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The arrest of John Mark Karr over the killing of American child beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey has caused the Thai authorities to question the vetting procedures used to recruit foreign teaching staff.
Karr - a wanted man in the US, who was once held on suspicion of possessing child pornography - successfully applied for a job in a Bangkok school just days before his arrest.
He had previously worked in two other Thai schools.
In fact he seems to have spent the past 10 years as a globe-trotting teacher who, according to his resume, taught in South Korea, Europe and Latin America.
"This case shows that we may need to tighten the rules on screening teachers," said Jakrapob Penkair, a Thai government spokesman overseeing educational affairs.
Mr Jakrapob said that while there was currently no national recruitment system, the government was due to meet early next week to discuss whether more regulations were needed.
Inappropriate behaviour
Every year, thousands of foreigners apply for work in Thai schools, particularly in international and language schools.
"The vast majority are here trying to help the kids, but some are here for sex, booze and drugs," said Frank Moore, a teacher and moderator of an expatriate teaching website.
Some take it even further. In May, an American teacher was deported from Thailand after serving a one-year jail sentence for abusing teenage boys - and he is far from being an isolated case.
According to Mr Jakrapob, there are two types of teachers in Thailand - those who arrive specifically to teach, on official work permits, and others who are short-term visitors on tourist visas.
It is the latter category he is most concerned about, because of the lack of regulations.
Some schools, such as the long-established International School Bangkok, only hire fully qualified long-term teachers, and run extensive background checks.
"The safety of our children is of prime importance," said deputy head teacher Tom Baker.
But the shortage of teachers is such that many smaller and newer establishments depend on the temporary services of backpackers and other tourists to stay in business - and often make little or no attempt to research these people's pasts.
"It's obvious to me that more than 80% of schools here don't do any background checks," said Frank Moore.
And even when checks are carried out, it is debatable whether every potential paedophile would be weeded out anyway, given the information available.
"There are a lot of foreign databases with information about people with criminal backgrounds which are not available overseas," said Mr Baker.
Karr's case is a prime example. Bangkok Christian College, which employed him for two weeks in June, said it had run a background search on him and found nothing.
The results of this unregulated system are obvious. While most teachers are working in Thailand for legitimate reasons, those that are not often find they can get away with their behaviour.
One teacher, who did not want to be named, said he knew of staff who "had problems from mental illness, to alcohol and substance abuse, to inappropriate interest in the students."
"Most of these people are eventually fired but move on to other positions," he said.
Holistic approach
Karr's case is now encouraging the Thai government to look into standardising vetting procedures on a national level, rather than leaving the responsibility to individual schools.
Stephanie Delaney, a Bangkok-based spokeswoman for Ecpat, an international organisation working to combat the sexual exploitation of children, said she would welcome a national standard, but cautioned that this alone would not solve the problem.
According to Ms Delaney, Thailand's standards are actually no worse than those in many other countries.
But there is little doubt that Thailand, and South East Asia as a whole, has an unenviable reputation for attracting paedophiles - a problem brought into the spotlight in recent months by the conviction of British pop star Gary Glitter in Vietnam.
Part of the problem is the sheer numbers of Western men coming to the region, attracted by the easy-going lifestyle and year-round sun.
"We have a Mai Pen Rai (Thai for 'No worries') culture here. People are happy and relaxed and it's easy to fit in. Unfortunately, bad people can take advantage of that," said Mr Jakrapob.
"Our strength could turn into a weakness if we don't use it right. We want to welcome people here, but we also have to prevent bad people from slipping through the net."
Most Popular Now | 56,514 people are reading stories on the site right now.";


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I'm an old guy with chronic heath problems that make it difficult for me to sit up for very long.
I received a and old hand-me-down Dell Inspiron 1100 laptop from FreeCycle Seattle and I have a Dell XP re-installation CD that a guy from a BBS mailed to me.
The laptop currently has the previous owner's XP installation along with a ton of her software and files.
I'd like to delete everything and do a completely clean re-installation of XP so as to avoid inheriting any problems in her registry (as well as any malware or other issues that may be tagging along for the ride).
I tried booting from the Dell re-installation CD, but got stopped cold by the screen that says:
"You chose to install Windows XP on a partition that contains another operating system. Installing Windows XP on this partition might cause the other operating system to function improperly"
But, I don't want to leave any trace of the existing operating system.
So do I need to first repartition and reformat the hard drive, and then boot from the Dell CD?
Somehow I got the idea that the Dell CD would do the partitioning and reformatting automatically.
I'd be grateful for some coaching on this project,
Will in Seattle
a.k.a. "Clueless""You chose to install Windows XP on a partition that contains another
Solved! Go to Solution.
1. Boot the first one, then right-click My Computer, Properties, Advanced tab, Startup/Recovery, Edit the boot options, delete only the second entry in the boot list, then Save ... it should now be gone.
2. Personal/business preference. Putting the hard drive first makes it so that if you want to boot to some other device, you must change it in the BIOS ... for example, setting Hard Drive first, it will never boot to CD if a bootable CD is in the drive.
3. Yes. Drivers can be found at support.dell.com. First install the System Software (probably under "utilities"), then chipset, then other devices (such as the video driver).
Boy, the contributors to these forums are way too fast for this old guy!
TheFlash1932 has already answered this question for me over in Software & Operating Systems!
These Dell forum have got to be among the most helpful on the web.
Many thanks for helping me out!
Will Anderson in Seattle
a..k.a. "Clueless"
Hi Clueless in Seattle,
Hope you get well soon. My prayers are with you.
You may find the link below for the video on how to format the HDD and install the fresh copy of Windows XP Operating system:
Revert for further queries.
Thanks and Regards,
DELL-Sujatha K
Dell Social Media and Community Professional
Order Status
Download Drivers
Follow Windows Reinstallation Guide/A Clean Install of Windows XP:
To completely remove all traces of the old XP follow the optional Step 7a it will wipe the drive completely. Step 7b doesn't apply to this system and so can be ignored.
Windows FAQs and OEM Downloads
Many thanks, Sujatha K! I followed the steps in that video and now have a clean installation of Windows XP on my "new" (to me) Inspiron 1100 laptop.
I have one more question, though:
In "Computer Management" I see two partitions: 39 MB FAT and 27.90 GB NTFS
I'm wondering if I should go back to square one and delete that FAT partition and then redo the XP installation.
Do you know what the 39 MB FAT partition is for? Could it be something left over from the previous owner's XP installation? Or could it have been created by the reinstall I just completed?
I want to make sure I've deleted every remnant of the previous owner's operating system and software, so I can make a clean start with this computer.
Will in Seattle
a.k.a. "Clueless"
P.S. Once I get this installation of XP the way I want it, then I'm going to need coaching on how to add this computer to my home network. Can you recommend a forum where I can get help with that?
The FAT partition is a diagnostics partition. You don't need it, but it probably isn't worth the time and effort to delete either. It has NOTHING on it specific to the previous owner.
To join your home network:
Do you have a wireless router at home, and do you know the SSID (network name) and password to join it? If so, then simply joining it should be enough in most cases (assuming your other computers are also connected to that same router). If you need further help, tell us more about your home network.
Hi TheFlash1932!
Thanks for taking the time to help me out on this. I'm grateful for the kindness and generosity (and patience!) of the contributors to this forum. I could never keep my rusty old computers and software up and running were it not for the help I'm getting here from you folks.
As for my home network: Right now I have three computers on the network:
1. A really old Micron Millennia PC (with just 284 MB RAM!) running Win 2K Pro (This is my main computer. I seem to be losing my eyesight so I can't make out the model number on the plate on the back.)
2. A second-hand generic Pentium 4 PC with the previous owner's XP already installed (This one suffers from a shut-down stall that I need to fix. Then I want to retire the Micron and use this one as my main computer).
3. A hand-me down Inspiron 1150 with a dead screen hooked up to an external monitor. I use this laptop in bed (where a Ispend the better part of my time these days, with the monitor on a rolling TV cart next to the bed).
They are all hooked together with cables to a Xyxel PK5000X DSL modem that I got from the phone company. The modem rental was free for the first year, but now they are charging me five bucks a month for it, so I need to find a replacement).
It's been a while since I set-up the network, (and my memory gets wiped out from time to time by little brainstorms called temporal epileptic seizures) so I can't even remember where to look for the settings. I do vaguely remember that I have to install something like TCPIP or NETBUI but can't for the life of me recall where to find those settings or what to do once I find them.
I'm guessing that I'll need to download a bunch of drivers to my main computer (this klunky old underpowered Micron running Win 2K) and then copy them over to the laptop. Does that make sense?
I'd like to to get the Inspiron 1100 laptop (the "new" Inspiron with the working screen) on line, so I can download all the XP updates. Does that seem like the logical next step.
Thanks again for offering to help me with this. I have trouble getting out these days, so my computers are my primary links with the outside world,
Will in Seattle
a.k.a. "Clueless"
As long as you have Service Pack 3 installed on your XP, TCP should be installed and functioning, although you may need to set an IP address if your modem does not assign IP addresses. You would do this by clicking on TCP/IP, then Properties ... you would need to make a note of other IP settings from another PC (Command Prompt, IPCONFIG /ALL).
I don't remember if NETBUI is required for 2000 or not - I haven't used that since Windows 98.
"I'm guessing that I'll need to download a bunch of drivers to my main computer (this klunky old underpowered Micron running Win 2K) and then copy them over to the laptop. Does that make sense?"
If you did not install the System Software, chipset, and other drivers as part of the process of reinstalling XP on your 1100, then, yes, you need to do that before it will function correctly. Downloading them on another PC then copying them over is just fine.
Hi again, TheFlash1932!
You wrote that "The FAT partition is a diagnostics partition. You don't need it, but it probably isn't worth the time and effort to delete either."
My longtime Windows coach on a Seattle BBS, who can be overly fussy, insists that I absolutely must delete that FAT partition.
I don't mind going to the extra trouble of reinstalling XP from the CD a second time and deleting that partition the second time around if it will keep my finger wagging coach happy.
So, in your opinion, is there any reason why I should consider keeping that FAT partition? I mean, can you conceive of some scenario further down the pike when I might end up needing to access that FAT partition to bail myself out of a troublesome situation?
Will in Seattle
a.k.a. "Clueless.
"My longtime Windows coach on a Seattle BBS, who can be overly fussy, insists that I absolutely must delete that FAT partition."
Sure, there are reasons to ... if you need an extra partition (MBR disks support only 4 primary partitions), and some backup software freaks out with it, but there are very few legitimate reasons. Did you buddy say why, or does he just expect obedience?
The ONLY thing that partition is used for is diagnostics. If you need to run diagnostics, you can always download the latest version and create a bootable USB or CD to run them. You don't need it, but like I said, UNLESS you have a good reason to delete it (and simply "wanting to" is usually good enough), then it's not worth the trouble to delete.
Hi again, theflash1932,
I went ahead and reinstalled XP Home a second time.
Now I've got some more questions. Should I start a new thread for each question? Or can we just continue in this thread?
Here are the questions:
1. Now when I start the computer, I get a dual-boot screen saying:
Please select the operating system to start:
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
The first option boots normally, but the second option gives me an error message:
Windows could not start because of a computer disk hardware configuration problem.
Could not read from the selected boot disk. Check boot path and disk hardware
2. I've set the Boot Order to:
Internal HDD
CD/DVD/CD-RW Drive
USB Storage Device
Is there a preferred order?
3. The display is inside a small rectangle in the center of the laptop screen, using only about a third of the total screen size. Do I need to download a display driver for this machine in order to enlarge the image so that it fills the entire screen?
Will in Seattle
a.k.a. "Clueless"

subset: commoncrawl


text:
NK Canada Traits
1. Agrisure® 3000GT
2. Agrisure CB/LL/RW
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6. Agrisure GT/RW
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Monsanto Traits
YieldGard® Corn Borer hybrids contain an insecticidal protein from Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.) that protects corn plants from specific lepidopteran insect pests. The YieldGard Corn Borer trait delivers whole-plant, full-season protection against European corn borer.
It's the best of both combined into one: European corn borer protection combined with proven crop safety and great weed control in the Roundup Ready® Corn 2 System. YieldGard® Corn Borer not only protects against European corn borer but many other insect pests as well. The Roundup Ready Corn 2 System provides outstanding crop safety and more flexibility which means no matter what your spray program is, the Roundup Ready Corn 2 System fits the way you farm.
Roundup Ready Corn 2 contains in-plant tolerance to Roundup agricultural herbicides. Growers are provided excellent crop safety and full yield potential, with applications made up to and including the eight leaf stage. The Roundup Ready® Corn 2 System provides outstanding crop safety and more flexibility which means no matter what your spray program is, the Roundup Ready Corn 2 System fits the way you farm.
The YieldGard VT TripleTM trait provides European corn borer protection in the Roundup Ready® System with a powerful, more consistent barrier of protection against corn rootworm than ever before. With VecTran™ trait-insertion technology, new YieldGard VT Triple delivers more consistent insect protection. Combine that with the unsurpassed weed control of the Roundup Ready® 2 Technology System, and you've got a triple-stacked package that maximizes yield protection for today's top-performing hybrids.


text:
Ask More from your Base
Do you know a person, perhaps an old friend or a half-distant relative, who only calls when they want something? How do you feel about that person? What do you do when you see their number pop up on the caller ID?
Here's the thing: you don't want to accidentally become that person.
All my tips and pleas that you constantly cultivate, steward, and otherwise form a relationship with all your prospects that goes beyond perfunctory (and frequent) solicitation? It's all about not being that person.
The same holds true for the folks in your larger base, the folks you communicate with primarily though mass communications and direct mail. You may see them as one data point in a statistical mass, but they have a one to one relationship with you. Paradoxically, one way to make them feel like you care about more than money is to ask them for more. Sort of. Read more


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Archive for August, 2011
Purses are a girl's best friend…
Purses are a girl's best friend. Oh, wait. That isn't right, is it? Well, I don't know about you but my purses are some of my best friends. Diamonds don't carry your wallet, make-up, feminine products, and crumpled up receipts. What would we do without those handbags and totes?! I am sure there are other ladies out there that can relate when I say… I carry my life in my purse! Not only do purses hold a our precious worlds, but they can completely pull together our favorite outfits! But in this post I show you how purses can pull together your special occasion. Move over Louis Vuitton… Ari Grealish has released her new designer bags:
Introducing the Wildlife Collection
All designs are created with my handmade SVG file. Just think of all the possible designs you can come up with yourself! Just download my Purse SVG below and follow the steps below to recreate purses similar to mine.
Now that you have your SVG downloaded, get your supplies! Choose whatever colors and designs you want. Add ribbon, flowers, jewels, or whatever you need to go along with your project. You will also need the basics: glue, a cutting machine and software (Cricut/SCAL).
The first step is to download and cut. Make your purse to whatever size desired. Next, glue pieces together and add special effects. I used ribbon for the handle and added fabric flowers and brads to fancy it up a bit! But use whatever you want. Next, stick adhesive pop-ups under flap to keep it closed. You don't want to glue it, otherwise it won't open. DUH! Or use velcro squares that have the adhesive on the back. The last step is too print the event info., cut to size, then glue inside the purse! It is up to you to make your purse a designer purse. I just supply the SVG 😉
Have fun my friends!
Monster Truck Mania
Are you ready for some crushing, annihilating, trashing, obliterating, smashing, destructing Monster Truck invitations? ARE YOU READYYYYYYYYYY!?! Now just imagine saying all that in an "announcer voice" so it will make more sense and will be more exciting 😉 Actually, who am I kidding? This is exciting! It is not very often I get to do little boy invitations. And I must say… these turned out to be pretty FANTASTICAL, considering I had a short time limit to design and create 45 of these babies!
Now… I don't want to toot my own horn, but pretty awesome, huh? The wheels even spin! Something to look at and play with! "Ya, but where is all the information?" you ask….
On the inside! Just flip it open and there you go! Vrooooom Vrooooooom!!!!! Now get to smashing! Just download the Monster Truck SVG below to get started:
After you have your svg downloaded, go get your supplies! You will need some cardstock in the colors of your choice, glue, and brads. Have fun and make it your own!
Keep On Truckin' invitations
When my mother-in-law, Rose, asked me to make her 70s themed 40th anniversary invites, I thought… Why not? Shouldn't be too hard! Well, I was way wrong. Since I was born just a few years after the 70s, 17 to be exact, my image of the 70s was a little off. I was thinking like Disco Fever or That 70s Show, which might work for the late 70s but my in-laws were married in 1971. Then I was even more confused because this was still hippie/tie-dye era, but not flower power/peace sign era. And on top of all this mind boggling madness of not knowing what was in and out in 1971, I wanted to make the invitations represent what they were celebrating. Here is what we came up with after some brainstorming…
"I don't get it," is what some of you may be thinking, especially you youngins'. But here is the cute little story behind the invitations and the people I made them for:
My in-laws, Bob and Rose, met in college and started dating. Together they would go to coffee house. Bob would play his guitar and Rose would play her mandolin. In 1971, the couple was married. At their wedding, Bob played his guitar and sang "My Sweet Lady" by John Denver to his new wife. Awww…such a tear jerker. And that, my friends is how these invitations were created!
Do you need a guitar or mandolin for your invitations or special project? Download the guitar and mandolin svgs below!
Congrats to Bob and Rose on their 40 years of wedded bliss 🙂


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Publications by:
Shaun Bochow
Also publishes as (S. Bochow)
|Up a level
Bochow, Shaun (2016) Characterisation of Cherax quadricarinatus densovirus: the first virus characterised from Australian freshwater crayfish. PhD thesis, James Cook University.
Bochow, Shaun, Condon, Kelly, Elliman, Jennifer, and Owens, Leigh (2015) First complete genome of an Ambidensovirus; Cherax quadricarinatus densovirus, from freshwater crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus. Marine Genomics, 24 (3). pp. 305-312.
Bochow, S., Elliman, J., and Owens, L. (2012) Bacteriophage adenine methyltransferase: a life cycle regulator? Modelled using Vibrio harveyi myovirus like. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 113 (5). pp. 1001-1013.


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Sciences Po was founded in 1872 in response to the political and moral crisis that gripped France in the aftermath of the 1870 Franco-Prussian War. The intention was to educate a new elite, capable of understanding complex issues, through a cross-disciplinary approach and an international perspective. Today, this ambition is still at the heart of our educational approach.
Students gain admission to Sciences Po after passing the Baccalauréat (or a foreign equivalent) or having completed an undergraduate or graduate programme. In addition, Sciences Po runs a popular Summer School and a variety of MOOCs, providing study opportunities for a wide range of students who attend summer courses or benefit from online learning.
Sciences Po is a research university in the social sciences, internationally recognised for the quality of its scientific output. Developed with a strong focus on society, research conducted at Sciences Po enriches public debate.
At Sciences Po, more than 200 faculty members in the fields of humanities and social sciences study transformations at work in the modern world and the challenges they represent.
With a catalogue of nearly one million documents and a wide range of digital resources, the Sciences Po library is recognised as a reference library for the social sciences in Europe.
The library facilitates access to information for all, especially through its many digital resources.
Key facts
At Sciences Po, students enjoy a range of digital services designed to simplify academic life – from work management and new ways of learning, to countless resource materials.
The Sciences Po Health Centre is available to:
Sciences Po is present today in seven French cities: Dijon, Le Havre, Menton, Nancy, Paris, Poitiers, Reims. These seven campuses are located in cities boasting exceptional historical and cultural heritage.
Located in the region of Burgundy in a magnificent 19th century building, the Dijon campus was created in 2001. It hosts students enrolled in the European - Central and Eastern Europe undergraduate programme, and in the dual Bachelor's degree with UCL.
Established in the region of Lorraine in 2000, the Nancy campus is located in a prestigious 18th century heritage site, the Hôtel des Missions Royales.
Dijon, Le Havre, Menton, Nancy, Poitiers and Reims also offer you the possibility of signing up for sporting activities, either for leisure or to defend the colours of your campus at the inimitable annual Collegiades tournament.
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Together with the ISIC Association and British Council IELTS, Studyportals offers you the chance to receive up to £10000 to expand your horizon and study abroad. We want to ultimately encourage you to study abroad in order to experience and explore new countries, cultures and languages.


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Experts in orthopedic surgery and sports medicine are divided in their opinion about whether the hip injury sustained by Bo Jackson, a star in professional baseball and football and a news-media superstar, is one that will end his career as a professional athlete.
One orthopedic surgeon for a professional football team, Dr. Russell Warren of the New York Giants, said yesterday that Jackson's injury, while serious, might not end his playing career. The Kansas City Royals baseball team cited the injury Monday when it announced it was releasing the player. Dr. Warren said he had managed the care of one running back with an almost identical injury who stayed out a season and is still playing professional football.
But other orthopedic experts expressed serious doubt that the 28- year-old Jackson could return to professional competition, based on their reading of the Royals' medical report of the athlete's hip injury.
The confusion over Jackson's medical status also extended to his future as a high-profile spokesman for manufacturers who have benefited from his much-publicized "Bo Knows" image. [ Business Day, page D1. ] Injury Jan. 13
Jackson has suffered complications from a fracture-dislocation of the hip that he suffered while playing for the Los Angeles Raiders in a National Football League playoff game on Jan. 13. The complications are separate problems that involve damage to the bone and the cartilage.Continue reading the main story
One problem is complete loss of the thin layer of cartilage that lines the ball-and-socket hip joint, and is known as traumatic chondrolysis. Cartilage helps protect bone by cushioning it from shocks. Loss of cartilage can be devastating, particularly to athletes, because adults are unable to form new cartilage.
The second problem is destruction of bone in one section of the femur, the thick thigh bone that connects the leg and pelvis at the hip. This damage is called avascular necrosis because bone cells die from a damaged blood supply. The condition is also known as aseptic necrosis and osteonecrosis.
Aseptic necrosis is more common outside of sports and can occur at any age. In one example, when ships were torpedoed in World War II, many sailors were thrown in the air and dislocated their hips when they landed on the deck. Avascular necrosis followed.
Avascular necrosis also occurs after automobile accidents when victims bang a knee against the dashboard and the force of the injury dislocates the hip.
Many recipients of transplanted kidneys and other organs suffer avascular necrosis as a complication of treatment with large doses of steroids. The gluco-cortico-steroids used to suppress the immune system differ from the anabolic steroids that many athletes take to build muscles. Experts said they were unaware of reports linking aseptic necrosis and anabolic steroids.
The Royals' team physician, Dr. Steve Joyce, said Jackson's prognosis for returning to competitive athletics was uncertain. Dr. Joyce discovered the necrosis during an examination in February. Tests last Friday showed a worsening of the cartilage and bone problems. Dr. Joyce's report of those tests and his recommendation that Jackson would not be able to play baseball this season led to the release by the Royals, the club said. Wait-and-See Attitude
Dr. James R. Andrews, an orthopedic surgeon who has treated Jackson in Birmingham, Ala., said he had would wait to see how well the athlete's injuries healed over the next several months before judging whether the athlete would be able to play again.
Dr. Joyce's report gave no indication that Jackson had suffered bone or cartilage problems before the injury in the playoff game. In being tackled, Jackson suffered a small fracture of the back wall of the acetabulum, the cup-shaped bone in the hip joint. Jackson also dislocated his hip. Although the bones spontaneously popped back in place, the injury also apparently tore blood vessels.
About a month after the injury, X-rays showed complete loss of the cartilage on both the ball and socket surfaces. The most recent tests -- CAT-scan X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and bone scans -- showed progressive damage of cartilage and early stages of avascular necrosis.
At least two other professional football players, Neil Lomax of the Phoenix Cardinals and Mark Bavaro of the Giants, have suffered aseptic necrosis in other joints. But experts said football players rarely suffer fracture-dislocations or avascular necrosis in the hip.
"It's such a weird injury," particularly for the damage to progress so rapidly, said Dr. James Garrick, an orthopedist and sports medicine specialist in San Francisco. The Giants' Case
Dr. Warren, the Giants' orthopedic surgeon, said yesterday that he had managed a 23-year-old professional running back who suffered hip injuries when tackled in a scrimmage. The injuries closely resembled Jackson's. Dr. Warren witnessed the injury and said he initially thought it was only a muscle strain. But the player suffered persistent pain that led to X-rays that showed chondrolysis and avascular necrosis.
Dr. Warren did not identify the athlete, who now plays for another team. The player stayed out a season while he used crutches to let the cartilage and the bone heal. The damage was extensive, but the player decided to take the risk of damaging his hip from further competition and he has played for five seasons.
Dr. Warren said he knew that other experts in hip surgery would likely paint a bleak picture of Jackson's injury, largely because "no one has a lot of experience" with such damage among football players.
He said Jackson might be able to return to the playing field without noticeable deficit, although it might not be best for his hip.
"My bet is he will take a shot at coming back if" the monitoring tests show his hip heals, Dr. Warren said. He added that such a judgment would have to wait until at least late summer. Left With a Bad Joint
Other experts like Dr. Garrick, the San Franciso orthopedist, were less optimistic because even if the blood supply was restored and the bone healed without collapsing, Jackson would still be left with a bad joint from cartilage damage.
Avascular necrosis can run an unpredictable course. Some people afflicted with it may have increasing difficulty walking while in others the condition can become stable. Jackson's doctors would explain the risks of aggravating the condition if he chose to play, but the decision would be his.
Dr. Garrick said that if Jackson did come back to play, it would probably be for a shorter period than the 10 years that Jackson would have looked forward to had he not been injured.
And if Jackson does play, Dr. Garrick said, baseball would be a more likely choice than football. Because football players twist and pivot as they run, they tend to put more stress on the hip joint than a baseball player, who tends to run straight. Jackson might be a designated hitter if the injury does not interfere with his swing.
Dr. Clement B. Sledge, a specialist in hip surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, said he believed it was unlikely that Jackson could return to professional athletics unless his injury "takes a miraculous course."
Dr. Sledge and other experts said the rapid worsening of Jackson's hip was unusual because the extent of injury described usually did not occur until from 6 to 24 months after such an injury. Crutches and Therapy
Jackson is walking with crutches to relieve weight bearing on his hip. He walks in a pool, rides a stationary bicycle and does leg raising exercises, a spokesman for Dr. Andrews said.
The athlete's injured bone is being stimulated with electricity in hopes that the treatment will prevent further damage and help promote growth of bone. But Dr. Sledge said this stimulation was an unproven therapy for avascular necrosis.
"Every injured athlete says he can return and really believes it," Dr. Sledge said. "A physician's role is not to completely destroy hope, but to give a patient a little glimmer even when it may not be statistically warranted."Continue reading the main story


text:
University of North Carolina at Wilmington is classified as a college or university with a large master's program. Colleges and universities with a large master's program typically award over 200 master's degrees and less than 20 research doctorate's during the academic year. This very large four-year institution has an estimated annual full-time enrollment of 10,000 students or more. More than half of degree-seeking students are enrolled full time, and 25-49% of undergrads reside on campus. This institution awards a balanced number of bachelor's degrees in both the arts and sciences and the professional fields. Graduate degrees are available in up to half of the fields available to undergraduate majors, and the school only awards research doctorate degrees in a single field other than education. According to data for fall enrollment, at least 80% of undergraduates are enrolled full-time. This institution shows a high number of transfers; at least 20% of entering undergraduates are transfer students. Enrollment data shows that both graduates and undergraduates are enrolled at this institution. Over 90% of the student body are enrolled as undergraduates.
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
601 South College Road, Wilmington, NC 28403-5963
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About University of North Carolina at Wilmington
School Information
General Information
Student Body SizeUndergraduate11,591
Student Age% Under 2581%
% 25 and Over19%
% Age Unknown0%
Attendance Type% Full-time85%
% Part-time15%
Race/Ethnicity% White82.6%
% Black4.9%
% Asian1.8%
% Latino3.7%
% Native American0.6%
% Race Unknown4.4%
% International student1%
Student ServicesCareer CounselingYes
Student Employment ServicesYes
Graduate Placement ServicesYes
Study AbroadYes
Day CareNO
Religious AffiliationNO
Campus setting
Intitution typePublic
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Academic Information
Art-Related Areas of StudyFilm, Video, TV
Art Degrees OfferedBachelors Degree
Distance Learning AvailableYes
Calendar SystemSemester
Admissions Information
Open AdmissionNo
% Admitted58%
% Admitted Who Enrolled36%
Application RequirementsHigh School GPA
High School TranscriptRequired
High School RankingRequired
College Prep CoursesRecommended
Letter of RecommendationRequired
Demonstration of CompetenciesNeither required nor recommended
Admissions ExaminationRequired
Test of English as a Foreign Language (International Students)Required
Standardized Tests% of Applicants Submitting SAT93%
% of Applicants Submitting ACT29%
Admitted Student SAT Scores 25th Percentile75th Percentile
SAT Critical Reading / 800620 / 800
SAT Writing520 / 800610 / 800
SAT Math550 / 800630 / 800
Admitted Student ACT Scores 25th Percentile75th Percentile
ACT Composite22 / 3627 / 36
ACT English21 / 3626
ACT Writing / 12 / 12
ACT Math22 / 3627 / 36
Tuition and Financial Aid
Tuition & FeesUndergraduate Application Fee$60
Graduate Application Fee$60
In-State Tuition & Fees$5,322
Out-of-State Tuition & Fees$16,421
Financial Aid% Undergraduates with Financial Aid58%
% Undergraduates with Loans42%
% Undergraduates with Grants40%
Average Undergraduate Financial Aid Award$ 0
Other CostsBooks and Supplies (Estimated)$985
Typical On-Campus Room and Board Cost$7,608
Off-Campus Room and Board Cost (Estimated)$7,608
On-Campus Living Expenses (Estimated)$2,672
Off-Campus Living Expenses (Estimated)$2,672
Living with Family, Living Expenses (Estimated)$2,880
Neighborhood Data for the Wilmington Area
Median Age34
Median Household Income$39,764
Total Population105,900
Age/Gender % Men % Women
Total47.5% 52.5%
Age 0-948.6%51.4%
Age 10-1754.2%45.8%
Age 18-2445.0%55.0%
Age 25-2953.7%46.3%
Age 30-3951.5%48.5%
Race/Ethnicity% White73.1%
% Black21.0%
% Asian1.1%
% Latino5.5%
% Native American0.3%
% Pacific Islander0.0%
% Indian (South Asia)0.3%
On Campus Housing ProvidedYes
Meal Plan ProvidedYes, number of meals in the maximum meal plan offered
Typical On-Campus Room and Board Cost$7,608
Off-Campus Room and Board Cost (Estimated)$7,608
Median Rent (Rental Units of Any Size)$691
Rental Price Distribution StudioOne BedroomTwo Bedroom
Under $50021.9%23.1%6.0%
$500 to $74957.1%49.1%0.0%
$750 to $9998.4%18.4%46.0%
Over $100012.6%9.4%21.3%
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They especially love the Lego Star Wars toys. You'd think the toys would be enough, but oh no, they obsessively hoard the boxes that the toys come in because of all the Star Wars action taking place.
So, we have a lot of boxes. I've at least gotten them to compromise and let me either squash the boxes down into a two-D shape for easier storage or cut the panel off the box with the best picture.
We had a problem when we dared to suggest it was time to get rid of the honkin huge Death Star box that once held over 2,000 pieces to assemble. (Keep in mind this was a Christmas present from last year). There were tears. There were protests.
Then my husband came up with the genius idea of cutting out the photos of the figures and turning them into stick puppets!
We simply cut and then glued them to Popsicle sticks. Suddenly, they had new Star Wars toys!
And I had an excuse to whip out the paper puppet theater I'd been holding onto!


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Welcome to Visual Arms
A design shop, evolved.
In 2006, Visual Arms started as a freelance design company building brands and websites. Over 10 years later, we're a team of 15 expert designers, developers and social media marketers who specialize in selling your products online. In the last 6 years, our team has built the following:
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I first experienced this otherworldly combination at a cafe in the town where Matt and I lived before moving to Columbia. It was one of the many moments, where, not to belittle the tremendous effort (and clear success) of the cafe, I looked at Matt and said, "I can make this." And that's just what I've done a handful of times since.
I won't insult your intelligence by explaining the basics of a grilled cheese. But after the essentials are in order, you'll want to slice up an apple really thin. I use my apple slicer, then slice my slices with a knife.
Then, you'll want to wash and tear some spinach, and add that to the stack as well. I typically use a handful of leaves, but it's up to your discretion and how many muscles you're interested in gaining (Popeye reference?).
After buttering the outsides of your sandwich, pour a small amount of oil (we like olive) in a pan, and brown the outsides/melt the cheese over medium heat.
Voila! And just in case you're interested in getting adventurous with your cheese selection, try this with brie. Heaven in your mouth- promise.


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This is the 3rd card using the circle and flowers - still keeping it simple but this time a cute little cat from Sami Designs - sentiment stamp from Stampit and some patterned paper.
SUYP - Cats Only challenge 2 -
Southern Girls - One for the Girls- I think this would be perfect for a little girl.
Enjoy your weekend.


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Join our Team and Family.
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KIPP San Diego continually seeks qualified, passionate leaders to educate our students and provide support in our schools. We offer competitive compensation and benefit packages, as well as multiple professional development opportunities within the school and through the nationwide KIPP network.
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It is the policy of KIPP San Diego to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, KIPP San Diego will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.


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A few days ago, I posted the Boiled Sports-hosted Big Ten Squaretable. And many of the Big Ten Bloggers participated. Some seem to enjoy this as a diversion. Some seem to approach it joylessly, like it's required homework. Others seem to think it's some kind of contest, like there's a points system and they might win somehow. And Enlightened Spartan's email was the kindest:
Has to be the easiest and most enjoyable yet.
Just like my high school girlfriend.
Regardless, here's who participated:
Enlightened Spartan (Who is apparently not enlightened enough to find a decent site host.)
Black Heart Gold Pants (Who actually didn't participate, but instead sent brief, half-assed answers along with a famous-among-Big-Ten-Bloggers photo of old men having a threesome. Does anyone else get reminded of the things "Sean Connery" would do during those Will Ferrell/Jeopardy sketches on SNL whenever they deal with BHGP?)
Paint The Town Orange (Reminds me of a joke – why does Illinois wear orange? So their fans can wear the same shirt to the game Friday, hunting Saturday and picking up trash on the highway on Sunday.)
The Only Game That Matters (Always assumed the only game that mattered was the game of Life. Well, that or Sorry. Or Chutes and Ladders.)
Zombie Nation (Perfect name for a site that loves 900-year-old, undead Joe Paterno.)
Varsity Blue (One of those sites whose name was probably quickly – and without much thought – conceived, much like Adam Jacobi, and now has a header that says "Varsity Maize.")
Maize & Blue Nation (I'd have gone with "Maize & Blue Town Known As Ann Arbor." Which reminds me, how is "AnnArborIsAWhore.com" not a site yet?)
The Nittany Line (One of the few Big Ten Blogs more basic-looking than ours.)
Ground Zero East Lansing (Close second in name voting: Smoldering Wreckage East Lansing.)
Lake The Posts (What happens when you toss a blog into a lake.)
Happy Hour Valley (A Penn State blog with a name that implies drinking – if you've ever been to Happy Valley, this is about as shocking as Clay Aiken being gay.)
As we work through this rather long wrapup post, quoted text from other sites is in italics. Cool? Good.
As for the responses, as I said, there were some terrific ones. There were also some potshots being taken. The Nittany Line began by mocking me directly (more directly than most, anyway):
First off I don't take orders from someone that only gets his balls back from his wife once a week, damnit I'll call it a Roundtable and you'll like it junior!
Okay, you little whippersnapper. If my wife had her hands on my balls almost all week long, I'd rather enjoy that.
And Happy Hour Valley called our naming it the Squaretable, "…a deliberate attempt at lameness."
Mmm-hmm. Kind of like the "ROWR" noise that's made at PSU games and the "Love ya Lions!" graphic on the board are deliberate attempts at being latently homosexual.
On we go to the questions…
1) We're all car guys here at BS. So your task is to assign your own program a vehicle. Is Purdue an all-terrain vehicle like a Jeep or a Hummer? Something befitting a brawny Boilermaker? Is Ohio State a slow, conversion van being passed by Corvettes with USC markings? Is IU a John Deere tractor with a hillbilly riding on it? Get creative and let us know both what your school is if it's a car as well as assigning a vehicle to as many of the other Big Ten schools as you like. (I'd require you to do them all but I know attention spans are short and counting to 11 is hard.)
This question generated some quite funny – and very creative – answers.
Enlightened Spartan says they're a hippy bus. And has no comments on anyone else.
BHGP, via email, says "Iowa is a car that's pretty good." Solid.
Paint the Town Orange went with Illinois being a "water car":
Our offense is one that is perfectly suited, and often prefers to stay on solid ground. But in certain situations will go to the air, or in this case water, and cruise around at blistering speeds. Also you can waterski with it, and that totally rocks right?
Speaking of water-skiing… Zooker!
The Only Game That Matters felt that our question was a "trap":
So far in this blog's short history, we've avoided falling into the trap of "Big Ten teams as..." posts. Big Ten teams as Simpson's Characters! Big Ten teams as TV Networks! Big Ten teams as Porn Stars! They're all tiresome and tedious. We'll play along here though, and for extra credit we'll do all eleven Big Ten teams as "modes of transportation."
Ah, I see. Our question is "tiresome and tedious," is it now? And yet you'll still do it. That's what I thought, you little daffodils.
Regardless, they did a good job, nailing eleven great suggestions for the Big Ten teams. My favorites included:
Illinois: The Dodo. If you've played GTAIII (yes, the one for PS2) you know exactly what I'm talking about. Oh sure, you can get it, and you can drive it. But just try to get off the ground for any discernible distance. Go ahead. We dare you. Just like Illinois, the thing looks sweet, and runs fine on the ground, but as soon as you try to do anything through the air it locks up and ends in a heaping fireball of twisted fury and a PS2 controller slammed viciously against the floor.
Iowa: The first thing that popped into my head when I though "Iowa" was this, offered without caption or comment.
Minnesota: The mall escalator. They're the up side so far, but sooner or later, you've gotta get off that puppy and head back down. I mean, they only go two directions.
Penn State: Last week, I wrote that the tag line for Penn State this year should be "I can't believe this offense is working either." What vehicle perfectly matches that? How about this. Every time this thing starts, I'm amazed, but man oh man, once it's goin' it can sure mow down opponents, provided they're not over 6" tall and made of soft, fluffy grass. Either way, this thing's pretty useless once the grass stops growing, which should be around October 1st.
Indiana: I'll go with the first thing that google images pops up when I type in "Indiana University and Car." Indiana, this is your vehicle. Odd, since that appears to be the Golden Gate bridge in the background, but also kinda fitting. You're not going to get anywhere fast… but hey, on a perfect day going downhill, it can probably get you safely to a bowl game.
Zombie Nation also did all eleven programs (that's what she said) and also did a very admirable job. Among my favorites here include…
Wisconsin: Loud, slow, and usually surrounded by drunken working-class heros, you just keep plowing over everyone.
Michigan: You laugh now, but this 'project car' will beat your pants off some day.
Purdue: You used to be cool… in like 2000.
Ohio State: You WERE making excellent time, but then…
Northwestern: Just because we can't afford one of our own, doesn't mean you're automatically smarter than the rest of us.
Indiana: Aw, while cute and efficient, no one really takes them seriously.
Maize & Blue Nation had two car suggestions that I found particularly clever:
tOSU is a Land Rover. From the outside, it looks great. It's supposed to have a ton of power and speed. It can clear large objects and traverse almost any terrain. But as soon as you get it home, something breaks and you get about 3 recall notices in the mail, and it spends the whole season going in and out of the shop. And by the end of the year, all that is left is a heap of rusted worn out metal.
Michigan State is a dump truck rolling down a steep hill. The problem is, once you hit the bottom of the hill, you have to push down on the gas. Sometimes the driver can find it, sometimes the driver slams into a wall. Usually the bottom of the hill is right about the time they play Michigan. I think they might have a better driver this year, but we'll see if he can find that gas pedal.
The Nittany Line decided to answer a totally different question, and chose to assign bikes to each school. This would have been a terrific answer if (a) I'd asked about bikes, (b) more than 10% of the population has any clue what the difference between bikes is and got humor out of it or (c) if we were all at the Blue Oyster Bar. (For the record, I do have a bike – an '89 Ninja 600R – so eat it.)
Nevertheless, there were a few clever ones…
Purdue: Any bike ridden by Evil Knievel. Joe Tiller brought the high flying spread offense to the Big Ten and admit it, you liked it and a small part of you wanted to see it on your team, just like a small part of every kid wanted to be Evil Knievel. Just like Purdue's offense Knievel made people shake their heads in awe. Sure Purdue beat some good teams and sure Knievel made some breathtaking jumps but just like Purdue's games, more times than not Knievel's jumps ended very badly often in horrific fashion.
Northwestern: Vespa
He has a great picture of a pinkish/purpleish Vespa, but I can't link you to it because he has his links disabled like a dink.
Sure it's cute and sure it's smart, hell you'll probably get something in the neighborhood of 80 miles per gallon, but can you really take this thing seriously? You know what they say about fat chicks and scooters they're always fun to ride just don't let your buddies catch you doing it. How many guys openly admit they own a Vespa and how many guys open admit they root for Northwestern… oh, sorry LTP.
Lake The Posts chimes in with some nice suggestions as well:
Penn State - Oldsmobile. It's not your father's Oldsmobile. It's your father's father's Oldsmobile.
Illinois - A Lamborghini. Not sure how the guy driving it could afford it, but you're pretty sure they're compensating for some insecurities.
Purdue - Mazda Miata. Screams of using flash and sleek exterior to compensate for a midlife crisis knowing you are used to driving a minivan.
Worth noting that's the second comparison of Purdue to a Miata.
Northwestern - A Volvo. High performance engine, but its 5-star crash rating is what let's you sleep at night.
High performance, you say? To the tune of 16-8 over Ohio? We shall see…
Happy Hour Valley says that Ohio State is a Pinto:
Things were going alright for the Buckeyes until they go severely rear-ended by USC and exploded in flames.
2) In Week 1 in the NFL, the New England Patriots learned how precious things can be when Tom Brady had his knee blown out by a former Boilermaker. Let's say your team wins out from here to the end and is in a BCS bowl game with a chance to do the school and conference proud – what ONE player on your squad would you most likely cry about having his knee blown out in the first quarter? That is, who is truly indispensable?
Answers varied, and my favorite point in haughtiness was the way more than one PSU blog acted as though they're so damn talented, they could lose key guys and keep on steamrollin'.
They did seem to agree that Sean Lee was an example of a key loss that they've soldiered on without, taking down powerhouses like Temple. Uh, yeah.
Zombie Nation sez: I love this question. Penn State has already lost its "indispensable" player in Sean Lee, and we're doing just fine. Penn State doesn't have that ONE player right now who's injury would kill the season or the big game. Watch this team play a few times, and you'll see that there's no individual star. Hell, even if Daryll Clark went down, PSU has Pat Devlin, who'd start for most other Big Ten teams right now.
Yeah, we've got guys on the BENCH who would start for most of you mooks! Rah-rah-sis-boom-bah!
Let's get into conference play before you make this assertion, son.
Happy Hour Valley: We have so many weapons offensively that it's hard to pinpoint one guy whose injury would cripple our attack…
Man, you guys must be national championship-bound!
LTP was saddened that I gloated about Tom Brady's injury and chose Tyrell Sutton.
PTTO takes: Arrelious, for-realious Benn.
TOGTM decided to focus on 45% of the teams in the Big Ten, interestingly leaving out Wisconsin and PSU, the early conference favorites:
Going through every team so far has been tedious,
Managed to mention "tedious" in each of his first two answers. Must have been on his Word of the Day calendar.
so I'll name just a few players who I believe are truly indispensable for teams thus far:
Beanie Wells - OSU
C.J. Bacher - Northwestern
Javon Ringer - MSU
Kellen Lewis - Indiana
Juice Williams - Illinois
Really, that's all I can think of. This answer probably won't win any awards.
The Michigan blogs – M&BN and VB – go with McGuffie and Threet, respectively. And yes, what ever would Michigan do to save their Motor City Bowl hopes if they lost one of these guys? I kid, I kid. (Sort of.)
An interesting answer came from G0EL, who focused on the second most indispensable:
It's Ringer, and I think everybody knows why by now.
Because he's handsome?
Instead of dwelling on that point, I'll tell you who I think is second most indispensable. I'd say strong safety Otis Wiley has returned to his 2006 form, but he's better than that. He leads the Big Ten with four interceptions, and has been all over the field so far this year. His interceptions against Cal helped keep MSU in the game, and he had a critical pick against Notre Dame which set up the first MSU touchdown. He's the most dynamic playmaker on the MSU defense, and if he goes down, there's nobody really suitable at safety to replace him currently.
Solid answer, actually.
3) Purdue plays Notre Dame this week and, well, we detest Notre Dame like probably no other program. Let's say I have the power to force you (maybe you lost a bet to me) to wear another Big Ten school's colors to an away game for that team. That is, you're wearing OSU colors to a game being played at Michigan, or something like that. And I'm talking, dorky, head-to-toe… goofy-ass sweatshirts and flat-brimmed, ridiculous-looking hats. If you have to choose, which program would you be able to stomach wearing? (Remember, you're going to an away game, so people won't like you and accept you and you'll be taking this abuse for a school you're not even affiliated with.) And by the same token, what program could you absolutely not EVER stomach wearing, under any circumstances?
A lot of people felt Northwestern was the easiest to wear as it's hard to hate a harmless, cuddly little purple kitten, with a couple votes for MSU as well. Let's let LTP lead off for this one:
Purdue. No, not because you're hosting, but because they are the Switzerland of fandoms. I've been down this road many times before. Michigan and Ohio State are the kings of the hill and therefore unlikable and too bandwagon-y. Penn State is right there with them prior to the slip-ups of the early-to-mid-2000s. Wisconsin is a border war team. Sparty and Iowa are LTPs least favorite fan bases for the (aggghhh! We lost to NORTHWESTERN!!!!) lack of respect card and for least friendly fans who come to Ryan Field. Illinois is obviously our in-state rival. Indiana is well, Indiana. Which leaves Minnesota and Purdue. I like both of the fan bases and am always treated well by their alums, so it comes down to a fashion play. Black and gold with a train logo is just way cooler than maroon and gold and a silly buck-tooth gopher. Boiler up!
Best. Answer. Ever. You're right, LTP, we do rule.
Happy Hour Valley challenged us thusly, and I don't really get it:
And if you need me to write out which school's clothing I would refuse to dress up in, then perhaps you should stop calling yourself a "Big Ten Guy."
Really? PSU is the least rivalry-affected school in the Big Ten. And I call myself a "Handsome Guy."
ES decided to start talking like they're in Fargo or something:
ES would wear da purple of N'western or da Red of Wisky... but would never wear blue and yeller for da Yeller Bellies.
PTTO would tolerate MSU but has this to say about what they would never tolerate:
What could I never stomach? Iowa IOWA Iowa. I lived just across the river from Iowa most of my life, and have had to deal with those loud pink-faced sunburned attaboys too many times.
TOGTM wears IU willingly but has this to say about OSU:
I would never wear Ohio State gear, but had an awkward experience involving Greg Oden during which I had to pretend to be an Ohio State fan. I vomited violently afterwards. I don't understand how Ohio State fans can stand that taste. Seriously, it's like cabbage and cigarette butts.
Jeez, did you have to give him a BJ or something?
ZN also tolerates IU colors and thinks few people hate them, but interestingly thinks Michigan is the most hated team in the land:
But I could never wear Michigan garb. Everyone hates them, hands down. More than Ohio State, more than Wisconsin.
The Michigan blogs agree that PSU and OSU fans are a-holes – surprise!
Schools whose gear that I really wouldn't want to wear to an away game are those like Ohio State and Penn State, since their fans are generally assholes to visitors, and the favor would likely be returned to me.
They [Penn State] are most certainly not [tolerable]. If you see one, or a pack of them, walk away or try to ignore them. They are not like your Sparty or Buckeye fans who, at least for the most part, have only one brain cell floating around and are very easy to confront and out-wit. Penn State fans are from Pennsylvania. Do you know what else there is to do in Pennsylvania besides watch, live, breathe, eat, drink football? Exactly.
Wow, that's a shot. Not one I necessarily disagree with, but a shot all the same.
4) I like big butts and I can not lie. Share your embarrassing guilty pleasure music selection that you know other people might laugh at. Bonus points if you can send a YouTube video of an awful music video with it. Many/most of us grew up and/or went to college in the '80s and '90s so I know you've all got some Nelson After The Rain on the iPod.
LTP: Whitesnake. I admit it, I listen to this one, too.
Happy Hour Valley: Cannonball, by the Breeders. Not bad, not bad.
ES: Little River Band.
Paint the Town Orange: Get Busy, Sean Paul. Not old, but yes, terrible.
TOGTM: Poison, baby! Bring me back to middle school dances!
Varsity Blue: Take on Me, by A-Ha. One of my guilty pleasures, too. About died when Family Guy did their take.
Zombie Nation thinks we're all old:
Unlike those geriatrics, I went to college in the 21st Century. So I'll go with the ridiculous techno music from the early 2000s, like Castles in the Sky, Sandstorm, and Heaven. That shit was orgasmic for us 18-20 year olds.
I guess in the early 2000s, LSD and techno was one way to divert attention from Penn State football.
Maize & Blue Nation: A little GnR. Nicely done. Another one that takes me back to slow-dancing without moving my feet.
The Nittany Line: Abba Gold. Thus taking the award for gayest. Well-done.
G0EL: Enrique Iglesias. Okay, fine, so TNL has competition.
BHGP: Pearl Jam. They're like the Sum 41 of the '90s.
And that about does it. Thanks for sticking with this long enough to reach the end. For that, you get a cookie. Just remind the next time you see me.
A few days ago, I posted the Boiled Sports-hosted Big Ten Squaretable. And many of the Big Ten Bloggers participated. Some seem to enjoy this as a diversion. Some seem to approach it joylessly, like it's required homework. Others seem to think it's some kind of contest, like there's a points system and they might win somehow. And Enlightened Spartan's email was the kindest:


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Strict PC piracy measures here to stay: 2K Australia
2K Australia's Martin Slater acknowledges gamer anger at PC install requirements for BioShock.
2K's BioShock has been one of this year's most well-received games by both critics and fans, but many PC gamers were angered by the game's lengthy install process, which required users to download files from 2K's servers for the game to initially run. At launch, 2K's patch servers seemed to have a tough time, in that they went down for several hours when eager gamers tried to install their copies.
At the recent Games Connect Asia Pacific conference held in Melbourne, Australia, 2K Australia senior programmer PC team Martin Slater acknowledged that the company received plenty of flak at launch. In a keynote speech that covered 2K Australia's work on BioShock, Slater said that though the company won't be implementing the same launch install-patch strategy for future games, it would do something "similar" because piracy remains one of the biggest problems for PC games.
"When you're releasing simultaneously on the 360 and the PC, one of the things in the back of the publishers' minds and the people who want to make all the money is that we don't want to lose console sales to people ripping off the PC and the piracy issue. If they can get a cheap pirated version on PC, they may not buy the 360 SKU, which is probably your main SKU," he said.
"We went to great lengths to avoid the piracy issue. We had downloadable .EXE, we didn't ship with the actual executable on DVD. We were trying to avoid production DVDs going walkies between the manufacturing process and actually turning up on shelves. You find with a lot of games, what happens is that anywhere between manufacturing and the stores, one of these DVDS will go walkies and end up in the hands of crackers. These crackers are trying to make the day-one crack--the kudos comes in cracking the game before its release. So we went to huge lengths to avoid this.
"We achieved our goals. We were uncracked for 13 whole days. We were happy with it. But we just got slammed. Everybody hated us for it. It was unbelievable.
"It's a complex issue in the PC world, and it's something we need to actively address. It's a really hard question. As a company we need to maximise our sales so we can keep making games. I don't think we'll do what we've done before. There are other issues with downloading an executable. There is a lot of strain on our content-delivery servers and things like that, where everyone has to download a 10MB executable. I don't think we'll do exactly the same thing again, but we'll do something close. You can't afford to be cracked. As soon as you're gone, you're gone, and your sales drop astronomically if you've got a day-one crack."
Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email email@example.com


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Underground Service Working Foreman (Midland/Odessa)
ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE MADE ON-LINE AT http://www.standardutilityu.com/su/ TO BE CONSIDERED FOR HIRE
Job Description:
Responsible for directing crew to complete tasks as required performing underground service installation and repair projects to meet scheduled timelines. Properly completes all associated paperwork related to service and company requirements. Responsibilities will also include working on underground services/secondary lines and associated equipment up to 600 volts unsupervised. Position is 5 day work week, 40-50 hours and on call as needed.
Minimum Requirements:
2-3 year minimum underground electric distribution service work experience required. Must be computer literate for electronic reporting processes. Must be qualified to work on energized and de-energized lines and equipment up to 600 volts. Requires basic skills in math. Must be able to fluently read, write, speak and comprehend English. Must follow all safe work practices. If not certified, will be required to attend certification courses. May be required to work weekends, evenings and holidays. Class A CDL Required. Based on the nature of the work at Standard Utility, even if not driving company vehicles, all employees are required to have a valid Texas Driver License in good standing throughout their employment with us.
Preferred Requirements:
High school diploma or equivalent. Additional formal or occupational education focused on electrical services and construction is helpful. State wide travel preferable.
Physical Requirements:
Must be able to stand for long periods of time on varied surfaces. Must be able to move freely, including ability to stoop, crawl, and bend at the knees and waist. Must be able to lift up to 75 pounds unassisted. Must have the ability to read meters, diagnostic equipment, and construction type drawings. Must be able to pass pre-employment screening that includes background and drug testing. May be required to work long and unpredictable hours. Position requires working outdoors in all types of weather.
Delivering SAFE, DEPENDABLE results through INTEGRITY


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Robert Jay Mathews
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Black and white photograph of Robert MathewsRobert Jay Mathews (January 16, 1953 – December 8, 1984) was the leader of an American white nationalist group The Order.
Mathews was burned to death during an intense gunfight with approximately seventy-five federal law enforcement agents who surrounded his house on Whidbey Island, south of Coupeville, Washington, on December 8, 1984.[1] Mathews life was fictionalized in the movie Brotherhood of Murder.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Early years
2 The Order
3 Final days
3.1 Last letter
3.2 Last days
4 Mathews in popular culture
5 References
6 External links
[edit] Early years
Robert Mathews was born in Marfa, Texas, January 16, 1953, the youngest of three boys born to Johnny and Una Mathews. His father, of Scottish descent, was mayor of the town, and president of the Chamber of Commerce, as well as a businessman and leader in the local Methodist church. His mother was the town's den mother.
His family moved to Phoenix, Arizona when he was five years old. An average student in grade school, he was interested in history and politics. At aged eleven, he joined the John Birch Society. While still in high school, he was baptized into the Mormon faith.
He formed the "Sons of Liberty", an anti-communist militia whose members were primarily Mormon survivalists. At its peak, it had approximately thirty members. After filling out his employer's W-4 Form claiming ten dependents (reportedly as an act of tax resistance), he was arrested for tax fraud, tried and placed on probation for six months. After a falling out between the Mormon and non-Mormon members, the Sons of Liberty became moribund and Mathews withdrew.
After probation ended in 1974, he decided to move to Metaline Falls, Washington. Mathews and his father purchased sixty wooded acres, which became their new home.
Two years later, Mathews married Debbie McGarrity. He began to raise Scottish Galloway cattle. The couple adopted a son in 1981. Mathews later had a daughter with a woman named Zillah Craig.
[edit] The Order
Main article: The Order
Mathews began to read history and politics. One book in particular, Which Way Western Man?, by William Gayley Simpson, profoundly affected him. Mathews agreed with its claims of danger facing the White race, and in 1982 he began an effort to attract White families to the Pacific Northwest, which he called the "White American Bastion." He visited Richard Butler's Aryan Nations community several times and began to draw a circle of friends and followers.
In 1983, Mathews gave a short speech at a National Alliance convention, which was a report on his efforts to recruit on behalf of the National Alliance, especially among "the yeoman farmers and independent truckers," around the "White American Bastion," and a call to action.[3] It received the only standing ovation of the convention.
In late September of that year, at a barracks he constructed on his property in Metaline, Mathews founded (with eight other men) the group that would come to be known as The Order, which he called the "Silent Brotherhood." They included his friend and neighbor, Ken Loff, and a group from Aryan Nations: Dan Bauer, Randy Duey, Denver Parmenter, and Bruce Pierce. David Lane, Richie Kemp and Bill Soderquist, recent recruits, rounded out the group. None had ever committed a violent crime, or had served prison time.
The first order of business, according to Mathews' plan, was to obtain money to support white separatism and they robbed an adult bookstore in Spokane which netted them $369.10. They agreed that it was not worth the risks they had taken, and so turned their attention to robbing armored cars and counterfeiting. They printed up some phony $50 notes and 28-year-old Pierce was quickly arrested after passing a few.
In order to raise Pierce's bail, Mathews, acting alone, robbed a bank just north of Seattle. He stole almost $26,000. Some of The Order's members, along with a new recruit, Gary Yarborough, carried out more robberies and burglaries, which netted them over $43,000. A subsequent robbery yielded several hundred thousand dollars. Another recruit, Tom Martinez, was caught and charged for passing more counterfeit currency. Then in July, 1984, they deployed approximately a dozen men in a successful effort to rob a Brink's truck of $3,600,000.[4]
The robbers distributed some of the stolen money to various other terrorist and otherwise White racialist organizations, including the North Carolina-based White Patriot Party.[5]
[edit] Final days
[edit] Last letter
Prior to his death, Mathews wrote a long letter explaining his life, and justifying his actions.[6]
[edit] Last days
Mathews and the other members of the Order were eventually given up by Martinez, who had come under pressure after his counterfeiting arrest. After he revealed information regarding Mathews' activities to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, agents moved to capture Mathews and his associates. By the time they could set up the operation, all of Mathews' accomplices and friends had decided to move again to other safe houses. Mathews was surrounded in a house south of Coupeville, Washington on Whidbey Island by government agents on December 8, 1984. Mathews refused to come out after an intense exchange of gunfire. The FBI then fired dozens of smoke grenades into the house in an attempt to force Mathews out, but were thwarted by his use of a gas mask. They then fired several M-79 Starburst flares inside the house, setting off a box of hand grenades and a stockpile of ammunition. Mathews continued to fire at agents as the house burned, but then suddenly stopped. After the wreckage had cooled enough to be searched, agents found the burned remains of 31 year old Mathews' body next to a charred bathtub.
Eventually over 75 people were convicted of crimes connected to The Order in eight trials. Charges included racketeering, conspiracy, counterfeiting, transporting stolen money, and armored car robbery. Ten people connected to the case, including Butler, Lane, and Pierce, were tried for sedition, but were acquitted by the jury.[7]
[edit] Mathews in popular culture
In 1995, the neo-Nazi band RaHoWa released their album "Cult of the Holy War," on the Resistance Records label. The second track was a song entitled "Man Against Time," the lyrics of which praised Robert Mathews and his deeds in the strongest terms.
In 2004, the white nationalist, neo-Nazi music group Prussian Blue paid tribute to Mathews with the song "Gone With The Breeze" (off of their first album, Fragment of the Future).[8]
Documentaire over The Order


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The Americans who want Snowden back home -- and Snowden himself -- should be careful what they wish for. American intel types, once Snowden is back in the U.S., might have reason to regret having made him a hero while giving him a platform, as a defendant testifying in court, for emitting still more great quotes -- and secrets.
While Snowden casts about for shelter in countries ranging from India and China to Russia to Ecuador and Venezuela, he seems to forget what could be the best option of all -- taking up the American offer of a one-time travel document enabling him to return to the U.S. as a repentant felon.
Except that Snowden would not have to repent. Think of all he could be saying before, during and after his trial. He could make his accusers look like still greater fools than they have already appeared for having given a 29-year-0ld kid such access.
Would the NSA, already caterwauling about exposure of some of its deepest secrets, really want to be providing him with a forum for spilling still more secrets? Snowden's testimony on the stand could be far more damaging than all the reports we've been seeing in publications ranging from the German magazine Der Spiegel to the British paper The Guardian about the NSA spying on both friends and enemies in equal proportions.
The problem with those reports is not only that they're fragmentary but also that they lack real credibility. What's really wrong, Americans might ask, about trying to figure out what all those foreigners are doing and saying? The response in middle America is we can't trust those people anyway, and it's a good thing the NSA is keeping track of them.
Put Snowden on the stand in a public courtroom in the U.S., though, and he might seem much more convincing as a critic of U.S.
surveillance that also extends and possibly endangers all Americans. He can carry on all he likes about how awful President Obama and Vice President Biden have been in persuading foreign government to balk at giving him safe haven, but he could call their bluffs totally if he were to say, Ok, now I want to go home and say still more that will really fix you guys.
Would the NSA, given that risk, really want to put Snowden through a prolonged trial that could be a real embarrassment to the dopes who gave him such an opening for access to all their dark and dirty secrets? At some point in this whole charade NSA and CIA heads should be rolling -- not for betraying the U.S. Constitution and all that but for being so stupid. And they should also be held accountable for how many others have had similar access -- and the chance to run off with secrets for sale to anyone with the money to buy them.
The best reason for Snowden to come home, though, is that he would get such a hero's welcome. Just think of all the academics from Cambridge MA to Berkeley CA who would be lionizing him, making him a hero and a martyr, portraying him as the victim of an imperial America that had lost its way.
Conservatives might want to jail him forever, but how could they overcome the portrayal of Snowden as one who simply wanted to battle for a return to the principles set forth by the founding fathers in the constitution? As a matter of fact, if the views of Ron Paul are indicative, Snowden is guaranteed a strong conservative following -- a fusion of rightists and leftists with a shared vision of old-time values.
The problem with Snowden's remarks while overseas is the suspicion lurks that he's a man on the lam who's fast losing credibility. Even if he gets asylum somewhere, he's going to run out of things to say and then fade into the miasma of trouble-makers whom a lot of people don't quite believe, much less admire.
His credibility, among Americans, will vastly increase once he's back in the U.S. and yakking away on the stand, in the media, even from prison. If he's finally sentenced, he can be sure that he'll have plenty of people fighting to get him out while holding him up as a hero for the ages rather than an oddball who ran off with the company's secrets.


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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!
Just do the following:
1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3. Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
4. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
"Cleaning herself up probably isn't an option, not at this point. Not this far gone. And why? So she can be eaten by the other drug, the one called "fame"?"
In some of these stories, you'll find an earthly incarnation of a famous namesake: Frankenstein is a patched-together, homeless vet, the Invisible Woman is so ordinary you'd never see her; but some of these familiar friends - Dracula, the Devil, or those seriously creepy Clowns - will be instantly recognizable.~
Share your teaser with me!


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Sites > Music
|Sites Results (Showing 1-10 of 30)
Machin Bidule (Sep 8, 2005 - 513 hits)
Le portail des musiques actuelles en lorraine
Sound Foundation (Apr 23, 2005 - 187 hits)
A new independent music company dedicated to supporting independent bands and artists promote and sell their music online via digital downloads. Sound Foundation is based in Byron Bay Australia.
Artistopia (Apr 9, 2005 - 128 hits)
Artistopia's music directory offers the best music resources the Internet has to offer. Submitted resources are manually audited to make sure they are quality and music relevant.
Lo-JAZZ Records (Jan 16, 2005 - 281 hits)
Lo-Jazz Records provides web-based marketing and distribution services company for independent artists. Their services include Music Distribution Services, Music Marketing Services, Distribution Services for Music Demos, Marketing Services for Music Demos, Digital Music Distribution Services, Chicago Music Production, Chicago Music Bands, Marketing.
Musicforte (Jul 18, 2004 - 151 hits)
As a Musician you can post a page about yourselves as well as upload samples to market yourself. You can submit songs for radio play time on the Music Forte Internet Radio station.Bid on music projects that their Customer members will be posting, a band looking for a bass riff, etc. Sell your old equipment through the Music Mart. You can collaborate or even form a band with fellow Musician members. Submit articles about music or your music stories for cash.
Artistopia (Mar 16, 2004 - 131 hits)
Artistopia is a company that delivers a clear, potent & qualified strategy for artists music industry professionals to come together under one roof and speak one language- potential success!
LeMp3.com (Jan 15, 2004 - 215 hits)
To sale your'e own music online.
Music Productive (Nov 29, 2003 - 405 hits)
Musical organisation to promote belgium bands
LoopWise (Jun 15, 2003 - 191 hits)
Musicians source for music loops and samples Cd's plus music software, MP3 licensing and a Songwriting Contest. at Loopwise you can register as a Loopwise Studio Musician and offer your services as a musician to the world wide web community or you can simply post projects and request musical works.
N o i s e : New Objectives In Sound Exploration. (Apr 25, 2003 - 431 hits)
Noise is a non-profit group dedicated to creating sound [music] using technology. They live in different cities around the world, and have never met offline. Through this noise, they hope to find what it is that makes us tick. free music for humanity.


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I would like to thank all of the voters in District 122 for re-electing me for a third term to serve as your state representative in the Maine House. I have been proud to represent South Portland residents for the past four years and I am excited that I have the opportunity to continue working on your behalf.
With a newly elected state Legislature in Augusta for the upcoming 2013 session, I am ready to get back to work for the people of District 122 and all Mainers as we navigate through these challenging economic times.
This past election we witnessed Maine voters to take a stand against big money from out-of-state SuperPACs and support marriage equality in an historic vote. Importantly, sufficient Democrats were elected to shift party control in both houses of the state Legislature that will allow good, progressive legislation to move forward. Economic progress and implementing the Affordable Care Act are initiatives that I will be endeavoring to advance, along with meeting the needs of my constituents.
Thank you once again for your generous support and, as always, I am honored to serve.
Rep. Terry Morrison
South Portland
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Tuesday, July 11, 2006
downward spiral
The only chance you have of breaking that is to somehow impress the marketing department within your own publishing house. They will then promote your book more, promise their buyers that they're putting more money behind it so please buy more copies than the last book. They might throw in nice incentives, but all of this is rare and a little like winning the lottery. Fat chance.
Marketing liked my first thriller and wanted to back it, but they wouldn't get behind it unless I change my name. They didn't want orders tied to previous sales. My previous sales figures weren't bad, but marketing was thinking blockbuster. I was told not to tell anybody about the name change. Only my family knew about it. I didn't want to lie, so I avoided other writers and writing groups for a year. My real name wouldn't even be on the copyright page.
The downward spiral is inevitable for everyone, so even before orders and sales figures for book 1 were in I was asked to go a different direction with book 2. I was told this was in hopes of making some kind of impact on the marketing department the next time around. At this point, a writer is no longer writing for readers, she's writing for the marketing department within her own publishing house. All plot discussions had to do with pleasing the marketing department and what might possibly get their attention this next time through. From day one I've been against all this jumping around. Seemed like a really bad idea to me, but I was told it had to be done to stay ahead of the numbers.
My downward spiral wasn't massive, but over a span of books it becomes a bigger issue. The plan for my latest was to make a shift to a different genre in hopes of wooing M. The video I made wasn't so much for readers, but for the marketing department and reps. See, she's doing something different. See she's writing the kind of book that's hitting the Times. She's holding up her end and more. She's getting her name out there. She's involved, networking, featuring contests of her blog, going to conferences. (oops.)
So after all of this I got my print run figures yesterday. They exactly match the sales figures of my last book. What this tells me is none of what I did mattered. Nothing. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. I don't know if there's a moral to this story. Maybe that numbers are numbers. Maybe that it's time for publishers and writers to focus more on readers rather than trying to please and trick a computer.
The interesting thing about all of this is that my first book, Hush, is in its sixth printing and I'm still receiving royalty checks. It's the only book that was really mine and written without restrictions and dictates. The anticipation of the spiral is what screwed things up.
Of course this isn't the end of the story. It will be interesting to see if the work I've done on the publicity side will have any impact. I'm guessing not much, but we'll see.
this is something writers aren't supposed to talk about and most don't talk about, but i see it as a massive problem within the book industry. talking about it is just going to get me in trouble and not solve a damn thing. my big mouth.
25 comments:
- Tribe said...
Not to make light of the situation, but I find it fascinating how all this works. Not to mention that there's no real "method" to any of it...the marketing people just take the easy way out and run with that figure.
- Kelly Parra said...
This is a reality check to writers, Anne, thanks so much for sharing this with us. I really didn't know how much of this worked, but I'm learning from you.
I think you've done awesome things this year, and getting your name out there on the net. I'm sorry it didn't make an impact with marketing, but I think it will make an impact in cyberspace. I'm rooting for you! =D
- Tribe said...
Something else that occurred to me...should you change your name with each book?
- anne frasier said...
tribe, it is pretty fascinating. I wonder if the level of marketing control varies depending on the house. i would imagine it dones to some extent. i'd also be interested in knowing how thing were done 25 years ago. i have the feeling M didn't have so much control back then.
the name: yeah, i was thinking of that this morning. it almost make me think a writer should switch houses and names with each contract! but then that would piss readers off, because many of them feel the name change is to trick them.
kelly, thanks so much, and thanks for all of your help and support! i really do think this will be a solid test. i'll find out if what i've done has any impact on the reader front.
- angie said...
How bizarre and disheartening. It will be interesting to see what impact your effort has on book sales, though. It really seems like the numbers are the only thing that will get the marketing dept.'s attention. And hey- same print run does NOT equal downward spiral. Holding pattern, yeah, but not going down.
Thanks for sharing your experiences with this bizarre business of writing. It's really appreciated.
- anne frasier said...
angie -- yes, it's really bizarre! i know publishers are not doing well at all right now, and a large part of this is to try to save money on the actualy printing of books that don't sell. i actually think the publisher loses twice on those books, because i believe the bookstore still makes something on stripped books.
it does make me wonder if ebooks might be part of the solution. i've never read one, and i think i'd miss the actual book -- but i can also see where ebooks could be very handy in certain situations.
- Tami said...
I tried ebooks for awhile and I hated them. This was back when they were really new, but I really missed holding an actual book. There is something about turning the pages and the smell of a new or old used book. I have that same feeling with digital painting. Though I think digital painting is great, easy and a lot more clean, there is something about the smell of paint and holding an actual paintbrush.
Thanks for sharing with us Anne. I've worked in marketing before (not in publishing but in tv) and I will say, books are not the only thing out there that this happens to. It's amazing what shows they decide to push and the reasons why. Most of the time, it has nothing to do with how good the tv show is or what it's about! What an eye opener!
- anne frasier said...
tami, i'm not sure i could ever get used to ebooks either. maybe when i'm traveling they might be nice -- but i'm not even sure about that.
people who've worked in marketing immediately get this whole situation. others tend to scratch their heads. this is a bit off-topic, but i believe a cover can make or break a person's career. one bad cover can be the end if the writer isn't a brand name. most of us are teetering on the edge.
- Jeff said...
Interestingly, this very issue was addressed on one of the panels at Thrillerfest. The panel consisted of an editor, an author, a publisher, and a bookseller. One member of the audience(a writer) asked a specific question very similar to your downward spiral example of declining book orders. The sad thing was, no one had a clear answer to the problem. I do remember one panel member finally shrugging and saying, "sometimes the writing life just sucks." What kind of answer is that?
The rest of the discussion dealt with how next to impossible it is for new writers to get their manuscripts read and accepted. :(
Thankfully, that was the only depressing panel discussion I attended.
I'm glad you've chosen to speak out about this issue, Anne. It needs to be addressed.
- Jaye Wells said...
Thanks for the insight. It seems so many things about this industry get a shurg and a "That's just how it is" or as Jeff said "Writing life sucks." It's the weirdest business model I've ever seen. You'd never hear an accountant say, "These numbers don't add up. Oh well."
- anne frasier said...
jeff, that's interesting that the subject came up at thrillerfest.
i do recall reading some suggestions for combatting the problem, but i can't remember what they were! i think one idea had to do with stripped books and returns -- but i can't remember what it was.
jaye, it seems like the whole business is in need of massive restructuring.
- Bailey Stewart said...
I think the work you have done on the publicity side has worked - at least it worked for me.
- Elizabeth said...
Anne, thanks for your insight and your bravery in publishing this post. What an eye opener.
M.G. Tarquini and I spent two days driving Barry Eisler and J.A. Konrath on the Phoenix leg of what they term drive-by signing tours. One of their theories in hitting as many bookstores to sign as many of books in as many corners of the country as possible is that a signed book is a sold book because booksellers won't strip it and send it back.
It's a tough row to hoe, though. Eighteen bookstores in two hot Phoenix days, and we were all delirious by 2 p.m. in the afternoon.
- anne frasier said...
bailey: thanks. i know you really liked the PI blog. I've been slacking there lately. ran out of photos and haven't had a chance to take more.
elizabeth: thank you so much.
i read about your driving gig! i would be delirious too. i don't think i have the stamina for that kind of thing -- and probably not the charm. :) i've had mixed reactions to drive-by signings. i'd say half the bookstores i've hit hate them, so i don't think i'm doing any this next time. i'm sure joe and barry get a much better response from PR people - who often tend to be female and grumpy.
- anne frasier said...
oh, i'll add that as far as chains go i've always had a wonderful response from Borders. Barnes and Noble can go either way.
- Sandra Ruttan said...
Geez, I posted a comment and blogger ate it.
I don't understand why authors have to get the marketing people behind their book. The book is the product - the company should automatically be invested in selling it. That's the marketing people's job. If it was anything else, people would be stunned. You don't say, "Oh, I'm just not as keen on selling that prescription drug" - if it's your stock that you've got the exclusive market on (and having an author to yourself makes them your exclusive product) then you get out there and sell it! Take advantage of having that unique product!
- anne frasier said...
sandra, that whole aspect of publishing was a shock to me when my first book came out in 1988. i didn't know the books are all tiered, and even if a book ends up in a top tier, it still might not get much of a push depending on how commercial the marketing department decides it is. so it might be important to go with a publisher who understands and knows how to market the kind of books you're writing.
you would think all books would simply get equal treatment, but it doesn't work that way. many are actually destined for failure simply because of how they're marketed.
- Nienke said...
How does this affect the quality of your writing and the quality of your enjoyment of writing?
I get the impression that the pressure of making the book "perfect" would accompany this marketing game. Do you find yourself thinking, "if only this book is good enough, it will get higher print runs?
Writing is hard enough, without having to worry about the business side of things.
What about using a new pen name and starting from scratch w/o telling anyone? Or is that more daunting than going along?
- anne frasier said...
nienke: it definitely impacts the quality. no doubt about that. the success of the first book changed everything.
but the pressure and stress comes from the loss of control. suddenly a lot of people are involved, and trying to mesh the visions of several people is very difficult. i think some writers are better at this than others, and it probably helps if the editor and writer have the same tastes. if you are polar opposites it can be especially tough. when you're writing a story you really want to write, you KNOW if it's working. i found myself writing things (entire books!) i had zero interest in -- so i didn't even know if the book was working because i didn't like it to begin with.
those mss ended up getting tossed and i just started over. i wrote play dead in 2 or 3 months after throwing out an entire book. for me plotting by committee just hasn't worked. i just can't do it even though i tried really hard.
when a writer approaches the bottom of the spiral she really has no choice but to take a pen name.
- jamie ford said...
(people who've worked in marketing immediately get this whole situation.)
All too well.
I work in advertising and PR, and my wife was an art director at a book publisher.
The downward spiral is a killer. Joe Konrath does his thing, but it probably only boosts his sales 5%. The rest is the buzz-worthiness of a book and the atractiveness of the cover.
Have you read the Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell? He talks a lot about what makes one thing a hit and another thing a dud. It's a good read.
- anne frasier said...
jamie, i really enjoyed the tipping point.
i've been meaning to dig out my copy and read it again because the blog world also reminds me of some things from the tipping point. there was something about the average number of friends most people can comfortably have. it's an unconscious limit that's close to the same for all but a few really dynamic individuals.
and i do fear you're right about that 5% boost in sales. you can't get a buzz going from the outside. that kind of thing can help, but it's not going to tip it. as soon as you quit running you're back where you started.
- emeraldcite said...
This was a really good post and the spiral doesn't come up as often as it should. Most newbies should be aware of it before getting involved. As if the trouble of getting an agent and finding a publisher isn't enough, the oncoming spiral is a major issue.
The sad part is that it doesn't seem that it can be avoided. Because of the purchase and print structure, the spiral is created.
I know it comes down to money and marketing. The market is too flooded for a house to focus on everything they put out. On the other hand, there are lots of good books coming out everyday.
I think the spiral is the scariest part for me. This is one of my biggest fears about publishing. I know that if I'm good enough, I'll finally break into the business, but I don't think there's anything I can do about the spiral.
- anne frasier said...
emeraldcite: i do find it strange that people don't talk about this much. i sometimes feel i'm talking about some super secret and now i'll be shunned. i think the spiral has gotten worse in the past 5 years because publishers are desperately trying to cut cost every way they can.
- emeraldcite said...
There's not enough shelf space for all the books anymore. I don't want them to slow their output because I really enjoy the various novels available.
I remember reading that Stephen King's reason for creating Richard Bachman was because his publisher didn't think it could handle more than one King novel a year. Of course, he proved them wrong, but there are a number of novelists who put out two a year.
This pleases the fans of a writer. I love when I can read two of my favorite authors' novels a year. Conversely, it takes up more space and cuts down on the momentum that a book can catch when it comes six or eight months before the next.
- anne frasier said...
oh, yeah. i remember when publishers did not want more than one book a year. then it was one book every 8 months. now they are releasing three books one or two months apart. i think they can combine all their advertising this way -- and many of those releases seem to hit the times -- even the ones by new writers.