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November 2, 2009
Canada: not the educational mecca we've been led to believe
The data indicates otherwise.
The Toronto District School Board commissioned a nice little study breaking down student achievement by race, parental education, and income. Before the study you would have been hard pressed to find student achievement data broken down this way. You'd think they were trying to hide something.
Guess what? They were. They were hiding giant achievement gaps.
Here's a nice little table showing student performance broken for third and sixth grades broken down by race.
Holy Moly! Look at them gaps. I'd like to say something snarky like "What is this Mississippi?" but that would be an insult to Mississippi. I know Canada has a shameful history of slavery they don't like to advertise, but I didn't realize it was this bad.
Notice how (East) Asians perform above whites, who perform above Hispanics (Latin American), who perform above blacks. What a coincidence. That's how it plays out in the US too. Who would have thunk? Also, notice how the gaps grow as the students go from third to sixth grade. Another coincidence?
Now let's look at the break down by income.
First of all I find this entire table shocking. I thought Canada was some sort of Marxist paradise, but look at that staggering income inequality. And would you believe that the kids of the people that have higher incomes (before it gets redistributed away) have student achievement as well. Makes me want to rethink that whole correlation vs. causation thing I always rail against.
Let's look at another shocking table. Parental education vs. student achievement.
Would you believe that kids who have parents who went to college outperform the kids whose parents only completed elementary school. Shocking. I thought "free" health care and school lunches solved this problem in Canada.
I simply can't wait until Stephen Downes tries to spin this data away.
14 comments:
- Stephen Downes said...
Anybody can cherry-pick one study from one district and spin it to their own purposes.
This even applies to DeRosa, who for reasons known only to himself would rather attribute differences in educational outcomes to race rather than economic status. - November 02, 2009 5:03 PM
- Dean Shareski said...
Since when is Toronto School District the representative of Canadian education? Wow.
Also, thanks for referring to our country as having "lefty socialist policies". I'm sure our Conservative government would be pleased.
If you want to engage in some real dialogue instead of a diatribe, a bit of diplomacy would be helpful. But my guess from the tone of your writing, you're happy with your approach.
C'est la vie. - November 02, 2009 5:13 PM
- Unknown said...
Must agree with Downes on this one.
Also, what does the study tell us about gaps and closing them? All it tells me is that they are ubiquitous and more difficult to close than edureformers would have you believe. - November 02, 2009 5:29 PM
- Stephen Downes said...
Table 17, page 26, compares results by family income:
66% 67% 86% 86% 85% 84%
Less than $30,000
47% 58% 62% 55% 62% 56%
A large proportion, and a majority of the parents, are immigrants. People immigrating from poorer parts of the world are among the poorer people in this survey.
The district has a much higher percentage of new immigrants, and a much higher rate of poverty, than anywhere else in Canada. It is also home to some of the riches people in Canada.
High disparity of income = high disparity of educational outcomes. Exactly what I've been saying over and over, and exactly what DeRosa denies is the case (again, for reasons known only to himself). - November 02, 2009 5:37 PM
- KDeRosa said...
I'll just point out a few inconvenient facts.
Toronto is Canada's largest city and has the largest school district.
And, from Table 13: "Among the Black students, those whose parents immigrated from Africa had a slightly higher proportion achieving Level 3/4 than those whose parents were either born in Canada (less than a 10 percentage-point difference) or from the Caribbean (a difference of 6 to 14 percentage points)."
And, with respect to the immigration defense (to the extent it's not contradicted by the actual data) and larger amount of rich people defense, those two conditions exist in the US, but oddly Stephen has never brought them up before in his criticism of the US system. - November 02, 2009 6:17 PM
Funny that you're committing the same part/whole fallacy that you accuse Downes of committing.
This is not data about "Canada" but about Ontario -- and Toronto, at that. I notice your posts about Pennsylvania test results don't make sweeping claims to be conterminous with "American" achievement.
Also, you have some other fallacious assumptions. The socialist paradise that provides free school lunches is -- wait for it -- the USA, not Ontario (or "Canada.") Canadian kids pack a lunch. No free lunch, or breakfast, or dinner. There are of course charities and other projects to provide snacks and breakfast programs in some needy areas, but these aren't a product of the "socialist" government (currently, slightly to the right of Genghis Khan).
Downes' poverty stats are off, though. There are *much* poorer areas in Ontario and across Canada than Toronto. Toronto is a rather wealthy place, and immigrant families typically become financially stable, even prosperous, within a generation. Families' average stay on welfare (when they go on welfare) is about 10 months.
Downes' New Brunswick is certainly economically challenged in many areas, probably a better example of widely-distributed poverty than Toronto. As for the rich people, a great hangout for the wealthy is St John's, Newfoundland (pronounced Newfin-LAND). Also, have you ever heard of Alberta? British Columbia? Lots of wealth out there -- and immigrants, too. Both provinces are wealthier than Ontario.
Long term data show children of immigrants (in Toronto, yet) outperforming native-born Canadian kids in both educational levels and university completion. Guess those dopes catch up sometime or other. Or their kids do.
The schools are mired in constructivism but they do consistently outperform American (and Pennsylvania) schools.
Other school districts with similar demographics oputperform the Toronto DSB by a solid margin. The Toronto Catholic DSB (Catholic schools are public) is chock full of immigrants and poor people too, but their students do better at all grade levels.
I don't think you can extrapolate much from these data beyond the obvious fact that gaps do exist and are closely correlated with numerous other factors. The long-term data on immigrant students in Toronto however is much different than long-term data on inner-city kids of similar racial or income descriptors in D.C., Philadelphia, NYC or CHicago. - November 02, 2009 6:50 PM
- KDeRosa said...
Northof49, it should be obvious that this post is so over the top that I'm just having some fun with Downes. I don't think that this data is indicative of the rest of the Canada. Though, as you indicate, clearly racial and income gaps exist in Canada just as they do in the U.S.
- November 02, 2009 6:59 PM
- Dick Schutz said...
So what else is new, Ken?
If any Canadian has termed their el-hi endeavor "mecca," it has escaped my notice.
I wouldn't be surprised at anything US "reformers" might have said about anything.
What these data, like all the other data tell us, is that if you use the same instructionally insensitive tests, the results will be sensitive to racial/ethnic and SES differences.
We've known this for 50 years. But every time the the results are report it's a "gee whiz" discovery.
If you were to look at the test items, you'd find a high reliability across race and SES. That is all kids sucker for the same foils. Some kids are just bigger suckers than others, largely due to the disadvantaging instruction they've receive.
Canada is dominated by the same whole language reading instruction that is dominant in the US. You won't find many if any Gering's in CN. It has nothing to do with lefty-righty politics.
It's not in the politics, it's not in the water, it's not in the kids. It's in the instruction and in the instructionally-insensitive measures that maintain the status quo. - November 02, 2009 8:06 PM
- real estate Richmond BC said...
I have to agree with the comments above. I don't get the point of this "anylysis" or whatever it is supposed to be. It would be interesting to compare these tables with data from other provinces and I'd really like to see that, however, if you want to analyze something, you should try to search for the connections between facts, not to create them.
Jay - November 03, 2009 4:12 AM
- KDeRosa said...
This post was probably too insider baseball, Jay. Certain punditd claim that the Canada education system is more equitable for poor students and racial minorities. This data shows that large gaps exists between these groups and whites and Asians just like in the US. Also, no other province or district breaks down their data by race. This is a first -- a controversial first. So, it's a simple post design to dispel simplistic arguments. Nothing more.
- November 03, 2009 7:14 AM
- Stephen Downes said...
> it should be obvious that this post is so over the top that I'm just having some fun with Downes.
Actually, it was indistinguishable from your usual work. - November 03, 2009 7:40 AM
- KDeRosa said...
I could easily do a serious analysis for you, Stephen. I'll just replace the snark with pull quotes from your blog extolling the virtues of the Canadian system. Compare and contrast.
- November 03, 2009 7:51 AM
@Jay: comparisons between provinces are not possible at this point since there is no provincial testing except in BC and Ontario.
@Dick Schutz: re
What these data, like all the other data tell us, is that if you use the same instructionally insensitive tests, the results will be sensitive to racial/ethnic and SES differences.
The EQAO tests are not the "same instructionally insesnsitive tests" –they are developed by teachers (every year the test is different, the items are different, and they aren't field tested the way norm-referenced tests are so they don't match up to a normal distribution). They are more like classroom tests than "standardized" tests. In fact they aren't standardized in the usual sense of the word, they do attempt to match the provincial curriculum and actually do a pretty good job at that. The results don't line up closely with SES, either.
If you were to look at the test items, you'd find a high reliability across race and SES. That is all kids sucker for the same foils.
You wouldn't find this with the EQAO tests, because they aren't set up that way, with foils or trick questions – the people developing these tests are largely teachers and they don't have that kind of expertise. They don't have an opportunity to test the questions, either, to see what results they will get and modify the test accordingly. Most are essay-type questions. They are evaluated (subjectively, again) on a scale of 1-4, again by teachers, not professional graders. They do attempt to maintain a consistent standard but are only partly successful.
Several research outfits have examined the EQAO results and found that the variance is much more related to school factors than to SES (or language background – a proxy, in some cases, for race). My own district for instance is very lily-white, middle-to-high SES. Yet we have schools with identical demographics, one of which consistently performs well (among the top 5 %)and another in the same neighbourhood that performs exactly like a low-SES Toronto school. They have found this pattern across Ontario. SES is predictive if the school is ineffective. If the school does a lot of aggressive instructional things, the low-SES schools nearly match the higher-SES schools.
Toronto DSB is probably a poor example because it is famous throughout the province as being a dysfunctional organization financially and organizationally as well as instructionally. It is also the most regressive in terms of instructional developments in the province. It's a local saying that "if it works, the TDSB will reject it."
Fortunately other boards are not nearly so bad. Other large districts with quite diverse populations are doing significantly better: Waterloo, Peel, York Region, Durham and Ottawa-Carlton, to name a few. - November 03, 2009 10:57 AM
Toronto School District is atypical. It is so bad, the Russian immigrant community created a separate parallel school system because they found this district does a poor job teaching math and science. What textbooks are they using? Harcourt Brace and they are aligned to improverished NCTM standards. Who controls NCTM? The MAA - more white bigotry.
A better look at something that does work would be the school system for French-speaking Quebecans. It is a huge embarrassment for English-speaking Torontans. The worst surprise for Americans are that at least 20% of their urban workforce are immigrants and they are bilingual. Will they do anything to service this community? We're still waiting... - December 05, 2009 7:03 PM


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Arthur's Knights: Tales of Chivalry
The year is 1428. In a castle in France, an eleven-year-old boy of nobility hurries through the halls and into the library, where he fulfills his appointment with his teacher, Master Foulque, who is also the family scribe. The young lad anxiously pleads with Foulque to tell him stories about the legends of King Arthur and the escapades of the brave Knights of the Round Table.
Foulque obliges and begins to unravel the storied history of Arthurian legend in Fifth Century England, where myths and reality are often difficult to distinguish. Known as Britain in the Fifth Century, England had been conquered by Roman legions, who had spread their Christian beliefs to these remote lands and established ruling provinces.
The troubled Roman Empire at home began to crumble, and the Romans abandoned Britain. Without the protection of the Roman legions, the provinces were attacked, pillaged, and burned by Saxon barbarians. What resulted was a Britain that became a land without law, where survival of the strongest was the way of life.
Dismayed and disillusioned, Britons returned to the ways of their Celtic ancestors. Numerous small kingdoms were formed, and the competition for power and land led to frequent wars among these fiefdoms. The times were dark and brutal, so some Britons sought solace and protection from the "new" Christian god, while others turned to Merlin and the old beliefs of the ancient druids and their great magicians and goddesses.
It was into these Dark Ages that Arthur was born, as the illegitimate son of Uther Pendragon and Igraine, who at the time was the wife of the Duke of Cornwall. Legends tell us about Arthur's successful campaigns on the battlefield, particularly against the Saxon barbarians and their supporters, and how he was able to ultimately establish himself as the High King of Britain.
Along the way, Arthur formed his fraternity of Knights, who were usually of noble birth and who had the financial means to outfit an army. When the Knights attended a meeting at King Arthur's castle (Camelot), they would squabble over who would get the preferred seating near the head of the table, so Arthur, at the suggestion of Merlin, had a round table constructed, thereby assuring that no one Knight would have precedence over others. Thereafter, the Knights, renowned for their strength, courage, and skill in combat, were known as the Knights of the Round Table. The Round Table could seat 150 knights, and each seat had the name of a Knight written on its back, except one seat (the Siege Perilous), which was to remain unoccupied until the true Grail Knight was found. According to legend, the original Grail Knight was Perceval, who was later succeeded by Galahad, the son of Lancelot.
Over the eons, historians recorded the legends of Arthur and Camelot, because they were symbols of using might for right. Arthur was a king who strived to protect his people from evil and to provide justice for all. In spite of these lofty goals, Camelot was not the perfect society. There was jealousy, intrigue, betrayal, adultery, and a number of other problems, but always Arthur tried to do what was right.
As such, he established his Code of Chivalry, which demands that the Knights employ the virtues of Courtesy, Honor, Justice, Loyalty, Courage, Faith, Humility, Charity, Hope, Generosity, etc. in their daily endeavors.
And so, as the Arthurian legends abound, we listen as Master Foulque introduces his young pupil to the story of Bradwen, son of Cadfanan, King of the Atrebates, who like Arthur was illegitimate and who would face many challenges and persevere to become one of King Arthur's Knights.
The Story's the Thing
The young boy is told that he can choose between a Red Book, which chronicles the story of Bradwen as a valiant knight who follows the Celtic traditions and serves the magic of Merlin and the power of the great goddesses, or a White Book, which tells of Bradwen the Paladin, a pious knight, who is a Christian and defender of the cross.
Although, for the most part, many of the characters and the locations are the same no matter which book you choose, the story changes, and you will encounter different situations that require totally different approaches in order to accomplish your objectives. The result is that you have two different games to play, which makes for more hours of gameplay than you would normally get in an adventure game.
In each story, Bradwen will travel a difficult road that will take him from his family home in Uffington, where he must constantly be aware of the hatred and danger presented by his half-brother, Morganor, to the forests of Arden (the home of Merlin), to the religious sanctuary of the town of Magovenium, to the magic, mystery, and treachery of Avalon, where fairies and the great goddess Morgan reside, to the village of Tintagel (Cornwall), where the ogre's camp is a very serious threat to his survival, and then to Camelot, where he will seek justice from Arthur.
Two different journeys along similar paths will provide the player with two fascinating stories of how Bradwen overcomes injustice and deals with life's challenges and decisions in completely different ways, while he seeks to use the power of might, as represented by the sword or by the cross, for the benefit of his family or friends and to bring right to the wrongs that are fostered on humanity.
Along the way, Bradwen will meet many of the legendary characters of the times (i.e. Gawain, Lancelot, and Guinevere) and the fairies and goddesses, who will offer challenges, temptations, betrayals, friendships and rewards, all of which gradually introduces him to the Code of Chivalry. The choices that Bradwen makes will silently be measured against the Code, and the result will be crucial to the player's survival in the game. So, when given choices, and you will be given many tests of honor, choose wisely and remain true to the Code.
Looking back on my experience playing Arthur's Knights, I think the stories were definitely the strength of the game. I always found myself eager to move on to the next interchange or the next challenge. The history, characters, and legends of the times (the Dark Ages) are just as fascinating in this game as they are in the history books. The stories flow energetically and ever with an aura of excitement that brings you to the edge of your seat as you pursue the goals of justice, even though they somehow seem to be often slightly out of reach.
Each story is presented as five main quests, generally with eight to ten episodes that take you from location to location, as you follow your adventures. In an interesting twist on the usual adventure game, progress in your adventuring, involving all of the important actions you make and results that you attain during game play, are recorded/written down by Foulque in the Book of Adventures, which can be accessed onscreen at any time.
The Gameplay
Arthur's Knights is played from the third-person perspective, and the camera angles are always appropriate, giving the player a good view of the activity and the surroundings. The transitions from one scene to another are smooth, and you won't have any problem maintaining your orientation on the screen.
Movement in the game is accomplished by using the arrow keys on the keyboard. The arrow keys will cause Bradwen to walk, to run (use the shift key with the arrow key), or to ride his horse within a scene or from one screen to another. Bradwen must be on horseback to be able to travel from one regional location to another (i.e., from Arden to Camelot). He may travel to places within a region either on foot or by horseback.
The mouse is used to access the menus and to make selections from the menus. The mouse brings up the interface bar at the bottom of the screen, which gives the player choices from an activity screen, the inventory area, the Book of Adventures, or the menu globe.
The activity screen indicates where you are in the game (location), if a conversation is possible, and if you may engage in combat. Now, before you get too distressed about combat choices, it should be noted that if you do choose combat, you have no control over the actual combat or the result of the combat. It is all scripted. You just sit back and watch a video that will determine your fate. When I died a few times, it was because I made the wrong choice, as determined by the Code, rather than because my reactions or prowess with the sword were too slow. That suits me just fine.
The inventory area contains three types of inventory: the inventory of objects, the inventory of subjects (clues that can be discussed with other characters), and the destination inventory (regions that are available for you to travel to). When objects, subjects, and destinations become available to you, an icon of the item appears on the screen with a moving arrow indicating that the item is becoming available to you.
The Book of Adventures allows you to check on your storyline progress, and the menu globe provides you with the ability to return to the game, access the historical database (yes, this is an "edutainment" game), save your game, or quit your current game and return to the main menu.
One last thing–the space bar is the action key, which lets you speak to someone, open a door, or pick up an object.
Although I generally become concerned when I find out that I'm going to have to use the keyboard for action in a game, I had no problem with this in Arthur's Knights, because the use of the keyboard was limited to the arrow keys for movement only. In fact, I now prefer to use the arrow keys for movement, so long as I can perform the other functions with the mouse.
The Graphics, Sound, and Music
Like all of the Cryo games, the graphics are magnificent. The 3D characters are among the most realistic that I have seen to date, and they are beautifully presented on stunning 2D backgrounds that abound in detail with terrific colors.
The animations, which are also provided in 3D, are very fluid in movement, showing shows the motion of characters walking, horses galloping, flags flying or the numerous animals, birds and butterflies that punctuate the scenery, so wonderfully. The sight of fairies appearing with beautifully colored wings fluttering is a sight to behold. Also, as previously mentioned, the combat scenes are scripted as video animations, and they are very well done with smooth movements that are extremely realistic.
Well, everything isn't always just right, and in Arthur's Knights, it's the sounds, the music, and the voice acting that comes up woefully short. No, it's actually very annoying. There is no music. This means that at times when Bradwen faces particularly suspenseful situations, there is no enhancement of the suspense from a crescendo of pulse-stopping music. When Bradwen is at peace with his mission, there is no music to soothe the soul. What there is, however, is chanting, particularly from Bradwen's troubled wife, Gwen, and his revered uncle, the Bishop Novelius, all of which is very unnerving.
The voice acting is generally fairly good, except that at times, for no explainable reason, the tone of Bradwen's voice changes dramatically to offer much higher-pitched vocal sounds that are too weird to describe adequately. I supposed that he was just excited at those times, but the vocal result is pretty awful. Also, Sir Lancelot's voice has a very profound French accent, and Sir Gawain's voice has a very strong Scottish tongue-tipped trill sound, each of which is curious, at best.
The Puzzles
The puzzles consist primarily of collecting and using objects, gathering clues that can be discussed with various characters in the game, and making the right choices when honor is at stake and the Code of Chivalry needs to be upheld. All of the puzzles in Arthur's Knights are logical and must be accomplished or performed according to a linear sequence of events.
You will not have to worry about going off in the wrong direction, because you will not be able to travel to other regional destinations until you have fulfilled all of the required tasks, gathered all of the needed clues, and found all of the necessary objects in the region that you are presently in. Obviously, only those gamers that like to be guided linearly need apply for Arthur's Knights. Again, suits me just fine.
Camelot Awaits
Bradwen's stories are the strength of the adventure of Arthur's Knights, and you will enjoy the adventure, if you have a passion for historical adventures, because this game is packed with the legends of King Arthur, Merlin, and the famous and courageous Knights of the Round Table.
The weakness is the absence of music, woeful chanting, and voice acting, which shows that attention to supporting details is important so that the game player gets a fully satisfying experience.
Arthur's Knights is the third game in Cryo's Legends series of historical adventure games, after The Time Machine, which I never finished because it was horrible, and Odyssey, which languishes on my shelf of unplayed games because I was so discouraged by my experience with The Time Machine. However, this time, with Arthur's Knights, I think that Cryo has really improved its effort, and the result is that it has developed a historical adventure game that a great many of you can enjoy. No, it's still not perfect, but it's a distinct move in the right direction.
As you contemplate whether Arthur's Knights is for you, you might want to consider the fact that Camelot awaits. All you have to do is face the challenges of enemies, outwit rivals, seek glory and justice by forging your fate with the aid of many of the renowned characters of the Arthurian legends, and finally choose your destiny.
How will you deal with the treachery and hatred of your half-brother Morganor? What secret power does Morganor possess? Will you be able to protect your wife Gwen and infant son Madog from danger? Is Lancelot guilty or innocent of the crime for which he is accused? Can you outwit the great goddess Morgan and convince the fairies to help you? Will you be able to convince Arthur that your request for justice is justified? There's much more, but the rest is up to you!
Final Grade: B+
Minimum System Requirements:
Windows 95/98/ME
Pentium II, 300 MHz
8 MB Direct-X Compatible 3D Video Accelerator Card


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Weekend musings
An interesting read to continue a debate
Well, it was a very busy week last week, and a slow weekend so far. My apologies...
I am off to Dubai on Friday for the Sevens Rugby World Cup, where I will be traveling as a consultant and scientific advisor to the South African Team. Preparation for that trip has taken much of my time.
However, for the "slow weekend", no major opinion piece from me. Rather, there has been quite a lively debate in the comments section of our last post, which was the preview of the Amgen Tour of California (the irony, by the way, of having a cycling race sponsored by a company that makes EPO is quite unescapable. Thanks to Mike for pointing that out!)
There have been some interesting and divided opinions on this matter. Without doubt, one's opinion is very much a function of your starting belief (as most things are, of course). And when that belief does not match the opinions here, what has been frustrating for me personally is that the default response from those who disagree has been to whip out the "stick to science" insult, as though we discard our evidence based analytic approach simply because we express opinions that oppose doping in cycling and on Lance Armstrong's own doping past.
So to confirm what many of you have written - we are not objective about anything we write about, and nor do we intend to be. Just ask Oscar Pistorius, or Gatorade, or Usain Bolt, or Sammy Wanjiru, or Pose runners. Our opinions on all those matters was equally 'black and white' - the evidence demands an opinion in all these cases, including that of Armstrong. But opinion based solely on belief is different from evidence-based opinion, and doesn't, in my opinion, contribute much to the useful debate. It is isolated opinion, and is not what we are about, despite perceptions. Nor is the purpose of this site to sit on the fence and dryly translate science for you - read our Vision and Mission to see what we actually are about.
In any event, in doing some reading on the debate, I came across the following really interesting pieces, which I personally found to be excellent reads:
An excellent viewpoint on the scrapping of the Don Catlin anti-doping programme
The second is the letter below, written by a reader to VeloNews. You can read the original here. It doesn't deal with doping, it doesn't accuse anyone of doing drugs, but just puts out, very eloquently, an opinion on the Armstrong-Kimmage exchange.
Re: The Armstrong/Kimmage exchange
Speaking for myself as one of the many "around the world affected by (cancer)," (In my childhood, cancer claimed my father, and later on, my sister as well.) I hold nothing against Mr. Kimmage for his recent characterization of Mr. Armstrong, and I surely do not appreciate Mr. Armstrong assuming the authority to speak for me — especially with such intolerant, hateful words telling someone that they are "not worth the chair they are sitting on."
Indeed, if even half of what has legitimately been alleged about Armstrong is true — the numerous firsthand accounts and sworn testimony of former teammates and associates, the undisputed test results, his conduct towards those who have spoken out about doping within cycling — then Kimmage's metaphor (and that's what it was, not any sort of insult to those affected by cancer) is appropriate, perhaps even understated.
Armstrong has never credibly addressed these charges, choosing instead to respond with public displays of hostility that have now descended to the level naked aggression with his brutal verbal assault on the very worth on another human being. However unwittingly, Armstrong makes Kimmage look like a prophet in alleging revenge as the motive for his comeback, since we have just seen the first score being settled.
At least in his exchange with Greg LeMond last September, Armstrong insisted that the press conference would not "go negative" since he meant to "talk about the global cancer campaign, the comeback to cycling, and the credibility in and around that." At that point, I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, but any "credibility" he could have commanded is now gone, not only as a result of his treatment of Mr. Kimmage, but also his having reneged on a public promise to subject himself to "the most advanced anti-doping program in the world," which would be conducted in a "completely independent" manner because "ultimately…we as fans must get back to enjoying the race and respecting the riders and their performances." (Perhaps the drama of Armstrong's press-conference "performance" is intended for the public's viewing enjoyment.)
This time, he did not even try to conceal his contempt, which he had the gall to wrap in self-righteous outrage on behalf of those he professes to represent and care about, but whom he is all too willing to exploit for advantage in his personal feuds. Such conduct is beyond the pale from a public spokesperson (even a self-appointed one) for any sort of worthy cause, and it lays bare the dark forces at work in this man – forces that may now be said to constitute an ugly blight not just upon cycling, but the fight against cancer itself.
Charles Howe,
Olmsted Falls, Ohio
That's not a judgment on the people, but rather a comment on the power of the media to mould our opinions. Now you need to ask who is controlling that media? Who is winning the public relations battle? Fueled by Nike, Oakley and the LAF, objective opinions are in short supply here. In the excellent words of bianchigirl, some of the journalism is nothing more than "fawning obsequiousness". I'll take Paul Kimmage's writing any day - it might be as biased as the other side, but it's closer to the truth.
I'm hoping to squeeze in a post on the aging and exercise series this week, time-willing!


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Trip to the Blue Souk … and a Surprise
About once a month I like to go to Sharjah to remind myself that I actually live in an Arab country. Sharjah is the emirate north of Dubai and more conservative. Alcohol, sheesha and skimpy clothing are all forbidden.
My favorite place in Sharjah is the Blue Souk. Arabs call it Souk Islamia (Islamic Souk). To confuse you further, the sign outside reads "Central Souk."
Last Friday, we headed for it, but stopped on the way to eat falafel sandwiches at Kalha—to fuel up for the serious shopping ahead. This trip wasn't for random purchases. We had an important mission at hand!
The Blue Souk
Located on the Corniche of the Buheirah (the big lake), the Blue Souk is two long buildings that look a bit like a train station. There's a picture of it on the UAE five-dirham note.
The souk has two stories. The ground floor is mostly filled with Arabic clothing. The upper floor holds the goodies—carpets from Iran, Kashmiri textiles, silver Bedouin jewelry, and all types of bric-a-brac from the region and beyond. The place calls for serious bargaining. Whatever they ask for, start the bargaining at half the asking-price—but always with a smile.
Upstairs, we entered only one shop. The sign said, "antiques" which translates as, "old and tarnished." Our family traipsed in and began to poke around.
We bought several pieces of "antique" Afghani jewelry. I also chose a silver Mongolian box with Kufic Arabic calligraphy. I had never seen anything like it, so naturally I had to have it.
While my nine-year-old son tried out the swords for sale, I saw some spoons—antique silver spoons from Russia. I earnestly asked their prices—about $80 each. Hmmm. At this point, my husband began sighing and rolling his eyes. It was time to leave the shop.
A Surprise
Anyway, silver trinkets were not what we came for. Our mission was on the ground floor; we came to buy clothing to wear to Saudi Arabia. The day before my family got Umrah visas to visit Mecca and Medina. In case you don't know, Umrah is the "small pilgrimage"—versus Hajj, the big pilgrimage.
This upcoming trip was a surprise to me, as I hadn't expected the visas to come through (not with the two huge Israeli stamps in Husband's passport.) Thankfully, the Saudis hadn't noticed—or they chose to overlook them.
So—like any trip—we needed the right clothes. According to Saudi law, I must wear the abaya. For good measure, I decided to get two. We also wanted an abaya for our daughter. Even though she's still a child, at 12, she's tall and it couldn't hurt.
Meanwhile, my husband and boys wanted kanduras, the standard garment of the Gulf Arab Male.
Honestly, I'm not sure why they needed this. Men have a special wrap for performing Umrah and Hajj. The kandura is not required, nor is it the traditional dress of my husband. Perhaps they didn't want to be left out. Or maybe—the clothing will help our family "blend."
And so, we went from stop to shop, trying on and selecting our attire. I bought two abaya with black-on-black embroidery and matching shayla (scarf). Meanwhile, my daughter, who had been rather hesitant about the whole thing, perked up when she found an abaya with blue Swarovski crystal trim (of course, twice as expensive as mine).
Meanwhile, our sixteen-year-old son wasn't with us. He didn't want a common off-the-rack kandura. He had insisted on a custom-tailored kandura made of special fabric. (Kids these days!)
Back to Umrah: I'm feeling excited and a little bit nervous. What to bring?! How to prepare?! What to expect?! We are booked to travel to Mecca, Medina and Jeddah. (God-willing, we'll be earning hassanat blessings, as well as Marriott points.)
If you've made Umrah, please share with me your "Top Tip." I would gladly welcome it. Also, share any comments you may have about the Blue Souk or anything mentioned here. Shukran.
Bye for now & Salaam.


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E. Digby Baltzell Fund
This endowed fund was created in 1986 for the acquisition of materials in history and sociology. The fund honors Emeritus Professor of History and Sociology, Edward Digby Baltzell. A renowned sociologist, Dr. Baltzell's studies of the White Protestant Anglo-Saxon establishment and the creation of its acronym, WASP, made an indelible impression on the American consciousness.
Dr. Baltzell was born in Philadelphia in 1915 and graduated with a B.S. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1940. After World War II service as a naval aviator he earned his Ph.D. from Columbia and returned to Penn to become one of the University's most popular and influential teachers, as well as a best-selling author whose books were popular with the general public and at the same time respected by colleagues. He served on the faculty of sociology at Penn from 1947 to his retirement in 1986.
An outstanding teacher who built lifetime ties with many of his students, he won SAS's Ira Abrams Award for Distinguished Teaching in 1985, an Alumni Award of Merit, the Philadelphia Athenaeum's Nonfiction Book Award, and honorary degreees from LaSalle College and the University of Pennsylvania.
Outside the University, Dr. Baltzell's fame rested primarily on four well-known books.
Two that were produced early in his career (the 1958 Philadelphia Gentlemen: The Making of a National Upper Class, and the 1964 The Protestant Establishment: Aristocracy and Caste in America) established his reputation among American social commentators, as well as scholars and students, as a man with something new to say and a persuasive way of saying it. He studied the "haves" as other sociologists studied the "have-nots," identifying sociological factors that he believed would bring about a decline in leadership if the ruling elite did not assume its responsibilities and at the same time open its doors to rising new energies.
Decades later his Puritan Boston and Quaker Philadelphia: Two Protestant Ethics and the Spirit of Authority and Leadership contrasted two styles of urban aristocracy, with Philadelphia coming off second best. In Sporting Gentlemen: Men's Tennis from the Golden Age of Amateurism to the Cult of the Superstar, he identified Arthur Ashe as the "last best example of the gentlemanly values of the amateur."
Rosemary A. Stevens, Dean, School of Arts and Sciences said upon his death: "Digby was a true phenomenon, a presence, an original splendid scholar and a fantastic teacher. All of us will miss him personally, professionally, and institutionally. His legacy is rich and I know that Digby Baltzell will continue to be a force on the Penn campus long into the future."
It is fitting that there is an endowed Library fund in his honor.


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MLT vs Gnonlin - Let's get it on!
Ecrit par
le .I have now invested many months of my life into designing a video editor for Linux. I have learned new programming languages, become friends with many people from around the world, and had many "Ah ha" moments. I am a huge supporter of FOSS, and I consider this my contribution to the Linux community!
This is old news to some, but the #1 issue when trying to create a multimedia application is choosing the correct framework to build your application on. There are 2 competing video frameworks to choose from (at least in the Python world): Gstreamer + Gnonlin and the MLT Framework.
I really thought that Gnonlin was the correct framework in the beginning. Many people recommended it to me, and it it's based on the largest multimedia library on Linux, Gstreamer. There is even a Python based video editor in development, PiTiVi. Sounds great, right? What could possibly go wrong.
Well, just about everything has gone wrong. Now I realize not all these problems are related to Gnonlin... some are related to Gstreamer itself. But regardless of that, here are the main problems I've run into:
- Terrible support for .DV video files (very choppy playback)
- No support for mixing an MP3 with Video... sounds crazy, but I could never get it to work, and the community couldn't provide a working example.
- No support for transitions, regardless of what people say. There are no working examples of this... other than a few theoretical blog entries.
- Very complicated API (based on Gstreamer). Not kidding here. It's really, really, really, really complicated to understand how to create a Gnonlin pipeline, connect all the signals, and actually get something to happen.
- Even though Gstreamer has a giant community, the Gnonlin community is actually quite small. In fact, it's so small it's really only 1 person, Edward Hervey. Sorry Edward... not picking on you at all, but you really are the only person in the Gnonlin community. =) Kind of reminds me of the Wizard of Oz... ya know, the little guy behind the curtain.
- And because the community is sooo small, I have had 0 of my many questions answered by this community. That's right... zero. The first question I asked to the Gnonlin mailing list took over a month for someone to reply.
- There are no examples, barely any documentation, and only about 3 blog entries explaining the concepts... and some illustrations on how it will work someday... when it's finished.
I'm actually not the first project to dump Gnonlin in favor of the MLT framework. The great Diva Video Editor had an epic falling out with the Gstreamer / Gnonlin community. To refresh your memory:
MLT Framework:
First off, I would like to compliment the MLT Framework (and it's community) for being so professional and patient with me over the past few months. Especially the great Dan Dennedy! They have helped me solve every problem and answered every question I've had so far. In fact, the first night I emailed the MLT mailing list, I received more emails than I have ever received from the Gnonlin community.
I wish I had discovered the MLT framework sooner than I did, but I guess better late than never.
Here are some of the MLT advantages:
- Great support for .DV video files (very smooth playback)
- A super simple API, Command line, and XML format which makes developing an application very easy.
- Can mix any number of audio files and video files together... without crashing, without bugs, and without a problem.
- A full transition system... including a cool luma translation which will enable all sorts of custom Star Wipes, Key Holes, and other transitions.
- Most importantly, it's got great documentation, lots of examples, and a responsive community to help answer any questions.
Also, a great framework deserves a great logo. Just for fun, I've prettied up the MLT logo, so it's a bit shinier... to match OpenShot's good looks. =) Please let me know if you want the SVG version, and I'll email it to you.


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Happy Memorial Day weekend, U.S.-based readers! Since one of the many, many sacrifices those of us devoted to the difficult task of self-expression routinely make is to trade what other folks might do with their long weekends for gloriously uninterrupted hours of writing — or, better yet, revising! — I thought you might appreciate a glimpse of the world outside your writing studios. Now get back to work!
Actually, I have an ulterior motive for opening with that photo: as I'm certainly not going to be the first to point out, those of us who read manuscripts for a living are noted for looking not just at the big picture — is this an interesting story? Does it grab the reader from the get-go? And the question dear to writers everywhere, is it well-written? — but also at the granular level. It also probably won't stop the presses to point out that the notoriously close reading any given manuscript has to survive in order to be seriously considered for publication tends to come as a great, big, or even nasty surprise to a lot of first-time submitters. And don't even get me started on how many literary contest entrants seem to operate on the assumption that contest judges are specifically selected for their propensity to read with a charitable eye.
Does that giant gasp I just heard indicate that some of you fine people have been laboring under one or both of those impressions, or is somebody about to go for a nice, leisurely swim? If it's the former, you're definitely not alone: all too often, talented writers new to the game rush their manuscripts out the door the instant after they've typed the last page, presumably in the fond hope that all agents, editors, and contest judges are such lovers of literature that they will judge the book by nothing but how well it's written. And possibly, to a lesser extent, by the inherent interest of the story.
Or so Millicent the agency screener must surmise from how many of those submissions apparently have not been spell-checked. Or grammar-checked. Or even read through since the last revision, because how else could the writer not have noticed that several words seem to have dropped out of that sentence on page 33?
Oh, stop groaning. Don't you want your future agent and acquiring editor to fall so in love with your writing that they examine it from every angle, down to the last grain of sand?
Before I take that resounding, "Heavens, no!" for an unqualified yes, let me hasten to remind you that in the long run, it truly is better for your book if the agent of your dreams (and Millicent, the stalwart soul s/he has entrusted to narrowing the thousands of queries and hundreds of submissions a good agent receives to the handful that s/he would actually have time to read without sacrificing the book-selling side of the job entirely) pays attention to the little stuff. Why? Well, let me put it this way: if Millicent's eye may legitimately be called nit-picky, a good acquiring editor's peepers should be regarded as microscopic.
Oh, you thought it was easy to read closely enough to catch that the narrative has used the same image on page 12 and page 315? Or that the writer fell so in love with the word verdant that it appears every time that anything vaguely green flashes by the reader's consciousness? In a book about lawn care?
So if this series' focus upon the little visual details has occasionally seemed a trifle, well, obsessive, congratulations — you're gaining real insight into what professional readers are trained to do. And think about it: if Millicent and her ilk must pay such close attention to the text, how likely are they to catch any formatting glitches?
Uh-huh. Hard to miss that sea anemone lying on the sand, isn't it?
In order to give you a Millicent's-eye view of your manuscript, for the past few posts in this series, we've been comparing manuscripts in standard format with improperly-formatted ones. Yes, it's been a lengthy slog, but hands up, those of you who have never had the opportunity to see a manuscript that actually got picked up by an agent and published by a traditional house up close and personal.
See, I told you that you were not alone. Quite the forest of hands, isn't it?
In my experience, most rookie submitter mistakes arise not merely from simple ignorance of the strictures of standard format, but from the low-level panic that comes from having to guess whether one is performing the secret handshake correctly. The better an aspiring writer understands the rules, the less guesswork is involved. It may not eliminate the stress of submission entirely, but it does at least remove one of the most common stressors from the mix.
Okay, so it's not what the average would think of as a little light weekend recreational stress release. Were you under the impression that being a brilliantly incisive observer and chronicler of the human condition was ordinary?
Which is why I'm completely confident that you're up to the challenge of thinking of your writing on several levels simultaneously. Particularly when, like the savvy submitter that you are, you are reading your ENTIRE manuscript IN HARD COPY and OUT LOUD before sending it to anyone even vaguely affiliated with a literary contest or the publishing industry. Lest we forget, it's much, much easier to catch formatting issues, typos, and logic problems that way.
Do I sense that simmering resentment at how hard it is for a new writer to break into print beginning to bubble up to the surface? "But Anne!" I hear aspiring writers everywhere shout, and who could blame you? "I don't have a problem with making my manuscript ship-shape on a writing level before passing it under Millicent's critical spectacles. Granted, revision can be a trifle irritating, but what really irks me is that after I've done it, that lovingly worked and reworked prose could be knocked out of consideration because of some arbitrary expectations about how professional book manuscripts should look on the page. Isn't that just an annoying additional hoop through which I'm expected to leap, and don't I have every right to resent it?"
Well, not exactly, bubblers-up. As we've been discussing, the rules of standard format actually are not arbitrary; most of them have a strong practical basis that might not be readily apparent from the writer's side of the submission desk. Let's take, for instance, the relatively straightforward requirements that manuscripts should be entirely typed, double-spaced, and have 1-inch margins all the way around.
I hear some of you snickering, but Millicent regularly reads submissions that do not conform to standard format in one or even all of these respects. It's not unheard-of for diagrams to be hand-drawn, pages hand-numbered, or for late-caught typos to be corrected in pen. Or for an e-mailed query to an agency that asks to see the first few pages to be single-spaced — because that's the norm for an e-mail, right?
Let's take a peek at why all of those rules necessary, from a professional point of view. For continuity's sake, let's once again call upon our old friend Charles Dickens again to see what a page of a manuscript should look like — actually, since we've been looking at so many first pages lately, let's live dangerously, shall we? Here are pages 1 and two.
Relatively easy to read, isn't it? (Assuming that you find it so, of course. If it's too small to read easily on your browser, try holding down the COMMAND key and hitting + until the type is large enough to read comfortably.)
To give you some idea of just how difficult it would be to screen, much less hand-edit, a manuscript that was not double-spaced or had smaller margins, take a gander at this little monstrosity. To render it an even better example of what makes Millicent's optician rend his garments in despair, I've gone ahead and submitted a fuzzy photocopy, rather than a freshly-printed original.
I believe the proper term for this is reader-hostile. Even an unusually patient and literature-loving Millicent would reject a submission like this immediately, without reading so much as a word. As would, more often than not, Mehitabel.
And honestly, can you blame them?
Did I hear a few spit-takes after that last set of assertions from those of you joining us in mid-argument? "My goodness, Anne," sputter those of you wiping coffee, tea, or other beverage of your choice off your incredulous faces, "why would any sane person consider presentation violations that serious an offense? It is, after all, precisely the same writing. Sure, it's a little harder to read, but if it's an e-mailed submission, Millicent could just expand the image. And it's not as though Millicent's boss, the agent of Charles' dreams, couldn't just ask him to reformat it."
Yes on both counts, but surely you can appreciate why the Charles who submitted that last page would strike anyone accustomed to handling manuscripts as a much, much more difficult writer to work with than the Charles behind our first set of examples. The latter displays a fairly significant disregard for not only the norms of standard format, but also the optical comfort of the reader. Not to mention just shouting, "Hey, I don't expect any feedback on this, ever!"
Oh, you didn't spot that? Anyone who handles manuscripts for a living would. Even with nice, empty page backs upon which to scrawl copy edits, trying to cram spelling or grammatical changes between those lines would be well-nigh impossible. Knowing that, Millicent would never dream of passing such a manuscript along to the agent who employs her; to do so would be to invite a stern and probably lengthy lecture on the vicissitudes of the life editorial — and that fact that, despite impressive innovations in technology, intensive line editing a single-spaced document in either hard or soft copy is well-nigh impossible.
Too hard on the eyes — and where on earth would the comments go on the hard copy?
Don't tempt her to reject your submission unread — and don't even consider, I beg of you, providing a similar temptation to a contest judge. Given the sheer volume of submissions Millicent reads, she's not all that likely to resist. The contest judge, on the other hand, will be specifically instructed not to resist at all.
Yes, really. Even if the sum total of the provocation consists of a manuscript that's shrunk to, say, 95% of the usual size, Mehitabel is likely to knock it out of the running on sight.
Are some of you are blushing? Perhaps some past contest entrants and submitters who wanted to squeeze in a particularly exciting scene before the end of those requested 50 pages?
No? Let me fill you in on a much-deplored practice, then: faced with a hard-and-fast page limit, some wily writers will shrink the font or the margins, to shoehorn a few more words onto each page. After all, the logic runs, who is going to notice a tenth of an inch sliced off a left or right margin, or notice that the typeface is a trifle smaller than usual?
Millicent will, that's who, and practically instantly. As will any reasonably experienced contest judge; after hours on end of reading 12-point type within 1-inch margins, a reader develops a visceral sense of roughly how many characters fit on a properly-formatted page.
Don't believe me? Go back and study the correctly formatted page 2 in our first example. Then take a gander at this wee gem of tricky intent:
Admit it: you can tell it's different, can't you, even without whipping out a ruler? Yet I shaved only one-tenth of an inch off each margin and shrunk the text by 5% — far, far less of a reduction than most fudgers attempt when, say, they're trying to fit 26 pages of manuscript into a contest entry with a 25-page limit. So how likely is this little gambit to pay off for the submitter?
Exactly. Amazingly enough, people who read for a living very seldom appreciate attempts to trick them into extraneous reading. No matter how much Charles felt that last example added life to his opening — or how right he was about that — Millicent will simply notice that he tried to cheat in order to get more of his words in front of her eyeballs than writers conscientious enough to follow the rules. Next!
The same principle applies, incidentally, to query letters: Alarmingly often, aspiring writers, despairing of fitting a coherent summary of their books within the standard single page, will shrink the margins or typeface on a query. "What's two tenths of an inch?" they reassure themselves. "And honestly, who is going to be able to tell the difference between 12-point type at 99%, rather than 100%?"
Help yourself to a gold star for the day if you immediately answered: "Someone who reads queries all day, every day. And two-tenths of an inch all around can, as Uncle Charles has just demonstrated, add up to a great deal more text on a page."
Another common means of fudging spacing: incomplete adherence to the rules bout skipping spaces after periods and colons. Specifically, skipping two spaces (as tradition requires) in most instances, but omitting the second space when doing so would make the difference between a paragraph's ending with a single word on the last line and being able to use that line to begin a new paragraph.
Shame on you, those who just bellowed, "Wow, that's a great idea — over the course of an entire chapter, that might free up a page of text for my nefarious purposes!" Don't you think inconsistent spacing is the kind of thing a reader trained to spot textual oddities might conceivably notice?
And for good reason: waffling about how often to hit the space bar can be a tell-tale sign that a writer isn't altogether comfortable with writing in standard format. Such a writer's work would, presumably, need to be proofread for formatting more closely than other agency clients' work, would it not? And that in turn would mean that signing such a writer would inevitably means devoting either unanticipated staff time to double-checking his manuscripts or training in the delights of consistent rule application, right?
Those rhetorical questions would be equally applicable whether the agency in question happened to favor either the two-space or one-space convention, incidentally. Consistency is the key to proper manuscript formatting, after all, and all the more likely to be valued if an agency's guidelines ask for something specific in a submission.
Why? Well, think about it: when you first thought about querying and submitting, would it have occurred to you to check each and every agency's website (if it has one; not all do, even at this late date) for submission guidelines? So if you were the Millicent screening manuscripts for an agent with a desperate aversion to that second space after the comma (she had a nasty run-in with a journalist on a cross-country flight , perhaps; he may have menaced her with a copy of the AP's formatting guidelines), and your boss had been considerate enough to post a reference to that aversion on the agency's website, on her blog, and in 47 online interviews, wouldn't that be one of the first things you looked for in a submission?
Let's all chant it together, shall we? If an agency or publishing house's submission guidelines ask for something specific, for heaven's sake, give it to them. But don't generalize that individual preferences to the entire industry, okay? And if they don't express a preference, stick to standard format.
Yes, regardless of what you may have heard online about how nobody is using double-spacing after periods and colons in book manuscripts anymore. It's simply not true that it's generally an instant-rejection offense, on the grounds that manuscripts including the second space look hopelessly old-fashioned to agents and editors.
Well, guess what, cookie — standard manuscript format is old-fashioned, by definition. That doesn't seem to stop most of the currently-published authors of the English-speaking world from using it. In fact, in all of my years writing and editing, I have never — not once — seen an already agented manuscript rejected or even criticized for including the two spaces that English prose requires after a period or colon. Possibly because those that feel strongly about the single-space convention tend to be up front about not being likely to fall in love with submissions featuring what they perceive to be extra spaces.
I have, however, heard endless complaint from professional readers about those second spaces being omitted. Care to guess why?
If you said that cutting those spaces throws off word count estimation, clap yourself heartily on the back: standard estimates assume those doubled spaces. (If you don't know how and why word count is tallied, please see the HOW TO ESTIMATE WORD COUNT — AND WHY category on the archive list at right.) Give yourself a nice, warm hug if you also suggested that omitting them renders a manuscript harder to hand-edit. Because we all know about the lecture Millicent is likely to get if she forgets about that, right?
I can sense blood pressure rising over this issue, but honestly, inconsistent application of either rule is far more likely to raise red flags with Millicent than clinging like an unusually tenacious leech to either the one- or two-space convention. Particularly if that inconsistency — or slightly off sizing — seems to allow more words per page than is usual.
My point, should you care to know it, is that a pro isn't going to have to look very hard at a space-deprived page to catch on that there's something fishy going on, so let's work a bit more to increase your visceral sense that something is wrong. Since Dickens was so fond of half-page sentences, the examples I've been using above won't illustrate my next common gaffe very well.
Reaching blindly into the depths of the bookshelf next to my computer, I seem to have grabbed Elizabeth Von Arnim's wonderful take on the Bluebeard myth, VERA. Taking a page at random, let's take a look at it properly formatted in manuscript form.
There are 310 words on this page; I wasn't kidding the other day about how far off the standard word count estimations could be. Now cast your eye over the same text with a couple of very minor formatting alterations.
Doesn't look significantly different to the naked eye, does it? Yet the word count is slightly lower on this version of this page — 295 words. That may not seem like a big difference, but it's enough to make quite a difference over the course of an entire manuscript.
"But Anne," I hear some sharp-eyed readers exclaim, "wasn't the word count lower because there was an entire line missing from the second version?"?
Well spotted, criers-out: the natural tendency of omitting the second spaces would indeed be to allow more words per page, not less. But the scanter space between sentences was not the only deviation from standard format here; Millicent, I assure you, would have caught two others.
I tossed a curve ball in here, to make sure you were reading as closely as she was. Wild guesses? Anyone? Anyone?
The error that chopped the word count was a pretty innocent one, almost always done unconsciously: the writer apparently did not turn off the widow/orphan control, found in Word under FORMAT/PARAGRAPH/LINE AND PAGE BREAKS. As we were discussing only the other day, this insidious little function, the default unless one changes it, prevents single lines of multi-line paragraphs from getting stranded on either the bottom of one page of the top of the next.
As you may see, keeping this function operational results in an uneven number of lines per page. Which, over the course of an entire manuscript, is going to do some serious damage to the word count.
As would tinkering with the bottom margin to allow an extra line on the page. Here it is with only a minor change, a .9 inch bottom margin instead of 1 inch, a modification so minute that a non-professional reader would probably not notice that it was non-standard. To compress a bit more, let's have only one space after each period.
A bit claustrophobic, is it not? If you don't find it so, consider it as Millicent would: not as an individual page, isolated in space and time, but as one of the several thousand she has read that week. Lest we forget, most of the ones she will have been taking seriously will have looked like this:
See it now? While Millicent is highly unlikely to have either the time or the inclination to whip out a ruler to check whether that bottom margin is really a full inch (although Mehitabel might), she will be able to tell that this page has more words on the page than the others she has seen that day. She might not be able to tell instantly precisely how this page has been modified, but she will be able to tell that something's off.
"But Anne," clever rule-manipulators all over North America shout, "I've been modifying my submissions this way for years, and nobody has ever called me out on it. Therefore, I do not believe it's ever been a factor in my work being rejected — and it does allow me to stay under that all-important 400-page limit."
Perhaps, rules-lawyers, but let me ask you a question: have you ever had such a manuscript accepted?
Well might some jaws drop. It's an extremely common submitter's misconception, especially amongst those brand-new to the game or who have only submitted pages as part of a query packet, rather than as requested materials, that if they were really doing something wrong, the rejecter would tell them so. And tell them what it is, naturally, so they could do better next time.
In these days of form-letter rejections — and even no-reply rejections — this is simply an unrealistic expectation. Unless an agent or editor is asking for the writer to revise and resubmit the manuscript (in itself something of a rarity these days), why would they take the time?
Well, yes, to be nice would be a perfectly acceptable response, from a writer's perspective. If a well-established agent received only a hundred queries per month and asked for one manuscript — not all that uncommon a ratio thirty years ago — writing personalized rejections would be both kind and not unduly time-consuming. Presuming, of course, that the rejected writer of the month did not consider a detailed rejection an invitation to argue about the manuscripts merits.
Consider for a moment, though, the agent that receives hundreds of queries per day. See why kindly advice-giving rejection letters might have become something of a rarity?
Especially if the rejection reason had to do with a formatting error. Honestly, it would eat up half of Millicent's screening day. Why? Well, most submissions contain at least one — formatting problems, like typos, grammar gaffes, and wolves, tend to travel in packs. Even with the best of wills, it would be prohibitively time-consuming for Millicent to scrawl try learning how to format a manuscript, honey.
No, regardless of whether the ultimate rejection trigger for VERA was that extra line per page, the second misspelling in paragraph 2, or a premise that Millicent has seen seventeen times that week, the reasons given for sending back the submission would probably run like this: I'm sorry, but this manuscript does not fit our needs at this time. I just didn't fall in love with this story, and I don't feel that I can sell this in the current tough market. Best of luck placing it elsewhere.
The moral of this sad, sad story: it seldom pays to assume that you're doing it right just because you haven't been told you are doing it wrong. It pays even less often to conclude from the generalities of a boilerplate rejection that there can't have been any specific technical problem that caused Millicent, if not to reject it outright, then at least to take the submission less seriously.
Besides, another notorious agents' pet peeve was lurking in the background — although in all probability, it would have irritated a contest judge far more than Millicent. Here's the page again; see if you can spot it this time. Hint: it was not in the properly-formatted version.
Crown yourself with a laurel wreath if, while running your eyes thoughtfully over that last example, your peepers became riveted to the next-to-last line of the page: an emdash (–, one long line) instead of a doubled dash with spaces on either end. Here again, we see that the standards that apply to printed books are not applicable to manuscripts.
Which brings me to yet another moral for the day: just because a particular piece of formatting looks right to those of us who have been reading books since we were three doesn't mean that it is correct in a manuscript. Or book proposal. Or contest entry.
Or a professional reader wouldn't instantly spot a trifle imported from the wonderful world of published books. Remember, Millicent scans manuscripts all day; contest judges read entries for hours at a time. After a surprisingly short while, a formatting issue that might well not even catch a lay reader's attention can begin to seem gargantuan.
Please don't dismiss this as unimportant to your success as a writer. If writing is solid, it deserves to be free of distracting formatting choices. You want agents, editors, and contest judges to be muttering, "Wow, this is good," over your manuscript, not "Oh, God, he doesn't know the rules about dashes," do you not?
Spare Millie the chagrin, please; both you and she will be the happier for it. Believe me, she could use a brilliantly-written, impeccably-formatted submission to brighten her possibly Dickensian day. Be compassionate toward her plight — and your submission's, proposal's, and/or contest entry's. Pay close enough attention to the technical details that yours the submission that makes her say, "Oh, here is good writing, well presented."
My, all of those individual grains of sand are attractive, aren't they? Keep up the good work!


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Football Aid 2012 – Play at Anfield!
WITH the transfer window closing last week it looked like football squads all over the UK had been finalised for the rest of the season…..however with the first set of Bidding positions closing at www.footballaid.com tomorrow there's still the chance to book your place in the Liverpool starting 11 for 2012!
Football Aid promises you a unique opportunity to Live the Dream of an authentic match day experience; gaining exclusive access to the pitch and tunnel areas, pulling on your own personalised shirt in the official changing rooms, walking down the tunnel to the sound of a cheering crowd and ultimately to step out onto the hallowed turf and represent Liverpool in a never to be forgotten football match. And it's all for charity as well!
Getting involved couldn't be easier, just visit www.footballaid.com, select Liverpool and position, then place your bid – it really is that simple. Bidding's available throughout the month of February with the last available positions closing on Wed 7th March and there promises to be some hugely exciting auction action in the weeks to come.
Week 1 should appeal to any Midfield Maestros out there, with the 45 min No 6 (CM), 90 min No 7 (RM) and 45 min No 8 (LM) closing on consecutive days between Tue 7th and Thu 9th February.
Week 2 features the always popular 90 min No 9 (CF), No 10 (CM) and No 11 (CF) positions closing Tue 14th, Wed 15th and Thu 16th.
Week 3 gives an opportunity for any defensive stalwarts to claim their place at the back with the 45 min No 2 (RB), 90 min No 4 (CH) and 45 min No 5 (CH) closing Tue 21st, Wed 22nd and Thu 23rd.
Week 4 gives a chance for any super subs to claim their place with the No 14 (CM), No 15 (CH), No 16 (RB) and No 17 (LM) closing between Mon 27th Feb and Thu 1st March.
All that's left is the last line of the defence, the 90 min No 1 GK position which closes on Fri 2nd. Finally, Wed 7th March sees any remaining positions made available in our always frenetic final day of bidding.
Home Team positions close at 15:00 pm with the Away Team closing at 16:00 pm. If you're concerned about losing out in injury time, or won't be available to monitor your bid for any reason, make sure and use the automated Maximum Bid option and remember you can close an auction early by using the Buy Now option on selected positions.
So don't get left on the bench, visit www.footballaid.com now and make your bid to secure a place on your Field of Dreams!
Football Aid celebrated their 11th anniversary in 2011 and have allowed over 12,225 football fans the chance to 'Live the Dream' in more than 460 matches. They are a groundbreaking organisation which generates funds annually by hosting charity football matches at iconic stadiums all over the UK. The unique concept was the brainchild of businessman and Football Aid Chairman Craig Paterson and funds raised from the event will benefit the work of a charitable project nominated by the club, as well as projects nominated by Football Aid's parent charity Field of Dreams.


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Previous Lesson
Complete and Continue
Advanced Handling
Introduction to Advanced Handling. (0:22)
Dog show etiquette - Switching placement in line (0:38)
The winners circle
It's not just a wet towel... (3:20)
Be fully prepared before entering the ring. (0:52)
Think about where you will stack your dog in the ring-before you get there! (1:10)
Stack your dog 25% faster-without thinking about it. (0:32)
Using the edge of the mat to your advantage. (0:59)
Relaxing your dog-The "kitty-kitty" method. (1:07)
Perfecting the Down & Back. (1:25)
Two dogs on a table together, what you should know. (0:43)
The Winners circle
In the Ring.
The judge's exam-make it feel GOOD. (1:21)
Grooming in the ring. (1:09)
How you feel-they feel. (1:42)
In the Ring Summary.
Tools you need:Stack Boxes
Introduction to the Stack box. (2:06)
Making the Stack Box Fun. (2:47)
Stack Box Dos and Don'ts (2:09)
Stack Box "Fun" and Conclusion. (5:00)
Stack Box Information.
Stack Box summary.
Move the front leg back- and why you do this. (1:17)
Moving the front leg back and why-on the floor. (0:49)
Perfecting the table. (2:07)
Handling classes-when to go, when to stay home. (0:58)
And another thing...
When not to practice and why. (0:45)
Checking the yellow sheets. (1:11)
Know your dog's virtue and faults, it is the key to success. (0:52)
Show your breed like your breed, and why. (0:51)
Training, conditioning-our cheatsheets and proven methods explained.
Vision board example-conditioning the mind and body.
Picky eaters and a recipe they love.
Checklist:Conditioning your showdog.
Washing your dog, how to do it right
Going further-the best dog in two minutes. (0:23)
Going further-buyers vs sellers. (0:37)
Advanced Handling Conclusion (0:22)
The judge's exam-make it feel GOOD.
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Cialis Jelly is a well-known ED treatment in the jelly form. The jelly is meant to be consumed orally and should be allowed to dissolve in the oral cavity before it is swallowed. More easily swallowed than tablets, Cialis Jelly is also suitable for elderly people and people who have difficulty in swallowing. Active Ingredient: Tadalafil Availability: In Stock (17 packages) |
Product name | Per Pill | Savings | Per Pack | Order |
10 sachets | $5.20 | $51.98 | ADD TO CART | |
20 sachets | $3.98 | $24.39 | $103.97 $79.58 | ADD TO CART |
30 sachets | $3.57 | $48.77 | $155.95 $107.18 | ADD TO CART |
60 sachets | $3.17 | $121.93 | $311.91 $189.98 | ADD TO CART |
90 sachets | $3.03 | $195.08 | $467.85 $272.77 | ADD TO CART |
120 sachets | $2.96 | $268.24 | $623.81 $355.57 | ADD TO CART |
Cialis Jelly is indicated for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Cialis Jelly is a phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor. It works by helping to increase blood flow into the penis during sexual stimulation. This helps you to achieve and maintain an erection.
Use Cialis Jelly as directed by your doctor.
- Take Cialis Jelly by mouth with or without food.
- For use as needed: Take Cialis Jelly at least 30 minutes before sexual activity, as directed by your doctor. Cialis Jelly may work for up to 36 hours after you take it.
- For daily use: Take Cialis Jelly regularly at about the same time each day.
- Talk with your doctor if you have questions about how you should take Cialis Jelly
- Check with your doctor before you eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice while you are taking Cialis Jelly
- For use as needed: If you miss a dose of Cialis Jelly and you still intend to engage in sexual activity, take it as soon as you remember. Continue to take it as directed by your doctor.
- For daily use: If you miss a dose of Cialis Jelly, take it as soon as possible. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take 2 doses at once.
Ask your health care provider any questions you may have about how to use Cialis Jelly.
Store Cialis Jelly at 77 degrees F (25 degrees C). Brief storage at temperatures between 59 and 86 degrees F (15 and 30 degrees C) is permitted. Store away from heat, moisture, and light. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep Cialis Jelly out of the reach of children and away from pets.
Active Ingredient: Tadalafil.
Do NOT use Cialis Jelly if:
- you are allergic to any ingredient in Cialis Jelly
- you have severe kidney problems and will be taking Cialis Jelly daily
- you have severe liver problems or certain hereditary degenerative eye problems (eg, retinitis pigmentosa)
- you have certain heart problems (eg, unstable angina, angina during sexual intercourse, uncontrolled irregular heartbeat), low blood pressure, or uncontrolled high blood pressure
- you have had a heart attack within the past 90 days or you have had severe heart failure or a stroke within the past 6 months
- you are taking a nitrate (eg, isosorbide, nitroglycerin) in any form (eg, tablet, capsule, patch, ointment), or nitroprusside
- you have been advised by your doctor to avoid sexual activity because of heart problems
- you use certain recreational drugs called "poppers" (eg, amyl nitrate or nitrite, butyl nitrate or nitrite)
- you take another PDE5 inhibitor (eg, sildenafil, vardenafil) or another medicine that contains tadalafil.
Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.
Some medical conditions may interact with Cialis Jelly. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have any medical conditions, especially if any of the following apply to you:
- if you are taking any prescription or nonprescription medicine, herbal preparation, or dietary supplement
- if you have allergies to medicines, foods, or other substances
- if you have a deformed penis (eg, Peyronie disease, cavernosal fibrosis), blood cell problems (eg, sickle cell anemia, leukemia, multiple myeloma), or any other condition that may increase the risk of a prolonged erection (priapism)
- if you have a history of a prolonged (more than 4 hours) or painful erection (priapism)
- if you have a history of certain eye problems (eg, retinitis pigmentosa, sudden vision loss, optic neuropathy, macular degeneration) or hearing problems (eg, ringing in the ears, decreased hearing, hearing loss)
- if you have a history of liver or kidney problems, dialysis, lung problems (eg, pulmonary veno-occlusive disease), high or low blood pressure, ulcers, bleeding problems, heart problems (eg, heart failure, irregular heartbeat, aortic stenosis, angina), or blood vessel problems
- if you have a history of heart attack, stroke, or life-threatening irregular heartbeat.
Some medicines may interact with Cialis Jelly. Tell your health care provider if you are taking any other medicines, especially any of the following:
- Alpha-blockers (eg, doxazosin), medicines for high blood pressure, nitrates (eg, isosorbide, nitroglycerin), or nitroprusside because severe low blood pressure with dizziness, lightheadedness, and fainting may occur
- Azole antifungals (eg, itraconazole), HIV protease inhibitors (eg, ritonavir), macrolide antibiotics (eg, erythromycin), or telithromycin because they may increase the risk of Cialis Jelly's side effects
- Barbiturates (eg, phenobarbital), carbamazepine, phenytoin, or rifampin because they may decrease Cialis Jelly's effectiveness.
This may not be a complete list of all interactions that may occur. Ask your health care provider if Cialis Jelly may interact with other medicines that you take. Check with your health care provider before you start, stop, or change the dose of any medicine.
Important safety information:
- Cialis Jelly may cause dizziness, drowsiness, fainting, or blurred vision. These effects may be worse if you take it with alcohol or certain medicines. Use Cialis Jelly with caution. Do not drive or perform other possible unsafe tasks until you know how you react to it.
- Cialis Jelly may cause dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting; alcohol, hot weather, exercise, or fever may increase these effects. To prevent them, sit up or stand slowly, especially in the morning. Sit or lie down at the first sign of any of these effects.
- Do not drink large amounts of alcohol (eg, 5 drinks or more) while you take Cialis Jelly. Doing so may increase your risk of dizziness, headache, fast heartbeat, and low blood pressure.
- Patients with heart problems who take Cialis Jelly may be at increased risk for heart-related side effects, including heart attack or stroke. Symptoms of a heart attack may include chest, shoulder, neck, or jaw pain; numbness of an arm or leg; severe dizziness, headache, nausea, stomach pain, or vomiting; fainting; or vision changes. Symptoms of a stroke may include confusion; vision or speech changes; one-sided weakness; or fainting. Contact your doctor or seek medical attention right away if you experience these symptoms.
- Cialis Jelly may rarely cause a prolonged (eg, more than 4 hours) or painful erection. This could happen even when you are not having sex. If this is not treated right away, it could lead to permanent sexual problems such as impotence. Contact your doctor right away if this happens.
- Cialis Jelly does not stop the spread of HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) to others through sexual contact. Use barrier methods of birth control (eg, condoms) if you have HIV infection or an STD.
- Cialis Jelly will not prevent pregnancy. If your partner may become pregnant and you wish to avoid pregnancy, be sure to use an effective form of birth control.
- Cialis Jelly may uncommonly cause mild, temporary vision changes (eg, blurred vision, sensitivity to light, blue/green color tint to vision). Contact your doctor if vision changes persist or are severe.
- Rarely, an eye problem called nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) has been reported in patients who took Cialis Jelly. This may lead to decreased vision or permanent loss of vision in some cases. If you notice a sudden decrease in vision or loss of vision in one or both eyes, contact your doctor right away.
- Sudden decreases in hearing and loss of hearing have been reported in some patients who have taken Cialis Jelly. Sometimes they also noticed ringing in the ears or dizziness. If you notice a sudden decrease or loss of hearing, contact your doctor right away.
- Do not use other medicines or treatments for ED while you are taking Cialis Jelly without first checking with your doctor.
- Use Cialis Jelly with caution in the elderly; they may be more sensitive to its effects.
- Cialis Jelly is not recommended for use in children younger 18 years.
All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects.
Check with your doctor if any of these most common side effects persist or become bothersome:
Dizziness; flushing; headache; heartburn; mild back or muscle pain; stomach upset; stuffy or runny nose.
Seek medical attention right away if any of these severe side effects occur:
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); chest pain; fainting; fast or irregular heartbeat; memory loss; numbness of an arm or leg; one-sided weakness; prolonged, painful erection; red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin; ringing in the ears; seizures; severe or persistent back or muscle pain; severe or persistent dizziness; severe or persistent vision changes; sudden decrease or loss of hearing; sudden decrease or loss of vision in one or both eyes.
This is not a complete list of all side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, contact your health care provider.


text:
Your vehicle is a part of your life. Out on the road with the ones you love, doing the things you love. Connected Vehicle Services can elevate your ownership experience and give you peace of mind behind the wheel. OnStar®and Connected Services keep your vehicle connected and protected — with a variety of services to meet every need.
When the unexpected happens, the last thing you want is to be alone. OnStar can be there to help protect the people you love when you're out on the road.
Built-in sensors are designed to automatically alert OnStar if you're in a crash, so an Advisor can help pinpoint your vehicle's location and direct first responders there.
An OnStar Advisor can guide you to a destination and download the directions to your vehicle (if properly equipped), even if you don't know the exact address.
If your vehicle is stolen, OnStar technology is designed to help locate the vehicle, so that anOnStar Advisor can work with authorities to attempt to recover it.
Designed to provide you with emergency resources if you're caught in a crisis or severe weather situation, such as special routing assistance and help locating shelter.
A priority connection to a specially trained OnStar Advisor who can contact emergency service providers and provide certain types of critical assistance, should you need help.
If you're stranded, have a flat tire or need a tow, an OnStar Advisor can contact a local service provider to help get you the assistance you need.
OnStar is available on more than 30 GM vehicles. Eligible vehicles can activate up to 3 months ofOnStar Safety & Security Coverage and Connected Services by simply pushing your blue OnStar button.
Connected Services are for drivers who know a vehicle is more than just a mode of transportation.
Use your vehicle's mobile app to remotely start your properly equipped vehicle, lock/unlock your doors and sound the horn and/or flash your lights.
Check the health of key vehicle systems like the engine, transmission and more with the help of an OnStar Advisor.
A fast in-vehicle connection that can power both your vehicle's infotainment system and a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot that supports up to seven devices (data plan required).
An OnStar Advisor can guide you to a destination and download the directions to your vehicle (if properly equipped), even if you don't know the exact address.
Enjoy real-time traffic updates, local fuel prices and parking options from your vehicle's built-in navigation system (if properly equipped).
The vehicle has a built-in wireless service to help keep you connected while on the road. Push a button and call out a name or number and an OnStar Advisor will do the rest. Excluded during the trial period.
We help millions of people stay safe, connected and ready for the road. Check out our tips for how OnStar and Connected Services help Members get more out of their travels
©2019 General Motors of Canada Company. All rights reserved.
Visit onstar.ca for coverage maps, details and system limitations. Services vary by model, service plan and conditions as well as geographical and technical restrictions. Service plan required.
Automatic Crash Response/Emergency Services/Crisis Assist: OnStar acts as a link to existing service providers. Not all vehicles may transmit crash data.
Roadside Assistance: Roadside services provided by Allstate Roadside Services. Limitations and restrictions may apply.
Stolen Vehicle Assistance: Services are subject to user terms and limitations and vary by vehicle model. Requires subscription to OnStar Security Plan, OnStar Guidance Plan, or OnStar Safety & Security Plan. These services are intended to assist with vehicle recovery and do not prevent theft or protect against damage or loss. Visit onstar.ca for more details.
Turn-by-Turn Navigation: Requires subscription to OnStar Guidance Plan, Premium Access Plan, OnStar Safety & Security Plan or Navigation add on. Services are subject to user terms and limitations and vary by vehicle model. Visit onstar.ca for more details.
4G LTE with built-in Wi-Fi® hotspot: Visit onstar.ca for vehicle availability, details and system limitations. Services and connectivity vary by model and conditions as well as geographical and technical restrictions. Requires active connected vehicle services and data plan. Data plans provided by AT&T or its local service provider. Accessory Power must be active to use the Wi-Fi hotspot.
Remote Key Fob: Requires subscription to Remote Access Plan or Premium Access Plan. Services are subject to user terms and limitations and vary by vehicle model. Unlock feature requires automatic locks. Remote start requires GM factory-installed and enabled remote start system. Visit onstar.ca for more details.
Connected Navigation: Requires subscription to OnStar Guidance Plan, Premium Access Plan or Navigation add on. Connected Navigation and Real-time Points of Interest (POI) only available on properly equipped vehicles. Services are subject to user terms and limitations and vary by vehicle model. Visit onstar.ca for more details.
Remarketing: Eligible pre-owned vehicles equipped with 3G or 4G LTE OnStar hardware are eligible for 1 month of OnStar Safety & Security Plan and 1 month of Connected Services (Hands-Free Calling minutes excluded during the trial period) which may, depending on your vehicle's hardware, include navigation services, Remote AccessPlan, and, for 4G LTE equipped vehicles, 1 month or 3 GB of data (whichever comes first) from activation. Services are subject to user terms and limitations and capabilities vary by vehicle model and the type of OnStar hardware. Your 1-month trial will not be automatically converted into a paid service plan. If you choose to enroll in a paid monthly plan within 15 days of activation, you'll receive the first 2 months of the paid plan you select on us. After expiry of the first 2 months of your paid plan, we will automatically bill your payment method each month and charges for data will be billed every 30 days by AT&T or its local service provider. To enroll or to cancel at any time, press your blue OnStar button or call 1-888-4-ONSTAR (1-888-466-7827). See onstar.ca for details and further plan limitations. Data plan provided by AT&T or its local service provider. Availability subject to change.


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Mars Grow Tent 2.4m x 1.2m x 2m
In stock
The Mars Grow Tent 2.4m x 1.2m x 2m is very quick and easy to assemble and comprises of all the useful features you would expect. Provides a practical solution to creating a controlled horticultural environment.
It features top quality double thick Mylar with a 99% efficient reflective surface. The tents collect and then reflect any light emitted outside of the canopy footprint and delivers it directly back to the plant. These tents are designed to reflect the spectrum's provided by Mars Hydro LED grow lights and other HID grow lights. HID Grow lights such as Metal Halide (MH) and High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lamps can also be used in this grow tent. This special surface easily outperforms any other grow tents available. The Mars Grow Tents are one of the first LED engineered Grow tent specifically for growing with Mars Hydro products.
Features of Mars Grow Tent:
- Ultra-Reflective Lined Mylar for superior light reflectivity and dispersal.
- Premium Mylar sides: 2X stronger & thicker than the competition.
- Vented flaps with screens: helps maintain a light proof environment.
- Steel construction: Including poles, fixture braces & corners.
- Supports up to 65Kg fixture for a a safe grow environment.
- Removable waterproof material floor liner tray: contains spills/water within tent.
- Completely non-toxic bug and disease resistant "no off-gassing".
Step-by-step tent setup video below:
Reflective Mylar Tent Skin
Full steel frame with fixture mounts
Assembly instruction & users guide
Please read through all instructions. If grow tent is improperly installed and/or maintained, there is potential for damage or possible injury or death.
Assemble correctly to avoid tent tipping over and causing injury.
Use extreme care when handling sharp object in or around tent.
Do not place grow tent near a deck, stairs, chair, or other unsafe structure.
Do not hang equipment on or from grow tent that is above the supported weight range.
Keep electrical wires safely away from equipment and areas in and or around the tent that may collect water.
Do not expose grow tent to direct sunlight, near an open flame, or a heat source.
Do not use your grow tent if any part of your tent material is cracked, ripped, or broken.
Do not permit children to play on, in, or around grow tent.
Provide proper air circulation in your grow tent to prevent air from going stale.