text:
...she also loved caramel...
... and brown butter.
One day this girl decided to make shortbread cookies with caramelized sugar and browned butter.
- 120 gr (4.3 oz) sugar
- 200 gr (7.1 oz) salted butter*
- 300 gr (10.7 oz) flour
* Or if you only have unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt.
Star by doing a dry caramel: Take a dry pan to the stove and heat it for 1 minute. Add the sugar and it will star caramelizing on the edges, move gently with a spoon until all sugar is melted and with a nice caramel color. At this point add the butter cut into very small chunks. The caramel will bubble so be careful. Keep mixing until all the butter is melted and the mixture starts to get a darker color, don't get carried away or you might burn it. We want brown butter, not burnt butter ;)!
Let it cool slightly and add the flour mixing well, either by hand (carefull if it's still hot) or in a mixer. Take to the fridge until the dough is completely cool. Roll between 2 pieces of cling film or in a floured surface and cut as you like. Bake in a preheated 170ºC (325ºF) oven, until they are golden brown and delicious.
The girl was so happy with her cookies! They had a subtle caramel flavour and were extra crunchy, still beeing buttery. In fact she liked them so much she had to freeze most of the cookies so she wouldn't eat them...
... and then she ate them frozen.
The end.


text:
Saturday, November 1, 2008
What? I Can't Hear You!
After class, he went trick-or-treating with some friends and their parents. After a few minutes, he came home complaining that his ear hurt.
"Well, it's a holiday so it stands to reason that someone would get sick."
"I'm not sick. My ear just hurts," Jackson corrected me.
"We'll see," I said. "We'll see."
Jackson woke up today with horrible pain in his ear. It was before 9:00 AM when he told me his ear was hurting really badly.
"Don't you know you're supposed to wait until Saturday night or Sunday to tell me you can't take the ear pain and need to see the doctor?" I asked Jackson.
"Huh?" came his confused reply.
"I believe the rule is that you can only get sick Saturday night, Sunday, holidays, or on vacation. You're confusing me by getting sick during regular office hours."
Jackson wasn't amused.
I called the office when they opened at 9:00 and drove Jackson over to be seen. The doctor took a look at his ear and said something reassuring like, "Yikes! That is one nasty infection!"
A stop at the drug store and $20 later, we came home and he took his first dose. He lay down and starting really crying that he was in pain. I got some Motrin, but before I could give it to him, he said, "Huh, my ear feels better now. It doesn't hurt. Weird. It feels all drippy and wet though. I still can't hear with this ear though."
"What?" I asked him.
"I still can't hear with this ear," he repeated.
"I still can't hear with this ear," he repeated again.
"What? I can't hear you."
"I still can't....MOM! Stop it!"
LOL! Ahhh, that one never gets old.
I took a look and sure enough, his ear was draining blood and stuff. "Well, it's been a year since someone had a perforated ear drum. I guess it's about time for another one. Come to think of it, it's been several months since strep throat made its rounds through our family too..."
*****Head on over to my review blog HERE for some awesome giveaways over the next week or two.*****
Posted by Dawn at 11:59 AM
35 comments:
- A Whole Lot of Nothing said...
I hope Jackson feels better soon. And woman, you need some kind of betting pool for sicknesses on holidays. You'd make millions.
- November 1, 2008 at 7:55 PM
- Betsy said...
WOW! I am the first comment?! I don't even know what to say. The only thing I am thinking is I feel for you. I have one with an ear infection now! I swear they should just tap the amox. from the pharmacy to my house... did you know that is one of walmart's $4 Perscriptions?
- November 1, 2008 at 8:49 PM
- Michelle said...
Oh, poor Jackson! So ummm perforated eardrum treatment is the same antibiotics, right? (Please tell me I'm right, as that's all we've done for Little Miss and her ENT appointment isn't until Monday.) Here's hoping that strep stays away and the eardrum heals soon. Poor guy.
Impressive that he stuck that pain out for the Halloween festivities AND at least a bit of trick or treating.
- November 1, 2008 at 8:55 PM
"Come to think of it, it's been several months since strep throat made its rounds through our family too..."
KNOCK ON WOOD!! You have just cursed yourself!!
- November 1, 2008 at 9:38 PM
- Keeley said...
Oh no! Poor Jackson. I do hope he feels better soon. Yikes. Perforated eardrum. That's just nasty painful.
- November 1, 2008 at 9:42 PM
- Kitti said...
Aw man, that sounds painful. I've never had to deal with any ear problems with my kids, thank goodness. What happens with a ruptured ear drum? Did you have to go back to the doc or do you just let it drain and heal?
Sure hope Jax feels better soon.
- November 1, 2008 at 9:42 PM
- Brenda said...
OUCH! Poor guy. I hope he feels better soon.
- November 1, 2008 at 9:50 PM
- SuburbanCorrespondent said...
Good sign of an experienced mom - "Perforated eardrum again? No problem!"
- November 1, 2008 at 9:53 PM
Oooh, that's too bad! Sending prayers your way!
Blessings, Whitney
- November 1, 2008 at 10:07 PM
Oh, yuck--one of my sons was prone to constant massive ear infections. I well remember the days of dripping ears-only his never, ever HURT. Try convincing a doctor that you had no clue your child had a raging infection.
- November 1, 2008 at 10:39 PM
- Urban Mom said...
Oh ugh. Poor guy. I guess if he's not feeling too great on Halloween, he really means it! Glad that he's on the mend.
- November 1, 2008 at 11:07 PM
- momto3cubs said...
During office hours, that is an odd one! ;)
I hope he's well soon!
- November 1, 2008 at 11:44 PM
- Lisa @ Serah's said...
Yikes! Sorry to hear that he had a perforated ear drum! I hope he's doing better. You have a beautiful family.
- November 2, 2008 at 12:10 AM
- Amanda said...
What a trooper. When my 7yo had an ear infection that bad last Spring, all he could do was lay on his bed and cry off and on until the ear drum perforated. Now mine both had ear tubes, so there should be none of that this year.
- November 2, 2008 at 2:44 AM
- Sarah said...
Isn't Amoxicillin one of the meds you can get for $4 at WalMart and Target? Just a thought...
- November 2, 2008 at 5:34 AM
- Andi said...
In 16 years, when Brooklyn is out of the house, you will miss these days.....
Poor Jackson. I hate it when kids tell mommies in the middle of the night, my ear hurts. Mine always happen the first two weeks in the year. Two ear infections, same kids both on January 1 or 2. Both in the middle of the night. Still took over 4 hours to get in and there was only one other person in the waiting room. HUH?
- November 2, 2008 at 6:34 AM
- Rachel said...
Doesn't it figure? My son woke up yesterday oozing green out of his eyes. Yes, his eyes! Which means another nasty nasal infection that goes into an even nastier respitory infection....anyway, it figures it was a Saturday morning!! It usually is. We do this round every couple of months. Love the blog!!
- November 2, 2008 at 8:51 AM
Hi Dawn, Love your blog. I got myself an otoscope a few years ago. Its called Easy Ear. Its is very easy to tell if their ear is infected so you dont have to wait until they are screaming to go to the Dr.. The Dr. even trusts me now to just call in and he prescribes to save me the trip. - Robn
- November 2, 2008 at 9:10 AM
- Donna said...
I hope your son get's well soon, it's no fun having a ear infection.
- November 2, 2008 at 9:45 AM
I feel for you we are dealing with that with my daughter however, it's the first time, we were told her ear drum was about to burst however after giving her her meds she's doing much better hope your lil one soon feels better soon.
- November 2, 2008 at 9:53 AM
- Patois said...
I could barely hear this post. Is this thing on?
You're one cold mama, lady!
- November 2, 2008 at 10:07 AM
- Diana said...
Poor Jackson! My son had a ton of ear infections as a child. And several perforated ear drums. The worst part was, his ear would be infected way before he'd have a fever or start complaining. So it would be nasty infected by the time we hit the doctor's office. Nothing like having a doctor look at you like you're the worst mom in the world!
I wanted one of those ear-looker-thingys at home, so I could get him to the doctor sooner!
- November 2, 2008 at 10:12 AM
- ComfyDenim said...
Oh, My goodness - that's hillarious. Poor Jackson - but thanks for the giggles for me.
I'll have to try that on my own kids,who probably won't be amused, either. *L*
- November 2, 2008 at 10:21 AM
- Brian said...
Ear infections are NOT fun! I used to get them all the time when I was a kid, it was like having swimmer's ear with a localized migraine all rolled into one.
I completely understand with your kids only getting sick on holidays, @ 1am Sunday morning, or while you are on vacation. This also goes along the lines of "needing" special paper, glue, or a flux capacitor that they just magically remembered the night before a project was due. Of course, this realization is said with an exasperated whiny tone and after the normal stores have closed.
- November 2, 2008 at 12:19 PM
- Rebecca said...
Yeowtch! Poor Jackson! So, what do you DO when you have a perforated eardrum? Are you supposed to just leave it to drain or do you need to take him back to the doctor? You can tell I only have one kid and have been blessed with only two ear infections, right? I have a lot to learn!
- November 2, 2008 at 3:20 PM
- Heather said...
His ear infection was so bad it caused his ear to bleed?? Poor Jackson. I hope he's feeling better now.
- November 2, 2008 at 3:22 PM
- Jerri Ann said...
I know you didn't ask for advice, that's why I couldn't keep my mouth shut, lol...anyway, have you ever tried a chiropractor? My kids have never had an ear infection, one is 5.5 and the other is "3.97 and not potty trained" but no ear infections and rarely do they get stomach bugs (like one each in their life time).....it is so worth it...you know, since you didn't even ask for any advice, don't you just hate folks like me
- November 2, 2008 at 4:00 PM
Oh man, your kids too? Mine used to have burst ear drums all the time. Sometimes they'd have no symptoms, except maybe being a little more whiney than usua. Then boom. Burst eardrum! Hope he gets better soon!
- November 2, 2008 at 7:02 PM
- Lowa said...
My son was four when that happened to him. Only it was a lot more sinister and dramatic.
He was playing nicely and suddenly SCREAMED and threw himself to the floor. I ran to check on him and LOTS of blood was dripping down from his ear, all down his neck and onto his clothes. I freaked and took him to the doc who said it was a ruptured ear drum.
No infection. Nothing. Just suddenly ruptured, not even perforated. When they looked in there, they said it just tore right down the middle:( Took a while to heal and we had to keep his ear completely covered for a few weeks until the ear drum knit itself back together.
Good times, eh?? Hope Jackson feels better soon!
- November 3, 2008 at 12:13 AM
- MommyChris said...
I had this happen to me earlier this year and it took me a month and a half to get my hearing back. It was terrible. I hope he feels better soon!
- November 3, 2008 at 11:08 AM
Hey Dawn,
My oldest had three perforated ear drums in the last 2 years and what killed me was he would complain of a little ear pain but no other symtoms. By the time we would take him to the doctor, it was too late and the drum would perforate. Not only did he have to take antibiotics, we also had to put ear drops in twice a day. You also have to make sure no water gets in his in ears for at least a week while it heals. Sure easy to do if you don't want your kid to BATHE! LOL! Love your blog, but damn woman, you need to slow down! I get tired reading all your goings-on and I work full time and raise two crazy boys and a musician husband who's away gigging half the time! Congrats on your book, can't wait for it to come out!
- November 3, 2008 at 12:10 PM
- Table for Seven said...
You had better not complain next week when three of your kids wake you up at 2am (or should I say interrupt your internet time) to tell you their throats hurt. You asked for that one. You've been a mom for HOW LONG??? You so know better than that.
- November 3, 2008 at 1:31 PM
- Table for Seven said...
Oh, and to second Jerriann...I totally agree with her. We have five kids and I can count on one hand the number of times we've had a sickness this year. Gotta love Chiropractors. You'd be amazed at what it does for ADD/ADHD. I suggest finding one that is Upper Cervical Specific though. Just my two cents. Well four if you count my last comment.
- November 3, 2008 at 1:35 PM
I am totally with the other moms asking "what do you do about that?" I have never had that happen, but I can tell you if blood and gunk were coming out of my boy's ear I would be freaking right the freak out! I am sure you know how to deal with this, so I am wondering what you do?
And yes, I am a mom of one ds9. Probably sounds rather mystical to those moms that have more than about 2 or 3. Why? Because my husband's mom had 5. LOL!
- November 4, 2008 at 9:41 PM
- diddlesgirl said...
ok, so i am a little far behind on your blog.. but anyway, i love your laid back reaction to the busted ear drum. the first one was a real panic for first time mommy... but then, every time my kid lost his tudes he would have a new busted eardrum within a week.. so, now I am the "oh, a ruptured ear drum, well i guess it won't hurt so bad anymore" mommy rather than the "oh my goodness my baby must be dying" mommy. there are so few of us in the world today... oh, and allergy shots work wonders for ear infections.
- November 7, 2008 at 10:35 PM

subset: commoncrawl


text:
By Andrea Morrow
|Claudia Sands
Claudia Sands lives by Winston Churchill's words, "We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give," and she is certainly no stranger to giving back. A 2004 Leadership Missouri Graduate, Sands has been named the 2012 Leadership Missouri Alumni of the Year for her tireless work to make Missouri a better place through her work and volunteering.
"I'm truly honored to win this award, because I truly love this program," Sands said about her award. "Leadership Missouri provides participants with leadership skills, but I think anyone who participates is already a leader. The Leadership Missouri Program just sharpens and enhances those leadership skills, and I'm so glad I was able to participate."
Sands began her career in 1979 with United Telephone, as a telephone operator and worked her way to the position she currently holds as State and Local Government Affairs Manager.
"I've seen so many changes with this company," Sands explained. "But I've gotten to work with great teams of people through the years and I wouldn't be the person that I am, with the current job title that I have, or the leader that I am, without this company."
Sands takes leadership very seriously, and she believes anyone can be a leader.
"Leadership is measured by what you do, not what you say," she explains. "It's how it impacts your community. You don't have to have a special job or role to be a leader, it can start from home."
"Claudia is totally devoted to her job, community and this industry, said coworker Greg Gaffke. "Her leadership over the years speaks for itself. Like many of us who are called to volunteer, I've never heard Claudia say no to requests for helping to serve others or benefitting the community or even the state."
While growing up, Sands actually wanted to be a nurse, so it's no surprise she's chosen to make helping people her life's work. Sands is active in the Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce as an Ambassador, United Way, and Leadership Missouri Alumni, having served as a past president. One of her proudest achievements was serving on the Newburg School Board for 12 years. Sands was a graduate of the district and had a son, Holden, graduate from the district as well.
"Being on the school board doesn't always make you more friends or make you popular, but I feel like my time on the board made an impact on the district, and it meant a lot to serve on the board," Sands said.
In 2008, Sands was named the Spirit of Rolla Award winner by the Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce. The award is presented to a woman in the Rolla community in recognition for significant achievement and/or lifetime contribution to the spirit of giving that is so indicative of Rolla and the surrounding community.
At the end of the day, after her work and volunteering, Sands is most proud of her family including husband Orel, son Holden and daughter-in-law Amanda. She firmly believes that all leaders need the support of their families, for without a support system, there wouldn't be as strong a level of leadership.
In her spare time, which she admits she has very little of these days, you might find Sands fishing on the Gasconade River with her family, which counts among her favorite things. She doesn't stay still for long, however, she's too busy giving back.


text:
Not really your average chicken fajitas; kicked up a few notches with the addition of horsey sauce and onion straws. I love chicken fajitas and need to make them with a sauce or two. First a good base sauce/marinade should be the coating on the chicken or beef, then a sauce to go over the fillings of the fajitas, and finally a relish or salsa on the side for extra dipping pleasure. I need the extra dipping pleasure....I love my sauces.
But first I want to say congrats to Joanne over at eats well with others. She was the lucky winner of the $50.00 gift card to Williams Sonoma. Congrats Joanne. Let us know what you got at Williams Sonoma. I know I can easily drop about $2000.00 in that store in the blink of an eye. What kind of giveaway should we have next? I love to hear all ideas....
I also want to say thank you to the la times for featuring my giant quarter pound double chocolate cookies on their blog. That was wonderful--many thanks Renee.
crazy chicken fajitas
by dawn finicane
print recipe
2 boneless chicken breasts, sliced into strips thinly
3 TB fresh lemon juice
salt & pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
veggies for fajitas
1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, and thinly sliced/or diced
sauce for chicken
1 TB olive oil
2 TB Worcestershire sauce
2 TB dark brown sugar
1 TB crushed garlic
1-2 limes (juice of)
combine all marinade ingredients in a plastic bag, seal and let marinade for a couple hours or more.
when ready to use, heat skillet or grill, lightly oil with olive oil. discard the marinade and cook thoroughly. set aside. in same pan grill up all the veggies until they have a nice color to them and a bit of char. you might need a bit more olive oil. remove veggies from pan. in same pan to make the sauce add in the garlic, let it cook a couple minutes, add in the lime juice, add in the dark brown sugar, get up the little bits from pan, then add in the worcestershire sauce. add the chicken and veggies back in the pan and coat well. serve on warm tortillas. add the horsey sauce or whatever you wish. I served this with some sweet pepper relish from stonewall kitchen or you could use corn relish--that works very well too. I made some onion straws to put on top of these and to devour half by myself as well. or you could use crispy shallots.
horsey sauce
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated horseradish
1 ts of white wine or vinegar
In a small bowl stir together the sour cream, heavy cream, wine, and horseradish.
Makes about 1 ½ cups sauce; you can halve this or even quarter this recipe.
onion straws
by guy fieri
2 cups canola oil
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 sweet onion (Maui or Vidalia)
For the onion straws: In a medium sauce pot, heat the oil to 350 degrees. Whisk the egg and milk in a medium bowl. Mix the flour, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper in another medium bowl. Cut the onion in half, then slice into 1-inch-thick half rings; separate into short straw-like pieces. Add to the milk mixture to soak. Once the oil is hot enough, remove the onions from the milk mixture, shake off excess and dredge in the flour mixture, 4 or 5 pieces at a time. Add to the pot and fry until golden brown; transfer to paper towels to drain.
crispy shallots
semi-adapted from barefoot contessa
1 cup light olive oil
3 tb unsalted butter
5 to 6 shallots, sliced into medium-thin rings
Heat the oil and unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it reaches about 250 degrees F. Reduce the heat a bit then add the shallots. I did this in two batches. You really do not want to crowd the pan at all. The shallots will brown perfectly if they have plenty of room in the hot oil to swim and get happy. Cook until nice and brown. Make sure to stir the shallots once in a while to get all sides brown. Once down remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon, and drain, then place on paper towels. They should stay at room temp., don't put them in the fridge as they will go soft and lose all that nice crispiness.
Should make less than ½ cup.


text:
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text:
It's December 31, 2011. You're minutes away from midnight, miles away from the nearest party, and once again, you've completely blanked on the lyrics to "Auld Lang Syne." Who will save you from another squandered chance at New Year's glory? Your smartphone will! Or more specifically, these handy New Year's apps will help your phone transform you from the most inept midnight reveler into a full-on party machine.
Taxi Magic (iPhone, free)
Nothing can ruin a New Year's Eve faster than realizing you need a taxi to get to the night's wildest bash... and that you ain't gonna find one. This award-winning and highly praised app can help. With a few taps, find nearby taxis, contact a driver, track the arrival of your cab and charge the ride to your credit card. Unless, of course, you enjoyed last year's experience of spending an hour on hold with the cab company while your date stormed off and your wasted friends threw up on your shoes. In that case, have fun starting off 2012 desperately ringing up ye auld taxi service.
Dubset (iPhone, free)
You're at the main event and the crowd's not feeling the music? Save the dance party with Dubset. Unlike Pandora, whose internet radio algorithms can get a bit predictable (why does every single rock/indie act's station end up being 65% Johnny Cash songs?) Dubset offers stations curated by some of the world's top DJs. Leave the playlists to the pros and you'll be in for a good night.
Pocket Cocktails (iPhone/Android, $0.99)
Let's see, what else did we need to get the party started? Ah yes, BOOZE! There are many fun mixology-related apps out there, but Pocket Cocktails may provide the best imbibing guide yet. In addition to recipes, tips and trivia, each cocktail is accompanied by a full-screen photo. These reference pics will prove useful once your alcohol consumption has far outpaced your fragile mixologist "skills." Hint: If your Blue Hawaii didn't turn out blue, you're doing something wrong.
New Year's Blowout Horn! (iPhone, $0.99)
If you're still looking for the perfect New Year's apps to get your friends into the spirit of the night, or potentially annoy the hell out of them, this one's for you. Blow into the microphone for full effect, and watch your horn unroll on-screen. The updated version for iPhone 4 even shows you where to blow! If anyone else at your NYE event offers to show you the same thing, run!
Hipstamatic (iPhone, $0.99)
When it comes to New Year's apps that will capture the moment, it's hard to beat Hipstamatic. This photo app will easily lend your 2011 send-off an air of retro-chic. Even if the "send-off" is just you, your two cats, and a stale bottle of Martinelli's Sparkling Cider, Hipstamatic will transform you into the ultra-cool icon of a bygone era.
Webroot Sobriety Test (iPhone/Android, free)
Let's face it: your fellow hard-partying companions will not be able to tell when you've had one too many. That's why it's a great idea to have a handy New Year's app available to test your own sobriety before the nice ociffer offers to do it for you. The Webroot Social Media Sobriety Test presents a series of challenges to your motor skills, balance and reaction time to guide you towards making good choices (call a taxi) or even better choices (back to the bar for one more round of shots, then taxi) this New Year's Eve.
Times Square Official New Year's Eve Ball App - 2012 (iPhone/Android, free)
We can't all be in Times Square at midnight, and many of us don't really want to be. But there is something to be said for the grand nostalgia of watching that ball drop while all those frostbitten, half-crazy people cheer and shout through chattering teeth. This app, updated for 2012, will allow you to share that magic moment from the comfort of your own cozy New Year's Eve event, miles away from the thousands of Times Square denizens aiming to be cast as this year's versions of Snooki and The Situation.
Hangover Cures (Android, free)
Conventional wisdom states there are only two true hangover cures: 1) more booze; 2) more sleep. But for those of you desperately searching for a cure-all miracle on New Year's Day, Hangover Cures offers a wealth of remedies that you just might be ill enough to try. Will that raw egg-maple syrup-cayenne pepper concoction really kill your hangover? Who knows, but we can't wait to see you try it!
PeerPressure for Goals (iPhone, free)
This one's for those who like their New Year's resolutions served with a side of social media masochism. This app allows you to enlist your entire social network to become your cheerleader/guilty conscience as you struggle to make those resolutions a reality. What's better than letting everyone on Facebook and Google+ know that you still can't quit smoking? Nothing!
Of course, since things do tend to get a little out of hand on New Year's Eve, the most useful thing you can do to guarantee an enjoyable 2012 is to make sure your phone's mobile data security is up to date. And don't get carried away with that New Year's Blowout Horn; you want to start off 2012 with a few friends left, after all!
By Jamey Bainer


text:
Alex Spirikaitis, former CEO of the liquidated Taupa Lithuanian Credit Union, is on the lam.
Local Cleveland news outlets are now reporting that a police standoff overnight at Spirikaitis' home was in vain, because the FBI discovered the home was empty.
FBI Special Agent Vicki Anderson told the Cleveland Plain-Dealer it's unclear if Spirikaitis, who has a warrant for his arrest for fraud that led to the $23 million credit union's failure, was ever home.
The standoff began after police attempted to arrest Spirikaitis on Tuesday night. Anderson said a person at the home told police he was there but would not surrender.
Authorities are now searching for Spirikaitis and a reward is being offered for information that will help lead to his arrest.
"We will continue the investigation and hope he decides to turn himself in and make it a lot easier on everyone," Anderson told the Plain Dealer.
The Ohio Department of Financial Institutions made the decision to liquidate the credit union after determining it was insolvent and had no prospect for restoring viable operations.
The DFI named the NCUA liquidating agent and federal officials seized the credit union Friday.
Fraud was suspected after a review of the 1,154-member credit union's financial performance reports showed a seemingly healthy credit union with 10.31% net worth, 0.78% delinquencies and no charge offs as of March 31.
However, cost of funds was reported to be 0.87%, much higher than the peer average of 0.36%.
The failed credit union's website revealed it was not paying above average dividends to members, and liquidity was not an issue, indicating the credit union did not have outstanding borrowings that were driving up cost of funds.
The Cleveland-based credit union reported a considerable amount of cash on its books, more than $15 million as of March 31, with just $729,595 in investments. Total loans were $7.4 million during that period.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Spirikaitis Home Found Empty; Former CEO Wanted by Authorities in Cleveland
Posted by Terrence Rice Milwaukee, Wisconsin at 3:42 PM
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text:
Despite their best intentions, sometimes kids and teens place videos on YouTube that aren't in their best interest, aren't in the best interest of others, show criminal activities or just expose too much personal information. When this type of incident occurs, the best course of action is a swift and decisive approach.
Your goal is three-fold: Remove the video or make it private, remove or reduce the damage caused by the video, and then educate your child on how to evaluate the appropriateness and safety of videos before they are uploaded.
If your only concern about a video is that it shares too much personal information to be publicly viewable, you have two options: You can have your child make it "private" or make it "unlisted." Videos uploaded to YouTube are by default set to "public," but when uploading a video and filling out information about the video, there is a section called Broadcasting and Sharing Options. It is under this section that the options for private and unlisted videos are found.
Making a video private limits access so only your child and up to 50 other people who they invite (discuss with them who they are allowed to invite) will be able to see the video. When a video is set to private, the video does not appear on your child's video channel, in search results or in playlists.
Here's how your child can make their video private, and share it with selected individuals:
Making a video unlisted means that only people who know the link to the video can view it (such as friends or family to whom you send the link). Unlisted videos do not appear in YouTube search results, your child's channel or on the Browse page. The key differences between unlisted and private videos are:
Sometimes, the video content dictates that the video should be removed, not merely set to private. Only the person who posted a video can remove the video, but other options for removing a video are also covered.
Understand that as soon as your child or teen deletes a video, it will be unavailable for viewing, but it may take time for the video and thumbnail images to disappear from YouTube's video search results.
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I believe that under such a system we would still have "team nursing". Team nursing sucks. It worked great back in the 70's but there is too much information to keep track of as well as disorganised chaos now all thanks to medicine advancing and higher costs
Team nursing came about during WW2. It is the system in which our older, traditional trained nurses are familiar. It works properly only when ward structure is meticulous and well organised. I happen to believe in primary nursing. This doesn't mean that I am not a team player however. I will drop everything to help a colleague who has a patient in trouble, or is in trouble herself.
Have you ever wondered why you have noticed loads of staff in nursing uniforms hanging about when you visit your mum in hospital...yet no one seems to have a clue about what is going on....no one can give you any answers..... none of the patients are recieving their drugs on time.......and the only person who does supposedly know what is happening (mum's RN) didn't realise that your mum just had a dangerously low blood pressure reading 10 minutes ago? Does any of this sound familiar?
This all happens because Registered Nurses are running between too many patients, with less qualified staff to assist them. It is a system that doesn't work. Some people are saying that we should bring back enrolled nurses to help the RN's. EN's are an improvement over HCA's but a cost cutting NHS will just use them incorrectly, as they do with the HCA's.
I don't want enrolled nurses ( EN's as they were known) around unless the hospital is going to add them in addition to safe registered nurse staffing ratios .
They won't do that, they will only use them instead of registered nurses. Before you accuse me of knocking EN's please read on.
People generally seem to think that degree educated registered nurses don't do much in the way of ward training and that we need to bring back ward trained nurses (EN's) to improve care. That is a motherload of crap. We need to do lots of things to improve care, but not that.
Where do I begin.
The degree students have to do nearly 3000 hours of ward time/placements to qualify. The degree students are working shifts on the ward all the time.
During the weeks and weeks of their placements they are working full time shifts on the ward.
They are supposed to be supernumery but they ARE NOT actually supernumerary.
They are thrown right in at the deep end, doing all kinds of basic care. Take it from someone who is currently practicing as a staff nurse and who works with students. This is indeed how it is in 2010......... current nursing students spend thousands upon thousands of hours mucking in on the ward.
The idea of bringing back traditional trained nurses (or EN's) as well as degree nurses is a good idea on paper but it is a total fail in reality.
The reason for this is that TEAM NURSING DOES NOT WORK anymore.
Team nursing is what you are actually pushing by arguing that they should bring back EN's. Team nursing is when you have an RN's, EN's and auxillaries all caring for a large group of patients. It doesn't work. It fails because the RN has to be on top of everything that is going on for 30 people and no matter how many EN's or care assistants she has, the RN is overwhelmed.
Team nursing means the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.
What we need is for a degree trained RN doing everything and having a small enough patient load to do EVERY aspect of her patients care herself. This is cost effective and it is the only thing that works. Giver her a care assistant to be used only in case she runs intro trouble but my god, leave basic care to the RN's primarily.
I don't want an EN or an auxillary sharing my patient load because I want to do everything myself for all the patients. The majority of RN's I talk to agree. Primary nursing is the only way to stay completely on top of everything that is going on.
If you throw more patients at me along with EN's and care assistants instead of Registered Nurses then fuck up after fuck up after fuck up occurs.
Yes, nurses having more technology, drugs, and medical stuff to do these days. We do indeed and staff nurses get held responisble for any screw ups with these things.
But in order to do those high tech things well, I also need to be doing basic care myself. Otherwise I am not seeing the whole picture. And neither are the EN's or the care assistants. When there isn't anyone at all seeing the big picture, all hell breaks loose.
If I am delegating the basics to an EN or HCA then that means that I am probably the only RN on shift and I am overwhelmed doing drugs for the entire ward , doctor orders and rounds, relative enquiries, and fire fighting for all 30 beds. This is overwhelming even if I have 100 care assistants/EN's to help with the basics.
Just the sheer number of relative enquires either in person or by phone is overwhelming when you are an RN with only 10 patients. The questions these people ask are usually only answerable by the RN. If I have 10 patients I have 10 families on back and I can barely get any patient care done. I can barely ge away from their phone calls and interruotions long enough to actually see any of my patients. There are just so many interruptions. Constantly.
Under the plan to bring back EN's, the RN will be the lone RN carrying all the the things that the EN's and HCA's cannot do . She will be overwhelmed. Meanwhile the EN's and HCA's will be merrily making beds and gossiping without a care in the world. Whenever a relative makes an inquiry or a patient becomes acutely unwell, the EN' s and HCA's will just dump that onto the RN and happily go on their jolly way making beds. And the RN will be managing 5 critically ill patients that she cannot even get to because she has the relatives of her other 25 patients on her back.
I want 4 acute patients or 6 non acute patients maximum and I want a charge nurse without a patient load on shift to back me up and organise the ward . I want to do EVERYTHING, EVERY nursing intervention for my patients myself. Myself. I cannot do this with 30 patients no matter how many EN's or HCA's you throw my way. Even if I have hundreds of EN's and HCA's with me doing the basics I am still going to have too much information to process, too many interuptions and total cognitive overload.
A growing body of evidence is showing that a well educated RN doing everything for a small number of patients is the only safe, effective, and cost effective way of doing things. The WW2 ward structure planning is still in effect now, just with less qualified staff.
What I am trying to say is this: If you throw EN's and HCAs at me instead of Registered Nurses then I have to keep track of everything for the entire ward as the lone RN. No can do. Not these days. It is impossible.
And that is the case if I am sharing my 30 bed ward with 1 EN or 100 EN's in a single day.
What they are doing right now in hospitals is essentially team nursing.
What we have now is the hospital managers saying this: "It's okay to stick one RN with 20 patients because we are throwing care assistants at her. She can medicate, all 20 patients, keep track of information for 20 patients, get interrupted to take questions from the families of 20 people with nothing in place to control the number if interruptions she is getting etc as long as she has a few less qualified staff around to make her beds and wash her patients. Do you really think that it would be any different if they brought EN's back?
They would probably have one EN in charge of a 40 bed ward with no RN and a few care assistants to help. That is how NHS management does things, the cheap fuckers. Not only do they currently have a world war 2 era ward structure in place on the wards ...... but they have it with less qualified staff at a time when patients are sicker and the stakes are higher. Even in the last ten years, patient acuity and costs have SKYROCKETED. Nurses in 2010 are dealing with sicker patients and have to do more for them in a shorter amount of time, with less qualified staff. Fallen angels my ass. I actually think that nurses today are much nicer than their yesteryear counterparts. The older nurses just had better ratios, resources, back up, and smaller workloads.
And this kind world war two era mentality by managment and dinosaurs is why things are so shit. The idea of bringing back EN's is a good one on paper but not actually implementable because team nursing is outdated. Let's move away from it entirely. Staff the wards with RN's, and when RN's have safe ratios then you can add in the assistants to assist with care rather than taking over care when they are not qualified to do so.


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David A. Kravitz is professor of management in the School of Business at George Mason University. He teaches courses on diversity in organizations, organizational behavior, and leadership.
His previous academic appointments have been at Rice University, Florida International University, and the University of Kentucky. He spent a year as a Senior Fulbright Professor at the University of Freiburg in Germany and has worked for a consulting firm.
Kravitz has given over sixty presentations at national and international conferences. He has published over fifty monographs, chapters, and refereed journal articles in a variety of outlets, including the Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Academy of Management Learning & Education, and the Journal of Socio-Economics. He serves on the editorial boards of Journal of Applied Psychology, Group & Organization Management, and Journal of Business and Psychology. He is the 2010-2011 Chair of the Gender and Diversity in Organizations division of the Academy of Management.
Kravitz's current research focus is on diversity management, with special interests in learning what works and in bridging the gap between research and practice. He has also published work in several other areas, including beliefs about and reactions to affirmative action programs, procedural justice, bargaining, and context effects in performance appraisals.
Kravitz has a BA from Carleton College, an MA and a PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana, and postdoctoral training at Bowling Green State University.


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Please feel free to request a detailed description via the Land of Magazines site. Short description (computer translated from Russian into English): Series real tutorials foreign languages. M.: AST.: East-West. 2009. soft hardcover, reduced format. This book may be shipped internationally, delivery may take up to 45-60 days. Buyers are advised to contact us via the Land of Magazines site for details on delivery time frame before placing an order. We prefer payments via PayPal (credit cards are accepted by PayPal). SKU2568765173 Language: Russian (unless indicated otherwise by the description). Bookseller Inventory #
Title: Kun O.N. 500 samyh vazhnyh slov litovskogo ...
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Jumping Ship
Look at the contract you have with your agent. There's a clause in there that says "30 day notice by either party". That's how.
Oh? No contract? You send a letter, NOT an email, NOT a carrier pigeon and NOT a phone call.
You say "later gator".
In all cases you wait 30 days and then you're free to query again.
And for the commenter who asked if I would blacklist or blackball or drop a piano on the head of a client once they'd left the fold, the answer is no. This is a business and sometimes things don't work out. I've released clients, clients have left me. I have ex-clients of very good agents, and some deranged agents have ex-clients of mine. It all works out.
40 comments:
- lizzie26 said...
Interesting. On Kristen Nelson's blog, this was discussed, and she said she didn't like receiving a certified letter from her now-former client. She'd have rather received a phone call. Either way, you part ways first, before you find another agent.
- 8/08/2006
- Maria said...
The way I read it, Kristen seemed more disconcerted by not getting a phone call as a possible first step. The letter took her by surprise, but I don't think she was against letters for the final ending.
As the discussion trail there said, you have to end it in a clear manner . There were several examples from authors about why the certified letter was a very efficient and professional method.
It's an informative post; anyone wanting more info should check it out.
- 8/08/2006
- ktbuffy said...
One of the most unprofessional clients I ever had chose, without notifying me, to not only sign with a new agent, but to do with a book that she had TALKED about with me, and which I'd read parts of and was looking forward to reading more. An exchange of certified letters followed after a conversation with our legal counsel. Fun! My favorite part, though, was telling the editor who signed her what she'd done.
If an author can be that unprofessional and just plain stupid in one aspect of her "business," I think it's only fair to let other of her business partners know how she works. It's not blackballing -- it's keeping the channels of communication open and clear. Truth is, as an agent you're much more likely to be in contact again with an editor, than with a former client. Who would you rather have on your good side?
I pick the one who buys stuff from me.
- 8/08/2006
This all sounds pretty much like any decision to fire someone. I also take Kristin to mean that the firing itself -- either way -- should not come as a surprise. When it does, it casts doubt on the good faith of past interactions, since the ish was there festering, but concealed until the swoop fell.
Don't we all want to know how we're doing, since its's easier to steer from far in advance, than it is to screech to a surprise stop that might include a crash?
- 8/08/2006
There are really no good reasons to keep an agent while you look for another.
They are not your "boss" and you are not looking for another job. They are your business partner.
You must wait out the 30-60-90 day clause before the new agent can touch you. What are you going to do--query an agent and then say...uh, by the way, you can't start until after Christmas?
What if this agent who you hate makes a sale for you while you're shopping around for another? You are stuck with her on that sale, forever.
And what if she is out busting her balls for you while you are looking? What terrible karma for you. What a pain for your new agent, who is having the waters muddied by the hour.
And what, exactly, will this potential new agent of yours think of you for going behind your old agent's back?
But let's say you have the agent from hell. She does nothing for you. She ignores you. She's a harlot. She lies and steals. It is not true that any agent is better than no agent. It is, in fact, better if you break it off than if you get dumped yourself.
I signed with a pretty good agent way back when who couldn't sell my first book (not her fault). Six months into my rewrite, I parted company with her. I did it because I couldn't stand her. I did it when I did it because neither of us had anything to lose. I did get another agent. I'm very glad I had the guts to leave, and that I left the way I did.
- 8/08/2006
- Dave Kuzminski said...
You have one extra slash on the end of Kristen's link.
- 8/08/2006
- Sha'el, Princess of Pixies said...
Since the likelihood of me finding an agent is quite low, I guess I can say this and it won't matter if I'm blackballed:
Calling it "keeping the lines of communication open" does not lift what you did higher than the level of petty office gossip.
If it was unprofessional of your client to drop you as she did, it was equally unprofessional of you to return the favor.
Admittedly, there may be circumstances that you haven't conveyed, but if all is as you said, you were hurt, angry, tried to engage legal counsel, and it didn't work. The author left. You retaliated in the most petty way possible, tattling.
If I knew your name and was still interested in representation, you'd go on my short list of agents to avoid along with ... well two or three others, all "reputable" and all not the sort I wish to represent me.
And talk? Don't you realize writers talk too? We do. We compare notes. Boorish agents get noted, though I'm unaware of any author trying to hurt the business relationships of an offending agent.
You make money off us. You treat us with disrespect. Perhaps it was this attitude that got you fired. In most businesses, certainly in mine, failing to treat even potential clients with respect is fatal. Some of you agents demand more respect from potential clients than you give. We notice. At least I notice.
It's a complex business world where competence counts. Competence can be overridden by surly behavior. Others notice when we're surly. Do you think the editor to whom you spoke didn't? Don't you think he wondered why the author left you and why you resorted to tattling? Perhaps he already knew and was wise enough not to comment.
- 8/08/2006
Years and years ago, I asked my first agent for career advice. (I had just finished out a contract, and had several paths I could possibly take for my next project.)
Her response: just pick a project, and if it didn't work out, I could always have more kids/focus on family. (!!!!)
I asked her to please re-think her advice and I'd call back in a week. A week later, she said her opinion hadn't changed. I said I thought our views of how to approach my writing career were too different for us to keep working together. THEN I sent her a certified letter thanking her for her help on past projects and breaking the tie.
THEN I waited a few weeks (even though I didn't have a contract with this agent), and started querying other agents.
BTW--this particular agent was NOT a member of AAR. Live and learn.
My current agent is much more professional, a member of AAR, and is wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.
- 8/08/2006
So what do you do if an agent liked your work, sounded out publishers, suggested changes and then ignored you so you're left in limbo? There's no contract so legally, you're not a client. Would you just head back to the agent trawling or inform the blighter first?
- 8/08/2006
sha'el: who are you addressing???
- 8/08/2006
"There are really no good reasons to keep an agent while you look for another."
No, there ARE reasons for that. You never know how long it's going to take to find a new agent, and the reason a writer seeks a new representation while staying with the current one is that like you said, you also never know what's going to happen to your book during your search for a new agent. And you don't know either how things will go with your potential agent. There's a lot of uncertainty here. So why would you blame a writer when he does something for his benefit, that is, play the safe route. Agents always do whatever it takes to make money--they often dump writers or treat them like shit.
- 8/08/2006
- The Rejected Writer said...
sha'el has hit it on the head. Agents work for writers; not the other way around. In the best of circumstances, they work together, but that doesn't change the fact that without writers, agents have no job. Full stop.
Now, back to writing.
- 8/08/2006
Good for you, anon (with new agent).
- 8/08/2006
- Serenity Now! said...
After just signing with an Agent in June, I am still LOVING HER... but the important thing is that early in our relationship we made sure to go over the clauses in the contract about how we would be able to EXIT the relationship properly.
Most people don't want to talk about that, they don't want to admit that they may one day want to leave...
- 8/08/2006
Jake said: No, there ARE reasons for that. You never know how long it's going to take to find a new agent, and the reason a writer seeks a new representation while staying with the current one is that like you said, you also never know what's going to happen to your book during your search for a new agent.
By this, it seems like you are implying that a sale is all that matters, even if it is by an awful agent. But if an agent you hate can sell your book, so can an agent you love. And will the agent you hate make the right deal for you? Or just go after the money. How would you know? You don't like or trust the agent. And now you're stuck with her on this deal forever. And when your first book tanks and this awful agent ignores you, what then? Wouldn't it have been better to wait for someone who you really liked and trusted to help you create the career you wanted?
- 8/08/2006
First of all I don't hate or love an agent. It's all business. Yes, a sale is all that matters. I'll love any agent who can get me a book deal. I don't care whether she's a witch or not. I had agents telling me how talented I am but that's meaningless if she can back it up with her sale. What matters is competence like someone said above. If my agent only goes for the money—her commissions, that's great! It'll make me get more money! I have been writing for years and years and I am currently unemployed and almost out of money, so show me the fucking money!!!
- 8/08/2006
Hey anon # 3: Just because you haven't signed anything, doesn't mean there's no contract. Contracts don't have to be written to be valid. All that's necessary in most contexts is a firm agreement of some kind where each party has made a specific promise to the other. If you have a verbal agreement with your agent, reneging on that agreement might count as breach of contract, depending on what the situation between you is. (And it certainly counts as poor form.)
I can't imagine it would be likely for the agent to actually sue you for breach of contract, even if the contract is in writing, unless she could prove she'd spent time and money plugging your book and was on the verge of a sale when you cut out. But the point remains: whether your agreement is in writing or not, you should honor your agreement.
The usual disclaimers apply: this is not a legal opinion, consult an attorney if you have a specific question, etc.
--M., a lawyer by day
- 8/08/2006
- Maria said...
Uh, "rejected" ...it might be pointed out that agents don't work "for" writers. It's a partnership.
Yes, agents do things on behalf of the writer; that is the job. But when writers or agents assign themselves as "boss" that is going to be the start of moving a relationship downhill.
It's very easy to believe as writers that we are the talent, it is our work and we should rule the roost. The truth is, like anything else, we don't succeed all on our own.
Just like the agent has nothing without a book...well, a lot of us are sitting around without a foot in the door because we don't have an agent.
Whether we like it or not, there is more to getting a book out there than just writing it. Publishers take on financial risk to get the book out there. The agents, love'm or hate'm, may be your first set of "edits." They are in partnership to help sell your book. They know things about the business that you don't. They may be the reason you make money on a book vs give up all your rights for diddly.
If I have learned nothing else from this blog it is what agents do. I have also learned how they view their talents and what they bring to the table.
They aren't all perfect, but then, neither are the writers. Whether we like it or not, in this system, we need each other. That's why it's a partnership.
- 8/08/2006
- Malia said...
Just putting my .02 cents even, even though MS will more than likely sic Killer Yap after me or shoot me with the clue gun ---
I believe that every individual has different circumstances. If handled in a professional above-board manner, the process of changing agents can work under any scenario. Do what's best for you. Use professional behavior. Never lie.
word ver: nrkryav == nitwit after a few gin pails
- 8/08/2006
- Annie Dean said...
Part of the problem is that authors don't always know what to expect from agents. Obviously, they work with you to sell your material, but beyond that, there's a gray area.
Are long silences okay? Maybe we should definite "long". Does that mean three weeks or three months? Does it mean your agent is cooling off on you? Writers become nervous. We're like cats sometimes; if you're not petting us right now, then you're of no use.
The fact is, it depends on your agent. Some are very close with clients and they like to get personal updates, be chatty and personal. Others are strictly business; they get in touch when they need something or when they have news.
It's best if you know your personality type (and how the agent relates to clients) before you sign with someone, so you don't wind up unhappy with the match. Most of us want someone whose honest, enthusiastic about our work and well-connected in the industry. Beyond that, it's a little like being a newlywed and learning each other's habits with cautious optimism.
- 8/08/2006
- Carrie said...
Agents working FOR writers? No, my friend, this is a partnership. And if you think it is okay to have no relationship with this person (beyond the almighty buck), good luck to you.
I'm in the beginning of my query process. I'm following all directions for submitting work, and hoping that I find an agent that I will work with for the long haul. Ego has no place here. No agent = no sale.
- 8/08/2006
the reason a writer seeks a new representation while staying with the current one is that like you said, you also never know what's going to happen to your book during your search for a new agent
Well, if you think your old agent has a good chance of selling your book, you wouldn't be looking at leaving anyway.
Unless there are other things about the relationship making you uneasy--in which case you don't want your old agent to sell your book, because then you'll be stuck working together, whether you want to or not, for that book's life with that publisher, even if you leave for the next book. Better to sever ties now, and find someone with whom you work better, and who works better with you.
- 8/08/2006
Jake - Gotcha. That's not me. We just have different opinions.
But about the money...I hear the standard advance is still $7500.
- 8/08/2006
shael and jake - bingo! you both walk in the real world. thanks for your comments.
w. starks
- 8/08/2006
- golfpoor said...
I, too, thought if you were working with an agent without a contract, there was nothing that said you had to formally end the relationship. I hadn't talked to my agent in eight months, since she'd said something like, 'I usually don't stick with authors as long as I have with you...'
I sent her a revision in January, still haven't heard, and so today I sent her The Letter. Hated to, because we worked together well, but she became disillusioned with rejections. I got the feeling she didn't have a lot of connections in the biz, so she sent my manuscripts to one or two publishers, which I could name, but won't. If I asked if she sent to say, Dell, she'd say 'I don't know anyone there.' She wasn't AAR, or very well-known, ie, known on the web or in the trades.
Feels kinda funny being agentless, but I needed to move on.
- 8/08/2006
- golfpoor said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- 8/08/2006
- ktbuffy said...
Maybe I shouldn't comment first thing in the morning before I've had my caffeine!
That aside, Sha'el, yes there were circumstances involved that I did not convey, nor do I intend to. All that aside, what I was trying to put across was my belief, as Miss Snark has said, that the truly professional thing to do in a business relationship is, in fact, to behave like a professional; in this case, by notifying one's agent according to the terms of the legal contract for representation that the author was unhappy and wished to go elsewhere BEFORE signing with another agent. In which case I like to believe I would have wished her the best and been delighted with her future success.
As it was, I was not given the chance to be gracious. I had been speaking of the author and her works with other editors, believing she was still my client to promote, and was quite unpleasantly surprised to find out via the good ole internet that she had sold a book elsewhere that we'd spoken about. I may have behaved rashly, but I believe I did the right thing in notifying her editor.
- 8/08/2006
"The Rejected Writer said...
sha'el has hit it on the head. Agents work for writers; not the other way around. In the best of circumstances, they work together, but that doesn't change the fact that without writers, agents have no job. Full stop."
Agents would work FOR writers if writers actually paid the tab...you know, like buyers' agents in real estate. Forget the rules and make your own: pay your dream agent for his services by the hour out of your pocket. How much enthusiasm would you rack up for some demanding whiner you probably shouldn't have taken on in the first place?
We writers want it all ways: we want the perfect agent with great hookups, who adores our work, works contstantly on our stuff for free, and who has no one above us on his list;
we want to run the show;
we want a great book deal; and
we want our egos to be stroked.
All that will happen if your book sells and hits the NYT list.
Until then, you are just a wannabe, who likes the idea of being able to say he has an agent, and having an agent to boss around and blame for his book not selling.
Get over yourself.
Recognize that your agent is your partner and your best booster in your efforts, and without that agent you're just another box in the slush-pile.
- 8/08/2006
Yes! But even with upfront discussions, it can be hard to tell how "friendly" the relationship will be until you're in it. I'm getting a sinking feeling I may be with the wrong agent for me. Kind of hard to tell when she won't call me back...
- 8/08/2006
- spongey437 said...
"Look at the contract you have with your agent. There's a clause in there that says "30 day notice by either party". That's how."
The problem I have with this is that if an agent decides he is going to cut you loose he then tells you that he is giving his "30 day notice". But by all rights, he will stop trying to sell the book for those 30 days and thus his 30 days notice is really 0 days. While you have to wait having basically no representation for those days.
Then, if you decide to leave and give your "30 days" notice, one of two things I see happening.
1. The agent wants to keep you and really tries to sell the book in those 30 days in hopes of making his commission off you.
2. He completely stops trying and again he is done while you have to wait with no representation for 30 days.
Seems that the author gets the short end of the stick on these deals in either case.
- 8/08/2006
KTBuffy, bottom line your former client jumped ship and got her book sold. Good for her. You responded by smearing her with her editor. That editor prolly figures you're vindictive and petty, babe. Congrats.
- 8/08/2006
- Annie Dean said...
Kind of hard to tell when she won't call me back...
I love my agent (in a purely professional sense). She's smart; she knows the business, and she's enthusiastic about my work. Whenever I get an e-mail from her, I feel like it's Christmas because she uses sexy words like "auction" and "pre-empt".
However, I've never called her up. We teleconference at her request to discuss things, but I leave it up to her. If I have questions, I send an e-mail she can respond to at her convenience (although to her credit it's always the same day). Today it took about 50 minutes.
Before today, it had been about three weeks since we communicated, but I knew she was working up a submission list for my current project, and I was busy writing. For me, this is perfect. I feel like we're getting the job done.
Maybe something like this will work for you? Try not to be anxious. You write; let your agent do her job. She likes your stuff or she wouldn't have signed you. Don't shoot yourself in the foot over wedding-night jitters.
- 8/08/2006
- Sha'el, Princess of Pixies said...
Dear KTBuffy,
I would have been distressed to learn of my discharge via the Internet.
I'm certain I wouldn't have discussed the matter with her editor unless the editor broached the subject first. Even if the editor asked questions, I would have been as circumspect as possible.
Why? It seems unwise to me to share in the sins of others. You're not responsible for her bad behavior, nor are you responsible for the business relationship she has with her publisher. Putting yourself between them in anyway cannot help but hurt you.
I'm certain that antiquarian booksellers don't confront many of the problems agents do. At a certain level there is some considerable competition. It hurts to be ill treated by a long-time client. There is unfairness in every business. Booksellers aren't exempt. I can tell you we're not.
But, we aren't our clients' parent. We aren't there to regulate their conduct, ethics, or good sense. It seems wrong to do so. Who's responsible here? Let the one responsible for the conduct carry the burden of it.
About two millennia ago, a teacher whom I admire suggested that while we can carry the burdens of others, each should carry their own load of responsibility. If this precept is good, then it is unwise to assume the responsibility of others -- even if they irritated the devil out of us by their stupid and unethical conduct.
Calling discussing the matter with her editor "rash" is probably an understatement. People hate it when they feel we're taking on their life-responsibilities. Few, I think, articulate the cause of their discomfort, but on some level they're thinking, "Hey, you're not my mommy!"
- 8/09/2006
I hate to compare this to intimate relationships, but the fact is that many potential partners view one as being more desirable if you are already involved with someone else.
When you have an agent, especially an agent who is known in the industry, you are treated with a certain amount of respect. Not much, of course; but vastly more respect than you receive when you are both unagented and unpublished.
Does everyone wait until their divorce is final before dating again?
Okay, you say, this is a BUSINESS relationship, and that's different. Fine. Do most people quit their jobs and wait until they are unemployed to start looking for another job?
It is standard form to look for another job before giving notice.
Oh, sorry. I forgot. The agent-unpublished writer relationship is a partnership, right? And Poland is one of our equal allies in the Iraq war, too, right?
- 8/09/2006
Hi Mark
The agent in question sounded out publisher friends informally on the basis of my partial. Requested the full, liked it, we met up and he asked for some changes. Then zilch. He ignored a call and an email. At no time did he actually say he would represent me. It's been 8 months. Wouldn't anyone take that as a 'thanks but no thanks'?
- 8/09/2006
I've ended relationships with four different agents (and I know that sounds bad, but I've been in the biz a very long time, and two of those agents I had for ten years each). In each case, there was a 30-day clause like we've been discussing. In each case I called first and discussed the matter with the agent, then sent a formal letter.
In each case, the agent agreed to immediately withdraw the projects he/she had out with publishers. In one case, the agent was hopeful of a sale and asked to retain the rights on that one book with that one publisher for an extra couple of weeks, to see if he could get an offer. (And rather than start over with that slow publisher, i agreed.)
This process of withdrawing isn't always quick, sometimes because the publishers are slow to respond. That's what the thirty days are for--to clean up loose ends. If there aren't any loose ends, you don't have to worry too much about the thirty days. Go forth.
And if there's been no agreement of representation, verbal or otherwise, and the agent isn't reponding to you, you certainly don't owe them anything. Move on!!!
- 8/09/2006
annie - like what you had to say as well...
w. starks
- 8/09/2006
Seems to me that ktbuffy is referring to a client who did not notify her, ever, that she was leaving.
Instead the author--kt's client, had sent kt--her agent, the ms in question, on which kt had begun to work (as in, per contact).
In the meantime, the author had also gotten a new agent.
Yanno(tm) queried, sent partials, sent ms, gotten accepted, contracts sent and signed -- the whole song and dance.
And that new agent had then sent the ms around, and gotten it accepted.
Seems to me all this takes quite a while.
Therefore, logically, this isn't someone who was just worried about being unagented, briefly, while changing partners.
Instead, this is someone who was quite illegally double-agented for a long time.
(Hey -- if one agent takes X months to sell your ms, how long will two agents take? X/2?
How about three agents? X/3?
Hell, these agents have got nothing better to do with their time anyway, right?)
This is what contacts are about.
Therefore, it is definitely, and approriately, lawyer time.
Further, if I worked with an editor, and I knew an author had behaved this badly, yes, I would warn them.
People who ignore things like signed contacts don't tend to only do it once.
If I were the editor I would want to be warned about this person..
In fact, I'd be pretty steamed to find out kt knew the author was a sleaze, and knew I'd signed her, but neglected to warn me.
- 8/09/2006
In defense of ktbuffy and of agents in general - let's remember that when an agent acts in an unprofessional manner, the author can report them to a wide variety of websites - an agent blacklisting, if you will.
If an agent is screwed over by her author, what recourse does she have but to inform her editors? After all, those editors are going to make certain assumptions when they see an author has sold a book elsewhere. It's only fair that the agent have the right to defend her side of the story, as it were.
There is no "Agent Beware of the following Authors!" website that I know of. Perhaps there should be . . .
And this is coming from a struggling writer. Checks and balances, after all.
- 8/09/2006
- countessolenska said...
Nah. If an author has a verbal contract with her agent, she has zero obligation to give 30 days notice. (Same goes if she has a written contract that doesn't specify a notification period, but that would be unusual.)
That said, the justification for requiring notice is to allow the agent to tie up loose ends -- finish negotiations, follow through on submissions -- and prepare a list of the folks to whom she's submitted your manuscript, if one is being shopped around.
If nothing's being shopped, no offers are on the table, foreign and other subsidiary rights are all sold up (lucky you), notice is a meaningless concept. But if your contract says you must give it, you must give it.
- 8/10/2006


text:
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Happy Birthday Brooklyn
Here's a little video I took before Christmas. This kid could fall asleep anywhere, anytime.
And here's an oldie, but goodie...
Happy Birthday, Baby Girl! I love you!
Posted by Dawn at 5:26 PM
52 comments:
- Beverly said...
What a face! Aren't 3 year olds the best!!
- February 17, 2009 at 8:02 PM
- Martha said...
Happy Birthday Brooklyn. She looks soo much like her mommmy!
Adorable pics!
I'll be SIX on 4 days....5+1=6 right?
- February 17, 2009 at 8:03 PM
Happy Birthday Brooklyn!!!
Dawn - I'm usually not good at telling if a kid looks like somebody, but when I saw the picture at the pool and the one after it, I thought that she really looks like you!
- February 17, 2009 at 8:16 PM
- Oh Boy...Oh Boy...Oh Boy said...
Happy birthday!
my bff from high school is going to have a baby any day (or Monday for sure) and is naming her Brooklyn. I always loved the name!! Maybe I'll suggestion Oata as a nickname, so she can be as confused as I am :)
- February 17, 2009 at 8:23 PM
- JenT said...
Cute pictures. Happy Birthday, Brooklyn.
- February 17, 2009 at 8:24 PM
- momathome43kids said...
Happy Birthday, Little One! Today is a big day for our family too; it is my husband's and my two son's birthday. Yes.....something "special" about those Feb. 17 babies:) Thanks for sharing the precious pics of Brooklyn, Dawn. I feel like she's one of our family. Cecilia
- February 17, 2009 at 8:30 PM
Happy Birthday, Oata!
- February 17, 2009 at 8:31 PM
Happy Birthday little Brooklyn! you are a beautiful girl with a wonderful mother! God Bless You all!
- February 17, 2009 at 8:32 PM
Oh my goodness! She is so cute! Happy birthday cutie! My kids got a kick out of her tickling herself. They had to start tickling everyone in the room. I have to ask too...who made that gorgeous blanket in the background of the first video?
- February 17, 2009 at 8:35 PM
- MaBunny said...
Aww, what a cute face! Happy Birthday Brooklyn!
- February 17, 2009 at 8:35 PM
- sara604 said...
Happy Birthday, Brooklyn! Okay, so Dawn, that sleepy video is one of the most hilarious things I have ever seen. So, that is what happens when you drug your kids, huh? (COMPLETELY kidding - I love it!)
- February 17, 2009 at 8:37 PM
Happy Birthday, Brooklyn! What a cutie-pie!
- February 17, 2009 at 9:08 PM
- Susan said...
Happy Birthday Brooklyn!
My baby's birthday is today too. It must be an extremely special day!! My youngest is 5 though. I get to send her to kindergarten in August! YEAH!!! Ooooohh...I mean boo hoo! LOL!
She is a cutie! I love the one of her sleeping in her pink polka dot nightgown, reminds me of my Katie!
I hope she had a great day!
- February 17, 2009 at 9:09 PM
- Deirdrea said...
Her ability to sleep like that is just one more bit of proof that youth is TOTALLY wasted on the young! lol What a cutie!
- February 17, 2009 at 9:18 PM
Happy Birthday Brooklyn! Its a great day to have a birthday as it's my birthday too! How fun! Hope she had a great one!
- February 17, 2009 at 9:44 PM
- Michelle said...
Oh she is such a cutie pie! Happy Birthday, Brooklyn! So what cake does she get? I love those happy Brooklyn smiles.
- February 17, 2009 at 9:52 PM
- My Semblance of Sanity said...
- February 17, 2009 at 10:03 PM
- Shari said...
Happy Birthday Brooklyn! What a cutie!
- February 17, 2009 at 10:13 PM
- Kitti said...
Happy 3rd Birthday Brooklyn! My little man turned 4 yesterday. They grow up way too fast!
- February 17, 2009 at 10:55 PM
- Jennifer Foster said...
I love these photos Dawn! H.B. Brooklyn
- February 17, 2009 at 11:02 PM
- Andi said...
*tears streaming down face* Ooohhhhh, so cute....your baby is 3 and mine turns 7 in April....WHY????? Why do they have to grow up??????
She is SO cute, just like her mamma. I bless you with patience as yet another child gets into more trouble and bats those eyes at you in the every popular "who me, not me" smile. Give baby girl kisses from a friend.
*wiping tears away.* *sniff*
Love ya, girlie!
- February 17, 2009 at 11:04 PM
Happy Birthday Brooklyn! so fun being 3!! That video of her sleeping is priceless:-) Can't wait until your book launch party! You've come a long way babeeeee!;-)
I have to ask...I know you are going to reply "no idea," but maybe someone else can enlighten me. Somehow over the year, my links to your site changed. I used to get an email with a link to your site. Now...I only get an email with the whole text listed. (so if I never go to your site do you get the "hit"?) I digress...I've tried to change my sign up to your site, but am unable to just get an emailed link, it only emails me the full text. I like going to your site because I can read comments and see all the exciting pictures, etc. I know, more rambling than you care to read, but it's annoying. Have you heard this from anyone else? Am I just blog impaired? You are a breath of fresh air!
- February 17, 2009 at 11:05 PM
Happy Birthday Brooklyn! SHe's such a cutie pie! And she's grown sooooo much!!
You do call her Oata :)
- February 17, 2009 at 11:52 PM
happy birthday brooklyn
- February 17, 2009 at 11:54 PM
Oats has such a doll face :) happy bday to her! Are you going to post a picture of the fabulous cake you made?
- February 18, 2009 at 1:43 AM
Happy Birthday, Brooklyn. :) So many beautiful pictures of you! <3
- February 18, 2009 at 2:08 AM
- Mum-me said...
She is just adorable, and she looks so much like you. I remember seeing some of those photos further back on your blog. Happy Birthday Brooklyn.
- February 18, 2009 at 5:42 AM
- Magda said...
Awwwww, TOO CUTE!!! She is adorable. Happy birthday girl!
PS: LOVE the pic by the toilet, hahahaha!!!!!
- February 18, 2009 at 5:45 AM
Happy Birthday sweetpea!
- February 18, 2009 at 6:24 AM
- Goat Creek Grandma said...
Happy Birthday Brooklyn! She's adorable Dawn. I love her smile, its contagious!
- February 18, 2009 at 6:47 AM
- Brenda said...
Happy Birthday! Such a beautiful little girl!
- February 18, 2009 at 8:19 AM
- The Bertone's said...
Happy Birthday Brooklyn!
My daughter's birthday was Feb 16th she turned 4!
- February 18, 2009 at 8:56 AM
- Table for Seven said...
She is a DOLL! If we didn't have an "S" theme going, I would love to use the name Brooklyn if we ever have a girl. Although the boys names all start with S(Stephen, Sebastian, Spencer, Sterling, Seth) our names start with the letter B. Making us the family full of B/S. HeHe. Several people have said if we have girls, we should name them B's as well. So who knows.
Oh a totally random side note, does Brooklyn snore? If she does, and the fact that she falls asleep like that, and the fact that she pitches sooo many lovely fits for you, would make me think that perhaps she has a touch of sleep apnea. An ENT could confirm with a sleep study. Just a thought...
Sorry for the LONG comment. Husbands been gone for a month and a half and I guess I'm lacking in adult communication.
- February 18, 2009 at 9:02 AM
- Elleah said...
Those are great pictures! Oh, and I love the name "Brooklyn." Happy birthday!
- February 18, 2009 at 9:19 AM
You get cuter by the day..
Wishing you a great one
- February 18, 2009 at 9:50 AM
Hi Dawn, What cute pictures of Brooklyn. Her baby picture is adorable. She looks like a baby doll. Enjoy her every moment because we all know they grow up way to fast! Kristine in Michigan.
- February 18, 2009 at 10:00 AM
- Janet said...
Happy Birthday to Brooklyn! My boy turned 3 in October, and not to scare you or anything, but batten down the hatches. Three is not pretty.
- February 18, 2009 at 10:15 AM
Happy Birthday Brooklyn! Hope you feel better soon, Dawn.
- February 18, 2009 at 11:42 AM
- Christina said...
Happy Birthday Brooklyn! She looks just like you!
- February 18, 2009 at 11:58 AM
- Stephycce said...
Aww Happy Birthday.
Hate when kids grow up :(
- February 18, 2009 at 2:18 PM
- Melissa said...
OMG such cute pictures!! Yes she totally looks like mom! My baby just turned 4 on Friday.....the 13th. He is a handful, but I love him! My oldest, daughter Megan, will be 10 in July! Where does the time go??
- February 18, 2009 at 2:51 PM
- Keeley said...
Happy Birthday to Brooklyn! =) What a cutie. =)
- February 18, 2009 at 3:19 PM
- Stephanie said...
Happy birthday!
- February 18, 2009 at 3:36 PM
- Our Family's Spot said...
Awww, happy birthday, Brooklyn! She has the best facial expressions! =0)
- February 18, 2009 at 4:55 PM
"Tickle Me Brookyln" never fails to crack me up. Thanks for a bright spot in my day!
- February 18, 2009 at 5:35 PM
- jessica said...
She is the spitting image of you. I love the chocolate pic. It's my favorite!
My middle child just turned three a couple of weeks ago. Now, if we could just get the potty training to work!! :D
Happy Birthday Brooklyn!
- February 18, 2009 at 5:59 PM
- Francesca Fine Jewelry said...
Happy Birthday Brooklyn!!! She looks just like you, Dawn!
- February 18, 2009 at 7:41 PM
I can't believe she's three!!
- February 19, 2009 at 12:29 AM
Happy Birthday, Brooklyn!! Sorry it's late -- that's just my procrastinatin' style!
Thanks for sharing the pictures, Dawn! LOVE the videos, too! She is sooo adorable! (Of course, you didn't already know that! :))
Donna in PA :)
- February 19, 2009 at 6:02 AM
Maybe "I am three." Happy Birthday, Brooklyn!
- February 19, 2009 at 8:10 PM
- Vivian M said...
Happy (belated) birthday!!!!
- February 20, 2009 at 2:53 PM
- Emily said...
My oldest girl also turned 3 on Tuesday! It is such a fun age! Happy Birthday Brooklyn
- February 20, 2009 at 3:33 PM


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Friday, June 18, 2010
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Sometimes I live and work on Luxury Mega Yachts, sometimes I get dirty and salty working on Schooners. Spent last few years flip flopping between Key West, St. Thomas, Australia and New England. This blog is just my random ramblings and everyday occurrences. Island life at it's best...and worst!


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