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Excerpted from the book MICHAEL JORDAN: THE LIFE by Roland Lazenby. Copyright © 2014 by Roland Lazenby. Reprinted with permission of Little, Brown and Company.
By Roland Lazenby
Steve Kerr arrived in Chicago not long before the Bulls opened their training camp in 1993. A free-agent guard with slow feet, a shock of blond hair and a deadly shot, he brought a mix of eagerness and concern to the task of making the roster. He'd heard all the stories circulating around the NBA about how difficult it was to be Michael Jordan's teammate. But within a week of signing his contract, Kerr saw the Jordan factor mysteriously disappear.
Instead, his only MJ connection over the coming weeks would be a glimpse of Jordan when he slipped in to observe the practices of the team he had just deserted. The void Jordan left was profound. He had long hinted at his departure; now, soon after his retirement announcement, he was back, as if to ascertain exactly what his absence looked like, in hopes that the finality of it might actually help him find his way. By his own admission, the newfound family time that he could now embrace did nothing to ease his mental state. He was still grieving -- something his public and the media had failed to recognize -- and trying to formulate a direction for his new life.
"He came every once in a while," Kerr remembered. "He would just come in and watch practice. I think he just wanted to see the guys and stuff. So we saw him a few times. He came to some games that year, sat in a suite at the United Center." Even this silent specter on the sidelines at practice seemed intimidating, a reminder of how the team was about to evolve.
"I think it really sort of became [Phil Jackson's] team at that point," Kerr observed. "Even though I wasn't there before that, I'm sure Phil was dominant and his presence was felt before that, but it really became Phil's team after Michael retired because it had to be. He was the dominant presence. The characters, the egos we had on the team ... we had some great players. But, you know, Scottie [Pippen] was never a guy who was going to seize control of a team from a leadership standpoint. He was everybody's favorite teammate, but one of the reasons for that was he was vulnerable. And Phil was not vulnerable."
Some observers had underestimated Jackson, suggesting that his success was a function of Jordan's ability, but they had failed to grasp just how dominant a personality the coach presented. That became essential on a team whose best player was beset by insecurity and was battling management over his pay. A few years earlier, Pippen had insisted on a long-term contract that quickly became obsolete as the league's salaries grew. Although the team did agree to return money that he had deferred, owner Jerry Reinsdorf was not going to renegotiate.
"I think Scottie was vulnerable because he was human," Kerr explained. "It's the reason everybody loved him. You know, he signed that long contract. He was clearly underpaid. It was tough for him to live with that. He felt like he wasn't appreciated. All the feelings that are associated with almost every human being, that was Scottie, and that's why we all really appreciated him, because we felt we were more like him, even though we weren't physically. We were all more like him emotionally than like Michael. Michael didn't even seem human, he was so confident and so strong."
Jordan would quickly begin to appear considerably less superhuman. He had been lost since his father's murder in August, and each succeeding account of the details served to intensify his grief, as he would acknowledge later. Yet he was also drawn to it, pausing whatever he was doing whenever another story about his father and the subsequent arrests popped up on television.
Jordan had rarely projected frailty or weakness, but now he was privately in search of relief. Word began to circulate that fall that, with Reinsdorf's blessing, he had been showing up at the White Sox training facilities at Comiskey Park to take batting practice on the sly. In typical Jordan fashion, he was there five days a week, sorting out a game he hadn't played in more than a decade, with the help of White Sox players Frank Thomas, Mike Huff, Dan Pasqua and Julio Franco. He had his sights set on returning to the game his father had loved dearly and had continued to talk about, even as Jordan had come to rule basketball.
"It was really his father's dream that he play baseball," Phil Jackson observed months later. "His father wanted to play pro ball and did play semi-pro. When his father passed away, I think Michael was kind of living out his father's dream. That's one of the things I thought when I heard it. 'Jeez, this guy wants to go play baseball in the major leagues?' But then I realized basketball players are always fantasizing that they could play baseball."
The Sox
Jordan revealed his plans to Chicago Tribune columnist Bob Greene, with whom he had worked on the book Hang Time. They were driving past Comiskey Park one day when Jordan indicated that might be a place he would soon be working. The ride itself was revelatory to the columnist because of the often manic behavior of people they encountered all over the city -- grown men stopping their cars in traffic and jumping out, or rapping on his Corvette window to get Jordan to sign a piece of paper. Greene was amazed to see that Jordan had more or less come to accept these sometimes alarming intrusions as part of his daily routine. No wonder he spent so much time in hotel rooms with the door double-bolted, the columnist thought.
But by now the star was used to offering up just about every shred of his privacy to the hungry god of his public being. He had made a trip to California, where he was riding bicycles along the beach with a friend when they encountered a pickup game in a park. Jordan wanted to join them, and when his friend approached the players they thought he was kidding until they saw His Airness in the flesh standing nearby. He then jumped in and regained a bit of that old joy with the game. But a huge crowd gathered in an amazingly short time, and he had to leave before it turned crazier. Jordan told Greene he was thinking about using the scene for a new commercial, and the columnist couldn't tell if he was joking.
Greene kept the baseball news to himself, but others in Jordan's circle were beginning to process the idea. Sonny Vaccaro, now working for one of Nike's competitors, remembered Jordan calling him about the decision. "He said here's what I'm thinking of doing and he convinced me. He told me he was going to do it. I never heard anybody suggest he do it. He said, 'I'm going to try the baseball.' He always thought he was a baseball player. He said that's how he was going to deal with it .... And it was easy for him to do because he relished that challenge."
Vaccaro was struck that with Jordan's decision to play baseball, the issue of his gambling would just go away for the NBA. "It wasn't easy for Michael, but he realized he'd made some poor decisions, and he apologized to the people affected and he moved on," agent David Falk later said, giving the conspiracy theorists a new morsel on which to feed. "It took a lot of guts to retire when he did. It took a lot of guts to go play baseball and run the risk of failure after being incredibly successful at something else. But Michael is fearless."
Jordan phoned Bob Greene in January to break the story officially. He had continued working at the Comiskey training facility for weeks with the plan of going to spring training with the White Sox in Sarasota, Florida. This was not a "fantasy baseball" scenario, Jordan told Greene. This was to be the real deal. There would be plenty of doubters, but he had always been driven by those betting against him. For many, the question became: Was it a penance, or a pilgrimage? Or both?
He arrived in Sarasota just days before his 31st birthday, along with Greene, who was working on another book. The first day was telling. There were the White Sox in T-shirts and shorts, ready for calisthenics, and at his locker was Jordan, fully dressed in his game uniform, No. 45, like a youngster waiting for Little League to start.
"All of a sudden I felt like a kid again," he had said earlier, of the anticipation. The only difference was the legendary approach, which would prompt White Sox hitting coach Walt Hriniak to describe him as "one hardworking motherf-----." And when you told him something, he listened, Hriniak would marvel.
Not that either of those things would make it easy to turn him into a big league player. He hadn't played organized baseball since he quit the Laney High School team in March 1981. But in his determination to learn to hit big league pitching, Jordan came early and stayed late each day at spring training. Still, the futility was obvious almost from the start.
Much of it had to do with the sheer size of his legend. Anticipating his big moment, thousands of fans had descended upon Sarasota. Team officials had erected barriers around Ed Smith Stadium just to handle the crowds. Spring training had always been a sleepy affair, but now there were extra security and PR people everywhere and escorts to and from the team bus. And the press was out in force.
Crowds of people pressed against the chain-link fences, all of them wanting autographs, which Jordan dutifully tried to oblige, another problem in that it again contrasted with his teammates' habit. Players had refused to sign for years, citing their union agreements, which had long left Reinsdorf shaking his head in disgust. But here was Jordan obliging crowds of autograph hunters and conducting press conferences, threatening to widen the gulf with his new teammates, some of whom treated him coolly from the start.
Jordan's escape from all this was the house he had rented in a nearby gated community. There, he could sit on the back deck at night, gazing up at the stars with awe and wonder. He sensed his father's presence with him everywhere he went, whenever some little detail of the game struck a chord of memory of James Jordan pitching the ball to him in the backyard.
Jordan would tell himself, "We're doing this together, you and I, Pops."
He longed for the friendly encouragement that James had brought him every day of his basketball life. Although he would never show it or relent from the task, soon enough the challenge began to wear on him, as it did on his thousands of fans, who had come to Florida looking for the magnificent athlete who had thrilled them in hoops, only to find an awkward, hesitant figure, so clearly out of place.
After years as the alpha male in basketball, as Phil Jackson liked to call him, here he was just hoping to make the team. He found himself looking at the manager's lineup each day, something he hadn't had to do since that fateful day at Laney. His new teammates did have to concede at least one thing: The dude was not afraid to look bad. He laid it all out there, trying to beat it down to first base to turn his dinky grounders into hits. He came close several times but rolled hitless through his first 10 at-bats. He was too tall, some said, and presented too big a strike zone. Even he agreed. "Look at these arms," he said, comparing his long limbs with those of his teammates.
Among the many media who came to witness the spectacle was Steve Wulf of Sports Illustrated, who filed a derisive account that his editors made into the infamous cover that declared: "Bag It, Michael! Jordan and the White Sox Are Embarrassing Baseball." "He had better tie his Air Jordans real tight if I pitch to him," Seattle Mariner fireballer Randy Johnson told Wulf. "I'd like to see how much air time he'd get on one of my inside pitches." Not everyone commenting in the piece was as brazen, and some sought to be quoted anonymously. George Brett, a former third baseman who had moved into the front office of the Kansas City Royals, was frank: "I know a lot of players don't want to see him make it, because it will be a slap in the face to them."
Bob Greene would later note that this was the same magazine that had used Jordan's image on its cover dozens of times to increase newsstand sales, and in TV ads promising readers all sorts of Jordan-related goodies if they would subscribe. Deeply wounded, Jordan vowed never again to speak to a representative of the magazine, and he never did, despite all that would come after.
As always, such humiliation only stoked his fire. "I'm really trying to learn this game," he told those around him.
A half-dozen games into the preseason schedule, he finally reached base on a fielder's choice. His fielding was becoming slightly less of an adventure as well. In his first night game, played against the Twins, he made a nice play in the sixth inning in right field, then later hit the ball down the third base line for a single. Right behind him, Dann Howitt knocked a home run, and like that, Michael Jordan had scored a run, and was later mobbed by his teammates in the clubhouse.
But there was no way he was going to be among the 25 who made the big league roster that season. A week before spring training broke, he was assigned to the Birmingham Barons, in Alabama, in the Double-A Southern League, a "prospects league" mostly for young talent. He spent the final week in Florida working with the other minor leaguers, a 31-year-old hopeful among pimply teenagers.
Sweet Home, Chicago
On April 7, Jordan returned to Chicago to play in the Windy City Classic, a big league exhibition game between the White Sox and Cubs at Wrigley. At first, Sox manager Gene Lamont wasn't going to start him, but 35,000 fans showed up to see him play. To their roaring delight, Jordan walked out in the first inning, his shades artfully resting over the bill on his cap. He went 2-for-5, with two RBIs in a game that was called a 4-4 tie after 10 innings. His able play in right field and his work at the plate drew standing ovations, so rare for baseball, from the happy crowd.
"What a day for Michael Jordan," declared Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray. Before the contest, Caray had interviewed Jordan, who made no effort to contain his broad, boyish smile. Jordan was doing just what every kid dreamed of doing, Caray acknowledged. But, he wanted to know, would he be upset if he made all of this effort only to discover he couldn't hit big league pitching?
No, Jordan replied, that "would simply be a credit to the game of baseball." He was there to see if he could do it and to have fun trying, he explained.
His associates would later remark that it was easily the happiest day of his baseball life, if not the happiest ever. The game, broadcast on superstation WGN, served notice to viewers nationwide that perhaps this Jordan baseball thing wasn't so silly after all.
The next day he arrived in Birmingham to find the place aswarm with thousands of fans. They had come from all over the country, a great Jordan tide that would continue to wash over minor league baseball in the coming weeks, setting attendance records and strip- ping the souvenir booths of every available item.
J. A. Adande traveled to Birmingham to do a story about the phenomenon for the Washington Post. "I remember going down there and just sitting there and looking at him out in the outfield and it just seemed surreal," he recalled. "This is Michael Jordan and he's sitting here in this ballpark, a minor league ballpark, in Birmingham, Alabama. How is this possible?"
Bob Greene, too, was struck by the spectacle of thousands of people sitting for hours one night in a downpour during a rain delay, just for the hope of seeing him play. Jordan had been profoundly embarrassed during spring training at the spontaneous outbreak of fans chanting, "I want to be like Mike." That kind of fervor was unheard of in major league spring training, but this was the minors, the backwater of baseball, and still they came and ogled and chanted.
He rewarded them with seven strikeouts in his first nine at-bats on the opening weekend of the season in Birmingham. He connected twice, one a pop fly, the other a ground out.
The press corps, with many familiar faces from his basketball days, was startled by the absence of that old sparkle of supreme confidence in his eyes.
"It's been embarrassing, it's been frustrating -- it can make you mad," he told longtime hoops writer Ira Berkow of The New York Times. "I don't remember the last time I had all those feelings at once. And I've been working too hard at this to make myself look like a fool. For the last nine years, I lived in a situation where I had the world at my feet. Now I'm just another minor leaguer in the clubhouse here trying to make it to the major leagues."
He explained that the seed was planted way back in 1990, before he had hoisted a championship trophy. "It began as my father's idea," he said. "We had seen Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders try two sports, and my father had said that he felt I could have made it in baseball, too. He said, 'You've got the skills.' He thought I had proved everything I could in basketball, and that I might want to give baseball a shot. I told him, 'No, I haven't done everything. I haven't won a championship.' Then I won it, and we talked about baseball on occasion, and then we won two more championships. And then he was killed."
He didn't hesitate to speak of his father's presence with him as he went about the business of realizing that dream. "I talk to him more in the subconscious than actual words," he said that first weekend, talking as he sat in front of his new locker in the Barons' spacious clubhouse. " 'Keep doing what you're doing,' he'd tell me. 'Keep trying to make it happen. You can't be afraid to fail. Don't give a damn about the media.' Then he'd say something funny -- or recall something about when I was a boy, when we'd be in the back- yard playing catch together like we did all the time."
The Bus
Word quickly got out that Jordan was buying an expensive new bus so that he could travel the back roads of the South in luxury with his new teammates. It wasn't true. He didn't even rent the bus, as he had offered. The Barons' regular bus supplier had simply decided to provide the team with a deluxe bus, complete with reclining chairs and a lounge in the back to help ease the boredom of those long stretches between Nashville and Raleigh and Greenville and Orlando.
Jordan explained that the nicer bus gave him room to stretch out, but he admitted there was another reason. "I don't want to have a bus break down at one o'clock at night in the South," he said. "You don't know who's going to be following you. I don't want to be caught in a predicament like that. I think about what happened to my dad."
Those same thoughts had prompted him to purchase two firearms, which he kept in his suburban Chicago home. Always aware of his surroundings, he had become even more watchful in the wake of his father's murder.
There was talk of him bonding with all the minor leaguers around him, and he did play dominos in a back area of the clubhouse for light cash, which gave his teammates the opportunity to peer into his wallet fat with bills. But often he kept to himself, sitting alone during the long bus rides.
That was the same emotional barrier that had existed on every team he had ever played on since he was 6 years old. Back in Chicago, he had confided to Johnny Bach the alienation he felt for years as a kid in baseball, as the only black on a team of whites. Those earliest experiences in baseball had also shaped him. Much of Phil Jackson's work as a coach had focused on breaking down the barriers between Jordan and the rest of the team.
This spin through the minor leagues brought back those early moments with his dad, as well as the old alienation. So the distance between Jordan and his minor-league teammates wasn't surprising. He wasn't rude or ugly or arrogant, not in baseball. But he did keep to himself and his entourage, which had shrunk to just George Koehler. His wife, Juanita, would visit and bring the kids on some weekends. But most of the time it was Jordan, Koehler and his grief. Jack McCallum had pushed Jordan to talk about the experience in 2011, which prompted a somewhat testy reply. "It was baseball," he said. "The Barons. There were a lot of lonely nights out there, just me and George, on the road talking. And I'd think about my father, and how he loved baseball and how we always talked about it. And I knew he was up there watching me, and that made him happy. And that made me happy, too."
Having grown up in North Carolina, Jordan found Alabama no great culture shock. He settled into a rented house in Birmingham with a basketball goal that allowed him to engage the neighborhood kids. He found the area's best golf courses and rib joints and pool halls. Soon enough, a relaxed Jordan produced a 12e-game hitting streak that pushed his average up over .300. But then he struggled through a prolonged slump as the season stretched into the dog days of summer.
"He is attempting to compete with hitters who have seen 350,000 fastballs in their baseball lives and 204,000 breaking balls," Rangers pitching instructor Tom House would say of Jordan that season. "Baseball is a function of repetition. If Michael had pursued baseball out of high school, I don't doubt he would have wound up making as much money in baseball as in basketball. But he's not exactly tearing up Double-A, and that's light years from the big leagues."
When Jordan had announced his retirement the previous October, Lacy Banks had written a column the next day predicting that he would one day return to basketball. With his batting average sinking, Banks came to Birmingham for three days to push him on the issue. But Jordan denied it.
"I still don't buy it," Banks wrote in the Sun-Times. "And his recent batting slump is our ally."
Sitting at his locker, Jordan laughed when Banks asked him about a "glorious return" to the NBA.
"You make it sound like some kind of religious event or some- thing," Jordan snickered.
"Jordan was very adamant that his basketball days were behind him," recalled J. A. Adande, who had worked with Banks at the Sun-Times. "And Lacy goes back and asks him, 'Is there even a teeny-weeny chance?' And Michael said something like, 'There's always a chance, but right now it's real teeny and real weeny.' "
Even with that dismal slump, Barons manager Terry Francona could see that Jordan was making dramatic improvement. At his lowest point, he had stayed after a game one night to ask what the manager really thought about his future in the game. Jordan would admit later that the talk had come just as he had begun to entertain thoughts of giving up. He didn't want to go on as a joke and, worse, to take the place of a younger prospect who had a better chance. But Francona pointed out that progress was typically slow in baseball development and that he was starting to see substantial gains for Jordan. The effort had been extraordinary and unfathomable to people who knew baseball.
Over the last month of the season, he batted .260, which lifted his average to a measly .202. In 436 at bats, he had managed 88 hits, including 17 doubles and a triple. He had stolen 30 bases and scored 46 runs. Such steady improvement earned him a promotion. He was assigned to the Scottsdale Scorpions of the Arizona Fall League. It seemed to represent a victory, although few beyond Terry Francona and some White Sox executives saw it that way.
For Jordan himself, it represented a murky window to his future. His once magnificent confidence was now in tatters all around him, yet he remained cautiously steadfast. He was driven by emotions that few if any understood. He had arrived at this point in his life so completely wrapped in silent fury that even he failed to recognize it. This blinding yet unarticulated rage would play out in incongruous ways over the coming years, until the central question of his life became: Would he ever be rid of it?
* * *
MICHAEL JORDAN: THE LIFE by Roland Lazenby will be released on May 6.


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Book News: Contenders Revealed For First Folio Prize For Fiction
The daily lowdown on books, publishing, and the occasional author behaving badly.
- The shortlist of the Folio Prize, which is open to writers of any genre or nationality, is due to be announced later today — but has already been leaked via social media. The prize, worth £40,000 (about $65,500) was established last year to "celebrate the best fiction of our time, regardless of form or genre, and to bring it to the attention of as many readers as possible." The shortlist: Red Doc> by Anne Carson, Schroder by Amity Gaige, Last Friends by Jane Gardam, Benediction by Kent Haruf, The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner, A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing by Eimear McBride, A Naked Singularity by Sergio De La Pava and Tenth of December by George Saunders. The winner of the prize will be announced on March 10.
- The English comedian Les Dawson secretly wrote a romantic thriller novel under the name Maria Brett-Cooper. Dawson, who died in 1993, never published the manuscript, but his family found it while moving to a new house. Set during the Civil War, it involves a stash of cursed gold bullion. The BBC provides this excerpt: "As the dark bars of dusk fingered the sky, Janine excused herself shyly and whispered that she was going to prepare for bed, and she blushed fiercely. Caldwell merely smiled as he poured out yet another whiskey and water, and stood and held his glass towards her. 'I won't be long my dear. Just one cigar, hey?' " Dawson's daughter Charlotte told the BBC that she plans to finish the novel and publish it: "This is a novel — a romantic novel — that I found when I was moving from the house that I lived in with my dad in Lytham. The novel was never ever published. He was about to publish it before he died. And obviously I've read it all and what I'm going to do — because it needs a bit of tweaking and adding bits on — is finish writing it and then hopefully publish it."
- DreamWorks will begin publishing children's books based on its movies, The Wall Street Journal reports. DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg told the newspaper that "reading with a child is still a cherished experience. And giving kids e-books with interactive elements has shown itself to be a growth business in publishing."
- Nathan Filer's debut novel, Where the Moon Isn't, was published last year in the U.S. to scant applause. Then it won the prestigious Costa Book of the Year award under its British title, The Shock of the Fall. Now, Filer's publisher is republishing it in America with the British title, hoping it will be better received this time. Jennifer Enderlin, the publisher of St. Martin's, explained to the New York Times, "We're going to give it a whole new push, as if it's a first-time publication again. We want it to get the attention that it deserves."
The Best Books Coming Out This Week:
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert. There have been five mass extinctions in the history of the world. The sixth one, according to New Yorker writer Elizabeth Kolbert, is happening now. In cool, understated writing, Kolbert makes a convincing case that pollution, habitat-destruction and even climate change are contributing to a mass extinction. Of all the animals Kolbert describes, from the rhino to the frog to the dodo, she is perhaps most insightful about the human: "the sort of creature who could wipe out its nearest relative, then dig up its bones and reassemble its genome."

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Field Dressing Game Birds
- Wear plastic or latex gloves. On the bird's abdomen, pluck the feathers or remove the skin.
- Remove the head, feet, and wings. Make a cut along the soft lining tissue on the abdomen. (See figure 1.)
- Reach inside up to the neck and pull backward. Most of the entrails should pull free. (See figure 2.)
- Clean out the lungs and around the anus.
- Wipe the inside to remove blood, and allow air to circulate.
- Store the bird in a cool, ventilated place.


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Windows 10 Healthy Gaming Guide
Playing video games should be relaxing and fun. Repetitive movements, poor posture and overindulgence, though, can sometimes cause numbness, tingling and other issues that might escalate into serious health problems. Read the health warnings and follow the suggestions in this guide to develop healthy gaming practises.
Musculoskeletal disorders
As with many activities, you may experience occasional discomfort in your hands, arms, shoulders, neck or other parts of your body when playing video games. If you experience persistent or recurring discomfort, pain, throbbing, aching, tingling, numbness, burning sensation or stiffness, DO NOT IGNORE THESE WARNING SIGNS. PROMPTLY SEE A QUALIFIED HEALTH PROFESSIONAL, even if symptoms occur when you are not playing a video game.
Symptoms such as these can be associated with painful and sometimes permanently disabling injuries or disorders of the nerves, muscles, tendons, blood vessels and other parts of the body. These musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) include carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, tenosynovitis, vibration syndromes and other conditions.
While researchers are not yet able to answer many questions about MSDs, there is general agreement that many factors may be linked to their occurrence. These include: medical and physical conditions, stress and how one copes with it, overall health and how a person positions and uses his or her body during work and other activities (including playing a video game).
Because there are a variety of factors that may contribute to MSDs, this guide can't provide everything you need to know to prevent MSDs. For some people, following the suggestions may reduce their risk of sustaining an MSD. For others, it may not. However, many people are likely to experience greater comfort when following these suggestions.
Keep in mind that this guide is not a substitute for the advice of a qualified health professional. If you have questions about how your own lifestyle, activities or medical or physical condition may be related to MSDs, see a qualified health professional.
Photosensitive seizures
A very small percentage of people may experience a seizure when exposed to certain visual images, including flashing lights or patterns that may appear in video games. Even people who have no history of seizures or epilepsy may have an undiagnosed condition that can cause these "photosensitive epileptic seizures" while watching video games.
These seizures may have a myriad of symptoms, including lightheadedness, altered vision, eye or face twitching, jerking or shaking of arms or legs, disorientation, confusion or momentary loss of awareness. Seizures may also cause loss of consciousness or convulsions that can lead to injury from falling down or striking nearby objects.
Immediately stop playing and consult a doctor if you experience any of these symptoms. Parents should watch for or ask their children about the above symptoms. Children and teenagers are more likely than adults to experience these seizures.
The risk of photosensitive epileptic seizures may be reduced by taking the following precautions:
- Play in a well-lit room.
- Do not play when you are drowsy or fatigued.
If you or any of your relatives have a history of seizures or epilepsy, consult a doctor before playing.
Healthy gaming practices
Using your body in comfortable postures is important, whether you're working or playing. Not only can this affect your overall performance, but it can also influence how comfortable you are while playing video games and may help you avoid MSDs. Changing your posture during extended gaming sessions may also help you avoid discomfort and fatigue.
When playing video games, adapt your surroundings and arrange your equipment to promote a comfortable and relaxed body posture. Because everyone has a unique body size and because many factors affect your comfort, we cannot tell you exactly how to set up your area to avoid discomfort. However, the following suggestions may help to provide a more comfortable environment:
- To support your back, choose a chair or seat that provides support for your lower back and allows you to assume a comfortable and natural body posture.
- To promote comfortable leg postures, clear away items from your legs to allow comfortable leg positions and movement.
- To promote comfortable shoulder and arm postures, allow your upper arms to fall relaxed at your sides.
- To promote proper wrist and finger postures, keep your wrists straight while holding and using controllers. Avoid bending your wrists up, down or to the sides.
- To minimise neck bending and twisting, position yourself and/or the television so that you don't have to tilt your head up or down or side-to-side for extended periods.
- To minimise eye strain, avoid glare by placing your television away from light sources that produce glare, or use window blinds to control light levels. Also, consider adjusting your television's brightness and contrast to levels that are comfortable for you.
Physical forces
Physical forces continuously interact with our bodies. We may only think of high-impact forces, such as car crashes, as injuring our bodies. However, low forces may also result in injuries, discomfort and fatigue if they are repeated or experienced over long periods of time.
Consider the following types of low forces:
- Dynamic force, or a force that you exert through movement. For example, pressing buttons on a gaming controller or the keys of a computer keyboard.
- Static force, or a force that you maintain for a period of time. For example, holding your gaming controller or cradling the phone.
- Contact force, or pressure that occurs when you rest on an edge or hard surface. For example, resting your wrists on the edge of your desk, table or other hard surface.
- Consider the following suggestions to reduce the effects of low forces on your body:
- Press gaming controller buttons with a light touch, keeping your hands and fingers relaxed; it takes little effort to activate these buttons. Also, apply a light touch when using control sticks or pads on a gaming controller.
- Avoid resting your palms or wrists on any type of surface while using game controllers.
- Relax your arms and hands when you're not actually using game controllers. See the following "Duration" section for more information.
- Hold the game controller with a relaxed hand. Do not grip the game controller more tightly than necessary.
Taking breaks can go a long way to helping your body recover from any activity and may help you avoid MSDs. The length and frequency of breaks you may need depends on the type of activity you're doing. Stopping the activity and relaxing is one way to take a break, but there are other ways too. These include:
- Changing tasks, which can help some muscles relax while others remain productive. For example, you might sit while playing video games but stand when not playing.
- Using different methods to accomplish the same task. For example, using the controller pad instead of the control stick.
- Relaxing your arms and hands while watching others play or during cut scenes, replays or other pauses within a game.
- Learning about software and hardware features by reading the information that came with your game discs and hardware products.
Healthy living
A healthy lifestyle can help you perform and enjoy your everyday activities, including the time spent playing video games. For overall good health, consider the following:
- Eat a balanced diet and get adequate rest.
- Exercise for overall fitness to give strength and flexibility to your body. Keep in mind that you should consult a qualified health professional to help you choose the stretches and exercises that are right for you.
- Learn to manage stress.
- See a qualified health professional if you have questions about how your medical and physical conditions may be related to MSDs. While researchers are not yet able to answer many questions about MSDs, there is general agreement that certain factors may be linked to their occurrence, including previous injuries, diabetes, hormonal changes (such as pregnancy) and rheumatoid arthritis.
Adult supervision
Xbox One privacy and online safety controls
Use the Xbox One privacy and online safety controls to customise and manage your family's access to games, movies and television content. Xbox One privacy and online safety controls can be used to control the console and access to Xbox Live, including:
- Which games can be played
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Ben Arthurs Bothy beside our B&B accommodation Arrochar offers a warm welcome to all. We serve traditional Scottish pub food and drink at its best.
Enjoy a game of pool in the bar and watch the football. Or relax in the lounge or on the decking. Free wifi is also available. We are able to cater for private function or that special occasion. Live entertainment is played throughout the months from March to September details supplied on request.
There are local amenities in the Village including a Post Office. If you prefer Balloch or Helensburgh , they are only a short 30 minute drive, where you will find plenty of shops for all your needs. There are of also plenty of Restaurants within the local area with a variety of choice.
The Lochside grounds are well maintained, with plenty of car parking space. We have live in staff and CCTV cameras in operation. Our outside decking area gives stunning views over the Loch perfect for relaxing on a sunny day. Within our ground we have our own slip way for launching your boat.
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Our Facilities
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Pre-order the Ralph Art of book from Amazon. I have a few pieces in there along with a TON of artwork from all the other amazing artists who worked hard on this project!
And just a little something extra, the 8bit Ralph crew shirt I did for the Lighting crew.
Images copyright Disney Animation.


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HOUSTON — Weatherford International has completed about half of a 6,600-job reduction in its worldwide workforce, the oil field services company said Thursday.
The company gave no locations for the completed or planned job reductions.
The Geneva-based firm is one of Houston's largest employers with more than 3,800 workers in the area, according a Houston Chronicle survey published last year.
In Securities and Exchange Commission filings Thursday, the company said it had 67,000 employees at the end of 2013.
Thursday's filing said workforce reduction in the first quarter resulted in pre-tax, annualized savings of $263 million. It predicted eventual savings of $500 million from the job cuts, which Weatherford said will be "substantially completed" in the second quarter.
Weatherford officials could not be reached for comment Thursday.
The company disclosed a planned workforce reduction of approximately 7,000 in a January SEC filing, calling it "an important step in making our cost base more efficient."
The company also said it's identifying and exiting locations that are under-performing. "While these restructuring actions will involve one-time severance and restructuring costs, the end result will be a leaner and fitter company, better equipped to deliver higher margins with top line growth," Weatherford wrote.
The company reported a net loss of $41 million in the first quarter on revenue of $3.6 billion, down 6 percent from the first quarter of 2013.


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Far from academia being a cushy and lazy lifestyle as sometimes portrayed in fiction, researchers know that science is an around-the-clock endeavor. Well, we now have some quantitative data to back this up.
In a recent study, a team of scientists in China examined the time of day when paper downloads occur from a scientific publisher's website. Controlling for the time zone where the request originated, they were able to see how hard scientists work overall by examining the downloads for a period of a little over a week. But even more than that, they explored the patterns in their work habits, as well differences between scientists in different countries.
The upshot is that scientists work late at night and on weekends. We have a clear difficulty distinguishing different parts of our lives. But it's more interesting than that. Chinese and American scientists have somewhat different patterns of workaholism. American scientists work late at night, but still recognize that weekend as a time of rest (at least a little). Chinese scientists, on the other hand, don't work late at night, but work almost as hard on the weekends as on the weekdays. And Germany is somewhere in between:
Furthermore, Chinese scientists also stop work for lunch and dinner, which the researchers ascribe to "the habit and institution that China's dining halls provide food at regular time every day."
Overall, scientists do not have a good work-life balance. The conclusion of the paper is quite clear:
Scientific achievements are accompanied by intense competition and pressure, which requires a large supply of time and efforts. On the other hand, the demanding assessment from the institution makes the working atmosphere even tenser. Scientists today are spending much more time working than initially intended. They are deprioritizing their hobbies, leisure activities, and regular exercises, which negatively influenced their mental and physical health. Meanwhile, engagement in scientific research after work directly leads to the ambiguity of the boundary between home and office. This investigation on scientists' timetable may in some ways call attention to the unwritten rule of working overtime in academia. As is generally agreed, research is not a sprint but a marathon. Balance in scientists' life is needed.
It's time we start heeding this in the sciences. But not only should we work to make changes in traditional academia (which will take some time), we need to create new structures that can allow for a more balanced life. One possibility is that of the independent scholar or even fractional scholarship.
But no matter what one chooses, balance is necessary. And it's time universities grapple with this in a serious fashion.
Top image:Rob Campbell/Flickr/CC


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Dell Latitude E5580 / 7th Generation Intel Core i5-7200U (3M Cache, up to 2.50 GHz), Display : (15.6") HD (1920x 1080) Non-Touch Anti-Glare LCD with Camera and Mic, 4GB (1x4GB) 2400MHz DDR4, 500GB SATA (7.2k rpm) 2.5", Backlit Keyboard (Dual Pointing), NO-DVD, NO Fingerprint Reader and NO Smart Card Reader, Windows 10 Pro (64bit) English, 1Yr. Basic Warranty
Security you can rely on
Log in with ease: Activate Windows Hello via optional infrared camera to facilitate facial recognition for easy and secure access.
Trusted authentication: The Latitude 5580 offers multiple security options to meet your diverse security needs. Features include essential multi-factor authentication hardware such as touch fingerprint reader, contacted FIPS 201 Smart Card Reader and Contactless Smart Card Reader NFC with Control Vault 2™ Fips 140-2 Level 3 Certification to prevent unauthorized access.
Protection from attacks: Dell™ ControlVault™ provides a more secure alternative for storing and processing passwords, biometric templates and security codes.
Manage with ease: Through Dell unique vPro extensions, you can remotely manage a fleet of devices, including diagnostics whether they are powered on or off.
Keeps up with you, and your work
The power to perform: Leverage scalable performance using Intel's® latest 7th Gen Core™ i Dual (U) or Quad Core™ (H) processors, NVIDIA® graphics and a range of storage options from HDD to M.2 PCIe NVMe.
Designed with purpose: Work confidently on a laptop equipped with all-day battery life and if needed, bring your Dell Power Companion for an extended day.
Focus on work, not your notebook: Tested against 15 MIL STD 810G benchmarks, our incredibly durable systems make sure your work stays safe wherever you go.
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Dell Dock | WD15
Power your Latitude and connect to up to two Full HD displays and other peripheral devices with a single, DisplayPort™ over USB Type C cable.
Dell Dock with Monitor Stand | DS1000
Create a simplified workspace with an integrated dock and monitor stand, accessing dual FHD displays via USB-C connection from your Latitude.
Dell Wireless Dock
Wirelessly expand your workspace with Intel® WiGig and connect to multiple accessories and displays.
Dell offers industry-leading encryption, authentication including optional touch fingerprint reader and leading-edge malware prevention from a single source right out of the box. Plus, with Dell Data Protection | Protected Workspace, your data is safe across all endpoints, including external media, self-encrypting drives and in public cloud storage.
The world's most manageable laptop is built to allow flexible and automated BIOS and system configurations through Dell Client Command Suite free tools. We make it easy to deploy, monitor and update your Latitude fleet.
Features a durable, built-to-last chassis that has undergone extensive testing that ensures your system can withstand real-world conditions.
Ports & Slots
1. Audio Combo Jack | 2. External SIM tray (optional) | 3. USB 3.0 Powershare | 4. VGA | 5. Nobel Wedge lock slot | 6. RJ45 | 7. HDMI | 8. USB 3.0 | 9. Power
10. Display Port Over Type C; optional Thunderbolt | 11. USB 3.0 | 12. SD slot
Dimensions & Weight
1. Height (front): 0.9" (23.25mm) | 2. Width: 14.8" (376.0mm) | 3. Depth: 9.87" (250.65mm)
Weight: 4.19 lbs (1.90 kg)


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Nancy Lane
Mount Si High Class of 1974
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Nov 17, 2015
Show Notes:
The GnomeAcres Podcast is all about the gnomemade and nerd flavored happenings at GnomeAcres. We show off our hand dyed yarn, wooden buttons, gnotions and other gnometastic swag. Join the gnomes as they discuss upcoming shop updates and other geeky endeavors.
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Free Shipping on All Orders within India. Shop Now! *T&C
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Classic vintage shape satchel made out of the finest handwoven Ikat fabric and vegetable dyed genuine leather. Accompanied with a shoulder strap.
All products are shipped through Fedex as our partner carrier. Goods are shipped 4-5 days (Domestic orders) and 7-12 days (International orders) of placement of the order, except orders placed on Sundays and national holidays, which are processed on the next working day.
Shipping charges like Octroi, Duty or any state charges if applicable are to be paid by the buyer. Please read our return & exchange policy on the terms & conditions page for more details. Returns are applicable only if the goods are damaged in transit.
Dry and vacuum clean only.


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It's the second Thursday of the month, and you know what that means! It's time for September's round of #ScaryYAH. The rules are simple:
--Post a two-sentence horror story containing the month's chosen word on Twitter, making sure to tag it #ScaryYAH so we see it. If you don't have a Twitter, (or your story is too long to fit,) feel free to leave it in the comments!
--Each month, one #ScaryYAH story will be illustrated by Amy Lukavics or Kaitlin Ward and shared/recirculated on YA Highway's Tumblr and Twitter pages.
This month's word is: "crawling"
Release the Hellhounds!


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About Cos 5090 Articles
Marcos Cosme has had a love for writing and film since he was little. By combing those two passions, he started studying film early on in Middle School and High School writing screenplays and working in his High School television production studio. When it came time for college he decided to pursue a bachelors in Electronic Film making from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Marcos continues to be an avid watcher of movies and scripted television series, although he does, on occasion, watch some reality shows. He has watched hundreds of movies during the course of his life and has worked in various roles on small independent film projects, including writing, producing and directing. In his spare time Marcos loves to write screenplays, read books, contribute articles, blogs and reviews on various topics including (but obviously not limited to) movies, television, books, and wrestling; just to name a few. He is a Rabbit aficionado (he has a dwarf rabbit named Peanut-who is the logo of Cos' Blog) and is a Golden Retriever connoisseur (he has two Goldens named Cassie and Chloe). He also love to spend time with his wife and as of July of 2015 they welcomed their first child, Miles, who can occasionally be seen on the blog.


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Tyvek® Envelopes Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- What are the added benefits I get from a Tyvek® envelope? Why should I buy a Tyvek® envelope versus a paper envelope?
- What is Tyvek®?
- What sizes do Tyvek® envelopes come in?
- What other things are made of Tyvek®?
- Why do Tyvek® envelopes seal so tightly?
- Where are Tyvek® envelopes available?
- How do I know if an envelope is made of Tyvek®?
- Can I write on Tyvek®?
- Can Tyvek® envelopes be used on automatic insertion and inkjet addressing/barcoding equipment? Will they need any special equipment for either of these processes?
- Can I run Tyvek® Envelopes through a laser printer?
- How are Tyvek® envelopes better than ordinary envelopes?
- Can I recycle Tyvek® envelopes?
- Can I recycle Tyvek® envelopes that are printed?
- What are the added benefits I get from a Tyvek® envelope? Why should I buy a Tyvek® envelope versus a paper envelope?
DuPont™ Tyvek® provides superior toughness and durability compared to heavy kraft paper and even other high-strength materials used for envelopes and packaging. It resists rips, punctures and moisture, providing much more protection for the contents of your envelope. Tyvek® is also lightweight and can save on postage as well. Major overnight shippers and the United States Postal Service® choose envelopes made of Tyvek® for priority packaging because it protects important things, ensuring that they arrive in good condition.
- What is Tyvek®?
Tyvek® is a nonwoven sheet structure made from very fine high-density polyethylene fibers. These fibers are flashspun, then laid as a web on a moving bed before being bonded together by heat and pressure. The resulting sheet of material is then converted for a multitude of uses in envelopes and packaging, construction, protective garments, medical packaging, graphics, tags and labels. This unique process does not require binders or additives, so Tyvek® can be recycled after its use.
- What sizes do Tyvek® envelopes come in?
Tyvek® envelopes are available in the same sizes as paper envelopes, ranging up to expansion styles with gussets from 1" to 5". Tyvek® can also be manufactured into custom-sized envelopes for direct mail or to meet special mailing and shipping requirements. Go to the "Where to Buy" page to learn where you can obtain the Tyvek® envelope you need.
- What other things are made of Tyvek®?
Tyvek®, a Miracle of Science™ from DuPont™, is used in many applications where high-performance protection is a primary requirement: for protective garments for industrial, emergency or environmental workers as a protective barrier for homes and commercial buildings to package and protect medical devices and materials for high strength, weather resistant graphics (e.g. banners, tags, maps)
- Why do Tyvek® envelopes seal so tightly?
Because Tyvek® is extremely tough and durable, it is typically used for high-strength envelopes. The glues or adhesives used by envelope manufacturers are designed to seal tightly and aggressively to match the tear resistance of the Tyvek® material. However, Tyvek® envelopes are available with both an "Easy Open" feature and re-sealable closure. There are also Tamper-Evident Tyvek® envelopes that offer an extra measure of security for confidential documents; once the seal is broken, the word "OPENED" appears in the window, reassuring the recipient that the contents have not been compromised. For more information about the wide variety of Tyvek® envelopes that are available, review Products and Applications or contact us online.
- Where are Tyvek® envelopes available?
Tyvek® envelopes are widely available throughout the U.S. To purchase, check with your local office supply dealer, envelope supplier, office superstore. You can also check our Where to Buy guide for more supplier information. If you have difficulty finding a Tyvek® envelope size or style that suits your needs, we're available to assist you. Please contact us online or call us at 1-866-33-TYVEK.
- How do I know if an envelope is made of Tyvek®?
Some Tyvek® envelopes have product identification either on the top flap adhesive release strip or on the bottom back flap. But you can also recognize Tyvek® by the unique swirl pattern of the material. And the fact that it simply defies ripping, tearing or puncturing.
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Yes. Most inks and many markers work on Tyvek®, although some may "run" or "feather". For best results, try permanent markers (e.g. Sharpie®), ball point pens, or a No. 2 pencil.
- Can Tyvek® envelopes be used on automatic insertion and inkjet addressing/barcoding equipment? Will they need any special equipment for either of these processes?
Yes, Tyvek® envelopes will run on standard insertion and inkjet printing machines, without special equipment.
Automatic Insertion:
Tyvek® envelopes have been tested and will process on standard inserters made by major equipment manufacturers. Results can vary, depending upon machine setup, envelope design, and the basis weight of the Tyvek® used for the envelope. You should consult your equipment manufacturer's envelope design specifications to assure that key design parameters (i.e. flap dimensions, flap taper, throat design, enclosure clearance) are considered in the envelope production. Envelope types are typically open-side booklet or diagonal seam, with remoistenable gum closure. You may also want to consider using a heavier basis weight Tyvek® substrate (18# vs. 14#) for your envelopes for smoother insertion.
If your customers are hand inserting Tyvek® envelopes with pressure sensitive closures, they could eliminate a very time-intensive process by switching to automatic insertion and water-activated gum closures.
Inkjet Addressing/Barcoding:
Tyvek® envelopes are compatible with many inkjet systems. In fact, a variety of oil-, solvent-based, and UV cure inks have been developed specifically to print on synthetic materials, like Tyvek®, and provide acceptable inkjet addressing/barcoding on Tyvek® envelopes. Contact your equipment manufacturer or ink supplier for more information on the inks they offer for synthetic substrates you should contact your equipment manufacturer or ink supplier.
For mailers using water-based inks, line adaptations can provide satisfactory results on most systems. Some of these modifications may include: draft-mode printing, which requires less ink; extended feed intervals, which provide more time for the ink to dry; supplemental driers; and extended exit.
For more information, contact us online.
- Can I run Tyvek® Envelopes through a laser printer?
No. Laser printers operate at higher temperatures that could soften or melt Tyvek®, causing damage to the printer. Rather than addressing your envelopes directly, run labels through your laser printer, then affix them to the Tyvek® envelopes.
- How are Tyvek® envelopes better than ordinary envelopes?
Ordinary envelopes have their place. They also have their limitations.
Tyvek® envelopes are incredibly tough, yet lightweight, and easy to use. When you have important or propriety information to send, bulky documents, or most anything that fits, you can slip it in a Tyvek® envelope, seal the closure, and rest assured, your mailing will reach its final destination in tact, safe, and secure. No worries, now fuss, just peace of mind.
Tyvek® also provides benefits in other applications, such as:
Interdepartmental envelopes: When ordinary paper is used, they wear out long before their time, but the extended life of Tyvek® Interdepartmental Envelopes makes them more economical. And lightweight.
Tyvek® Expansion Envelopes and Cushioned Envelopes: Tyvek® envelopes make a cost-effective replacement for heavy shipping boxes and cartons – they also cost less to send. They are durable enough to send most items through the mail or by express shipping company. There are padded, or bubble lined, Tyvek® Envelopes available to provide extra protection for the contents you send.
No matter what the size or shape of the contents, your likely to find the Tyvek® envelope that suits your need. And, when you're sending something important, something that must arrive safely and on time, regardless of weather or rough handling en route — a legal document, a contract bid, a new business proposal, whatever — there's just no substitute for a Tyvek® envelope.
- Can I recycle Tyvek® envelopes?
Yes. DuPont manages a nationwide recycling program for used Tyvek® envelopes. To find out more about how you can participate, read more about Tyvek® and the Environment.
- Can I recycle Tyvek® envelopes that are printed?
Yes. DuPont has manages a nationwide recycyling program that collects used Tyvek® envelopes – even printed Tyvek® envelopes – and recycles them into other useful materials that provide sound alternatives to the use of wood. To find out more about how you can participate, read more about Tyvek® and the Environment.


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Time to Focus My Diverse Interests
So, it's been a long time since I've written on this blog.
It's not been because of a shortage of things to say, far from it, there's been so much that I've been wanting to say, but just haven't been able to bring myself to write, and talk about all of the many different things that interest, and fascinate me. There's been such activity both in my personal life, as well as in the London Tech Startup community that I'm a part of, amongst other things.
Then there's also the heaps of different things that have been happening in the Social Media Community in London, and it makes me realise that actually there's a whole lot more that I'd like to write about, but don't do so, because it doesn't always act in the best interests of my audience.
Over these last few months, I've started pondering about this approach to blogging that I've been taking, of amalgamating everything into one blog, and making everyone come to one place to find out the latest about me, my thoughts, insights, and experiences. Perhaps I've been wrong.
I know that there's most definitely a steady stream of interested readers of this blog, that know me from either the Social Media Perspective, or from the London Tech Startup crowd. But what you guys probably didn't know was that there is a part of me that is immensely spiritual, and metaphysically inclined. I can also imagine the Social Media interests I have don't necessarily directly translate into the extremely geeky and techie interests that also drive my entrepreneurial curiosity, and the craving to contribute to something more meaningful, and personally stimulating, as well as helping raise my profile, and perhaps in time, additional streams of revenue.
So until further notice, I've decided to hold back on the blogging here. And when I say here, I mean just this blog – http://life.magitam.org.uk.. That doesn't mean I've given up blogging completely, or that I've decided to stop blogging. Far from it, I want to step back to figure out where I should be blogging, and how so.. There's a lot I want to say, and a lot of different places I want to say it. But what I don't want is for one audience to get confused or mixed in with another, or for me to get so de-focussed with my blog, that I lose the desire or focus as to what I'm going to talk about. Initially I'm going to be setting up my other blogging sites, and then once I'm done, and have them set up, I'll be sure to share here a list of all the different places where I'll be blogging from in the future..
For now, this blog has become too much of an unfocussed chaos, and in order to start making some more coherent, focussed directed conversations, and discussions, around some of the many different communities I'm a member of, I'm going to step back, before taking a huge step forward, and start publishing in a more targetted and focussed manner, across mulitple sites across the internet ;)
Now any suggestions you might have as to what subjects you'd like to hear me write about, feel free to fill up the comments below, and I'll see if what you my audience wants is at all in line with what I imagine my writing to be targetted towards.
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Jenna Bush, Paris Hilton and the Genius PR Guy
August 11, 2008
Lets face it — America loves the comeback kid. Simply, we love to read about the guy who was once bad and now is good. If they reconstructed their life, they have a story. And in a sense — that's what makes us great — we give second chances, and people who accept that have another chance. But this is something that goes beyond the television, beyond the newspapers — behind the scenes. This is what saves the day for the rich and famous, celebrity and nutty. And finally, this is what gives the genius PR guy his well-earned week's pay.
Growing in the new age of media, I can spot a PR stunt when I see one. It can be flawlessly pulled off, and it can be failed. In theory, to pull of a public relations job really just needs to fit a common narrative. If its viable to the American public, then it can be done. PR guys can really save the reputations of anyone on the public map. A common example of a PR stunt on the political side would be the tell-tail story of Jenna Bush. The daughter of the president of the US, a tipsy, parting Jenna was busted for underage drinking and was completely demolished by the press.
Then she disappears.
Barely any information comes up about her in months. But no one wonders where she went. The media always has other things to report, and they carried on with that. During that time, Bush slowly created an instant resume, re-building her reputation off the air. Then she suddenly comes back into the press, and come back with a bang. She is suddenly a new person — cleaned up and engaged. She took trips overseas to Africa, came back with humanitarian street 'cred, had a stint teaching unprivileged inner city children, wrote a book about HIV AIDS with a first run of 500,000 copies, and goes on a book tour. During that time she stayed completely out of clubs and the media, denouncing herself from a household name to a lesser status. Then she came back with a bang, made herself a hit in the media , and set up a very press-worty future — a book tour that the NY times correctly identified as a media blitz.
What was pulled off here was not only a true PR stunt, but a successful one as well. Why? It covered all a stunt like this should have. What a true PR genius must do before starting his plan is a recognition of the hurdles he must tackle. Whoever constructed this plot obviously knew that the public would not forget the underage drinking if it wasn't taken care of. So he/she took this into consideration when constructing Jenna's new life. And because of this, the book that Jenna wrote not only cleaned up her resume, but it really was the coupe-de-grace of the whole stunt.
Another great example of a PR stunt on the entertainment side is celebrity Paris Hilton. Hilton was really a victim of her own choices, and that dug her deep into a hole that was very tough to escape. After a sting of events that all ended up all of the internet, and sometimes backfiring at her — the media had a field day slamming her down. She: (in just some of her faults) released a horrific album that bombed the charts, got arrested and convicted for DUI, had a great deal of crying that happened all be on national TV, got any last bit of self esteem snatched from her a the VMA's by Sarah Silverman, went to jail, got that famous mugshot, and then as a coming out party, had a disaster of a Larry King interview. By that time, she was in trouble. Another blow would be a definite KO for her, and she knew it.
Enter the dragon, or as I would call him — the PR guy. With his/her aid, Paris took the tactics of many before her and took months off, both rebuilding and letting the press forget about her. And in a sense, they did.
Then, after John McCain took a swipe at Obama as well as her with his campaign ad — she pounced, fully charged and ready. She struck back with her response commercial, and at the same time took a decisive step back into the fiery realm of the media. Her commercial was both funny and accurate, but most of all it was genius. She knew she couldn't win pretending she was just an American citizen, so she in a sense admitted her stardom and called herself a celebrity, which would have never happened before. This time, though, it worked. The press fell for it, and Hilton was back where she was always meant to be — a rich, dumb blonde fashion model who doubles as a celebrity by night. That may not win a nobel prize, but it is where she is meant to be.
PR stunts are really that last spark of hope in politics and entertainment that has saved the careers of many. There have been many of these acts before and there are many in process right now (an example would be Britney Spears). And although they work unnoticed, behind the scenes, the real geniuses behind all of these acts are the PR guys. And that's how it will stay.


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In a heart-wrenching plot twist for one of Marvel's most relatable superheroes, the comic book giant has killed the nerdy, down-on-his-luck science-whiz who first developed an arachnid alter-ego in 1962 and decided to use his "great power" for good. In "Amazing Spider-Man's" 700th and final issue, Spider-Man loses a final showdown with his arch-nemesis, Doctor Octopus, after which the latter assumes Peter Parker's body, mind and memories. He decides to take on Spider-Man's mission for himself, a journey continued in Marvel's upcoming "Superior Spider-Man."
Writer Dan Slott, who has received death threats for his role in Parker's demise, explained the agonizing and controversial plot twist in an interview with the Los Angeles Times:
He's not Superman. Spider-Man doesn't always win. He's us. We do our best, but sometimes we fall short. What makes him heroic is that he stays on the right path. There's a victory in this story for Peter if you're willing to see it. Any superhero can look heroic in the winner's circle, when they're adored and showered with praise. But when you're in a losing battle, when the world's against you, when everyone thinks you're a menace, but you do the right thing anyway … that's when you're better than a superhero. That's when you're Peter Parker.
But these are comic books, so Peter Parker fans shouldn't feel completely hopeless. As The New York Times points out, "no death is permanent" in comic book worlds. Captain America, Superman and X-Men's Jean Grey have all left us, only to return again.
The news horrified some fans:
I don't care about spoilers on this one. You know what sounds like the worst idea I've ever heard? Marvel is killing my hero, #PeterParker— Mike Chinnici (@MikeChinnici) December 26, 2012
Peter Parker dying: worst Christmas present imaginable, @marvel. Well, unless one of his super villains is now also inhabiting his body… oh.— Brandon Lee Tenney (@Brotodeau) December 26, 2012
But at least Stan Lee is excited:
Farewell #PeterParker --- you can thankdaring @danslott for that! @mtvgeek gives Ol' Web Head one heck of a send off: on.mtv.com/VcTTDG— stan lee (@TheRealStanLee) December 26, 2012


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ComeUnity Band
The Community Band invites me for a ride on their Rocket Boat Reggae tour of Long Beach Harbor. And oh, there I go. Teres Harahshes, a friend from drum circles and other L.B.C. (Long Beach City) bohemian connections, captures me for the evening at sea. Her voluptuous daughter Amber, writes, sings, and rocks the boat for The Community Band. In salt air and tawny light I capture a moment or two while doing a reggae head sway over red wine and North California spice. Long Beach reminds me of Rio, cleaner but not as beautiful. Still, like the Cariocas of Rio de Janeiro, LBC folk know how to party. Rasta, all over the worldRead More
11 / 52


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Appraisal: Japanese Spaceman & Robot Toys, ca. 1960
Clip: Season 23 Episode 23 | 2m 40s
In Out of This World, Noel Barrett Appraises Japanese Spaceman & Robot Toys, ca. 1960.
Aired: 07/08/19Video has closed captioning.
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Funding for ANTIQUES ROADSHOW is provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance, Ancestry, and Consumer Cellular. Additional funding is provided by public television viewers.


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Boudoir Babe Gifts #agiftlessordinary
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Want to help Father Christmas out this year by purchasing some unique gifts for your friends and family? You can make the holidays extra happy for everyone on your shopping list with Christmas gift ideas from BoudoirBabe. We put together this curated collection of gifts to make it easy to find holiday presents for men, women and children, and the items that you'll discover in this assortment of products can be enjoyed throughout the entire year. Whether you're shopping on a budget or looking for luxury gift ideas, you're bound to find the perfect presents for the holiday season right here.
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Why join LG?
LG Electronics will allow you to realize your dreams. Our corporate environs promote respect and nurture individual creativity, offering the keen opportunities for growth and rewarding exceptional performance at every level. In all, LG is a pretty great place to work:
Great opportunities
LG offers opportunities for fast growth to talented individuals and technical experts in offices and hubs around the world.
Great spirit
LG looks after those who are determined to succeed, and who demonstrate great initiative and professional skills.
Great rewards
LG offers guaranteed rewards for exceptional employee performance.
A global corporation
LG Electronics is a global corporation with 82,000 employees working for its 81 subsidiaries around the world. LG Electronics strives to provide its customers with new products and technologies. LG Electronics is a world-class electronics/telecommunication giant.
LG Electronics produces CDMA handsets, Plasma TVs, DVD players, optical storage products, air conditioners, and much more. LG Electronics designs cutting-edge technologies for a vast range of areas, from mobile networking to digital TVs, displays, and home networking. LG Electronics is, therefore, equipped with the ability to realize an all-encompassing environment.
What's more, LG Electronics' innovative products enhance people's lives, and have established a corporate culture based on challenge and innovation. LG's culture of non-stop innovation is prompting us to lead through change. The sky's the limit with LG Electronics.
LG's Heritage
Since its establishment in 1958, LG Electronics has, over the past 50 years, developed cutting-edge technologies and products in the areas of electronics, information & communications technology. LG Electronics is now the global leader in the electronics, information & communications technology industries. Take a look at LG's technology development records by entering the LG History Hall.
Business Domains
LG Electronics has secured global product leadership and market leadership through bold R&D investments, positive global marketing efforts, and ongoing activities. LG Electronics is the first to launch state-of-the-art products such as next-generation mobile handsets, digital TVs, and Internet-capable home appliances, opening up a whole new future for the global electronics, information & communications technology industries.
LG makes a full range of products designed to deliver a home entertainment experience like no other. A top producer of LCD and plasma TVs, LG is also one of the leading makers of other audio and video products for the global consumer and professional markets, including home theater systems, Blu-ray disc players, micro audio systems, optical storage, plasma display panels and more.Read More
LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company is a leading global mobile communication and information company. LG creates handsets that provide an optimized mobile experience to customers around the world with its cutting-edge technology and innovative handset design capabilities. Increasingly, LG is pursuing convergence technology and the development of mobile computing products, as well as taking leadership in the mobile communication environment.Read More
LG is a global leader in the home appliance industry, dedicated to creating total home solutions through advanced products that fit consumers' everyday lives. Innovative home appliances include washing machines, refrigerators, cooking appliances, vacuum cleaners, and built-in appliances.Read More
LG is the number one brand of residential air conditioners with the world's highest market share, maintaining its position as a sales leader since 2000. Launched in 2009, the new Air Conditioning Company will meet the needs of customers by focusing on commercial and residential air conditioning systems, compressors, and solution business.Read More
LG's Business Solutions Company provides the best value-added solutions in LCD monitors, commercial displays, car infotainment and security. LG is committed to supplying smart solutions for businesses with products that best serve the end customer.Read More


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We offer high quality door sales. A top of the line job that will last, from high density-6 sided fiberglass doors, PVC jambs, composite bottom thresholds and stainless steel hinges.
Financing by Wells Fargo available for qualified customers, please see a DoorPro Entryways representative for details.
and see many more pictures of glass styles and doors.
Please contact us anytime! We look forward to hearing from you.
Showroom Hours;
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They jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first and added two more in the second and never gave Morehead State a chance to get back in the game Wednesday night. The Bisons prevailed 12-2 at Ken Dugan Field at Stephen Lee Marsh Stadium to raise their record to 7-6. Morehead State, an Ohio Valley Conference team, fell to 1-12.
A five-run fourth inning sealed the deal for the Bisons who pounded out six hits. They added three more runs in the fifth.
The Bisons connected for 18 hits, a season-high, with 11 off of Morehead State starter Josh Schneider who lasted 3.1 innings.
"It seems like everything was clicking from the beginning," Bisons' coach Jeff Forehand said. "We tried to make some adjustments from Sunday's games with Purdue where we fell behind for 18 innings and felt like we were always clawing back.
"It was good to get out on top and keep stretching it. This was a good confidence builder for us. We played well on Friday night against Purdue, but we didn't want the taste of Sunday's games to be in our mouths very long."
Left fielder M.L. Williams led the way offensively for the Bisons with four hits in five trips to the plate.
"I have been working on my focus this year," Williams said. "I am watching the pitch selection and things like that. I am watching a lot of video of my hitting and that has helped."
Three of the hits for Williams, the lead-off hitter for the Bisons, were doubles.
"That is what M.L. is capable of doing," Forehand said. "He is that kind of sparkplug at the top of the order. He had four great at bats."
Designated hitter Richie Goodenow added three hits, including one double.
Second baseman Kyle Henry's two hits were both doubles.
The big hit of the night was a triple to left by third baseman Josh Chism to drive in three of the five runs in the fourth inning. Also slamming a triple was catcher Matt Brewer with one out in the second inning.
Left-hander Chris Nunn picked up his first win of the season for the Bisons. He scattered three hits in five scoreless innings. He struck out four, but also walked four.
"Chris probably could have kept going, but we wanted him to be fresh for the weekend," Forehand said. "We will use him again on Saturday or Sunday.
"He still needs to cut down on his walks. He still has to be able to command the zone better than he did in this game. He has to get better and better every time out. The sky is the limit for him."
Right-handers Josh Cotham and Davey Hackett were followed by left-hander Ben Johnson and right-hander Chad Fromm in relief.
Hackett, making his second appearance as he makes a comeback from an injury, gave up three hits and two runs, both earned. He also struck out one hitter.
"We wanted to let Hackett get some work," Forehand said. "We felt like it would be a little less taxing for him with the game not on the line."
The Bisons are back in action this weekend as they head to Oxford, Miss., to take on the Ole Miss Rebels from the Southeastern Conference. Game time Friday is 6:30 p.m. The games Saturday and Sunday are each scheduled for 1:30. It will be only the second time this season the Bisons have played on the road.
Written by Mark McGee, Senior Publisher/Director of Media Relations.


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FLASHBACK OF ANGER will release their new studio-album "Terminate And Stay Resident (T.S.R.)" via IceWarrior Records on August 29, 2014
After a five year break the Melodic Power Metal band FLASHBACK OF ANGER make their return to the scene with their strongest effort until today, their brand new studio-album entitled "Terminate And Stay Resident (T.S.R.)", with Fabio Lione of RHAPSODY OF FIRE as very special guest.
The band once again manages to create an extraordinary Melodic Power Metal album while keeping all their established trademarks just like on their last output, 2009's "Splinters of Life".
"Terminate And Stay Resident" a must have for fans of SECRET SPHERE, FIREWIND, STRATOVARIUS, ANGRA or RHAPSODY OF FIRE.
On http://www.flashbackofanger.com you can listen 2 brandnew tracks from "Terminate And Stay Resident" ("Mother's Soldier" & "False Idols").
First Feedbacks with very good reviews @ Flight Of Pegasus; 9/10 points @ Black Angel Promotion, 10/10 from Phil Neuville – Painkiller METAL SHOW or 4/5 @ Dangerdog Music Reviews
FLASHBACK OF ANGER lineup:
Alessio Gori – Vocals
Giulio Cercato – Guitars
Antonio Sigismondi – Drums
Emanuele Giorgetti – Keyboards
Gianmarco Lotti – Guitars
Andrea "Tower" Torricini – Bass
1.Mother's Soldier
2.False Idols
4.Don't Let Me Fade
5.The Great Fire
6.Black Prince (feat. Fabio Lione on Vocals)
7.Shattered Promises
8.My Angel
9.Hiroshima & Nagasaki
10.Power Play
11.Bonus Track : Black Prince (Original version)
Limited Edition with exclusive Bonustrack! Release date: August 29, 2014.


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App Review: Old MacDonald by LoeschWare
by Dorothy on
August 14, 2009
Filed under Daily App Reviews, Entertainment, Games, Kids
Old MacDonald by LoeschWare is based on the ever popular children's song about Old MacDonald's Farm. This cute app allows your little one to decide which animals should and which should not be on the farm. In the process, they learn the sounds that all the animals make.
When you start the app, the farm is empty. You are taken to a screen with animals in a circle. Rotate the circle of animals until the one you want to place on the farm appears in the center. As you rotate the circle, the animals will make their sounds in turn. When you choose an animal, it will be placed on the farm and a verse of the song, sung. If the animal belongs on the farm, there will be a spot for them highlighted. If they do not belong there, they will be removed from the farm in one of three funny ways. This humor makes getting them wrong every bit as much, if not more, fun than getting them right.
When all the correct animals are on the farm, you can watch Old MacDonald dance and sing. The only complaint that I would voice about this game is that the rotating circle of animals is sometimes hard to navigate. It would be great to have arrows to tap on or be able to bring up a certain animal by tapping on it. That having been said, Old MacDonald is a fun and entertaining game for young children that is sure to be a hit.
Developer's Website: http://web.me.com/loesch/LoeschWare/Old_MacDonald.html


text: Some of you may remember Chris Uzal (CC: radio_buddha) as a prolific contributor to the Equipment forum some time ago. I just came upon a post on Facebook from his family with news of Chris's death. I corresponded with him some on FB a while back but haven't seen him post for some time. Chris was super bright, intense, and good-humored. Sadly, another CC member to add to the memorial list.


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Checking In On… The Summit LeaguePosted by Brian Goodman on January 12th, 2012
Charlie Parks is the RTC correspondent for The Summit League. You can also find his musings online on Twitter @CharlieParksRTC.
Reader's Take
The Week That Was:
- How Far Can Oral Roberts Go?: In their final season as a member of the Summit League, the Golden Eagles are enjoying one of their best runs in the past 30 years. The Golden Eagles are on a seven-game winning streak that started with the trashing of Xavier. They have dismantled the Summit League on their way to a top-50 RPI, and depending on how they fare in the ESPN BracketBuster, could even position them for the unthinkable—an at-large bid. Don't laugh, Oral Roberts could potentially be a 25+ win team with another top-50 RPI win (depending on the BracketBuster), hell, why not shoot for a an 11-seed? ORU's play has gotten national attention from the talking-heads of college basketball, and it's time we give them their due here as well. Scott Sutton has had his squad in this position before, and it hasn't panned out they way they hoped. This one looks different. Beware, Cinderella is on the loose.
- League Growing In Respectability: The Summit League is rising fast thanks to Nate Wolters and Alex Young turning NBA-heads, coupled with ORU's nearly flawless play and strong seasons from the rest of the teams in the Summit. The conference is now ranked #12 in the Collegiate Basketball News RPI (rpiratings.com) and #15 in the Sagarin Ratings—that's about six places higher than it was last season. I expect the Summit League may take a big hit in the rankings next season when ORU departs, but for now, they are one of the top mid-major conferences in 2012.
Power Rankings
- Oral Roberts (14-4, 6-0) — You expected ORU to eventually take its place at the top, but how the Golden Eagles have done it was unexpected. The way they grabbed the #1 spot from South Dakota State and North Dakota State was just dominant, and it has propelled them into the national spotlight. They won't be giving up first any time soon, and they made that abundantly clear. There are a lot of factors that have gone into the Golden Eagles' success this season. For one, they are relatively healthy for the first time in three years. Dominique Morrison, as reliable as he is, has played at a level no one has ever seen him, and I cannot help but think the addition of Sean Sutton as an assistant coach has not factored into this as well. But what is the biggest difference about this year's team? One name—Mike Craion. The senior forward redshirted last season for medical reasons, and the Golden Eagles struggled without him. He is not the best player on the team, that honor goes to Morrison, and he may not be the flashiest player, but he is the most important piece on the ORU squad. Craion is a defensive rock that has great vision. He has the ability to outrebound bigger players and score when it is needed. His stats don't accurately tell the story (11.1 PPG/6.7 RPG). He doesn't need the ball, and his maturity on the floor brings that team together. He has single-handedly won games with his defense and big plays. If he is not a first-team All Summit League selection it will be a crime. Read the rest of this entry »


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A fast-growing state no longer, Florida lost population from 2008 to 2009, the University of Florida Bureau of Economic and Business Research says.
About 58,000 people left the state, leaving Florida with an estimated population of 18.7 million, said Stan Smith, head of the Bureau of Economic and Business Research. Smith blamed the twin banes of Florida's economy: a soaring jobless rate and a hapless housing market.
For decades, Florida was adding jobs, which lured migrants. But the state has shed jobs in the past year, and the unemployment rate has soared from 3 percent in 2006 to 10.6 percent in June.
Meanwhile, the national housing downturn has made out-of-state migrants less likely to move here.
"When people can't sell their homes, they tend not to move," Smith said.
He doesn't expect Florida to become a fast-growing state again in the near future.
"This is certainly the worst recession that the country has experienced since the Depression of the 1930s," Smith said. "We're not going to see much of a population rebound until the national economy strengthens significantly."
UF's full population report, with detailed estimates for counties and cities, is scheduled to be released Wednesday.
UPDATE: Some comments about the end of Florida's six-decade run of steady population growth:
Greta von Unruh, executive director of the Economic Development Research Institute in West Palm Beach: "This gives us an opportunity to step back and make some different choices about how to create a sustainable economy."
Joanne Davis, a community planner for the non-profit group 1000 Friends of Florida:
"Florida has managed to uglify itself, in terms of lack of diversity of employment, sprawl, having to have a car to get around … There's only so much paradise you can sell. Pretty soon, it becomes congested, it becomes expensive."
William Stronge, author of The Sunshine Economy and professor emeritus at Florida Atlantic University: "This is really quite unusual to have a decline in population. In 1946, it declined just because the servicemen were going home, so it was an anomaly. …
I assume that this is probably a temporary phenomenon, due to the severity of the economic collapse we've come through. Presumably, once we get back on our feet, we will again be a magnet."
Kelly Smallridge, president of the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County: "I don't think there's anything wrong with our population growth taking a breather for a while."


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Four Carson-area men are arrested in Sparks bar fight
SPARKS — Four men from the Carson City-Minden area have been arrested after gunshots were fired during a fight at a Sparks bar over the weekend.
Police say the four were booked Saturday night on suspicion of simple battery and provoking an assault at The Alley Bar on Victorian Avenue.
Investigators say they beat another man who had told them to clean up their behavior after one made an inappropriate comment to a female friend.
Police responded just before 10 p.m. when the victim says he fired a gun to try to scare off his attackers. When police arrived, he was being punched and kicked by several people. He was treated for non-life threatening injuries.
The suspects are 24-year-old Eric Cooper, 28-year-old Cody York, 28-year-old Michael Griffin and 58-year-old Stanley Griffin.


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Ten years ago, Doboj was notorious as a centre of hardline Serb nationalism. At the end of the Bosnian war, the old Muslim quarter had been "ethnically cleansed" of its occupants, with its houses illegally occupied and its streets renamed after Chetnik leaders. The few remaining non-Serbs in Doboj were under intense pressure to leave. The Bosniak and Croat villages in the vicinity had been ruthlessly destroyed. The SDS (Serb Democratic Party), founded by indicted war criminal Radovan Karadzic, held Doboj firmly in its grip. There was little reason for hope that the multiethnic life of this region could ever be restored.
The dismantling of the town's war-time police structures, however, opened the way to the return of Doboj's Bosniaks. Over the past decade, over half of the pre-war Bosniak population (an estimated 16,000-18,000 people) have returned to the municipality. Today, more than a third of the students in Doboj's institutions of higher education are Bosniaks. The current (SDS) mayor of Doboj, Obren Petrovic, elected in 2004, envisages a future for Doboj that is a complete break with its wartime history.
Today a visitor who climbs up towards the Gradina fortress through the old Muslim quarter will find an area that is once again returning to life. In this historic centre (carsija), whose roots go back to the 15 century, half of the original Bosniak population has now returned. The main street, named Pop Ljubin (Priest Ljubin) during the war, was recently renamed after Mesa Selimovic, a Muslim writer born in Tuzla. Entering Gradina fortress, a visitor is greeted by a guard in mediaeval costume. There is an "ethno-café", a small stage and a newly built playground. Since it was reopened in 2006, the fortress has hosted a number of cultural events. In February 2007 there was a festival of Bosnian cuisine, attended by women dressed in Serb, Bosniak and Croat traditional costumes. In May 2007, the fortress hosted the first Bosnian Tour Fest to open the summer tourist season. In the summer of 2007, the fortress staged a music and theatre festival. After years of decrepitude, life has returned to Gradina.
Disarmament, return and reconstruction are successes whose magnitude few outsiders fully appreciate. Peace reigns today along the former frontline. This in turn has brought the beginnings of new economic life to the municipality.
During the war, the coal mine in Stanari, a small village near Doboj, worked at a third of its capacity, producing less than 200,000 tonnes of coal per year. Things did not improve after 1995. In 2001, output collapsed to 38,251 tonnes.
The depressed state of the Stanari mine started to affect the whole region when in September 2004, the RS government announced that the Stanari coalmine was looking for a private partner. The energy trading company EFT (Energy Financing Team) responded to a public tender and a deal was concluded. In May 2005 EFT acquired 72 percent of the Stanari mine and a 30 year concession. The following year, the company bought the remainder of the shares.
The granting of a concession to a private investor was a novelty in the Western Balkans, where most coalmines are still owned by public companies. Things started to change almost immediately. A new director was hired and the company took on more qualified personnel. EFT made investments in machinery totalling € 5 million in 2005. Production methods changed as a result. In 2004, annual output of coal had been less than 200,000 tonnes. In 2006, it was able to extract about 1,600 tonnes of coal per worker, compared to an average figure across Bosnian coalmines of 500 tonnes. In 2007, output was 800,000 tonnes of coal.
The conclusion is thus simple: the current and future prosperity of Doboj depends on the wider economic success of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its ability to integrate into regional and European markets. Functional integration becomes a force for change when the EU itself is proactive, as it has been in the field of energy. It is very much in keeping with European history that the regional Energy Treaty signed in 2005 is the first ever binding agreement between Bosnia and the European Union.
- ESI report: A Bosnian Fortress. Return, energy and the future of Bosnia (December 2007)
- Picture story: Balkan energy and the future of Bosnia (December 2007)
- OHR press release, OHR comments on resignation of Doboj mayor, 18 June 2002.
- OHR, Decision removing Mr. Mirko Stojcinovic from his position as Acting Head of the Municipality of Doboj, 2 September 2002.
March 2008


text: This image depicts the Message Board task flow. It has a header with a Collapse/Expand icon, the label, "Message Board," and an Actions menu icon. Below the header is a text field with the entry, "Add Message." Below the text field are a checkbox labeled "Private" and a Publish button. Two messages are listed. Each shows the Profile picture and name of the person who left the message, the message, the time and date the message was posted, and Comment and Like links. One of the messages has and Edit link and a Delete icon, showing that this message was left by the person who is currently viewing this instance of the page.


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More Magazine's editor-in-chief Lesley Jane Seymour interviews Rita Wilson at the Reinvention Convention in LA
I love what Rita Wilson has to say about reinvention. I saw her speak recently at More Magazine's Reinvention Convention in LA. She encourages us to think about what we loved to do as children. This rang all sorts of bells for me because lately I've been asked over and over about success, and over and over I hear people confess that they loathe their job. "I'm good at it, but I hate it." And I wonder about that. Our society, school, most institutions teach us to ask the question: what am I good at? But I think that's an unfortunate if not plain dangerous question. When I finally realized that I was a writer, a lot of people looked at me uncomfortably, knowing what I then didn't know about how hard the writing life is, and said, "Then you should go into adverstising." I'd look at them strangely. "I want to write novels. Not jingles about Keebler elves." They'd just shake their heads.
If I look back at who I've been since I was a little girl, there are pages and pages to prove that I've been writing stories since the beginning. I have journals that go back to fourth grade full of story ideas. I once wrote a whole journal-sized book (my first memoir, I suppose) entitled, "Things Not to Do to Your Kids." I'm afraid to read it because I'm afraid I've committed every one of those "sins" as a mother.
But it's a good exercise, especially if you are at a crossroads in your life. What do you LOVE to do? Who have you been being all along without even thinking about it? What comes naturally to you that you can't wait to do? What homework assignments had you racing to get home? I remember one that had my spirit soaring. It was fourth grade and the English teacher asked us to write a poem about our favorite place. I have it right here, in fact:
Small Lake
(this is a lake by another name in Wisconsin where we spent our summers. For some reason I felt the need to protect it, much like you never hear the name of any town or creature in my book except my daughter's pet rat Houdini.) …remember– fourth grade, so with only a speck of apology…here goes:
At three o'clock this morning
I walked down to Small Lake.
I sat myself beside a tree
And longed for the large pond to wake.
As time went by my patience died
And into the lake I threw,
A rock which skipped at least three times
Then sank without a clue.
Suddenly a fish jumped up
And frogs began to croak
Which sounded very similar
To an elephant about to choke.
Way off in the distance
I heard the loon's lonely cry
The sun gleamed down upon me
And then I heaved a sigh.
I knew that I must go now
To part with the pine and the fern
How sad I was to leave Small Lake
You can be sure that I'll return.
Hopefully you have a fond smile in your lips. I do. It's sweet and dramatic just like any fourth grade writer should be.
Then in seventh grade, I wrote this poem for a school contest and won it.
Man at the Seashore
The withering man with the idiot's eyes
Lives under a shelter of rock.
He lives a life full of sorrows and lies and digs for shells by the dock.
The sea is his friend and the waves talk to him
There is nothing that they haven't told.
The trees give him shade as he climbs on a limb
And watches the world grow old.
If it's reinvention that you seek, look into your youth. See what's there. See who you already are.