text:
It's been a busy and exciting week. I was the recipient of two awards that I'd like to play forward to some really talented women.
I had the good fortune to receive the Brillante Weblog award from Lisa at Jersey Girl Cooks. I, in turn, am passing that award to Julie at Peanut Butter and Julie.
I, also, received the Yummy Blog Award from Lorie at Rice, Beans and Other Fine Things and want to pass that on to Candy at The Courageous Cook.
These gals all have wonderful blogs and I hope you'll visit them often. Each is unique and has something singular to offer. Take a peak!
I came across an article in Metro magazine that identifies Food Trends that will be of interest to fellow recipe developers and lovers of good food.
Food for thought..."Happy and successful cooking doesn't rely only on know-how; it comes from the heart, makes great demands on the palate and needs enthusiasm and a deep love of food to bring it to life." Georges Blanc
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Saturday Musings 10-11-08
Posted by Mary Bergfeld at 4:00:00 AM
5 comments :
Thanks so much! That is very thoughtful of you. Love the quote. Have a wonderful weekend.
- October 11, 2008 at 12:51 PM
- Jenny said...
Huge congrats on your awards, well deserved! Looking forward to seeing what's cooking up next!
- October 12, 2008 at 12:45 AM
- Allie said...
Congrats on your awards!
- October 12, 2008 at 2:15 PM
- Meg said...
Congratulations on the awards!!
- October 12, 2008 at 10:03 PM
- Mary said...
Thank you Jenny, Allie and Meg.
- October 13, 2008 at 12:08 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )


text:
|Santa Rosa, Calif.
|High School:
|Maria Carrillo HS
UC Santa Barbara
Lightfoot started the 2010 season by winning the discus event with a mark of 132-6 (40.4m) at the Ben Brown Invitational...She would later on improve her discus mark to 162'0" at the Big West Championships to put her second on the top discus marks of the season...She set a new personal best in the hammer throw of 175'0" to take sixth at the Cal/Nevada meet...Threw 47'2.5" (14.39m) in the shot put at the Big West Championships to place her third on the top marks of the season.
Lightfoot capped off her sophomore season with an impressive performance in the discus at the Conference Championships. Her best throw was 152-7 (46.51m), which was good for fourth place and the sixth-best discus mark in UCSB history...She also set a personal best in the hammer at Conference, throwing 155-8 (47.44m) to place ninth...In the shot put she converted from the glide style to the spin style, which should help her improve her marks in the upcoming seasons.
Threw a personal best 43'8.25" at the Cal Poly dual meet, a mark that stood as the eighth-best in school history...Competed at the Triton Invitational and achieved a best throw of 41'5.25"...Was second in her flight at the Cal-Nevada meet, throwing 41'4.5'...Threw 40'6.75" at the Northridge Invitational, and 40'4.75" against Westmont and LMU...Took seventh at the All-Cal Challenge with a mark of 41'4".
High School
North Bay League MVP in the 2006 track season...Lettered in a number of different sports, including basketball (four years), volleyball (three years), and, most importantly, track and field (four years)...She is the Maria Carrillo High School record-holder in the shot put (42'9.5") and the discus (129'10").
Majoring in business economics...The daughter of Dan and Meta Lightfoot...Has an older sister, Megan, who rows on the UCLA Bruins crew team, and a younger sister, Katie, who is a multi-sport athlete at Maria Carrillo high school.
Collegiate Career Bests Discus - 162-0 (49.38) (Big West Championships 5/14/2010) Hammer - 175-0 (53.35m) (Cal/Nevada 3/27/2010) Shot Put - 47-2.5 (14.39) (Big West Championships 5/14/2010)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Here's a few pics form our week's last run up to Cooke City. It started out warm, dumped for three days and by the end of the weekend it was cold, sunny and deep. At minus 12F our last day was truly cold smoke.
See ya out there,
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


text:
Log in
Kalamazoo, MI –
Kalamazoo Public Library recently replaced its current "thin clients" with new stand-alone computers April 11-13 at all five library locations. The new computers are equipped with larger, wide screen monitors, CD burners, and USB ports so patrons can use their own flash drives to save documents and files.
The USB ports also accept external floppy disk drives and memory card readers. Both can be borrowed for use in the library, making it easier for patrons to upload photos from cameras to sites like Facebook and Flickr, as well as email. With headphones (bring your own or buy from KPL for just $2.75), every computer is a listening and watching station!
The computers run the Windows 7 operating system. Software installed includes Microsoft Office 2010, featuring the latest versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, OneNote planner and note taking software, Publisher, Picture Manager, and Clip Organizer, to arrange and catalog clip art and other media files.
Additional features include an easy typing tutorial and Zoom Text, magnification and reading software for the vision impaired. Plus, patrons can now search the internet with both Firefox and Internet Explorer web browsers. At the end of each computer session, the computer will automatically reboot, improving patron privacy.
Come try out the new computers! Library cardholders receive free internet access for up to two hours a day. All computer users may print to library printers for just 10¢ a page. Need help using the library's computers? Tech interns now offer basic support 40 hours each week at the Central Library. Hours vary. Call 553-7801 to learn when an intern will be available. Read each intern's blog on the technology page.
Post a Comment
By Neil @ Tips On Furniture, 04/23/2011
By Melbourne Website Designers, 04/26/2011
By hunter, 05/13/2011
By keramika, 05/17/2011
By Hussein Said, 05/27/2011
By bryan, 10/29/2014


text:
After Tom Caron '86 graduated from Saint Michael's, he became one of New England's most recognized sports journalists. He's the host of New England Sports Network's Red Sox coverage, a sports columnist for the Portland Press Herald and a frequently heard voice on sports talk radio.
Tom credits his passion for sports journalism to his St. Mike's education: he was a journalism major with a solid liberal arts degree, and got a hands-on start in broadcasting by calling play-by-plays for Purple Knights hockey.
At Saint Michael's, you'll find a place where you can pursue your interests and find your passions. Whether you're interested in biology, journalism, business, research, service or the great outdoors, St. Mike's can help you discover your path and support your explorations, on a welcoming and dynamic campus just a few minutes from Burlington, VT, one of America's great college towns.
Check out our academics, campus life and recognitions to find out more, and visit our campus to see for yourself why Tom Caron still likes St. Mike's.


text:
Hunt Commits to Toledo
The recruiting momentum continues for head coach Matt Campbell and the University of Toledo Rockets. Earlier tonight Campbell received a commitment from Willoughby (OH) South High School running back Kareem Hunt.
A couple of days ago Hunt told Rivals.com affiliate PantherLair.com that he was expecting to visit Pittsburgh next weekend and Minnesota the following weekend. Hunt already took an official visit to Toledo in November.
At the time it appeared that his decision might come down to either Toledo or Pittsburgh. "I like Pitt and Toledo a lot, but it's tough with Minnesota because it's pretty far."
The 5-11, 200 pound running back held offers from Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Eastern Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio University, Pittsburgh and Toledo.
Despite originally saying that he would wait until after the Minnesota visit to make a commitment, Hunt decided to give his commitment to Toledo earlier tonight. Toledo's recruiting class is quickly filling up and they may have factored in his decision to commit before taking the visits to Pittsburgh and Minnesota.
Kareem was recruited to Toledo by assistant coaches Louis Ayeni and Tom Manning.
Hunt is the 19th commitment in Toledo's 2013 recruiting class, a class that is rated much higher than any other MAC school's recruiting class according to Rivals.com.


text:
What to Do When You Offend or Disappoint a Reader
Lately, I've had a few of those completely humbling moments, when I realized that I failed to deliver what was expected and ended up disappointing a reader.
Just last week I was gleefully making my way through some handwritten letters I'd received from readers, basking in their sweet words. And then . . . it happened. I opened a letter and started reading, and with each word my heart began to sink lower and lower, until it was in my shoe. The reader had received a misprinted version of The Doctor's Lady and was writing to tell me how disappointed she was.
A couple of days later I received an email from a reader regarding The Preacher's Bride. And this one sent my heart plummeting to my lower extremities again. The reader concluded that I'd treated a particular religious group in the book as "the Satanic anti-Christ figure." Of course, I'd certainly not intended to do this by any means of the imagination. But I'd obviously really offended this reader, and I felt terrible about it.
Recently I stumbled across the reviews for Loving, the March 27 release of NYT bestselling author Karen Kingsbury. I was shocked to see that out of 245 reviews there were over a hundred ONE STAR reviews. In fact there are more one star reviews than five.
As I browsed through some of the reviews, I cringed. The common theme among most of Kingsbury's reviews was disappointment. Kingsbury had failed to deliver the kind of story many readers anticipated.
Obviously, I haven't experienced that kind of wide-scale reader disappointment . . . yet. But, I'm learning that when we put our work out there, when we decide to take that step and call ourselves a professional author, when we ask people to plunk down their hard-earned cash on our product—then we have to expect the reality that we won't always be able to please all our customers.
As much as we want to make everyone happy, we can't. It's not humanly possible.
Most of us realize we're not perfect. So, we're not holding our breath expecting perfect reviews or perfect emails all the time.
But, the question I see floating around a lot among various writer loops is, "How do I respond to bad reviews, comment, or emails?"
Here are two of my thoughts:
1. DON'T respond to negative reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, or other online review sites.
Shortly after I was first published, I wondered if I should thank readers if they left a nice review. I eventually decided not to respond on public review sites—for either the good OR the bad. I concluded that the review sites are FOR READERS, not authors. Those who leave a review are doing so because they want to share their enthusiasm or disappointment with OTHER READERS.
In fact, the March Goodreads newsletter for authors said this in regards to responding to reviews:
"Be professional. Reading a bad review of your book is never pleasant, but the best way to respond is to say nothing. Don't comment on it, don't tweet about it, don't acknowledge it. Maybe have a glass of wine (if that's your thing), and try to forget about it.
At Goodreads, history has shown us that responding to negative reviews, even in a very polite manner, can have disastrous effects on an author's reputation and career."
(My sidenote: In fact, if an author tries to leave a response to a review on Goodreads, she'll get a popup box that cautions against doing so.)
I respect Goodread's position, and I think it's one we can adopt across the large range of other reviews sites.
2. DO respond to emails and other personal correspondences.
You are the customer service representative of your writing business (along with all the other author duties!). If someone takes the time to contact you directly (via an email, facebook, twitter, etc), then they deserve the courtesy of a response (unless of course it's hate mail—in which case ignore, delete, and then go eat chocolate).
In the case of the above example of the reader who had received a misprinted book, I contacted my publisher and asked them to send out a replacement copy of the book, which they're doing free of charge. Then I wrote a letter to the reader apologizing and letting her know the book was on its way.
In the other example of the reader who was upset with my portrayal on the religious sects within The Preacher's Bride, I again responded that I was sorry to have offended her.
Think about the times when you lodged a complaint with a company about a product. Did you appreciate a quick but kind response that validated your concerns? How would you have felt if you'd been ignored?
I think it's just good business (and common human decency) to respond to personal concerns/messages that come to us through Twitter, Facebook, or emails.
So what do you think? Do you think authors should respond to online reviews? Why or why not? And do you think authors should respond to personal complaints? Why or why not?
45 comments:
Good post, Jody! Really interesting about Karen's reviews. I follow her on Twitter and have been reading all the tweets of people who adored the book; never thought about those who might not have liked it! I think it puts things into perspective to remember that even those who are "at the top" (NYT list or whatever other comparison you want to make) don't please everyone. It's not only a good writing lesson, but a good LIFE lesson.ReplyDelete
Funnily enough I was in a bookshop today and picked up Loving off the shelf.ReplyDelete
I haven't been reading the series, but the third book recently cropped up in my "recommended reads" list on Amazon and I had popped over to have a look at what was going on because usually all her books are 5s and (from memory) this one at that time had a 3.5.
From reading the reviews a theme quickly emerged - readers were rebelling because it looked like Karen Kingsbury was taking the series somewhere the readers didn't want it to go. Even at that point readers were saying things like "If she doesn't make this right in Loving, I'm never going to read another Karen Kingsbury ever again!"
**Possible spoiler alert***
So , out of interest I flicked to the last few pages and had a read and all I could think of was "Oh dear, there is going to be a blood bath on Amazon over this."
I am a big fan of Karen Kingbury's. I think that she is incredibly gifted and I have no doubt these books are up to her usual great technical writing standard. However, these characters have "grown up" across multiple series, many readers obviously feel deeply connected to them and so when she delivered an ending that they weren't anticipating her readers have felt betrayed because they don't believe that the ending that has been written is the right one for those characters.
As a writer it's certainly been a lesson for me on the fact that you have to take readers on the journey with you so that wherever your character ends up they believe it is the right place for them.
I feel really badly for her. As an author it would be heartbreaking enough to receive the kind of feedback you're talking about Jodie but to have legions of fans feeling so betrayed about a story choice you've made? That would be beyond horrible.
This comment has been removed by the author.ReplyDelete
Hi Bekah and Kara! I agree, Bekah, the lesson is one that we can implement in any area of life! We will disappoint those around us and it takes humility to recognize it and apologize.ReplyDelete
And Kara, I felt really bad for Karen too. I'm sure it's one thing to disappoint a few readers here and there. But I would feel absolutely sick if I disappointed my readers on such a wide scale level. On the one hand, we can't always make everyone happy. But it also shows that as authors, we need to be aware of reader expectations with our stories and give them what they want.
Jody I think you handled both of those situations perfectly and with grace. Responding publicly, even to a public review makes your response more about justifying yourself than addressing the issue. Also, issues that are aired in public tend to take on a life their own and can quickly turn ugly. No one wants or needs that.ReplyDelete
It is totally human to want to defend our position when attacked. It is with divine strength that we "turn away wrath with a soft word".
If you are a public figure - or a customer service rep (been there before!) - you are an easy target for people who are looking to vent about something, anything. People want to be heard. I think your responses allowed these two people to be heard, and allowed them their opinions without judgment.
It is a life lesson we can all use. Sometimes those very people who cause our hearts to drop are ministry moments that God brings our way - people who need to see Jesus in our responses to them.
You get a 5 star review on this! :)
There's one time when you can—carefully—respond to a reader/reviewer, and publicly at that: when the problem is not personal but factual.ReplyDelete
For example: I recently wrote a how-to book called Anyone Can Make a Kindle Book which, naturally enough tells how to make an e-book from your manuscript and distribute it on Amazon. Also naturally enough, I used a number of screen captures from Amazon to illustrate the process.
Well, as I was writing the book over the course of several months, Amazon did some updating, which I did not notice (my fault). Some of my screen captures were out of date, and a purchaser noticed and, while praising the book overall, gave me only a four-star review because of it.
I read the review, updated the illustrations, and publicly commented back to the review that I had done so and asked that any other mistakes be brought to my attention.
Within a day the reviewer changed his review to five stars, and said that he had done so specifically because I had fixed my mistakes.
So it can be done, but only under certain circumstances and you must tread carefully.
As for subjective reviews and comments (even positive ones), I agree with Jody and many others: merely smile and nod and say nothing.
This is a touchy subject for sure. My plans are (and I hope to adhere to these when the day comes), not to respond to online reviews, not even to read them or pay attention to them. But you're right. Letters, emails, comments through twitter, fb, etc. should be responded to with as much professionalism and politeness as we can muster. I think your responses were totally awesome.ReplyDelete
I think this is excellent advice.ReplyDelete
Question for you - when a reviewer posts a review on their blog, do you respond in the comments with a thank you, or do you usually stay out of that as well?
In my opinion, you handled both dissapointments with grace and dignity and your advice for handling online opinions and personal messages is right on. As a customer, if I have a complaint I am going to take it to the customer service rep and hope they can fix it or at least explain to me why it is the way it is. But, if I have an opinion or a review, I am not looking for an answer or a fix - I am just sharing my thoughts. Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing your experience with us.ReplyDelete
Very good advice, Jody!ReplyDelete
Loving all of your comments today, everyone!ReplyDelete
Peter I appreciate you sharing your experience. Sounds like one of those times when it was beneficial to interact with a reader's review. But as you said, those cases are rare.
Katie, as far as blog reviews--I'm still undecided on those. So far, I have made it my policy to thank those I know. Many friends post blog reviews as part of a blog tour, influencer role, or simply to support me. And in those cases, I like to let them know how much I appreciate their efforts. I'll usually leave a brief comment thanking them or send them a personal email to that effect. (Same thing is true if I see that a friend has posted a review on Amazon or elsewhere. I'll try to personally and privately thank them.) In these cases, I know they're trying to help me out, and so I feel differently about the review than one from a complete stranger.
Sounds like you have a good policy, Jody! I'd also bear in mind that plenty of fabulous books get bad reviews at some point. In some cases, I believe it says more about the reader than the book - but then, I'm a Thomas Hardy fan!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 10, 2012 10:18 AM
It's times like these that I remember my sixth grade teacher. (which isn't really hard since it hasn't been that long because I'm only 15) She always reminded us that we could never please everyone no matter how hard we try. I proved this to be true in my HS life. Because of this, I think no one who has good intentions needs to feel guilty for offending someone. Which includes you! :)ReplyDelete
P.S. I love your blog. I just needed to say that. :">
Hi Jody. I'm lucky enough to get a number of comments when I post my weekly column.. err, blog. Most of them are positive, but there is that occasional negative comment that indeed makes my heart sink. I think that's the price, as one of my readers noted, for "putting yourself out there" which is what writers do. Thanks for the advice, the temptation is always to respond to any and all comments, regardless of the venue. Keeping it on a personal level makes a lot of sense.ReplyDelete
I quite agree with you in both circumstances. If it's not directed at you, you are not obliged to respond, and if it's bad, you're probably better off, especially if you're like me and tend to get a bit passionate and defensive and over the top...ReplyDelete
Personal messages, yes, reply, but keep your head about it. Maybe write a draft and save it and come back to it later when you've had a bit of time to think and cool off if it was a BAD message, and then just make sure you're responding in the best possible way before you send it.
There's not much we can do, we're all going to get good and bad feedback no matter what we do with our lives, and so we just have to deal with whatever comes our way.
Wow, Jody. You hit on one of a writer's greatest fears. It's very risky to be in the public eye; probably one of the scariest things I've done, especially when "words of affirmation" is my love language (wry grin).ReplyDelete
Sometimes I remind myself, "After all, not everyone liked Jesus! So how would I think they will all like me?"
So you walk in obedience, doing what you know to do to the best of your ability, and trust it to Him.
Waving and grinning,
P.S. - I do like your advice on how to deal with it.
Jody, I believe you are the queen of diplomacy, and your post today is spot-on.ReplyDelete
If there's one thing I'm learning while on this wild ride to publishing, it's to attempt to take the "high road" when at all possible, a personal creed of mine anyway. It doesn't lessen the sting of criticism, but to respond in a public forum would be opening a whole 'nother can of worms.
I personally wouldn't take to the "air-waves" voicing my disappointment over another reader's disappointment in me or my writing. You can't change them, just deliver a quality product and be humble about it. But, to play "Devil's Advocate"... Look at The Bloggess and her reaction to 1 negative review, she took to Twitter, but she can, because she's The Bloggess. ;)ReplyDelete
Not something you hear talked about often, but very interesting to think about. I think you're absolutely right about simply being professional and treating our writing careers like the businesses they are.ReplyDelete
Sarah Allen
(my creative writing blog)
Oh, Jody, those letters sting. I'm so sorry you received them. And you're right - everyone gets them. And you're UBER right when you point out that we should NOT respond on a public forum that can quickly turn into an e-fight. Personal correspondence works best and allows the writer to understand more clearly where the reader is coming from. Whether their comments have foundation or they are people who seem to find fault no matter what. Hugs and keep on writing!!ReplyDelete
Some very solid advice here, Jody. We should never react to public reviews. Sure, we're human, so we should feel free to share our opinions with our husband or call up a girlfriend (I like Goodreads advice about the wine too!), but we should never respond publically. But I do think a response is deserved for personal notes. Now, depending on the tone of the letter, a cooling off period might be advised. And it's good to remember that anything on the internet could essentially become public, so even those personal emails need to be treated as if they might go public.ReplyDelete
Great topic!
Once again, Jody, you've broached an important topic and handled it well. You've shared honestly and said "This is how I've handled it" and then invited us to join the conversation.ReplyDelete
I've enjoyed reading others' insights too.
I've already committed to not responding to negative reviews. I have learned though, that if someone posts a negative review--particularly if it is a personal attack (and I've read reviews like those) you can ask someone else to comment for you, instead of doing the responding yourself. That's always an option and that is the advantage of having a "safety net" of writing comrades.
Not too long ago, I read a honest, but unflattering review about a Christian fiction book I had recently purchased. I was shocked to find that in the comment section, the author had responded to the reviewer by asking her to never read any of her books again, thank you, she didn't want anymore bad reviews. Though I wasn't the one the author was speaking to, the comment disturbed me and tainted my impression of her character. I may not buy another book from this author again, even if I enjoy the book. Responding to a bad review is the worst thing an author can do.ReplyDelete
Gellie, I love teen writers! I get so excited when I see young writers already pursuing their passion!ReplyDelete
And Gwendolyn. Eeek. I think it really does do more damage to respond to a negative review. As you said, now you have a WORSE opinion of that author because of her response. If you feel that way, I imagine many other readers read the review and now think less of that author too.
I dont think you should respond to bad reviews, its their opinion and we all have a right to our opinions. I am sure you get more good then bad ones because your books are great. You just cannot please everyone, there are many differences in people and what one likes another may not...ReplyDelete
Paula O
- AnonymousApril 10, 2012 3:38 PM
I personally would never leave a feedback that would hurt the writer. I was taught by mom and G-Mom if you can't say something nice don't say anything. Your books are great. God bless you and all your writer friends. Patti in VAReplyDelete
Thank you, Paula and Patti, for the kind words about my books! I've been very blessed so far to have most of my readers responding so kindly! :-)ReplyDelete
Great post, Jody. I especially like the part about eating chocolate! You've made some key points here. I've had moments where I've felt about an inch tall. No fun. But Bad reviews are rough and part of the business of art. I used to review all books, but in the last year or so, I've decided that as an author, I only want to post a review if its really positive. There's nothing fun about hurting another persons feelings.ReplyDelete
I don't think that authors should respond to online reviews. I think it's okay to respond to personal complaints, but only to a certain extent. The thing is that there are always going to be some overly sensitive or bossy know-it-all types who will be the first ones to tell you if you do something that they don't like or agree with. If you respond to them once, that's usually enough to settle things with them. But there are some people, though, who won't let it go; I've seen plenty of online "trolls" who will keep responding with more and more complaints because they're trying to provoke an emotional response. I don't think that the people you described were necessarily trolls; I also think that the way that you responded was the right thing to do. But it can be tricky to figure out how to deal with people like that sometimes.ReplyDelete
I think your suggested responses are very wise. Just what I would expect from one with such a good heart. :)ReplyDelete
I think you have a very wise policy. And I'm sure the reader of your misprinted book will remember the class with which you handled her complaint.ReplyDelete
As far as bad Amazon and GR reviews--sometimes these sites are just safe zones for unhappy people. Maybe they can't tell their sister-in-law off, but they CAN trash the book they just read.
Also, I recently read Deanne Gist's Maid to Match and LOVED it! I left my review on GR's and read through a few of the other reviews. The ones who gave it lower stars routinely knocked it down for being "Christian" fiction! Hello? It IS Christian fiction!
Sorry, just my thoughts... :)
Jody - I would certainly agree with your post. I would also suggest that a variety of reviews/responses would indicate a wide variety of audience which is exactly what you want as an author. Every reader doesn't love the same type of book or method of author. What I think is beautiful another may not be attracted to at all. That doesn't reflect on the author as much as on personal taste. I love Lisa Wingate's books but there was a series of hers I just couldn't get into. It didn't make me stop reading her. It just made me put down that particular series. No author should be put in a box by the readers. We write what we are inspired to write and do it the very best we can. In that - we can count ourselves successful.ReplyDelete
I like the idea of doing this privately, and not for the world to see. I've seen some amazing threads between authors and readers, and it never ended well. It's tough to realize we can't please everyone, but that's reality. Thanks for your thoughtful opinions. I wholeheartedly agree.ReplyDelete
Excellent post, and a great reminder NOT to respond (unless it's a letter to you directly). I would cringe if I had 100 out of 245 reviews as 1-star, too. My sympathies to KK. Ouch!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 11, 2012 3:31 PM
I have to agree with this from the position of having this happen to me. I posted I will admit a very bad one star review of a book that ha, to that point, only received 5 stars. This was not just a personsl taste for me but backed up by 9 members of my book club. I said it was a hundred pages too long several said it was two hundred pages too long, there were mistakes in usage and overly purple prose. I posted my review and moved on. The author however felt the need to in my opinion poke me about my review, it flipped a switch in few that really ticked me off. My posting of that review was honest and okay maybe a little more abrasive than need be but it was due to the outrage of all the 5 stars that were't a true representantion. So I responded back to his comment now rudely and defensively and then he responded more rudely and let's just say it didn't end pretty.ReplyDelete
Eat the chocolate, sip the wine just walk away you can't please everybody. Don't buy into the hype the good or the bad, listen take notes for the future and move forward.
Well said. This is so valuable for those of us who have yet to face such wonderful/difficult conundrums. I am sorry that you've faced reader disappointment. I know that I haven't always enjoyed every book that I read, but I also don't make a habit (read never) balk about it openly. Because I know that my opinion is just that. I value other people's opinions and I don't want to sway their reading experience before they even get a chance. That's me as a reader. As a writer I appreciate the advice for how to respond to readers with the same polite manner. Thanks for a wonderful post, as always. :)ReplyDelete
Really interesting post, Jody. I agree that responding publicly to a bad review is a bad idea. No good can come of it.ReplyDelete
As for responding to positive blog reviews, I do tend to respond in the comments. It comes from a genuine place -- I'm always happy when someone reads what I've written, elated when they enjoy it, and over the moon when they love it so much they write a rave review about it. It feels natural and respectful to let the reviewer know how much I appreciate their time, and how happy I am that they loved the book.
I'll also respond to positive reviews that aren't necessarily raves, where they liked-but-didn't-love the book, or recommended it despite a couple things that didn't work for them. Again, I genuinely appreciate their time and honesty, and want to acknowledge that.
What's lovely about responding to these blogs is they've often turned to Twitter conversations, and started online relationships with people I very much enjoy -- a definite boon.
This is great advice. I had the odd experience of offending a beta reader with one of my books recently. I spent a lot of time trying to understand what I'd done wrong since none of my other betas had expressed an issue. I had to finally accept that my book wouldn't be for everyone, even among my friends.ReplyDelete
Is it really your responsibility to apologise if you've offended someone with your work? "I'm offended" is such a non-complaint. What exactly do they want you to do, rewrite the book? I admire you for standing by your work and your choices, but I really don't think you should have to say the word 'sorry' just because somebody says the word 'offended'. Because if you believe in your work, surely you're not remotely sorry that they disagree with what you've written? It seems disingenuous to me.ReplyDelete
I think it's more to express an understanding of the person's viewpoint. You don't have to agree with their feelings, but it's always good to show that your intent was not to offend, to show a little humility and maintain a positive relationship with a reader.ReplyDelete
It's like when you say "I'm sorry" if someone loses a loved one. You're not saying it because you were responsible, you're saying it to show empathy and understanding of their feelings.
Good point, Paul. You summed it up extremely well!! Thanks for chiming in! Yes, I'm not sorry for what I wrote. But I wanted to acknowledge her specific hurt and concern. And to express that I didn't mean my words to offend anyone, but I was "sorry" if they somehow offended her. Acknowledging reader concerns does take some humility, but in today's internet culture, I'd much rather be known as an author who cares about readers and responds to them, than one who doesn't.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJune 02, 2012 12:51 PM
Hi! I was googling Karen Kingsbury randomly and came across this.ReplyDelete
Just wanted to confirm, having read/ looked at many of her books, that the Bailey & Cody relationship was built up--very deliberately--for a long time. Even when Bailey dated others, there was always that "something" missing. So readers invested their time as well as their money to follow the story.
Karen's explanation for jerking the rug out from under her readers after about 10 (?) books (Brandon appears only in the last two or last few) is that she spent a day at the beach asking God about it, or something like that. I don't agree with that way of thinking. God does not divinely tell fictional writers what to put in their books; I don't think that that's happened since Scripture was written! :) Rather, God gives WISDOM, and had she carefully read reviews on the next-to-last book or so, she could have righted her mistake. The last book or so is a tortured attempt to undo ALL the bonding Bailey and Cody shared over the years.
In addition, Bailey ends up with a movie star, much as Katy (another character) did, and it would have been refreshing to allow a rich girl with a "perfect" family to see past the immense struggles Cody had been through (losing part of a leg, alcoholic mother, his own past) and love him regardless. So for those rooting for Cody, there was a lot of betrayal.
This was deliberate and had lots of warning. No judgment on her as a person (I think she must be a wonderful person), but you shouldn't have to worry about making the same mistake, not if you accept wise input and if you have anyone in your life to tell you if you're too "married to the truth" and not developing a story line well because "This happened in real life."
Now I want to check out some of your writing!
Hi Anonymous! Thanks for jumping into the discussion and sharing your thoughts about Karen's last book. She's definitely been hitting homeruns for quite a while with her books. And it's interesting to analyze what happened with this book and try to figure out just why it didn't resonate with readers. I think it's always important to listen to the input of editors and others so that we make sure we stay on track with our stories!ReplyDelete
Karen is a dear, cherished friend of mine so I will keep my response germane to your question--how should authors respond or should we respond at all? Your advice is spot on, first off. I have always cautioned authors not to respond to criticism online. I take note of the criticism that helps me to be a better writer. The good praise always comes or else why did a publisher invest in us in the first place? I allow those good things said to buoy me up and keep me writing for those who took the time to exhort my story. If emailed (usually it's about a mistake that managed to slip past me and the battery of editorial experts who helped me publish it), I do respond in private, but, as you have so advised, extending the same grace extended to me by my Lord. However, I once was distressed when it seemed a reviewer was reporting incorrect facts about, not only me and my books, but other writers who have a more literary bent. When enough writers were under attack, finally, we were able to contact the online book seller. The reviewer was contacted via telephone. As it turned out, she was a bitter writer who had never gotten published. She apologized profusely--she seemed shocked that she had left such an enormous wake of wounded authors. I was called personally by the bookseller's rep and, in front of me online, she removed the offensive reviews.(They were not book reviews but attacks on my character.) Since then I've noted reviewers who have wrongly accused me of using profanity (I use zero) and explicit sex scenes (nada--never), and I just say a prayer for them and continue on. While I gingerly offer advice to an author to ignore the bad reviews, I'm apt to share of my one exception. But if it seems that we are under some sort of slander campaign, we have a duty to our readers to protect our reputations and preserve our honor in the eyes of our readers. Again, this has happened only once.ReplyDeleteReplies
Hi Patricia!Delete
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts on this post! I appreciate it! I like your advice to take note of the criticism that can help us become better writers. And I'm sure in that specific situation, confronting a particular reviewer was appropriate. I'm a fairly young author and have limited experiences! But I can imagine that at some point in my career there may come a time when I'll need to confront someone--especially as you say with a slander campaign. I would hope I'd have the grace and tact to handle it as you did! Thanks again for sharing! Blessings!


text:
Who Shares the Lake?
by Tish Farrell
Imagine you're a fish eagle soaring over the Great Rift Valley in Kenya, Africa. What do you see? There are many lakes in the valley below, but the water in most of them is too salty to drink. You know one lake that has good, fresh water—Lake Naivasha. Other animals know Lake Naivasha, too. Fresh water is important to everyone in this dry part of Africa.
® Images of Africa Photobank/Alamy
The lake looks quiet now, but giraffes and zebras, antelope and buffalo, and sometimes even leopards, come to drink the water.
Birds visit the lake to find fish to eat. Eagles spot fish from the air and dive down to catch them. The long-legged Goliath heron stays close to shore, wading in shallow water to find its lunch.
Cormorants can just hop out of their nests to go fishing. A tree grew when part of the lake dried up. Years later, heavy rains filled the lake again and surrounded the tree with water.
Hippos wallow all day in the lake to keep cool. At night they eat grass along the shore.
People come to the lake to fish, too. As they spread their nets in the shallow water, they must take care not to disturb the hippos.
Farmers use the water from Lake Naivasha to grow vegetables and flowers. They send roses and carnations to markets around the world. It's another way to share the beauty of the lake.
- A lake is not a wetland nor an ocean. A lake is a body of fresh water. There might be streams flowing into or out of a lake. What kind of animals live in and around Lake Naivasha?
- The lake is home for many animals. People use it, too. What do people get from the lake? What do people do with the things they get from the lake?
- Why is Lake Naivasha an important place for many animals and people?


text:
Message Board
Ann Werner Message Board
Talk about the novels, new and used books that Werner has written!
Author Werner's Book Reviews
The People Next Door
Amanda Harris feels she is the luckiest woman in the world. She has inherited money from two relatives, is in business for herself and has just purchased a condominium in Glendale California. But soon after moving in to the first home she's ever owned, strange things begin happening. Household objects disappear than reappear, causing Amanda to fear for her sanity. But when she and her daughter are bitten by a supposed insect and her daughter seeks medi...


text:
We find deals from the very best ecommerce sites in South Africe, then list them together in one place, saving you time AND money.
or Sign up with:
Alreday a member? Sign in
Be hair free for up to 4 weeks with a Jundeli epilator for only R199, including delivery
Pamper Package for One or Two at Pamperhauz Day Spa
90min Choice of Swedish or Aromatherapy Massage for up to Two People at Euel Beauty Lounge
60-Minute Full Body Massage from R149 for One with Optional Facial at Kneaded Escape Beauty Spa
Pamper Package Including Welcome Drink for Two at Nail & Beauty Bar Fourways
Laser Hair Removal Sessions for a Small, Medium or Large Area at Bella Donna Clinic
60 minute Full Body Aromatherapy Massage for up to Two at Unique Beauty Salon
60-Minute Full Body Hot Stone Massage with Facial for One or Two at Mind Body and Soul Day Spa
Choice of Gelish Manicue or Pedicure at Thida Massage & Spa
Deep Tissue Sportsmassage at D'Fine Endermologie
60-Min Full Body Hot Stone Massage with Optional Warm Hydrating Facial at Bodyframe Beauty Bar
Full Day African Revitalisation Spa Package for One at Mangwanani Sibaya African Day Spa
Choice of Massage: Aromatherapy, Swedish or Hot Stone at Glam Bar
Six Sessions of Laser Hair Removal for a Small or Medium Area for One at Brazen Beauty Bar
Half Day Spa Package at Magoswi Day Spa
Choice of Couples Pamper Packages at Ambrosia Wellness Spa
Half or Full Day Spa Packages for Two Including Optional 1-Night Accommodation at The Cullinan Premier Hotel and Spa
Choice of ENVIRON Cool Facial Peel at Body Vitality Studios
Half Day Spa Package for One or Two at Mangwanani African Spa
60-Minute Aromatherapy Full Body Including Indian Scalp Massage for One or Two at Shernard Spa
60-Minute Full Body Swedish Massage with Optional Express Facial & Honey Back Scrub at Exhale Spa
Half or Full-Day Spa Package at Bakwena Spa Velmore
Full Set of Mink Eyelash Extensions with Optional Eyebrow Shape at Purr-Fect Lashes from R279
Full Day African Revitalisation Spa Package for One at Mangwanani River Valley Spa
Choice of Pamper Package for One or Two at Crystal-An Spa
Full Body Massage for One or Two Including Choice of Main Meal at Steam on Main
Pamper Package: Full Body Massage, Express Facial and Foot Treatment for One or Two at Fairways Health and Beauty
Winter Pamper Package for Two Including Welcome Drinks at Pamperhauz Day Spa
Full Set Acrylic Nails at Yvonne's Nail Studio
3 x 100% Painless, Non-IPL, Laser Hair Removal Sessions for One at Deluxe Laser Clearwater Mall
Selection of Pamper Packages from R299 for One at Skin & Body Matters


text:
Dragon Tee Unisex
Sold Out
Release Date: November 29th, 2011
This unisex tee is a pigment dyed brick color with a dragon design on the front. The Righteous Babe logo is printed on the back
This shirt is part of our collaboration with Planet Love, a local Buffalo t-shirt company that specializes in hand printed clothing with a positive vision.
Their shirts are printed like all of the Righteous Babe merch; using soy based inks that are safer for the planet. Planet Love has been printing for us since the very start and we are proud to offer their unique designs.
Fabric: 100% cotton
Size Chart: Click Here
Country of Origin:Honduras
Designer: Tanya Zabinski


text:
News & Events
For the Media
Clarkson University Entrepreneurship Program Ranked in Top-15 by Princeton Review & Entrepreneur Magazine
Clarkson University's Entrepreneurship Program is again one of the top 15 in the nation, according to the Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine.
The two have named Clarkson to their 2014 list of "Top 25 Undergraduate Schools for Entrepreneurship Programs," where it ranks #14.
Based on surveys of business school administrators at more than 2,000 institutions, the annual list salutes 25 undergraduate programs for their excellence in entrepreneurship education.
"Our continued top-15 ranking is a testament to Clarkson's commitment and passion for leadership in entrepreneurship and innovation across our campus, the region and around the world," said Clarkson School of Business Dayle M. Smith. "Our entrepreneurship program is well positioned for further growth in scholarship, outreach, and experiential programs that enhance the student experience, create vibrant communities and prepare our graduates for success."
The Princeton Review chooses the top schools based on a wide range of institutional data it evaluates for this project. Schools are asked about the levels of their commitment to entrepreneurship inside and outside the classroom, the percentage of their faculty, students, and alumni actively and successfully involved in entrepreneurial endeavors, the number of their mentorship programs, and their funding for scholarships and grants for entrepreneurial studies and projects.
"The Reh Center's portfolio of experiential entrepreneurship programs provides students with opportunities for the true application of entrepreneurial skills and has created a culture of risk-taking, creativity, and interdisciplinary problem solving," said Erin Draper, director of operations for Clarkson's Reh Center for Entrepreneurship. "Further, involving students in the Reh Center's outreach work provides service learning opportunities that enhance our region and create engaged students. This designation as a national leader is evidence of the University's commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship."
Clarkson has also been nationally recognized for its annual competition in which up to five young entrepreneurs or innovators have an opportunity to attend Clarkson without tuition through a combination of merit-based financial aid (after accounting for other aid for which the student may be eligible) and the acquisition by the University of an ownership interest in their business ventures. Applications for the 2014 Young Innovators and Entrepreneurs Program are online at http://www.clarkson.edu/equity .
Last fall, ABC News asked PayScale to name the schools with new graduates who earn more than Harvard's and Clarkson was among just 12 schools on the list. AffordableCollegesOnline.org (ACO) lists Clarkson in the nation's top-30 private universities that offer a return on investment of at least $1 million. ACO also recently ranked Clarkson in New York state's top-10 for colleges and universities that provide the highest return on investment (ROI).
U.S. News also lists Clarkson as #1 in the nation for graduates with the most internship experience and in the nation's top-12 for its online graduate business programs. Of students graduating in Clarkson's Class of 2012 and using the campus Career Services Center, 96 percent reported being placed in their field of study or career aspiration in the first year after graduation.
"We commend Clarkson University and all of the other institutions on our list this year not only for their superb faculties and wide range of courses in entrepreneurship, but also for their out-of-class offerings," said Robert Franek, Princeton Review Senior VP / Publisher. "Their students have extraordinary opportunities to network with established entrepreneurs, interact on teams that turn promising ideas into possible start-ups, and develop skills to launch their own successful businesses."
"Our annual ranking provides current and potential entrepreneurs with an overview of the best programs out there that will help cultivate their passions," said Amy Cosper, VP and editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine. "The opportunity to expand a skillset or network with business influentials can launch a career forward or infuse new perspectives into a company's growth strategy. The competitive edge these institutions provide is reason enough to see their value, no matter how untraditional the entrepreneurial pursuit may be."
The top entrepreneurship program lists are posted on the Princeton Review's website at www.princetonreview.com/entrepreneur . Entrepreneur has also posted a feature on the ranking lists on its website at www.entrepreneur.com/topcolleges. The magazine's feature article will appear in its October issue, available on newsstands September 24.
Clarkson University launches leaders into the global economy. One in five alumni already leads as a CEO, VP or equivalent senior executive of a company. Located just outside the Adirondack Park in Potsdam, N.Y., Clarkson is a nationally recognized research university for undergraduates with select graduate programs in signature areas of academic excellence directed toward the world's pressing issues. Through 50 rigorous programs of study in engineering, business, arts, sciences and health sciences, the entire learning-living community spans boundaries across disciplines, nations and cultures to build powers of observation, challenge the status quo, and connect discovery and engineering innovation with enterprise.
[A photograph for media use is available at http://www.clarkson.edu/news/photos/entrepreneurship-2014.jpg.]


text:
Use this simple widget! ...drop down from any page ... More Options
Instant interactive search with full galley views and One-Click saves.
The data relating to real estate on this Web site derive in part from the Carolina Multiple Listing Services, Inc. IDX program. Brokers make an effort to deliver accurate information, but buyers should independently verify any information on which they will rely in a transaction. All properties are subject to prior sale, change or withdrawal. Neither Savvy + Co. Real Estate nor any listing broker shall be responsible for any typographical errors, misinformation, or misprints, and they shall be held totally harmless from any damages arising from reliance upon this data. This data is provided exclusively for consumers -- personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties they may be interested in purchasing. © 2014 Carolina Multiple Listing Services, Inc.


text:
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
I fucking hate these threads. Just look at a list of reviews and make up your own damn mind. Quote from: Lard on January 18, 2013, 05:35:49 PMI recommend Fallout 3One of the best games ever. But he won't get it.
I recommend Fallout 3
@Yoda - sometimes that's easier said than done. I know personally I can never decide what to play, hence why I have over 800 unbeaten games. :(
It's not an rpg, but shadow complex is a good quickie to occupy yourself for a few days. Dust works too, as does bastion. Or be like me and occupy extra free time at the gym to make up for the inevitable 4 days you will miss playing this.
Fuck you, ya skinny bastard.I'm sorry, that was the ni no kuni itch talking.
I have an allergy to shellfish, so I sort of get how you feel. Clams, shrimp, lobster, (real) crab, and scallops all cause me to have breathing trouble when I eat them, and that's like one scallop or a single shrimp. I used to eat fresh crab like it was going out of business, stuff was amazing. Sad times now...Dude, don't even get me started about the Ni No Kuni itch....I thought it came out last tuesday. I scheduled the entire week, work gym and free time, around this game. I gave items in FFXI away for the week, lend out gil, spent all my excess cash in game....I was prepped for this week. I get to lamestop to pick it up and receive the bad news.....I nearly flipped my shit. When I left, some beggar asked me for change, and I told him, and I quote "Fuck off, I don't have any fucking money for your broke drunk ass, go get a fucking job you bum!". I still don't feel bad about it, but damn if I think I was extreme about it.This game...it has driven me mad.
Dust definitely sounds like it would fit the bill in your scenario.
The only regret?? Braid (ironically, the only thing that you guys didn't suggest-LoL).....Braid looks nice.... I love the concept.... but it is frustrating as sin in the sense that I can see solutions to puzzles but cannot execute them due to the horrid control.... I just can't time jumps and things right at all... terribly agrivating..


text:
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York City subway train carrying 1,000 riders derailed on Friday morning while traveling through a tunnel in the borough of Queens, injuring 19 people, city fire officials said.
Fifteen people escaped with minor injuries while four more were transported to a hospital with potentially serious injuries, officials said.
The incident, at 10:24 a.m., involved six cars in an eight-car Manhattan-bound 'F' line subway, they said.
The cause of the derailment was not immediately known but MTA Chairman Thomas Prendergast said the mass-transit agency will begin a full inspection of signals and tracks.
NY1 television broadcast video of fire officials evacuating throngs of people in darkness, some through subway grates.
"I saw everyone jerk forward. My car went dark," said Connie Wang, 24, a freelance photographer who was riding in a car in the middle of the train. "There were sparks flying."
Wang, who was traveling from her home in Queens to a job in lower Manhattan, said her fellow passengers mostly waited in silence during the hour it took before they were evacuated.
Reporting by Edith Honan; Editing by Gunna Dickson and James Dalgleish


text:
Misleading Advice
Fund: New York Angels
Posted by Anonymous on 2008-02-18
David S. Rose bills himself as a "pitch coach" but advises entrepreneurs to give away 33%-50% of their company in an angel round. See this note he sent to an e-mail list of young tech entrepreneurs:
"A typical NYA portfolio company may have already raised $50K from the founder, and perhaps another $200K from friends and family. We might then invest $250K-$750K as part of a round of up to $1m, at a pre-money valuation of $1-2 million."
Other than that, the NYA is a a solid group with an awesome membership roster, and David's an otherwise good guy.PRIVATE: Members Only (91 Characters)


text:
Joe sez: If you've missed the previous guest blogs, they've been fascinating and informative.
You can read Katherine Sears talking about Booktrope: http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2013/07/guest-post-by-katherine-sears.html
You can read Richard Denoncourt talking about cover art here:
You can read Ann Voss Peterson talking about pacing here: http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2013/07/pacing-by-ann-voss-peterson.html
You can read Nick Spill talking about his path to publication here: http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2013/07/guest-blog-by-nick-spill.html
You can read Constance Phillips and Jenna Rutland and Joe Konrath talking about their path to publication here: http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2013/07/guest-post-by-constance-phillips-and.html
You can read Ian Kezsbom talking about Fuzzbomb Publishing here: http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2013/07/guest-post-by-ian-kezsbom.html
You can read Gary Ponzo talk about first lines here: http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2013/07/guest-post-by-gary-ponzo.html
Also, it's worth noting that Tess Gerritsen's War on Alzheimer's has reached it's $25k goal, thanks in part to readers like you. Thanks, everyone.
Finally, I got my numbers from my Book Blast experiment. Book Blast helped me give away 5000 extra copies of Timecaster Supersymmetry (on top of the 1800 I gave away on my own). In my opinion, worth the $50.
Now here's Chris Everheart...
Confessions of a Technophobic Author
First, thanks to Tess for a great cause and thanks to Joe – on a number of levels – for doing this promo.
Also, Joe, I'm glad to have the chance to tell you THANK YOU! for continuing to carry the torch while I "quit" for a couple of years and returned to find a ton of encouragement from you and your "Newbie's" contributors. I desperately needed the information and the support!
If readers are looking for an exciting, page-turning YA summer book for themselves of their teens, try "The League of Delphi: Book I of The Delphi Trilogy" on Kindle FREE today, July 18.
Now, on with the public admissions.
My name is Chris, and I'm a technophobe. I'm not exactly hiding in a log cabin, scratching this blog post on tree bark with a burnt twig. But when it comes to social media and self-promotion, I'm often shy, sometimes isolated, and frequently overwhelmed. This makes the task of promoting my books difficult.
Don't get me wrong, I can do the tasks of online social networking and the promotional work Joe and other writers talk about. I worked in marketing and merchandising. I get the concepts. I even know some of the lingo (do people still say "lingo"?). But I have to point out that by "I can do it," I mean I'm CAPABLE of it.
Often, though, I just (gasp!) don't like it – to the point that I have a hard time actually doing it. Don't worry – you can be satisfied that I hate myself for this shortcoming.
There are a bunch of good possible reasons for my disinclination:
For one thing, I'm a slow reader, always have been. That's a handicap online. With so freakin' many options for news, opinion, advice, and friendships, I just can't keep up.
For another, I like to look people in the eyes when I communicate. This may be a survival skill leftover from a rocky childhood or simple petulance toward the modern world, but I'm a little uncomfortable having an electronic firewall between me and the person I'm talking to.
Also, I feel obligated to connect on every level with every one. This is not everyone's fault, I know, but the snowstorm of socializing flying at me through the Web can be intimidating. I'll shut down – literally. I've gone electronically catatonic before and sometimes even today I have to force myself to stay online and in touch with the real virtual world.
I love having friends and staying up to date through the miracle of the internet. I just don't have the mental and emotional capacity for the latest style of massive-micro-mass-niche-communication. I live in fear that when the genetically engineered monkeys take over, the first thing they'll to is put techno-lazies like me to work in the banana fields. And I won't blame them, won't even fight back.
By the way: It was one of those techno-dummy mistakes that allowed me to offer you guys a free e-book for only a day, when I wanted to offer it to you for a week!
One of the paralyzing features of the modern techno-social tsunami is the demand that a self-publishing, self-promoting author like me must be EVERYWHERE, must KNOW about everything, and must DO it all. The specter of EVRAWERKNODO scares me back into the bottle. No, not back to booze – those days are behind me. But I might crawl into the bottle I've always imagined sharing with a young Barabara Eden. Not such bad life, lounging on a huge ring of fluffy pillows … But I know that if I don't get out of there and put myself out in the world where I can be seen and heard, I won't sell books – and worse, I won't connect with readers.
What I'm saying is … I admit that I have a problem and I need help. That's the first step, right?
If there's a self-help program for techno-dummies like me, let me know. Actually, never mind – I've seen the lists: "12 Simple Steps to Maximize Your Blahblahblah …" "6 Things Every Author Should Yadayadayada …" "The 21 Biggest Mistakes Self-published Authors Flrblrtrr …"
Come to think of it, I could write that last one myself. But would it help? Probably not. Here's why: I'm a face-to-face guy. I like the HUMAN human experience. I need analogue, not digital, time with people. I like to see someone's reactions to what I'm saying, shake clammy hands, get a courtesy slap-on-the-back for a lame joke, breathe the same air as my conversation partner and know that they ate too much garlic at dinner last night!
When I first met Joe Konrath at Bouchercon in Madison (what millennium was that?) he was in the middle of a suicide mission to visit 500 bookstores in one year. He was driving that funky little SUV wrapped in a giant ad for his Jack Daniels books. Why? TO MEET THE BOOKSELLERS – look 'em in the eye, shake their hands, say how do you do!
I loved it! Loved him, too – who else would sit in the hotel lounge with me, driving off other patrons with shabbily rendered, top-of-our-lungs Beatles' covers? Joe survived that year and even seemed to thrive because of it. I think his online success has been helped by that – if not in brick-and-mortar sales then maybe for "paying his dues" and hardening his own commitment to his career. At the time, I thought, "That's so cool! I want to do that!" At the end of the weekend, we sang "I WILL" and parted company. Joe went back to work. I went back to whatever I thought of at the time as work.
Now here I am a few years later, one year into my own self-publishing curve, making important (and hopefully dues-paying) mistakes. I swear, you guys, I have tried mightily for the past year to sit at my computer and "socialize" until drops of blood formed on my forehead. I studied and read and prodded myself at mouse-point to march the virtual path. But I just can't pull that off. My (average at best) social media footprint has shown that. I'm not wired for micro-processing. I'm more like that old-time megaphone the cheerleaders still use at the college football games.
Know what does show what I'm wired for? I did an event last November with our local library that we dubbed "Teen Lit Fest." It was the official launch party for my YA thriller "The League of Delphi". I asked teens what would get them in the door for a library event and we did what they said – food, free stuff, and extra credit! We designed posters. I drove around to every middle school and high school in the area and delivered a hundred of those posters to teachers and school librarians. I told everyone who'd listen to be there.
The results? 125 kids, plus a bunch of adults, showed up on a Saturday afternoon to buy books, hang around, goof off with me, and talk about books, publishing, movies, stories, and life. We had a blast and donated some money back to the library's teen reading programs. I want to do more of THAT!
I know online marketing and social platform building and virtual communities and all that is great. In fact, I'm amazed that the Internet gets us closer to that Jetsons experience we all dreamed of. I even want to sell a lot of e-books because the reach and lifespan of them is amazing. But mayber what I should be doing more of is standing in front of real people. To me, nothing beats sharing air with my audience.
What will help keep both irons – digital and analogue – in the fire is that I finally ADMITTED that I'm no good at social media and recently hired someone to manage that stuff for me. And guess what – the guy has jumped in and started helming the virtual ship like he actually ENJOYS it! What a relief!
Now I can hit the road! I'm doing a two-week summer mini-tour – Minneapolis-St. Paul the last week of July, the Chicago area first week of August, and points between. If you're in these areas and know libraries, book clubs, or bookstores that would like a visit from an up-and-coming YA thriller author, please let me know. I want to meet these people! If you're not in those areas, please grab a free download of "The League of Delphi" and/or tell everyone you know who loves YA thrillers about it. Reviews and attention are needed and deeply appreciated!
We're dropping Book II of the trilogy in October and I'm feeling good. I'm on the road to recovery, freedom, and maybe a little exhaustion – huh, Joe?
[P.S. to Goodreads users: For "The League of Delphi", I received an untrue – and what I feel is an unfair – "review" from a Goodreads user. I don't argue with their evaluation of the book's contents, only with their misleading assumptions about marketing (indy authors will see what I mean). If you download a free Kindle of "The League of Delphi: Book I of The Delphi Trilogy", your HONEST review on Goodreads will help show others that I'm sincere and that the book deserves their attention. Thanks.]
Joe sez: My public speaking days are behind me.
While I like meeting fans, and hanging out with peers, I did enough for a lifetime in the 8 years I toured. I did events and signed in bookstores in 42 states, and it kept me from my writing and kicked my ass. There is nothing more exhausting that driving 200 miles, visiting 20 bookstores, then doing a library event, in one day.
I apologize to the many who will never get to bask in my larger-than-life presence, but this cowboy has hung up his spurs.
That said, events are a great way to meet people. So are bookstore signings. So is Facebook and Twitter. Hell, I was one of the first authors who used MySpace for promo.
No matter what your method of reaching fans, here is the one tip you need to remember:
Get email addresses.
I've been lax in newsletters this past 18 months, but nothing helps an author more than being able to send out a mass emailing to people who want to hear from you.
Have a sign up sheet when you do events. Pass pout business cards. Have a website. Harvest emails from fans who contact you.
All you need is a few thousand people. That's a few a day for a few years. Easy peasy in a digital world.
That said, unless you speak at a huge conference to thousands of people (and I have before), there is no better bang for your time than maintaining an online presence.
If anyone can give Chris some pointers in the comments, I'd love to hear them too.
I apologize to the many who will never get to bask in my larger-than-life presence, but this cowboy has hung up his spurs.
That said, events are a great way to meet people. So are bookstore signings. So is Facebook and Twitter. Hell, I was one of the first authors who used MySpace for promo.
No matter what your method of reaching fans, here is the one tip you need to remember:
Get email addresses.
I've been lax in newsletters this past 18 months, but nothing helps an author more than being able to send out a mass emailing to people who want to hear from you.
Have a sign up sheet when you do events. Pass pout business cards. Have a website. Harvest emails from fans who contact you.
All you need is a few thousand people. That's a few a day for a few years. Easy peasy in a digital world.
That said, unless you speak at a huge conference to thousands of people (and I have before), there is no better bang for your time than maintaining an online presence.
If anyone can give Chris some pointers in the comments, I'd love to hear them too.


text:
By his own accord, John Ellis has some unfinished business at Havelock High School.
HAVELOCK � By his own accord, John Ellis has some unfinished business at Havelock High School.
The senior is a wrestler for the Rams in the 160-pound weight class, and is currently 29-5 on the year.
It isn�t all just personal for Ellis. He feels his team can go deep into the state dual playoffs.
The Rams missed out on the duals last season and Ellis failed to place at the state championships.
�This year means the end of all that I�ve worked for since seventh grade,� Ellis said. �It�s my last chance to leave a mark on the history of Havelock wrestling.�
The Rams are 14-2 on the season as a team, with the only losses coming to defending 2A state champion Croatan and 4A runner-up Jack Britt.
Ellis is ranked No. 4 in the 3A class according to retrorankings.com.
�Our team is so much better this year than we were last year,� Ellis said. �It says a lot that we haven�t lost to a 3A team and both losses are to state champs or runner-ups.�
First-year head coach Tommy Andrews has taken over for the departed Pat Whitford and still has grappling guru Chase Holleman by his side.
Andrews says that while he hasn�t had a long time to work with Ellis, he is impressed by the senior leader.
�John has a great work ethic and is determined to reach his goals,� Andrews said. �I don�t see any reason why he can�t make it to states and make a deep run.�
Ellis had those same state championship goals a season ago, but fell short.
He notes a few improvements in his arsenal that he thinks will help him have a different result this go-around.
�I have gotten a lot better on my defense from bottom,� Ellis said. �Last year, people could hold me down a lot easier, but not this year. I am a lot better offensively on top too and have about eight moves I can use that are tough to get out of.�
Ellis and fellow senior Ryan Davis, who finished second at states last year, are the Rams� best shots for individual championships.
The team is back in action with a crucial Coastal Conference match versus West Carteret Thursday that could have important implications with dual seeding.
Jordan Honeycutt can be reached at 252-635-5670 or at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow Jordan on Twitter @JHONEYnbsj29


text:
Pope Benedict's statement captures an essential truth of Catholic education. When we provide children with an education in faith, we affect, not only their lives, but also the life of our community. Academic excellence and Catholic values in combination provide young people the tools to excel and the moral compass to guide how they use those tools.
The Catholic School system is the largest private school system in the nation and the only system where a child can enter at age 3 and continue through post-graduate work. In the Archdiocese of Boston, the graduation rate for Catholic School students is 99 percent with 97 percent continuing on to college. They perform above grade level in reading, math, science and social studies.
While our schools continue to produce these excellent results, changing demographics, a difficult economy and lack of financial resources present challenges that must be addressed. Making sure future generations continue to benefit from a Catholic education is a critical priority.
Guided by a commitment to academic excellence and rigor, Catholic identity and mission, and school viability and vitality, we will continue the important work of revitalizing Catholic education.
References for The Revitalization of Catholic Education:


text:
Editor's note: This is the first in a two-part series on Vermont agriculture and immigration reform.
NEW HAVEN — Addison County dairy farmers talking last week with Congressman Peter Welch said a new immigration bill is vital to meeting their labor needs, as farms increasingly rely on immigrant workers.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Advocates for Vermont's migrant laborers know that a driver's license bill, such as the one being considered by the Vermont Legislature, is a short-term solution to what is ultimately a federal problem. Few would dispute that the dairy industries in states like Vermont have been saved by migrant labor, but the federal government does not offer a visa program to supply labor-strapped dairy farms with legal, documented foreign workers, like the H-2A visa does for seasonal agricultural work.
The full text of this article is only available to online subscribers.
Are you an online subscriber? Click to login.
Click here to learn more about our subscription options.
If you have a print subscription, you can now add an online subscription at no additional charge! Just email us with your name and mailing address to set it up.
Subscribe to Online Edition
Online PDF Print Edition
Copyright 2011 Addison Independent | 58 Maple Street, Middlebury, Vt. 05753 | All Rights Reserved
Site Development by Surf New Media


text:
In a blunt assessment of the current ownership of MediaNewsGroup, The Seattle Times editorial board advised the new owners of MediaNews Group to break up the national newspaper chain and put its newspapers in the hands of local owners. We couldn't agree more.
Here's what the Seattle Times's editorial said:


text:
"Rock My" Blog
Diane, Rocking Her Age
Thursday, December 14, 2017
Geneva White
RECENT Posts
11 Feb, 2018
Toxicity Concerns
We resumed our Health and Wellness class this week; an action I really appreciate. You may recall I did a post on Frances, the certified health coach, and one of my women of the year. We began this season's seminars on the subject of toxicity; how much of it we encounter in our every day living, how dangerous it can be to our bodies, and some methods to eliminate it from our homes (or, at least minimize the toxins). Francis brought to the class a selection of everyday cleaning products, most
02 Feb, 2018
Closet and Trend updates
The Fall/Winter fashion shows for women's Ready To Wear Runway shows will be in full swing in a week or two. I always recommend this as the time of year when a woman of any age should begin analyzing her wardrobe for probable editing. After I review the runway shows from New York (and maybe London, Paris, and Milan), I will determine which items that I definitely wish to keep for at least one more fall/winter season. I always recommend a stylinista review the contents of her closet against
26 Jan, 2018
Rocking Fitness, Again
Hello stylinistas and fashionistas! I'm sorry I have been remiss in posting for the past two weeks, but I have simply been behind on several of my year-end chores and in kicking off the new year! It has been COLD this winter with several of our nights reaching the freezing point; just perfect for this season's furs (faux) and warm clothing. The start of a new year also serves to remind most of us that we may have over-indulged during the holidays and it is time to take a serious grip on our
03 Jan, 2018
Rocking comfort
Happy New Year, all Fashionistas and Stylinistas!! Most of my holiday season was great and I hope that the same was true for all of you. I am starting of my posts for 2018 with a question (or two) for you; do you believe that in order to be comfortable you must be wearing clothes that must be oversize, be made of sweat shirt or t-shirt materials? Over the holidays I heard more than one woman ask another if she was "dressing up" for a party or other festive occasion and the answer was "no, I
21 Dec, 2017
Happy Holidays
Merry Christmas, Everyone! My next post will be after New Years Day!
07 Dec, 2017
Update on Ladies Who Rock 2016 and 2015
Before I introduce you to the remaining ladies of 2017 who "Rock their age", here is an update on the ladies of 2015 and 2016. Unfortunately, I do not have pictures of them that they wish to have published. (ever notice that friends and family are the least willing to have their pictures published!) In 2015, I showcased TL, DB, JP, IA (initials, of course); these ladies I have know for many years; young adulthood, middle age, and our 'golden years'. Each of these ladies overcame, or are still
01 Dec, 2017
Frances, Rocking Her Age
One of the most remarkable women I have met this year is Frances Weller. No, she is not a college student, although she has been mistaken for one; she is a middle aged woman with a son in college, and a wealth of nutrition and wellness information so important to facilitate 'rocking age'!! It is our good fortune that she conducts a weekly class at our clubhouse. To the left, you can see pictures of Frances leading the group and offering tips on how to manage stress in one's life. Frances
26 Nov, 2017
Rocking the Holidays
Yes, this is the same picture I posted last year; I love this outfit and I will be wearing it again. Winter white is a wonderful color on so many of us women of a more advanced age. This week's post is covering two different subjects; embracing our golden years with a continuing sense of style, and the ability to update a minimal wardrobe seasonally using a variety of small adjustments. My first subject introduces a wonderful example of a recent acquaintance I made at the local Trader Joe's
15 Nov, 2017
Holiday Fitness
It is no secret that "rocking age" for any woman over fifty requires one to manage both physical and mental health issues to a far greater degree than when she was younger, especially during the holiday season. We all may remember the ability to "cram" for a test all night then go to school/work the next day; many of us may remember being up all night with a sick baby and rising early to get the family ready for the day. (you may know the commercial about "mom's taking a sick day"; it just


text:
On Monday, Colts fans can buy tickets to one or more of the 10 individual games on the team's home slate for 2014. But to get tickets to one of the games, fans must buy tickets to another game.
The team announced that seats for the latest showdown with the Patriots can be had only by buying tickets to another game on the schedule. The good news? It's the Giants. Bad news? It's a preseason game.
Last year, Colts owner Jim Irsay justified the application of the same prices to preseason and regular-season tickets by arguing that the value evens out over the full course of 10 games. By forcing fans who want to see the most valuable game on the 2014 docket to buy tickets to a far less valuable game, the Colts are applying a form of flexible pricing, essentially doubling the cost of the Patriots game — especially if Patriots fans will be buying any of the tickets.
It would be more sensible to simply adopt flexible pricing. Approved to be used for the first time in the coming season, several teams (including the Steelers, Bills, Lions, Patriots, and Dolphins) have opted to slide prices up and down based on the perceived quality of the game.
The Patriots will visit Indianapolis on November 16 for a game currently due to kickoff at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC. That could change under the concept of flexible scheduling, which begins in theory as early as Week Five in 2014.


text:
|Hb -->
|medical dictionary
<cell biology, haematology> Four subunit globular oxygen carrying protein of the erythrocytes of vertebrates and some invertebrates.
It is a conjugated protein containing four haem groups and globin. There are two alpha and two beta chains (very similar to myoglobin) in adult humans, the haem moiety (an iron containing substituted porphyrin) is firmly held in a nonpolar crevice in each peptide chain.
There are four globin polypeptide chains, designated alpha, beta, gamma, delta in the adult. Each is composed of several hundred amino acids.
Abbreviation: Hb
American spelling: hemoglobin
(08 Mar 2000)
haemoflagellates, haemofuscin, haemogenesis, haemogenic < Prev | Next > haemoglobin A, haemoglobin A1C, haemoglobin A2
|Bookmark with:
|word visualiser
|Go and visit our forums


text:
This is my second note, i've been up for hours and this is how everyone will get to know me better through my notes. Read on to understand my life in my mind of pain and love.
"Your friends are your family, and your friends are your family" That was my quote for my 12th grade AP English class why because its true your friends are always there but so are your family. What can your family give you when you can't tell them you cheated on a test in class or that you lost your mom's favorite DVD. You don't tell them anything you tell your friends who then give you comfort about what you have done or they could have been the one's pressuring you to do it in the first place. Although born in to your family, you have a choice to please the eye of your friends or stick with your blood line. How do you even meet most of your friends in the first place but threw family. The word family, so many forms of family but they all mean the same thing to be "UNITED" by the one, one mind, one soul, one ego. That someone is the glue that holds ever family together, that someone is "YOU". You are the one, one mind, one soul, and one ego.


text:
Back to Top
Browse by type:
We 100% guarantee that you will not be charged any GST, VAT, RVAT, PPN. Any additional charges will be billed to us directly. The price you pay to us is all you have to pay to receive the order.
Australia, Malaysia, Singapore: We achieve this by sending your orders to our logistic centres in the respective country first; and then divert it to you.
The UK: If your delivery address is in the UK, you will see a "Clearance Fee" charge during checkout (currently waived). It is for us to process your order through the UK custom and to ensure any VAT will not go to you. This clearance fee is substantially lower than the VAT you have to pay typically.
Your order on below products are protected by our Camera Paradise Warranty for 24 (or 12) months.
For details, please visit our Warranty page.
Your purchase is safely protected by our CameraParadise.com 14-Day Return Policy. No questions asked!
For details, please visit our Return page.
© 2019 Camera Paradise. All rights reserved.


text:
Kiss to Sign Copies of 'Archie Meets Kiss'
You may have thought you hallucinated that story about Kiss starring in a new Archie comic, but it's really happening — and if you want to commemorate the experience by getting your own signed copy, the band is happy to oblige.
All you have to do is get yourself to Los Angeles on November 30, where band members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley will be hosting a signing at Golden Apple Comics. The store will start handing out wristbands at 10 AM (with the purchase of an issue of the comic, natch), but get there early — the event is limited to the first 100 fans.
The Kiss/Archie crossover launches Nov. 30, and will find the rock vets helping protect Riverdale from an invasion of monsters and zombies. In other words, classic Kiss. Simmons agrees, telling the New York Post that the band is a natural fit for the comics because "Kiss is all things to all people. A five or 10-year-old fan doesn't look at the lascivating nature of my tongue the same way someone much older would — such a thing is not obvious to a five-year-old, and nor should it be."
Archie Comics CEO Jon Goldwater, who describes himself as a "crazy Kiss fan," promises that the comics will offer something for everyone: "Younger kids will enjoy the magical nature while older audiences will enjoy old rock 'n' roll."


text:
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
From what I've seen, I don't think you can call what Heavy Rain has "gameplay" in any sense of the word.
With this and Heavy Rain, it's good to see that more patient gameplay still has a place.
I prefered ICO (though I loved both). SotC's feel was more hinged on the old "knight's quest to battle dragons and save a lady" cliche, and revolved much more around combat. I'll usually take problem solving over combat, which is probably why I prefered ICO.


text:
Mars: Closest Approach 2007
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope took this close-up of the red planet Mars when it was just 55 million miles - 88 million kilometers - away. This color image was assembled from a series of exposures taken within 36 hours of the Mars closest approach with Hubble's Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2. Mars will be closest to Earth on December 18, at 11:45 p.m. Universal Time (6:45 p.m. EST).
Mars: Closest Approach 2007
Rotation Globe of Mars December 2007
NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), J. Bell (Cornell University), and M. Wolff (Space Science Institute, Boulder)


text:
Starke Awarded SPS Leadership Scholarship, Sept. 11, 2001
SOCORRO, N.M., August 30, 2001 -- Virginia Alison Starke, a native of Los Alamos who is now a senior majoring in both physics and mathematics at New Mexico Tech, recently was awarded the 2001-2002 SPS Leadership Scholarship, a national scholarship award given by the Society of Physics Students (SPS) to outstanding physics students who exhibit a high level of activity in SPS programs.
Starke, a graduate of Los Alamos High School, is the daughter of Jane and Thomas Starke of Los Alamos.
She was selected for the prestigious honor from a group of several exceptional applicants by the national office of SPS, an organization of the American Institute of Physics.
As an SPS scholarship recipient, Starke will receive a monetary award of $1,000 and will be featured in an upcoming article in the fall issue of the SPS Observer and Radiations.
Starke currently attends New Mexico Tech on a William and Jean Macey Scholarship and also recently won the research university's Abraham and Esther Brook Award in Physics.
"Last summer, I participated in the National Science Foundation's Research Experience for Undergraduates Program at Cornell University, working at that university's nanofabrication facility," Starke says. "For two summers previous to that, I was employed by the materials science and technology division at Los Alamos National Laboratory."
She also is currently working at New Mexico Tech as a research assistant for Kenneth Minschwaner, physics professor and chairman of the university's physics department.
Starke's work with Minschwaner has resulted in her being named a co-author of a research article, "Photodissociation of Nitric Oxide in the Middle and Upper Atmosphere," which recently was published in the scientific journal Physics and Chemistry of the Earth.
Starke is a member of SPS, as well as Sigma Pi Sigma, the national honor society for physics students.
She is a past vice president of the New Mexico Tech Physics Club and currently serves as the club's treasurer.
When she's not attending classes, studying, or conducting research, Starke says she dedicates her spare time to actively participating in Tech's intramural soccer program, rock climbing, horseback riding, and photography.
She also volunteers as an assistant leader of a local Senior Girl Scout Troop.


text:
(from "The Polar Express")arr. Mac Huff - Hal Leonard Corporation
(from "The Polar Express")arr. Mac Huff - Hal Leonard Corporation
Click to review
Your choir will sing their hearts out with this inspiring ballad, as performed by Josh Groban for the movie "The Polar Express." �"Believe in what your heart is saying, hear the melody that's playing. �There's no time to waste, there's so much to celebrate. �Believe in what you feel inside, and give your dreams the wings to fly. �You have everything you need, if you just believe." �Everyone, young and old, will be touched by this meaningful song, appropriate for concerts all year! �
Select a Product
My Library
Powered by Rating-System.com


text:
LEGAL TIP: Marine View Law can help you obtain a Loan Modification
…that Marine View Law & Escrow can help you obtain a Loan Modification and reduce the principal amount owed on your mortgage?
Here at Marine View Law & Escrow we've helped many clients save their homes through loan modifications. We assist with not just first mortgages, but second mortgages as well. With a loan modification, we're able to cure the default amount owed, and modify your monthly mortgage payment to an amount that is feasible for you and your family.
In addition to modifying the terms of your mortgage, as of March 2012, the US Department of Justice recently announced a $25 Billion Mortgage Settlement with five of the country's largest mortgage lenders. In short, this settlement agreement requires these five lenders: Bank of America, Chase, Wells Fargo, CitiGroup, and Ally Financial, to provide financial relief to consumers.
What does this settlement mean to homeowners? The settlement requires the lenders to collectively contribute $20 Billion towards various forms of relief for homeowners. The primary form of relief being provided is a reduction of the principal amount owed on loans for homeowners who are in default and owe more on their mortgage then the home is worth. 75% of the $20 Billion in relief is required to be provided to homeowners within two years, which means that many homeowners will be entitled to such relief.
If you mortgage is through one of these five lenders: Bank of America, Chase, Wells Fargo, CitiGroup, or Ally Financial, or you receive any notifications in the mail regarding your eligibility for principal forgiveness, be sure to give us a call right away so that we can help you determine your rights, assist you with a loan modification, and save your home.
If you are facing financial hardship and are in default on your mortgage, and would like to keep your home and look into the possibility of a loan modification, give our office a call at (206) 878-8777 or visit us online at www.marineviewlaw.com.
[Would you like to have a Blogvertorial story, Ad and/or Event Listing like this on a popular, fast-growing website seen by over 51,000 interested Local Readers every month? Email us for more info, or check out our Advertise page!]


text:
Western Star Introduces 4700SB All-Wheel Drive Model
Western Star Truck Sales, Inc. introduced its new 4700 set-back all-wheel drive truck. Now available to order, the Western Star 4700SB AWD is ideal for construction and utility applications requiring a lightweight truck with rugged, off-road traction. The new model, equipped with a Terex Utilities Digger Derrick, was on display at the 2013 Work Truck […]Read more


text:
Stop P-O-R-N
Stop P-O-R-N
Does not Allow VPN Bypass unlike most! Your children are safer with Stop P-O-R-N!
More Detail Description
How Children Bypass Parental Controls
Detailed Description
Written PB Software Team 12/5/2016
Click here for an independant review from Softpedia, a leader and most trusted. We were rated 100% clean.
A powerful software used for blocking pornographic material STOP P-O-R-N is a handy and easy to use application that can block the access to any pornographic material. It will protect your family or classroom from inappropriate material on the Internet. If inappropriate material is detected the web browser will instantaneously shutdown the program that is displaying inappropriate material. STOP P-O-R-N uses low CPU and memory resources. It adopts advanced interception techniques to scan web browsers and other application's contents in real time. STOP P-O-R-N works with all web browsers. To date, there are no other parental type filters that offer this broad range of protection. STOP P-O-R-N helps users keep their computer away from sexually questionable material online. It uses real-time interception technology to determine if the website is displaying pornographic material. If this material is present, it will abort the operation of the web browser. By doing this, there is no chance for the porn sites to launch consecutive pop-ups to reveal additional porn material. . STOP P-O-R-N was created due to the frustration of trying many applications that would filter out the wrong material or slow the browsing experience to a slow creep. Some of the applications would consistently have errors that would effectively result in a PC reboot to rectify the problem. STOP P-O-R-N was designed to work "out of the box." The only thing a user needs to do, is install STOP P-O-R-N and it will immediately start working for you. Due to the advanced technology used, the user does not have to configure anything. STOP P-O-R-N can be shutdown by double-clicking on an icon located in the icon tray. STOP P-O-R-N can not be shutdown until the correct password is supplied. This password will be entered by you at the first start-up of STOP P-O-R-N. It is important that you write this information down. There is also the option to do a password change if needed. STOP P-O-R-N also offers the option to NOT allow popular P2P filing sharing software to launch. The following P2P applications that can be selected to not start are: Bit Torrent, Kazza, Ares, Frostwire, MyP2P, and BearShare. STOP P-O-R-N supports real-time alerts via e-mail. If the user types in an inappropriate word, an immediate e-mail can be sent with the inappropriate word and the PC name. STOP P-O-R-N has many methods to deter the computer user from shutting it down. Upon launch of STOP P-O-R-N the task manager is disabled so that a user can not circumvent STOP P-O-R-N and shut it down. The task manager can always be enabled by shutting down STOP P-O-R-N by entering the correct password. The second methods of protection are multiple password protections. STOP P-O-R-N requires that a password be used to shut it down and to change any options The third method is binary encryption of the application itself. The method used to determine if sites are inappropriate is encapsulated in the application itself. There is no external file used by STOP P-O-R-N, so there is absolutely no chance of tampering. To this point, all parental filters thus far are using external files to read from. This is a huge security hole. Someone could open this file and edit it's contents, thus letting inappropriate material to be displayed on the screen. STOP P-O-R-N was engineered to stop the display of porn material, but at the same time allow appropriate material to be displayed.


text:
That is why it is beyond me when I go into an antique store or visit an estate sale that I see old photos and portraits for sale. I just can't understand why people would be willing to part with such objects reflecting their heritage.
I have a good friend, Karen, who loves antiques. After a long career as an executive secretary at Whirlpool Corp., she was able to take an early retirement and devote her time to her passion which is antiquing. She goes to estate sales, auctions, has booths at various antique malls in our area, shows her wares at our annual Antiques on the Bluff in St. Joseph and sells items on eBay. She enjoys this and does quite well.
The other day I was at her house and noticed she had a lovely portrait in an even lovelier frame sitting in her back room where she traditionally puts all her antique "finds". I commented on the portrait and she remarked that she had picked it up that day from an estate sale. Her intention was to take out the picture, dump it and put the frame for sale at her antique booth.
I immediately commented that she should most definitely not destroy the photo as it was beautiful and obviously an original oil painting. In her ever generous spirit, she then told me to take the frame and portrait if I liked it so well and believe me, I did. Here it is:
Thomas & Ida PadgettI told her that I could only wish that I had such a portrait from one of my ancestors and she told me she had been to an estate sale at one of our local mobile home complexes. That was all she knew about the portrait other than the estate sale was from an elderly lady who had recently passed away and her adult daughter was conducting the sale.
ca 1888
ca 1888
The genealogist in me wanted more information. So, I put on my Nancy Drew 'hat' (I did read all her books and have them all still) and went on a mission. I knew someone who lived in that particular mobile home complex so I called her and inquired if she knew who had recently had an estate sale in her area. She did, she told me the name of the daughter of the deceased as well as her phone number and I called the woman.
Once I explained why I was calling, the woman was very receptive to giving me more information. She told me the couple in the portrait were her great-grandparents and she knew his name was Thomas Padgett and the great-grandmother's name was unknown to her but that was all she knew. She told me that her grandmother was this couple's daughter and her name had been Edna and she was born in 1888 or 1889. She explained that her mother had had the portrait, nobody in the family was interested in it and there were no descendants to come so she and her brother decided to sell it. She was delighted that the portrait had found a good home with someone who would appreciate it.
Off to Ancestry.com I went in search of more information on Thomas Padgett and his wife. I also searched for the obituary in our local paper from this recently deceased lady who had had this portrait. Armed with the information from the obituary and the sketchy information from the great-granddaughter, I learned quite a bit.
Thomas Padgett was born in Cuyahogo County, Ohio ca 1859. He was married on June 1, 1887 to Ida Mills in North Plains, Ionia County, Michigan. Ida Mills had been born in 1868 in North Plains, Ionia County, MI. Her parents were William Mills (born in 1832 in Michigan) and Emma Wright (?) (born in 1849 in Michigan).
Census records showed that this Thomas & Ida Padgett had had a daughter, Edna, born in 1888 who married Chester Barr. Edna and Chester Barr had had a daughter, Ida Lucille Barr, who was the lady who had recently passed away and who had had this portrait.
I was able to find vital records on this family, information that extended back further generations indicating Ida Mills Padgett's family had come from England and generally found more information in a shorter amount of time than I ever spent on any of my personal lines. It was exciting and challenging and the information just flowed from the computer on this family.
Today, on Mother's Day, I hope Thomas & Ida know that their portrait has found a good home and someone is appreciating it and thinking of them.
Above photo from personal collection of Cheryl Schulte