)
The sugar-coating will be the sweet magnolia sound of mah Suthu'n drawl, suh.
Ooooh! :) *swoon*
I went to Oklahoma once, and the drawl there had me swooning all the time. There's just *something* about the sleek sexy cadence of that wonderful sound. Ooh ya.
Funny thing was, by the end of two weeks, I was doing it myself. I tend to pick up accents fairly quickly (I moved *a lot* as a kid), but not usually that quickly. Oh my. Yum.
'Nathan (needs to trade in an RCMP guy for a Southern Cowboy, maybe...)
*That* must be why my friend has started spending so much time competing in Gay Rodeo events! ;-)
Gay Rodeo? Oh. My. Gosh.
*sigh* They're probably already surrounded by little fan-boy sorts. But wow. What an image! :) I saw the Calgary Stampede twice (once was unluckily the year of that horrible chuckwagon race disaster), but the thought of an *approachable* man in a cowboy hat? Oh my indeed. :)
'Nathan (suddenly thinking southern states)
Until recently it would never have occurred to me that there was such as thing as gay rodeo. Apparently it's quite popular, though, as evidenced by the International Gay Rodeo Association website: http://www.igra.com/.
Wow, Clindell, I never would have guessed either.
Sometimes stuff like that makes me very happy - othertimes it feels like we (the royal "We" of gaydom) are moving in the wrong direction with more and more segregation, where it might be better to just point out we're already a part of something... Ugh. I dunno. But the images of gay cowboys certainly does make me think...
'Nathan (ahhh, cowboys)
I went to Oklahoma once, and the drawl there had me swooning all the time
Umm, Oklahoma? Drawl? I hear twang in that thar Okie aksent, young'un.
Of course, I live in Arkansas, and the twang is even more pronounced here. Whenever I decide to alter my native Californian West Coast tones and actually USE a Southern accent, I adopt one from Mississippi or Georgia.
Ooops...looking around, realizing I'm NOT in Chit-Chat. Sorry. Back on topic now.
Oklahoma has nothing on Virginia, North Carolina, or anyplace else in the real South when it comes to accents. :-)
Amy - who thought drinking a mint julep would be a cool Southern thing to do until she discovered the hard way that it is nothing more than bourbon with a sprig of mint.
Hi Jessica, I'm someone who has in the past purchased a> your book Single White Email b> am a huge Debbie Harry fan and c> support sponsor and contribute to the charity War Child in various guises so you can imagine my frustration and disappointment when I see this reaction from someone such as yourself and someone linked to my favourite charity. I imagine you are more bothered by the loss of your own royalties than War Childs as you do encourage to people to pass it on to Oxfam (which is 'releasing it in the wild' anyway). I think Ms Adams you sorely misunderstood the whole bookcrossing concept which is a shame but hey you can't win em all. Now when I do get to Australia and manage to clear out my bookshelves what to do with Single White Email, toss it in the trash thereby stopping any word of mouth free advertising extra book sales for you or release to spite you and bump up your sales ... sigh it's a toughie.
Note to bookcrossers, please don't judge a really upbeat worthwhile selfless charity 'War Child' by one of it's disgruntled contributors. War Child get involved with a different style of project each year and I guess Jessica got involved with the Girls Night Out project.
*If these change hands to ten people a year, I have just lost 100 sales* ~ yeah but just imagine how many readers you'll have gained ...
I joined bookcrossing six months ago and the number of books i read during this period has tripled and so has my reading speed. Thanks to BC. Also i am now exposed to many authors and not restricted to try reading different style of writing be it fiction or non-fiction.
I am able to now appreciate the effoft authors put in to produce a book.
One last thing by releasing a book, i realised i fell happy to know that somebody else will read and appreciate the books.
Thanks a lot.
Bhavany aka email@example.com
Is anybody a Larry Niven fan? As in "Rainbow Mars"?
I am new here and would like to know...
And I think that article the editor posted about the author lady, that she needs to get a grip, prefibly on something solid...
> Is anybody a Larry Niven fan?
You'll probably have better luck getting people to notice your question over in Book Talk. Feel free to bring up any authors or specific books you'd like to discuss there, since that's where most people go to look for that kind of thing.
According to your point of view, Jessica, libraries shouldn´t exist and people shouldn´t lend books to another people. I think you haven´t understood anything about bookcrossing.
Anyway, if it helps to make you feel better, I didn't know your name, nor your books till I read your message here. Now, maybe I buy them, but most surely I read them first and I decide wether I'd like to have it or not.
If I would buy books because I like authors, I would never buy yours since you seem to be more interested in royalties than in anything else. But when you write a book, it's noy yours anymore...It spreads everywhere and it has its own life.
If you don't like this kind of things (libraries, bookcrossing,...), PLEASE don't write books anymore. You will feel better than finding your books in a bus.
I just had a novel published about Antarctica and I am waaaay more interested in having people read my book than I am about making money off of it. Don't get me wrong, I want all the royalties I can get, but that's not what writing is about. It's about expressing yourself, sharing ideas, reaching people, celebrating our humanity, entertaining.
See? Now here's an intelligent writer who knows how to behave. After reading your well-mannered comments, I hastened to your bookshelf to check out your book. Looks good enough to read to me. Unfortunately, I am not in a position to buy new books. This is NOT a hint for you to make a controlled release of the book to me, although I would not object if you did, and of course, would rerelease it here in the Netherlands. Have you considered doing a book ring or book ray with your book? In a book ring, the book goes from reader to reader who have signed up for it, and eventually comes back to you, the original sender. In a book ray, the book just keeps going on and on and on to the outer limits of space, so to speak. A very big welcome then, to you, and a hearty amen to your comments about the point of writing.


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Queen Elizabeth
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Custom built by Edgecombe and perched 16.63 acres with endless lake views is Eagle Mountain Estate. Sprawling 12,800 sq.ft timber frame home with 5 bdrms, 7 bathrooms, 5 fireplaces, geothermal heating/cooling system plus infloor heating throughout. Castle rock & Hardie board siding, Douglas fir timbers throughout with an impressive Port-co-chere to welcome guests. Soaring 30 ft ceilings, granite counters, double island kitchen loaded with stainless steel appliances, gorgeous dining room with floor to ceiling windows, plus dream master bedroom with luxurious ensuite with the lake and city as your backdrop. Home office with private terrace plus guest quarters with everything they need for their enjoyment. Downstairs features a home theatre, temperature controlled wine room, home gym, wet bar, billiards area plus ample storage. The home features a state of the art Crestron system easily controlled by your mobile phone. Tennis court, infinity pool plus dock with electric boat lift! Property is outside of area for proposed Speculation Tax - so exempt from potential tax. For further information please visit www.janehoffman.com
Listed by Coldwell Banker Horizon Realty


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U.S. Climate Reference Network (USCRN)
These stations were designed with climate science in mind. Three independent measurements of temperature and precipitation are made at each station, insuring continuity of record and maintenance of well-calibrated and highly accurate observations. The stations are placed in pristine environments expected to be free of development for many decades. Stations are monitored and maintained to high standards and are calibrated on an annual basis. In addition to temperature and precipitation, these stations also measure solar radiation, surface skin temperature, and surface winds. They also include triplicate measurements of soil moisture and soil temperature at five depths, as well as atmospheric relative humidity for most of the 114 contiguous U.S. stations. Stations in Alaska and Hawaii provide network experience and observations in polar and tropical regions. Deployment of a complete 29-station USCRN network in Alaska began in 2009. This project is managed by NOAA's National Climatic Data Center and operated in partnership with NOAA's Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division.
U.S. Regional Climate Reference Network (USRCRN)
The U.S. Regional Climate Reference Network (USRCRN) maintains the same level of climate science quality measurements as the national-scale U.S. Climate Reference Network (USCRN), but its stations are spaced more closely and focus solely on temperature and precipitation. Beginning with a pilot project in the Southwest that was completed in 2011, USRCRN stations will be deployed at a 130 km spatial resolution across the United States to provide for the detection of regional climate change signals.


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Judging by appearance, the trays of new-growth Palmer amaranth on Bob Scott's greenhouse table don't seem like they could be a formidable threat to Arkansas row crops. But early tests show these pigweeds are glyphosate-tolerant. In a farming environment largely made up of Roundup Ready crops that is big news.
Treated with the equivalent of 22 ounces per acre of Roundup WeatherMax, the pigweeds turned yellow and were stunted. Twenty-one days after treatment some had died while others were exhibiting re-growth. Using the same rate, known susceptible plants were dead in a week.
"It's important to note that these pigweeds are still being killed with glyphosate," says Scott, Arkansas Extension weed specialist. "It's fair to say they aren't resistant. But they have a high enough level of tolerance that we're missing them in the field with normal rates of glyphosate."
If those misses are allowed to mature and crossbreed, the concern becomes that more frequent and increasingly tolerant, perhaps resistant, populations will develop.
"We're the third state (to discover) tolerant or resistant pigweeds. Last year, Georgia and Tennessee announced they'd found some. This is one bronze medal we could've done without."
The Tennessee and Georgia populations have proven tolerant of 4X rates of glyphosate. The tolerance level for the Arkansas pigweeds is yet to be nailed down.
Mississippi County
Last fall, a producer found the tolerant pigweeds while harvesting his Mississippi County soybean field. The field had been in continuous Roundup Ready soybeans for five years and had been heavily dosed with glyphosate.
While unsure if the tolerant biotype developed in situ or floated in on floodwaters, the field was "a perfect candidate for tolerance buildup," says Smith.
In addition to the tolerant pigweed, the grower's farm also has giant ragweed (a weed difficult to control with glyphosate) and glyphosate-resistant horseweed.
"That's the state's glyphosate-trouble trifecta," says Scott.
The grower first began noticing pigweed escapes in the fall of 2004. By last harvest season, the problem was worse and he called Mississippi County Extension agent Susan Matthews.
"Susan has had a lot of experience with glyphosate-resistant horseweed. When she went to the field and looked, the evidence was strong the plants had been up when glyphosate was sprayed."
Trained eyes learn to look for skips, misses and other things that point away from tolerance or resistance. These pigweeds, randomly placed throughout 200 or 300 acres of soybeans, didn't fit a theory of machine or applicator error.
Matthews striped several suspect pigweeds of seed and gathered soil from beneath the plants. Scott recently screened the samples.
"From our initial tests, we're pretty sure this pigweed's tolerance is heritable and is passed on to its offspring. The next test we need to do is a 'lethal dose' LD50 study — where the lowest dose needed to kill 50 percent of the population is determined."
Plants are currently being transplanted for the lethality test. It will be summer before results are released.
Meanwhile, researchers are also set to conduct similar rate studies in natural populations since greenhouse plants are often more susceptible than those in the field.
"We need to get into the field for that test as well as to identify program approaches for management of this biotype in both cotton and soybeans," says Scott. "From where I stand, it really doesn't matter whether this pigweed crosses the line from tolerant to resistant. What really matters is it's not being controlled with normal rates and is tolerant enough to cause major management problems. Right now, it's very important to get onto the farms and find out how best to deal with it."
The threat
The Arkansas Herbicide Resistance Weed Committee is closely involved in the approach to, and announcement of, the pigweed's discovery. The nine-member committee — consisting of Extension personnel, independent consultants and industry representatives — has already released several brochures on resistance threats.
At least one board member, crop consultant Chuck Farr, believes he's encountered tolerant pigweeds before.
The greenhouse-raised pigweeds appear "similar to others he's seen throughout Mississippi and Crittenden counties," says Scott. "He thinks this is a problem in more fields than has been recognized. Ken Smith (Arkansas Extension weed scientist and resistance committee head) and I agree with him. That's one reason we decided to go public with this now."
The committee wants producers to have time to digest prevention, maintenance and management recommendations before the season begins in earnest.
"This is time sensitive. I'm pretty sure there are other fields where pigweed escapes have occurred following glyphosate applications and farmers have been forced to re-treat with a tank-mix of other herbicides. We just haven't heard about them yet. This should help shake out some of those locations."
When tolerant pigweeds get into cotton fields — "and they will," says Smith — there are no over-the-top herbicides to control them. "Not long ago, I posed this scenario to some great cotton consultants who walk fields daily: There's Roundup Ready cotton sprayed with glyphosate. Everything dies except the pigweed. What are you going to do?
"I wish I could tell you someone had a good answer. None of us did.
"This isn't the only tolerant population we'll find. I hope I'm wrong, but I foresee multiple locations being found this year. I don't think that's going too far out on a limb, either."
If cotton producers were to lose Roundup and had to go back to "the old way of farming," says Bill Robertson, Arkansas Extension cotton specialist, "it would be incredibly tough. We've made a lot of changes since the Roundup Ready system came in. It's impacted the way we farm, the way we spread equipment and employees around acreage, the timeliness of applications. The logistics would be completely screwed up if we had to go back to a more conventional weed control program."
Another member of the resistance committee, Zach Shappley, calls the pigweed find "very serious." As a Monsanto technology development representative, Shappley says his company wants its Roundup Ready technology to be "available as a benefit over the long haul. Being pro-active on this will maintain (its) longevity. We encourage growers to use (chemistries other than glyphosate), other tank-mixes and other modes of action in their Roundup Ready systems. They need to start that now and continue it into the future. Spraying glyphosate alone is the wrong approach."
Distances in space
Whatever happens with the northeast Arkansas pigweed, spraying programs will continue to include glyphosate. That might surprise people outside agriculture.
"But the glyphosate molecule controls so many other weeds and is so cost-effective that producers can't really get away from it," says Smith. "Instead, they'll have to manage around the pigweeds and do things to try and prevent resistance."
If resistant/tolerant pigweeds get a foot or 2 feet tall in soybeans, "you can just about forget it," says Scott. "At that point, we can burn them back and make them mad but not kill them."
Why did the pigweeds show up in northeast Arkansas? Could there be a connection to the Tennessee population?
"There's no telling," says Scott. "(There's a) tremendous amount of diversity in pigweed populations. It's been said before: pigweeds have no morals. They'll crossbreed — boom, boom, boom. That leads to hybridization. And when you've got tremendous diversity among three or four species that can hybridize, that leads to an astronomical amount of genes and traits."
Scott believes the cause of tolerance was continuous use of the same herbicide on a broad genetic base. "We've been putting selection pressure on our crops. This is 'Evolution 101' — except with unnatural selection."
Dick Oliver, a weed scientist with the University of Arkansas, has done pigweed trials and found it's not unusual to have eight to 10 pigweeds emerging per square inch of soil. As the weeds compete, some die out while others survive. If an inch of soil has 10 pigweeds, "imagine how much selection pressure there has been on 3 million acres of Roundup Ready soybeans," says Scott. "You'd probably need one of those incomprehensible numbers like they use to measure distances in space."
Another problem the pigweed presents: the cure for resistance costs as much as prevention. "So imagine you're a farmer struggling to make it," says Scott. "You're spending everything you can already without adding a pre-emerge treatment. When anyone asks what the cure is, I say, 'You need a pre-emerge out.' The response is, 'Well, why don't I just wait to (treat) when I have the problem?'"
No herbicide program provides thorough control of all weeds.
"It's a numbers game. When a resistant weed escapes initial treatment there are often no alternatives for cleanup. In today's agriculture there's no room for major losses on even a small percentage of acres."
Long-term, one could argue the extra expense of prevention maintains land values and popular technology. Currently, though, farming is short-term enterprise.
"It's a year-by-year thing for many producers. It's hard to blame them for taking advantage of the technology. That's where the economy and desperation have pushed us."
The takeaway message, says Smith, is "keep fields as clean as possible." It is extremely important that any escapes be identified and dealt with.
"The farmer who first discovered resistant horseweed on his place told me, 'When Roundup Ready crops came into our program, I thought we'd received a gift. But it wasn't a gift — it was just a loan. And now we're going to pay it back.'"
e-mail: [email protected]


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Recently I completed an online shop for a Jason Foster, a local photographer from Halifax. You can find the site here at http://www.fostersfineart.co.uk/shop/ Pictures are available from 7in x 5in upto 28in x 20in.
Archive for the 'Websites' Category
Fosters Fine Art Online StorePosted: 16th October 2011 by admin in Websites
Tags: ecommerce, online shop, photography


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Grilled Pork Porterhouse with Sorghum Glaze
Grilled pork is tender, juicy and redolent with a smoky flavor that balances the earthy, sweet sorghum glaze. Sorghum is made from the sorghum cane which is typically planted for the sole purpose of making syrup.
2 tbsp. garlic, minced
32 juniper berries, crushed
2 tbsp. fresh sage, finely minced (or 2 tsp. dried sage)
4 tbsp. kosher salt
2 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
8 center-cut, closely trimmed pork loin chops, each weighing 12-14 oz.
Sorghum Glaze for Pork
2 tbsp. peanut oil
1⁄4 cup shallots, minced
2 tbsp. poblano chiles, minced
2 tbsp. garlic, minced
1 tbsp. jalapeño chiles, minced
1 tbsp. red pepper flakes
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. ground cumin
2 tbsp. ground chile powder (preferably freshly ground from dried chiles)
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup veal or beef stock
2 tbsp. honey
1⁄2 cup sorghum
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. red wine vinegar.
1. In a large bowl, mix the garlic, juniper berries, sage, salt, and pepper. Rub the mixture over the chops. Place chops in a single layer in a nonreactive pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 12-24 hours, but no longer, or they will become too salty.
2. When you are ready to grill the chops, rub off excess marinade with a damp paper towel. Brush with sorghum glaze (see recipe below). Grill chops approximately 8 min. per side for medium rare or 10 min. per side for medium (grilling longer will result in a dry chop). Serve immediately.
Sorghum Glaze for Pork
1. Heat peanut oil in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the shallots, poblano chiles, garlic, ginger, jalapeño chiles, red pepper flakes, cumin, and chile powder. Stir to combine well. Cover saucepan and sweat the ingredients for 7-8 min., stirring 3 or 4 times.
2.Add the stock and stir to combine. Increase the heat to medium-high; bring mixture to a boil. Add honey, sorghum, tomato paste, and vinegar. Bring to a brisk simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 min. or until mixture is reduced by a third. Use immediately or cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate. Tightly covered, the glaze will keep for 2 to 3 days.


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Top Cars
Top 5 Convertibles under $25,000
If you're interested in top-down summer cruising on a budget, you've come to the right place. We've compiled a list of our favorite convertibles available for under $25,000, allowing car shoppers to enjoy the summer sun without breaking the bank. Although we've included both new and used models on our list, all of our choices include a recent design, impressive standard equipment and-most important-a retractable roof.
2008 BMW 128i
Many car shoppers with a $25,000 budget may not think a BMW convertible is affordable, but we suggest they reconsider. More than 30 different 2008 1 Series models are currently available on AutoTrader.com for less than $25,000, and more than half are certified pre-owned examples offered by BMW dealers. Many of these sporty convertibles on offer include a fully comprehensive warranty that covers six years or 100,000 miles from the original date of sale. That means about two years of worry-free coverage for most 2008 models. Best of all, the 2008 128i offers BMW's highly praised 3.0-liter 6-cylinder powerplant, which produces a spry 230 horsepower and 200 lb-ft of torque.
FIAT 500 Cabrio
FIAT's cute 500 Cabrio may not meet many drivers' definition of a convertible because of its fixed roof rails, but we think the softtop subcompact offers a great top-down driving experience. It's also one of the least expensive convertibles available from new, with a base price around $20,000 even after destination. To us, that's a reasonable price considering that the 500 offers a brand-new design that will likely remain current for several years to come. Although many buyers won't feel energized by the standard 101-hp 1.4-liter 4-cylinder engine, the underpowered mill helps the 500 achieve stellar fuel economy ratings of nearly 40 mpg on the highway with its standard five-speed manual transmission.
2011 Ford Mustang
Yes, that's right: Ford's latest Mustang is available in convertible form for less than $25,000. In fact, nearly 700 different examples of the sporty 2011 model are currently available on AutoTrader.com, giving buyers a long list of colors and equipment to choose from. Although the sporty, V8-powered Mustang GT hasn't yet crept into our budget, we'd be perfectly content with the ragtop's latest V6, which produces more than 300 hp and propels the Mustang to 60 miles per hour from a standing stop in about six seconds. Concerned about fuel economy? Don't be. The Mustang's 6-cylinder also achieves an EPA-rated 30 mpg on the highway and nearly 20 mpg in city driving.
Mazda MX-5 Miata
Mazda's sporty MX-5 Miata is proof that you don't have to spend a fortune to get a cool new car that's a hoot to drive. The fact that it offers a convertible top at its base price of less than $24,000 including destination is a bonus. Some car shoppers may be dismayed by the MX-5 Miata's 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine, which produces 167 hp in manual guise or 158 hp when mated to an available 6-speed automatic-but we think the droptop shines brightest in the corners, where its steering and handling rival vehicles that cost twice as much.
2008 Toyota Solara
Car shoppers looking for a hassle-free convertible that doesn't need sporty flair will be easily wooed by the reliable Camry-based Toyota Solara. Featuring four full-size seats and a muscular V6, the 2008 Solara can easily be had for under $25,000, even in upscale SLE trim. That's good news for most shoppers, since the Solara SLE was generously equipped with a JBL sound system, Bluetooth, auto dimming mirrors, a power driver's seat and 17-inch alloy wheels. Many of the nearly 300 different 2008 Solara convertibles currently listed on AutoTrader.com also feature Toyota's certified pre-owned warranty, which offers bumper-to-bumper coverage for one year and a remarkable seven years or 100,000 miles of powertrain protection.
What it means to you: Buyers interested in a convertible can find many of the latest models for under $25,000.


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Portuguese squad return to heroes' welcome
Cristiano Ronaldo and his beaten Portuguese teammates received a tumultuous welcome home when they touched down at Lisbon airport on Thursday after flying back from Ukraine.india Updated: Jun 29, 2012 03:08 IST
Cristiano Ronaldo and his beaten Portuguese teammates received a tumultuous welcome home when they touched down at Lisbon airport on Thursday after flying back from Ukraine.
"Portugal ole! Portugal ole! Portugal ole!," fans shouted as the squad emerged with Ronaldo in their midst following their Euro 2012 semi-final defeat on penalties to holders Spain.
Paulo Bento's team smiled as fans held aloft scarves and flags while some sang the national anthem.
Several players stopped to sign autographs before heading off for a summer break after the team's narrow elimination when a potential final against Germany or Italy and a possible first major trophy success had been coming into view.
"This reception gives me goosebumps. You can feel their affection and we want to thank them," said defender Pepe.
"They know we deserved to be in the final."
"It's super - the people are behind us. Thanks for everything," said Miguel Lopes, before boarding a coach to spirit the squad into the city.
"We are very proud of what we achieved. They were all fantastic," said Humberto Coelho, vice-chairman of the Portuguese Football Federation.
"We are so very proud of this team," cried out one fan in his 50s. "We know they gave everything."
A young woman agreed: "We are out but it was great while it lasted. They gave us great pleasure and we are very proud. I wanted to say bravo," she said, a bouquet of flowers in her hand.
Another young fan said: "We want to tell Ronaldo he did very well. they all played very well and they will go far."
Few fans had seen the team off amid general pessimism after a final warm-up brought a home loss to Turkey.
But the team rallied after losing their opening game against Germany, beat Denmark and Holland and then the Czech Republic in the quarters before the Spanish edged them out.
First Published: Jun 29, 2012 01:26 IST


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Emma (UK - BD RB)
Marcus's next Miramax review has him Jane Austening it up with Gwyneth...
Emma Woodhouse (Gwyneth Paltrow) thinks herself a romantic matchmaker. After a marriage she takes the credit for, she sets out to continue her streak of bringing her friends together but sometimes meddling with other people's affairs can prove problematic and in the process Emma may actually find her own romantic connection.
I'm sorry all you Jane Austen fans out there but this stuff is lost on me. I tried my best to get through the Englishness of it all and the coy conversations and the playfulness of relationships but somehow these period romantic comedies always fail to trigger the softie in me and generally wind up just annoying.
Obviously I'm no expert on the genre but Emma feels decidedly under par. Costumes feel more like they're made for panto than the period setting and somehow I even found a lot of the English accents more grating that charming. Gwyneth Paltrow's Emma just isn't all that likeable in my view and because of that I found this one a real struggle to get through. Of course I did for the sake of this review but rather than further offend any lovers of the period drama out there lets jump onto the how the A/V stacks up.
Well another Miramax title, another mess of a video presentation. It's just the same story as The Talented Mr Ripley and The Quiet American. A super soft image that must rival the original DVD release, the constant grain (some of which dances in corners) dirt and general grubbiness kills any sort of HD highlight and really it's only the colours here than shine. They are by no means stunning or leaping off the screen but Emma is quite a colourful film with many of the sets having pastel yellows or lilacs, rich oranges and all those summertime colours that would look fantastic in a good transfer.
Unfortunately this isn't a good transfer, the image is far too dark and even the brightest summer's day looks dull and washed out. There's a total lack of sharpness, a total lack of detail and a sense that the movie hasn't been given any love at all for its HD release which kills any elements that deserved to shine. This is another Miramax release that just winds up being woefully under prepared for a HD release and this pattern that's forming in my Miramax marathon is disheartening as the best movies of the batch are next up.
The 2.0 track is relatively strong and offers two or three layers at its most lively. Dialogue, ambience and fluffy score all fill the track effectively and while the movie never reaches for anything beyond the twee, the audio here does it well even with its stereo limitations.
The only extra here is a trailer (01:51 SD).
Emma is about as twee as English period dramas come and despite trying my hardest to like something about the film I just can't hide my dislike of it and all its false feeling playfulness. As for the disc, these Miramax titles seem to be getting worse. Horrid video, a measly stereo audio track and no extras beyond a trailer. Here's hoping my last three biggies ( The English Patient, City of God and The Aviator) turn things around.
* Note: The below images are taken from the Blu-ray release and resized for the page. Full-resolution captures are available by clicking individual images, but due to .jpg compression they are not necessarily representative of the quality of the transfer.
Review by Marcus Doidge
Chris Gould Editor Join Date: May 2001 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 7,171
Now I did noticed how bad this one was when I took the caps. Pretty shocking.
hogaburger Contributor Join Date: April 2007 Location: United States Posts: 1,153
Suddenly Echo Bridge doesn't seem so awful
Suitable for all
Disc Details
Release Date: 19th September 2011
Discs: 1
Disc Type: Blu-ray Disc
RCE: No
Video: 1080p
Aspect: 1.85:1
Anamorphic: No
Colour: Yes
Audio: LPCM 2.0 Stereo English
Subtitles: English
Extras: Trailer
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: Douglas McGrath
Cast: Gwyneth Paltrow, James Cosmo, Greta Scacchi
Genre: Comedy and Drama
Length: 201 minutes
3Review Guide
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COG is a lively club catering for enthusiasts of the Vauxhall Chevette, Bedford Chevanne and Opel Kadett C.
We attend many car shows and events throughout the year and host an annual BBQ at the National VBOA show at Market Harborough in Leicestershire. We provide our members with the means to attend these shows in complete safety with the cover of public liability insurance. There is always someone contactable by email or phone for help with technical queries, parts or show dates. We keep in touch with everyone with our club newsletter and we can save you money with a range of discounted products.
To join our club right away you can register via paypal. This costs only £5 for 12 months membership . If you don't have a Paypal account then when you reach the Paypal payment page there's an option to pay with your debit or credit card.
If you dont want to sign up straight away, get started on our forum now and meet the team including other guests and club members. Click on the register button above, fill in a few details and you are away. When you become a full member of the club you will receive a welcome pack and an upgrade to full forum access.
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Östermalm is an affluent borough of Stockholm, separated from Norrmalm by Birger Jarlsgatan, one of Stockholm's longest streets. It consists of palatial city-blocks, combined with vibrant tree-lined boulevards, upmarket shopping and two university campuses. The borough contains the royal park Djurgården which makes up most of Nationalstadsparken, the National City Park.
Östermalm is rich with history. Since Medieval times, the lands were known as Ladugårdslandet ("the barn land"), and consisted of royal farms. With the rise of the Swedish Empire, the area was militarised, with army quarters, and a drill field, Gärdet, clear and open from the 17th century until today. In the late 19th century, the bourgeois built themselves exclusive apartment blocks along the waterfront, and the name Östermalm came into use. During the 1930s, a part of the drill field gave way to a row of plain, square modernist apartment houses, which came to inspire similar projects around the world. The centre of the Swedish television and motion picture industry, much of it within the Stockholm harbour, contributes to the timeless glamour of Östermalm.
The Djurgården ("Animal garden") island has been royal property since centuries. It has been used as a zoological garden since the 16th century. In the 1890s, the Skansen open air museum was founded, and several other museums since then.
Get in
Östermalm is easily accessed by different forms of transport. As summarised in the Stockholm article, the public transport authority SL offers several transportation methods into the district.
Many cruise ships dock at Värtahamnen and Frihamnen (if not at Södermalm). The docks are barely within walking distance from the subway station Gärdet.
The red line of the subway has a number of stations in Östermalm. In the centre of Östermalm is the station Östermalmstorg serving the Stureplan and Östermalmstorg area of the district.
The tram Spårväg City runs from Sergels Torg in Norrmalm through Norrmalmstorg and along the waterfront boulevard of Strandvägen to Djurgården serving the Nordiska Museet, Gröna Lund and Skansen making it a very scenic way to travel with ease.
Östermalm contains several museums, and other institutions of culture.
Djurgården Island
The Djurgården island contains Sweden's largest cluster of museums and venues, most within walking distance from each other.
Stureplan and the surrounding streets have many shopping opportunities for the well-to-do. And of course, most museums have souvenir shops.
The Saluhallen market hall on Östermalmstorg has a lot of beautifully arranged market stalls with an excellent spread of epicurean delights, both savory and sweet. Reindeer paté and sausages, cloudberry preserves, and large variety of knäckebröd. Very expensive.
Stureplan and Östermalmstorg
Stureplan is a nightlife hub at the border between Östermalm and Norrmalm.
Stay safe
As Stureplan is a center for nightlife, it also the most violent place in Stockholm. Though the square is guarded by police and nightclub security, drunk brawls are commonplace. Let the professionals take care of conflicts.


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Entrepreneurial Spark is the world's largest free business accelerator, and we've helped thousands of entrepreneurs across the UK to realise their entrepreneurial dreams. We love what we do, and take pride in our work. The figures speak for themselves – 85% of the companies we've worked with are still trading today.
Even better, our programme is free, and we take absolutely no equity from the entrepreneurs we work with.
We enrol entrepreneurs and businesses from any sector, of any kind. But what's more important to us is working with individuals, we get excited by developing mindsets and behaviours to bring out the natural entrepreneurial leader within.
Want to know more? Interested to find out what it all looks like? Think you might have what it takes? (Clue: you probably have…). Sign up for a hub tour now.
You will:
- Learn how our unique Enablement programme keeps you accountable, helps you stick to your goals and helps accelerate your business to warp speed
- See the vibrant hub space where our Enablers and Entrepreneur Development Managers work every day to help businesses go from good to great, and from great to world class
- Find out more about how the Entrepreneurial Spark programme works, and where you might fit in
Our hub tours last no more than an hour and are led by Chris Kettle, Entrepreneur Development Manager from NatWest. You will be encouraged to ask questions about the programme. Q&A will take place in a group, so that everyone gets the most from the experience.
Sign up today and join the entrepreneuring revolution!
PS - A bit of admin: there is no car park at the hub, so please make sure you have plenty of time to find a parking space before your tour starts.


text:
Our Vineyard Is A Special Place.
APlace where estate grown wines have achieved recognition and acclaim from National and International Wine Critics, Writers, and Judges.
We are proud of, and delighted that:
Jancis Robinson, the most recognized and respected wine writer and critic in the world, along with California based Linda Murphy recognized Frogtown as a Superstar in their 2013 publication, American Wines
Craig Kritzer, Frogtown's wine grower and maker, has been named one of the top 100 most influential United States Winemakers by Michael Cervin of intowine.com
Wine Business Monthly recently recognized Frogtown as one of the top 10 hot Brands in the United States
Our passion, and unwavering steadfast determination and commitment, is to grow and produce wines that compete with premium and ultra premium wines grown and produced any where in the world.


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Hearts ... to Bob Kart who from his Sun City Hilton Head home saw a man collapse on the golf course and went to his aid.
Larry Sebuck, 70, was golfing with his regular foursome last April when he experienced a sudden cardiac arrest.
Kart rushed to Larry's side and immediately started CPR.
The two men and their wives became friends since the incident, and last week Kart was honored for his heroism by the Bluffton Fire Department. He received a plaque and a medal for his efforts.
Kart is a retired veterinarian and said he noticed signs of trouble when he got to Larry's side. Larry had no reflexes, was not breathing and was an unusual color. While he was performing CPR, Kart's wife Midge called 911.
We're glad Kart took immediate action and join with others to publicly thank him.
Everybody likes a hero, and this is one story we were happy to report.
Darts ... to the Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority for not complying with a Bluffton Today request for a termination letter for its general manager who was fired recently.
The regional water and sewer authority's decision to deny a Bluffton Today request for records violates the S.C. Freedom of Information Act, said South Carolina's top open-records expert.
The Authority had denied a reporter's FOIA request for the termination letter for Kenneth Griffin, who was dismissed from his general manager position last month. The Authority's attorney, Erin Dean of the firm Tupper, Grimsley and Dean, called the newspaper's request "an unreasonable invasion of personal privacy."
On Tuesday, Jay Bender, a law professor at the University of South Carolina, said the Authority's privacy exemption does not hold.
"The general manager's termination letter is a public record under South Carolina law and must be disclosed upon request," he said.
We agree with the law professor and are disappointed our request was denied.
Hearts ... to the fact that St. Patrick's Day and spring are just around the corner.
We know we asked last week for relief from the weather gods, and we received it for a day or two. We are more than ready for warmer weather and longer days.
Living in the Lowcountry is more fun when it's sunny. There is so much to do and see here.
We also are less than two months away from the RBC Heritage golf tournament and we are thrilled to be expanding our coverage of the tournament this year.
We'll give you more details on that very soon. In the meantime, let's hear it for longer and sunnier days.
Darts ... to the nasty flu season that besides making us all feel sick as a dog, hurt productivity in the workplace.
According to national statistics, more American workers called in sick in January than during any month in nearly five years.
Nearly 2.9 million full-time workers only worked part-time during the week in which they were surveyed because of illness, injury or medical appointment. That's the highest level of people calling in sick since February 2008, when 1.3 million people missed a full week of work and 3.3 million full-time workers only worked part-time because of illness, according to a national survey.
More people typically call in sick during the winter months, when seasonal illnesses such as cold and the flu are common. But this year appears to have been especially hard on Americans, and on workers.
We think people should stay home when they are contagious and obviously sick.
Hearts ... to the show that will highlight outstanding film achievements of 2012 - The Oscars.
Seth MacFarlane hosts the televised show on ABC tonight. The Oscars will include singer-songwriter Adele performing the Oscar-nominated theme song from the latest James Bond movie, and Barbara Streisand singing at the event for the first time in 36 years.
The show will also feature a tribute to the James Bond movie franchise, which is celebrating its 50th Anniversary. Oscar Best Picture Chicago will reunite the cast on the 10th anniversary of their win during a special celebration of movie musicals of the last 10 years.
In addition, Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Norah Jones will perform the Oscar-nominated theme song from Ted, "Everybody Needs a Best Friend," and the cast of The Avengers will be on hand to present.
Have you picked your winners yet? There is still time.


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Before the start of the 1961 baseball season, which ended with the Yankees' 19th World Series title, LIFE Magazine gave a camera to 25-year-old Yankee shortstop Tony Kubek and asked him to take portraits of his teammates. He shot Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Roger Maris, Whitey Ford, and others at the team's spring training field.
The photos have never been published before, partly because LIFE photographer Bob Fellows—a self-described "baseball hater"—was unhappy with the results. In a letter dated March 13, 1961, he wrote to the LIFE offices with the two rolls of film, which he referred to as the "pitiful results of three lost days." LIFE.com has a gallery of the shots up now. Above: Berra poses with his book, while Kubek and Maris set up a shot. Go check it out.
NEVER-SEEN: '61 Yankees Goofing Off [LIFE.com]


text:
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text:
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — First-year college student Dustin Weisner, 24, listened intently to Will McGee, a 31-year-old PhD candidate, on a recent Thursday afternoon as the Marine veterans sat inside Purdue University's new Veterans Success Center.
McGee was reliving his 2004 deployment to Iraq to Weisner. On McGee's mind was the moment he decided to pursue a college degree.
"I was teaching guys training strategy, tactical things. But still, I was teaching them," said McGee, who is pursuing a PhD in analytical chemistry. "That was kind of my intellectual awakening. While I was overseas, I decided I needed to come back to college. I made a promise to myself that I wasn't going to fail out."
Weisner has been on campus for less than two weeks. He has an 18-year-old roommate, is eating dorm food and trying to make it to his classes on time.
Their common link has brought them together under a new mentor program aimed at helping Purdue's veterans adjust to campus life. McGee is Weisner's mentor.
"The way we talk to each other is different than the way we'd talk to someone who hasn't been in the military," Weisner told the Journal & Courier (http://on.jconline.com/19ZckIK ). "We speak a completely different language."
As a result of the military drawdown in Afghanistan and the end of the Iraq War, colleges, including Purdue, are ramping up their services to support the rising numbers of student veterans who have joined the ranks since 2009.
That was the year that a new set of federal education benefits — the Post 9/11 GI Bill — went into effect to help the latest generation of military veterans pay for college.
"I think we have a lot of eager students that know that they've earned a benefit and know they want to take advantage of that benefit," said Jamie Richards, Purdue's coordinator of military veteran and nontraditional student programs.
The number of veterans who receive education benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs jumped 40 percent in 2010 because of the bill. In 2012, nearly 950,000 veterans used a variety of GI benefits.
Richards said he expects an upward trend to continue as officials continue to curtail overseas combat in the Middle East.
President Barack Obama has said he expects military involvement in Afghanistan to come to a close by the summer of next year, which would bring home most of the nearly 63,000 forces still deployed there.
After a period of sharp growth at Purdue from 2008 to 2011, the number of those identified as veterans or receiving veteran benefits at the West Lafayette campus has leveled out.
Richards attributes the spike to the rollout of the bill, which pays for 36 months of education benefits for veterans or their dependents, along with a monthly housing allowance and stipend for books and supplies.
Purdue's final fall enrollment numbers are not yet finalized. Richards expects this semester's veterans figure to be close to last year's level.
In fall 2012, more than 500 students who identified themselves as military veterans on their application or who received state or federal benefits were enrolled. Nearly 90 percent of them were pursuing an undergraduate degree.
Purdue is bolstering its efforts to support the student veterans growing population.
Since arriving in October, Richards has worked to improve programs and create new opportunities for veteran and nontraditional students. The Purdue graduate serves in the U.S. Navy Reserves and has 18 years of military experience.
Richards helped open the Veterans Success Center in July to provide a one-stop shop for veterans and others who need to process or understand their GI benefits. It also acts as a meeting and programming space and provides resources for students who want to connect with on- and off-campus services.
"We have a space for veterans to be able to study, grab a cup of coffee, feel comfortable and relaxed hanging around people they're familiar with," Richards said about the center, which is on the fourth floor of the Engineering Administration building.
Another new resource is the mentor program, which Richards says is aimed at providing incoming veterans with an advocate to answer questions and help them succeed.
Gary Steinhardt, a professor of agronomy and a Vietnam War veteran, said he hopes to make an impact on incoming students by participating in the program, despite their age difference.
"It's funny because you think there's this huge generation gap," Steinhardt said. "But there's no difference in terms of your experience as a combat veteran. Scared is scared. ... Personally, I was never troubled by post-traumatic stress. But there's things I can't explain, like why I'm alive and others on my team are not."
Purdue also is improving its programming for veterans. Purdue and Ivy Tech's Student Veterans Organizations will host their second "golf scramble." this weekend. Proceeds will go to the Wounded Warrior Project, a not-for-profit organization that helps troops and their families who have incurred service-related injuries or illnesses.
Richards, who also is planning a field trip to Indianapolis this year to visit the war memorials, said the goal of the increased programming is to help veterans adjust, make friends and feel comfortable on campus.
"The transition to college for any student is different," Richards said. "If you're a veteran, you're transitioning out of the military and into a college environment. In the military you're trained to shoot at and break things. Now they're learning about themselves as a civilian and a college student, and making decisions that are significant."
There are the widely publicized challenges, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. College and classroom settings can present problems for those who are suffering from the illness, according to the College of William and Mary's Office of Disability Services. Those include being around large crowds, taking exams and dealing with noises or other triggering stimuli.
"Students maybe have experienced some significant trauma, whether it was a combat situation or maybe a physical injury," Richards said. "They're trying to cope with that while at the same time they're a college student."
McGee said he isolated himself as an undergraduate because the "sea of testosterone" he was used to had morphed into a classroom environment.
"It was one extreme to the other," McGee said. "It was a complete culture shock. I kept to myself a lot. Being older separates you a lot. Having a military background separates you a whole lot."
Other challenges for veterans include understanding and interpreting the GI Bill or other education benefits and learning how to navigate a campus environment that could be unfamiliar to many veterans.
"In the military, when you look at a uniform, you know who someone is," Richards said. "In the college environment, those cues aren't all there. It's about learning how to transition from the thought process of the military to the thought process of the campus."
McGee said it is important to look forward in order to mitigate some of those challenges.
"I always wanted to keep pushing forward so that I wouldn't say behind or keep living my deployment over and over," McGee said. "One way or another, you'll have some form of (PTSD). It's more helpful than anything to talk to other veterans about it."
Richards says he is encouraged to hear the stories of those who are thriving.
"There are going to be hurdles you have to jump to succeed here," Richards said. "One of my objectives is to lower the hurdles significantly or to kind of break off the edges.
"If they do scrape their shins on them, it's not going to hurt nearly as much."
Purdue works to help veterans adjust to campus
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — First-year college student Dustin Weisner, 24, listened intently to Will McGee, a 31-year-old PhD candidate, on a recent Thursday afternoon as the Marine veterans sat inside Purdue University's new Veterans Success Center.


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This is a selection of all those who joined the myDetour project in 2009. Istanbul, San Francisco, Tokyo, Milan, Florence, Parma, Naples, Rome: in each city showcased a selection of decorated notebooks dropped in the collection boxes of previous stops.
All authors donated their works to the lettera27 Foundation, promoting the access to knowledge in Africa. Thanks to all of them. More stops are scheduled in the coming year. Have a joyful 2010.


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