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Tornados fall in SAC openerMarch 24, 2009
Katie Brown goes 2-6 with an RBI
Brevard, N.C. - The Tornados opened South Atlantic Conference play on Tuesday afternoon at the BC Softball Field against Newberry College. Newberry took game one of the doubleheader 8-1 and followed up by taking the nightcap as well, 6-0.
Brevard falls to 13-9 in the 2009 season, 0-2 in the SAC, while Newberry improves to 23-6, 4-0 in conference play.
Game 1: Newberry 8, Brevard 1
Jennifer Gift (7-5) went the distance for the Tornados in the first game, allowing 13 hits and eight runs, five earned, while striking out three. Amanda Huckestein (13-2) went the distance in game one for Newberry as well, allowing five hits, striking out seven.
Katie Brown led the Tornados in the first game, going 2-3 with an RBI while Chelsie Hilbourn led Newberry, going 3-3 with a triple and two runs scored.
Newberry got on the board first, scoring two in the top half of the first frame as Aissa Gatewood reached second base on a leadoff bunt that was misplayed by the Brevard defense. Gift retired Sara Powell on strikes and Kat Hammond on a sharp grounder to second, but a double by Huckestein scored Gatewood from third for the first run of the game. Huckestein came around to score on Hilbourn's triple as the scarlet and gray took the early lead.
Newberry added another pair of runs in the third, as Angela Cataldo singled up the middle scoring Huckestein and Hilbourn to go up 4-0.
The scarlet and gray put another on the board in the fourth as back-to-back doubles by Powell and Hammond led to Powell coming around to score as Newberry went up 5-0.
Brevard put a run across the plate in the bottom half of the inning as Chelsi Mallory led off the inning with a walk. A check-swing grounder by Maddie Fletcher moved Mallory over to second. Katie Brown followed the grounder with a base hit over the Newberry second baseman's head to score Mallory. The Tornados were unable to get the offense going in the inning though as Huckestein retired Katie Thornburg on strikes and was able to get Beth Brooker to fly out to center.
Newberry would go on to score a run in the top half of the fifth, sixth and seventh innings on their way to building an 8-1 lead.
The Tornados threatened to comeback in the bottom of the seventh as Brooker opened the frame with a single up the middle past a diving shortstop. Kasey Fagan reached on a fielder's choice as Brooker was forced out at second. A base hit by Sarah Carlos to straightaway center moved Fagan to second as Brevard had two on with one out, but fly balls by the next two Tornados hitters ended game one in favor of the guests.
Game 2: Newberry 6, Brevard 0
Liz Houser (6-4) took the mound for the Tornados in game two, allowing nine hits and six runs (five earned) while retiring seven on strikes. Huckestein pulled double duty for Newberry, pitching the nightcap as well, allowing five hits while striking out six.
Senior right fielder Beth Brooker led the Brevard offense in game two, going 2-3 with a pair of singles, while Hammond was the offensive threat for Newberry, going 3-4 with a home run and a pair of doubles to go with three RBIs.
Newberry scored in the top of the first on Hammond's two-out solo home run, but Houser came back to retire Huckestein on strikes to end the inning without any further damage.
Brevard placed two runners on in the bottom of the second as Jennifer Brown placed a bloop single down the right field line and Beth Brooker singled on a soft grounder in the infield, but the BC offense was unable to get a run across the plate as Huckestein retired Thornburg on strikes to end the inning.
The Tornados placed two more runners on base in the fourth as Brooker hammered a two-out single down the left field line and Thornburg reached after getting hit by a Huckestein pitch, but Carlos went down on strikes to end the inning.
Newberry broke the game open in the top of the fifth as Christine Stokes drove a one-out pitch from Houser over the fence down the left field line scoring Wiles and Hammond drove in Gatewood on a double to put the scarlet and gray up 4-0.
Newberry added runs in the sixth and the seventh as Richelle Mirabal doubled home Whitney Wiles in the sixth and Hammond doubled home Powell in the last frame to end the scoring.
Brevard put two more runners on base in the bottom of the seventh as Thornburg reached on a one-out walk and Carlos made it to first on a fielding error, but Huckestein retired the final two batters as the visitors took game two.
Brevard takes to the road tomorrow evening as they play a late doubleheader against Queens College of Charlotte. First pitch in the doubleheader between the Tornados and the Royals is set for 5 p.m.


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subset: commoncrawl


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Ozzy & Sharon Osbourne make first public appearances together since estrangement
Listen to Ozzy Osbourne on iHeartRadio
Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne appear to be making progress in reconciling their relationship. TMZ.com says the couple met for lunch at the Polo Lounge in Beverly Hills on Saturday. Ozzy and another man arrived at the restaurant first, but Sharon wasn't far behind. Ozzy's companion stayed for the meal.
An unnamed source says the lunch initially appeared to be more pragmatic than romantic, but by the time the meal was over Ozzy and Sharon were reportedly "cozying up together in the booth." Ozzy then accompanied Sharon and daughter Kelly to the An Evening With Women event, and planted a kiss on Sharon for the cameras on the red carpet.
Last month Ozzy admitted to a substance abuse relapse after rumors began circulating that he and Sharon were getting a divorce. While both he and Sharon have denied that they were ending their marriage, they've acknowledged that there have been problems they need to work out.
Photo Credit Getty Images


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Enrique Iglesias World Premiere of NEW Song "Turn the Night Up!" [INTERVIEW]
Elvis Duran listeners were treated to the WORLD PREMIERE of Enrique Iglesias' NEW song "Turn the Night Up"!
Though the Latin Hottie isn't a newbie to the music biz, he still gets nervous about releasing a new track. He shared his worries with us, "You know how people are going to react to I and you put so much love into it, so much work into it and it all comes down to that second." He continued, "[I've lost weight] from the stress of the album."
How does he know when it's going to be a hit? Enrique puts his songs through a special test. "The ultimate test for me is once I write a song… I'll go to sleep, wake-up in the morning and I'll play it. If it feels good, if it puts me in a good mood, that's when I know there is something special," he confessed.
Listen and let us know what you think! We're thinking this is going to be a Summer 2013 (and beyond) MEGA HIT!


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"Digital technologies, or Information and Communications Technologies as they are commonly known, offer massive opportunities: Innovation and technology are "the backbone of the modern economy," says Senator the Hon Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy and the deputy leader of the Government in the Senate.
As part of the Government of Australia's efforts at reducing carbon emissions by 2020, the energy sector providers plan to use broadband to improve the way they monitor and manage power distribution. Using broadband to connect power consumers with power generators will allow them to harness means of distribution in a more efficient and reliable manner. Smart grids connected by broadband will also raise the potential to not only monitor energy use but to allow remote adjustment of lights or temperature. This implies the very real possibility of significant carbon emission reductions for the country.
Full Report
At the recent RSA Conference 2009 in San Francisco, United States, McAfee CEO DeWalt called for a global security architecture.
"Security threats are on the rise as the economy declines, and the solution will likely come from collaborative partnerships that span all IT platforms and international boundaries." "DeWalt painted a grim picture of the security landscape. Consumer confidence has gone down while unemployment and has risen, he said. And as the economy has gone into a tailspin, cybercrime has seen a sharp upward spike, with more malware detected in 2008 than in the previous five years combined. Last year, 80 percent of cybercrimes were financially motivated, he added."
"Many organizations are vastly underprotected or fail to regularly update patches and security software, which have opened up copious threat vectors for attackers, DeWalt said. In addition, the explosion of malicious threats in the last year can also be attributed to lack of user education and best security practices, as well as lack of comprehensive security." "One of the solutions, DeWalt proposed, would be to build comprehensive security architecture across numerous IT platforms that would be able to interoperate with companies' existing network infrastructure. That architecture would ultimately allow organizations to create correlating reports for every department and system, while allowing greater overall visibility into their organization's network, DeWalt said." "Cross-platform collaboration provides IT administrators a panoramic view into their network and allows communication across the threat vectors to shore up otherwise unseen security holes." "That same type of collaborative architecture will ultimately be required to extend across international borders and throughout global networks as the threats continue to become more sophisticated and the attacks more prevalent, DeWalt said. "The most depressing part of this is that we do not have a global architecture in place," he said. "We need to work together. Undoubtedly, (attacks) will continue to increase."
Read the full story on ChannelWeb.
Following earlier reports of users not being able to delete their personal information, Facebook has now allowed voters to decide on the best way to proceed. In reviewing their policies with users, the popular social networking site has agreed to allow its users greater control of their personal data.
After a vote, 75% of responders were in favour of these proposed changes, which will allow users to own their own information and also have the right to remove it if they so choose.
Founder, Mark Zuckerberg explained that the networking site was aiming for a more "...transparent and democratic approach"
(Source: Telegraph)
Full story
Telegraph website
Miguel Angel Mancera, the Attorney General of Mexico City, stated that seven suspects including a Roman Catholic priest, were accused of distributing over 100,000 child sex abuse images (including pictures and videos) of children worldwide. Among the material taken away by law enforcement were CDs, DVDs and computers.
(Source: CNN)
CNN website
A new report of the mobile industry shows that some progress has been made by the 26 mobile operators signed up to the "European Framework for Safer Mobile Use by Younger Teenagers and Children brokered by the Commission in February 2007 (IP/07/139). These operators serve around 580 million customers, 96% of all EU mobile customers. "The new report of the mobile phone industry association shows that mobile operators have started to take seriously their responsibilities to keep children safe when using phones," said EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding.
50% of 10 year-old, 87% of 13 year-old and 95% of 16 year-old children in the EU have a mobile phone, but half of European parents worry mobile phone use might expose their children to sexually and violently explicit images (51%) or bullying by other children (49%), according to a survey. The European Commission today called on mobile operators to do more to keep children safe while using mobile phones by putting in place all the measures in the voluntary code of conduct, signed by 26 mobile operators in 2007. The report published by the GSM Association, the trade body of the mobile phone industry, showed that national self-regulatory codes based on the framework agreement brokered by the European Commission now exist in 22 Member States, 90% of them in line with the 2007 agreement, and 80% of operators have put in place measures to control child access to adult content.
Read the full EC press release from 20 April 2009 here.
More information on the GSMA report onimplementation of the framework agreement on "Safer Mobile Use by Younger Teenagers and Children" can be found here.
Chris De Wolfe, MySpace co-founder is reported by the Telegraph to be stepping down as chief executive.
In 2008, Facebook was reported to be the number one social networking site, relegating MySpace, (with 130 million users globally), to second place.
As well as tough competition from Facebook, a more recent social networking site, Twitter, appears to be holding its own against MySpace.
The Guardian reports that, in one of the first cases of its kind, images of a UK man sexually abusing Thai girls were used to identify him despite the fact that he had taken steps to hide his face.
Photographs were uncovered during a police search of Dean Hardy's home, where images were stored on memory cards from cameras and the hard drive of a computer.
A forensic anthropologist examined the freckles and blemishes visible in the images and found them to be identical with those on Mr Hardy's left hand.
Judge Stone, sentencing, referred to this case as "...sex tourism of the most offensive kind."
(Source: Guardian)
Guardian website
The British Computer Society (BCS)'s website shares information and advice on how to stay safe while shopping online in a set of "Golden Rules" compiled by Global Secure Systems (GSS).
The twelve golden rules to safely shopping online include the below (detailed information available on the BCS website):
The full set of "Golden Rules to Safe Internet Shopping" can be found here.
For more information see the British Computer Society (BCS) and Global Secure Systems (GSS) websites.
The Government of Malta has officially announced the launch of three new eGovernment services and an eGovernment Services Directory. The three services are the eHealth portal, the online certificates website and the scholarships service.These initiatives are aimed at improving the service delivery channels available between the Government and citizens.
"We have compiled this e-Government Services Directory to help users look for the e-services they require. The user may consider this directory as a manual and a complete list of the e-government services launched to date. We will continue to update it with every service launched and an updated version will always be available at www.mygov.mt." said Austin Gatt, the Maltese Minister for Information, Transport and Communications (MITC).
The ongoing transformation on the Maltese Government's IT resources is merely part of a much larger restructuring programme in the Government's approach to offering public services.
Source: epractice.eu
See: Full Press Release
ITU is pleased to announce the launch of its 2009 Cybersecurity and ICT Applications Essay Competition.
The 2009 ITU Cybersecurity and ICT Applications Essay Competition is open to current students and recent graduates in economics, political science, law, literature, telecommunications, computer science, information systems and related fields between the ages of 20 and 30 years old. The winners of the 2009 Essay Competition will be offered the opportunity of a consultancy contract within the ITU Development Sector's ICT Applications and Cybersecurity Division for three months. The winners will be given a contribution towards the cost of an economy class flight from their place of residence. In addition, they will be paid the sum of CHF 6000 towards living expenses for the duration of the contract.
To enter the competition you need to submit an essay on one of the following essay topics:
All applications should be submitted online through the competition website.
The deadline for applications is 14 June 2009.
We look forward to reviewing your applications and wish you the best of luck in the competition!
The EU's Commissioner in charge of Information and Communication Technology Viviane Reding, has called on the European ICT sector, which accounts of 2% of carbon emissions, to become the engine in the drive against carbon emissions, by setting trends that can be followed in the wider economy to affect the other 98% of emissions.
"Personally, I would recommend the ICT sector to lead the way for the rest of the economy by reducing its own carbon footprint by 20 percent as early as 2015", said Reding. "I see from the response of European ICT companies to the Commission's ongoing work that Europe is already well ahead in using ICT to green the economy, with some ICT companies already voluntarily working to reduce CO2 emission by 50 to 80 percent."
Commissioner Reding cited buildings and transport as other sectors where ICTenabled energy efficiency could have an impact. Recent studies suggest that better use of ICT could reduce energy consumption of buildings in the EU by up to 17% and to reduce carbon emissions in transport logistics by up to 27%.
Read Full Report
Source:European Union
1 April 2009 was the start of a new anti-piracy law in Sweden where, according to traffic data, an immediate and significant drop (over 30 per cent) occurred in the nation's overall Internet traffic.
"The combined traffic passing through Sweden's Internet Exchange Points usually peaks around 160 Gbit/s, but on Wednesday it peaked at around 110 Gbit/s. That's a huge drop in traffic, and is presumably a direct result of less file sharing taking place. ... Another interesting observation is that there was more traffic than usual during the last days before the law took effect. Were people hoarding films and music? On Tuesday (the day before the law went live) traffic peaked at nearly 200 GBit/s, roughly 25% above normal levels."
Read the full story and view the related statistics at CircleID.
The European Commission has unveiled new laws aimed at protecting children from online sexual abuse. As a result, individuals who are found to be guilty of abuses such as online grooming or viewing online pornography, may face criminal prosecution.
(Source: BBC)
Full Story
BBC Website
An advertising campaign by Beatbullying for its new website CyberMentors was helped by the testimony from boxing champion Joe Calzaghe.
Joe Calzaghe, a spokesperson for Beatbullying, spoke about the misery he suffered during his school years from bullying and how it affected him and changed his personality.
Adding, "For two years I was bullied, called names and ignored by former friends which turned me from a happy, out-going kid who enjoyed school and schoolwork, into an introverted wreck, detached from his studies and scared of his own shadow during school hours".
The UK government has unveiled plans to monitor social network sites contacts in an effort to tackle crime gangs and terrorists , stressing that it would not keep the content of conversations.
Following earlier plans to keep all phone calls, e-mails and websites visited on a central database, the UK government has been accused of putting together a snoopers charter by campaigners for civil liberties.
Amid concerns about security, Liberal Democrat MP Tom Brake stressed his lack of confidence in the security of personal information in a government-controlled database.
Chris Kelly, Facebook's chief privacy officer called this latest proposal "overkill".
An EU directive to store all Internet traffic data will come into force in the UK on 6th April 2009.
BBC website
A new social network site available only for under-18s,Yoursphere.co.uk, has commissoned a research paper on parental supervision of children online.
Evidence from this Virtual Parenting Report supports the need for more parental supervision for children online.
It suggests that parents should treat their children's online safety as having the same risks as offline safety. There appears to be a false sense of security in parents feeling that their children are less at risk because they are using the Internet whilst in the safety of the family home.
In the USA, the North Carolina Attorney General, Roy Cooper, summoned MySpace to provide the identities of these registered sex offenders to law enforcement.
Commenting on the responsibility of social networks, Cooper added that, "...MySpace, Facebook and other social networks need to do much more to protect kids online".
North Carolina state passed a law in 2008 banning sex offenders from registering on networks involving children and young people.
CNN Website
© Copyright 2017, ITU
The information presented within this blog comes from various organizations around the world. ITU encourages users to seek more detailed information from the original source through the links provided.
Links to third-party websites are provided for the convenience of all users. The ITU is not responsible for the accuracy, currency or the reliability of the content on these third-party websites. ITU does not offer any guarantee in that regard nor does ITU endorse the third-party organizations, their sites or content.


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they need to fix the menu button in the lower left corner. it's cut halfway off the screen.
Footpaths that weren't there before are now and walking directions use them. It does seem better.
2. Do you even know why Apple ditched Google Maps? It's because Google would not implement turn by turn directions on iOS so Apple said buh-bye.
I'm glad you told me this was an iPhone forum, I didn't realise...
Would not? Or Could not. Please get your facts right.
People defending all things Apple, even when they are clearly inferior, is strange. They bring out a polished turd and people defend it because its Apple.
goggle map are not working fine on i phone OS as they are completely showing wrong directions while viewing it has now become a big issue so better not to rely on this app of google at all..


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Abducted baby found after mom slain in Texas
SPRING, Texas (AP) – The mother of a woman who was shot to death as her newborn son was snatched from her arms outside a suburban pediatric center near Houston said her daughter died "trying to save her baby."
The 3-day-old boy was found safe around 8 p.m. Tuesday, about six hours after his mother, Kala Marie Golden, was killed following an argument in a parking lot, Montgomery County District Attorney Brett Ligon said.
Ligon said the child was "healthy" and that a person of interest had been detained, although no charges had been filed. He would not provide any details about the person.
Golden was leaving the Northwoods Pediatric Center in Spring after a checkup with her son, Keegan, about 2 p.m. when she and a woman in a Lexus parked next to her pickup truck began to argue, Montgomery County sheriff's Lt. Dan Norris said.
Witnesses said the woman repeatedly shot Golden, took the infant and sped away, hitting the dying mother as she tried to reach into the Lexus screaming, "My baby!" Norris said.
Witnesses also reported hearing as many as seven gunshots and said a man also was in the sky blue or light green Lexus, which was blood-stained on the driver's side, Norris said.
Golden's mother, Linda Golden, told the AP later Tuesday that she had been baby-sitting another of Kala's sons when someone at the scene called her using her daughter's cellphone. She rushed to the clinic but was unable to see her daughter because paramedics were trying to save her.
"I wanted to kiss her before they put her in the ambulance," Linda Golden said.
Ligon wouldn't say where the infant was found, but he said it wasn't at a nearby apartment complex where officers wielding guns and riot shields searched earlier Tuesday evening. Spring is about 20 miles north of Houston.
Investigators were processing evidence Tuesday night at one apartment in the complex that was searched, and they took away a vehicle that was parked in front. Photographs taken by news media at the scene show the vehicle was a light-colored Lexus.
Joshua Jesson said he was in the clinic with his girlfriend when he heard gunshots. He said he saw a Lexus next to the pickup truck, then later looked back and saw the car was gone and a woman lying in the spot where the Lexus had been parked.
"I thought she just passed out. Then somebody ran in here and said, 'Somebody got shot,'" he said.
Police quickly surrounded the clinic and much of the parking lot with crime-scene tape, and yellow markers were placed next to a purse and pair of brown sandals near a red pickup truck. Spent ammunition also was nearby.
Authorities late Tuesday were doing background checks on family members with the hope of returning Keegan to them on Wednesday.
Linda Golden described her daughter as sweet-natured and kind.
"We went everywhere together and did everything together," she said.
She said she had no idea what could have sparked the slaying and abduction.
"That's the hardest she's ever fought," Linda Golden said. "She died trying to save her baby."
Posted | Updated


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Or something.
RIP Fardin Qayyumi (AKA "cricket player"; "Bob"), 1/11/1990 - 15/4/2006
Japan? Er, 950?
EDIT: Missed Jamee's post.
Cricket Web's current Premier League Tipping Champion
- As featured in The Independent.
"I don't think that they'll come close to us to be honest."
- Steve Smith before the Ashes
It is indeed Japan. The number's less than 950.
I'll give you that. 765. Close enough.
Yay me!
Ok, who has scored the most points overall in world cups?
Just the player will do.
Going into the last one it was Gavin Hastings wasn't it? Still him?
Fabio Ongaro led the last World Cup in what?
Who won the 2003 IRB Rugby World Cu....
Nah, erm, here we are.
I have won 4 matches in the World Cup. Who Am I? (Ask questions - recieve answers)
Do you play for a northern hemisphere team?
Sort of. It's more what I am than who I play for...
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)


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PHOTOS: Ariana Grande gets neck tattoo
Listen to Ariana Grande on iHeartRadio
Ariana Grande, who recently collaborated with Chris Brown and lip-synched to the Jason Derulo song "Talk Dirty," got a tattoo on her neck on Thursday in L.A.
The singer posted two pics on Instagram of her neck being inked by famed tattoo artist Romeo Lacoste.
It appears Grande's new tattoo reads, "Mille tendresse," which means a "thousand tendernesses" in French, and was from the Truman Capote novel (and film), "Breakfast At Tiffany's."
So far, Grande has yet to explain the personal meaning behind the tattoo.
What do you think of Grande's tattoo?


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First down: Houston at Indianapolis
11 a.m., TV • Ch. 2
The skinny • Let's not dwell on the Texans, OK? Everyone knows they're good. Well, everyone except for those who happened to catch last week's act against the Vikings, anyway. They may require a bit more convincing. At any rate, this game is all about the Colts. The emotional return of coach Chuck Pagano … the culmination of the ascension of Andrew Luck … Indy bidding a fond farewell to Dwight Freeney.
The line • Texans by 7.
The pick • Colts. The Texans are probably the better team. But the Colts are far more "Chuckstrong."
Second down: Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants
11 a.m., TV • Ch. 13
The skinny • It's illogical that a team hailed as the league's best at midseason could flame out so spectacularly. Illogical that a four-touchdown win over the Packers and a 52-point outing against the Saints would be followed by being outscored 77-13 in a two-game stretch. And illogical that a team renowned for its ability to overcome any obstacle now needs a win in its game, a loss or tie by the Cowboys, and a loss by BOTH the Vikings and Bears just to make the playoffs at all.
The line • Giants by 7.
The pick • Giants. It's even more illogical to bet on Michael Vick.
Third down: Kansas City at Denver
2:25 p.m., TV • Ch. 2
The skinny • These AFC West "rivals" squared off in last season's Week 17 as well, and the subsequent year has seen big changes for both. The Broncos upgraded from Tim Tebow to Peyton Manning, from fringe playoff team to bona fide contender. And the Chiefs have how shall we put this nicely? become more consistent at being terrible. The one constant in K.C. is that the Chiefs still somehow manage to field a team every week without a quarterback.
The line • Broncos by 16.
The pick • Broncos. That QB position is kinda important, right?
Fourth down: Green Bay at Minnesota
2:25 p.m., TV • Ch. 13
The skinny • There's just a liiiiiittle bit on the line. If the Packers win, they've got a first-round bye and second-round home-field advantage. If the Vikings win, they clinch an improbable playoff berth following a season in which Adrian Peterson was their lone legitimate offensive threat for at least half the games. And speaking of Peterson, I'm told that if he can rush for another couple hundred yards, it'll be a big deal. But you know how these vainglorious running backs are.
The line • Packers by 31/2.
The pick • Packers. Sorry, AP, but you're gonna come up short twice.
Second first down: Dallas at Washington
6:20 p.m., TV • Ch. 5
The skinny • Aside from perhaps the Colts (who almost everyone had penciled in for another No. 1 draft pick), is there a less talented team in the playoff picture than the Redskins? Yes, having RG3 instead of last year's infamous Beck/Grossman abomination combination is a HUGE upgrade. Almost everywhere else? Still mediocre. So how has it happened? Who cares. No one's calling Ke$ha the most talented pop star of the 21st century, but she keeps cranking out hit songs.
The line • Redskins by 3.
The pick • Redskins. Big D is more talented, but more self-destructive.
… and 11 to go
Jacksonville at Tennessee, 11 a.m. • You know you're in a bad situation, Jags, when your best hope is to get a guy who couldn't play for the Jets.
Carolina at New Orleans, 11 a.m. • Biggest bounty winner? Sean Payton, who parlayed the Saints' season to forget into an $8M a year deal.
N.Y. Jets at Buffalo, 11 a.m. • The Quarterback Formerly Known as Sanchize may be consoled that at least his season was better than Tebow's.
Baltimore at Cincinnati, 11 a.m. • A divisional battle AND a possible playoff preview, all in one? Let me channel my inner Keanu Reeves and say "Whoa!"
Cleveland at Pittsburgh, 11 a.m. • This one's for all the Thad Lewis fans.
Chicago at Detroit, 11 a.m. • Bears get some help by facing one of the few teams playing worse than them.
Tampa Bay at Atlanta, 11 a.m. • Falcons should enjoy this win, as they surely won't get one in the playoffs.
Oakland at San Diego, 2:25 p.m. • Aw, man, I was sooooo looking forward to seeing Matt Leinart play.
Arizona at San Francisco, 2:25 p.m. • Cards could REALLY use a QB. I think the Niners have a spare one they're not doing anything with.
St. Louis at Seattle, 2:25 p.m. • Only thing hotter than the Seahawks right now is Channing Tatum. So dreamy!
Miami at New England, 2:25 p.m. • Wonder if the Fins remember they could have had Andrew Luck if they'd kept sucking last season. Probably.


text: God Loves Man Kills. Reprints X-TREME X-MEN #25-30 The Anti-Mutant Movement leader Stryker has returned and it's up to the X-Treme team to make sure his hatred of mutants does not lead to more deaths. But what happens when the X-Treme team and Stryker's goals are one and the same? Guest-starring Wolverine and Shadowcat!


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In the News
Original journalism from the Center's OpenSecrets Blog
Millionaire Freshmen Make Congress Even Wealthier
January 16, 2013 | Think the Congress that just ended was out of touch with America? The new one may be no better, judging by how much it's worth. Overall, lawmakers are even wealthier than in previous years, according to our analysis of their 2011 financial disclosure statements, and 257 of them -- seven more than in 2010 -- are millionaires.
Defending Defense Spending, Preventing the Planet of the Apes and More in Capital Eye Opener: Aug. 12
August 12, 2011 | Some members of Congress have rallied to defend defense spending with automatic cuts built into the Debt Ceiling Act if the so-called "super committee" should fail and the potential for major cuts in defense spending by the super committee itself.
Dozens of Congressmen File for Extension on Financial Disclosure Documents
June 15, 2011 | Instead of today, 76 House representatives will sometime this summer release reports on their stock, bond and mutual fund holdings, as well as investments in real estate, ownership interests in private companies and cash, according to a tally by the Center for Responsive Politics.
And They're Off: Congressional Fundraising Races Underway
August 17, 2009 | Nearly 1,400 candidates have filed campaign finance reports with the Federal Election Commission, indicating that they'll be vying for one of the 468 congressional seats that will open up next year. It won't feel like a quick sprint, however, especially for those candidates in particularly close races who've already raised millions of dollars. We know the final stretch is a ways off yet, but here are our early observations, including contributions reported between April and June.
Embattled Lobbying Firm PMA Targeted Members of Defense Committees
February 12, 2009 | The close ties between Rep. John Murtha and a Washington lobbying firm raided by the FBI have put the powerful Pennsylvania Democrat under greater scrutiny. The lobbyists at PMA Group have been Murtha's fifth most generous campaign donor over time, but he is just one of 284 members of the 111th Congress who have collected money from the firm, which specializes in securing federal earmarks for its clients. In total, PMA Group's employees and its political action committee have given current members of Congress $3.4 million since 1989.
Money Wins Presidency and 9 of 10 Congressional Races in Priciest U.S. Election Ever
November 5, 2008 | The historic election of 2008 re-confirmed one truism about American democracy: Money wins elections. From the top of the ticket, where Barack Obama declined public financing for the first time since the system's creation and went on to amass a nearly two-to-one monetary advantage over John McCain, to congressional races throughout the nation, the candidate with the most money going into Election Day emerged victorious in nearly every contest.
Feel free to distribute or cite this material, but please credit the Center for Responsive Politics. For permission to reprint for commercial uses, such as textbooks, contact the Center.


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'Sources tell News-4 Sports, that John Rigas wants any deal relinquishing control of the Sabres to include a guarantee that they stay in Buffalo.'
Archives for May 2002
Rigas Holds on to Sabres…For Now
From stricken hockey fan, hearty thanks to rescuers
'Alexander Eleczko met Ron Barrett and Ken Bak for the second time Wednesday, but he can be forgiven if he doesn't remember the first time. His heart wasn't beating, and he had collapsed between rows of seats in HSBC Arena prior to a Buffalo Sabres game.'
Bankruptcy would cut jobs but not service
'As for the Buffalo Sabres, it's impossible to tell whether the National Hockey League franchise might get pulled into bankruptcy wrangling, experts said. Investigators reportedly are looking at the team's ties to the cable company, including whether Adelphia backed Sabres debts.'
Hall of Fame inducts six on historic night
Hockey commentator and former Sabre Mike Robitaille did the honors [Buffalo Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame] for inducting the late Ted Darling, longtime announcer for the hockey team.
Former Coach Ted Nolan Hopes Rangers Post Gets Him Back to NHL
'"Certain personalities just clash," said Nolan, who rejected an extension with the Sabres after the 1996-97 season, then passed on a four-year offer to coach Tampa Bay several months later. "I don't think I did anything wrong."'
Adelphia to Describe Rigas Family-Related Activities, NYT Says
'Adelphia intends to disclose in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing by today that it bought furniture from a company the family owns, allowed personal use of company airplanes and other perks, provided financing of a golf course built for the family, and was somehow involved in the family's purchase of the Buffalo Sabres hockey team, the paper said, citing the people. Adelphia officials couldn't be reached to comment early today.'
Adelphia invested in family's NY hockey team-report
'Adelphia's investment in the National Hockey League team was never fully disclosed, and it is not clear whether the company's founder, John Rigas, borrowed money to buy the team as part of a lending agreement in which Adelphia was liable for the family's purchase, or whether the family had the company itself make the acquisition, the newspaper said.'
Adelphia Is Said to Plan Disclosures of Dealings
'Adelphia's internal investigators are still unsure about Adelphia's investment in the Sabres hockey team, these people said. The internal investigators believe that the Rigases used Aldephia money to invest in the team beginning in 1994, according to these people. Now, these people said, it appears that the Rigases may have also used company money to support the team by having Adelphia buy advertisements from the team.'
It's definitely not a seller's market for Rigas and the Sabres
'Basically, it will come down to this: Any owner willing keep this franchise in Buffalo will bet the annual rate of appreciation outweighs the annual losses. Owners who lose $50 million over 10 years and watch the franchise appreciate by $60 million are called investors. Owners who lose $50 million and watch it appreciate $25 million are called former investors.'
If it survives, Adelphia likely to cut jobs here
'Then there's the Buffalo Sabres, which are owned by the Rigas family. The team reportedly is losing more than $10 million a year and the staggering decline in the Rigas family's wealth – more than $565 million since last June – makes those losses even harder to bear.'
Can the Sabres survive the storm?
The Buffalo Sabres have endured all sorts of dilemmas in their history. They had that no goal controversy, crucial injuries at key times and bitter battles between a GM and a head coach. All those pale by comparison with the problems the team is going through currently.
Hamister, Rich top list of possible team owners
'Pitts and others fear two scenarios, either of which could allow the Sabres to break their 30-year lease and move: that the Sabres or John Rigas could seek bankruptcy protection, or that the NHL could take over a troubled franchise and determine its fate. As Pitts said of any such scenario, "This could be the worst nightmare for Buffalo Sabres fans."'
A rust-belt city's fading high-tech hopes
'Thursday, in a bid to prop up the Sabres, New York State forgave a US$25-million loan linked to construction of the HSBC Arena. Joel Giambra, the elected head of Erie County, which includes Buffalo, said covenants prevent a buyer from moving the Sabres out of his city. "The Sabres are here to kick the ass of the Maple Leafs for a long time to come," Mr. Giambra said.'
NHL's in trouble in U.S., too
'The problem for the NHL is that the value of the Sabres – already a struggling small-market team – is inextricably linked to Adelphia through loan guarantees and broadcast deals. No Adelphia, no Sabres, say financial experts. Hockey sources say it's unlikely another local buyer could step up to buy the club should the auditors and the markets sink Adelphia. Wither Buffalo in that scenario? On to Portland? (Paul Allen has had plenty of chances to buy into the NHL and has passed.) Houston? Milwaukee? Las Vegas? Rancho Cucamonga?'
Giambra: Sabres not going anywhere
'"The Sabres are going to be here for a long time," Giambra said. "There might be a change of ownership, but the team will stay right here in Buffalo in the HSBC Arena, and that's because we had the foresight and vision to negotiate that in the lease."'


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Driver's license checkpoint
(Cleveland) - Cleveland Police from the Third District will hold a Driver's License Checkpoint today, July 31, 2014 from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. on Broadway Avenue at Fowler.
Photo Credit Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles
Get breaking news sent to your mobile phone.Text "news" to 21095.
(Copyright 2014 Clear Channel, all rights reserved.)


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CSU Rams are Going to the New Mexico Bowl!
The Colorado State University Rams are going bowling for the first time since 2008! The team's 7-6 record (5-3 MWC) earned them a chance to play against the Washington State Cougars (6-6; 4-5 Pac 12) at the Gildan® New Mexico Bowl on Saturday, December 21 at 12 pm MST.
The game will be played at University Stadium on the University of New Mexico campus. ESPN will televise the game - check your listings for channel and time.
Support the Rams!
You can support the Rams as they make their New Mexico Bowl appearance. Ram fans can:
- Purchase a ticket to the game. Tickets are available at csurams.com starting at $40. Hotel packages info is available at csurams.com.
- Purchase a ticket for a CSU student. You can help a CSU student experience the bowl game in New Mexico by purchasing a ticket.
- Purchase a ticket for a member of our Armed Forces. Support our men and women in uniform while showing your support of the Rams by purchasing a ticket.
Now matter how you do it, show your support for the Rams as they make their 13th bowl appearance in CSU history.
New Mexico Bowl
The Gildan® New Mexico Bowl has been played since 2006. It is typically one of the first games of the bowl season. The bowl game puts a Mountain West Conference team against a Pacific 12 conference team. The New Mexico Bowl trophy is a 20-inch piece of Zia Pueblo pottery, painted with Pueblo symbols, the New Mexico Bowl logo, football players, and the logos of the competing teams.
The game is the only annually nationally televised sporting event in the state of New Mexico.


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JUST ADDED: Bon Jovi, Dave Grohl and Eddie Vedder will play 12.12.12
Bon Jovi, Dave Grohl and Eddie Vedder have been added to the star-studded line-up for 12.12.12: The Concert For Sandy Relief taking place at NYC's Madison Square Garden December 12.
Paul McCartney, Kanye West, The Who, Alicia Keys, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Billy Joel, Roger Waters have already been announced to take the stage at the concert to raise money for those affected by Hurricane Sandy.
Tickets for the one-night event will go on sale Monday, December 3 at 12:00pm ET through Ticketmaster phones, outlests and online at www.ticketmaster.com, www.thegarden.com and www.radiocity.com. Starting at 9am ET that day, Chase credit or debit card members will have first access to a limited number of tickets for purchase before they go on sale to the general public.
Event producers, James Dolan, John Sykes and Harvey Weinstein issued the following joint statement: "We are extremely grateful that the incomparable list of musicians appearing at 12.12.12 continues to grow, as more and more inimitable performers sign on to ensure the event has the greatest possible impact on relief efforts relating to Hurricane Sandy."
"Chase is extremely proud to join the producers of 12.12.12 to support Robin Hood Relief," said Gordon Smith, co-CEO of Chase Consumer & Community Banking. "New York is our home, too, and our employees and customers were also hit hard by this storm. We hope this collaboration of extraordinary talent can help provide more support to the people still suffering from the storm"s aftermath."
Clear Channel Media + Entertainment's iHeartRadio is proud to be a presenter of 12.12.12 in conjunction with The Weinstein Company and The Madison Square Garden Company. Proceeds from the one-night event will benefit the Robin Hood Relief Fund to aid the victims of the storm that devastated coastal areas of Long Island, Queens, Staten Island, New Jersey and other parts of the East Coast. Those that wish to donate will also be able to to contribute through Clear Channel's 'text to give' campaign. More information will be released in the coming days related to streaming and telecast information.
CLICK HERE for the most up-to-date details on the event
SPREAD THE WORD: #121212concert


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This guide offers an alternative method of loading the i915 driver in the 3.2.6 kernel without adding unsupported PPA's or using packages which are not from the official BackTrack repositories.
Recently I've been trying to get the i915 graphic driver loaded in the new 3.2.6 kernel. After upgrading from R1 > R2 I noticed that the new kernel does not seem to load the i915 driver on boot where as the older 22.214.171.124 kernel loaded it automatically. The new kernel remains functional however in my case my Dell XPS 15z laptop graphic session was stuck at 1280 x 1024, which for a screen that has 1920 x 1080 native resolution, looks quite ugly and bad.
A couple of community members have been posting how to get the driver loaded, but every guide I've seen involves using unsupported PPA's or packages that are not from the official backtrack repositories. With no disrespect to their work, myself being a bit of a perfectionist (or maybe a purist) I tend to not go down the unsupported PPA route if I can avoid it. This guide should hopefully help you get the i915 driver loaded, without the need to mess with any software sources or PPA's, keeping your BackTrack installation pure.
Machine specs
All of this was tested on my Dell XPS 15z laptop, the important specs are below:
My installation contains packages from the official backtrack repositories only.Quote:
Dell XPS 15z i5 2.40 Ghz Dual Core
Intel GPU (Onboard) & Dedicated NVIDIA 2GB GeForce 525M (Optimus)
BackTrack 5 R2 KDE 64-bit (Upgraded from R1 following the official guide)
Installed on a 32 GB USB Stick with Encryption. (LVM)
1. Modifying /etc/default/grub:
Before attempting to load the i915 driver you need* to add some values to your GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT line in your /etc/default/grub config.
*Without doing this, I found the i915 driver did not work correctly and often hung or crashed my machine with the CPU at full throttle when attempting to startx.
Append these values to your GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT line:
Your GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT line should now look similar to this:Code:
i915.i915_enable_rc6=1 i915.lvds_downclock=1 i915.i915_enable_fbc=1 pcie_aspm=force
NOTE: Don't add these on your boot/grub/grub.cfg. These changes will get wiped whenever either a certain package runs the upgrade-grub script or when you run update-grub manually.Quote:
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="text i915.i915_enable_rc6=1 i915.lvds_downclock=1 i915.i915_enable_fbc=1 pcie_aspm=force"
Here text mode is used rather than text splash (which is the default) as I have encryption set on my root partition and its more convenient for me see the console information (i.e. Enter password prompt) rather than having to press F8 to get to console. Having text mode set is not a necessary part of getting the i915 driver working. Though I personally would choose to have it enabled anyway as it can provide useful information regarding modules during boot.
You may also be wondering what all these commands are actually for. Mainly they are to help power saving (i.e. prevent battery drain) and to keep things running smoothly, as without them my laptop seems to run much hotter in the newer kernel than the older kernel.
Once you've modified the GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT line run the update-grub command for the changes to be applied on next boot:
IMPORTANT: Reboot your machine before continuing.Code:
This is required so the new commands on the GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT line become effective.
2. Manually modprobe the i915 module
Now you should be back at console asking you to login. Now your going to attempt to load the i915 module. Before that however for machines with NVIDIA GPU's you may want to remove the nouveua driver as its not required and its just going to get in the way:
The first command removes the nouveau driver as its not capable of giving me my true screen resolution (In my case 1920 x 1080) and generally I don't need it. (Note: nouveau will only be present on a system with an NVIDIA GPU). The second command loads the i915 driver.Code:
modprobe -r nouveau
modprobe i915 modeset=1
WARNING: Do not modprobe the i915 module while in an X Session, do it in console.
Observations: At first glance at the situation I first thought the i915 driver was completely missing from the 3.2.6 kernel, however this is not the case as modprobe is able to load it. You can also confirm the presence of the i915 driver by using a bit of grep magic modprobe -l | grep i915.
After you modprobe the i915 module, your screen should go blank for a second or so and should return with the screen resolution changed to your native resolution in console.
You can now proceed to startx and hopefully you will be greeted with BackTrack 5 R2 with the 3.2.6 kernel using the i915 driver. If everything worked out you can proceed to stop the nouveau driver loading at boot permanently, as well as getting the i915 module loaded automatically at boot.
Starting X Error: If you got an error when attempting to start X, you may already have an xorg.conf present which is conflicting with the loading of the i915 module. To remove it you can following the steps outlined in the troubleshooting section towards the bottom of this guide.
3. Stop nouveau from loading during boot permanently (If applicable)
A more convenient way of stopping the nouveau driver loading at boot without running modprobe is to apply it permanently to the blacklist.conf
Add the following at the bottom of the file:Quote:
Now run:Code:
blacklist nouveau
This will generate a new initrd.img for the 3.2.6 kernel. If the output from the command says its updating the older 220.127.116.11 kernel you need to follow the steps in this guide to correct this behaviour.Code:
update-initramfs -u
Any subsequent boots after this will stop the driver from loading completly, you will be able to confirm this by checking your console output and looking for any lines with nouveau mentioned, you can also run lsmod and check nouveau is not listed anywhere.
4. Loading the i915 module automatically:
(Probably the moment you've been waiting for!)
If you have confirmed that manually loading the i915 module via modprobe works, you can startx with no problems and you get the desired screen resolution, you can make the module load during boot like its supposed to just like the older kernel. To do this you need to append this to your GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT line:
Here's what your grub line should look like with this change:Code:
Run update-grub:Quote:
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="text video=i915:modeset=1 i915.i915_enable_rc6=1 i915.lvds_downclock=1 i915.i915_enable_fbc=1 pcie_aspm=force"
Now you can reboot to see if the i915 module will load automatically.Code:
On your next boot you should get the i915 module loaded automatically! What should happen during the boot process is your screen resolution will start off being set to a low generic resolution such as 1024 x 768 and then should automatically adjust to your native resolution as the i915 module kicks in. This is because during the boot process the VESA module is loaded by default first as its a generic graphics driver which will work on any machine, then as the i915 module is loaded responsibility for the display is transferred over and the VESA module is deactivated.
Please let me know if this guide works for you. If you are having problems try the troubleshooting section at the bottom of this guide, if you still can't get everything working, feel free reply to the thread
5. Using a script to perform the steps in this guide (Optional):
Thanks to landon he has prepared a small script that will perform all of the steps in the guide for you. This is very useful if want to perform these steps on multiple machines. You can find it below:
All of the required information on how to use this script is written in the comments within the script itself, but for convenience here's a quick way of running the script:
Rename the script, omitting the .txt extension and making the filename more friendly:Code:
wget http://techauthority.net/backtrack/i915-2.sh.txt
CHMOD the script so its executable:Code:
mv i915-2.sh.txt i915.sh
Now you can run the script. I would recommend you read over the guide (if you haven't already) before running the script to make sure you know what exactly is going to change (system wise).Code:
chmod +x i915.sh
If you are having problems after following the steps in the guide hopefully this section will help you get the i915 module working for you.
Starting X throws an error:
It is likely that you have an xorg.conf (located at /etc/X11/xorg.conf) which is causing a conflict with the loading of the i915 module. To fix this you can run:
This will rename the xorg.conf to xorg.conf.bak and will prevent X from using the configuration file. Now try starting X again by running startx and it should work.Code:
mv /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.bak


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Gear designed for the most demanding rider!
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Lisp Flavoured Erlang
Lisp Flavoured Erlang is a tool which allows you to use a Lispy syntax instead of the classic Erlang one. There are various reasons one might find this compelling; LFE has Lispy/Schemey macros; the syntax is more consistent (e.g. no issues with ; vs. , vs. .).
Note that while LFE currently can do a lot, it doesn't quite support all the things available to you in the classic Erlang syntax.
The Erlang shell will look for bytecode (.beam) files in certain places, so you want the LFE install to be found that way. You can put all of the LFE bytecode under <path-to-installed-erl>/lib/. For example, I extracted LFE so that I I end up with .../erl5.6.5/lib/lfe/{doc,ebin,examples,src,test,etc.}. Or you can edit the environment variable ERL_LIBS to include the path to the LFE installation. TODO: somebody who uses ERL_LIBS, please put in a precise example here.
The LFE installation comes with some examples. TODO: build up a set of examples here which help show a clear mapping from classic Erlang syntax to LFE syntax.


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God was placing a classified ad today in the Surrey Gazette God is selling a few clouds and some cherubs and when God called he spoke to the most sexy of Gods children.
God spoke to a Richard FRIDGE.
God says if you would like to speak to Richard Fridge his number is 01483 508875


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Thursday, December 20, 2012 - 10:07 AM
Benny Greb Master Session New York - Registration is Starting Now
Benny Greb will host his first Master Session Drum Camp in the United States from March 14 - 18, 2013. It will take place at the Full Moon Resort, NY, which is located about 30 miles from Woodstock, NY.
Click here for registration.
Seats will be sold on a first-come first-serve basis. Every participant will receive a free Meinl Benny Greb Artist Series Master Pad.


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Friday, February 27, 2009
This Week in Publishing 2/27/09
Yes, the Kindle news is flowing fast and furious as everyone assesses their favorite new white book thingy of the future. What does it all mean? Um. Depends on who you ask.
First off for your nuts and bolts review, David Pogue always delivers a great rundown and he likes the new version quite a bit. Meanwhile, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos went on the Daily Show to talk to Jon Stewart, whose conclusion was essentially: "It costs what now?" (Also on the Daily Show: confirmation that they are working on books beamed to brains. Bezos: "We're working on that." Well, hurry, please!)
Of course, we all know by now that the Kindle 2 is stirring up controversy with its text to speech function, and the head of the Author's Guild took to the pages of the New York Times to assert that authors have a right to a share of revenue from derivative audio uses, even if said audio sounds crappy at the moment. (And especially since the said crappy audio is getting better).
How do authors feel? Well, Neil Gaiman came out very quickly against the Author's Guild stance by saying that when you buy a book you're buying the ability to read it out loud (although actually, the Author's Guild isn't disagreeing with this -- just having an e-reader do it) and that no one is going to confuse it with an actual audiobook.
Author Jason Pinter strongly disagrees with Gaiman: Amazon is making money off of the technology, and he says that authors have to stand up for their share of the pie when the market is segmented, particularly because the technology is only going to improve. In a nod to Gaiman, Pinter writes: "Major bestselling authors have less to worry about because the bookstores (and audiobook producers, and all other tributaries) can expect a certain number of sales. As tides rise, people with bigger platforms will be able to keep their heads above water. But the situation is different for authors who must squeeze out every bit of potential book revenue to stay afloat."
Well. At least we're all agreed that Amazon is going to completely dominate the new book world, right? Um..... Also depends on who you ask.
First up, writing for Slate is Farhad Manjoo, who writes that publishers are doomed as Amazon uses the Kindle to gobble up an increasing share of the e-book marketplace and will subsequently flex its muscle a la Apple and iTunes. Meanwhile, Mike Shatzkin argues that Amazon will lose its competitive advantage in an e-book world as new devices challenge the Kindle and as the new companies don't have to worry about Amazon's huge logistical advantage with physical books. (HT Maya Reynolds)
Got all that? Welcome to the new publishing world! We totally have this under control.
Hmmm.... did I forget anything? Oh yeah: here's what your Kindle looks like naked.
In non-Kindle news: more fallout from the Great Query Flood of '09, as agent Rachelle Gardner was forced to abandon her policy of responding to everyone, and would like everyone to please remember that we don't have time, nor are we paid for, personalized responses to every manuscript we receive. But we still try.
And finally, ever wondered whether you or one of your fellow writers have crossed the line from confidence straight into delusion? J.A. Konrath has a helpful breakdown.
Have a great weekend!
68 comments:
If books are recited on these e-readers, will it be by some electronic computer generated voice? Doesn't it make more sense to have an actor, or even the author him/herself recorded in a reading to be played back at leisure on these things?
- February 27, 2009 at 1:27 PM
- Mira said...
I loved reading the Rachelle Gardner blog - thanks for directing me there. What a lovely person! A great role-model for how to set a limit graciously and compassionately.
It also really speaks to the reality of the increase in query responses. I think what everyone has been saying about the economic problems leading people to dip into book writing is true.
In terms of the piece about delusional writers some of it was useful, but other parts were just plain silly.
I'd argue with it, but I'm all argued out this week.
Although I would argue that I should recieve a shiny new Kindle for Christmas. I'd argue for that very enthusiastically!
- February 27, 2009 at 1:39 PM
- Marilyn Peake said...
I believe Neil Gaiman's a brilliant writer, but I disagree with him about the need for writers to protect their audio rights on the Kindle. My books are available in eBook format for the Kindle, but separate audio book versions are recorded by professional voice actors and sold at audible.com. Right now, it's no big deal – The audio version for the Kindle can't hold a candle to the quality produced by professional voice actors on a soundstage, but that may change. Amazon planning to beam books directly into our brains? Will they come with commercials? You will buy Amazon. No other bookstore can compare. You want Amazon to rule the world, you really do.
Love the piece on confident writers vs. delusional writers. Especially love this part:
Confident writers know they'll be published, if they keep at it.
Delusion writers think they'll be rich and famous.
There's that darn difference between getting published and making money, rearing its ugly head again. But, so often, that's the reality of being a writer. Sigh.
- February 27, 2009 at 1:42 PM
Do you really think that the economy has lead to more queries? I mean, that would mean that people are pumping out books in what like a few months?
- February 27, 2009 at 1:43 PM
If Amazon isn't charging extra to be able to hear the book that's been purchased, they'll probably give the author the royalties on the audio enhancement. Te he. (Cause 10% of nothing is still nothing, see?) I think all you can really do is get outraged if James Earl Jones's voice starts doing the narrating and people can download the audio book into physical form like a CD or share it with the world at the click of a button.
- February 27, 2009 at 1:45 PM
- Nathan Bransford said...
I honestly have no idea why the queries are on the rise so much, but honestly a lot of these projects look they were cranked out in a few hours given how sloppy they are. So yeah -- plenty of time for people to dash something off and send us queries.
- February 27, 2009 at 1:50 PM
- Marilyn Peake said...
Anon @ 10:45 AM -
I wouldn't be worried at all about Kindle audio if it stayed as lame as it is right now, but eventually computers will probably be able to create realistic voices. Think about how far the quality of computer games has come in the last few years. I wonder if the same law that says a writer loses their copyright if they don't defend copyright infringement within a certain number of years will apply to this audio book situation with the Kindle. Any lawyers here?
- February 27, 2009 at 1:51 PM
- Rowenna said...
J.A. Konrath's post was great--though I think people are fooling themselves if they think they've never slipped into a moment of delusion or two. It's about whether you snap out of it or not! I also wasn't sure how I felt about this comment "Would you rather be paid or be praised?
Confident writers know the best form of praise is a royalty check." If money isn't the primary goal of writing, I don't think that makes someone delusional(in fact, at this stage, it keeps me from becoming so)--and I'd personally rather publish a book that did well critically than financially.
- February 27, 2009 at 1:53 PM
Ms. Peake-
I completely agree.
- February 27, 2009 at 1:57 PM
- Hilabeans said...
*Taking a deep breath*
Writing is a lifelong process. I agree with several points on the confident vs. delusional writer comparison.
In regards to the question of economics and the spike in the number of new queries, I look at things this way - after being laid off, people who were simply closet writers have more time to devote to their craft. Is there anything wrong with that? I don't think so.
We all need to step up our game, become marketers as well as writers - I mean, aren't these the skills we'll need even after our books are published?
More competition is not a bad thing in my mind. It's a catalyst.
One more thing, there's no rule book that says you can't finish a novel in two months ;). Have you read Stephen King's On Writing?
- February 27, 2009 at 2:01 PM
- Bane of Anubis said...
Great post and thanks for the link to Konrath's nice breakdown.
Gaiman isn't necessarily right and his view may be distorted, but given the nature of today's global paradigm, I'm guessing that authors & publishers lose this battle.
And I doubt there's anybody that can seriously compete with Amazon... its business model has been rock solid for most of its existence and it'll continue to take market share - publishers, agents, etc., I imagine, are beginning to capitulate to some degree and will eventually work with them more actively for mutual benefit.
Hadn't heard of Rachelle - hopped over there and realized why. She probably wouldn't appreciate my polytheistic stories :)
- February 27, 2009 at 2:04 PM
- BarbS. said...
I know several people who adore the Kindle for its ability to enlarge print. (At least, they said it was the Kindle, not another reader!)
My one neighbor, who is nearly legally blind, would love to have a device that reads the books to her. She doesn't watch tv or dvd, and books are her chief form of entertainment.
Word verification is PUPFUL! How cute...
- February 27, 2009 at 2:09 PM
- Bane of Anubis said...
Definitely not in it for the money, but I'd rather do well financially than critically... just going back to Nathan's post about the value of critics and my opinion that they're overvalued... Obviously, we'd all prefer both, but financial success at least (usually) guarantees future publishing and probably allows for more flexibility to explore whatever artistic sides we may have.
- February 27, 2009 at 2:10 PM
- Vancouver Dame said...
I'm still interested in the Kindle, but won't purchase until the price comes down. All electronic devices seem to do that as the market gets flooded (by those who want to be the first to own a ...(whatever). I like supporting the booksellers at the current time, as visiting a bookstore is one of those things I like to do.
I also believe the writer should get a percentage of any revenue generated by his product on a Kindle or whatever. It seems artists, musicians, and writers are expected to be more generous with their product than anyone else in the business world. I still like Harlan Ellison's take on that -
Have a great weekend everyone! We have sunshine in Vancouver today. (a good thing for Feb in the rainforest)
- February 27, 2009 at 2:10 PM
- BarbS. said...
Speaking of people who have a hard time reading... We're back to the old format! Yayyyyyy....
Hi, Nathan! This layout's MUCH easier to read...
- February 27, 2009 at 2:11 PM
- Romancing the Guys said...
I'm not a writer, but I'm a huge fan of the Kindle 2 for reasons that have nothing to do with the audio technology.
The one and only flaw with the Kindle 2 is that the computerized audio will never compare to a professional actor reading the book. So I think most people who like audio books, will continue to buy them in the traditional way.
- February 27, 2009 at 2:11 PM
- annerallen said...
Thanks for the Konrath link. I think I was pretty delusional when I started writing. Maybe a certain amount of delusion is required to take the first steps down this crazy path?
But it sure would be nice if we could keep newbies from querying while still in the delusion stage. I know I sent out some awful ones 15 years ago.
- February 27, 2009 at 2:12 PM
- Hilabeans said...
Maybe the newbie queriers (is that even a word?) will make your letter stand out that much more in comparison.
Maybe I need to stop drinking the positivity Kool-Aid and go back to writing.
- February 27, 2009 at 2:18 PM
- lotusgirl said...
I would think the fact that we have a lot of out of work people leaves us with a lot of people trying their hands at the writing thing. People who don't have a lot of talent for it.
I was asking the question today on my blog though about all the soon to be out of work journalists out there with newspapers falling apart. Is that going to result in an increase in submissions to agents? Submissions by people who actually know how to write and have a talent for it (however unliterary it is). What do you think?
- February 27, 2009 at 2:19 PM
- Crimogenic said...
J.A. Konrath's post was brilliant. He's is always so funny, but what he says is always so true!
I understand that some agents aren't able to respond to queries anymore, still it's frustrating for authors. We're get over it though.
Also, I'm unphased by the new jump in the numbers of queries. I don't think it necessary means more competition. Nathan makes a good point about that.
- February 27, 2009 at 2:34 PM
- L.C. Gant said...
Thanks for the rundown on the Kindle 2 debate. I've heard so many different opinions about it lately and the whole thing had me really confused. Your explanation made everything a lot clearer.
For the most part, I thought Konrath's post was spot-on. Everything except for his remark about luck. I personally don't believe in luck. If I did, I'd be pretty depressed. I've never won anything in my life, not even a game of Yahtzee.
- February 27, 2009 at 2:36 PM
- Rick Daley said...
Awesome! No layoffs!!!
WORD VERIFICATION: poeyst. Rue de Merde.
- February 27, 2009 at 2:43 PM
- Rachel said...
J.A. Konrath's blog made me laugh. However, I think a lot of writers start off delusional. That doesn't mean they can't transition to confident. I know that many of my friends and I thought it would be easy getting published when we each started writing. It was pure ignorance. Yet after a couple of rejections and several conferences and workshops, we learned to take this business seriously and progressed from delusional to confident and hard-working.
- February 27, 2009 at 2:52 PM
- Thomas Burchfield said...
Two ideas:
The Manjoo article makes me as if Amazon became the world's de facto publisher/bookstore, might that not bring up anti-trust/monopoly questions?
2) Might we be headed for a two-tiered system where only certain books are published in hardback (literary novels, for example), while genre novels (especially by new writers) show up almost exclusively on e-readers?
- February 27, 2009 at 2:57 PM
- Mary said...
Amazon makes a lot of money from audio books, so I doubt the Kindle's speech function conflicts with that market. There are some questions here that will become more pertinent in the future, and writers must get whatever royalties they are due. But as technologies become more complex and overlapping, can every method of use be controlled?
Following the Author's Guild's current thinking on the Kindle, when books can be beamed directly to our brains, will we be expected to read them quietly and not speak them out loud?
- February 27, 2009 at 3:13 PM
- MzMannerz said...
I don't care for audio books or e-books. I know I'm going to be the crotchety grandma who needs to get with the program, but thankfully not today.
The Washington metro area isn't quite as hard hit employment wise as others (largely due to the federal gov. presence) but of the folks I do know who have been laid off, not one of them has the slightest interest in writing a book.
- February 27, 2009 at 3:26 PM
- Stephanie Faris said...
Sometimes a little delusion can be a good thing. At one point when I was a wee little writer I had the delusion I'd be rich and famous someday and it kept me going through a lot of rejections. Now I just write and submit because I can't seem to STOP writing. But sometimes I miss that naivety that had me dreaming big. Eventually the industry crushes that out of you, with writers saying things like, "Most writers never make enough to write full-time" when I personally know of at least 20 writers who do...of course their standards of living may be a bit lower than your average American, but still...
- February 27, 2009 at 3:52 PM
Here's my two cents on the whole responding to queries issue. When you apply for a job and send in a cover letter and resume, you know that if they are interested they will call you. If you don't hear from them, it's time to look for another job. In my mind, the same goes for queries. I'm a television producer at a network and am constantly pitched by publicists. I always tell them, if I am interested, you will know it. Don't call me to ask if I am interested. It's not about being rude, it's about being productive. God bless, Rachelle for trying, but you just can't answer every email.
- February 27, 2009 at 4:06 PM
- jimnduncan said...
Have to say, I agree with Jason Pinter. Pubs and authors need to stand up for audio rights. Is the Kindle's new tech considered an audio book? At this point, I'd probably say no. It's more like having a decent text to speech program running on your computer. Yes, people who like their audio books will still buy that format because of the current quality difference, but technology has a way of catching up, and this will be no different. At some point, the generated voice, while not up to acting standards, will mimic the real world voice close enough that many will accept it for the convenience. When the younger generation can download a book and pop it onto the kindle to read over into their ipod to listen to, you may start seeing the gradual decline of audio books. In this day and age, convenience rules.
So, I really hope they stand up for audio rights and win against Amazon, because the way things are changing, authors need to be able to access all available streams of revenue in order to make it. I could see publishers adding an audio surcharge to e-books though, if there ends up being the expectation that they will be just as likely to be listened to as read. People worry about the Kindle cornering the market, but the lightning speed at which this tech is advancing, you'll see readers coming out that support multiple formats, allowing for far greater options than the Kindle. Of course, it will also allow for an even greater proliferation of dreck to wade through in order to find something worth reading.
As for Rachel Garnder's new query policy, I'm a bit surprised this is making the rounds (I've seen this commented on in several places now)since there are numerous agents out there now who have had this kind of policy in place for some time. I'm more surprised that most agents DON'T do this as the norm to be honest. It makes sense. I don't find it disrespectful. Agents need query reading to be as efficient as possible. When I apply for a job, I don't expect a 'yes' or 'no' answer. I only expect to hear back if they are interested in talking to me. This isn't any different. If an agent says, I will respond within 'x' amount of time, otherwise assume I am declining. It's sound business. An agent's time is too important to be wasted in such a manner. This is even more relevant now with the huge influx in queries that are hitting agent's inboxes.
I would be remiss if I did not shamelessly plug my lovely wife's even lovelier debut romance novel, A Taste of Magic. Check it out at:
- February 27, 2009 at 4:30 PM
My hooray for the old format, too.
Konrath was so right on. Although I do think you need both talent AND persistence. I know some horribly untalented writers who have incredible persistence, and vice versa. Neither combination gets you published.
- February 27, 2009 at 4:31 PM
- Adaora A. said...
Wow the Kindle looks good naked! What's its secret? Has it been on the microbook diet? Has Oprah allowed Kindle to borrow her PT Bob Greene? Whatever Kindle is doing seems to be working...
In all seriousness though, I still have a hard time going Kindle when it comes to my books. Obviously, that device would be handy when taking the 16 hour journey to and from Toronto to Lagos, Nigeria (which I just took), but I honestly can't give up the feel of a book in my hands. I enjoy feeling the covers and opening the pages by hand, I even like bookmarking the page I left off at. I dunno, I suppose sooner or later I might end up with a Kindle too.
- February 27, 2009 at 4:46 PM
- Mira said...
I'm testing a theory I have.
I suddenly feel uncomfortable on this site. Almost like a....pariah.
Am I over-personalizing?
I think that people might be disagreeing with my posts, because I was so outspoken earlier this week. Some may feel uncomfortable with that.
Maybe they want to stand far, far away, so when the lightening strikes it doesn't hit them too.
Perhaps I'm taking something personally that I shouldn't. I've been known to do that.
For an experiment, though, I'd like to make the following statements. Let's see if people disagree with them.
a. One of the most powerful tools for social change is writing.
b. The role of the artist is often to challenge society.
c. Red and green are different colors.
Okey dokey.
I really like the people here. I didn't mean to get into a battle. But I can't sacrifice integrity.
- February 27, 2009 at 5:09 PM
- Furious D said...
I'm sorry, I just can't get excited about the Kindle.
Give me a paper book that I don't need batteries, plugs, or anything other than just enough light to read it by, and I'm as content as a pig in his own... you know...
As for being a delusional writer, well, my delusions of grandeur are where I get all my ideas. ;)
- February 27, 2009 at 5:17 PM
- Jenny said...
Amazon's demanding a 66% cut on the Kindle books it sells strikes me as a huge problem for publishers. Amazon doesn't get anywhere near that big a cut for the paper books even though they have to handle and ship them.
The other huge issue for me is that Kindle can't handle books with a laid out page format, which rules out any nonfiction book with callouts, images, charts, tables, etc that require a non-floating page design. Their translation program currently chokes and dies on PDFs that will print beautifully.
But even for fiction, unless Amazon is offering big publishers a completely different Kindle deal than small pubs, their predatory pricing is exerting even more pressure on publisher profits and that will mean even less left for authors (and agents).
- February 27, 2009 at 5:45 PM
Wow. Seriously? Wow
- February 27, 2009 at 5:50 PM
- Nathan Bransford said...
Definitely. I'm actually more swayed by the second "Amazon and e-books" article because I think they're going to be strongly challenged by more comprehensive devices that are built by other manufacturers.
For instance, the Kindle costs $360 and can basically do one thing. What if someone comes along with a $350 tablet-sized device that can show movies, play video games, display e-books, and connect to the Internet? It would blow the Kindle out of the water.
If we were looking at an Amazon-only future I would be more concerned, but I think things will be much more complicated than that.
- February 27, 2009 at 5:52 PM
Question for those with a Kindle -- are you bothered by the small number of words per line? Usually a line of text in a book is what -- 12-14 words? On a Kindle there's 5? If that?
Does it ever jar you, you don't know how long a paragraph is or where you are suddenly in the book because a paragraph is several "pages" long when in reality it'd only be 1/8 of a real page?
- February 27, 2009 at 6:04 PM
- Mark Terry said...
The Leopard OS-X, which is the Mac's operating system, has a function that will read out loud in a variety of different voices, from text, pdfs, Word, etc. It's a really cool novelty for about 2 days, then you realize it sucks, it mispronounces words and only has a faint grasp of punctuation. At the moment I just don't believe the Kindle's ability to do this means anything in terms of rights or competition.
John Scalzi has a lengthy and thoughtful comment on his Whatever blog today as well.
- February 27, 2009 at 6:06 PM
- Nathan Bransford said...
You can change the font size if it's too big for you.
- February 27, 2009 at 6:06 PM
- Tim Edwards said...
You can add me to the slightly concerned group. We are at the Kindle's inception now, and it is hard to tell whether it is going to take the world by storm or whether people are going to still prefer actual books for the majority of their purchases.
I think it's dangerous to let Amazon get away with too much now, as if we let them go unchecked it will be harder to rein them back in when the technology inevitably gets better. Good on the author's guild for standing up for author's rights.
I don't have a problem with Neil Gaiman or his opinion, but it strikes me that someone with mega-best-selling books and film options doesn't have all that much to complain about right now. However, that could change in the future...
- February 27, 2009 at 6:38 PM
As for me, I'm waiting for Plastic Logic. I like what I've heard about it so far. It seems to be promissing a great alternative to Kindle.
I've looked into Kindle quite heavily and I'm just not impressed. I'd rather read on an iphone. The fact that I can do more than one thing, in my mind, justifies the price.
- February 27, 2009 at 6:44 PM
- Lisa Schroeder said...
I can't imagine being an agent in this economy. Everyone thinks, hey, I'll write a book and make millions. Heck, if Stephenie Meyer, a SAHM can do it, surely I can too, right?
You have your work cut out for you! Hey, you know what? Now that I've been here, thinking about this, I don't feel so bad about diving into the revisions my editor sent me. It could be worse. So thanks for that. :)
- February 27, 2009 at 7:11 PM
- Kimber An said...
If agents send an automated response stating they received my email and will respond if interested within a set amount of time, I'm okay with it.
If they don't respond unless interested, period, I don't query them at all. I figure if they don't have time to respond with a form rejection then they don't have time for a new client. I'm sure my query letter won't be missed.
- February 27, 2009 at 7:17 PM
- Wanda B. Ontheshelves said...
Hi Mira,
Don't feel like a "pariah." I like your posts, just keep posting.
I'll take your quiz:
a. One of the most powerful tools for social change is writing. YES
b. The role of the artist is often to challenge society. YES (although I would change "often" to "sometimes," except if I were talking about myself, then I would have to change "often" to "almost all the time" - unintentionally, I don't try to, but that's how it's turned out for me so far. Why oh why do I have to be this way? I don't know...I don't really mind...I'm broke...I mind that, but otherwise...what fun is it if you're not rocking the boat? To paraphrase Nancy Sinatra:
These boats were made for rockin'
and that's just what I do
one of these days these boats
I'm gonna rock all over you.
c. Red and green are different colors. YES. http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/optics/
I won't lay my 60-line Isaac Newton & prism poem on you though.
Wanda B.
- February 27, 2009 at 8:38 PM
- Patrice said...
I own a Kindle 2, but I just don't see it snuffing out paper and ink - not yet anyway. I have four young kids and I certainly wouldn't buy them each a Kindle (some of their favorite authors, like Kate DiCamillo and Rick Riordan don't even have ebooks). I agree that a middle-aged, technophile, like me, will gravitate to something like an ebook. But for now, I don't see it replacing paper books for the very young or very old reader. By the time that does happen, the publishing industry will catch up.
- February 27, 2009 at 9:13 PM
Hang in there Mira. I agreed with a lot of your post the other day. Stating your opinion whether it goes against the grain or not is important. We all learn from each other and it is smart to consider everyone's point of view to refine your own thinking. I do have to say attacking someone for their difference is in very poor taste, and I hope to never see it happen again, although I realize it's highly unlikely when you swim up stream. Mira at least you didn't stoop so low and didn't have your defense blocked when you didn't dunk your head quick enough in response.
- February 27, 2009 at 9:37 PM
- Mira said...
Wanda and Anon 6:37,
thank you.
Wanda, thanks for taking my quiz. :-) I didn't know you were a rebel, too - high five, girl! And my mind is spinning at the idea of a 60 line poem about Issac Newton. Someday, I HAVE to read that!!
Anon - thanks. What you said meant alot to me.
I don't mind taking on the whole publishing industry, but I really don't want to alienate my fellow writers or Nathan.
I'm not exactly sure what to do. I've considered laying low for a few weeks, just to let this blow over, and things can get back to normal. Maybe I'll do that.
But I won't stay away for long. This blog is way too much fun.
- February 27, 2009 at 9:55 PM
Life will never be perfect enough to have everyone agree with you, and what fun would it be if they did? Don't lay low, even if people argue with you your opinion is valued, and who knows after they think about your words a little bit maybe they will come to agree with you. If you watch closely you'll see it happen on this very sight quite often. Just keep your arguments smart. Agreeing with people just to make them happy only makes you appear stupid, but don't hesitate to admit when your wrong.
- February 27, 2009 at 10:08 PM
About your advice to writers on crossing the line from delusional to confident, you might consider this:
Confident meets failure = delusional
and then
Delusional meets success = Confident
So dear, the world celebrates success no matter how you get there.
Writers are emotional creatures and god help if you bunch of agents turn them into savvy businessmen - that would indeed be a tragedy.
- February 28, 2009 at 1:23 AM
- Mira said...
Hey Anon,
Thanks for the support! Again, it means alot.
Well, let's see how it goes.
I got caught up in the fun of the debate. But it's not fair to Nathan to stir up so much controversy that people feel uncomfortable.
Again, I may be over-personalizing and thinking I'm more important than I am, but I can only do the best I can with the way I perceive things.
- February 28, 2009 at 1:26 AM
- T. Anne said...
Please pass the positivity Kool-Aid.
Internet rumors have the Apples e-reader out as early as fall 2009. I think I'll let the K2 purchase slide until then just in case.
It's sort of exciting to me that the publishing world is on the threshold of some major shift. No, I don't think you'll be out of a job, but I do believe there will be more room for aspiring authors. I just can't wrap my head around the idea every rejection is valid. There are a plethora of wonderful writers hindered by these narrow gates.
- February 28, 2009 at 2:23 AM
Dear Nathan,
I have been a reader of your blog for some time now, and I have to say, of all the agent/editor/author blogs out there, yours is probably the most comprehensive on what's going on in the publishing industry.
However, I have to say that for the most part, your posts are all about what's wrong with the publishing industry. Yes, yes, I know, the publishing industry is in a state of crisis and I get that it is harder than ever for an aspiring writer to break through. I commend you on giving the honest truth and not trying to lead people on.
I sometimes think that as much as you try to give writers the cold hard truth, it would be nice if you could give some encouragement and hope as well. For many of these people, we're not just talking books, we're talking dreams.
Yes, many will not ever be published.
Yes, those that do will most likely never be able to make a living from it.
Yes, the industry is changing so much that it is harder than ever to make a debut.
Yet, I have to believe that there is a reason why these aspiring writers shouldn't give up.
So, I'm daring you to devote a full week of posts to the positive in the publishing industry.
That's right...I want to see posts about some of the great things that are going on (because the deals on Publishers Marketplace haven't ceased yet). Give your faithful blog readers a silver lining in all of this doom and gloom.
Can you do it? Five days of nothing but flowers and sunshine when it comes to giving your sage advice?
I dare you.
- February 28, 2009 at 2:27 AM
- Arron Ferguson said...
"Well. At least we're all agreed that Amazon is going to completely dominate the new book world, right? Um..... Also depends on who you ask."
My money's on Amazon. If you take a look at the Amazon Web Services (AWS)(1), they are creating a playground for technologists to do anything from create virtual private servers, to billing and e-commerce stacks.
Seriously, they are creating an aggressive campaign that is wooing those who are swayed towards e-commerce to jump aboard. If publishers don't see this, they're soon going to be extinct.
(1) Amazon Web Services. 18 February, 2009. Wikipedia.org. 27 February, 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Web_Services.
- February 28, 2009 at 2:32 AM
- Writer from Hell said...
Enuff said - agent to the writers! Just for a change let us have a 360 degrees..writer to the agent.
- February 28, 2009 at 3:01 AM
Anon 11:27 - agreed.
I am so very tired of all the industry related blogs which basically state the following:
1) It's a business so we don't have to be courteous.
2) All you aspiring authors are irritating little idiots.
3) Amazon is evil!
Good grief, why bother querying? Might as well go straight to Lulu.com.
P.S. My word verification is 'brati.'
- February 28, 2009 at 8:31 AM
- jjhoutman said...
Here's what The Onion has to say about the new Kindle:
- February 28, 2009 at 10:49 AM
- Jen said...
Ugh. I just wish they'd get rid of the Kindle completely. I hate eBooks and eReader things. Give me actual paper pages any day. Every day. Books smell good and the feel of paper under my fingers as I turn pages is what gets me up in the morning.
- February 28, 2009 at 12:09 PM
- Nathan Bransford said...
Most of my posts are about what's wrong with the publishing industry? This week I wrote about book revenue breakdown, the importance of learning to summarize your work (which I believe everyone can do), had a de-lurk day, the difference between sympathetic and unsympathetic characters, and the varying reactions to the Kindle, some of which were positive and some of which were negative.
Who's being negative?
- February 28, 2009 at 1:19 PM
- Ink said...
Keep commenting! I may not always agree with you, but I think you're great. You're always funny, honest, interesting and smart. We can have rowdy discussions! Seriously, I don't think anyone's thinking bad thoughts your way, at least not on any general level. Keep it coming.
a) yes, though it often doesn't work nearly as well as we might hope.
b) sometimes, though people write for all sorts of reasons, and many writers are conformists.
c) yes, but I like blue better. And grey, too, unless we're talking about a dreary day. I'm all for sunshine. Is this bloody winter every going to end?
My best,
- February 28, 2009 at 2:55 PM
- Ink said...
The Daring Anon,
I respect your sentiment, but I think Nathan's pretty upbeat and funny most of the time. If he regrets layoffs and current publishing struggles that's only natural, as this is his business and those are people he might know, people he might have worked with.
And I don't think he should coddle us. I, at least, don't want that. I'm not here for a pep talk. I come for information, and I stay because of the laughs and the interesting discussions. If writers don't want to hear the facts (or engage in the interpretive discussions), well, they don't have to read or comment. I don't intend that in a mean or dismmissive way, just as a simple commentary. If you don't like the attitude in the industry you don't have to listen to the chatter. I've certainly never been put off by any of Nathan's personal comments, which in my view definitely tend towards the positive (though in a realistic sense). Yes, he posts links to some depressing things, but that's simply the state of the industry and it's not required reading. I'd rather know the lay of the land. And, well, he post videos of piglets doing cute things...
The business is tough, and I'm fine with that. If it's a true dream then such incidental stuff will do little to dissuade me. Personally, I'm not happy that the publishing industry has slowed in a year when I'll probably be submitting two projects... but that's the way it is, and at least I'll be well-informed on the process. And my chances are my own. Statistics, averages... these are meaningless in terms of individual cases. My chances are made by my stories, my writing. That's it. Bad odds aren't going to make me throw in the towel, as query stats, while interesting, offer no basis for prediction on any specific project, which has to stand on its own merits. And I like that challenge. Writers need internal motivation, I think, a sort of blind amibition to write great stories. After that we can let the chips fall where they may.
Just my thoughts. Feel free to disagree or send letter bombs. I have prongs and a radiation suit for just such an occasion! Always be prepared...
My best,
Bryan Russell
- February 28, 2009 at 3:26 PM
Just wanted you to know that all of these ANON comments are not one person. You are getting lots of support on here. I only made the 6:37 & 7:08 comments. You are important, and so are your thoughts.
- February 28, 2009 at 3:32 PM
- Marilyn Peake said...
I actually enjoy your posts, and get the impression that many others do as well. I think people are just comfortable discussing topics openly and intelligently here, so opinions that are the opposite of yours aren't actually meant to refute your opinions, just meant to express another point of view. When I'm busy, I respond to Nathan's blog but don't even get around to reading the other comments until much later. On especially busy days, I regret it, but I have to skim over most of the comments. Many times, different opinions are the result of very different experiences within the publishing industry, and all those experiences are very real to the people who have been through them. In other words, all the opinions are valid, but based on different facets of the same industry. Personally, I would be disappointed if you stopped posting here, Mira. I post here a lot...and practically every time I do, I blush and tell myself I really should learn to shut up and lurk. Writers are always taking risks like that.
- February 28, 2009 at 5:40 PM
- RoadScribe said...
At least she gives us a time frame and says no to the SASE saving postage expense and will contact us via email if she is interested. This agent I will check out and be glad to query if she is into romantic suspense. If not her blog and yours is my daily read.
Thanks for posting this Nathan.
- February 28, 2009 at 7:47 PM
- Marilyn Peake said...
Ink said:
"...I think Nathan's pretty upbeat and funny most of the time.
"And I don't think he should coddle us. I, at least, don't want that. I'm not here for a pep talk. I come for information, and I stay because of the laughs and the interesting discussions."
I agree! There are many different types of writers' groups, including those that repeatedly tell writers that, if they keep on writing, chances are they'll be rich and famous someday. Those types of groups can be extremely helpful when a writer's working on their very first project and bolstered by blocking out any and all information about possible failure. But, after a while, a lot of the information in those types of groups just doesn't match reality. At this point in time, I want to know what's really happening in the world of publishing...information that changes every day...and I want to be able to laugh at the millions of daily frustrations encountered within that world. I think that Nathan does a great job of providing lots of valuable information about the real publishing world while keeping a remarkable sense of humor.
- February 28, 2009 at 7:48 PM
- Mira said...
Okay, thank you guys. I'm feeling embarrassed that I imagined I was sooo important and that I was being ostracized. I have a habit of speaking out loudly, and then going "uh, oh. What's going to happen to me now?"
You'd think that would stop me from speaking out in the first place, but somehow it doesn't.
Marilyn, it feels good to hear that everytime you post, you blush. So, do I!!! Well, it feels good in terms of identifying, but if I had the power to help you not feel that way, I would! Your posts are always so mature, intelligent and thoughtful. It's how I want to post when I grow up.
Anonx3 - your support means alot to me. I feel sad that I won't know which Anon is you when you post in the future, but I know you now. And thank you.
Bryan, I loved having a rowdy discussion with you in particular. That was fun!! You're great, too. I love your intelligent, assertive but gentle style.
Okay, I'm all reassured. Thank you again.
And now to post.....and then blush.
- February 28, 2009 at 8:54 PM
- Marilyn Peake said...
You just made my day! Have a wonderful rest of the weekend!
- March 1, 2009 at 12:02 AM
Sorry most of the time I can't sign in because of where I am posting from, but I'll say hi every now and then, and you'll know it's me.
I get hot and feel queazy on occasion after I post, because when I have something to say it's usually different than what everyone else says; otherwise I let the conversation take it's course without me. Is that what I was doing, blushing? Honestly I thought I was past all of that, but you could be right. I'm not used to having people angry with me and when it does happen I think it affects me more than it should, but sometimes I just can't keep my mouth shut either, darn it.
- March 1, 2009 at 12:53 AM
- Mira said...
You have a good weekend, too, Marilyn. I meant every word.
JDK, nice to meet you. And I know exactly what you mean! I think Marilyn's right. It's part of the blessing and curse of the author - taking risks. Saying what we need to say - because we have to. And then hoping we don't get into TOO much trouble for it.
But Ink is right too - nothing wrong with a rowdy discussion, right? :-)
- March 1, 2009 at 1:16 AM


text:
when I booted up BT 3 beta everything worked fine. When I installed it it booted up fine but the resolution was at 640X480 and i had one full screen of my desktop and some black space on my screen and then like the top half of the same screen in my display. So 1 and a quarter desktop was on my screen. To fix this open terminal and type "liloconfig". When it says something about framebuffer and gives you a list of resolution make sure to check 800x600. This worked for me and should fix the display problem on the toughbook.
If anybody knows how to enable the toughscreen please post or PM me. All I know is that it is the same touchscreen found in the Fujitsu B series notebooks. Thanks