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The Lazy Person's Way to Genius
Activate your personal "Einstein Factor" - that secret trigger for ingenious thought that lies within you - and unleash the limitless power of your mind!
You can:
- Develop a flawless memory by using your subconscious mind to absorb everything in your environment.
- Read dozens of pages a minute with better comprehension than you would get at regular speed.
- Learn and absorb new and challenging information with ease.
- Effortlessly solve problems by creating an environment that allows the answers to pop into your head from out of nowhere.
- Score higher on tests and increase your IQ level permanently.
- Access powerful subconscious insights through visualization.
- Induce a state of total creative absorption.
- Be perceived as brilliant by others and permanently boost your self-esteem.
Dear Friend,
Suppose there were a way to become a genius by sitting back in an easy chair, closing your eyes, and doing a simple, relaxing exercise for a few minutes each day…
Would you do it?
In just a minute, you'll learn how this easy, 10-minute exercise, called Image Streaming, can be the secret trigger that unlocks your highest levels of genius.
You see, Albert Einstein used Image Streaming. In fact, he said it was the key to his unprecedented discoveries.
But it wasn't until researchers studied sections of his brain for several decades that we discovered how Image Streaming can radically and permanently increase the intelligence of anyone who practices it.
If this easy exercise caused you to make full use of the 90% of the brain most people don't use, that would make you 1,000% better, or ten times more effective, than you would be using only 10% of your mind.
Just imagine for a moment that you've already become a genius…
Learning becomes a walk in the park. You are able to learn everything there is to know about the subject of your choice in a short amount of time. When you think of a subject, career, or discipline you want to be better at, you imagine yourself absorbing everything you need to know in only a few short months. You experience great success in the situations that matter most to you.
As a genius, you easily outpace, outmaneuver, and outwit any competitor with ordinary learning abilities. You always have relevant facts, figures, and information at your fingertips. Plus, you have access to a wellspring of creative ideas and intuitions that prove invaluable to employers and clients.
If you wanted to, you could easily change careers without any inconvenience. You realize that you can quickly develop hands-on knowledge in the area of your choice. And that makes you feel good, knowing you are using your talents more effectively than you ever have in the past.
Stress has vanished from your life. You have that sense of calm confidence that comes from the realization that you can easily meet any challenge. You find it easy to relax whenever you want, no matter how many things are going on in your life …
These are just a few of the side effects of genius.
So let me ask you again: If you could experience all those things by doing nothing other than a simple, relaxing exercise for a few minutes each day, would you do it?
Daydream Your Way to Genius
The only way your answer could be "no" is if you really didn't believe the exercise could make you a genius.
However, Einstein showed us otherwise. In fact, he attributed his scientific prowess to what he called "vague play" with "signs," "images," and other elements both "visual" and "muscular." "This combinatory play," Einstein wrote, "seems to be the essential feature in productive thought."
In other words, he spent a lot of time perfecting a type of daydreaming that allowed him to make his profound discoveries. When he practiced what we now call Image Streaming (a method I'll discuss in a minute), an entirely new world of discovery opened up to him.
That world of discovery can open up to you, as well, and as Einstein's early life shows, it doesn't matter whether other people think you're smart or not. You still have access to the highest levels of genius.
Unleashing the Genius Within
Early in life, Einstein seemed like a below-average child with nothing other than a dead-end future ahead of him. He had problems learning to speak and read, and until he was seven, he repeated every sentence he said back to himself softly, moving his lips.
Because of his poor language skills, his Greek teacher told him he would never amount to anything. He was later expelled from high school and flunked his college entrance exam.
After finally getting into college and earning his degree, he failed to get an academic appointment or a recommendation from any of his professors. So he was forced to accept a humble job in the Swiss patent office. He seemed destined for a life of mediocrity.
Yet a few years later, when he was 25, Einstein published his Special Theory of Relativity in the summer of 1905. It contained his famous formula, E = mc2. Sixteen years later, he had won a Nobel prize and become an international celebrity.
Decades after his death in 1955, the image of Einstein - with his mysterious eyes, bushy mustache, and silvery hair - is still the classic image of "genius." His name is a synonym for supernormal intelligence.
What Did Einstein Have That We Don't?
When Einstein died, a researcher named Dr. Thomas Harvey stole his brain without the family's permission. For the next 40 years, he stored parts of the brain in jars of formaldehyde, studying it slice by slice under the microscope and sending out small
chunks of it to other researchers upon request.
He wanted to discover what it was about Einstein that made him so different from
everyone else.
Unfortunately, he never discovered anything significant. But one of his colleagues did.
Einstein's Secret
Most people assume geniuses are born, not made. But Dr. Marian Diamond of the University of California at Berkeley, proved otherwise.
In one famous experiment, Diamond placed rats in a super-stimulating environment, complete with swings, ladders, treadmills, and toys of all kinds. Other rats were confined to empty cages.
The rats in the stimulating environment lived three years (the equivalent of 90 in a human) and their brains increased in size, sprouting webs of new connections between nerve cells. In contrast, the rats that lived in empty cages died younger and their brains had fewer connections.
When Diamond examined Einstein's brain, she found an increased number of connections between nerve cells, just as she expected. This suggested that the nerve cell enrichment process was similar in humans to what it was in rats.
What this means is that if Einstein's brain worked like Diamond's rats' brains, then it may be possible to create new Einsteins by creating an environment in which nerve cell connections grow.
So what did people like Einstein do to stimulate nerve cell growth and access the inherent genius of their minds? Mind development pioneer Dr. Win Wenger and Richard Poe, co-authors of The Einstein Factor, noticed a clear pattern. They found that geniuses such as Einstein, Tesla, Edison, and da Vinci were little more than ordinary people who stumbled upon some knack or technique for widening their channels of attention. This helped them make their unconscious perceptions conscious.
Geniuses usually develop this knack so early in life that they completely forget the secret by the time they grow up. Because of this, they are usually as confused as the rest of us when it comes to explaining how they managed to achieve such extraordinary results. However, in Einstein's case, he stumbled upon his knack near adulthood, and so he was able to tell us about it.
Einstein himself believed that you could stimulate ingenious thought by letting go of inhibitions and gaining access to your inner perception - the constant flow of images that are passing through your mind. But he never revealed exactly how to do that.
The Easy Way to Genius
Fortunately, over the past 30 years, Dr. Wenger, co-author and presentor of The Einstein Factor, found Image Streaming to be the answer. This technique opens the mind to a flow of symbolic imagery as potent as that of any dreams, but unlike dreaming, you can practice Image Streaming while you're wide awake. You can also do it any time or anywhere you want.
In fact, ten minutes of Image Streaming a day will induce profound positive changes in your life.
Psychologists estimate that we spend 50 percent of our time daydreaming and over eight percent of it sleep dreaming. That means we spend 58 percent of our lives absorbed in passive reception of subconscious imagery.
It sounds like a lot, but in fact those figures are a gross underestimate. New estimates suggest that image streaming never ceases. By learning to access the images that are constantly passing through our minds, we can imitate the same mental practices used by Einstein, Tesla, Edison, da Vinci, and many other geniuses to come up with breakthroughs in knowledge.
You are smarter than you think. In fact, your subconscious holds the same mental powers as some of the greatest minds in history! New scientific research suggests that the superior achievements of famous thinkers may have been more the result of mental conditioning than genetic superiority.
Now, with this audio program entitled The Einstein Factor: A Proven New Method for Increasing Your Intelligence, Wenger shows you how you can learn to condition your mind in the same way. Once you unleash the genius within you, you will improve your performance in virtually all aspects of mental ability, including memory, quickness, IQ, and learning capacity.
Dr. Wenger will give you a breakthrough set of tools that will allow you to raise your intelligence, concentration, and insight to much higher levels. Using the Image Streaming technique, you'll bypass inhibitions and access the powerful capabilities of your mind which has virtually unlimited potential.
Mind development today is just starting to advance to the point where anyone can improve his or her intelligence permanently. Several recent programs have proven that IQ levels can be raised. The challenge has been to keep them raised.
The Einstein Factor overcomes this challenge. By following the simple exercises in the program, your intelligence gains will stay with you for the rest of your life!
Your own personal Einstein Factor is that secret trigger for ingenious thought that lies within you. Innovations covered in the program such as Image Streaming, Photo Reading, Free Noting, and Borrowed Genius will help you pull that trigger.
As a whole, these processes will do much more than raise your IQ. They contribute to a more important goal - elevating your overall brain power and enhancing memory, creativity, reading speed, specific talents, and general brain health.
In The Einstein Factor, you will liberate mental abilities you didn't know you had. When you try the techniques, they will pay off almost instantly!
Best regards,
Vic Conant
Chairman, Nightingale-Conant
The Einstein Factor
YES, I want to activate my own genius trigger.
Please send me Dr. Win Wenger's and Richard Poe's bestselling 7-CD audio program The Einstein Factor plus Workbook on CD and Bonus CD for ONLY $79.95 — $80 OFF the everyday retail price! Take advantage of this limited-time special discount now!
If I don't significantly increase my memory, idea output, and creativity, I can simply return the program in the next 30 days for a full refund. No questions asked.


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We recently shared with you what has been happening in the real estate industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most parts of the process of buying or selling have gone virtual, from showings to closings.
Since then, we've heard from lots of folks, wanting to know how to prepare their homes to sell in this new real estate environment. It's a good question, because showings online are a bit different than showings in person.
Getting the interior ready for its close-up
The prep work that was required pre-pandemic still holds true: clean and declutter the home. If you have any doubts about whether an item should remain in the home or get boxed up, go with the latter.
The idea is to create a somewhat clean slate, so that potential buyers can see themselves living in the home. Here are some of the items to consider removing:
- Collectibles
- Family photos
- Diplomas and certificates
- Mementos
- Stacks of magazines and newspapers
- Oversized furniture (it makes rooms look smaller)
Clear the bathroom and kitchen counters of anything that isn't decorative. Need inspiration? Find decluttering advice online at GoodHousekeeping.com, ProfessionalStaging.com and ApartmentTherapy.com.
Now it's time to get to the cleaning. We spoke with our favorite cleaning professional who suggests taking it a room at a time. Then, clean from top to bottom as you work your way around the room. From ceilings (and ceiling fixtures) to baseboards, clean every surface.
As you clean, check that the room's lighting is sufficient. You want the rooms to appear as bright as possible. Consider brighter bulbs or adding additional lighting.
Finally, take some of your own videos of each room and then scrutinize them. How's the furniture placement? Ensure that the rooms don't look cluttered with furniture. Experiment with different arrangements to find the one that makes each room look its best.
Get furniture placement tips online from Let's Revamp, Savvy for Life and Jsquared-Richmond-Home-Staging.
Don't forget about curb appeal
An effective video tour will start at the curb and follow the route a homebuyer and his or her agent would take to enter and tour the home.
This means that how your home appears from the curb, the experience offered as the potential buyer navigates to the front door, is critical.
Clean up and spruce up the landscaping between the curb and the front door. Get rid of debris and kid and pet toys. Then turn your attention to what's planted in the landscape. Yank dead or dying plants and then prune and fertilize what's left.
Consider purchasing flowering plants or those with colorful foliage, such as caladium. The color will pop when it's on video. Finally, spread fresh mulch in the planting beds.
How's the porch looking? The front door is an often-overlooked aspect of a home's curb appeal (or lack thereof) so consider giving it a fresh coat of paint. Don't shy away from using a bold color, if it coordinates with the home's color. Consider a vibrant red or even black.
In fact, a study conducted by online listing portal Zillow.com, found that "houses with black or charcoal gray front doors sold for as much as $6,271 more than expected," according to Julia Glum at Money.com.
If there is room on the porch, consider adding pots of colorful flowers or stately potted evergreens.
When you're finished, take an experimental video tour of the home. Start at the curb, go up to the front door, open it, enter the home and then tour it, with the camera operating.
When it's complete, watch the video, with an eye toward anything that may look out of place, any areas that appear cluttered or any other changes you can make to wow a potential buyer.
We'd love to view your video with you and offer tips for making your home the belle of the video-tour world.

subset: commoncrawl


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What kind of devotion should we have towards God? We should treat God as our closest friend. It's in the Bible, Exodus 33:12-13, TLB. "Moses talked there with the Lord and said to Him, 'You have been telling me, Take these people to the Promised Land, but you haven't told me whom you will send with me. You say you are my friend, and that I have found favor before You; please, if this is really so, guide me clearly along the way You want me to travel so that I will understand You and walk acceptably before you."
Our devotion to God should be wholehearted. It's in the Bible, I Chronicles 28:9, NIV. "And you, my son, Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve Him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever."
Matthew 12:30, NIV says, "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters."
Those who seek the Lord with their whole heart are called, "blessed". It's in the Bible, Psalms 119:2, NIV. "Blessed are they who keep His statutes and seek Him with all their heart."


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Monday, July 4, 2011
Because you hate happiness, that's why
The first rule of noir is that the protag starts off completely screwed. In an absolute horrible jam. And then things get worse. (For more Rules of Noir, check out DeadEndFollies.)
We all know this, right? Yeah.
So I was a little surprised when a friend of mine (You don't know him. He lives in Tribeca. (Though he calls it "TriBeCa," further explaining why he'll never sell anything other than his kidney (which I still think he got cheated on.).))
He was griping because he has two noir novels out on submission and no one is buying. He likes the books. His agent likes the books. But no one wants them.
See, he thinks it's "The Market." He thinks his writing is too good for being on one of the front cardboard shelves at Barnes and Noble. His defense is "Man, people are idiots. No wonder I can't sell this novel."
In the past month or so, I've see plenty of tweets and posts and status updates about how disheartening things are these days. Hell, I think I've said the same thing twenty times this weekend.
The complaints aren't uncommon:
People only want authors they know.
People don't want challenging reads.
People only want young adult fiction.
Heck, even Michael Dirda of the Washington Post suggested that authors only be allowed on the NYT Best Seller list once, kind of like you can only be on C-Span's "Booknotes" once. What? I'm the only one who watches "Booknotes"? Damn, I hate you people.
Look, if you think Janet Evanovich and James Patterson are keeping you out of the Publisher's Marketplace announcements, you're nuttier than my Uncle Didemus. (He was born with an extra testicle. Guess it's only funny if you knew him.)
If you think people don't want challenging reads, then you haven't been seeing the same books I've seen. I could give you a list of great challenging reads, but this is a week of GRILLING EXTRAVAGANZA and the charcoals are calling. So, you know, let's stay focused here. Maybe, if anyone visits the internet today and sees this, someone can list some challenging reads. I dig recent Haruki Murakami, but still want to dig into the new David Foster Wallace.
So why does no one want to read your noir series about a twice-divorced, alcoholic cop with a horrible, dark secret in his past now struggling with a chance for redemption?
Because you're a sick asshole, that's why.
OK. Maybe it's because your book stinks. I don't know. I've read the books my pal in Tribeca wrote, and they're pretty cool. But they ain't gonna outsell Harry Potter or Percy Jackson.
You want to look at "The Market"? Alright.
Who reads books? People with jobs. People who hate their jobs. Hate their bosses. People who work their butts off all day long, sitting in cubicles, talking to people they wouldn't share a drink with -- all day long. Five days a week. Traffic. Crappy lunches. Sodas. Energy drinks. Damn it, the network is down again. People for whom "Three-Day Weekend" is a phrase that brings immense happiness. These people are getting their asses handed to them all day. Are they going to complain? With the economy like this? No, you're just going to take it. And you're going to buy your lottery tickets on the way home and hope your spouse found a five-dollar bill in the laundry. You know who else lives like this? Harry Potter. Luke Skywalker. Percy Jackson. Maybe those Twilight kids. Maybe those kids in the Hunger Games. (I haven't read/seen all of that because my kids aren't old enough.)
Harry, Percy and Luke have rough lives. Harry lives with his family, but they're mean to him. His parents are dead and, oh, you know all this? OK. Well, this Percy Jackson kid? Same thing. His step-dad is mean to him and his mom. Luke Skywalker? His mean Uncle Owen wants him to go to town and get an engine part when all he wants to do is race worfs with the cylons. So they're having bad days, too. Bad lives. Just like the people who read these books and watch these movies. And you know what, these losers win. A secret wizard. A secret demi-god. A secret home for Midi-chlorians.
There is a secret beauty inside them all. And it is so beautiful in its beautifulness. See. They're not really losers. See, they're special. That's why everyone was mean to them. That's why the boss expects you to work twice as hard for half the pay. When Hagrid comes over and brings you your magic wand, dude, you are totes going to go all Pirate Jenny on their asses.
When people are losers in their lives, they don't want to read about losers. They want hope. They want to be able to see someone else in a crappier life overcome the odds and succeed. It's why Pretty Woman was made. What? She's a hooker with a horse-face. And now she gets to go shopping with a rich man. Wow. What a feel-good movie. (h/t Bongwater)
People like to have hope. Whether it's Percy Jackson or Luke Skywalker. Whether it's YA or MGD. This is why grown-ups I see are reading these books. Because they want hope. A new hope, like the Skywalker kid.
And that's why your noir novel won't sell a million copies. Look at the top best sellers. Hell, people even love to read about a person overcoming great odds when that person is a damned horse. Better yet, a half-horse.
So, if you want to sell your book, fill it with hope. Have the detective find redemption by risking his life to save Rachel McAdams. See, he thought he was nobody, when in fact, he's the lost son of K'targ and has been implanted with the Stones of Cth'ar'gla. And he has to do this questy thing and there's this bad guy to stop him. And he has to give up something he loves to save the planet. Maybe it's a locket his mother gave him just before she died. And he realizes it has healing powers, and he has to use it to save Rachel McAdams and he does it because he is full of beautiful.
That's what people need. They need a book they can look forward to reading when they get home. A book of hope. A book where the loser turns out to be a secret prince or princess, right?
If you want to sell a book, write one like that. Most people don't like to be depressed.
I'm reminded of a line from an Ann Beattie story: "You'd be depressed too, if you felt the way I do."
So I said to my Tribeca friend, if you want to sell a million books, don't depress people. I mean, you'd think I wouldn't have to tell him this.
He said, "But I don't want to write those stories."
"What do you want to write?"
"I want to keep writing this series. Or at least some of these stories. I like this world I'm making."
"You want to sell a million books or write the ones you like?"
"Yeah, can't I do both?"
"Well, you could try to write the 'After THIS TERRIBLE THING HAPPENS, the protag must overcome THIS BIG OBSTACLE in order to save THIS REALLY BIG IMPORTANT THING' book."
"Yeah, that's what I've written," he said to me.
"I know, but he doesn't save the really big important thing."
"Yeah. I don't want him to save the thing. That's the whole point."
"Well, what if I make him a half-minotaur alcoholic detective?"
"I think minotaurs are already half-human."
"Oh. You sure?"
"Pretty sure?"
"Hey, how about you write it with the ending you want, but make it the first of new series?"
"Well, even if you end with him losing, there's still hope in the next book?"
"Hey, that's nice."
"Yeah. It's why people get up and go to work in the morning without having a drink. They have hope."
"Lucky bastards."
16 comments:
- angie Brooksby-Arcangioli said...
This post gave me hope, thanks.
Why not call "noir" black? That is what it means but use a foreign word and it is okay - because "black" is politicallly incorrect (in the US), although, really it is just the name of colour like the background of this blog.
Ivory black, mars black, jet black, carbon black, black black. - July 4, 2011 at 4:23 AM
- Unknown said...
Great post, Steve. Loved it.
- July 4, 2011 at 5:17 AM
- Kieran Shea said...
Honestly, all this hope talk made me think of http://www.amazon.com/New-Hope-Dead-Charles-Willeford/dp/1400032490
- July 4, 2011 at 5:52 AM
- Ray Adam Latiolais said...
As a former B&Ner I had to read the Henry Gardene...Harry Potter books or be eaten alive by smart-assed children and their Junior League mothers...also there was this chick who liked the Harry Potters.
After spending his entire life being abused by his family, Harol...Harry didn't grow up to be a serial-killer. That just ruined the whole thing for me. - July 4, 2011 at 6:55 AM
- pattinase (abbott) said...
Write a funny book. That's what we want to read. And NEW HOPE FOR THE DEAD qualifies there too. There are so few humorous books-I don't mean cute or quirky-I mean laugh out loud funny. I saw a movie yesterday that came close to pulling it off but no one else will see it-Delhi Belly, an Indian crime caper with lots of laughs.
- July 4, 2011 at 7:18 AM
- Dana King said...
Thank you. No, that's too tepid. BLESS YOU. People work hard all day (if they have jobs), and things aren't getting better for them. The last thing they want is to read themselves into a shitty fictional world where things are even worse than they are here. They want to be entertained, period.
I became a much happier about my lot as a writer when I realized I (and you, you know who you are) am the outlier. We're the guys who are willing to work all day and then spend our recreational time reading something calculated to make us think.
I became much happier when I realized all those people who make Janet Evanovich and James Patterson (yes, even Dan Brown)rich aren't ignorant troglodytes; they're regular, normal people. We're the ones who are outside the mainstream. There's nothing wrong with that. Some people like Hershey bars. Some like Snickers. Some like those nasty coconut things I wouldn't touch the wrapper of. Such is life.
As for those who choose to write exactly what they want to write and complain they can't get sales, try getting a real job sometime. Or not. Either way, grow up about it. The general public doesn't owe you a living as a writer. Meet them half way, or settle for what attention you can get writing what you want. - July 4, 2011 at 8:38 AM
- Unknown said...
I hate you, Weddle.
(Kidding, I actually think you're pretty swell)
For me it breaks down to writing what want and not bing surprised that if your pitch black novel won't sell to one of the big houses. But you need to continue writing what you want, market be damned.
BTW, I've read a good hunk of YA novels (because my midget will want to read them eventually.) and man, most of those are pretty dark and I mean PITCH BLACK. Yeah, most YA novelists make Noir guys look like pussies - July 4, 2011 at 9:37 AM
- Sandra Ruttan said...
Just to play devil's advocate, what if we marketed noir differently?
"Hey, if you think your life sucks, read this! Anyone has to feel better about their own life when they see the shit this character goes through.:
"Guaranteed to make you realize your life doesn't suck quite as much as you thought it did."
What could be more uplifting than that? I mean, I don't want to read about people who've got it all together. They depress me. - July 4, 2011 at 10:22 AM
- Ben said...
First, thank you for that link thing on top.
I will also say that your depiction of corporate life is scarily accurate. Good fiction is cathartic, you're right. But I also sincerely believe that this whole therapeutic, inner-self thing with literature is going a little far.
Somebody can be a hero without saving a heavy breasted girl. You can do the right thing and die from it. Chuck Palahniuk sold millions of books by telling his readers they weren't special.
I think readers mostly want novel protagonists to help them bear their grief. If you hate life, I hope you'll tell me why, so we can share something. Anthony Neil Smith did a great job of portraying a terrified and paranoid USA in the Billy Lafitte saga.
I don't know. I might just be talking out of my ass here, but I like reading about dudes who are not special, but who are trying to do the right thing. No matter what the law has to say on this. - July 4, 2011 at 10:26 AM
- Brian Lindenmuth said...
"Friend" from Tribeca meet Snubnose Press (though I hear the editor is a dick and will tell you to your face if your shit stinks).
- July 4, 2011 at 10:30 AM
- Ray Banks said...
"So why does no one want to read your noir series about a twice-divorced, alcoholic cop with a horrible, dark secret in his past now struggling with a chance for redemption?"
Because it sounds like derivative shit?
Make him a thrice-divorced middle manager in a highly-regarded multinational retail company with a dark secret that's only really dark to us, and who's struggling for a chance at promotion ... then I'm a bit more interested. - July 4, 2011 at 10:34 AM
- Spencer said...
Hmm... this post makes me think about a few things.
1. Challenging reads? Well, I've been reading a lot varied stuff lately. For me, a challenging read is a graphic novel, because it is a totally different medium, and it takes me a while longer to read. I also recently finished gravity's rainbow (2nd attempt) and it was totally worth it!
2. People don't want to be depressed? I kind of disagree with that. I have been a big fan of Henning Mankell, because his novels are so freaking depressing. But, if you want to sell millions of books, the story has to be pretty light hearted in the end. - July 4, 2011 at 8:23 PM
- Thomas Pluck said...
I dunno, Mystic River wasn't exactly uplifting. Neither is Steel Magnolias for that matter, and people love it.
I'll admit, I roll my eyes a little at the washed up cop archetype... and my father was an alcoholic ex-cop. Might as well name the guy Ben Dunn, because he has. That doesn't mean he can't be part of a great story, we like archetypes. The lone killer. The troubled hero. The rookie learning the ropes.
I wouldn't stop aiming high just because your novel is dark. All those YA readers, reading stuff that makes noir look like cotton candy?
They're gonna grow up. - July 5, 2011 at 8:24 AM
- Josh Stallings said...
Great post Steve, it stuck with me all day and this am I was mulling it whilst getting ready for work and the sad fact came clear that I can only write what I know. Many have the chameleon like ability to morph into what the market demands. No disrespect, I view those word crafter with awe. My writing is informed by my world view. My world view is informed by the way I came up. Because of my childhood I have conflicting views, an optimist what ultimately believes it will all turn to shit and that everyone lies. This view fits well with Nior writers. As a kid I saw E.T. and thought it was crap, no one I knew lived in happy homes like that. No divorce I knew ever went down that gentle. This doesn't make E.T. bad, just wrong for me. As a teenagers I saw Mean Streets and thought yes, now that is what life feels like. Now I write from what I know and don't bitch if I can't get Dan Browns numbers. And I'm glad others are out their telling their truth so I have good shit to read.
- July 5, 2011 at 12:40 PM
- M. C. Funk said...
Great post. I do hate happiness. Would that everyone else did too.
- July 5, 2011 at 1:26 PM
- Jason W. Stuart said...
Writing what you feel comes closer to art. Writing what people want to buy is manufacturing, which is not a bad thing. But a spade is a spade.
- July 5, 2011 at 1:48 PM


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NEW YORK — (Analysis) The last decade has seen a remarkable coalescing of non-Western nations in both economic and political partnerships. These multilateral institutions have been championed as alternatives to Western organs of political and economic power such as NATO, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank.
From the growth of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to the establishment of the Eurasian Economic Union, China's "One Belt, One Road" strategy to link much of the Eurasian landmass via trade and investment, and most recently the establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, many have viewed these developments as essential for the decentralization of global power away from the imperial centers of Washington, Wall Street, London and Brussels.
But perhaps none of the emerging Global South international groupings has been more promising in terms of both public relations and real economic partnership than that of the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa).
BRICS countries account for 46 percent of the world's population – over 3 billion people, as of 2015 – making it the single largest bloc in terms of human capacity among global alliances. The scope of BRICS, combined with its increasing assertiveness as an economic power unto itself, has undoubtedly ruffled a few feathers in Washington and elsewhere in the West.
It should come as no surprise that major moves have been taken in the last 12 to 24 months to undermine each BRICS member nation and destabilize them through political and economic means. And it is no coincidence that those leaders shown smiling and shaking hands at recent BRICS summits are now either the targets of destabilization efforts and subversion – as in the cases of Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa – or are a target of a military and political charm offensive, as in the case of India. In each case, the United States and its allies benefit significantly from the latest developments.
Brazil in the crosshairs
One of the U.S. empire's tried and true methods of destabilizing a targeted country is through manufacturing and promoting political scandals and/or political movements that appear oppositional but whose interests, whether consciously or not, align with the ruling establishment in the West. Both of these elements are at play in Brazil, which has been moving toward increased economic, and consequently political, independence in recent years.
In Brazil, the government of Dilma Rousseff is facing a major destabilization campaign orchestrated by powerful right-wing elements in the country and their U.S. backers. Under the always convenient banner of "anti-corruption," millions have turned out in the streets to demand the ouster of the twice-elected Rousseff government on the heels of a series of revelations about alleged corruption pertaining to the quasi-state, quasi-private Petrobras oil company.
According to the allegations, a number of leading political figures, some of whom are connected to President Rousseff and the Workers' Party, have skimmed at least 3 percent of the billions in oil revenue from Petrobras, illustrating the still active tradition of corruption in Brazil.
The latest target is former President Lula da Silva, who was forcibly removed from his home in an ostentatious show of force by law enforcement authorities meant to humiliate the 70-year-old founder of the Workers' Party. Because of his working class background, the former president was seen as the hope and pride of the left in Brazil, and the public removal from his home earlier this month sparked the latest round of protests.
But what — or who — is really behind the soft coup in Brazil?
The right wing is the driving force of the protests, despite any progressive-minded, anti-corruption sentiment being expressed by various segments of the protest movement. Two of the principal groups responsible for organizing and mobilizing the demonstrations are the Free Brazil Movement (MBL) and Students for Liberty (EPL), both of which have direct ties to Charles and David Koch, the right-wing, neocon, U.S. billionaires, as well as other leading figures of the far right, pro-business neoliberal establishment.
MBL is fronted by Fabio Ostermann and Juliano Torres, both of whom were educated in the Atlas Leadership Academy, a satellite of the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, which is directly funded by the Koch brothers. EPL is a direct affiliate of the U.S.-based Students for Liberty, a well-known Koch brothers outfit with deep ties to the right-wing political establishment in the U.S.
One of the leading faces of the movement is Kim Kataguiri, a 20-year-old "activist," who is both a founder of MBL and a leader in EPL. Unabashedly pro-big business, he's an adherent of the so-called Austrian School of Economics, the economic ideology that advocates total deregulation of the economy in the interests of private business, and a great admirer of Milton Friedman, the father of what is known today as neoliberal capitalism.
Kataguiri and his fellow right-wing activists have been quick to distance themselves from the blood-soaked legacy of right-wing coups in Brazil and Latin America for obvious reasons. Yet they espouse precisely the same economic policies as those enacted throughout the region, perhaps most famously in Chile under the brutal dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, whose economic policies were directly guided by none other than Friedman.
As Kataguiri explained to The Guardian in 2015:
"We defend free markets, lower taxes and the privatisation of all public companies. … In Brazil, the left is still seen as cool by young people. … We want to destroy this idea that if you defend free markets then you're an old man who is asking for a dictatorship. … Unfortunately, we don't have any big sponsors. The government and some sectors of the press say that we are financed by rich people. We would have no problem in being financed by rich people."
Unfortunately for Kataguiri, Ostermann, Torres and their colleagues, the truth about their connections to powerful finance capital and business in the U.S. and throughout Latin America is well known. Still, the corporate media whitewashes these connections, presenting the protests as some sort of pure expression of people's discontent, rather than a manufactured form of political manipulation and destabilization which has seized upon difficult economic times to cynically exploit public opinion. Brazil's economic downturn over the past two years has made this much easier.
Other influential groups such as VemPraRua ("Come to the Streets") are directly funded by powerful right-wing business interests inside the country, including Brazil's richest man, Jorge Paulo Lemann. As Bloomberg noted in a 2013 profile of Lemann:
"In the U.S., Lemann is virtually unknown, even though he and his two longtime partners, Marcel Herrmann Telles and Carlos Alberto Sicupira, now control three icons of U.S. consumer culture: Heinz ketchup, Burger King, and, after the $52 billion takeover of Anheuser-Busch in 2008, Budweiser beer. The combined market value of the companies they run is $187 billion—larger than that of Citigroup.
In Brazil, Lemann is a business-class hero. … Worth some $20 billion, Lemann is No. 32 on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, seven slots behind George Soros and three ahead of Carl Icahn."
Meanwhile, the reactionary, pro-U.S. elements inside (and outside) Brazil are particularly angered at the Workers' Party and, more broadly, the left. This is not because of corruption – though corruption undoubtedly remains a problem – but because of the ascendance to power of political forces representing working class and poor Brazilians.
As the North American Congress on Latin America correctly assessed in April 2015: "Don't believe the right-wing media's emphasis on corruption—the recent demonstrations are motivated by entrenched elite discontent over expanding economic and political inclusion for the nation's majority."
Bringing BRICS to heel
In short, despite all the fancy anti-corruption rhetoric, the assault on Rousseff's leftist government is the result of a coordinated campaign by business interests tied to the U.S. Washington and Wall Street that see in Brazil a dangerous precedent in which a left-wing government sympathetic to and allied with Bolivarian movements in Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, and until recently, Argentina, was able to gain power and preside over an economic boom.
Indeed, this point should not be understated — namely, the economic downturn in commodities such as oil which has put the brakes on Brazil's rapid economic progress.
In fact, recent data shows that the expansion of anti-government sentiment directly correlates to the stagnation of GDP growth, which itself directly correlates to the decline in commodities prices. As many have convincingly argued, the collapse of oil has no doubt been fomented and encouraged, if not directly orchestrated, by the U.S. and its allies in the Gulf in order to target non-Western countries whose economies are tied to oil and gas revenue — Venezuela, Bolivia, Brazil, and especially Russia.
Essentially, what's unfolding in Brazil is a multi-pronged effort to destabilize the country via a variety of political and economic means, with the ultimate goal of bringing to heel a key member of BRICS. But it is not the only one.
Brazil is certainly not the only BRICS member facing an offensive by the U.S.-NATO system. The next article in this series will examine the destabilizing forces reaching into South Africa. Future pieces will examine the growing military relationship between the U.S. and India, as well as the multi-faceted strategies to contain, isolate, and destabilize Russia and China.


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Seafood Boil
February 3, 2023 @ 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm
|Recurring Event (See all)
An event every week that begins at 5:00 pm on Friday, repeating indefinitely
Every Friday Night at 5pm DCP hosts a seafood boil.
Crawfish is usually anywhere around the end of January to the end of July
Shrimp is anytime we do not have crawfish.
*All boils are subject to price changes.
Check out our facebook page for updates on prices and availability


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A French poetess and historiographer, born at Venice, 1363; died in France, 1430. Although an Italian by birth, she was French at heart as well as in education and fame. When she was five years old she went to Paris with her father, Thomas de Pisan, who had been appointed astrologer and secretary to King Charles V. She was reared at the court, and educated in the ancient languages and literatures. At the age of fourteen she married a nobleman from Picardy, Etienne du Castel. When her husband died she was only twenty-five years old. Her father and her protector, King Charles, having died several years before, she found herself in straitened circumstances, with three children to provide for. Henry IV, King of England, and Galeazzo Visconti, Tyrant of Milan, each invited her to come and live at his court, but she refused to leave France, where she had been so well treated, and resolved to making a living with her pen. Her writings in prose and verse soon gained her great renown. Her contemporaries compared her eloquence with that of Cicero and her wisdom with that of Cato. Prompted by necessity she wrote incessantly. She declares herself that "in the short space of six years, between 1397 and 1403, she wrote fifteen important books, without mentioning minor essays, which, compiled, make seventy large copy-books." Among her works in prose we may cite: "Le Livre des Faitz et bonnes Moeurs du Saige Roy Charles", an elaborate biography, written at the solicitation of Philip of Burgundy, who was rearing her eldest son as his own child; this book is full of moral lessons, but its merit is somewhat impaired by a useless display of erudition and a diffuse style; "Le Livre de Paix", a treatise dealing with the education of princes, who, according to the author, should be trained in honesty "Trésor de la Cité des Dames" and "Lettre à Isabeau de Bavière", in which she endeavours to rehabilitate the character of a woman who had been defamed by the "Roman de la Rose".
Her poetical works consist mostly of long poems, such as "Le Livre des Mutations de Fortune", "Le Chemin de Longue Etude", "Le Livre des cent Histoires de Troie", etc. These are ambitious and heavy compositions. Her ballades, rondeaux, and lesser poems are more commendable; they are clear and graceful. As a complete edition of Christine's works is being made, her talent will no longer be judged from extracts and separate poems. Though she is by no means a great poetess, she is mentioned with praise eighty years after he death by Marot. She is superior to Eustache Deschamps, her master.
APA citation. (1908). Christine de Pisan. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03723a.htm
MLA citation. "Christine de Pisan." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 3. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1908. <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03723a.htm>.
Transcription. This article was transcribed for New Advent by Christine J. Murray.
Ecclesiastical approbation. Nihil Obstat. November 1, 1908. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.
Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is webmaster at newadvent.org. Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.


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Please join us at our Open House at 21237 CUTLER PL in Maple Ridge.
Open House on Saturday, June 21, 2014 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
You're going to love this 3 level split home, with its sought after central location in South West Maple Ridge & its comfortable setting among other attractive neighbourhood homes. This home enjoys 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a newer furnace,central air conditioning, an on demand hot water system, double garage with 220 wiring, 2 wood burning fireplaces, a large 7100 square foot lot with spacious side yard access & much more. Add your personal touches and decorating ideas and make this wonderful home, "your home". See for yourself. You're going to love it! Please note, measurements are approximate. Buyers should confirm for their satisfaction. OPEN HOUSE SATURDAY JUNE 21 and SUNDAY JUNE 22, 2014 1:00 PM TO 4:00 PM. Agency respected.


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A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the Lord will hasten it in his time. (Isaiah 60:22)
Works for the Lord often begin on a small scale, and they are none the worse for this. Feebleness educates faith, brings God near, and wins glory for His name. Prize promises of increase! Mustard seed is the smallest among seeds, and yet it becomes a treelike plant, with branches which lodge the birds of heaven. We may begin with one, and that "a little one," and yet it will "become a thousand." The Lord is great at the multiplication table. How often did He say to His lone servant, "I will multiply thee!" Trust in the Lord, ye ones and twos; for He will be in the midst of you if you are gathered in His name.
"A small one." What can be more despicable in the eyes of those who count heads and weigh forces! Yet this is the nucleus of a great nation. Only one star shines out at first in the evening, but soon the sky is crowded with countless lights.
Nor need we think the prospect of increase to be remote, for the promise is, "I Jehovah will hasten it in his time." There will be no premature haste, like that which we see at excited meetings; it will be all in due time, but yet there will be no delay. When the Lord hastens, His speed is glorious.


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The PHD Movie 2: |
Watch the trailer! |
The Nameless Grad Student and his group must travel to an important academic conference and square off against a rival group as they compete for results and grant money. Meanwhile, Cecilia's advisor is going on sabbatical, which means she has to finish writing her thesis or be stuck in grad school another year. It's a comedy.
The PHD Movie! |
Jorge Cham (Writer/Producer): Jorge is the creator of the comic strip "Piled Higher and Deeper (phdcomics.com) and the co-founder of the science and discovery outreach collaborative PHD TV. He obtained his Ph.D. in Robotics from Stanford University and is a former Instructor and Research Associate at Caltech.
Iram Parveen Bilal (Director): Iram is the Founder and CEO of Parveen Shah Productions. Her noted first feature length film, JOSH (English title: Against the Grain) was a 2012 Women in Film Awardee and was recently honored to be part of the US Library of Congress Permanent Collection.
Main Cast
Alexandra Lockwood, Ph.D. (Cecilia)
Raj Katti (The Nameless Grad Student)
K. Zachary Abbott (Prof. Smith)
Fawzia Mirza (Dr. Sangeeta Singh)
Crystal Dilworth, Ph.D. (Tajel)
Evans Boney, Ph.D. (Mike Slackenerny)
Tony Chu (Prof. Chu)
Katie Condidorio (Mariko)
Barbera Howard (Dr. D)
Special Thanks to all of our Kickstarter Backers! For the full list of contributors, click here.
See you at the movies!
"Piled Higher and Deeper: Still in Grad School" is the sequel film of the popular comic strip "Piled Higher and Deeper" by Jorge Cham (phdcomics.com - phdmovie.com). The film takes a smart and humorous look at the world of Academia through the eyes of four grad students, and features real academics (including a Nobel Prize winner!) in many of the roles. It was funded in large part by Kickstarter backers (including COINS and Papers) and filmed at the California Institute of Technology. The film was produced as part of a continued collaboration between PHD Comics and the Institute for Quantum Information and Matter at Caltech. You can watch more of Jorge Cham's Quantum videos by clicking here.


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About us
D&A Partnership Limited was founded in 2013 by Peter Armitage and Tony Dungworth. It then became D&A Investments Partnership Limited in 2016.
Tony and Peter worked together at the Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) for a number of years before they founded D&A. They were both driven to start a joint venture through their common interest in providing a truly independent financial planning service for their clients.
Our awards
Worldwide Financial Advisor Awards Magazine – Golden Globe Awards 2020
Leading Independent Financial Advisor of the Year (UK) – Wealth & Finance Global Business Excellence Awards 2018
Pre & Post Retirement advice: Adviser of the Year (Tony) – Finance Monthly Global Awards 2018
Inheritance Taxation Planning Advisory Firm of the Year (UK) – Finance Monthly Taxation Awards 2019
Most Reputable Financial Adviser (UK) – Corporate Excellence Awards 2019
Business Planning – Adviser of the Year (UK) – Finance Monthly M&A Awards 2019
Inheritance Taxation Planning Adviser of the Year – CorporateLiveWire Global Awards 2019
Regional Chartered Financial Planning Consultancy of the Year (UK) – ACQ Global Awards 2019
Today, both Peter and Tony provide financial planning services to private clients, corporate clients, charities, trusts and court of protection clients.
You can find out a bit more about them on their individual profiles:
What our clients say
Tony understands our attitude to risk and the purpose of our investments. He has always endeavoured to provide products suited to these needs. He is always available to answer any worries or queries between his annual visits. We have always found his visits friendly and helpful and put our trust in his recommendations.
A client since 2010
Peter takes the time to listen and does not rush when giving advice. Overall, he has become a sincere friend to us.
A client since 2015
Provides a professional service, willing to take the time to understand my aims and ambitions for my financial affairs. Only been with Tony a short while and the end results will be the deciding factor, but so far, I am confident that my goals will be achieved within the plan established by Tony.
A client since 2014
I am more than happy with the service Peter provides and his cheerful disposition. He even laughs at my jokes!
A client since 2015
Peter was professional, able to answer all questions thoroughly. He displayed an exceptional knowledge base regarding finance and matters pertaining to our financial circumstances. The advice and expertise demonstrated by Peter throughout his visits was warm, open and friendly. We would not hesitate and have recommended him to family members.
A client since 2015
I have known Tony for a number of years, both in his current role and his previous role with NatWest. He has the ability to explain difficult concepts in terms that I can understand, without being patronising in any way. He is also very happy to recap on areas where my grasp had started to slip. In my view, he gets the balance between 'listening' and 'talking' just about spot on. I have encountered advisers in the past who seemed to like the sound of their own voice too much for my liking. I am also very impressed by his attention to detail.
A client since 2005
Easy to talk to. Explains risk. Happy to answer questions and works hard to sort any problems.
A client since 2012
Tony has always taken the time to both understand what my requirements are and to explain the pros and cons of the options available in a very clear and concise way. He is always available to contact by either email or phone and is very happy to call in to explain any grey areas. After each meeting he will summarise what has been discussed and will follow this up with a written copy which I have always found very useful.
A client since 2005
Excellent professional advice and excellent customer service. A considerable amount of work done on our behalf, pushing through the red tape of the pension companies to get what was best for us, not what was easiest or the best for the adviser. We were kept up to date with the process all along and always did what was agreed.
A client since 2007
We have known Tony Dungworth for eight years. He has always taken great care in giving financial advice in a timely and easily understood manner. He has at all times sought to clearly recognise our position and our needs. He has never pressed us to make a decision before we have been ready to do so. His summary letters have always been well crafted.
A client since 2009
The financial services sector has a reputation for fast cars and Italian suits. Tony is a complete and refreshing contrast... relaxed, easy going and not inclined to pressurise you into a decision. He has a good technical knowledge of the tax and pensions regulatory framework and is abreast of current issues.
A client since 2004
Tony acquaints himself well with clients' views, needs and anxieties. He is always available to be contacted and reliable.
A client since 2010
Friendly, astute advice I can trust.
A client since 2007
Having been a client of D&A Investments for many years, I have no hesitation in recommending their service. I feel as though they are MY team, and I know exactly what is going on with my money.
A client since 2010
Since receiving an inheritance, which made our finances more complicated, we have received excellent advice from D&A Investments Partnership in managing our wealth. We now have an improved understanding of financial markets and how our money is being invested with healthy returns, based on our personal and financial situation and attitude to risk. We have complete trust in D&A, who have always been approachable and respectful.
A client since 2013
My wife and I have been dealing with Tony Dungworth for several years and he has always provided us with sound advice on every aspect of our financial planning.
A client since 2009
Tony is a trusted family adviser in whom we have confidence, as well as an Independent Financial Adviser with great experience.
A client since 2004
D&A have managed my affairs for some considerable years now, and in spite of being a low-risk client they have managed to create a healthy profit on my initial investment.
A client since 2010
My husband and I have known Tony for approximately 10 years and throughout that time have valued and appreciated his help and advice. He has become a friend as much as an adviser and is very prompt to reply to any emails or phone calls we make to him. Many thanks and long may he continue in his work.
A client since 2008
D&A have helped provide a platform of understanding for us to make important decisions about our finances. We like their friendly yet always professional manner, which makes it easier to discuss what's important to us.
A client since 2011
D&A Investments Partnership Limited have always given us a friendly personal service. To have the continuity of a partner with whom we have worked over many years means that the team has an in-depth understanding of our circumstances and can focus their advice based on their knowledge and experience. Their guidance over the performance of our investment managers has been invaluable.
A client since 2005
Peter was professional, able to answer all questions thoroughly. He displayed an exceptional knowledge base regarding finance and matters pertaining to our financial circumstances. The advice and expertise demonstrated by Peter throughout his visits was warm, open and friendly. We would not hesitate and have recommended him to family members.
A client since 2015
Peter Armitage is a first-rate ambassador for your organisation.
A client since 2015
It is always a pleasure dealing with Peter and I have a huge level of trust in him.
A client since 2015
I was particularly grateful for Peter Armitage's kindness and patience. I am recently widowed and hadn't a clue what to do. But he led me through procedures slowly and clearly and the whole time I felt that I could trust him. I felt he was a very principled hardworking man who would always do his best for you.
A client since 2016
I have always found Mr Peter Armitage very helpful and kind, saving a very stressful time for me. Nothing is too much for him. Thanking you.
A client since 2009
I not only found my adviser, 'very good' but I would describe him as excellent. It was a pleasure to work with someone so eager and pleasant and I feel completely relaxed throughout the whole meeting. It's so nice to work with people who are so pleasant and easy to talk to and understand the situation so well.
A client since 2013
Peter is always punctual and friendly. He has been very patient with me since my husband's death, making sure that I fully understand everything and going over matters if necessary. I always feel comfortable with Peter and I know I can ask any questions, no matter how small or unimportant they may seem, without feeling uncomfortable.
A client since 2009
Peter's knowledge and advice put us at ease and pointed us in the right direction.
A client since 2015
Peter makes financial information and advice very accessible and I have total confidence in the service provided.
A client since 2015
We have been associated with D&A Investments Partnership for six years and have found their financial advice sound and their personal one to one service both essential and informative to the layman.
A client since 2012
My investment situation, knowledge and aims are understood by my D&A adviser. This means I receive advice that is both relevant and informative. It is provided in a manner that I understand and suits me.
A client since 2015
We have been using D&A for many years now and have always been confident and comfortable working closely to look after our investments. Look no further for an honest trustworthy and value for money service. Can't recommend them highly enough.
A client since 2013
My dealings with Peter have always been very productive and helpful.
A client since 2012
I would highly recommend Peter for his expertise and knowledge in helping us gain access to some of the best financial institutions. D&A Investments are always responsive and very helpful in all aspects of our financial planning.
A client since 2006
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WP Reading List (or, WPRL) is a plugin designed to help organize and display books, magazines, articles, and anything else that you have read lately. This plugin allows users to display what they have read, attach text like a review or notes to it, and provide a link to where visitors can find the piece. The plugin comes bundled with two archive templates (as well as templates for single items and "author" & "type" archives) and is easily customizable with CSS. View a working example at https://mikestumpf.com
- Install the plugin by searching for "WP Reading List" in the WordPress.org plugin directory or upload the
plugin folder, available here:https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-reading-list/
, to the/wp-content/plugins/
directory - Activate the plugin through the 'Plugins' menu in WordPress
- Set the plugin settings via the submenu "WP Reading List" under "Settings" in the WordPress admin menu
- Add Reading List items in the "Works" tab
- View your Reading List items at "mydomain.com/reading-list/"
How do I see my WP Reading List items?
After activating the plugin, publish a reading list item or two under the "Works" tab in the WordPress admin menu and then navigate to "mydomain.com/reading-list/" (or to "mydomain.com/?post_type=works" if you are using the "default" permalink structure. Adding the "/reading-list/" or "/?post_type=works"to your site's base url directs users to your reading list items. You can then add this url to your custom menu to make it easier for users to get to.
Why doesn't "mydomain.com/reading-list/" or "mydomain.com/?post_type=works" work? **A.K.A.** Why is my website returning a 404 "Not Found" error when I try to view my reading list?
If this is the case, simply go to "Settings" and then "Permalinks" and hit save (you do not have to change any settings). This refreshes your website's rewrite rules and now "mydomain.com/reading-list/" or "mydomain.com/?post_type=works" should work. Otherwise, make sure you have at least one published reading list item.
If you deactivate or delete the plugin, you will not lose the content you have created but you will lose your plugin settings.
At this point, the plugin does not support widgets or sidebars in its templates due to difficulty organizing the lists due to the unpredictability of widget/sidebar sizes.
What can I do if I want to change the look of the Reading List layout to better fit with my theme?
There are several options available in the WP Reading List admin settings to help the reading list layouts fit smoothly into any existing theme. In addition, the templates have been highly detailed in terms of extra id's and classes for easy customization via CSS. Many themes have a "Custom CSS" tab built into the admin menu where you can add your changes. Otherwise, you can always place your modifications within the "style.css" file of your parent or child theme.
How can I change the default WP Reading List image?
There are two options: 1) You can use the settings in the admin panel and use the file uploader there. 2) You can use a file manager and go to "wp-content/plugins/wp-reading-list/wprl-theme/" and replace the "default.png" image with your image of the same name. It is recommended that you choose a default image with a 3:4 aspect ratio (width:height) to match the other cover images.
Yes. Think of "works" as specialized "posts" and similarly of "authors" & "types" as different kinds of "tags". The "Reading List" and "Reading List Items" is a phrase which tries to include all kinds of reading materials such as books, magazines, articles, etc.
How do I use the WP Reading List shortcodes?
The WP Reading List shortcode embeds a list of items on a page or sidebar widget according to both the plugin settings in the admin panel and the parameters passed to the shortcode. The format is: [wprl layout="plain" number="10″]. At this time, the only format available is "plain" but you can specify any number for the number of works displayed. (*Note, -1 returns all works.)
There are no reviews for this plugin.
Contributors & Developers
"WP Reading List" is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
ContributorsTranslate "WP Reading List" into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
- Fixed incorrect urls
- Replaced frontend templates and styling to be response, i.e. mobile friendly, and to reuse common logic
- Refactored code to be more human-readable and removed redundant admin settings
*Added image uploader for default cover image
*Added shortcode support for embedding plain reading list
*Fixed whitespace issue in source code
*Fixed issue with grid view layout
*Fixed information fields not displaying in works archive
*Added more meta fields showing in single works template
*Added css id for use in styling plugin templates
*Fixed bug in grid view for paginated views
*Fixed bugs resulting from adding language support
*Added way to update database without removing previous settings in admin panel
*Added further language support
*Fixed bug which did not show the last row of details in the grid view
*Added multi-language support
- Fixed minor redirect bug
- Fixed bug which removed commenting from a site when installed
- Fixed permalink issue so the plugin now displays regardless of permalink setting
- Added "work types" so that a user can add classifications like "journal", "magazine", "book", etc.
- Fixed minor bugs from 1.2
- Improved terminology and taxonomy. Deleted all references to "books" in favor of "works"
- Added to Readme
- Added native update feature for future versions of the plugin
- Added admin feature for links to author archives
- Fixed small bugs since 1.1
- Sharpened default image and screenshots
- Added support for page ranges
- Improved user input sanitation and validation
- Added code documentation and improved the WordPress Readme file
- Fixed an activation problem
- Removed delete items with uninstallation of plugin function
- Added a header picture and screenshots
- Added missing validate function for admin setting
- Finished "author" view template
- Fixed several display-related bugs
- Minor edits
- First Stable release


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Publish with MagCloud
Bring your ideas and business to life with a diverse range of formats.
Why MagCloud?
From the unique tabloid and digest sizes to the flyer and professional magazines, MagCloud's formats will help you stand out. Upload ready-to-publish PDFs, access customizable templates, and choose from a wide range of formats and binding options. You can even sell your publications in the MagCloud Shop. Your fans and customers can follow your collections and be the first to know when you publish something new.
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A place for friends to chat about Street Fighter, video games, anime, pets, life, movies and anything in general.
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The Sailor Quartet are thirsty to prove themselves; the Galilean Knights wish to protect, as their purpose has always been. When an ancient and evil force awakens in the forests of central America, their dreams might just come true.
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A Sailor Moon Role-Playing Game with a long history. We are always accepting new role-players!
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A little place for those who love their sailors. Lovin My Sailor
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Number #1 spot on the web for popeye the sailor man fan discussions
Free forum : Sailor Side Darksorrow EU. Free forum : Sailor Side
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Welcome to Sailor Moon Revelations! We are an AU Sailor Moon RPG looking for talented writers who are looking for a place where they can have fun as well as dive deeper into characters we all know and love. We are an advanced RPG and are looking for
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English Forum and Forum français. Sailor Moon Forever
Forum gratis : Sailor moon: Solar Sailors. solarsailors. sailor moon solar sailors fan made sixth season new masking henshins henshin brand amazing
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You have been recruited as a Scout to join in the fight against invading Evil! Sailor Scouts, Unite!
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A great place for Anime/Manga RPGs of any sort from Sailor Moon to Pokemon and Beyond!
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Magical Girl Cafe is a magical girl forum where fans of the genre can come together for discussions in a drama free environment. We also offer roleplaying!
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Sailor Moon Sacrifice; Official Forum. Sailor Moon Sacrifice Official Forum


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Amazing Floating Dollar Bill Magic Trick [VIDEO]
In the US we have a floating currency, which means two things:
- The value of the dollar fluctuates based on market forces.
- Sometimes the dollar actually floats. As in, in the air, at the drive-thru window. Or at least it appears to.
This isn't the first time Virgian based magician Rahat Hossain has brought his brand of wizardry to the drive-thru. He also bought more than $480 worth of fast food with a flaming wallet.


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'Black W/Holes: A History of Brief Time,' part 1 of 2
What follows is Part 1 of 2 of M. NourbeSe Philip's essay, "Black W/Holes: A History Of Brief Time," which combines definitions from Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time with an urgent discussion about race relations in Canada and beyond in the late 1990s. This essay was originally published in Toronto's FUSE Magazine in 1998. After sending Philip my commentary, "Physics of the Impossible," which speculatively discusses her book-length poem Zong! (Wesleyan University Press, 2008) in relation to Albert Einstein's theories of relativity, she sent me this essay. Since it only appears in the back issue of FUSE, I am presenting it here with her permission.
Part 2 of 2 can be found here.
Black W/Holes: A History Of Brief Time (1998)
By M. NourbeSe Philip
Part 1 of 2
event: A point in space-time, specified by its time and place.
Immersed in a recently bought newspaper, I exit a variety store and almost collide with a man walking west along St. Clair Ave West. I am immediately apologetic. His response is swift. And contemptuous. "You fucking people are all over the place!"
I suggest he do something to himself which is anatomically impossible I am angry—very angry. I am also afraid. He is white. He is male. In a big city interactions like these can easily become fatal. I quickly duck into a another store. Some minutes later I emerge and am relieved to see his figure a block or so ahead of me.
Quark: A (charged) elementary particle that feels the strong force.
"You fucking people are all over the place!" The white man's words remain with me for a long time. They reverberate within—"all over the place...," "all over the place..." If nothing else, it was clear that he felt I ought not to be on St. Clair Avenue West. The further implication of his statement was that my being on that street in Toronto was evidence that we—African people, I suppose—were "all over the place." The corollary being that we ought not to be. I could easily dismiss that man's statement, were it not for the fact that the notion of illegitimacy contained in his words is carefully nourished, cultivated and brought to splendid fruition in the white-supremacist immigration practices of all the western, so-called democracies. The main job of these countries—formerly the Group of Seven, now the Club of Eight—appears to be figuring out how best to club the rest of the world into submission, while keeping darker-skinned peoples physically corralled. Meantime capital, which is in fact our capital, wielded by multinationals, runs rampant and rough-shod all over the world. Indeed, all over the place!
big Bang: The singularity at the beginning of the universe
for five hundred years the essence of being black is that you can be transported. anywhere. anytime. anyhow. for five hundred years a black skin is a passport. to a lifetime of slavery. a guarantee that the european can carry out terrorist acts against the african with impunity. for five hundred years the european moves the african "all over the place." at his behest and whim. and then one bright summer's morning, he looks me in the eye and tells me: "you fucking people are all over the place."
ever since the holds of the slave ship, the european attempts to curtail the every moving of the african:
the moving in time
the moving in space
the moving into their own spirituality
the european forbids the african language; forbids her her spirituality; forbids her her gods; forbids her her singing and drumming; forbids her the natural impulse to cling to mother, father, child, sister and brother—forbids her family. leaves her no space. but that of the body. and the mind. which in any event they deny. cut off from their own histories and History, the african moves into a history that both deracinates and imprisons her. in the primitive. in the ever-living present absent a past or a future.
uncertainty principle: One can never be exactly sure of both the position and the velocity of a particle; the more accurately one knows the one, the less accurately one can know the other.
I live in a starter home. On a starter street. For two decades I have lived in a starter home. The street remains a starter street for many who buy their first home there—a starter home—then move on. There are a few like me and my family, however, who defy the very meaning of start which intends always to lead to somewhere else. We remain. Stay put. In a starter home. Away from home. Defying the wanderer, the lost, the unbelonging in Black. The spore at the root of Africa.
today—the black skin is not so much a passport as an active signifier to those manning borders of the brave new world order of everything that must not be allowed in. crime, drugs, AIDS, sex, ebola,... into these self same western democracies whose spawn—the metastasizing multinational—is all over the place.
Robina, Winona, Alberta. Three women's names. And the names of three streets in the neighbourhood in which I live. The same one with the starter home. The story is that at one time—in the past—is there such a thing?—a Black man owned the land on which these streets are now located. That man had three daughters whose names were Robina, Winona and Alberta. I have never verified this story, maybe fearing its inaccuracy. Somehow I feel more connected to this area, knowing? believing? that a long time ago Robina (I had an aunt called Rubina), Winona and Alberta, three Black women, grew up here. In this neighbourhood. And that their father once owned this land.
Which in turn begs the question. How did he own it? How do you, as a blackman—an African man, or woman 'own' land in a space e/raced of its native peoples, bounded "from sea to shining sea" by the ligaments of white supremacy? A space. Our home and native land—our stolen, native land. A space. Still being warred over by the descendants of two European powers. How do you own land, a house, even a starter home in a space and place where a minor encounter with an/other gives rise to the challenge of your legitimacy in this space. A space of massive interruptions. And disruptions. Mostly fatal for the First Nations people. That is the new world. That is the space we call canada.
magnetic field: The field responsible for magnetic forces, now incorporated, along with the electric field, into the electromagnetic field.
Goethe was of the view that the negative space around which leaves develop influenced the shape of a plant as much as their genes. Something in the surrounding emptiness, he believed, gave shape to the leaf.
What is the space—the negative space—that is Canada, around which I grow? Around which African people—Black people—grow. How does that negative space shape us? And do we, in turn, shape that space—moulding it to fit our specificities?
in this space we call canada, blackness serves as a cypher. a tool. the means by which the larger, white space shapes and ritually purifies itself. blackness becomes the most effective way in which the essence of canadianness—is there such a thing?—is articulated and the purity of canadian space is ensured. so that the refrain—"you fucking people are all over the place" is modified—parsed into "you people will not be allowed to be all over this place called canada. except and in so far as we allow you to be."
spin: An internal property of elementary particles, related to, but not identical to, the everyday concept of spin.
Time and again in the media, the involvement of African men and women in crime becomes the excuse to question the effectiveness of the immigration act. As if white men and women do not commit crimes. As if the very space that is canada is not founded on profound and unforgivable crimes against First Nations people. Against humanity.
"Why are we letting these kinds of people into our country?" the editorials question. Deportation becomes the most favoured tool to deal with that speciality, "black crime." Despite the fact that many, if not most, of these people convicted of crimes may have spent their most formative years here. in this space called canada.
At least once a year white Canadians ritually define and purify themselves and their space by going through this public process—ably assisted by their media handmaidens—of ensuring that indeed "you fucking people are not all over the place.
Every two or three years these rituals culminate in the high mass of a commission of inquiry into the state of immigration. The recommendations of these commissions invariably narrow the manoeuvrable space allowed Africans and other peoples of colour. Head taxes, extended waiting periods for refugees, genetic testing of family members—the list of punishments for those who have sinned by desiring to enter the space called canada is long and exquisitely tortuous.
1973 was just such a year: Canadians would examine how immigration practices were affecting the country. In a country built primarily on white immigration, it is significant that in the 1974 Green Paper on Immigration, all the worst case scenarios used examples of African peoples: for instance, how would parents feels about the "fate of their offspring if their children were to marry a black person." All material showing the potential effect of demographic changes resulting from immigration used examples of domestic migrations of Black Americans within the United States—a country convulsing in response to challenges to its governing ideology of white supremacy. The black body becomes the measurement—the point at which absolute difference is established.
acceleration: The rate at which the speed of an object is changing.
an emptiness—an absence
shapes me shaping it
as the space around
the leaf serrates
the oak
fringes the willow
needles the larch
you may be born here—your mother's mother and father's father—you will still get asked where you're from. if your skin is black. you answer here. which is where? but if the minister of immigration gets her way—even being born here, in the space called canada, will be no guarantee that you can claim Canadian citizenship.
the white that is snow
shapes itself around the silence
of cree and ojibwa—a hardness
in the face of something new
primordial black hole: A black hole created in the very early universe.
"all over the place!" is there anywhere in this world—this brave and newly ordered world—to which a white skin does not become an automatic passport? all over the place, indeed! from the fifteenth century on, columbus, pizarro, hawkins, drake and others of that ilk—robber barons all supported by their robber—baron monarchs—run around the world terrorising africans and other peoples of colour. this is how they repay the hospitality of their hosts wherever they land. their most effective weapon is the company. there is a plethora of companies: the dutch east india company, the company of royal adventurers, the french east india company, the royal african company and on and on. and they deal in bodies. black bodies. what they call pieces of black ivory. today the ceo sons of these same robber barons and buccaneers sit atop multinational corporations whose work has not changed in five hundred years. they still deal in bodies. yours and mine. "you fucking people are all over the place!" talk about role reversal and projection.
Take the Ossington bus north—say at Dundas. Ride north on it to Eglinton. Observe how the bus goes through a chromatic shift from light to dark as you enter the space of Blackness. That 'exotic' space of Blackness as rendered by Atom Egoyam. Up on Eglinton. Heartland of exotica. Exotic from whose perspective? (No review or critique of this film challenges the use of Blackness as nothing more than a signifier. For the exotic.) Then take a walk down Bay. Not so much heartland as engine of the capitalist machine. Observe how monochromatic that space is. Its beat that of a metronome.
rhythm is simply space divided by time. "up on eglinton" at oakwood is rhythmed in the same time as port of spain, trinidad; as accra, ghana; as scarborough, tobago; as kingston, jamaica; as harlem, new york.
event horizon: The boundary of a black hole
Canada is the clichéd land of wilderness. Like all clichés it is also founded on truth—the space that is canada contains 20% of the world's wilderness. And yet in such vastness Africans and other peoples of colour are to be found by and large only in urban areas. Forty minutes outside of Toronto African peoples are invisible. Not present. Despite some four hundred years on this continent—in this land called canada. Cottage country remains a white enterprise in every sense of that word. Complete with power boats, jet skis and luxury cottages. It is, indeed, a strange way to be "all over the place" when African and other children of colour are noticeably absent from "wilderness" camps outside of the urban areas.
What is it about this experience of "wilderness"—this very Canadian experience—which Africans and other peoples of colour who have come here as immigrants do not participate in. Do our African brothers and sisters who have been here far longer than we fresh water Canadians have, engage in a different relationship with this twenty percent wilderness?
There appears to be some sort of psychic border which prohibits or limits our entry, as "Others," into this particularly Canadian aspect of life. Considering that most immigrants are at most one generation away from the land, their lack of engagement with it in Canada is significant. For many peoples from Africa and Asia, the land remains integrally linked to their life: not only is it the source of food, but also of healing and spirituality. With European settlement in Canada, however, the "wilderness" has developed a language which we cannot penetrate, unless we enter the world of whiteness—possess a cottage and boat. With the e/racing of the First Nations presence and their removal to reservations, their wisdoms, their languages, their manner of relating to the land have all been unavailable to us. The "wilderness" has indeed been racialized.
Safety lies in numbers. This is why we African peoples coalesce in cities. We know we will find others like ourselves there, we will find foods we're used to. We can hear our languages spoken. There is an immediate sense of connectedness which cannot be underestimated. It recreates the illusion of home and belonging.
imaginary time: Time measure using imaginary numbers.
I am a child, sitting in a darkened movie theatre. This is our regular Saturday treat. A matinee. The cowboys and white settlers are on the lookout for Indians. The beautiful scenic river becomes ominous: Indian savages may be hiding in the bushes just waiting to scalp white men, women and children. Several years later I paddle a canoe along a quiet lake in north Ontario, round a bend and for a split second am afraid, expecting a canoe of tomahawk—brandishing Indians. Maybe Tarzan will come and rescue me.
Long before I am aware of it the "wilderness" is racialized. In movies, books—fiction and non-fiction, and comic books. I am not from the American South, but as an African person the American South is in my psyche. Somewhere.
Walking up a back road in Southwestern Ontario the sound of an engine behind me tenses my body; my thoughts—and fears—turn to rape, lynching and racist rednecks. Nor can I forget, while vacationing in Minden, Ontario, deep in the Haliburton Highlands, that white supremacists held a rally in that very town not that long before.
When you put an African person in the woods, in the "wilderness", one of the first images that comes to mind is that of being hunted. By dogs. By white men with shotguns.
The immediate and individual power of the redneck cannot be underestimated—one only has to think of the recent lynching in Texas of an African American by three white men who tied his body to a truck and dragged him to his death. As the most powerful purveyor of popular culture, however, the movies have played a significant role in representing the "wilderness" and rural areas as the heartland of the redneck. They also let the urban redneck off the hook. One of the strongest screen images of the ur-racist is that of poor, white trash riding shotgun in an old beat—up pickup truck. Seldom do we ever see those three—pieced, pinstriped business men and women (members of the Club of Eight) riding shotgun, hunting Black people. But they are, indeed, the ones with the resources and commitment to the policies and practices which have carefully nurtured and sustained the belief system of white supremacy.
Meantime Africans are literally scared off the land, which the European purchases and enjoys relatively free of any contact with African people.
It is winter. I am standing on a frozen lake some two hours north of Toronto. There is a still whiteness all around me. In this moment I recognize something about the way in which First Nations people relate to the land. As a living, breathing force which one needs to interact with. Not to conquer, but to be in relationship with. Several hours later I hear the First Nations scholar, Georges Sioui, speaking eloquently about the need for the newcomer—the european—to learn the concept of Americity. Americity, he argues, encapsulates an approach to the land which all the first peoples of the Americas share.
Note: All definitions appear in Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time.