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I just happened to drop in on Marjie the other day after she whipped up the most tantalizing S'more Parfaits. At the end of her post, she mentioned something about not having her recipe for "real chocolate custard" handy which got me to thinking. What defines "real chocolate custard?" Is there a difference between Custards and Puddings? Oh I know, they seem like the most obvious of questions but quite frankly, I still find them both confusing. And, when you stir in "ganache like chocolate pudding" then what?
I'm not sure if I told you yet but I'll be sure to make note of it now. On June 26th chocolate pudding lovers' everywhere will be celebrating National Chocolate Pudding Day. Yep, an entire day devoted to chocolate pudding. How cool is that??? I have every intention of celebrating National Chocolate Pudding Day because first and foremost, I LOVE Chocolate Pudding. Not vanilla, not pistachio, not even butterscotch (although homemade butterscotch pudding, "real" pudding, could someday possibly gain my vote:) For now, it's Chocolate! I'm especially fond of homemade chocolate pudding which as you may have heard zillions of times, is quite easy to make from scratch. I'm not sure if any of these recipes fall into the category of "real chocolate custard" in Marjie's eyes but they are only a few of the recipes I turn to when I'm craving chocolate pudding, or custard for that matter. These first two recipes are from a previous post I did celebrating *Chocolate Milk Powder Day.
June 6th
National Applesauce Cake Day -Why oh why National Applesauce Cake Day is celebrated in June is beyond me. It's right up there with the confusion over National Gingerbread Day, also celebrated in June. Ah, what the heck, today is Applesauce Cake Day and I might as well go along with it. The way I figure, it may just be the perfect time to get those Applesauce Cake in Jars ready for gift giving. If you have the notion to bake up an Applesauce Cake to celebrate the day, I did find a recipe for Old-fashioned Applesauce Cake @ Backwoods Home Magazine and, an Applesauce Cake @ The Gluten Free Homemaker. Enjoy!
Louis Antoine Godey publisher and founder of Godey's Lady's Book, the first successful American women's fashion magazine, was born today in 1804. There is a sample of Godey's Lady's Book at the University Of Vermont website and Lidian over at Kitchen Retro posted a A Very Godey Birthday a while back. Godey's Lady's Book was instrumental in introducing many unknown women authors during its heyday. With the help of a person named Debbie, an online person I never met way back when, I gathered a bit of information on Godey.
...In the beginning he modeled it frankly upon a popular English periodical for women, filling it with material "selected" from foreign magazines, and depending for feminine favor largely upon a page of music and attractive colored fashion plates. With shrewd business insight he soon realized the wider possibilities of such a publication in a country where women of the "domestic circle" were becoming increasingly important as readers. He ceased to borrow from foreign sources and began to print, and pay for, the work of American women writers such as *Eliza Leslie. Her first publication, Seventy-Five Receipts for Pastry, Cakes, and Sweetmeats, with recipes appeared in 1837. Beside Eliza Leslie , William Cullen Bryant, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Longfellow all contributed to the magazine. Edgar Allan Poe's first contribution to Godey's Lady's Book was his Tale of the Ragged Mountains. In 1837, Godey, bought out the Ladies Magazine of Boston, and placed its correct and highly respected editor, Mrs. Sarah Josepha Hale, at the head of his own periodical. One of her poems The Empire of Woman was also published in the periodical. By 1843 he could announce a number "entirely the production of lady writers" and assure his readers that the Lady's Book was the only magazine in the world "consecrated to the promotion of those pure virtues and moral influences which constitute women's mission." As the prosperity of the publication increased, Godey attracted to his pages, by means of liberal payments, the best known of American writers, men as well as women; in 1845 he began to copyright his material. In his own department, Godey's Arm Chair, he commented on and advertised the many innovations and "embellishments" of his periodical. By 1858 its circulation had reached 150,000. He remained sole proprietor of the paper until 1877 when his two sons temporarily took over the business. At the end of that year he disposed of his interests to a publishing company and retired, confidently appealing to three generations of readers to acknowledge "the purity of the magazine and it's eminent fitness for family reading."
Interested in a little Drive-In Theater History? You picked the perfect day. The first drive-in movie theater opened in Camden, New Jersey, on June 6, 1933. Up until about 2 years ago, there was a drive-in down in State College. I vowed to go when I moved here but alas, it has sadly since closed: What's the second best thing to remember about the drive-in, the concession stand, of course:)
The application for a patent was filed on August 6, 1932, and it was later granted by the patent office on May 16, 1933 under patent number 1,909,537...On May 16, 1933, the day the patent was granted, work began on constructing the drive-in on Crescent Boulevard in Pennsauken Township, New Jersey. The location is usually reported as Admiral Wilson Blvd. in Camden, but technically the Theater was just over the Camden town line, where the name of the road changes. Opening night was June 6, 1933, and it was known simply as "Drive-In Theater" although the actual name was the "Automobile Movie Theater." Opening night was packed with cars, and the first film ever shown at a drive-in was the 1932 release of "Wives Beware," which was in second-run status at the time. The problem of obtaining first-run films for drive-ins remains to this day! Admission was 25 cents for each car and an additional 25 cents for each person, somewhat higher than the prevailing price at the indoor houses at the time, who were also offering double features. Ironically, this has reversed itself over time and drive-ins are usually the only places to see double features today.(source )
On June 6, 1866, Baron Brisse, quite possibly the first food journalist, wrote a column in a French publication suggesting the creation of the dessert; Baked Alaska, was introduced into France by the chef of a visiting Chinese delegation at the Grand Hotel in Paris. Gee, I was under the impression *Count Rumford invented Baked Alaska. According to the Food Timeline, "There are (at least) four popular stories regarding the "invention/evolution" of this dessert." Image courtesy of wiki.
You don't need to wait until December to try your hand at this Baked Alaska recipe from the Millennium Alaskan Hotel Anchorage. Nor do you have to wait until National Baked Alaska Day, February 1st. Crank up that ice cream maker. Baked Alaska makes a festive summer time dessert!!!
June 7th
Everywhere I go these days I see proclamations that read, "on June 7, 1786, the first day ice cream was sold in the US." I'm not so sure about that. I'll have to investigate. I do know, however, that June 7th is National Chocolate Ice Cream Day! I still have the packet out. What the heck! I'm sure this recipe for Ghirardelli's Chocolate Ice Cream can be found everywhere but here it is just in case. Now as for adapting it, that's up to you!!!
June 8th
I know this may sound rather odd but I just can't resist. Today is supposedly Shoo Fly Day. Not only does it state it right here, I guess the site owner thinks it's the perfect time to celebrate, Shoo Fly Pie:)
Have you had your fill of donuts and sweets this month? Not yet? Good. According to Mr. Breakfast, there are 16 Breakfast Holidays and one of them is today, or tomorrow:) It's International Jelly-Filled Doughnut Day!
"The legendary chef Antonin Carême, born June 8, 1784, is generally acknowledged as the founder of classic French cookery." You can view an Extraordinary Banquet composed by the master at The Old Foodie blog. Incredible!!! Wanna a bit of dessert? Last year Courtney celebrated Carême's birthday with a gorgeous Peach Souffle. Or, you can feast your eyes on this Savoy Cake with Oranges mastered by the master himself.
Gold Medal [flour] received its name on June 8, 1880, when the Washburn Crosby Company, predecessor to General Mills, Inc., entered the first International Millers' Exhibition and won the gold, silver and bronze medals on their three grades of spring wheat.
June 9th
Fred Waring, as in Waring Blender, (originally called the Miracle Mixer) was born in Tyrone, PA on June 9, 1900. I bet you didn't know he was among many things, a musician too. Yes, he was quite the character. Don't forget to navigate the side bar for a wonderful journey.
Now this makes sense, Today is National Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day. I'm not sure whether Laylita is keeping up with her blog any longer. Although, I do think she is on FB. However, I was so intrigued with her Rhubarb & Strawberry Empanadas, I had to share the link. I really like the looks of Rachel's Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Cake over @ Coconut & Lime too. Nothing wrong with a little Strawberry Rhubarb variety is there?
On June 9, 1822, Charles Graham patented false teeth. I kid you not. It's right here in Today in Science.
In 1822, Charles Graham received the first patent for false teeth. (Dentures) His were not the first false teeth in use, however. In the Colonial years, rotten teeth were considered the cause of many illnesses, and they would be extracted. Varied ways of replacing them were tried. For example, George Washington had at least four sets of false teeth (though none were wooden, despite a myth to that effect). Washington's first dentures were made using human teeth inserted into carved ivory. In 1789, dentist John Greenwood of New York, made Washington another set from gold, hippo teeth, and hippo and elephant ivory. The one natural remaining tooth was a molar, and a hole was left for that.
*It's Donald Duck Day!!! I didn't get to update my post but I checked over @ Baking Bites and there's a perfect recipe to help celebrate.
"Frank Hardart and Joe Horn (Horn & Hardart) opened their first Automat on June 9, 1902 at 818 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia. The birth date of modern fast food." (source)
June 10th
It's Herbs & Spice Day
It's National Black Cow Day- The first National Black Cow Day was celebrated on August 19, 1893. How do I know this? Now, what would a Black Cow be without Hires Root Beer? I posted about *Mr. Hires & the Black Cow back in August of 2009. Here's a nibble from that post:
What exactly is a Black Cow? From The Dictionary of American Food and Drink by John F. Mariani:
Any variety of ice-cream sodas made with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Usually the soda itself is either chocolate, sarsaparilla, or root beer (called a Boston cooler), and the name refers to the mixture of dark soda with the white dairy item floating in it. If made with chocolate soda (that is, seltzer, milk and chocolate syrup), it might be called a Black-and White, especially in the East. In the 1930s plain root beer sometimes went by this term, as did chocolate milk in the 1940s, especially at lunch counters.
It's National Ice Tea Day!
Dunkin Donuts founder, William Rosenberg, was born today in 1916. Donut anyone:)
To celebrate Portugal Day, Natasha @ 5 Star Foodie Blog has whipped up a beautiful Portuguese pudding called Portuguese Vermicelli Pudding.
June 11th
On June 11,1939, the King and Queen of England were in America to visit with President and Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt. As is befitting of such a grand event, the King and Queen were fed some of the gourmet foods of the United States. In fact, it was the first time that both the King and Queen had tasted hot dogs.
"Much to the horror of FDR's mother Sara Roosevelt, the King and Queen of England were served hot dogs on the front porch of the cottage. Although the press made a great deal about the hotdogs (the picnic made the front page of the New York Times), the menu also included more delicate fare fit for a King and Queen:(scroll down for the menu)
Kamehameha Day in Hawaii. I'm going to try and dig out those Hawaiian cookbooks to celebrate.
Every June 11th, thousands of people gather on the northern tip of the Big Island of Hawaii to honor Kamehameha I, the chief who united the Hawaiian Islands in 1795.
National German Chocolate Cake Day
June 12th
It's International Cachaca Day! Cachaca is Brazilian "White Rum" pronounced kah-SHAH-sah
June 12, 1928-Good and Plenty trademark registered. (source)
National Peanut Butter Cookie Day
Queen Elizabeth II birthday celebration.


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Genamics JournalSeek
Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management
Published/Hosted by John Wiley and Sons.
ISSN (printed): 0966-0879. ISSN (electronic): 1468-5973.
The Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management is an invaluable source of information on all aspects of contingency planning scenario analysis and crisis management in both corporate and public sectors. It focuses on the opportunities and threats facing organizations and presents analysis and case studies of crisis prevention crisis planning recovery and turnaround management. With contributions from world-wide sources including corporations governmental agencies think tanks and influential academics this publication provides a vital platform for the exchange of strategic and operational experience information and knowledge.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Fido and Me – A cat!?
"I think we should maybe invite a cat into our home."
Honestly, I thought I was hearing things.
"Fido, what did you just say?"
"Maybe we should get a cat."
You could have knocked me over with a feather. There have been plenty of cool cats cross my path over the years. There was Buster, for example, over in the East Bay, and there was the cat in Cedar Rapids that caught everyone's attention. His name was Director.
There were dozens of others.
There have been disasters, too, such as that Cat Who Shall Not Be Named.
Fido sat at my feet, his big browns staring upward, his purplish chow tongue in mid-pant.
I put down my book and laid it on my lap.
"Tell me about this, Fido" I said.
"When I was at the shelter, there were all kinds of cats. Some of them I didn't particularly care for. I found that the female cats were more churlish than the males."
"Churlish? Fido, you amaze me with something every single day."
"Maybe you won't understand what I am about to say," Fido said. "Four-footers such as myself like being with other four-footers. It's a four-footer thing. It's something a biped would not quite understand. With winter coming up, a cat might add some warmth and color around the house."
I arched an eyebrow and gave Fido a gentle pat on the top of his head.
"Plus," he intoned, "I must admit to cat fantasies."
"Male cat fantasies?"
Fido lay on the floor and closed his eyes halfway. "Mmm," he said.
In the past I figured that was just Fido, drifting off to wherever he goes. Now I know he's sometimes having a male cat fantasy.
While Fido was having his male cat fantasy, I opened a book, but couldn't concentrate. I myself began to fantasize. I closed my eyes. What I saw was a winter night. Snow falling, college basketball on the tube, a fire in the woodstove.
And there, right in the middle of my fantasy, is a cat, curled up with Fido, asleep in that crook between his hind legs and his belly.
I called Lisa Schade at ICARE for Pets.
"How hard is it to introduce a cat into a dog household?"
Fido was still in his half-sleep.
Lisa pointed me to some terrific research and tips on the Internet and I pulled up the pages on my laptop.
It turns out that it would be more complicated than merely driving to the shelter and bringing a feline into the family.
A noisy thump-thump car drove by our house and Fido came out of his reverie
"Have you thought any more about the cat?" he said.
"As a matter of fact, I have."
"We'll see."


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Of Trains, Banks and Farms
Puzzles in The Westerner are fair and logical. Only a couple of them found me wondering what the heck they were thinking. I wish I could tell you more, but I vowed to never spoil a game on a review. Now, the thing that really bothered me was when Fenimore dies at the end because you -- oops.
Just kidding!
As I told you, Fenimore has to sort three major obstacles, namely: get one more man to defend the farms, stop the train where Starek's men are traveling and buy a farm defense kit. These big puzzles are actually comprised of several puzzles each one of them. It's a tried and tired formula but it still works well. I probably don't need to mention how non-linear the game is, but I just did. Overall, The Westerner is pretty straightforward puzzle-wise. They're mostly on the easy side, but there are many of them to keep you busy. Some puzzles become rather tricky because of the lack of customized responses. For instance, I wanted to open a chest but Fenimore told me "I can't do that". Why? Is it locked? Do I have to care for it? Whenever I tried using an item in a way that made perfect sense to me, I also got similar responses, like "Better not". Whether it's laziness or a conscious decision, this lack of customized feedback, not only makes puzzles more difficult in the wrong way, it takes away some of the charm Fenimore has. Well, look at the bright side of it; at least you don't have to push any crates around (guess which game I did NOT like).
I was very happy to have optional stuff to do, especially one puzzle that can make you save a lot money. Yes, you read that well: money. You need money to buy stuff and sort out a couple of particular situations. Generally, the only way to get it is looking around in drawers. If you do things right, like doing that optional stuff I said, you should get plenty of it. If you don't, you'll be in trouble because there isn't much scattered around. In case you spend all of it, you'll have to visit locations again and pray for more dollars to show up.
One very nice detail is a set of hints, nearly puzzle solutions I should say, cleverly integrated in the game in the form of newspapers. In those you can read about past news that incidentally resemble the exact things you have to do to overcome the three major obstacles. They almost blatantly tell you the final step to solve them, so I'd advise to stay clear of those newspapers unless you're hopelessly stuck. You have to pay for them anyway -- nothing's free!
Whether a blatant rip-off or praiseworthy homage, the insult dueling is the most annoying puzzle to be found in the game. Not because it's difficult, but because you don't understand its mechanics except with trial and error and expending many dollars. Taking into account the problem I mentioned with them, well, you get my point. While in Monkey Island you met several opponents whom gradually gave you more and more responses, in The Westerner there is only more man aside from the one you have to defeat, one of Starek's boys. He gives you new responses at a very slow rate and, only after you lose a match with the Starek's henchman, he's replaced with another one who has new responses. It's never quite clear how to accomplish this and that's the major problem with this obstacle. One of the opponents actually shows up after completing another different puzzle!
I'm not sure whether they're annoying or not, but some gamers won't appreciate the inclusion of arcade sequences. One of them actually works as a mini-game you can use to raise more money, but still has to be solved in order to finish the game. It consists in shooting moving targets in a fair game. That one was nice if a bit long because you have to lose it once in order to figure out what to do next. A second one is the one that will make some players whine, as a very good aim and timing are necessary. You have to defeat four opponents by shooting at their weak points -- problem is, it isn't clear which ones they are!
The last one doesn't really qualify as an arcade sequence and I found it to be quite clever. You can't lose, or at least you have plenty of time to work it out and I never reached the limit, and it's really fun. It involves defending the farm and switching between many of the (good) characters you met during your adventuring and shooting at the opponent they're fighting each one them with a different kind of weapon. But good observation is required as they're hiding behind somewhere, and you don't have to necessarily shoot thembut a special place in order to win this sequence, which is a perfect climax of an overall fine puzzle design.
They're Invading Us!
First of all, I should tell you that I'm a very tolerant gamer. Bugs, weird puzzle solutions, inhuman difficulty level and such doesn't really bother me. If a game is good and keeps my interest up, I don't care about those problems. As a matter of fact, don't tell anyone, but I'm going to make a little confession -- I don't like to mention bugs on my reviews. I do this on purpose because it could harm sales of an otherwise fine product and 100% bug-free games are rarely seen these days. Obviously, I do this as long as those problems stay within some safe parameters -- I have to watch for the sanity of our readers!
As I said, I'm a tolerant gamer but I have my limits. The Westerner has certainly not met them though -- by a tiny little microscopical bit. I know I've been probably sounding like this is the second coming of adventure gaming (please bear with my sensibilities), and I truly enjoyed it, but this game has its share of problems. To tell the truth, it has a plethora of problems. Apart from minor design and technical quirks, The Westerner is horribly plagued by hordes of BUGS! And they don't ship a fumigator along with the game [insert cricket sounds here]
Not long into the game I found myself getting stuck in a place and then having to restore, experienced nasty clipping problems, missing textures, looping sections of music like a scratched LP, missing animations and, on top of it all, an unwinable situation -- to overcome this I had to restart the game after installing the latest patch. I could go on mentioning all the problems I had when I first installed The Westerner. Unpatched, the game is a mess, plain and simple. Even patched it is not bug-free, which makes me wonder what's going to happen with the North-American release. However, Revistronic made a very clever move by adding some truly funny deleted scenes ("bloopers" actually) with the patch. Not only it fixes a great deal of errors, but those scenes, obviously intended to placate adventurers' fury, make the download a must.
Aside from being bug-infested, I noticed a few more things. First, there's a rather "strategic" element in the game, which I welcome, but wasn't well planned. As you know by now, Fenimore rides a horse to move around but you can't pretend it to do it without having some food. Just like a vehicle needs combustible fuel, you have to feed it. Well, the combustible here is in the form of carrots, which you can find scattered around or available for buying at the convenience store. To get them in big amounts without expending any money though, you have to grow them at either one of the two farms you'll visit during your adventures. To do this, you water them with the help of a bucket. The process is too slow and I found it taking me too much time to get just five carrots. You waste one carrot to move from location to location but, for instance, to get from one farm to the town, you have to waste three carrots because there's another intermediate location. Since you must travel quite a bit and, depending on the order you solve puzzles, go back and forth, this can get annoying. I know what you're wondering about but no, you can't get stuck because at least one carrot will randomly appear inside a drawer every time you visit a location that is not a farm. In case you run out of carrots during travel, you automatically return to the Bannister farm.
Which brings me to another point: drawers and closets. They hold either money or carrots and special items in some cases, but mostly money. Problem is, you find too many of them during the game and, since money is randomly generated, there will be many empty ones. These are minor quirks though but I realize the strategic element will bother some players.
Clearly, Revistronic's proprietary engine still needs a bit more work. There were path finding problems in some locations crowded with stuff and loading times can be a bit long. Also, the simple inventory system, which consists in scrolling through the items you possess, doesn't fit for the huge amount of stuff you carry around. I found myself scrolling for several seconds in order to find one the items I took early in the game. Anyway, I've seen this same problem in some adventures lately so I don't think it's that serious. Those are minor, almost non-existent issues if we take into account the abysmal condition this game was released.
Speak Your Last Words, Cowboy
I have some news for you: point n' click is alive and kicking -- and it's better than ever! This is the thing that most surprised me from The Westerner: the ability to move around a lavishly rendered 3D world with just one hand. Give me this anytime over direct control. Sadly, this and perhaps the great characters and style are the only things I can rave about this game. The lack of a more involved plot, or perhaps more locations to visit, and gameplay issues prevent me of awarding it that magic A, not to mention the embarrassing bug problem.
I also have the feeling that The Westerner might be too "passé" for the nowadays adventures general audience. Whereas adventures are now aiming towards more adult-oriented stories and less challenging puzzles, The Westerner is all the opposite, a throwback to the old days with a simplistic story filled with puzzles. You know how the game's going to end right from the first minute -- it's how you get there the whole point of it. I believe that, if done well, a game like this could bring old-school adventuring back to the front but, as it is, it'll probably pass unnoticed except for the most dedicated fans. The novel interface and engine could be the only thing that grabs the attention of the more "mainstream" adventures audience.
Despite all the problems I found, it was only after watching the final sequence and the bloopers that I realized how much I had enjoyed this game. In the end, I didn't care about the bugs, as much as annoying as they had been. Some moments were truly funny and I found myself laughing out loud in them. But, like I said before, that's me and I'm aware some people might even feel cheated with a product like this. This is quite serious because, at some points, The Westerner looks like an early beta. To be fair, and because I really appreciate Revistronic's effort, I will use two separate grades.
So, as a final word, if you fancy an old-fashioned adventure with a truly modernized look, and don't mind a few hundred bugs, you simply can't go wrong with this game!
Final Grade: As a professional reviewer wannabe, D+
As an enthusiastic and good spirited gamer with a heart of gold, B+
System Requirements:


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SOURCE: Helix BioPharma Corp.
August 23, 2013 08:30 ET
AURORA, ON--(Marketwired - Aug 23, 2013) - Helix BioPharma Corp. (TSX: HBP) (FRANKFURT: HBP), a biopharmaceutical company developing drug candidates for the prevention and treatment of cancer, today announced that it has received conditional approval from the Toronto Stock Exchange to extend the expiry date of the 2009 Warrants (as defined below) by twelve months, from September 7, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) (the "Current Expiry Date") to September 7, 2014 at 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) (the "Amended Expiry Date"). Helix also proposes to increase the exercise price for the 2009 Warrants from $2.87 to $3.51, effective from and after the Current Expiry Date (together with the extension of the expiry date, the "Proposed Amendments"). Helix previously extended the term of the 2009 Warrants from September 7, 2012 to March 7, 2013 and extended the term a second time from March 7, 2013 to the Current Expiry Date. Helix does not propose to amend any other provision of the 2009 Warrants, and none of the 2009 Warrants is held directly or indirectly by an insider of Helix.
Helix intends to provide a letter to the holders of the 2009 warrants outlining the terms of the Proposed Amendments and Helix intends that the Proposed Amendments will only become effective in respect of those 2009 Warrants for which the holder signs and returns an acknowledgement, acceptance and request, which will be appended to such letter, to Helix on or prior to the Current Expiry Date, and that any 2009 Warrant in respect of which such acknowledgement, acceptance and request is not received by Helix by such time may expire in accordance with its current terms on the Current Expiry Date.
The 2009 Warrants were issued as part of a private placement completed by Helix on September 8, 2009, pursuant to which Helix issued 6,625,000 units at a subscription price of $2.05 per unit. Each unit consisted of one common share and one common share purchase warrant (each a "2009 Warrant"), with each 2009 Warrant common entitling the holder to purchase, subject to adjustment, one common share at a price of $2.87 until the Current Expiry Date. All of the 2009 Warrants remain issued and outstanding.
The Proposed Amendments will be effective on the Current Expiry Date, being more than 10 business days following the issuance of this press release as required by the Toronto Stock Exchange's Company Manual.
About Helix BioPharma Corp.
Helix BioPharma Corp. is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the field of cancer therapy. The company is actively developing innovative products for the prevention and treatment of cancer based on its proprietary technologies. Helix's product development initiatives include its novel L-DOS47 new drug candidate and its Topical Interferon Alpha- 2b. Helix is currently listed on the TSX and FSE under the symbol "HBP".
Forward-Looking Statements and Risks and Uncertainties
This news release contains certain forward-looking statements and information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, including, without limitation, forward-looking statements regarding Helix's proposal to extend the term of the 2009 Warrants, to increase the exercise price of such warrants and that such extension and increase will apply only to warrants in respect of which an acknowledgement, acceptance and request has been received on or prior to the Current Expiry Date. Forward-looking statements, which may be identified by words including, without limitation, "will", "intends" and other similar expressions, are intended to provide information about management's current plans and expectations regarding future operations.
Although Helix believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated and no assurance can be given that these expectations will be realized, and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Risk factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the risk that the approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange with respect to either or both of the Proposed Amendments may not be received, and certain of these risks and uncertainties, and others affecting the company, are more fully described in Helix's Annual Information Form, including under the headings "Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors", filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators at www.sedar.com (together, the "Helix Risk Factors"). Certain material factors or assumptions are applied in making the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, the Helix Risk Factors will not cause Helix's actual results or events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements and information are based on the beliefs, assumptions and expectations of Helix's management on the date of this news release, and Helix does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statement or information should those beliefs, assumptions or expectations, or other circumstances change, except as required by law.
Investor Relations:Helix BioPharma Corp.
Tel: 905 841-2300
Email: email@example.com
Investor Relations:Helix BioPharma Corp.
Tel: 905 841-2300
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
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Credit: DR NAJEEB LAYYOUS, WWW.LAYYOUS.COM/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
Release details: Model release not required. Property release not required.
Keywords: 3d, abdomen, abdominal, baby, close up head, developing, development, device, diagnosis, diagnostic, face, film, foetal, foetus, gender, growth, head and shoulders, healthcare and medicine, less than 10 seconds, medical examination, monitor, movement, moving, new life, obstetric sonography, origins, physiology, pregnancy, pregnant, prenatal care, progress, real time, scan, science, scientific imaging technique, sonography, soundwave, soundwaves, stomach, technology, three-dimensional shape, turning, ultrasonography, ultrasound, uterus, wave, waves, womb
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Foetus, 3D ultrasound scan
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Frame size: 640x480
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Hey guys, this is my newest how to draw faces tutorial. This one is less about technique and more about the process behind drawing a face. I am aiming this more towards novice-beginner artists but I hope that everyone can benefit from this tutorial regardless of skill level.
DragoArt members upload artwork and drawing tutorials! They are also allowed to leave comments on tutorials, profiles, etc. Many more features, as well; it's way better than just being a boring guest! Register Now!


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Last week was International Women's Day, which I had meant to write about, but frankly became distracted and forgot. I'm not a woman, of course, but my feeling is that pioneers of human rights — women's rights, gay rights, civil rights for African-Americans — should be part of our consciousness, if we expect the populace to treat our cause with respect. (I'm often frustrated by those who deny that gay rights are the equivalent of rights for women or blacks. "They don't choose to be black/women," indicating an entirely appalling misunderstanding of the nature of sexual orientation.)
Then I saw this on Facebook: A link to a story in the U.K.'s Guardian newspaper about a Twitter thread showed the depth of inequality out there (as well as many people who are satisfied with ignorance, with characterizing the "new freedom" as a right to be a bigot — I'm looking at you, Piers Morgan!). ("What gives you the right to criticize anyone, you dumb queer?" is a message I have gotten many times after posting a review. I think, "At least every criticism I've ever posted of someone had my name attached; your hate mail is always unsigned.")
Just yesterday, Phyllis Schlafly was on NPR stating categorically that feminists hate men and always have. Well, I'm a feminist, and I love men. Feminism isn't a movement, it's a belief in the equal rights of all people. Feminism is humanism.
Anyway, here's the link to the Guardian story. Read it. And think about what it means that 40 years after the ERA NOW slogan, we all still have a very long way to go. (In other news, Mad Men starts up next month. Can't wait.)


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BENEFITING: Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital
ORGANIZER: Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital
EVENT DATE: Jun 24, 2014
Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital wrote -
In March Starwood Hotel's Boston Metro Market sales team began training for the JP Morgan 5K Corporate Challenge. Our team's goal is to encourage healthy activities outside of work and raise funds to donate to a cause we all believe in! This year we have selected Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital because of the work they due in the community and contribution to the advancement of the health care industry.
We invite you to join us to make a difference in your health and the health of others!
About Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital:
Founded in 1971, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston is one of the largest rehabilitation facilities in the United States, and is ranked the 6th top rehabilitation hospital in the country by U.S. News & World Report. As the official teaching hospital of the Harvard Medical School Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), Spaulding is at the forefront of research in advances in rehabilitative care. On April 27, 2013, Spaulding opened new 132-bed facility in Charlestown which is national model for environmental and inclusive design. With a wide range of inpatient programs and 23 outpatient centers throughout Eastern Massachusetts, Spaulding strives to continually update and improve its programs to offer patients the latest, high-quality care through its leading, expert providers. Spaulding has been awarded a Model Systems designation in three specialty areas- Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Injury and Brain Injury Rehabilitation- by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. For more information, please visit www.spauldingrehab.org


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Check out the Woodbury House YouTube channel for everything from our environmental philosophy, to how to make a dovetail joint!
We offer warranties of up to 5 years on our products. It's all part of our commitment to quality...
Subsidised shipping flat $70 rate for Sydney. $150 to Melbourne, Brisbane metro areas, Canberra, Gosford, Wollongong, Newcastle areas.
While there are countless furniture stores online to choose from, few have the reputation of Woodbury House, based in Sydney with retail stores in Castle Hill and Homebush. The quality in the build of each piece that we create, as well as our outstanding customer service, is well-noted by our past customers.
Each piece is made with opulence and longevity in mind, and as such we only use the finest timbers and other building materials. In fact, we believe in our products so much that we offer a 30-day money back guarantee on every single item we sell for our online customers, giving you total peace of mind.
When choosing us as your online furniture store, you're locking in a certainty that what you receive will be exactly what you have asked for, products that are built by qualified and experienced expert craftsmen and available in our two stores that are both in Sydney.
If you are trying to bring a of sense renewal to your indoor and outdoor spaces, our range of bedroom, teak, mahogany and cane wicker furniture will achieve a fresh and attractive outcome. Take a look through our products as we have beautiful items made from materials such as teak, mahogany, viro fibre wicker and reclaimed teak just to name a few. If you can't find exactly what you are after, let us know because we have more products available over and above what we include in this online store. We also make a lot of custom made products and can fulfil almost any requirement for beautiful and long lasting furniture.
We design and manufacturer high quality outdoor, home office, dining room, living room and bedroom furniture. Our focus is on design of products that can stand the test of time both in the way they look and in their durability. We utilise a selection of fine timbers legally sourced and certified. Whether you have your sites on a stunning teak or round outdoor setting, solid reclaimed timber dining table or a timeless and elegant mahogany sleigh bed, you can be assured that they will stand the test of time. Maybe you are looking for home, office furniture, drinks cabinet, a mahogany desk or a complete solid timber dining setting. All our products are built meticulously to high tolerances using dovetails and mortise-and-tenon joinery. If you purchase from our online furniture store, our Castle Hill store or our Homebush store, you can be confident you are buying a product that you will be able to enjoy for many years to come.
Woodbury House Sydney is proud to supply our premium pieces in mahogany, wicker, reclaimed timber, and teak online for your convenience if you're a bit too far away from our store in Sydney (Homebush and Castle Hill).
If you have any questions regarding our collection in our online store, or if you're in need of further information, please call us on 1300 887 289. One of our friendly and knowledgeable representatives would be more than happy to discuss things with you.
We all take wonderful solace in the knowledge that our furniture becomes part of our customers' daily lives, and hold close to us a sincere passion for the industry that we're so thankful to be a part of.


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Neon Leather iPhone 7 Case
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- An iPhone case in Italian-tanned neon leather, detailed with embossed lettering. The structured design features cut-outs to ensure the iPhone 7 has full functionality and all features, including camera and charger, are accessible.
- 7 x 14cm/2.8 x 5.5in
- Outer: 100% calf leather
- Inner: 68% polyester, 32% polyurethane
- Frame: 100% polycarbonate
- Hand-painted edges
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Item 40652601


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Talking to PR agencies about search engine optimisation (SEO) can make you feel like Noah before the flood.
Building on the recent debate around PR owning SEO, I look at how agencies who fail to embrace search will ultimately fail.
Cast your mind back to 2007-8 and the buzzwords in PR and marketing then around social media. Agencies scrambled to recruit what some mistakenly called a 'guru' (often a fresh graduate) who understood the platforms, if perhaps not the principles and nuances of marketing.
Since then, savvy and ambitious PR agencies realised they needed proven digital expertise and either bought in talent or skilled up their own executives on the ways of social media. Social media is now a healthy component of UK PR practice and providing high levels of fee income for PR agencies.
Fast forward to 2012 and the same is strangely not happening for a seriously high value battleground: search engine optimisation.
For readers of Econsultancy, this may appear a little like preaching to the converted, but we all know agencies and practitioners that aren't on board with SEO.
James Crawford of PR Agency One quite rightly argued on Econsultancy recently that PRs should "get a grip" on SEO as PR practices tick a lot of the boxes which make up the Google algorithm for high ranking on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).
I'd like to move that debate on and tell PR agencies what will happen if they don't learn and embrace SEO best practice, indeed, what is already happening: They will die.
SEO: The threat for PR
I'm a regular attendee at the twice yearly Brighton SEO conference. In February 2011, speaker Lucy Freeborn of digital agency Leapfrogg, implored the hundreds of SEOs present to learn PR in order to generate the extremely important diverse and authoritative links for clients in addition to the back-end and on-page optimisation that they already specialise in – and they are!
As an SEO and social media trainer with a PR background I ran a session on using PR outreach to build links at Brighton SEO in April 2012 packed by SEO pros.
SEOs have a hunger for PR because they understand that changes in search engine algorithms to put the emphasis on quality inbound links and social signals puts the onus on them to learn PR skills, but PRs don't yet have a hunger for SEO as they still see their mission chiefly as coverage and positive sentiment generator.
PRs just don't understand SEO…yet
One of the reasons the PR industry as a whole hasn't quite got on board with SEO yet is a lack of understanding. I ran a poll into PR knowledge of SEO this summer and the findings illustrated some major issues.
What UK PRs believe influences search rankings:
I found that the overall feeling from PRs is that they know SEO is important and also almost three-quarters (71%) of UK PRs expect their fee income from SEO to rise in the coming 12 months, yet only 42% of respondents could accurately identify the most important signal in Google's algorithm: inbound links from diverse and authoritative sites.
Given the majority of the audience were active on social media and came to the survey link via Twitter this means the inactive majority are probably even less SEO-savvy this rings alarm bells. The gap between the good intention and the reality to deliver is vast and SEO firms will exploit this void.
SEO: The opportunity for PR
However, PR already has a head-start without even apparently knowing it. The massive majority of what influences high ranking on SERPs is within PR's control:
- Link building from diverse and authoritative sites.
- Social media signals.
- Optimisation of on-page content.
- Optimisation of URLs.
- Universal search (pictures, video etc).
- Domain-level brand metrics (affinity towards the brand online).
SEO is a £500m industry in the UK, so why wouldn't PR agencies want to mop up?
Another key thing for PRs to consider is that SEO finally provides PR agencies with data with which they can actually prove a return on investment, something they've traditionally been missing badly with coverage reports, and also get their hands on accurate data which will help them plot more effective future campaigns for their clients.
Organic SEO is a battle that is never won – you may get high on page one of Google, but then you need to fight to stay there so this provides PRs with repeat income over the long-term.
PRs: Here's how to learn SEO
An SEO trainer with PR experience who has run keyword-based campaigns in the past can help get you started with the basics:
- Keywords/phrases: How to identify and track performance over time.
- Website auditing.
- Content calendar and strategy.
- Building diverse and authoritative links.
- Social media strategising for search.
- Setting key performance indicators (KPIs).
- Monitoring, analytics and measurement tools and best practice.
- Ongoing improvements and long-term strategy.
PRs also need to take personal responsibility in learning SEO best practice and issues, and experiment in their own time. Rather like social media, a lot of SEO can only really be appreciated learning on the job, a job SEOs will be doing instead of PRs if the PR industry is not careful.
Comments (37)
It does seem as if PR agencies should educate themselves a bit more on the influence that SEO actually has and how the future of digital marketing will rely on a combination of SEO and content rather than PR.
Hi John, thanks for your comments. One should see PR as the almost the extension of the content (seeding, distribution etc) to encourage in-bound links and social signals, which are growing in significance.
PR should own the whole thing from strategy to content creation and link building. The issue is are they qualified to provide that counsel? At the moment the answer is overwhelmingly "no".
I'm not so sure it's that cut and dried. If anything, both SEO and PR - and a few other things - should ultimately sit under the 'content marketing' umbrella. They are part of something bigger.
If I was going to start an agency tomorrow that's the area I'd move into, and I'd bring together SEOs, PRs, editorial and design pros, and throw in a few marketers that understand online and offline. Some community / social bods would be the missing link.
The technical stuff should ultimately be owned - and understood - by the techies, much in the same way that 'accessibility' became subsumed by the usability and design agencies.
I think if SEO was going to eat the PR industry whole then it would have done it by now.
I think you and James highlight an important point here. But we need to be careful of not overcooking things. Saying PR agencies will die if they don't adopt SEO is just not true in my opinion (although switch that sentence round and you could be onto something!)
As you mention, recent updates from Google push the search power much more towards traditional PR techniques.
We also need to be careful not to tar an entire industry with the same brush. Things are changing. I know many agencies (including my own) that are taking serious steps in this direction. Also the industry's professional bodies (disc. I chair the PRCA's digital group) are putting much more of a focus on search as a strategic skillset for professionals and agencies alike.
Of course it takes some time for things to change as you allude to with the social media example. But I think PR is in a strong position to help advise clients/brands on how search affects reputation, awareness and communication. Can we capitalise? Yes I think many of us already are and the others *will* follow.
Agree with the comments from Chris but think this goes a step further. Search and content marketing (and press releases and media relations and social media etc.) are all just earned or owned media implementations. How these all work together as part of a coherent (and creative/innovative) strategy is where agencies of the future will really earn the big bucks IMHO.
Chris - cheers for the input. PRs also need to get to grips with analytics to put the full programme into context. Content marketing is so powerful: every company = a media company etc.
Danny - you'll note I used my journalistic and PR background to grab some attention and over-emphasise a point just to make it. I'm glad it's on the PRCA agenda - we need to talk...
Thank you for a great article. I recently joined Chalk and Ward Advertising in Exeter as PR Account Director. It was never in question that as well as offering traditional offline PR services that - just as importantly - we were to offer online PR in partnership with our SEO team. It is not always easy to impart the importance of this service to a client who sees PR as a good 'newspaper name check' but despite that, Online PR/SEO services are the fastest growing part of our business. However, we feel that some Online SEO/PR training needs to be done with some of our less experienced team members. Do you have any suggestions of informative classes from leading experts in the field?
p.s. further to my comment above, PRCA forthcoming conference on the issue of search and SEO - http://www.prca.org.uk/prcagateway
Bracken - please drop me a line firstname.lastname@example.com - and we can take that conversation forward re: training
Chris, it's hardly surprising that most PRs don't understand SEO, when most don't understand SMO either.
You say "Social media is now a healthy component of UK PR practice and providing high levels of fee income for PR agencies.."
Providing high levels of income - yes, but healthy? I very much doubt it. Money is being spent and a wheel is being turned, but it mostly competes for attention rather than real social engagement.
"We've just launched a new page! RT if you're a fan!" WTF?
Most PR activity continues to be a mix of broadcast + snooping, with very little understanding of content marketing or social engagement.
To make content work socially you need to be able to tell a story, which means knowing what's being already discussed, being a contributor in the relevant channels and building stories with customers.
When you do this, inbound links become a natural by-product as does an increased page rank (assuming your page adds something of value to the story - which it usually doesn't).
Thereafter optimising for social and search makes sense, because you have an asset that's actually worth optimising (i.e. interesting content and a relationship with your audience).
While I agree that SEO should be a necessary competence of everyone involved in digital marketing, as far as PR is concerned, I'd like to see them 'walk' before they start to 'run'.
There's still a very long road to travel (in my sector - automotive) before I'd recognise the PRs had anything of substance worth optimising.
Thanks for your input, Steve. For "healthy" read standard component of PR briefs. How well PRs perform in that regard varies wildly, as it would for any industry.
It seems you broadly agree with the principle that PR as an industry needs to skill the hell up on digital/social/SEO.
What doesn't seem to work is silos. Surely it would all work better if all departments talked to each other for a coherent marketing approach. All too often this doesn't happen.
I actually think the title of this post should be in reverse. PRs will slaughter careless SEO agencies.
In the post-Panda world there's going to be plenty of brands looking for a PR agency that has the capability to handle their link building and social media needs.
Since on-page SEO is largely becoming a hygiene factor, and the 'dark-arts' aspect of link-building has been wiped out by recent Google updates, there's little reason why a forward thinking PR agency can't build SEO considerations into their campaign methodologies.
@Edward - which backs up my argument that PRs should own this field. Quality content (and its distribution/engagement/management) is a key factor, but how many have recognised this yet to the point where they're making concerted efforts to upsell services to clients and move away from traditional KPIs like you see in old school coverage reports?
Edward, I agree. But "..there's little reason why a forward thinking PR agency can't build SEO considerations into their campaign methodologies."
The 'Elephant in the Room' is a small matter of mindset, value system, skills and as Chris says above, 'silos'.
In an era where 'SEO gaming' is no more, the simple ingredient of good SEO will be the quality, relevance and stickiness of content and the behaviour it elicits in those who view it (to share it, attribute mentions and re-purpose it).
Sorry to keep beating the drum, but it seems fanciful to imagine traditional PR agencies have what it takes to achieve that.
It's already overdue for the traditional boundaries of PR, advertising, creative, SEO etc to be broken down and integrated into a coherent digital marketing process.
All the turf-fighting (such as between SEO & PR) just prolongs the inevitable..
Getting my Google update animals confused, happens to me more and more these days!
Why they had to choose two black and white species beginning with P is beyond me.
Poodle next?
Agreed about the KPIs.
Recently had a PR agency report showing the value of the printed coverage they'd achieved for a client in the national press. They didn't once mention the corresponding high PR links from guardian.co.uk etc. Unbelievable really.
"it seems fanciful to imagine traditional PR agencies have what it takes to achieve that"
I believe they have what it takes and more. PRs are already link building without knowing it (see my anecdote above), and just need the right people and methodologies to harness the latent value in their skill set and knowledge base.
By way of contrast, how many time a month does your average SEO agency achieve links from the BBC, Guardian, Telegraph, Mail Online etc. This is every day stuff for the PRs.
@Edward Hear, hear! ..and that's why SEOs are learning PR. PR has the headstart without even knowing it, but they could still blow it!
Agree with most of the comments re the opportunity.
One reason why I think (some) agencies aren't doing more: clients. I think the majority of clients don't expect this from their agencies (yet) and aren't asking for it. Either because they don't get it themselves and/or they go elsewhere (e.g. to SEO specialists).
Not a reason not to offer it, to educate clients and/or build more value add/new revenue streams, but I think if clients started expecting/asking this from PR agencies they'd up-skill pretty damn quickly.
Again, not saying this is the right approach (i.e. wait to be asked) but I think it might be a key reason.
@Edward, I'm glad to hear PR agencies may indeed have the desire (and perhaps the skills). Perhaps it's a sector issue.
@Danny - absolutely, the buck stops with the clients. I asked a major global brand (who shall remain nameless) what they expect in return from the media junkets they lay on several times a year.
These are usually launch events for new cars where the journalists are flown to a luxury destination in private jets, showered with food, drink and the comforts of a 5-star hotel and handed the keys to some £50k vehicle with an endless supply of fuel and tyres.
The answer: good coverage in their newspaper or magazine.
So, I asked how about asking them to submit a report showing the value of the coverage they achieved, its social reach and influence on positive sentiment for the brand.
The answer: that sounds like a lot of work and we're not staffed up to collate and interpret that information.
Clearly if clients allow the media involved in their PR activity such a lack of accountability, then they're hardly ready to expect any better from their agencies. Sad, but true.
As part of PR deals with content and a major part of SEO deals with optimized content, PR and SEO specialists should see the common ground and collaborate.
PR agencies should understand that part of coverage depends on web visibility and findability at search engines. SEOs can help them with this. Then, distribution of the optimized content on social media helps to boost the coverage these days, which pushed PR agencies to accept another fact: social media experts are needed too.
At the end of the day, it's a multi-channel marketing world and one must adapt to the trends.
Rahman Mehraby
TraveList Marketing Platform
I agree with most of this.
The other side of the coin is that some SEOs would make terrible PRs.
Not all of them but many.
It all depends on how you define PR. A lot of this discussion is about quite simple, low-level public relations activity. At the strategic and higher level there is so much that SEO doesn't know or do. But that said corporate comms professionals do need to make a much, much bigger effort to understand SEO - by training, consultancy and hiring the right people/agencies. There is a huge and growing danger in leaving it the marketing and digital people who in my experience usually have far too narrow a focus (usually on sales). It is essential that corporate comms professionals understand the potential benefits to be gained from including SEO in their remit and the dangers if they don't.
I agree with John's comments, to improve the ranking and PR is very difficult to build a special link many times more difficult, takes time and effort and creativity
Great point Stuart. The link (and separation) between strategy/consultancy and tactical implementation is a key challenge for the PR industry IMO. Working out effective ways to structure agencies (and inhouse teams) to manage this and also price activity accordingly is vital for the future.
Firstly there's no way a PR practitioner will ever understand the complexities of SEO.
Secondly SEO's have learned to communicate, the hard way, and communication WAS the difference between SEO & PR.
A good SEO will be able to communicate what the Panda & Penguin updates were about in one line, a bad one will try and sell you snake oil.
I think both sides are right and the name of the game is convergence. You can't do one without the other. And the vehicle is of course content.
@Tim Not sure what you mean when you as PR isn't just communications so learning how to communicate wouldn't get you where you need to be. Reputation and influence are more about behaviour than simply communications.
I wrote a blog post back in June 2008 entitled: "Why search marketing is eating PRs lunch"
I was making a similar case (and using a similarly provocative headline)
to Chris Lee as to the potential for the PR industry to lose out to search marketing back then. I guess what is mildly depressing is that Chris and James Crawford's recent post (http://econsultancy.com/uk/blog/10523-come-on-prs-get-a-grip-on-seo) are largely raising the same issues that I was flagging over four years ago.
But let's be honest.
My argument that the PR industry could suffer badly at the hands of the search sector patently never happened.
And it probably won't - not in the short to medium term at least.
There are many reasons why that might be the case - but I highly recommend the following post by Realwire MD Adam Parker for an excellent analysis of the UK PR sector (and some clues as to the why the PR sector's decline is probably over egged):
The PR sector remains a £7.5bn a year industry in the UK, employing around 50,000 people. Worth bearing in mind that in-house PR constitutes the majority of the sector. So even if all PR firms and freelancers were to be wiped out, you'd still have a £5.5bn PR industry. That's not to say that in-house PRs don't need to do more in the way of developing search skills, but idea that the search sector will somehow slaughter the PR industry in its entirety overnight is fanciful.
I appreciate that the PR sector doesn't do itself any favours when the biggest PR firm in the land is caught making foolish claims for its search prowess:
Having said that, the search industry itself has seen its profitability squeezed as much of its traditional services become commoditised. Although the convergence of PR and SEO hasn't occurred at the rate some of us thought, the pace is picking up now - driven by Google itself.
My conclusion 4 years ago was that: "those PR firms that bite the bullet and make the necessary (and in some cases, painful) structural adjustments to develop a properly integrated (and genuine) search/PR approach are the ones best placed to thrive in the long term."
I guess that remains true. If we mean by long term the next 3 - 5 years, rather than the next 12 months. Of course, I'd like to see search skills develop at a greater rate in the PR world - but I don't think the situation is as bad as I made out 4 years ago - or as some are arguing now.
Wow! Thanks all for your comments, I feel a follow-up post on the subject. We've all been talking about it for ages, some have acted, some haven't (from either side). Let's see where we are this time next year...
The world of PR and SEO will surely merge closer and closer in the future. The fact that both of the industries now rely on great content and the successful distribution of that content surely the number of agencies tackling projects at SEO and PR level will increase greatly.
Thanks for the great article - not sure on the pie chart colours though ;)
I am impressed with your creativity. I always facinateswith s.e.o. I Want to make a bright career in this field. Can you please suggest me some good institutes where i can under go training or guidance so that i can excell in this field.
Warm Regards
Avneet Kaur Sodhi
Interesting perspective on this Chris. I don't agree with a lot of it but it is good to see your point of view.
Rather than having everyone try to be experts at everything I think that it is time for agencies to lower their barriers and trust each other. I have worked on campaigns where the PR agency tells us what they are doing a press release about, we send them relevant keyword research and then help with the online distribution of the press release. As a digital marketing agency we don't have the offline contacts the PR agency does, and don't want them, and they don't have the time to learn and follow every time Google does another algorithm update.
There is too much suspicion between agencies who are scared of each other doing exactly what you suggest, which is absorbing their service and taking a client away.
Thanks Alexandra - I think there is scope for PRs to understand how traditional PR, social and SEO can work together in a single offering and - if not know it all - know enough to deliver even more valuable campaigns to clients. Those PR agencies that take advantage of that knowledge won't need to partner with experts as often as they may otherwise.
Follow up post from the above is now live http://bit.ly/Plyk06
Hi Chris,
I absolutely agree. We are keen to work with PR agencies to help them become more SEO friendly. We believe there is a great revenue opportunity for them as creators of content if this can be better applied to the demands of optimised web and social media content.
Here is a link to an eBook we have just released titled "The Prigital Revolution" - What is the prigital revolution and why should you be going prigital if you are a PR agency? - www.theinsideteam.co.uk/prigital
Hi Chris,
As a trained journalist and PR of nearly 20 years I'm happy to say I've moved with the times and am a firm advocate and convert to the power of seo.
No industry stands still. Things evolve, progress and grow, and we have to adapt and embrace new technologies and methods if we are to stay ahead of the game. This absolutely applies to how marketers help their clients engage with customers - including PRs.
Likewise my traditional PR skills have been recognised and are being put to good use for the many web development and seo clients we have here at Smart Arts.
@Tim A. I think that PR people don't write enough in the right channels and never really have. Twitter and Facebook don't cut the mustard. Traditionally PR picks up the phone or sends emails, faxes, or drinks with their prized contacts. PR practitioners are in a perfect position to do what they've always done best again. Talk about stuff. Fortunately for the PR world, voice to text technology has come of age, so picking up the phone is back - in a big way. All we have to do is propagate the rumour that SEO is dead, that's what I'm going to do. You could join me. If you don't then SEO will assume the protected term PR. What a nightmare! Let's just PR those search engine optimisers to death shall we? Now is the time to verbalise client messages on non-rented platforms. That means any Public Relations specialist needs to take ownership of the platform that hosts the content to control the release, presentation and volume of any collateral. There's no way a PR practitioner will ever understand the complexities of SEO because it's Google's core Intellectual Property. It's Google's on Quality Control System. SEO people will certainly never understand how real PR works, they simply don't have the personalities to connect with any entity other than their Logitech keyboards.
As an SEO Manager for 10 e-commerce websites I can say that real PR has definitely been folded into our efforts and have made a difference. With that said I actually believe the exact opposite is true. If a PR firm got it's act together in regards to SEO they could easily put SEO agencies out of business. They have the contacts, the infrastructure and more importantly the reputation. Just my two cents.


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February 2012
New & Noteworthy
African American History Month and Presidents Day Spotlights
This month, teachinghistory.org celebrates African American History Month and Presidents Day with two new spotlight pages! Find a range of materials — such as primary source collections, videos, teaching strategies, and quizzes — for incorporating these topics into your classroom.
John Brown Song
Interested in including music in your curriculum? Songs from the past can be valuable and interesting primary sources for your students to explore. Watch as fourth grade students learn about the raid on Harpers Ferry and the public reaction by analyzing the Civil War era song, John Brown's Body. Watch here.
Talking History
Are your students shy or hesitant to speak up in class? Try out a few techniques that encourage cooperative learning, interaction, and historical thinking. These strategies can help students formulate ideas for writing assignments and are particularly useful for English Language Learners. Learn more.
Stating Your Case: Writing Thesis Statements Effectively
Looking for ways to help your students write more compelling thesis statements? Use this guide to teach students what thesis statements are and how to use them effectively in writing Document Based Questions (DBQs) and other essays. Learn more.
Primary Sources
Tech for Teachers
Gold Rush!
On January 24, 1848, James Marshall discovered gold at Sutter's Mill. In this Oakland Museum of California virtual exhibit, art, photographs, and objects help tell the story of the Gold Rush and the history of westward expansion. Explore the experiences of many participants, including Chinese, Californio/Latinos, Native Americans, and African Americans. Learn more.
Museum Box
This tool invites students to become museum curators charged with creating their own online exhibitions. When students plan museum exhibits, they learn valuable historical thinking skills as they analyze primary sources, create an argument, and present a story. And unlike a traditional project, an online museum exhibit can become a permanent part of a student's portfolio. Read more.


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In the Garden:
Pacific Northwest
September, 2005
Regional Report
Old-fashioned hollyhocks add personality to any garden.
A Late-Season Riot of Color
My cottage garden takes center stage during the months of August and September, blooming profusely in a wide range of vibrant colors. My favorite August plants are the old-fashioned hollyhocks (Alcea rosea). Hollyhocks range in color from white to yellow, pink, lavender, red, and nearly black, and the flower stalks can grow to 7 or 8 feet tall. With a long blooming period from July to early September, hollyhocks are a great addition to any bed. They work best as a background plant growing against a wall or fence. I like planting hollyhocks near the back of the garden, surrounded by shorter plants that hide the hollyhock's bare stalks or diseased foliage.
Favorite Varieties
There are many varieties of hollyhocks to choose from. Here are some of my favorites. 'Chater's Double' has a double, ball-shaped, flower in red, pink, white, or yellow. 'Indian Spring' is a mix of white, pink, red, and yellow single flowers. 'Majorette Mixed' has dwarf forms growing only 30 inches high with large, semi-double flowers in pastel colors. 'Nigra' has dark maroon flowers, turning almost black in the center. 'Powderpuffs Mixed' has double flowers a full 1-inch larger than other double hollyhocks and flower colors of yellow, white, pink, scarlet, and salmon.
Planting Hollyhocks
Hollyhocks grow best with lots of sun and moist but well-drained soil. Planting in full sun in an area with good air circulation helps prevent rust fungal disease. This common affliction of hollyhocks can spread rapidly so be sure to remove infected leaves as soon as you notice orange, yellow, or purplish brown dots on the undersides of leaves. Since the tall flower stalks can be a little top-heavy when in full bloom, provide stakes for support, especially in windy areas.
When and How of Planting
I sow seeds indoors in early March and set transplants in the garden eight weeks later. I also sow seeds directly in the garden in late spring for blooms the following summer. Hollyhocks are perennials or biennials, depending on our winter weather. They often overwinter in the Pacific Northwest and bloom for several years, especially if the bed is mulched each fall with a protective layer of straw or leaves.
Keep Them Growing
To make your plants produce more flower stalks, pinch out the growing tips once or twice in early spring. This makes for shorter plants with more branches. Once the blooms have finished, I cut them back, but leave a few to set seed and self-sow.
Once the leaves have died back in fall, you can give your plants a side-dressing of rock phosphate or bone meal to encourage healthy root growth.
Care to share your gardening thoughts, insights, triumphs, or disappointments with your fellow gardening enthusiasts? Join the lively discussions on our FaceBook page and receive free daily tips!


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Factory 25, the Brooklyn pic and music distribution label, has snagged world rights to "New Jerusalem," the 2011 drama directed by Rick Alverson, helmer of 2012 Sundance attention-getter "The Comedy."
"New Jerusalem" bowed at the Intl. Film Festival Rotterdam last year and also played SXSW, among other fests. Musician-actor Will Oldham ("Old Joy") and Colm O'Leary star in the story about a war vet and the Evangelical Christian who takes an interest in his salvation. Alverson and O'Leary pen the script.
Producers Alverson and Courtney Bowles are joined by Chris Swanson, Darius Van Arman, Jonathan Cargill and Ben Swanson as exec producers on "New Jerusalem," which Factory 25 is prepping for a Nov. 30 theatrical release that starts in Brooklyn and will be followed by screenings around the country. Day-and-date digital release will be followed by a DVD in the coming months.


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Southland Casts Chad Michael Murray
... What?
The profoundly under-appreciated cop show Southland comes back in February, and when it does, it will feature Chad Michael Murray. (That sound you hear is the alarm in your brain screaming, "Does not compute.") According to TV Line, Murray will appear in several episodes as a "likable cop who is a bit of a loose cannon," which describes most of the characters on Southland and about 85 percent of all fictional law-enforcement officials.


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Ahead of today's Volkswagen AGM, Dr Hans-Christoph Hirt, Co-Head of Hermes EOS, comments on concerns over corporate governance and its voting recommendations on key agenda items:
Voting at the AGM
In light of longstanding concerns about Volkswagen's corporate governance and the company's emissions scandal, Hermes EOS recommended its clients and – through a counterproposal initiated by Hermes EOS – formally requested other investors to vote against the discharge of the management and the supervisory board at today's AGM. In addition, Hermes EOS has initiated a request for a special audit to investigate the acts and potential breaches of duty by the two boards and supported the extension of the agenda proposed on behalf of a group of shareholders by Deminor with a similar request. Hermes EOS also recommended its clients to vote against the election of the candidates proposed for election or re-election to the supervisory board, but support the only independent non-executive director among its members.
Background and principal concerns
Our initiative around the AGM follows a decade of engagement with Volkswagen by Hermes EOS, including interventions at its AGMs in 2006 and 2007 and the EGM in 2009, and a public letter to the chairman of the supervisory board ahead of the AGM in 2012. In our engagement we have focused on the underlying corporate governance issues at Volkswagen, not least the influence of its principal shareholders and the composition and effectiveness of the supervisory board.
The company's continuous disregard of fundamental corporate governance principles may have contributed to the emissions scandal. It has undoubtedly tarnished the reputation of the German two-tier board system and employee representation among foreign institutional investors, resulting in collateral damage to the German economy.
At the AGM, Hermes EOS on behalf of its clients will formally make its proposals to other investors and outline the following corporate governance concerns.
1. Serious concerns about supervisory board composition and effectiveness
We have raised concerns about the composition of Volkswagen's supervisory board and its effectiveness for more than a decade. In our view, its composition has become more problematic since we started our dialogue with the company. The supervisory board oversees and, is ultimately responsible for, Volkswagen's corporate governance and culture in which the emissions scandal was able to unfold and remain undetected for many years. The board is, in our view, short of people with the relevant experience and skills and – significantly – independence from the key shareholders, which would enable it to function as an effective control and advisory body. Given the size and global presence of Volkswagen, we do not believe its current supervisory board can adequately protect the interests of all stakeholders, including those of investors. We believe the questionable composition of the supervisory board may have contributed to the apparent deficiencies in its monitoring of the management board in relation to the emissions scandal, its fundamental duty pursuant to section 111 I of the German Stock Corporation Act.
In this context, the proposal to elect Mr Pötsch, who, as CFO from 2003 until 2015, has played a key role among the most senior Volkswagen executives for over a decade, to the supervisory board is highly concerning. The suggested move of Mr Pötsch not only goes against best corporate governance practice in Germany but gives rise to serious conflicts of interest. We are struggling to understand how Mr Pötsch will be able to discharge his duties as a member of the supervisory board, which will for the foreseeable future include dealing with the causes and aftermath of the emissions scandal, in particular determining whether Volkswagen has a claim for damages against its (former) executives and deciding whether to pursue this claim.
Volkswagen needs an overhaul of its corporate governance, including the composition and effectiveness of its supervisory board. As a first step, we urge the company to undertake an externally-facilitated supervisory board evaluation as soon as possible after the AGM. This should include a systematic analysis of the experience, skills, as well as the independence of the supervisory board members relative to the company's requirements. The high level results of the board evaluation should be published and a plan to refresh and strengthen the supervisory board be presented. We believe that in addition to having the relevant experience and skills, at least half of the members of the shareholder-elected representatives should be genuinely independent.
2. Inappropriate management board remuneration
We have long had concerns about Volkswagen's remuneration system and voted against it at the company's AGM in 2010. The plan lacks transparent, meaningful and challenging performance criteria and a sufficient long-term orientation aligned with the time it takes to devise and implement a strategy in the automotive sector. As such, it fails to adequately align the interests of the management board with those of long-term shareholders interested in sustainable value creation. Following the CEO's annual remuneration of almost €20 million under the system for 2011, in a public letter to the chair we again pointed out its shortcomings ahead of the AGM in 2012. Volkswagen's remuneration policy and practice needs a radical overhaul.
The manipulation of diesel-fuelled vehicles led to a loss in excess of €4 billion in the fiscal year 2015. The management board was paid more than €63 million during that period, of which around €35 million was performance-related. In our opinion, the payment of the majority of the performance-related component of the management board's remuneration for the fiscal year 2015 violates section 87 of the German Stock Corporation Act. The agreed retention of 30% of the performance-related component for active management board members does not reflect the loss in value incurred by investors during the fiscal year 2015 and the long-term damage to Volkswagen. In our view merely retaining 30% of the performance-related pay – with the option to get paid out the full and even double the amount in case of a favourable share price development – constitutes an inappropriate reward for failure.
Furthermore, there are considerable doubts about the appropriateness and lawfulness of the remuneration of the former chair of the management board, Professor Dr Winterkorn, in the fiscal year 2015. He received more than €7 million, of which €5.9 million was performance-related. The supervisory board agreed with Mr Winterkorn to merely defer 30% of his variable remuneration.
We will continue our engagement with Volkswagen at, and after, the AGM, as we believe a radical overhaul of corporate governance and culture is required before the company can sustainably create value for investors and other key stakeholders.
Press contacts
Jeannie Dumas
Head of Corporate Communications email@example.com +44 (0)20 7680 2152 +44 (0)7841 324061
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Back with a beard
"I'm part of a beard and mustache group in Portland," he said. "We all compete fairly often."
Most of the competitions are in the Portland area, where he lives. So he was excited when he heard about the new one at Turkey Rama, as he grew up in Newberg and started attending Turkey Rama long before he had facial hair.
Now 25, Morter has maintained a beard for years. It's currently about five inches long, he said.
"A beard is a way of life," he said. "If you're a real man, you can power through the summer with it."
While he admires free-flowing beards left to their own devices, Mortar brushes and oils his beard daily. He keeps it clean, too, using a mild shampoo with conditioner.
For people who are thinking of growing beards or entering the beard and mustache competition, Morter offered encouragement.
"Don't be scared," he said. "Just have fun with it. If you compete, it's just having fun with a group of like-minded people."


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Attractions Directory
Allison-Deaver House
The Allison-Deaver House is the oldest standing frame house in Western North Carolina. More…
Appalachian Trail
Eighty-eight miles of the Appalachian Trail run through the North Carolina mountains. More…
Asheville Art Museum
The Asheville Art Museum collects, preserves, and interprets American art of the 20th and 21st centuries, focusing on the Southeast. More…
Basilica of Saint Lawrence
The striking Basilica of Saint Lawrence in Asheville, NC features the largest freestanding elliptical dome in North America. More…
Bat Cave Preserve
Bat Cave is the largest known granite fissure cave in North America and is home to the endangered Indiana bat. More…
Ben Long IV Frescoes
The luminous, life-size Blue Ridge Frescoes are the focus of a trail which leads through the North Carolina mountains and foothills. More…
Bennett Classics Antique Auto Museum
Bennett Classics Antique Auto Museum houses around 70 vehicles manufactured from 1913 to 2013. More…
Big Ivy Historical Park
The Big Ivy Historical Park preserves the unique history of the region near Dillingham and Barnardsville, NC. More…
Biltmore Estate
The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC remains America's largest privately owned home and one of the state's most enduring attractions. More…
Black Mountain
Before the railroad arrived in town, Black Mountain was known as "Grey Eagle," More…
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Add the title Even Better Than Eden to your order to receive free USPS shipping (Contiguous U.S. Only. Offer ends August 21, 2018)
When the Pilgrims arrived in America in 1620, they brought along supplies, a consuming passion to advance the Kingdom of Christ, a bright hope for the future, and the Word of God. Clearly, their most precious cargo was the Bible. Have you ever wondered what version of the Bible the Pilgrims brought to America on the Mayflower? Believe it or not, it was not the King James Version of 1611. It was actually the 1599 Geneva Bible – a forgotten yet priceless treasure.
The Geneva Bible, printed over 200 times between 1560 and 1644, was the most widely read and influential English Bible of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. This superb translation was the product of the best Protestant scholars of the day and became the Bible of choice for many of the greatest writers, thinkers, and historical figures of that time. Men such as Shakespeare, John Bunyan, and John Milton used the Geneva Bible, and it was reflected in their writings. During the English Civil War, Oliver Cromwell issued a pamphlet containing excerpts from the Geneva Bible to his troops. William Bradford cited the Geneva Bible in his book Of Plymouth Plantation.
The Geneva Bible is unique among all other Bibles. It was the first Bible to use chapters and numbered verses and became the most popular version of its time because of the extensive marginal notes. These notes, written by Reformation leaders such as John Calvin, John Knox, Miles Coverdale, William Whittingham, Anthony Gilby, and others, were included to explain and interpret the scriptures for the common people.
For nearly half a century these notes helped the people of England, Scotland, and Ireland understand the Bible and true liberty. King James despised the Geneva Bible because he considered the notes on key political texts to be seditious and a threat to his authority. Unlike the King James Version, the Geneva Bible was not authorized by the government. It was truly a Bible by the people and for the people. You can see why this remarkable version with its profound marginal notes played a key role in the formation of the American Republic.
Sadly, 407 years after its original publication, this wonderful version of the Bible has been nearly forgotten. The only complete version available today is a large, cumbersome, and difficult-to-read facsimile edition. A facsimile edition contains pictures of the original pages. The small print and the older English letters and spellings make it nearly impossible to read or study. If the 1599 Geneva Bible is to survive the passing of time and be remembered for generations to come, it must be resurrected and redistributed.


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Natus Brands
Olympic brand medical equipment and supplies have been a staple in hospitals since the mid-1900s and are still distributed to and used by hospitals, clinics and physicians around the world.
Natus offers Olympic brand products in a variety of categories, including Newborn Brain Injury, Thermoregulation, Medical/Surgical, Developmental Care and Products for Nurseries.
Look for Olympic brand products in Natus Newborn Care.
For more information on this or any product, please email us.


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January 29, 2013 13:15 ET
CENTENNIAL, COLORADO--(Marketwire - Jan. 29, 2013) - Admiral Bay Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE:ADB.H) ("Admiral Bay" or the "Company") received notice from the TSX Venture Exchange that it has not maintained the requirements for a TSX Venture Tier 2 company and that the Company's listing has been transferred to NEX effective January 28, 2013. The trading symbol for the Company has changed from ADB to ADB.H. There is no change in the CUSIP number. As noted in its press release dated November 28, 2012, the Company continues to be under a cease trade order issued by the TSX Venture Exchange December 6, 2011 when it was unable to file its FYE 2011 financial statements.
The Company provides the following update on activities since the November 28, 2012 press release. The Company has still not been able to find a suitable transaction to allow it to continue as a going concern and does not expect the cease trade order to be lifted in the foreseeable future. It continues to attempt to resolve its outstanding litigation with a former officer of the Company and contest a tax ruling by the State of Kansas while winding up its operations in Pennsylvania and Kansas.
The Company has been successful in winding down its operations at the Revloc Project in Pennsylvania. In December 2012 the Company completed certain reclamation operations required by the State of Pennsylvania in order to release its performance bonds and the Company no longer is an operator in Pennsylvania.
It is continuing its efforts to sell the remaining Pennsylvania and Kansas assets with the proceeds to be used to pay all creditors and settle with the Kansas Department of Revenue. Any monies remaining will be distributed to the shareholders.
Statements in this release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Readers are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual developments or results may vary materially from those in these "forward-looking statements".
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Admiral Bay Resources Inc.Steven TedescoPresident & C.E.O.(303) 350-1255(303) 708-1861 (FAX)email@example.com
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Some people have asked to read what I presented at the panel on "nonrealist fiction" at the AWP Conference. Here is the text as best I can recreate it from my various notes. It was designed to be part of a conversation, to connect with some of what the other panelists were talking about, and to spur discussion with the audience, so it's not entirely complete on its own, but perhaps it holds some interest. (I'll have another post about AWP up within a day or two.)
We're here to talk about "nonrealist fiction", but I'd like to begin, instead of with the non- of something, with the something itself first. If there is nonrealist fiction, there must then be something called realist fiction. (Of course, I'm skipping over the privileging of "realist" that "nonrealist" allows -- "realist" being the normative core of the word "nonrealist". But so it goes.)
The New England Puritan in me balks at the term "realist fiction", because it seems like a contradiction, a paradox. That -ist suffix makes an adjective out of the noun "real", and how, my inner Puritan asks, can fiction be real?
I don't listen too closely to my inner Puritan very often, because he tends to sound a lot like his friend Jacques Derrida, and that gives me the urge to deconstruct his membership in the New England Puritan Society. Nonetheless, it's, if not a good question, at least an amusing one: Can fiction be real?
A better question is: What do we talk about when we talk about realism? What is excluded from the terms realism and realist?
It's important to remember that realism is an exclusionary category, that it sets up borders and keeps things out. Every category does this, though, so I don't mean to beat up on "realism" unfairly. What I'm interested in is what might motivate the desire to privilege the exclusionary term "realism".
My short answer to the question of what motivates this privileging, this desire to create boundaries and to exclude -- my short answer is: I don't know.
My long answer, much too long for today, involves casual and suggestive mentions of child psychology, Stalin, Robert Penn Warren, Jean-Luc Godard, Sputnik, the year 1968, Richard Nixon, environmental degredation, gay liberation, the Equal Rights Amendment, Affirmative Action, Jerry Falwell, Tipper Gore, the Dead Kennedys, "The Real World", "Survivor", Al Sharpton, Oliver North, Dr. Laura, Oprah, The Daily Show, JT Leroy, plastic surgery, Jack Abramoff, Dick Cheney's shotgun, Myspace.com, Cory Doctorow, and that annoying Billy Joel song "We Didn't Start the Fire". Among other things. Welcome to the dessert of the real.
Because we have limited time, I'm going to ask you to imagine there is a real transition here, because I would like to seize on some ideas that spawned this discussion. One of the descriptions I got for this panel included the sentence, "The old notions of disparaging writing that incorporates strategies commonly associated with the labels of science fiction, fantasy, horror are shifting dramatically." Unless I'm misreading things, this assumes that science fiction, fantasy, and horror are nonrealist writing of some sort.
Therefore, it seems that there is an implied definition of realist writing here that excludes elements associated with science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Realist writing as it is constructed here seems to be writing that does not deviate from events we know are possible within whatever world it is we consider the real one.
Such a definition of realist excludes much of the best literature created throughout human history. That alone should be enough to make us say that nonrealist writing deserves to be valued as much as realist writing. Make a list of ten writers you think are the best who ever lived; how many of them wrote only about events and actions that could actually happen in the world they lived in?
But (I hear you cry) nobody is calling for good literature to be ignored, marginalized, laughed at, forgotten, destroyed. Of course not. Us? Even that bizarre old adventure writer Herman Melville wrote a couple things worth saving. No no no, the truth is we all know what we're talking about. We're talking about crap. Thankfully, publishers and booksellers label the crap so we can avoid it. If you want crap, buy something labelled science fiction, fantasy, or horror. If you want something that is great art, buy something labelled Fiction/Literature.
Perhaps you sense a note of sarcasm in my tone. I can't be the only person in this room who has walked through the Fiction aisle of a big bookstore and thought, "Oh my god, look at all this crap!" Any stroll through the Fiction section makes me feel like that character in Five Easy Pieces: "Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap..." But the only time people notice is when I'm wandering through the Science Fiction section and saying the same thing. Then they think I'm insightful. Then they think I'm a man of discerning taste, a man of culture and refinement.
Okay, so I'm generalizing. But let me say this -- my problem is I don't particularly care what something is labelled, and I especially don't like issuing proclamations that all writers should or should not write in some specific way. What I desire as a reader and a writer has little to do with whether something fits anyone's definition of realist or not, and even less to do with how it fits into a marketing category. As a reader and writer, I find work compelling when it aims to push the possibilities of language and structure, of emotion and character, of ideas and effects. I grow bored with books that are a lot like other books and with stories that don't strive toward being something more than simple entertainment. These qualities can be found in works that fit just about any definition of realist or nonrealist, and they can certainly be found throughout the various sections of any bookstore -- and, conversely, these qualities are absent from many works that fit just about any definition of realist or nonrealist, and they are absent from whole shelves and cases of books in every section of every bookstore.
I'll leave you with what seems to me to be a question that flows naturally from these conclusions. If no definition of realist or nonrealist can be used as a value judgment -- if I can get the sorts of pleasures I desire from texts with stakes down in either camp -- what purpose do these labels serve?
I don't mean this question to be simply contradictory, because I do think there are times when we need distinguishing terms, even when we admit they are paradoxical and not entirely adequate. But we need such terms so we can express preferences, tastes, moods, inclinations, goals, ideals -- not to ghettoize and exclude, but to explore and describe, to express overlaps and disjunctions, to see what, previously, we might have been blind to. Just because we see things differently doesn't mean we should all stop looking.