text:
Sat 8 Aug 2009
Chris Murphy '96 goes to the grocery store
Posted by Ronit under Alumni, Chris Murphy '96, Eph Planet, Eph Pundit, Politics at 3:20 pm
And this is what happens (Murphy shows up around 9 minutes in to engage with the crowd):
Below the fold: a Williams namecheck, Murphy responds to the protesters, and some other Ephs weigh in with advice for both the left and the right.
I don't recommend watching the whole thing, but I enjoyed this at the 8 minute mark:
Old guy: He's an asshole.
Cameraman: What's that? Who's an asshole? I'm sorry?
O: Mr. Murphy.
C: Mr. Murphy's an asshole? Why's he an asshole, sir?
O: Why? He has low brains.
C: He has what?
O: He has low brains.
C: Yeah? Come on, he went to Williams College! He's a pretty smart guy.
O: He's like you. He's like you. Get that out of my face.
C: Okay.
Thanks to commenter nuts for the link; s/he comments:
Protesting a debate can shutdown a debate. Look at what Chris Murphy '96 is coping with. I'm interested in whether Chris was able to have a productive communication with his constituents. At the end of the video, Chris comes out to the crowd to engage them.
Murphy responds:
Murphy said it didn't matter to him whether those attending were part of a coordinated effort or just on their own.
"Any time I'm talking to my constituents in an unfiltered way I consider it productive," he said in a phone interview afterward.
Murphy acknowledged that a few angry voices dominated the gathering, at least initially. But he said that didn't bother him. "Was that out of a Norman Rockwell town meeting painting? No. But there are big issues being discussed in Washington … and people have a right to be concerned, even angry about it."
Dan Blatt '85 writes about this incident on his blog:
Despite Democratic descriptions of those protesting the President's health care as a "mob," protesters on the whole have conducted themselves in a civil manner. And despite conservative criticism of Democratic Representatives (and Senators) of painting their critics with a broad brush (as some have done), a good number of Democrats, like the late Jim Hunter, have shown great respect for their political adversaries.
And I'm pleased to report that one such Democrat, Connecticut's Chris Murphy is a graduate of America's finest liberal arts' college. Although "mobbed" by angry constituents at a supermarket in his district, this good man was unfazed and stood up for citizens' rights to speak out.
Blatt has some advice for the Right:
When we protest, we must make our concerns known, but not drown out elected officials (and their representatives) when they are trying to speak… No matter how civil most protesters are, the Democrats and their alies in the media and on the web will attempt to smear us as angry, racist mob of astroturfers. It's sad that they strive to dismiss the legitimacy of our concerns and define us by the most extreme advocates of our cause.
Let's not stoop to their level. Let's speak out, forcefully, angrily if need be, but always civilly. Many elected officials will respond in a petty and petulant manner as have such Senators as Barbara Boxer, such Congressmen as Nancy Castor and Russ Carnahan and the woman all Democrats elected as House Speaker. But, there are the Chris Murphys out there. And let us show them the respect he has shown our counterparts in Connecticut.
Stephen Rose '58 says it's time for David Plouffe, and lays out what he sees as the problems with the current Democratic strategy:
Now I ask for a third time, when errors are creeping into Democratic strategy, will the President have David Plouffe become the field commander of the healthcare struggle.
Here's what needs solving.
1. The current message sucks. I am using Plouffe language. The health care issue is complex and we still do not have the message we need to speak to the people we need to win.
2. Leadership is diffuse when it needs to be clear and obvious. No one is running this. That is terrible.
3. We are talking out of both sides of our mouths. We are cozying with the pharmas and saying we will not dock you more than the 80 billion you have offered. And we are casting this as an insurance battle. It is, but the contradiction needs explaining.
4. David Plouffe was as important to the success of this movement as the President was. They are the two sides we need to be whole in the struggle.
This can be solved with a phone call. I would put David in charge of the DNC and turn the DNC into OFA and let everyone yell and scream because they know this is a willing strategy. Failing that I would make him the leader of the August Health Care push.
From Chan Lowe '75:
Print • Email
In the health care debate, the president and his people have fallen down on the job by failing to articulate what all Americans, the haves as well as the have-nots, have to gain from reform. By creating a vacuum of information, they've allowed special interests to define for the nation what change may mean in their own scary and self-serving way. Like a herd of cattle, people can be spooked into stampeding if you manage to generate around them a fog of anxiety about an unknown peril; in this case, a fear of what they may lose, even though what they may now have is a lousy deal. The problem with a stampede is that once it begins, it's difficult to control. The stampede could go over a cliff, and then what would you have? Nobody left who can afford to buy your insurance, or your pharmaceuticals, or whatever else you may be peddling. Be very careful what you wish for.
|« EphBlog Mobile Edition
|Links »
29 Responses to "Chris Murphy '96 goes to the grocery store"
hwc says:
I think visceral democracy such as Representative Murphy and others are encountering is a wonderful thing. Nothing wrong with a few Congress-critters being shaken out of their comfort zone. It's good for them.
I haven't seen this level of voter anger since the protests of the Vietnam war.
[comment moved by Ronit]
hwc says:
I am worried that we are going to see some serious violence at these events. The SEIU thugs got arrested at a Florida event for beating up a protester (who was hospitalized). There is also the possibility that they start roughing up the wrong protester (like somebody's granny packing heat and in no mood to be roughed up by union enforcers). I guess there are parallels to the 1960's there, too as the government supporters got carried away with police dogs, fire hoses, tear gas, and even guns at Kent State.
Jeff S says:
Do you really think the anger extends as widely as anti-Vietnam protests did? Or is that hyperbole or wishful thinking (e.g. lets break Obama on healthcare, regardless of the policy merits or demerits).
From my own (admittedly myopic) POV, it appears to be much less widespread than the groundswell of civil disobedience, anger and unrest re: Vietnm and the draft. I have a hard time imagining that an abstract argument re: minutiae of healthcare sparks as visceral a reaction as seeing sons, classmates and neighbors kids coming home in coffins or wheelchairs year after year.
While there clearly is anxiety on healthcare – both regarding the status quo and "reform" – I don't have a lot of angry feedback from the folks to whom I talk. They may not like Obama. They may not like what they hear of his plans. But I do not hear lots of anger akin to Vietnam.
Anyone else?
Ronit says:
I'm getting more of a last-days-of-the-Weimar-Republic vibe.
Jeff S says:
Pretty sure that the thug label should be applied a little more broadly than HWC suggests:
Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA) received a fax containing the Obama-as-Joker picture and this message: "Death to All Marxists! Foreign and Domestic!" The Secret Service may now be investigating it.
Or is this just "visceral democracy?"
PTC says:
"Right wing talk radio made them do it!"
The insurance companies are not going to go down without a fight folks. There is a lot of money at stake here. No card will be left unplayed. Bet on it.
hwc says:
The anger is not about health care. The anger is about deficits, out-of-control government, and elected officials who do the bidding of their campaign contributors while thumbing their noses at the citizens. It's not even really partisan anger. It's the anger of people who believe their government is broken.
Yes, I think it's widespread. You can't manufacture it on a national basis, especially among post-college age groups. Would you give up YOUR Saturday to go holler at a congress-critter? Most of us wouldn't, unless we felt very strongly about something.
JeffZ says:
Yeah, the Vietnam comparison is pretty much as far from reality as a comparison could be. Vietnam protestors didn't have to be handed a lobbyist-sponsored handbook on how to shut down debate. They didn't require GOP operatives masquerading as regular "fed up" citizens. I'd say there was a lot more REAL grass roots anger over, say, the Iraq war, than over health care. My favorite protestor to date has been the guy screaming to "keep your goddamn government hands off my Medicaid!" The stupidity of Americans truly has no lower bound, it seems.
Hey, you can't really blame the moron like the guy featured in the video above. They are just mindlessly doing what they are told by the rabble-rousing GOP leadership, who, having no real IDEAS, is apparently too cowardly to engage in an actual debate about how we are going to fix a problem that will eventually bankrupt out nation if not addressed. When the most popular / visible Republicans' idea of "debate" is to (a) compare Obama's desire that all Americans' have health insurance to Hitler's desire to wipe out the Jewish race and (b) claim that Obama is trying to euthanize her children, is it any wonder that some of their most rabid followers follow suit?
It doesn't really matter WHAT Obama does, so long as Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachmann, Rush Limbaugh, Michael Steele (who has the honor of being merely bumbling as opposed to flat-out scary like the rest) et. al. are the most prominent GOP voices left standing, the Dems will have nothing to worry about.
JeffZ says:
Good advice to Plouffe listed above, by the way. It is much easier to have an "anti-everything" message like the GOP current is advancing than to advance a comprehensive reform message in accessible fashion. Even Bill Clinton, who was the master at the latter, ran into trouble when it came to health care, which of course is enormously complicated and no matter how it is addressed, will leave plenty of constituencies displeased. But the Dem leadership is NOT doing a good job crafting the message, and really has to use this month to get a single point person with some discipline and an ability to connect with average voters. If the economy continues to show small signs of improving, that will help of course — in the end, if six months from now unemployment is down, housing numbers are starting to turn around, and the Dow is over 10,000, it will make ANY message a heck of a lot easier to push forward. I worry that they may have pushed health care a little too soon at a time when so many folks are still more focused on economic survival.
hwc says:
Baird ought to spend less time worrying about what he calls "brownshirt" consituents and more time worrying about the Wall Street Journal feature article on his expensive junkets:
When 10 members of Congress wanted to study climate change, they did more than just dip their toes into the subject: They went diving and snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef. They also rode a cable car through the Australian rain forest, visited a penguin rookery and flew to the South Pole.
A pricy trip indeed, in the middle of a recession and trillion dollar defecits:
The South Pole trip, led by Rep. Brian Baird (D., Wash.), ranks among the priciest. The lawmakers reported a cost to taxpayers of $103,000.
That figure, however, doesn't include the actual flying, because the trip used the Air Force planes, not commercial carriers. Flight costs would lift the total tab to more than $500,000, based on Defense Department figures for aircraft per-hour operating costs.
And, as if scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef didn't teach Rep. Baird enough about "global warming", he took a second educational junket several months later to the Gallopagos Islands. Must be nice:
For Mr. Baird, the trip was one of two such excursions in six months. Last summer, he went to the Galapagos Islands with several lawmakers, also to gain expertise in climate change.
It's not hard to see why people are angry.
hwc says:
Yeah, blame it on Republican operatives, while sending in the SEIU "grassroots" to pack the townhalls. Any politician who underestimates voter anger is in for a rude surprise. Ask the people who thought Newt Gingrich was a rube prior to 1994.
I love how the media throws out the "memo" from the big wig "activist" organizer in Connecticut. They don't tell you the guy is a local whose "big-time operative" PAC has raised a grand total of $5,000 and spent $1,200. The guy must be superman, huh?
I don't honestly know who the Democrats are trying to sell their healthcare legislation to. They control the White House and fillibuster-proof super-majorities in both houses of Congress. They can pass and sign whatever they want. What's the holdup? Just pass the bill. We know that Big Pharma will be happy; they've already cut their deal.
nuts says:
The protests are well organized. Their objective is to disrupt and inhibit rather than communicate or debate. The extent to which media coverage is about the anger and protest rather than the reforms is a measure of their success.
The mobilized are largely misinformed conservatives and libertarians (present company excluded) whipped up into a frenzy about government takeover, socialism, Nazism, loss of freedom, health care reform that calls for euthanasia and death panels, and people who want 'their country back', …presumably from our racist president.
Meanwhile, 76% of the people in this country want a public plan including 58% of Republicans.
Fox News posted lists of Democratic Congressmen's events as did FreedomWorks and PatientsFirst and other corporate and corporate-funded political action organizations. There's nothing wrong with that until they try to fob themselves off as grassroots organizations. You can't take funding from Koch, be run by GOP party people, and claim grassroots status. The organization efforts are tapping into real anger stoked by right-wing media.
Some of the protesters deny party affiliation. Why?
It's hard to appreciate the anger that's being stoked by people like Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly, FOX News, and Michelle Malkin unless you watch their programs or read their blogs. Malik started a hash tag #iamthemob as a call to arms on Twitter. People are angry but it's clear that it's being stoked and abetted with misinformation.
hwc says:
If 76% of the voters support their health care plan (whatever that may be), then I don't understand why the Democrats are so worried about a few protesters. Just pass the thing and ride in the ticker tape parade if 76% support it.
nuts says:
@hwc: You'd think.
Ronit says:
My take on this is that the Democrats are underestimating the authenticity of the protesters and that the Republicans are overestimating their influence. Net net, the protesters are helping the cause of health care reform passing by making opponents of it look nutty; at the same time, Democratic legislators are cowardly enough that whatever thing entitled "health care reform" does pass will be devoid of any meaningful reform and will not come anywhere close to providing universal healthcare. So, basically, the American people will lose and almost everyone involved will embarrass themselves.
Will Slack '11 says:
@Ronit: Right on.
This whole thing is crazy – many of the voices against on Twitter seem to be bots, and the amount of lies out there is rather stupendous. The average American (I know he/she doesn't exist) is going to see these people, hear their theories, and disregard them.
Obama is not setting appointments to kill Trig Palin, for example.
Ronit says:
And, fwiw, I found Krugman's NYT oped yesterday to be more embarrassing and cringe-worthy than anything in that video. Does anyone even bother to read his pieces before publishing?
I agree with Blatt that supporters of healthcare reform could learn a lot from Murphy's response (quoted above).
And I also think Rose is correct when he says that the Democrats are blowing it.
hwc says:
Better take the issue of "end-of-life" care up the editorial page of Pravda… er…. I mean the Washington Post. Or, maybe are paid Republican operatives, too?
Ideally, the delicate decisions about how to manage life's end would be made in a setting that is neutral in both appearance and fact. Yes, it's good to have a doctor's perspective. But Section 1233 goes beyond facilitating doctor input to preferring it. Indeed, the measure would have an interested party — the government — recruit doctors to sell the elderly on living wills, hospice care and their associated providers, professions and organizations. You don't have to be a right-wing wacko to question that approach.
As it happens, I have a living will and a durable power of attorney for health care. I'm glad I do. I drew them up based on publicly available medical information, in consultation with my family and a lawyer. No authority figure got paid by federal bean-counters to influence me. I have a hunch I'm not the only one who would rather do it that way.
The problem here is that politicians are swimming against a strong, and well-earned, current of complete and total mistrust. Do you believe a word that comes out of a Congressman's or Senator's mouth? It not our checks they are cashing. It's not our water they are carrying. And, everyone knows it.
Ronit says:
@hwc: The Washington Post's editorial page is, if anything, even more embarrassing than the NYT and the WSJ editorial pages. All three have basically zero connection to reality.
hwc says:
many of the voices against on Twitter seem to be bots
Personally, I don't see Twitter as the most trusted name in news, but the reason the bots are up in arms is two-fold:
a) The Dems are selling them down the river with a diluted public plan.
b) The administration just cut a deal with big Pharma and got taken for a ride, with a miniscule $8 billion a year in "savings" over ten years. To put that into perspective, I've read that they made $8 billion in windfall profits the first year the Medicare prescription benefit plan went into effect. Their bill, of course, continues to prohibit the important of low-cost drugs. In exchange, they are funding a campaign in support of the Dem's health care plan (whatever that may be). I'm willing to bet that they have also "taken care of" Chris Dodd, thank-you very much, which is going to cause some blowback for Murphy in Connecticut. Such is life in the fast lane of lobbiest money.
hwc says:
The Washington Post's editorial page is, if anything, even more embarrassing than the NYT and the WSJ editorial pages. All three have basically zero connection to reality.
You are preachin' to the choir on that. Trust me, I am not a regular Maureen Dowd reader.
I personally believe our political system will be far better off the day both of those papers go out of business.
Ronit says:
@hwc: What Will means by "bots" is there are scripts that are programmed to automatically post things on twitter or Facebook; these posts are pretty obviously not coming from actual people. It's the political equivalent of spam.
(must… resist… linking to Sarah Palin's Facebook page as an example)
hwc says:
Oh, those "bots". It is, of course, also a term for young Obama supporters.
The Obama "bots" are also up in arms. Many of them are just starting to figure out that politicians don't keep their campaign promises. See "gays in the military".
Jeff S says:
Apparently deficits don't matter until there is a D after leadership's name.
Yes unions have a long and checkered past regarding strong arm tactics. But the mining companies in Harlin County weren't playing nice either. Please, take your rose colered glasses off and tell the teabaggers to put their swastikas away.
This country sorely misses the GOP's former fiscal discipline. However, over the last 28 years – including Obama's first six months – I would say the D's have shown a firmer (very imperfect) backbone regarding fiscal discipline.
Anyone care to recollect when this country last showed a surplus? Which party most recently enacted an unfunded entitlement? Which administration most recently adopted a "guns and butter" fiscal policy?
Yes, the deficit is worrying – but a very legitimate case can be made for deficit spending when the demand side of the economy collapses. The real fiscal crisis is not one caused by the current and severe cyclical downturn. It is the longterm unsustainability of entitlements – including our newest courtesy of W.
Are the odds better of entitlement reform under a D administration or an R administration? Didn't it take the red baiter Nixon to go to China? I don't know the answer. Both parties have a great deal to answer for on the question. But the R's don't have much credibility on the side of fiscal sanity at this point.
And where were these "enthusiastic" democrats (with a little d) when the national debt doubled under the pior Admin?
Just askin'.
PTC says:
"hwc says:
The anger is not about health care. The anger is about deficits, out-of-control government, and elected officials who do the bidding of their campaign contributors while thumbing their noses at the citizens. It's not even really partisan anger. It's the anger of people who believe their government is broken."
uh… no it is not. It is about control. Control of the money. These same fools did not even blink while Bush buried our hard earned dollars in the sand in Iraq. These clowns would do this if called to do so against the very thing they support, if asked. It is not rational. Stop pretending it is. This is the right wing gone wild… like girls gone wild.
Show me your tits! That is about what this merits, on the scale of rationalism. These fools are drunk. Just plain drunk.
PTC says:
nuts says:
There's also a bot called @mobwatch that says it is recording the twitter handles, names, and locations of everyone who posts a tweet with the hashcode #iamthemob. You can check it out.
Chris Delia says:
Independent candidate JOHN PISTONE for the 5th congressional
district of Connecticut. http://www.pistoneforcongress.org
"Progress ahead of politics"
Trackbacks & Pingbacks:
Pingback from GayPatriot » Only Way to Lower the Heat* is For Obama to Do So*(in Health Care Debate)
August 15th, 2009 at 4:00 am
[…] reasons the debate over health care reform has gotten out of control is that many (but, fortunately not all) Democrats and their allies in the mainstream media, have by and large focused on the most extreme […]
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post
If a comment you submitted does not show up, please email us at eph at ephblog dot com. Please note that commenters are required to use a valid email address when submitting comments.


text:
Seattle's Design Review Program has a lot of upcoming meetings for new projects in the New Year, but one in particular has caught our attention. Meet 9002 Greenwood Ave N, a brand new four-story, 48-unit microhousing development in Greenwood. As far as we know, this is the first microhousing project to proceed through design review under the new microhousing rules. But before we get to the details of this project, we want to bring you up to speed on the new microhousing code.
A Bit of Background
Way back in October, the City Council adopted an ordinance to specifically regulate microhousing developments in the city. The adoption of new rules was in response to significant, longstanding concern amongst community groups, activists, and residents about microhousing and congregate housing projects. Previously, these developments were subject to the same rules that applied to all congregate housing developments like dormitories and senior housing. Projects would often proceed as townhouses by proposing maximum ratios of bedrooms to shared kitchen and bathroom facilities. The City responded with a new set of rules to treat micorhousing and congregate housing differently in three key ways: separate definitions and intent, zoning district-specific rules, and the rigor of review by project scale.
Separate definition and intent. Microhousing and congregate housing are now clarified in the code as separate uses. In essence, microhousing are differentiated by the character of the living arrangement. Microhousing is geared toward independent living of residents in "small efficiency dwelling units". Units required to be a minimum size of 220 square feet and contain a full kitchen. Previously, groups of eight sleeping rooms with a shared kitchen were permissible. Meanwhile, congregate housing is now geared more toward the elderly, infirmed, disabled, and students. Unlike small efficiency dwelling units, the Land Use Code explicitly discourages private kitchens and places no minimum size on units in congregate housing living arrangements.
Zone district-specific rules. Microhousing is effectively restricted to zones that permit multifamily dwelling uses like mixed use zones, commercial zones, and lowrise and midrise residential zones. Private congregate housing developments, however, are further restricted to only Urban Villages and Urban Centers with high density zoning types like Neighborhood Commercial 3, Midrise Multifamily, and Downtown zones. Although, exceptions are granted when congregate housing developments are owned by or affiliated with colleges, social welfare providers, and licensed support services.
Project review by scale. Most new microhousing and congregate housing projects are subject to some form of design review. As you can see in the table below, the entry threshold for design review begins at 5,000 square feet of gross floor area. This is basically the total square footage of a building. In the instance of the Greenwood project, the gross floor area is anticipated to be between 17,415 square feet and 18,694 square feet. Therefore, the project is subject Administrative Design Review, a type of design review that is geared toward a shorter process of public and neighborhood feedback on priority design issues.
Greenwood Project
The Greenwood microhousing will be located at the corner of Greenwood Ave N and N 90th St. The area is currently zoned as C1-40, a commecial/mixed use zone with a maximum height of 40 feet. The applicant is proposing a four-story apartment building, which meets the 40-foot maximum for the zone. At least 48 units will be provided, but the applicant is exploring an option to maximize the site with 50 units. Project amenities include a rooftop deck with green space, some private patios, and bike storage on the ground floor.
The site does present some challenges given that the eastern portion is steeply sloped. To address this, the applicant plans to retain the building into the sloped hillside. As you can see in the massing comparisons below, two structures are immediately adjacent to the site. On the north, there is a four-story apartment building while on the east there is a single-story single-family residence (which is also zoned C1-40). Despite how close the single-family residence may appear to the proposed structure, the applicant plans to maintain at least a 7-foot setback from the east property line.
The applicant is proposing three different massing options* for the new microhousing building (as seen above). To illustrate these, the applicant analyzed each option in detail through their design review submittal materials. I'll provide some broad comparisons between the options based upon that as follows:
- Options A and B would have 48 units while Option C (the applicant's preferred option) would have 50 units.
- Options A and C would have the most continuous frontage on Greenwood Ave N.
- Options A and B would accentuate the corner by projecting it toward the street.
- Option C would modulate the primary facade, but would leave overhanging facades on the north and south sides.
- Options A and B would have corner entries while Option B would have an entry toward the center on Greenwood Ave N.
- Option B would stepback the fourth floor from the south side.
- Options A and C would have the most opportunity for landscaping along Greenwood Ave N frontage.
These are just a few of the comparisons that can be made between the options. But the issues of the project proposal could of course expand far beyond the scope of just these details. I do want to bring up one issue worth mentioning: frontage setbacks. Urbanists are often concerned with how much a building is setback, and in this instance the streets and sidewalk present an odd circumstance.
This project proposal consists of deep setbacks along both street frontages. Neither of these are exactly by the applicant's choosing. The frontage of Greenwood Ave N has a very wide public right-of-way (90 feet to be exact). The applicant's proposed layout would in effect have the apartment built right up to edge of the Greenwood right-of-way–even though the sidewalk does not begin for another 15 feet from that point.
How to Get Involved
If you're interested in attending the community design review meeting, you can do so next week. The Northeast Design Review Board will convene its meeting at the Ballard Community Center located at 6020 28th Ave NW. The meeting starts promptly at 6.30pm and begins with a presentation by the applicant, followed by Q&A from Board, and ultimately an opportunity for public comment.
Alternatively, you can submit comments on the project to the project planner, Lindsay King. Should you choose to comment via e-mail, please ensure that you do so before Monday if you would like Lindsay to incorporate your comments into the Design Review Board packets. It is helpful to quote the project number (3018316 in this case), and comments should be carbon copied to firstname.lastname@example.com. In order to be most effective, comment on issues that fall under the citywide and Greenwood/Phinney design review guidelines.
*It should be noted that these are the preliminary massings of the proposed structure. Further refinement of materials, architectural features, and layout modifications will be made in response to comments and feedback at a later stage.
We hope you loved this article. If so, please consider subscribing or donating. The Urbanist is a non-profit that depends on donations from readers like you.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Interesting Find Interlude: What is This?
A good friend, Wintery Knight, recently posted the following on his excellent blog. I was going to save it for an activity series I plan to post on soon, but thought it was too interesting to sit on for so long.
Take a look at the picture to the left with your kids.
What does it look like?
What do you think it is?
Where is it located?
What does it to?
No peeking at the answer until you've come up with your own thoughts to the question above!
Okay, ready for the answer?
And the answer is … this is a picture of microscopic gears that are inside the body of an 'issus', which is a kind of planthopper insect!
These gears are located at the top of the adolescent issus' legs and help it to jump. It takes the issus 2 milliseconds (faster than a blink) to engage these gears and jump skyward at a rate of nearly 400 g's (or 20 times faster than the speed a human body could withstand). The issus is less than 1/10th of an inch long but can jump up to a speed of 8 mph! And for some reason the issus only has these gears in adolescence. They change into a more typical mechanism for jumping once the issus is an adult.
"Gregory Sutton, coauthor of the paper and insect researcher at the University of Bristol, suspects the shape of the issus's gear is particularly apt for the job it does. It's built for "high precision and speed in one direction," he says. "It's a prototype for a new type of gear.""
Notice the word "built" in the quote. Something like this screams of design inside the body of the issus! Read Wintery Knight's summary of the article for more details.
If our Christian faith is true and the God of the Bible really does exist, then we should find His fingerprints all over the universe and the life He created. These mechanical gears inside the issus are one demonstration of that. They cannot be explained away by evolution. We see things that we recognize buried deep inside creation – in this case gears that look similar to the ones you'd see in a human-built machine.
I'll talk more about this kind of thing in the future when I post a series called "Finding the Fingerprints of God." Our kids found this kind of information really interesting and it gave them a different glimpse of God.
One CommentLeave a Comment
Shannon / Dec 2 2013 7:43 pm
Also look at this – isn't our Creator amazing?


text:
One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc.
Full Game
More action, more characters, stronger enemies and an improved gameplay in the latest collaboration between TOEI ANIMATION, KOEI TECMO GAMES and BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment!
Enjoy the original story of ONE PIECE from Fuschia village, where everything has started, to the kingdom of Dressrosa, a mysterious island dominated by the evil Donquixote Doflamingo.
Will your resolution be strong enough to defeat the most dangerous foes, including Doflamingo, Hordy Jones, Ceasar Clown and many more?
Gather every member of the Straw Hat Crew, like in the original story, sail to the most emblematic places and enter the most epic battles: Marineford, Fish-Man Island, Punk Hazard and Dressrosa!
Additional hardware required for Remote Play.
Use of PSN and SEN account are subject to the Terms of Service and User Agreement and applicable privacy policy (see terms at sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/terms-of-service & sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/privacy-policy). *Online multiplayer also requires a PlayStation®Plus subscription.
1-2 players
Network Players 2-2
12GB minimum save size
Remote Play
1080p HD Video Output
Online Play (Optional)
Software subject to license (us.playstation.com/softwarelicense). Online activity subject to Terms of Services and User Agreement (www.playstationnetwork.com/terms-of-service). One-time license fee for play on account's designated primary PS4™ system and other PS4™ systems when signed in with that account.
©EIICHIRO ODA/SHUEISHA, TOEI ANIMATION. License coordinated by FUNimation® Productions, Ltd.
Game©2015 BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.
Developed by KOEI TECMO GAMES CO.,LTD.


text:
Heat & Power
An Efficient and Reliable Source of Power
For businesses frustrated by the high cost of electricity, combined heat and power systems (CHPs) offer a compelling on-site generation option that is both efficient and reliable. In addition, the low price of natural gas, which drives these systems, along with many state and federal incentives, make distributed generation systems such as CHPs a smart way to slash energy expenses. In fact, many businesses can save up to 50% on their energy, heating and cooling costs using CHPs.
Combined Heat and Power (CHP), or cogeneration, is an efficient and environmentally conscious approach to traditional power generation. CHP systems provide less expensive heat and electricity, are more efficient than conventional systems, are more reliable, and they reduce pollutants in the air.
Instead of venting the waste heat given off during power generation, a CHP captures it and turns it into usable chilled water, hot water, or steam. By reusing waste heat, CHPs can reach efficiencies of over 80% while conventional systems typically go no higher than 50%. The result is savings on energy costs, a reduced environmental footprint, more reliable power, and reduced electric transmission grid congestion.
For some companies and organizations unreliable electricity service poses large business, safety, and health risks. The on-site nature of CHP means that it can be designed to support continued operations and generate power in case of a disaster or grid disruption. A CHP system can be configured to run on a large variety of different fuel types, this list includes natural gas, coal, bio-gas, and biomass. Consequently, a company or organization can be built with fuel switching capability to hedge against increasing fuel prices.
At Balanced Rock Energy, we can help you determine if a CHP solution is right for you and your business, and, if it is, get it up and running – and integrated into your power mix – as quickly as possible.


text:
Aurelia aurita are found near the coast, in mostly warm and tropical waters (but they can withstand temperatures as low as -6 and as high as 31 degrees Celsius). They are prevalent in both inshore seas and oceans.
Their habitat includes the costal waters of all zones, and they occur in huge numbers. They are known to live in brackish waters with as low a salt content as 0.6%. Decreased salinity in the water diminishes the bell curvature, and vice versa. An optimum temperature for the animals is 9 - 19 degrees Celsius.
These animals range between 5 and 40 cm.. They can be recognized by their delicate and exquisite coloration, often in patterns of spots and streaks.
Sexual maturity in Aurelia aurita commonly occurs in the spring and summer. The eggs develop in gonads located in pockets formed by the frills of the oral arms. The gonads are commonly the most recognizable part of the animal, because of their deep and conspicuous coloration. The gonads lie at the bottom of the stomach. Males and females are distinct and reproduction is sexual.
Their behavior depends on a number of external conditions, in particular, food supply. Aurelia swim by pulsations of the bell-shaped upper part of the anima. Swimming mostly functions to keep the animal at the surface of the water rather than to make progress through the water. They swim horizontally, keeping the bell near the surface at all times. This allows the tenticles to be spread over the largest possible area, in order to better catch food. The coronal muscle allows the animal to pulsate in order to move. Impulses to contract are sent by way of the subumbrellar nerve net and are nervous in origin. The Moon Jelly has rhopalial centers, which allow it to control the pulsations. As the oxygen rate in the water goes down, so too does the resiratory rate of the jellyfish.
The Saucer Jelly is carnivorous and feeds on plankton. Their primary foods include small plankton organisms such as mollusks, crustaceans, tunicate larvae, copepods, rotifers, nematods, young polychaetes, protozoans, diatoms, and eggs. They are also sometimes observed to eat small hydromedusae and ctenophores. These foods collect chiefly on the surface of the animal, where they become entangled in mucus. Food items are then passed on to the margins by flagellar action, where they collect on the lappets. They are then moved, again by flagellar currents, along eight separate canals, which are unique to this species of jellyfish. These canals branch off and run into the stomach, and they bring the food to it via the ring canal.
Represent an important step in pelagic organic matter transformations.
Predation on copepods and fish larvae. May significantly affect a plankton community through predation.
They are very plentiful.
Roberto J. Rodriguez (author), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.
the body of water between Africa, Europe, the southern ocean (above 60 degrees south latitude), and the western hemisphere. It is the second largest ocean in the world after the Pacific Ocean.
body of water between the southern ocean (above 60 degrees south latitude), Australia, Asia, and the western hemisphere. This is the world's largest ocean, covering about 28% of the world's surface.
the nearshore aquatic habitats near a coast, or shoreline.
animals which must use heat acquired from the environment and behavioral adaptations to regulate body temperature
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
a form of body symmetry in which the parts of an animal are arranged concentrically around a central oral/aboral axis and more than one imaginary plane through this axis results in halves that are mirror-images of each other. Examples are cnidarians (Phylum Cnidaria, jellyfish, anemones, and corals).
structure produced by the calcium carbonate skeletons of coral polyps (Class Anthozoa). Coral reefs are found in warm, shallow oceans with low nutrient availability. They form the basis for rich communities of other invertebrates, plants, fish, and protists. The polyps live only on the reef surface. Because they depend on symbiotic photosynthetic algae, zooxanthellae, they cannot live where light does not penetrate.
Coleman, N. 1991. Encyclopedia of Marine Animals. Blandford: London, U.K. 33.
Hernroth, L. and Grondahl, F. 1983. On the Biology of Aurelia Aurita. Ophelia, 22(2):189-199.
Hyman, L. 1940. The Invertebrates: Protazoa through Ctenophora. Mc Graw Hill Inc., New York. 497-538.
Malej, A. Faganeli, J. and Pezdic, J. 1993. Stable isotope and biochemical fractionation in the marine pelagic food chain. Marine Biology, 116(4): 565-570.


text:
Last night, I stayed up an hour or so past my bedtime to be with new friends. I ended up having trouble sleeping. That made waking up difficult. That made getting to the gym difficult. I'm now running late for a big day with a big event.
Decisions are Dominos
Our choices tip other choices closer or further away from us. "It's just one cookie" is a choice further from our fitness goals. "I'll call her later" is a choice away from a business goal. "200 words on my book today is plenty" is a choice away from your publishing goal.
Your decisions do have follow on effects. Tip over one decision and it'll knock all your dominoes off onto new patterns.
It's not to say that everything is fragile. It's not to say that you can't be flexible. It's not to say that you can't choose to live outside of your structure and plan. But know that every choice you make will smash into another choice and there WILL be a follow on impact.
What Decisions Are You Making Without Much Thought?
It wasn't until I stopped eating bad food that I learned just how much it affected my general health. I got all of one cold this entire winter season, and that was basically sniffles for two days. Meanwhile, all my friends who just came back from a big week long drinking session disguised as a "conference" are all reporting SARS-like symptoms from their beds. Decisions.
I didn't make a single sales call yesterday. Decisions like that will put me out of business eventually. Thus, I have to choose a different set of actions, lest I find myself wondering where my business went.
Which decisions do you need to change up in your life?


text:
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
10 Comments:
- Mata Hari said...
I read it and I got the chills. I can't believe people like that exist....so brave.
- Mata Hari said...
I read it and got the chills.
- said...
Did she say this before or after her son was killed. If the latter, it isnt saying much.
- eem said...
- Jameel @ The Muqata said...
anonymous: She said this during the week of shiva. The week prior when she was under the impression that her son was still alive, she emphatically stated on the news that she trusted the judgement of the IDF.
- said...
Its called human nature. Her son was killed; there is another young man who is still being held and the idf is currently contemplating negotiations. The mother whose son was killed will most likely be resentful that her son died while the govt may negotiate a release for the soldier.
Its quite easy to say "dont negotiate" when you no longer have anything to lose. This is not what she was saying while her son was alive.
- eem said...
I still don't think that it's "not saying much". A mother in her position might feel resentful and say "don't negotiate"; she also might feel resentful toward the Israeli govt and say just the opposite. The fact that she can make peace with what happened and still speak with respect toward the army that her son died for. It could be that hearing Gilad's mother speak is what's behind the strong feelings here, but I don't think that the "don't negotiate" coming from her is a statement made without thought.
- Jameel @ The Muqata said...
The mother whose son was killed will most likely be resentful that her son died while the govt may negotiate a release for the soldier.
The mother's entire interview was far from resentful. If anything, I find it remarkable that while sitting shiva for her son, she didn't have a bad word of condemnation to anyone (except the terrorists).
And as I wrote previously, while she wasn't askes specifically about negotiations the week before, she DID say that she trust the IDF and Defense Ministery 100%.
That says quite alot. She didn't say - Negotiate/Don't Negotiate, since she WASN'T ASKED. (or if she was, I never heard that interview).
Why don't you give her a break?
- said...
Very nice site! »
- said...


text:
Young Patron February Membership Special
February 03, 2017
Purchase a Young Patron membership during the month of February and receive an additional young patron membership free to share with a friend. Learn more about Young Patron memberships and join today.
Young Patron Happy Hour
Maryland Hall is hosting a free happy hour in the galleries on Thursday, February 23rd from 5-7 pm. This is an opportunity to view artwork, learn more about the Young Patrons, and enjoy wine from Great Frogs Winery.
RSVP to the FREE Happy Hour Here. Those who RSVP in advance will be entered to win admission for 1 to the Sip and Paint with Kim Hovell on Thursday, March 2nd at Maryland Hall.


text:
Friday, 17 March 2017
IHMN Venusian Self Propelled Artillery/ AoS Oldhammer Stegadon Mash-Up
Now, as it happens, the Oldhammer Stegadon is more like a Triceratops and, as it happens, by chance I have a few very old Natural History Museum Triceratops knocking around. :)
6 comments:
Dear John,ReplyDelete
I recall Night of the Lepus--a mob of killer rabbits. Apparently the big problem (aside from the plot) was that if rabbits were fed, they quietly digested instead of rushing downhill toward the menaced house. If they were hungry, they stopped and browsed instead of rushing.
I wonder if the stegodons had that problem also?
Great to see a Dinosaur not so busy that he cant stop and sniff the flowers. Looks great. cheersReplyDeleteReplies
He's an aesthetic dinosaur....Delete
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Please take a moment to review Hachette Book Group's updated Privacy Policy: read the updated policy here.
I Never Thought I'd See the Day!
Culture at the Crossroads
Is Western civilization in an accelerating decline? And if it continues will it eventually weaken and cause us to come to the end of cultured civilization as we now know it? "Yes," says David Jeremiah, and in his book, I NEVER THOUGHT I'D SEE THE DAY! he details numerous signs of this cultural decay including:Read More
- America held hostage by Iran
- Marriage becoming obsolete
- Creeping socialism
- The invisibility of culture's enemies
- Increase in "spiritual warfare"
- America turning its back on Israel
- Atheist attack on religion
By clicking 'Sign Up,' I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Hachette Book Group's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use


text:
For all enquiries, please telephone or email us using the details below:
Telephone: 07939 566 371
© A-Tec Plumbing and Heating 2018
Privacy and Cookies Policy
We use cookies to improve our website and your experience when using it. Cookies used for the essential operation of the site have already been set. To find out more about the cookies we use and how to delete them, see our privacy policy.


text:
How To Integrate Salts TV Shows Into Kodi Library
For those of you who are worried about your Tv Show library after Genesis have no fear. You can do the exact same thing with SALTS (Stream all the Sources). Just follow the guide below and you will not miss a episode.
Step 1. Select Video then Files.
Step 3. Select Browse.
Step 4. Now you will need to navigate to the SALTS library. This will vary depending on which device you are using. To make it easier for you I have listed the directory paths below:
Windows: C:Users{user_name}AppDataRoamingKodiuserdataaddon_dataplugin.video.saltsTVShows
Android: {storage}/Android/data/org.xbmc.kodi/files/.kodi/userdata/addon_data/plugin.video.salts/TVShows
iOS: /private/var/mobile/Library/Preferences/Kodi/userdata/addon_data/plugin.video.salts/TVShows
/Users/{user_name}/Library/Application Support/Kodi/userdata/addon_data/plugin.video.salts/TVShows
Step 5. Once you have navigated to the correct path select and then add TV Shows as a media source name. Then select Ok.
Step 6. We now need to tell Kodi what the folder contains. In this case it will be Tv Shows, select none and scroll down to Tv Shows. Then select Ok.
Step 7. Kodi will now ask if you wish to refresh content. Select Yes.
Step 8. Scraper will now scan and refresh all content that you have added to your library. Return to Home Screen and select Tv Shows and you should start seeing your content. If you have a lot of shows in your library this may take a while to finish.
Now enjoy all your favourite Tv Shows. You can repeat this guide for your Movies.


text:
Online Job Websites Offering Well Paid Hospital Jobs
There are so many online portals available on the internet where anyone can post ads for vacancies. Day by day the popularity of these portals are increasing as more students and professional are taking help of these platforms. Not just experienced people but even fresher are finding many great opportunities through these places. But the best thing about such platforms is that they benefit both the candidates as well as the companies. It is not possible for the companies to go searching for the right candidates all over the country. Through the internet, all these firms get access to the hundreds of eligible candidates who are searching for jobs.
Not only this, there are many other benefits of posting vacancy ads on online job portals. The most important benefit is the state-of-the-art tools that are used for filtration purposes in these portals. With the help of the advanced filtration criteria and the latest technologies, the employers can reach the target candidates in the most efficient, fast and easy way. Most online job portals provide their users with more than thirty unique search criteria through which they can filter out the candidates who are not eligible. If you are a job seeker, then you will find all types of opportunities at these platforms especially Health Care Jobs.
There are plenty of organizations that are willing to Hire Nurses, who are highly skilled and experienced. Another striking feature of these job portals is that you will find the specific ones that are focused on a particular field of work, and you will also find the ones that offer all types of jobs from different industries. If you are looking for Medical Jobs, then you should know that there are many job portals that are focused specifically just on this industry. In these websites, you will find all the jobs that are offered by the various hospitals and health care centers.
You will even find many opportunities if you are looking for Therapist Jobs. All you have to do is search the internet, and you will find the different job portals that are focused solely on the vacancies available in the health care industry. The advanced tools that are used for screening and sorting help both the employers and the employees to get in touch with the right person without wasting time. Not only the employers but such websites are very much beneficial for the candidates too.
It helps the potential employees to reach out to the brands with which they would love to work. With just a click, they can apply to the top most brands and can get their dream job. The wide scope that is provided by these platforms to the candidates enables them to choose from an array of national and multinational companies. This way they can get access to the jobs in industries, companies and locations that was otherwise impossible for them. Some of the jobs offered in such places are exclusive and are not advertised anywhere else. So if you are looking for Hospital Jobs, all you have to do is upload your resume, and you will be contacted directly by the organizations.


text:
(CNN) - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke headed back to the classroom Tuesday, and defended the Fed against its most outspoken critic, Ron Paul.
In a lecture otherwise about Fed history and the Great Depression, Bernanke devoted four slides to discussing "problems of the gold standard."FULL STORY
RP is pushing for parallel currencies not a gold standard.
Bernanke is full of it, this is one of the major reasons why our country is failing.. Hurry up people we dont have much time left..
Ron Paul wants us all live like "The Waltons" with a barter economy. Recall his response to Wolf Blitzer about someone without health insurance. Paul suggested that they could go to their church and raise money. Is he serious? A church bake sale?
Apparently the way the Fed has been keeping interest rates at zero to try unsuccessfully to recover the housing market ( on the backs of seniors as it turns out ), a more appropriate system would be a Dirt Standard.
What does Bernanke know? C'mon! He's just some guy who was head professor of economics at Princeton, and is now head professor of economics at GWU... And ok, maybe he had a stint as Federal Reserve chairman, and has spent his entire life looking at the 'big picture' of American monetary policy...
But Please – how could his opinions POSSIBLY be more informed or carry more weight than an MD who has spent the last 30 years pandering to the 'Joe-the-Plumbers' of the world to get re-elected?
(hope you caught the sarcasm – I'm laying it on pretty thick)
Bernanke is saying that, because he may be out of a Job, if that happens.
Usually, if I have a leak in the basement, I call the plumber, not the painter. Likewise, I tend to trust the informed opinions of a professional (and academic) economist over those of a MD when it comes to issues related to macroeconomics and monetary policy. I must be wrong .....
please shut up if you do not have the same level of education as Bernanke on this topic. most comments here are ridiculous
Why gold? You can't eat it. There is nothing magic about gold. Its just a rock. You can make jewelry out of it I suppose but it has no inherent value. Like everything else, its only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Why not have an currency based on wine or Joe DiMaggio rookie baseball cards or unblemished goats? They all make as much sense as gold.
2607 - please shut up if you do not have the same level of education as Bernanke on this topic. most comments here are ridiculous
What a perfect little sheep you must be!!! Dinner bell rings, hurry along now little sheep.
Voice of Reason
What does Bernanke know? C'mon! He's just some guy who was head professor of economics at Princeton, and is now head professor of economics at GWU...
As with the Chief Law professor, academic credentials are well, academic. Making something work in the real world is a different set of challenges. In the federal government, results are more impressive.
I don't pretend to have Bernake's knowledge of economics. Pretending a crazed OBGYN has that kind of knowledge is plain ridiculous.
@Four and Truth, spot on as usual. As far as Bernanke's credentials, well, there is a saying, "those who can, do. Those who can't, teach." What was it Bernanke did at Princeton? Oh yeah, he was a teacher. 'nuff said.


text:
As I mentioned in my preview post last week, this past Saturday was the official launch party of Connecticut's newest brewery – Back East Brewing Company!
Located in Bloomfield, CT, Back East was founded by cousins Tony Karlowicz and Ed Fabrycki, who started homebrewing together back in 2006. Since then they have experimented with and perfected their homebrew recipes, and a few years ago began to put a plan in place to open their own brewery. This weekend was the culmination of all of their hard work over the past 6 years!
I took the train up to CT on Friday night, and on Saturday afternoon my friends Heather, Matt & I headed over to Bloomfield. Parking is behind the brewery, but as we approached, we saw two guys out front holding signs that read…
… and they were directing people to park in the lots across the street. Honestly, could you ask for a better sign that your opening is going well?! 🙂
Behind the loading dock was where all the action was, and after showing our IDs, we were given a cup, a string of tickets, and a card outlining the event!
They had a number of tents set up outside, with two serving stations featuring their beers, and there was a third tasting station inside the brewery's tasting room. There was also food available for purchase, courtesy of Smokin' with Chris!
Just after 1pm, Tony kicked off the ribbon-cutting ceremony by thanking everyone for being there to celebrate with them, and giving us a little background on just how they got to be there! Next up was Senator Richard Blumenthal, who congratulated Tony & Ed on their success, and promised to lower taxes on CT brewers! Huzzah! There were more speeches from State Represenative David Baram, as well as Bloomfield's Mayor and Deputy Mayor, Sydney T. Schulman and Wayne Hypolite, respectively. While the speeches may have gone on a bit, it was definitely awesome to see such public support for the brewery from local and state officials – and it was easy to hear the pride from each one of the speakers!
You can watch a video of the full ceremony here!
After the ceremony, Heather, Matt and I walked around and sampled their beers, and then I hit up the store! I got myself a growler of their Golden Ale, along with four of their inaugural edition 750 ml bottles of Imperial Stout! Can't wait to see how those puppies age 🙂 I also managed to pick myself up a t-shirt and pint glass!
As I mentioned in my other post, I'm super excited for Tony & Ed… and love that I was able to be there a few years ago to share in their excitement when the idea for Back East was just starting to form… and I wouldn't have missed their opening for anything! 🙂
Meanwhile, you can follow them on Twitter and Facebook, or you can visit them in Bloomfield, CT!
The tasting room is open as follows:
Wenesday – Friday: 4pm-7pm
Saturday: Noon – 4pm
Tours: Saturdays at noon, 1pm, 2pm, and 3pm
Here's a rundown of the beers that Back East is offering! (descriptions from their website)
In 1/2 gallon growlers and on draft…
Back East Ale – Our Flagship offering, Back East Ale is a medium-bodied amber ale. This amber-colored beer features a subtle fruity aroma with hints of vanilla and peach. It has a smooth malt character that is nicely balanced with just a slight hop bitterness and a clean, crisp finish. Once you taste this favorite, we're sure you'll be reaching for another "Back East"!
Golden Ale – Back East Golden Ale is a deep golden, light-bodied American-style ale. This West-coast style beer has a smooth, crisp taste, accentuated by a light malt character and even hop balance. This easy drinking, thirst-quenching beer appeals to a broad range of beer drinkers whether they are a seasoned enthusiast or a Craft beer beginner.
Misty Mountain IPA – Misty Mountain is a great example of the American-style India Pale Ale synonymous with Craft Beer. Originally brewed for sailors on shipping routes between England and India, British IPAs are known for their strong hop bitterness, which were added as a preservative for the long voyage. The American adaptation is decidedly stronger and offers a more robust hop bite. Back East IPA is no exception. This assertively hopped beer has a great hoppy aroma, crisp hop bite, and smooth medium body.
Porter – Back East Porter is a full-bodied chestnut brown porter with notes of chocolate and caramel. This hearty beer offers a thick light brown head and is hopped just enough to offset the sweet maltiness and roasty undertone. This bold beer is refreshing enough to be enjoyed year round, but is at its best as a satisfying winter warmer or paired with a grilled steak, pork roast, or a burger.
In 750ml bottles…
Imperial IPA – One of our premium offerings, our Imperial IPA is shamelessly hopped with American hops from the Pacific Northwest. This Imperial IPA has a medium amber appearance with a robust hop aroma. We know you will enjoy its bold, but balanced flavors as much as we do! Imperial IPA is unfiltered and bottle conditioned.
Imperial Stout – Back East's Imperial Stout is a full-bodied ale brewed with several varieties of dark roasted malt. It has a complex malt character with underlying hints of coffee and chocolate. A generous amount of English hops gives this ale a pronounced hop profile. This robust ale is unfiltered and bottle conditioned.
Stop by and visit the guys at Back East… & tell them The Hops Honey sent you! 🙂


text:
Terry's House is a temporary residence for families whose loved ones are critically ill or injured and receiving care at Community Regional Medical Center.
The 20-room house, across the street from the hospital in downtown Fresno, was built through and is entirely maintained by gifts from the community.
"It was a godsend," said Yvonne Frear, a Texas college professor who spent nine months at Terry's House while her husband Philip recovered from a fiery truck crash. She and her mother-in-law were the first residents when Terry's House opened in 2011.
"The location was perfect as it was as far as I could stand to be away from Philip, and yet, as close as I could be to Philip."
Since its January 2011 opening Terry's House has provided lodging for 2,583 families from:


text:
Proposed Glen Cove 'vested rights' law draws critics
A Glen Cove City Council proposed law to give the developer of the Glen Isle waterfront project "vested rights" to prevent a change of zoning on the property for 12 years during construction has drawn criticism from Republicans.
At a hearing Tuesday night, Democratic Mayor Ralph Suozzi and the majority Democrats on the council agreed with the developer that providing the guarantee will expedite construction of the $1 billion mixed-use project and payments by the firm to the city. "It adds certainty," Suozzi said.
The council deferred action until after a third night of public hearings on March 12.
Before the meeting, Mitchell Hochberg, managing director for developer RXR Realty, explained the desire for the "vested rights" law.
"It could take 5 to 10 years for the actual construction because of the scale," he said. "We are investing tens of millions of dollars at the inception of the project and a substantial amount of that money is going to public infrastructure including parks and other amenities."
He said to recoup that money later, the developer needs to know the zoning and the specifics of the project will not change before the building is completed.
"This is a mechanism to allow us to be comfortable and attract financing," said Hochberg, who added this technique is used across the country, and in New Jersey vested rights are often granted for up to 20 years.
During the hearing, Councilman Reginald Spinello, an Independence Party member who also ran on the GOP line, said, "They really don't need this to go forward," adding that it could work out that the developer "gets his 12 years and actually builds nothing."
Councilman Anthony Gallo Jr., a Republican, suggested the vested rights be given for a shorter period to make sure the developer is doing what is expected.
Most of the handful of residents who spoke opposed the proposed law. David Nieri said the proposal provides no incentive for the developer to expedite the project and "our hands are tied."
Suozzi and the city's special attorney for the project, Michael Zarin, said a shorter vesting period would not provide the certainty needed by the developer or the city.
They noted that the proposed law contains safeguards for the city. If the planning board determines the developer is not meeting schedules, it can rescind the vested rights and terminate the developer's contract. The proposed law also allows the city to change the project for health or safety reasons.
Glenn Howard was the lone resident to support the proposed law. "It takes a variable out of the process," he said.


text: The Clark Family Experience ("Meanwhile Back at the Ranch") ended their court battle with Curb Records on Wednesday (Aug. 20). Curb had objected to the six-brother group, now known as Clark, recording for another label. In June 2002, the label filed a motion for summary judgment on the issue of post-bankruptcy injunctive rights but dropped the motion on Wednesday. The group had declared bankruptcy, citing financial mismanagement and unfair recording and publishing contracts. Alan Clark, the lead singer and oldest of the Clarks, said, "It feels great to finally move on with our careers. We started out at a very young age in the music business. My brothers and I have grown a little older and a great deal wiser. The best feeling is to know that now we can concentrate on making music again." 08/21/03


text:
as you know I love to go to the market to fill my home with tons of fresh fruit and veggies. At the moment you get fantastic figs everywhere. I used to fill a few of them with goat cheese and put them in the oven but I wanted to try something else so I decided to create my own fig pizza.
Here is what you need:
- one pizza dough
- 5-6 figs
- cream cheese
- goat cheese
- rosemary, oregano, olive oil, salt, pepper
- walnuts
- arugula
Put the dough on the baking tray and cover it with cream cheese. I used "Petrella" which is very creamy. Wash the figs, slice them and put them on the Pizza. Cut the herbs very small and mix them with a bit olive oil. Use a kitchen brush to spread the herb-oil mix over the figs. Cover everything with goat cheese and put it in the oven. After it's done put walnuts and arugula on it.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Many greetings,


text:
PSC Approves Partial Pepco Rate Increase Request
UPDATED If you are a Pepco customer, your electricity bill may be going up.
That's because the Maryland Public Service Commission has approved a Pepco rate increase request that's effective as of Nov. 15.
According to the PSC, the average Pepco customer will see a rate increase of about $6.96 a month.
In its order, the Commission noted the burden that increased rates place on customers, particularly low-income residents and senior citizens.
"We have strived to limit the rate impact in this case while allowing the company to invest in safety and reliability and continue to modernize its distributions systems for the benefit of its customers," the order states.
In its original proposal, Pepco was requesting to increase its electric distribution rates by $126.8 million. The PSC denied that request, approving a revenue increase of $52.5 million for the utility.
You may remember a public hearing about this case was held in Rockville, earlier this year.
Pepco released the following statement about the PSC's order:
"We received the Maryland Public Service Commission's order and are currently reviewing and evaluating our options. It has been nearly two and half years since the last Pepco Maryland rate increase, and we've made significant investments since then to improve reliability and overall infrastructure. We seek an appropriate level of return for the investments that we are making on behalf of our customers. The Commission acknowledged that our reliability enhancement plans are working and that customers are experiencing fewer and shorter outages. Customer satisfaction with reliability is up for the 5th year in a row and the Commission acknowledged that our advanced metering infrastructure is cost-effective for our customers. We remain committed to improving the reliability of service to the families and businesses we serve in Maryland, and we will continue to work with the Commission to deliver the reliability and benefits our customers deserve in Maryland."
The @MarylandPSC has issued a decision in the Pepco rate case (9418). https://t.co/TmlUtmsKaX
— Maryland PSC (@MarylandPSC) November 15, 2016


text:
Fairfax County, a heavily-populated Virginia suburb of Washington, D.C., could arguably be the epicenter of young reader-dom. When Amazon held its "Harry-est" city in the country contest to celebrate the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, two cities in Fairfax County were in the top five spots.
Georgia Chirieleison is responsible for keeping these young readers well-supplied. As the Children's Selector for the Fairfax County Public Library system, Georgia selects all titles for patrons from birth to age 18 at 22 branches. She has also worked as the head of information at the Centreville Library and was a children's librarian for 20 years.
Like libraries across the country, the library here is facing cutbacks in staff, hours and materials. However, it is still in the business of buying books, and Georgia was gracious enough to spend some time with Mixed-Up Files and answer some questions about the behind-the-scenes workings of the largest public library system in Virginia and what makes her buy a middle-grade book.
Q: Since your job consists of buying books, how has your work been affected by budget cuts?
A: We are buying fewer titles, all across the board. We have also raised our hold-to-copy ratio. It used to be that we would by an additional copy of a book when there were more than 4 holds on the title; now it's been changed to 6. It's harder to spend money. We spend a lot of time being careful.
Q: So, out of all the middle-grade titles you're looking at right now, what percentage, roughly, would you say do you purchase?
A: It's hard to say – probably 25-40%.
Q: Approximately how many new titles do you acquire each year (as opposed to copies of each title)?
A: In 2009, for titles labeled "JFIC," we purchased 667 titles. This excludes Young Adult and Picture Books, but may include different formats of the same title, such as the same book in a different language or on CD. (Interviewer's note: Just as an example of why it might be important to distinguish between copies of a title and different formats of a title, I checked on the blockbuster Diary of Wimpy Kid. The library alone had 179 copies of the original English language version, in addition to 4 copies in Korean and 8 audio copies!)
Q: My 10-year-old son recently read his first e-book, thanks to the FCPL system. How do you see e-books fitting in with the needs of your middle-grade readers?
A: I expect the demand for e-books among middle-graders to go up. We are seeing more holds showing up in our system for e-books all the time. The advantage to us is that e-books take up no shelf space. It's an interesting time.
Q: How do you decide to acquire a new middle-grade fiction title?
A: We order based on reviews. Looking at preview copies is prohibitive because of the sheer volume and workload involved in handling them. We order from companies such as Ingram, Baker & Taylor, and BWI. They provide lists of genres I'm interested in, and they provide links to interviews to the titles. Patrons and branches can also suggest a title, and we will respond based on reviews and availability.
Q: If there's a book with mixed reviews, what factors would push you to buy the book?
A: The author's reputation would make a difference. We would consider customer demand, the setting and the subject of the book – if it were something customers would find interesting or relevant in some way.
Q: You mentioned earlier that you purchase your book through book companies. What do these companies do? Why do you choose to go through these book companies instead of book stores?
A: Companies like Ingram, Baker & Taylor, and BWI are book wholesalers that provide many time-saving services to libraries. They provide discounts and we can request certain processing, such as a barcode, specific jacketing or heavier binding to stand up to circulation. They carefully monitor what is published and provide alerts, suggested titles lists, and powerful selection software. We also have the ability to go outside the book companies if there is a book we want. In addition, we have standing orders with certain titles or series.
Q: Do you ever look for specific books in a particular genre or with a certain type of character?
A: We do occasionally scout for books, but generally, it's what looks good that year. Some years are a bumper crop; not so much other years.
Q: Are there books you feel are needed but not being published?
A: Sometimes I can't find books in some non-fiction areas. Right now there is a lot of demand for fantasy and science fiction. Vampires are still hot, and we are seeing more angel stories, too.
Q: What is the best part of your job? The worst?
A: The best part of this job is that I like all kinds of books, especially picture books. I like seeing new books as they come out, knowing people will enjoy them. The hardest part is sitting at a computer for long periods of time – I think part of me never grew up!
Q: Final question – who are some of your favorite middle-grade authors?
A: For fantasy, I like C.S. Lewis and Ursula K. LeGuin, J.K. Rowling, Jonathan Stroud, Maryrose Wood, Trenton Stewart and many others. In terms of realistic fiction, I like Phyllis Reynolds Naylor and Gordon Korman, Andrew Clements and Kimberly Willis Holt's "Piper Reed" books. I also like Mary Downing Hahn – she's a local author who writes historical fiction as well as suspense.
After speaking to Georgia, a quick peek into the library catalogue revealed that for 2009, in addition to the 667 middle-grade titles, Georgia also purchased 693 picture books and 588 young adult titles, bringing the number of titles (and formats) she purchased to 1,948! That's not including non-fiction titles, or the fact that based on her own estimates, Georgia is probably looking at upwards of six or seven thousand titles to get to her selections. Whew!
Wendy Shang's debut novel, The Great Wall of Lucy Wu, comes out January 2011. She is a Ready-to-Read volunteer with Fairfax County Public Library.


text:
American Physical Society Sites|APS|Journals|PhysicsCentral|Physics Magazine
- American Physical Society Sites
- Publications
- Meetings & Events
- Programs
- Membership
- Policy & Advocacy
- Careers In Physics
- Newsroom
- About APS
- Become a Member
July 9 - 16, 2011
Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
The 8th International Workshop "Strong Microwaves and Terahertz Waves: Sources and Applications" will be held on July 9 ‑ 16, 2011, on a river cruise originating in Nizhny Novgorod and ending in Saint - Petersburg, Russia.
The Workshop will feature about 40 invited plenary (40 minutes) and topical (30 minutes) lectures, and about 80 original communications.
The plenary lectures will mostly be scheduled for morning sessions. The afternoon programme will consist of four strongly connected topical symposia running in parallel:
- Symposium S: High power microwave sources
- Symposium H: Current drive and plasma heating by microwaves in nuclear fusion devices
- Symposium T: Terahertz sources, diagnostics and nonlinear interactions
- Symposium A: High power microwave applications (including accelerators, radars, gas discharges, materials processing, biomedical applications etc.)
The official language of the Workshop is English.


text:
Hi all - my husband had been going downhill gradually for about 3 years. He started to lose his confidence and slowly changed from a larger than life, jolly, capable businessman to a man full of fears, losing things constantly, bursting in tears, feeling depressed and very forgetful. He had also lost a lot of weight. He finally broke down and said that he thought he may be losing his mind. After urging him for months to see the doctor, he finally went and was very quickly diagnosed with Vitamin B12 deficiency and so far has had 4 loading does with 2 more to come. I can see an improvement in him already, not only does he look better with a much better colour, he is a lot more cheerful which is lovely to see, I find it hard to see how the lack of a vitamin can make such a huge difference! and wonder how many people out there are being diagnosed with depression/early dementia through lack of testing.........
My question is this, can you B12 Deficiency but not have PA? He has always eaten lots of all the foods that contain B12 so I can't think it's just a lack of it in his diet. When he's had his loading doses he won't be tested again for 3 months. Will this show if he can't absorb it, and does this mean he has PA? Am a bit confused at the moment!
Would be grateful for any help


text:
State official defends decision to rebuff NASA's Harvey help
Texas' top toxin regulator is defending his decision in the weeks after Hurricane Harvey to decline the help of a NASA plane equipped with advanced air quality monitoring sensors, even as inspectors and residents reported foul odors, headaches, dizziness and sore throats after the storm damaged industrial facilities and released plumes of pollutants.
The Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday that NASA scientists were preparing to fly a state-of-the-art DC-8 over Houston after the storm to monitor air pollution, but the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency declined the help, saying the NASA data could produce "confusion" and might "overlap" with their own analyses.
Michael Honeycutt, the director of TCEQ's toxicology division and chair of the EPA's Science Advisory Board, said in an interview with the Chronicle Tuesday night that his agency's ground-level analysis — which found few problem areas — was the best approach.
That effort drew on data from helicopters equipped with infra-red cameras, mobile bus units and crews with handheld devices to sample the air.
ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Did Harvey make us sick? Still more questions than answers
The NASA plane is "interesting as heck" but is "for research purposes," said Honeycutt, who has in the past downplayed the effect of some pollutants on human health and whose views on toxicity advocates have called "frightening."
"I do this for a living. I know what data we need," Honeycutt said Tuesday. "Getting data we don't need doesn't really help. Flying from that far up you can't pinpoint exactly where pollution is coming from. We were actually doing the better thing in monitoring closer to the source."
The Times reported that the dismissal of the DC-8 flyover shocked NASA scientists, who said the testing would have produced a far superior and comprehensive analysis, as the plane is seen as the world's most precise and comprehensive airborne air quality lab.
The decision also frustrated Elena Craft, senior director of health and climate at the Environmental Defense Fund.
"While you're not getting a specific reading at ground level, it is helping to provide overall information to give you a comprehensive picture of the air quality," Craft said. "For any scientist to refuse the collection of data, especially when it's going to be used in a public health setting, that's stunning."
Based on air monitoring measurements, officials repeatedly assured the public that air pollution after Harvey posed no health threat.
SILENT SPILLS: In Houston and beyond, Harvey's spills leave a toxic legacy
Yet a Houston Chronicle and Associated Press investigation revealed a far more widespread toxic impact than authorities publicly reported in the wake of the storm. It identified more than 100 Harvey-related toxic releases, most of which were never publicized, and two serious toxin releases that initially were vastly understated. One of those was a large release of highly carcinogenic benzene that city of Houston and EDF crews measured shortly after the storm near the Valero refinery in the Manchester neighborhood.
There's little chance NASA's plane would have missed a similar type of release, Craft said.
"These people were poisoned in their sleep," said Ana Parras, who was in Manchester that day with her husband, Juan Parras, who runs eastside environmental group TEJAS. "They didn't know anything about the benzene spill until three days out."
EPA officials later said their general assessments that the air was safe did not necessarily reflect local "hotspots" with potential risk to people. Honeycutt said he stands by the data his agency collected, though he said, "We didn't have thousands of people out, we had dozens of people out."
"They said, 'There's no cause for concern.' But you actually didn't take any meaningful measurements," Craft said. "It's just infuriating that we have communities left to fend for themselves. You had six months of pollution in five days and you're not going to have a plan for active surveillance that consists of more than some people running around with some handhelds?"
Air pollutants also typically are recorded by a network of monitoring stations, but TCEQ disabled most of them to spare them from potential wind or flooding damage during the storm. As Harvey hit, Gov. Greg Abbott also suspended emissions rules for the duration of the Harvey disaster declaration, amid worries the rules would hinder the disaster response.
"You mean to tell me something replaceable like an air monitor is more important than human health?" Juan Parras said.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo called the Times report "disturbing."
"Air quality is vital to the health of Harris County residents," she tweeted Tuesday. "We need more assessments not less of potential environmental hazards."
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner declined comment.


text:
March 19, 2008
"Am I Hot Or Not" for Websites
CommandShift3 (heh, great little Mac-nerd name) describes itself as "like Hot or Not.
Except, instead of clicking on hot babes, you click on hot websites." In other words, screenshots of two sites are presented for your review, and you click the one whose design you prefer. It's fun to think about why certain sites are more appealing than others, and I've found myself clicking through to explore more than a few of the contestants. Note the leaderboard that shows particularly strong sites from the week, month, and all time.


text:
J. Cole wrote an apology letter to Autism Speaks for his "retarded" line.
Various groups and fans have been more vocal recently about being outraged and offended by offensive lyrics from rappers. Most recently we have the Lil Wayne Emmett Till line, and the Rick Ross date-rap reference, and the most recent, J. Cole's line on his "Jodeci" freestyle with Drake about autistic people. Now Cole has penned a heartfelt letter apologizing for the line.
There was a petition filed by the Anti-Bullying Alliance shortly after the track was released, but the NC native wanted to be clear that the letter had nothing to do with pressure, and it was just when he listened to the line again, "I'm artistic, you niggas is autistic, retarded," and saw how it truly negatively affected some people he knew he had to apologize.
In the letter he insists this was not to appease anyone, but just make right something he felt was wrong. He posted a link on Twitter and put up the letter which you can read below.
Recently there's been a trend that includes rappers saying something
offensive, only to be attacked for it in the media and pressured to
apologize. I have to be completely honest and say there's a part of me
that resents that. I view rap similar to how I view comedy. It's going
to ruffle feathers at times. It's going to go "too far". I do not
believe that an apology is needed every time someone is offended,
especially when that apology is really only for the sake of saving an
endorsement or cleaning up bad press.
With that said, this is not the case today. This letter is sincere.
This apology IS necessary.
In a recent verse on the song "Jodeci Freestyle", I said something
highly offensive to people with Autism. Last week, when I first saw a
comment from someone outraged about the lyric, I realized right away
that what I said was wrong. I was instantly embarrassed that I would
be ignorant enough say something so hurtful. What makes the crime
worse is that I should have known better.
To the entire Autism community who expressed outrage, I'm moved and
inspired by your passion, and I'm amazed at how strong you are as a
unit. I have now read stories online from parents about their
struggles and triumphs with raising an Autistic child and I admire how
incredibly strong you have to be to do so. It's touching. It also
makes what I said even more embarrassing for me. I feel real shame.
You have every right to be angry.
To anyone suffering from Autism, either mildly or severely, I am
sorry. I'm bound to make mistakes in my life, but in my heart I just
want to spread Love.
I want to educate myself more on Autism, and I'll gladly own my
mistake and serve as an example to today's generation that there's
nothing cool about mean-spirited comments about someone with Autism.
People with this disorder and their loved ones have to go through so
much already, the last thing they need is to hear something as
ignorant as what I said. I understand.
To the parents who are fighting through the frustrations that must
come with raising a child with severe autism, finding strength and
patience that they never knew they had; to the college student with
Asperger's Syndrome; to all those overcoming Autism. You deserve
medals, not disrespect. I hope you accept my sincere apology.
Much Love
[Update: Drake Issues Apology]
After J Cole made his heartfelt apology over the weekend, Drake decided to follow suit and take to his OVO blog this evening to state his apology. He also added that the lyric will be removed from the song. Drake's statement read:
"J.Cole wrote a beautiful and moving apology to individuals and families affected by autism who were understandably hurt by a verse in "Jodeci Freestyle". I share responsibility and offer my sincerest apologies for the pain this has caused. Individuals with autism have brilliant and creative minds, and their gifts should not be disparaged or discounted. This was a learning lesson for both of us, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to try to right this wrong. J. Cole and I believe that it is the right, responsible, and respectful decision to remove the lyric from the song."


text:
Barnaby Brooks Jr (Civilian Outfit) - Tiger and Bunny
|Photos by Eloraborealis :)
To go with OrangeLightning's Kotetsu hopefully ^^
Omg please tell me Sarah is doing Tiger!!!! XDDDD
Oh hell yes she is XD
niiiiiice, love this anime XD. I bet you'll look great
I saw this and I think you did an amazing job with the plushie :) Looks so cute!!!
OMG Did not know this was you! :) awesome!
You look perfect! *0*
Oh dear, some of these pictures, haha was such a fun day!
Thankyou guys! <3 OrangeLightning: It was XD I think my fav is the fourth one in, the OOC Barnaby posing one XD
My Tiger cosplay loves this!
You really suit Barnaby!
Great Barnaby cosplay! Love the photos ^^
ohhh it's tiger and bunny !!! gosh *-*
So far I have brought the jeans, black top and glasses, painted the boots, begun to edit the jacket, made the ring and nearly finished making the necklace. Still need the call band, luckily I already have thie belt XD The wig I brought for this still needs styling properly.


text:
The Romeo y Julieta Cazadores is a unique cigar. It is widely considered to be the strongest Cuban cigar. I have had some very strong Cazadores from a friend who had a box of 2001s. These cigars were strong enough to make a strong man quiver, and a weak man faint. The 2001s I smoked were high in strength, but developed a bitter taste near the end, and was light on flavor. But I have found that my 2009s are full flavored and have a medium nicotine kick.
The Cazadores come in a dress box, with the cigars wrapped in yellow ribbons inside of an aluminum foil pouch. The foil is intended to seal in the flavors and aromas. Indeed, a whiff of the inner pouch finds a rich aroma. The cigars in this 2009 box are not perfect. They have a few water spots on the wrapper. But they are superbly constructed and burn beautifully.
This cigar starts with a light toasty flavor and hints of cherry right from the start. As the cigar builds in strength, through the first half, this toasty flavor becomes stronger, and woody, fruity tastes come out nicely. The cigar builds in intensity during the final third. Rich stewed fruit and leather tastes predominate.
This cigar left me fully satisfied, with a strong but not overwhelming punch, and good flavors throughout. I got nearly two hours of smoking pleasure from this cigar. I feel that this is a classic Cuban cigar that every Cigarian should have a box of. I'm eager to see how these cigars further develop over time. A magnificent cigar that I enjoy sharing with friends.


text:
23 Sep Corporate Social Responsibility Makes A Whole Lot Of Financial Sense
Never underestimate the power of a well-planned CSR model.
Traditionally speaking, many investment analysts and financial specialists viewed companies with strong CSR models with a bit of scorn. They often viewed these companies as being financially risky, since they weren't placing profit as their top priority.
A report from the Harvard Business School titled, "The Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on Investment Recommendations" notes that times have changed. The study points out that analysts currently view companies with strong CSR models with a bit of optimism. Since many consumers now view social and environmental responsibility as being critical issues, they often choose to support companies that actively give back to their local communities. In fact, corporate donations to nonprofits are currently seen as sound financial moves.
Consumers view social and environmental justice as profound issues, and many consumers choose to support companies with strong CSR beliefs. For instance, the 2015 Cone Communications/Ebiquity Global CSR Study notes that eighty percent of consumers sourced for the study will choose to buy a new product from a company they've never heard of before if it has a strong CSR model. So, by making an effort to donate to relief organizations, disaster relief charities, disaster response programs and so on, companies can boost their public image and potentially attract new customers.
Corporate donations to nonprofits are always well received. Companies that are interested in donating to relief organizations, disaster response programs or disaster relief charities can do so easily with Good360. With over thirty years of experience, Good360 works with connect nonprofits with companies who can provide support in the form of donations.
Oftentimes, companies that work with Good360 choose to donate overstocked or returned products or items—by doing this, a company may be eligible for tax reductions while also cutting back on storage and liquidation expenses.
When companies make it known that they're providing corporate donations to nonprofits, customers pay attention. They are eager to support a company that chooses to give back, and this helps to ensure that customer loyalty remains high.
Lastly, companies who donate usually retain high employee engagement. Everyone wants to know that their work is going towards making a difference, and when a company adds a strong CSR model to the business, employees know that they're doing their part to ensure that the world is a better place.


text:
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Writing What You Love~And Another contract!!
When I look at how many books some of my colleagues are selling, it can be discouraging. As much as you wish them well and give them the much deserved congrats, you start to look at the product you are putting out there and wonder-what is wrong? The short answer is-nothing.
Standard M/F romance do not seem to be the hot sellers in the ebook romance world. Kink sells. It is not always the case, but it seems to be for the most part, true.
While it's great to be published, the market is flooded. Self-publishing has its merits, but also can be an open sewer for plagiarism, extreme erotica/porn and shoddy writing and editing. I'm no prude, but some of this stuff is sick. Rape or near-rape, incest and I could go on. And it sells.
People tell me, 'write a menage! or try m/m!' Yes, I know they are popular, just look at some ebook distributors or publishers best seller lists. I have nothing against it. In fact, a couple of my paranormals I am working on have brief scenes of both of these because it fits with my paranormal world and its characters. Writing one for the express purpose of selling more books or making a list of some sort doesn't call to me. Also I don't think I could sustain the genre for a whole book.
I think a romance writer has to take a hard look at what they want to accomplish before they get in too deep with publishing. A lot of people have two or more pen names for various genres or levels of erotica. I decided early on I will be writing in multi-genres and my 'hot' level would be sizzle, not extreme. I also decided if possible, I am sticking with the one pen name. I also decided that while great sales are fantastic, its not my main goal. If I sound like I am trying convince myself, perhaps I am.
You will drive yourself crazy if you worry too much about sales (or reviews, but that is a another topic) It causes stress, resentment and self-doubt. It's not worth it. The best way to sell books is to write another book. I firmly believe this.
So in that vein, I just signed my third contract for 2012! YAY!!! No, I am not writing up a storm. I have a backlog of manuscripts and only now am getting around to editing and submitting. BLACK DESIRE will be coming out in April, book 2 of my paranormal series. And it has the aforementioned menage scene! (very brief) Thanks to Evernight Publishing for continuing to believe in me.
Edits have arrived for Timeless Love, the less said the better! :D So I had better dash off!
The guy above? Greek God model, Teo Theodordis! He was the inspiration for my hero in Black Desire, Tristan Black, from the silver eyes to the long brown hair.
Have a great week~
6 comments:
- AnonymousFebruary 8, 2012 at 11:07 AM
Now, listen, Karyn! How is a girl supposed to concentrate on reading your blog post, when you stick him right at the beginning.ReplyDelete
*big grin*
I completely agree with you btw. You have to write what you love, and you also have to write what you're comfortable writing. Whilst it's good to push your own personal writing boundaries - otherwise how can your writing evolve - you can't force them either. And I'm sure your readers would be able to tell, if you were pushing the issue for the sake of having something in a story that sells.
Just my two pence worth. Now, get on with those edits! :-)Replies
LOL Doris, he is so beautiful!Delete
Exactly, the comfort level factors into it as well. I tried to force it, my attempt at a menage novella was comedic. But I did manage to write a brief scene in the paranormal so already I have evolved. You are bang-on about the rest. If a person loves writing M/M etc, that's great.
Yes, edits. Off I go! Thanks for stopping by Doris! :D
- AnonymousFebruary 8, 2012 at 11:14 AM
Oh wow that guy is gorgeous! and you signed another contract? Go YOU! wonderful! writing what you love sounds like a plan.ReplyDelete
He is beautiful, too bad he's in prison! :0 He was dealing coke, so much for his career.Delete
As I said, everyone has to find their own way. And thanks about the contract, though I think I better slow down! Cheers~ :D
*bows down to you* You're such a source of inspiration for me, Karyn! I can't tell you that enough. Congrats on another sale!ReplyDelete
You are absolutely right about writing what you love. I think we all need the reminder. I know I'm always working to convince myself of that too even though I heartily believe it.
Wow, thanks Nina~and the feeling is mutual. I know I need to remind myself of writing what I love constantly. I heartily believe it as well, or why bother doing this at all? :D Cheers~ReplyDelete