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Updated from 2:51 p.m. ET with extension of Silver Lake deadline. NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- Private equity giant Silver Lake Partners and Michael Dell are raising their $24.4 billion offer for Dell ( DELL) by 10 cents, as the buyout consortium fights activist hedge fund investor Carl Icahn for control of the PC-maker. The increased price may help Michael Dell and Silver Lake win control of the company, after they were unable to garner majority support for their takeover at Dell's July 18 shareholder meeting. Still, the new bid may amount to a nickel-and-dime attempt at changing the goalposts late in what would be one of the largest private equity buyouts in history. The revised offer of $13.75 a share increases Dell's buyout price by approximately 0.7% or $150 million. Silver Lake and Michael Dell are asking that along with the increased offer, a special committee conducting Dell's sale agree to revise the merger agreement so absentee votes at the shareholder meeting aren't counted against the takeover consortium. It is reported that about 20% of Dell's shareholders were absent the July 18 vote, creating a roadblock for the private equity buyers. A source familiar with the situation said on Wednesday Silver Lake's increase isn't likely to turn many "no" votes to the takeover into "yes" votes. Meanwhile, changing the treatment of absentee shareholders could undermine the fairness of Dell's buyout process, which has received strong support from a key Delaware court. "The integrity of the process is one of the best things the deal has going for it," the source said. Dell's special committee said Wednesday they will need to review the terms of Silver Lake's proposed price increase before making a recommendation to shareholders. For now, the special committee did say they would adjourn Dell's shareholder vote until 10 a.m. EST on August 2nd. Late on Wednesday, Silver Lake said it would extend a deadline for its revised offer from 6 p.m. until an hour before the Aug. 2 vote. A lot could happen in the week-long delay, however, there are also signs of a standoff between Silver Lake, Dell's special committee, shareholders and Carl Icahn. "This is our best and final proposal," Silver Lake and Michael Dell said in a letter to Dell that was disclosed on Wednesday morning. "We are not willing to discuss any further increase in the merger consideration nor are we willing to increase the merger consideration to $13.75 per share without the change to the Unaffiliated Stockholder Approval requirement," the letter added. It is unclear whether the consortium would budge from their new offer if it doesn't get the backing of Dell's special committee. Bloomberg reported Wednesday the special committee would be convinced to amend the merger agreement with a $14 a share takeover bid, according to unnamed sources. If Dell's special committee accepts a changed merger agreement that excludes absentee votes, it could erode support from a Delaware court on the fairness of the buyout process, Brian Quinn, an associate professor at Boston College Law School, said in a Wednesday interview. Quinn said the special committee, so far, has driven a model buyout process. However, he added that a changed merger agreement would reflect just how desperate Dell's board is to get a deal done. "They have looked at the future and have decided that the future without a deal is bleak," Quinn said. Carl Icahn took to Twitter on Wednesday to continue to pin Dell's PC-market plight on the company's board, chaired by founder Michael Dell. "All would be swell at Dell if Michael and the board bid farewell," Icahn said on Twitter. For some, Silver Lake and Michael Dell's 10-cent increase may be too small given what the buyout consortium is asking Dell's special committee to concede. "They are offering so little for so much," Sachin Shah, a merger arbitrage strategist at Albert Fried, said of the increased bid in a telephone interview. "I think they need to do more to get the special committee to play ball given what is at stake." Shah approximates that if the special committee agrees to stop counting absentee votes against Silver Lake's offer, over 30% of Dell's shareholders could go unheard in Dell's takeover process. Michael Dell, the company's largest shareholder, is unable to vote his shares. Given votes already cast by institutional holders such as BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street in favor of the deal, and opposition from T. Rowe Price, Icahn Associates, Southeastern Asset Management, Yacktman Asset Management and Pzena Investments, most of Dell's largest shareholders are spoken for. To bridge a deficit of support, Dell's takeover consortium needs to appeal to smaller institutional holders and other investors who did not participate in voting ahead of Dell's shareholder meeting. The delay of Dell's shareholder vote is likely to frustrate Carl Icahn and Southeastern Asset Management, who both said Tuesday that further adjournment to the shareholder meeting would represent a "banana republic" voting process. "We think that - after six months- the time for soliciting is over. It's time to vote. Do not move election day again. This is not a banana republic," the investors said. Dell's special committee, however, continues to characterize Icahn's competing $14 a share self-tender as speculative and his communication to shareholders as "misleading."
Carl Icahn played a strong hand leading up to the vote but the meeting's continued adjournment likely plays into the hands of the Silver Lake consortium. Icahn may have helped to drive a significant amount of crucial abstaining shareholders by holding out the prospect of an appraisal on the Silver Lake offer in a Delaware court. Meanwhile, the activist's last minute sweeteners to a $14 a share self-tender for about 72% of Dell's shares may have won support from some institutional investors. Earlier in July, Icahn said he would add a warrant to his tender offer for the majority shares. The warrant, which Icahn says is worth up to $4 a share to current investors, will give Dell shareholders the right to buy one Dell share within the next seven years for, for every four shares they tender to his offer. Since Michael Dell and Silver Lake unveiled their takeover proposal on Feb. 5, most news broke in the favor of the buyout consortium. Dell and a special committee tasked with finding higher bidders for the company both support the consortium's initial $13.65 a share takeover transaction and continue to see weakness in the financial strength and value of Icahn's offer. To be seen, however, is whether a final tally of undecided voters will break in Michael Dell and Silver Lake's favor. Dell's special committee will also have to say whether they are in support of the revised offer for the PC-maker. Dell shares were falling 4 cents to $12.85 in late Wednesday afternoon trading. -- Written by Antoine Gara in New York Follow @antoineGara


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Regency GL26 Faye Rue Large Natural Gas Light With Open Flame Burner And Manual Ignition On Wall Mount
Product Info Guide
Key Features
- Copper Construction
- Open Flickering Flame
- CSA Certified Solid Brass Control Valve
- Manual Ignition
- Wall Mount
This Regency GL26 Faye Rue Large Natural Gas Light features hand-made copper construction with a beautiful copper finish; an open flame burner for the perfect amount of flickering light and ambiance; all riveted joints for strength; tempered glass for safety; CSA certified solid brass valves/tips for years of service; manual ignition; and 1436 BTUs. Gas light dimensions (in inches): 27 H x 13 1/2 W x 12 Projection from wall.
Legal disclaimers and warnings
Product packaging, owners' manuals, installation instructions, and/or operating instructions may include more information than what is shown on our website. The content on our site is intended to be used for reference purposes only. Please fully read all included manuals and documentation before installing or using this product. WARNING for California residents: this product may contain chemical(s) known to the state of California to cause birth defects, cancer, or other reproductive harm.
Product Information
- Model Number
|Fuel Type
|Natural Gas
|Mount Type
|Wall Mount
|Mount Setting
|Standard Wall Mount
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|Open Flame
|Faye Rue
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At BBQGuys.com we pride ourselves on being the grilling experts. From expert product reviews to free outdoor kitchen planning services, BBQGuys.com is dedicated to being your go-to resource for all things barbecue. Based in Baton Rouge with over 500,000 happy customers nationwide, we stand by our wide selection of grills, smokers, outdoor kitchen components and grilling accessories. Call us with any questions - we're here to help.


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Veterans and newcomers alike have benefited from the loosened purse strings in recent weeks. Columbia purchased "The Long Run," a political drama written by playwright Stephen Belber ("The Laramie Project") for low seven figures for to produce; Touchstone Pictures bought "Home Free," a comedy from brothers Alexi and Noah Hawley, for mid-six figures; and Dimension picked up "Janky Promoters," a music-biz comedy written by Ice Cube ("Friday").
DreamWorks in particular has been snapping up specs. The studio bought "C.O.D.," a thriller penned by neophyte Lars Jacobson, for mid-six figures; "Imaginary Friends," a fantasy adventure by first-timers Cornelius Uliano and Bryan Schulz; and "Hereafter," a thriller from Oscar-nominated screenwriter Peter Morgan ("The Queen"), in a multimillion-dollar package.
Relativity outbid several other suitors, including Warner Bros. and Sony, for Ingelsby's dark drama about an ex-con avenging his brother's death in 1986 Indiana. It certainly helped that the ubiquitous Leonardo DiCaprio and Ridley Scott were attached, but even disinterested readers say Ingelsby's screenplay merits a comparison to the tone and nature of the Coen brothers' Oscar-winning "No Country for Old Men" and praise for its lived-in regional dialogue.
Ingelsby, an American Film Institute graduate, has been living with his parents in the Philadelphia area and working at his father's insurance company while tapping the keyboard every night. He remembers that when he left AFI, where he began writing "Low Dweller," one professor said that any graduate actually making money as a screenwriter within the first six or seven years should consider himself lucky.
"It's an unnerving experience already," says Ingelsby, very aware of his good fortune. "I really never expected it to be like this. It's amazing. It's overwhelming."
Writer's lucky pitch to Disney
From Leatherface to Eliza Doolittle -- now that's the life of a Hollywood screenwriter.
Sheldon Turner, whose last produced screenplay was for the genre reboot "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning" in 2006, has just closed a high six-figure deal to write "a male Pygmalion story" for Disney called "Advance Man."
With an echo of "Trading Places," Turner's original comedy pitch concerns a revered, aging New York City publicist who, disgusted with the "wet nurse" state of his profession, bets a rival at his agency that he can train the next person through the door to do his job. He has his work cut out for him when a young, uncouth bike messenger suddenly enters the office.
Turner had pitched the idea to friend and Tapestry Films producer Andrew Panay back in October. Panay, who was in the process of producing the Disney comedy "Old Dogs," pitched it on set to the film's director, Walt Becker. Becker liked the tale enough to spin it to his star, John Travolta, whom he had also directed in that year's global Disney hit "Wild Hogs."
With Becker and Travolta attached, Disney executive Kristin Burr and production president Oren Aviv bought Turner and Panay's pitch in the room a week before the strike began (the deal just recently closed).
"You've got to have a lot of leverage," Turner says of the current market for original ideas. "I won't go out with a pitch without an element now," meaning an attached star or director.
Turner will juggle this new, lighter story along with a bundle of darker material he's been developing, including "Conspiracy of Fools," his adaptation of the Kurt Eichenwald book about Enron Corp. for director Robert Schwentke at Warner Bros.; "Orbit," an adaptation of John Nance's abandoned-in-space novel for director Thomas Bezucha at Fox 2000; and "Magneto," his potential X-Men spinoff franchise for director David Goyer at Fox.
'Shining City' right on time
Seth Greenland's "Shining City" has taken on a little more shine, if in a tawdry sort of way.
The linking of Eliot Spitzer to a high-priced (OK, astronomically priced) prostitution ring may have been a spectacularly bad turn of events for the crusading New York governor, who has since resigned. But it also inadvertently provided a titillating marketing hook for Greenland's novel about a schlubby, debt-ridden suburban dad named Marcus Ripps who unwittingly inherits a similar business from his shady, estranged brother.
A playwright ("Jungle Rot"), TV writer ("Arli$$") and screenwriter ("Who's the Man?"), Greenland sold the film rights to his comic novel, which Bloomsbury publishes in July, to Warner Bros. for $1 million back in early October. Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel, who recently worked on the script for the Jim Carrey comedy "Yes Man," have been writing the adaptation.
As everyone surely knows by now, the ludicrously chest-thumping name of the organization that Spitzer allegedly patronized was Emperor's Club VIP. In Greenland's novel, it is Ripps' once-icy wife who warms to the idea of running the West Hollywood escort service and dubs it Smart Tarts. Together, the strained couple revive their marriage by turning it into a thriving Web-based company that offers its employees -- among them Mistress Verlaine and Xiomara -- health insurance and retirement benefits.
Hey, Alan Horn, put this one on the fast track. Between the primary election debate over healthcare, our dreadful lack of strong family-values role models and the ongoing Pellicano and Spitzer circuses (wait -- there's more!), this one pretty much hits the zeitgeist G-spot.
You may just have a lot of customers lining up to pay for it.
Scriptland is a weekly feature on the work and professional lives of screenwriters. Please e-mail any tips or comments to firstname.lastname@example.com.


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When Metric Halo introduced the ULN-8, people raved about the sonic quality, the features, and the power of the architecture. Many reports, however, were from studio owners and engineers whose studios were equipped with their own "go to" mic pres, people that use analog consoles, and those that edit but don't record. They loved the ULN-8 too, but d... Click To Read More About This Product
When Metric Halo introduced the ULN-8, people raved about the sonic quality, the features, and the power of the architecture. Many reports, however, were from studio owners and engineers whose studios were equipped with their own "go to" mic pres, people that use analog consoles, and those that edit but don't record. They loved the ULN-8 too, but didn't need the mic pres. For those customers, Metric Halo designed the LIO-8. This unit ships with the +DSP expansion (described below).
The LIO-8 incorporates the same Metric Halo Audio technologies in the ULN-8 including:
192k sample rate support for both Analog and AES Inputs and Outputs
New DC-coupled, zero phase distortion, servo balanced Line Inputs and Outputs
Fully clickless remote controlled Monitor outputs
All LIO-8 analog outputs incorporate Metric Halo clickless remote technology allowing for flexible monitoring applications from stereo to 7.1 surround.
As with all Metric Halo products, the LIO-8 features an upgrade path. Or two.
While the base configuration of the LIO-8 doesn't include mic pres, you can opt to have 4 or 8 channels of the same ULN-R mic pres as the ULN-8 included in your unit. The LIO can be ordered this way from the factory, or the pres can be installed later.
This item includes the +DSP license, which adds over 100 plug-ins to your LIO and gives you the ability to create and save complex processing "graphs" as well as access to factory supplied "macros" including processors, amp simulators and more.
LIO-8 Key Benefits at a Glance
Exceptional, Best-In-World, Archival Grade Converter Quality
Flexible, Integrated Analog-Domain Monitor Controller
Universal Sample Rate SupportAnalog, AES and Firewire Interfacing
Rock Solid Stability: Mature, Real-World-Tested Firmware, Software and Drivers
Instant Access to Tactile ControlsFully digital control for total recall, remote control and control surface support
Comprehensive Precision Metering - so you always know what is going on
Works with or without a Computer
Metric Halo's Exclusive Per-channel selectable Character - from ultra clean to nice and gooeyIntegrated ultra-low-latency instantiable processing with plenty of DSP power to run it
Most Compact, Lowest Weight, Lowest Power and Lowest Price in its Class
Suite Solution
With everything you need to record, mix, process, and master audio (just add your DAW of choice, analog front end and transducers), the LIO-8 is your one-stop solution for recording, edit, mix and mastering suites. Even if you are using a DAW or recording system that does not support the LIO-8 Firewire interface, the unit's standalone operation and standard AES and analog interface allow you to use it as the Audio Front End and Monitor Controller for Pro Tools, standalone and PC based recording systems.
The Ultimate Digital Upgrade
The LIO-8 is a great way to upgrade your audio system. Put it between your existing gear and your DAW to get all of the benefits of our analog design, conversion technology and DSP without ripping your room apart. Adding a LIO to an analog console is like buying new converters and getting a digital mixer with total recall for free. Using Metric Halo's ConsoleConnect technology you can insert EQs, compressors, gates, reverbs and more into the v.5 Mixer and have all your routing and settings recalled with your DAW session.
LIO-8/4p - Astonishing
Archival Grade Converter Quality
4 Channels of the ULN-8s boutique-quality mic preamps.
Rock Solid Stability
Works with or without a computer
Best in its Class
Unleash the processing power in your TEC Award Winning LIO-8 interface with +DSP!
Add 100+ Plug-ins and the ability to create your own secret weapon processors that can be inserted on demand, with Metric Halos +DSP License for Mobile I/O.
One +DSP License extends to all 2d Expanded interfaces attached to your system, while the boxes are attached.
Analog Rails (low power): ±9.9 Volts
Analog Rails (high power): ±12.6 Volts
Maximum I/O Levels (Balanced)
Peak Line Output @ 0 dBFS (no jumper/low power): +18.5 dBu
Peak Line Output @ 0 dBFS (output jumper/low power): +22.0 dBu
Peak Line Output @ 0 dBFS (output jumper/high power): +24.5 dBu
Analog Send Max Output: +21.5 dBu
Line In Max Input: +24.5 dBu
Output Impedance: 5 Î
Monitor Controller
Nominal FS output (Balanced) Output Jumper Off: -19.0 dBu
Nominal FS output (Balanced) Output Jumper On: -12.0 dBu
Maximum Output: Same as Line
Gain Range: -96 dB to +30 dB
Gain Precision: ±0.05 dB
Gain Step: 0.5 dB
Line Input + ADC
Input Impedance: 10 kÎ
Dynamic Range (-60 dB, flat 0-22.05 kHz, typ): 115 dB
Dynamic Range (-60 dB, A-weighted, typ): 118 dB
Noise Floor (flat 0-22.05 kHz, typ): 115 dB
Noise Floor (A-weighted, typ): 117.9 dB
THD D/A/A/D loop @ -12 dBFS: 0.0005 %
THD D/A/A/D loop @ -0 dBFS: 0.0015 %
Crosstalk @ 1kHz: -127 dB
IMD 1k component (19 kHz/20kHz @ +8dBu): -104 dBu
Gain Range: -12 dB to +31.5 dB
Gain Precision: ±0.05 dB
Gain Step: 0.5 dB
Line Input + ADC Frequency Response
+0/-0.1dB @ fs = 44100 Hz: 5.7 Hz - 20.5 kHz
+0/-1.0dB @ fs = 44100 Hz: 1.8 Hz - 21.0 kHz
+0/-0.1dB @ fs = 96000 Hz: 5.7 Hz - 43.9 kHz
+0/-1.0dB @ fs = 96000 Hz: 1.8 Hz - 45.4 kHz
+0/-0.1dB @ fs = 192000 Hz: 5.7 Hz - 42.1 kHz
+0/-1.0dB @ fs = 192000 Hz: 1.8 Hz - 64.7 kHz
5 low-end in-channel phase deviation point: 10.7 Hz
Interchannel phase 0 Hz - 20 kHz: < ±0.05
Crosstalk from SMPTE Input: < -142 dB
Input Processing
M/S Decode: Instantiable
Parameteric EQ: Instantiable
Dynamics: Instantiable
Character: Instantiable
Reverb: Instantiable
Delay: Instantiable
Output Processing
M/S Encode: Instantiable
Parameteric EQ: Instantiable
Dynamics: Instantiable
Character: Instantiable
Reverb: Instantiable
Dither: Instantiable
Mix Foldown: Instantiable
Front Panel
Indicator LEDs (Bicolor): 495
Meters: 16
Segments per Meter: 15
Channel Encoder Knobs: 8
Encoders Have Shaft Push Buttoms: Yes
Monitor Controller Encoder Knobs: 1
Monitor Controller Mute: Yes
Monitor Controller Dim: Yes
Indicators Per Encoder: 16
Sample Rate Indicators: 6
Clock Source Indicators: 4
AES Clock Source Indicators: 4
AES Lock Indicators: 4
AES Input Signal Indicators: 4
AES Output Signal Indicators: 4
System Lock Indicator: 1
Firewire Indicator: 1
Front Panel Modes: 14
Headphone Output (Dedicated DAC): TRS Stereo
DI Inputs (2): TRS Balanced
DI Input Impedance: 10 MÎ
DI Input Fixed Gain (Jumper Selectable): 0/10/20 dB
DI Input Variable Gain: -12 dB to 31.5 dB
Power Switch (Jumper Defeatable): Toggle
Back Panel
MIDI Connectors (In and Out): 5-Pin DIN
SMPTE Connectors (In and Out): Balanced TRS
Word Clock Connectors (In and Out): 75Î BNC
AES Connector (8 Channels In and Out): DB-25
AES Connector Pinout: Tascam/Digidesign Digital
Line Input Connector (8 Channels): DB-25
Line Input Pinout: Tascam/Digidesign Analog
Send Output Connector (8 Channels): DB-25
Send Output Pinout: Tascam/Digidesign Analog
Line/Monitor Output Connector (8 Channels): DB-25
Line/Monitor Output Pinout: Tascam/Digidesign Analog
Line/Monitor Mult Output Connectors (Analog 1/2): TRS Balanced
FireWire Connectors (2): 1394a 6-Pin
Power (Unswitched): 2.1mm Coaxial
Power (Switched): 4-Pin XLR
Security Slot: Kensignton
Driver: CoreAudio Mac OS X
Mac OS X: 10.3.9 or newer
Architectures: PPC, Intel
MIO Console: Included
Record Panel: Included
LTC Decoder: Included
Mixer: Included
+DSP License: Optional
Voltage: 14v - 28v
Power: 24 Watts
FireWire Bus Powerable: No
Passes FireWire Bus Power: Yes
Supplies FireWire Bus Power: No
External Supply (Input): I00-240VAC
External Supply (Max Input Current): 1.2 A
External Supply (Output): 24 VDC
External Supply (Max Output Current): 2.0 A
External Supply Connector: 4-Pin XLR
Material: Powder Coated Aluminum
Fasteners: 3mm Phillips Head
Weight: 6 lbs
Weight: 2.7 kg
Dimensions: 17" x 13" x 1.72"
Dimensions: 432 x 330 x 44 mm
Rack Ears (included): Powder Coated Steel
Rear Rack Mounts: Available
Guitar Center's Pro Coverage
Pro Coverage gives you added warranty protection for your gear. Stepping in where the manufacturer's "normal wear and tear" coverage ends, our Pro Coverage program offers you upgraded coverage if your product ever fails Click To Read More About This Product.
Our product catalog varies by country due to manufacturer restrictions. If you change the Ship-To country, some or all of the items in your cart may not ship to the new destination.


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Barry sez: When it comes to Amazon and Hachette and all that, there's just too much partisan posturing posing as journalism to tackle, and most of it Joe and I ignore. But in his latest New York Times blow job to big publishing, anti-Amazon activist David Streitfeld jumps so far over the shark that we had to mock his tendentiousness, which was excessive even by Streitfeldian standards. Joe, what are you drinking?
Joe sez: I'm drinking a 1921 Dom Perignon at my summer palazzo on the Canal Grande in Venice.
Oh… wait a second. I don't have a palazzo. Or a 1921 Dom.
So I'm just having Jack Daniels, straight, in my townhouse, trying to dull my brain enough to deal with what has to be the stupidest, most biased, poorest excuse for journalism I've ever read… and I've got a poster of Bat Boy from the Weekly World News hanging in my basement.
Barry sez: Hah. We're just teasing Preston, who tries to paint himself as an aw, shucks regular guy but who "summers in this coastal hamlet… set on 300 acres that have been owned by the Preston family for much of the last 100 years." All of which sounds about as blue collar as it gets! Why would anyone suggest this guy is of and for only the one percent of authors?
As for my libation tonight, I'm just having a Fat Tire ale. My second, to ease the pain.
Okay, let's get this over with…
First, I want to emphasize something we mentioned in yesterday's post on James Patterson's CNN opinion piece. Which is, publishing darlings like Preston and Patterson get easy access to all the establishment media they want. Last month's fawning (and tendentious) Preston interview was by Vauhini Vara in The New Yorker; today it's Streitfeld in the New York Times. And on Sunday, Preston et al will buy a ton of coverage with an $104,000 ad in the New York Times, for which the Streitfeld piece reads like a coordinated warm-up.
Joe sez: I'm sure Streitfeld's lips firmly stuck to Preston's ass for this entire article had nothing to do with Authors United dropping $104k on that ad. Because, you know, such a high-minded reporter could never allow a conflict of interest to get in the way of his intrepid search for the facts.
Barry sez: Oh come on, the New York Times covering a hundred-thousand dollar ad in the New York Times can only be pure coincidence!
But yeah, drop 100k on an ad, and maybe you can expect a little additional coverage to get thrown in at no extra charge. Also, establishment figures are just drawn to establishment figures. It's like dogs sniffing each other's butts -- they can't help it, it's what they do. It's part of how establishments perpetuate themselves. Why else do "experts" who've been repeatedly, catastrophically wrong continue to get invited onto all the networks to opine about war and peace?
NYT: Out here in the woods, at the end of not one but two dirt roads, in a shack equipped with a picture of the Dalai Lama, a high-speed data line and a copy of Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience," Amazon's dream of dominating the publishing world has run into some trouble.
Joe sez: I love how right away, Preston -- who as far as I know has never said a single thing that was correct or defensible on this issue -- is immediately linked with the Dalai Lama and Thoreau.
Because, you know, a rich, reactionary author protecting his self-interest is the modern-day equivalent of a reincarnated spiritual leader who unified Tibet and a transcendental abolitionist.
Wait… I'm getting ahead of the article.
Barry sez: No, I love that opening, too. Of all the things that must be strewn around Preston's coastal hamlet garret, those are the two Streitfeld thoughtfully chose to emphasize. It was beautiful! But where was Preston's copy of The Teachings of Ghandi?
Also, note the slick way Streitfeld eases in his opinion that Amazon must be motivated by the desire -- no, more than desire, a dream! -- of "dominating the publishing world." Not to make money with lower prices, greater selection, improved efficiencies… nothing like that. It's all about [cue scary music]... Aspirations of World Domination!
This is another one we wrote about yesterday, and as we said there, it's practically a staple of the Amazon Derangement Syndrome crowd. For people like Streitfeld, that Amazon might, like other companies, be motivated by business reasons and not some cartoonish Dr. Evil imperative of World Domination isn't conceivable. Certainly the possibility is never entertained; Amazon is Evil And Wants To Take Over the World is just a constant, background, unexamined axiom, one of those things Streitfeld simply knows and which therefore require no evidence.
NYT: Douglas Preston, who summers in this coastal hamlet, is a best-selling writer — or was, until Amazon decided to discourage readers from buying books from his publisher, Hachette, as a way of pressuring it into giving Amazon a better deal on e-books. So he wrote an open letter to his readers asking them to contact Jeff Bezos, Amazon's chief executive, demanding that Amazon stop using writers as hostages in its negotiations.
The letter, composed in the shack, spread through the literary community. As of earlier this week 909 writers had signed on, including household names like John Grisham and Stephen King. It is scheduled to run as a full-page ad in The New York Times this Sunday.
Joe sez: The letter was also thoroughly fisked by me and Barry over a month ago.
Preston never responded. Nor did he respond to the many other times we took him to task.
Because we all know that the one thing you should never do, when you're right, is defend your position.
But then, when did Henry David Thoreau ever engage in open debate? You know, other than that time he gave those public lectures after being arrested for not paying his poll tax because that money financed slavery. What was the name of his collected speeches?
Oh, yeah. Civil Disobedience. It's like Thoreau has been reincarnated, and Preston is carrying on his unselfish message of social change. The people's champion, here to serve the needs of the many via tremendous courage and self-sacrifice.
I mean, look at all he has to lose by bad-mouthing his own publisher? Hachette could easily retaliate by…
Oops. Forgot. He's not bad-mouthing Hachette, even though they've been stalling in negotiations with Amazon since January (way to report, Streitfeld!) because they currently have no contract with Amazon (glad you mentioned that as well, Streitfeld!) and want to keep ebook prices high (that's the trifecta of ignoring important facts surrounding this story, Streitfeld! Congrats!).
Barry sez: We might call such journalistic magnificence… "Streitfeldian!"
Joe sez: Of course Doug isn't bad-mouthing Hachette -- Hachette is his publisher, and bad-mouthing them would be risky.
Barry sez: Yes, Preston knows he can do or say anything, and Amazon won't retaliate. Unlike his forebear Thoreau, he's taking zero risk.
Joe sez: It's all so reminiscent of Walden, I think Thoreau has a potential plagiarism suit.
NYT: Amazon, unsettled by the actions of a group that used to be among its biggest fans, is responding by attacking Mr. Preston, calling the 58-year-old thriller writer "entitled" and "an opportunist," while simultaneously trying to woo him and his fellow dissenters into silence.
Barry sez: Credit where due: Preston has done a nice job of propagating that "woo him into silence" meme. But what I always wonder is this. Why is it a bad thing that Amazon, which has no direct relationship with Preston, has reached out to him? And why is it a good thing -- how can Preston be proud -- that he's "not even in contact" with his own publisher on this matter? Wouldn't he like to find out from his own publisher what this dispute is about (he admits he doesn't even know himself)? Why doesn't Streitfeld think to even ask about any of this?
Either Streitfeld is stunningly incurious for a reporter… or something else is going on.
Anyway, I don't know why anyone would call Preston entitled. Everyone knows that's only readers. And it's not as though Preston worries, in this very article, "What if Amazon says, 'Why should we sell Doug Preston's books? He's a thorn in our sides.' Guess what? All this [the coastal hamlet and spacious and splendid house, presumably] goes away." Because, absolutely, Douglas Preston has a right to have his wares stocked by all retailers, no matter what. Don't we all? What's entitled about that?
Joe sez: And "wooed into silence." Amazon, in a self-serving display guaranteed to provoke disgust, tried to bribe Preston into shutting up by offering to help the authors Preston said were being harmed.
Way to misrepresent, Streitfeld! Amazon reaches out to Preston to work with him and address his concerns, and they are accused of trying to silence him. And Preston stupidly, selfishly, and instantly rejects the proposal, perpetuating the harm that his letter allegedly is trying to stop.
Preston's monumental ignorance is only overshadowed by Streitfeld's terrible reporting.
NYT: Mr. Preston is unswayed…
Joe sez: Because why let logic, facts, and common sense get in the way of righteous indignation backed by collective narcissism and self-entitlement?
NYT: "Jeff Bezos used books as the cutting edge to help sell everything from computer cables to lawn mowers, and what a good idea that was," [Preston] said. "Now Amazon has turned its back on us. Don't they value us more than that? Don't they feel any loyalty? That's why authors are mad."
Joe sez: Amazon has turned its back on you, Doug?
Uh… didn't Amazon contact you directly several times? Didn't Amazon propose three solutions for compensating authors during these negotiations with Hachette?
NYT: Amazon has been forced by the controversy to shed its longtime practice of refusing to comment on anything. Asked about the writers' rebellion, it issued a statement that put the focus back on Hachette, bringing up the Justice Department's antitrust lawsuit against Hachette and other publishers in 2012: "First, Hachette was willing to break the law to get higher e-book prices, and now they're determined to keep their own authors in the line of fire in order to achieve that same end. Amazon has made three separate proposals to take authors out of the middle, all of which Hachette has quickly dismissed."
Joe sez: Streitfeld didn't link to Amazon's statement (why am I not surprised?), didn't mention Amazon's point about the terribly low royalties Hachette pays its offers, and missed a huge opportunity to question Preston on the collusion suit Hachette was involved in.
Don't journalists have some sort of rudimentary rulebook or minimum list of standards they can fall back on to remind them of things that should be obvious?
I'm floored by the level incompetence here. Is there something like an Anti-Pulitzer we can nominate Streitfeld for? Some equivalent of the Razzie Awards for reporters?
Someone needs to send Streitfeld a snorkel, because he's liable to drown in his own BS… unless the shame of his epic failure to act even remotely like a journalist kills him first.
NYT: Mr. Preston pointed out it was Amazon that put the authors in the line of fire in the first place. Russell Grandinetti, Amazon's vice president for e-books, has called Mr. Preston twice in recent weeks, trying to get him to endorse the company's proposals to settle the dispute, as well as to pipe down. The most recent proposal would have Amazon selling Hachette books again, but with Hachette and Amazon giving their proceeds to charity.
Joe sez: How hard is this to understand? Douglas Preston doesn't have a contract with Amazon. He has a contract with Hachette. It is Hachette's responsibility to make deals with retailers so Preston's books are widely available.
It is not Amazon's responsibility to carry Hachette's books if the two companies can't decide on terms. Yet Amazon is STILL carrying Hachette titles, even though their contract expired back in April.
Amazon didn't put any authors in the line of fire. Hachette did. Believing otherwise is textbook Stockholm Syndrome.
NYT: No thanks, Mr. Preston said. A proposal that weakens Hachette by cutting its profits was not in the interests of Hachette's authors.
Joe sez: Except for those authors who wanted to take the deal. Authors who don't have a coastal hamlet.
How many Hachette authors signed Preston's letter? Can someone with more patience than I have check on that?
Or couldn't Streitfeld have done so? He's a journalist, right? That thing is kind of his job. Or couldn't he at least have an intern look into it? Wouldn't it be interesting to know how many authors Hachette publishes vs. how many signed that asinine letter?
NYT: But he took the opportunity to ask Mr. Grandinetti why Amazon was squeezing the writers in the first place.
His response, according to Mr. Preston: "This was the only leverage we had." Amazon declined to comment.
Joe sez: Hmm. Russ Grandinetti said the only way to compel Hachette to negotiate at all was to remove pre-order buttons and stop discounting and stocking quantities of Hachette titles.
Consider that for a moment. Amazon has no current contract with Hachette. Couldn't Amazon have removed all of Hachette's titles? Why didn't Amazon use that as leverage? Amazon is the bad guy here, right? Wouldn't a real bad guy do that?
Barry sez: Yeah, I don't know how you can reasonably say that Amazon has been other than remarkably patient, using only the most graduated leverage, and only in response to Hachette's ongoing non-responsiveness even after the expiration of their contract. But then again, I don't have an entitlement attitude...
NYT: "It's like talking to a 5-year-old," Mr. Preston said. " 'She made me hit her!' No one is making Amazon do anything."
Joe sez: No one is making Amazon do anything, including carrying your titles, Doug. But they still are.
Barry sez: I've heard Preston say this in probably a half dozen different interviews. I know he's very fond of it, so I wish someone would explain to him it's both a nonsequitur and a straw man. Neither Amazon nor anyone else is claiming that someone "made" Amazon do anything. The question is, what is a retailer supposed to do when its contract with a supplier expires… and the supplier refuses to negotiate a new one? We've asked this question of Preston many times and he's never even attempted to answer it.
And shockingly, ace journalist Streitfeld doesn't think to ask something similar himself. He just enables the glib "five-year-old" dodge… and continues with the lovefest.
NYT: No one is making Mr. Preston do anything, either. He dismisses Amazon's suggestions that he is a "human shield" for Hachette, one of the Big 5 publishers in the United States. He and the other writers say they are acting independently. Most, in any case, are not published by Hachette.
Joe sez: See my comment above. If most aren't published by Hachette, could there be some reason more Hachette authors didn't sign that letter?
How much digging would it have taken to contact a few other Hachette authors and ask why they didn't sign? Or how they felt about Amazon's multiple offers to have Amazon and Hachette compensate them for any losses -- the offers Hachette and Preston keep dismissing out of hand?
Barry sez: In fairness, he was pretty busy taking notes about the Dalai Lama and Thoreau.
NYT: Mr. Preston is not sure how he has found himself in charge of a group calling itself Authors United. "I don't like fighting," he said. "I'm a wimp. When the bullies in seventh grade said they would meet me in the parking lot after school, I made sure I was nowhere near it."
Joe sez: But damn anyone who takes away your hardcover discounts, huh Doug? That's when it's time to make a stand.
NYT: "We feel strongly that no bookseller should block the sale of books or otherwise prevent or discourage customers from ordering or receiving the books they want," the letter states.
Joe sez: For the umpteenth time, Amazon isn't blocking the sales of books.
Barry sez: And as for "preventing," it's almost like Amazon has the Mystical Power to Stop People from Buying Books Elsewhere. A power they nefariously wield by directing Amazon customers to other stores!
Seriously, that Streitfeld enables all this totally uncritically is just an embarrassment. I want to avert my eyes… but luckily, I'm on my third beer, and that's helping.
NYT: Some writers wholeheartedly supported the letter but were afraid to sign, Mr. Preston said. A few signed it and then backed out, citing the same reason. The Times ad, which cost $104,000, was paid for by a handful of the more successful writers.
Barry sez: You almost get the feeling the great, silent majority of authors are behind this thing, don't you?
NYT: The Times ad, which cost $104,000, was paid for by a handful of the more successful writers.
Barry sez: Along with the adoring interviews these guys receive practically on command, they can also afford to buy whatever media attention they want. James Patterson made $94 million in a year. A cup of coffee is more of an outlay for most people than a full-page NYT ad is for Preston's group -- a group that's in any event already saturated with fan fic like Streitfeld's.
The fight between publishing reactionaries and publishing progressives is far from equal. The good news is that the forces of publishing progress have on their side both numbers and coherence. Over time, I'm confident numbers and coherence will prevail over money and star power. But it'll require commitment, because a defining characteristic of all establishments is that they will never reform without a hell of a fight.
NYT: Amazon supporters point to a rival petition on Change.org. It is a rambling love song to the retailer. Signers sometimes append invective decrying the New York publishers for having the audacity to reject novels. "There is something wrong with a system that picks those who use their elitist ideas of art to choose who is published," reads a comment.
The petition has 7,650 signatures. By comparison, a 2012 Change.org petition calling on Amazon to ban the sale of whale and dolphin meat drew over 200,000 signatures.
Barry sez: This is when Streitfeld really hits his full partisan stride:
* A letter that gets 909 signatures warrants a NYT headline; one that gets 7650 has no independent significance, but exists only as something "pointed to" by "Amazon supporters."
* A letter that gets 909 letters "spread through the literary community;" one that gets over 7650 is merely a "rambling love song" (truly rich, from the guy who wrote this blow job of an article… seriously, would even one thing have read differently if it were a straight-up Hachette press release?).
* Preston's letter doesn't even allow for comments, which is par for the course among publishing reactionaries; for the other letter, our dispassionate reporter searches among thousands of comments for one he thinks is weak and makes sure to mention it (though is the comment really so weak? If legacy gatekeepers aren't letting one manuscript through for every thousand they reject, why are they called "gatekeepers"?).
*A letter that gets 909 signatures stands alone; one that gets over 7650 must be compared to another letter on a totally unrelated topic that got far more. Did you catch that? The relevant Streitfeldian comparison isn't between an anti-Amazon letter with 909 signatures and a pro-Amazon letter written in response that garnered 7650; it's between the pro-Amazon letter and some unrelated thing Streitfeld managed to dig up about dolphin and whale meat.
Oh, and the best part? All of this is progress for Streitfeld! Seriously, he's actually showing some improvement compared to his last outing...
My favorite part about the dolphin thing, BTW, is imagining Streitfeld sifting through scores of Change.org petitions until he found just the right one to try to make the pro-Amazon petition numbers seem unimpressive. Now that's Streitfeldian!
Really, it's as though Streitfeld writes a whole article about the massiveness of some guy's four-inch manhood, and then grudgingly, almost as an aside, mentions that, well, okay, there was this guy John Holmes, who was, admittedly, like three times bigger -- but then immediately goes on to note that, of course, by comparison to the Washington Monument, which is over 500 feet, Holmes's endowment wasn't really all that.
Joe sez: The Streitfeld. Maybe that could be the name of the reporter Razzie Award equivalent…?
"And the first Streitfeld Award for embarrassingly partisan reporting and a shocking lack of journalistic integrity goes to… Streitfeld! How incredibly Streitfeldian! Who could have predicted this, other than anyone who can read above the second grade level?"
I apologize. That last joke was insensitive to second graders. But I am semi-serious about an award for bad journalism. Because there is a journalistic code of ethics. Someone really ought to read this to Streitfeld:
The duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues. Conscientious journalists from all media and specialties strive to serve the public with thoroughness and honesty. Professional integrity is the cornerstone of a journalist's credibility.
Barry and I aren't journalists. We're more like op-ed columnists. But we always try to back up our views with data and logic, and we constantly pressure check our integrity. My blog does not claim "All the news that's fit to print". We don't pass off our biases as news and file them under Technology (the section the Streitfeld piece ran in). And we don't get paid for blogging.
The NYT should be ashamed and apologetic for running Streitfeld's nonsense and calling it news.
Barry sez: Yeah, it's not easy to distinguish between Preston's paid ad and the coverage the Times offers him on top of it.
Pro-tip for the Times: this is not something to be proud of.
NYT: Mr. Preston is not one of those writers who checks his Amazon ranking on a regular basis, or even totes up his sales. He would rather be writing. But he recently thought he should get some numbers from Hachette. They came in the other morning, and they seemed worth sharing with his wife, Christine.
About half his book sales used to come from Amazon. But since the retailer started discouraging orders, his paperback sales are down 61 percent and his e-book sales are down 62 percent.
Mrs. Preston, a photographer, studied the bleak sheet.
"It's gotten personal," she said. "I knew you were going to take a hit, but I had no idea it would be like this."
Joe sez: Perhaps, Mrs. Preston, you should have talked some sense into your husband when he immediately rejected Amazon's offer to monetarily compensate authors? Or when he rejected the second offer, calling it blood money? That 62 percent drop could have been a 300+ percent bonus.
Instead, Preston nobly spoke on behalf of his ten-billion dollar corporate master, Lagardère, whose Kindle sales only make up 1% of their revenue.
NYT: "Are you worried?" Mr. Preston asked. "Because you should be. What if Amazon says, 'Why should we sell Doug Preston's books? He's a thorn in our sides.' Guess what? All this goes away."
Joe sez: On a purely base, ugly, karma level, I wouldn't mind that happening.
I keep seeing legacy apologists like Preston and Patterson getting adoring press, spreading misinformation, harming writers, and the petty part of me wants to see them reap what they're sowing.
Amazon, however, has been very restrained in the pettiness department. No contract with Hachette, but still selling their titles. Three offers trying to find a way to compensate authors. Two calls to Preston. Repeated attempts to expedite the negotiation process.
Meanwhile, Preston looks at his 300 acres and wonders if his wrongly-perceived altruistic bravery will result in him losing them, while not uttering a peep about his own publisher's actions in this dispute.
And amplifying those misconceptions are journalists like Streitfeld, trying to paint Preston as some sort of a blameless, heroic figure.
Still, the fact is I do feel for Preston, and for all Hachette authors. I don't want to see any of them hurt.
I truly understand what it is liked to be at the mercy of an idiotic publisher. I sympathize. And I hope this whole situation is resolved swiftly.
But every time Preston, or Patterson, or Turow, or Colbert, flaps his gums in the media, it emboldens Hachette to hold firm to its intent to control ebook pricing and prevent Amazon from discounting. I can imagine Hachette execs back-slapping each other on Sunday, when Preston's $104,000 ad runs, while the majority of Hachette authors wonder why their publisher failed them. They don't have 300 acres to lose. Many of them will lose electricity, or their lease.
I used to live bi-annual check to bi-annual check. I struggled to make ends meet. And I also feared criticizing my publishers in public, because I needed them to put food on the table.
You're not a hero, Doug. You're still that coward, running away from bullies in the schoolyard.
You're just so delusional you don't know who the bullies really are.
Barry sez: Well, I'm on my fourth beer. I think. I lost count.
Part of me hates spending so much time exposing the shoddy thinking of people like Preston and the even shoddier journalism of people like Streitfeld. We've got other things to do -- like our day jobs. But I'm always struck by how much uncritical and nakedly partisan establishment media attention publishing reactionaries like Preston can garner. If we don't use social media to point out the flaws in the thinking and the incestuousness of the coverage, more people might swallow it all uncritically. Which would help the Prestons and Pattersons succeed in stymying progress.
Joe sez: You must be the change you wish to see in the world. At least, that's what it says on the statue of Ghandi I keep at my writing desk.
Barry sez: Hah, how Streitfeldian of you! But we also need some totally irrelevant figure to compare things to. Dolphin meat or something.
Joe sez: I'll try harder next time. Incompetence like that doesn't always happen on your first attempt. You really have to work at it.
Joe sez: Here, and on Passive Voice, writers are making some points Barry and I missed. I believe they're worth adding to the blog post, because some things often get lost in comment threads.
Also worth noting is that the law of unintended consequences is in full effect. Since Streitfield's article went live, over 160 more people have signed our petition.
Jeff Shelby: "But he recently thought he should get some numbers from Hachette. They came in the other morning..."
I laughed so hard at this because I don't think many of us that have published traditionally can relate to a quick turnaround - if any - on a sales numbers request.
I genuinely hope every single Hachette author calls in and asks for their sales figures and that Hachette gets them the info as quickly as they did Preston.
Lawrence De Maria: Mr. Preston pointed out it was Amazon that put authors in the line of fire in the first place." Since when do sources point out "facts" still in dispute?
Tracy Sharp: I think these rich writers are biting the wrong hand. Their publishers will be closing their doors some day, maybe in the not too distant future, and then they'll be kissing Amazon's ass.
David Vandagriff: PG flat believes that either Preston or the Times author took the Grandinetti quote out of context.
It is far more likely that Grandinetti's response, "This was the only leverage we had," was describing the fight between Amazon and a financially failing Hachette, not a response to any question about "squeezing the writers."
The Times got the quote from Preston, because Amazon could see a Times hatchet (Hachette?) job in progress and decided not to cooperate. This raises the possibility that an advanced case of ADS has boggled Preston's mind completely and he entirely misremembers whatever Grandinetti had to say. Or perhaps, Preston passed on what Grandinetti should have said instead of what Grandinetti did say, all in the service of supporting the Times narrative.
I just did a quick search and it appears that Round Pond, Maine, where Preston "summers" doesn't have a bookstore.
The question that comes to mind is if the dog eats Preston's copy of "Civil Disobedience," will Preston order a replacement from Amazon or endure having his "writing shack" appear less fashionable for the remainder of the summer?
Alan Tucker: My question is this: What can Amazon do to pressure Hachette that won't harm Hachette's authors?
Patricia Sierra: I don't think the wealthy, name-brand authors are doing themselves any favors when they whine in public. A segment of those seeing the whines will think less of them.
Meanwhile, back in Preston's world, it's great to see that he still isn't taking sides in the Hachette/Amazon contract negotiations.
Sarah McCabe: I'm sure his sales aren't down at all because he's publicly being a giant ass.
Dan DeWitt: This is an amazing piece of impartial journalism. They've used whales to prove that 900 > 7500+.
Nirmala: Amazon has not actually prevented anyone from buying Preston's or any other author's books. And yet where were Preston and his millionaire buddies when Barnes and Noble completely prevented people from buying Simon And Schuster's books a year ago? I do not remember any full page ads then. And where is their outrage when booksellers all across the country refuse to stock Amazon's publishing imprints? Or when booksellers refuse to stock even bestselling titles by self-published authors? Preston's letter states "We feel strongly that no bookseller should block the sale of books or otherwise prevent or discourage customers", but in truth it is only a concern to them when it is their own books that are being discouraged (again not ever prevented from being sold).
Richard Fox: No author should ever play the martyr card just because they oppose something Amazon does. Amazon isn't vindictive towards individuals, but it will cut off bad actor business partners.
Robert Bidinotto: O, woe is the life of the literary One Percenter!
While we take "vacations," the wealthy Mr. Preston "summers" in a "shack" in the Maine woods, where he grouses oh-so-loudly about the unfairness of Amazon in depriving his books of "advance purchase buttons."
Gee, Amazon doesn't even offer Moi, a lowly indie author, any advance purchase buttons. But then, I'm not crown royalty. Muffy, please go fetch Mr. Preston a pina colada while he "summers" away, so that he may drown the wretched pain of his cursed existence.
Chris Armstrong: Preston is quite mystified by how he came to be in charge of an organization like Author's United. I guess his creating the organization and putting himself in charge wasn't a clue.
Claire Chilton: I suspect there are more people in the world who would like to see whales and dolphins survive than there are authors.
I mean, I don't have the statistics, but I suspect that there aren't as many writers in the world as there are people who like dolphins. I have yet to meet a person who wanted to kill all the dolphins, but I've met many people who aren't writers.
I wonder how that blatantly obvious nugget got missed in the article...
Joe sez: I'll add more as more come in...


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Nearly 30 people were displaced after a small fire set off water sprinklers at a Sneads Ferry apartment complex.
Nearly 30 people were displaced after a small fire set off water sprinklers at a Sneads Ferry apartment complex.
The fire started at approximately 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Stillwater at South Bridge apartment complex, according to Onslow County Fire Marshal Brian Kelly , but was immediately contained and put out. Kelly said the fire was minor, and no injuries were reported. Fire departments from Turkey Creek, North Topsail Beach, Holly Ridge and Verona responded to the call.
American Red Cross spokeswoman Autum Mihm said 24 units and 29 people were affected by the fire, which started in the kitchen area of one of the apartment units. Kelly would not confirm the cause of the fire due to Onslow County EMS standard.
Kelly also said his office is still unsure of how much damage was done to the apartment units and said the damage done was due in large part to the sprinkler system at the apartment complex.
�But, with as many units as there are there, the value of the water damage is far less than what would have happened in an actual fire event,� Kelly said. �It just goes to show that sprinkler systems to work. With a little work, these people will be back in a shorter amount than if the fire raged.�
The fire's investigation is closed, and it was ruled an accident. According to the Red Cross, residents began returning to their homes late Monday.
Employees with Stillwater at South Bridge apartment complex declined to comment. -
Sneads Ferry, NC, January 27, 2014 - Twenty five people were displaced as a result of a kitchen fire at an apartment complex in the Stillwater at South Bridge community last night. Smoke from a cooking fire set off the sprinkler systems in multiple units causing water damage and making it necessary to cut off the electrical power to the building. A team of six Red Cross workers responded to the scene of the disaster and provided lodging for the eight families whose homes were damaged by smoke or water. Most of the residents affected were local military families; they should be able to return to their homes later today.
Red Cross disaster action teams are on call day and night to respond to local disasters and provide assistance including shelter, clothing, food, supplies, referrals and emotional support to those affected. All disaster assistance is provided free to anyone who has experienced a verifiable disaster to meet their immediate emergency needs. This is made possible thanks to the generosity of volunteers and donors in our community. To make a donation to the American Red Cross visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED-CROSS or contact your local chapter.


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Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories - December 20 Christmas Music
My association with Christmas music began very early. It began with the seasonal music I heard in church and progressed as parts of the pageants/shows I was involved with in school. Mother also had a recording on Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians singing the Nutcracker Suite. I think this made perhaps the strongest impression on me. Although it is not currently played, in fact I don't think I've heard it in about 60 years, I still remember some of the words. For instance some of the words to "The Waltz of the Flowers" were "Come to the garden wall, come to the waltz of the flowers. Lilies lilting, Dahlias dancing, and Forget-me-nots remembering." I used to play the record and dance to incessantly. I recent did a google search for the music for my granddaughter be cause parts of the Nutcracker Suite were part of her Christmas band program. I finally found the lyrics and downloaded a mp3 recording. Here is the link for anyone who would like to here it
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By Yasmeen Abutaleb
WASHINGTON, July 25 (Reuters) - Only slightly more than half of U.S. girls aged 13 to 17 had been vaccinated against a virus that can cause cervical and other cancers last year, and a top U.S. health official said on Thursday that more must be done to bring the rate up to the long-term goal of 80 percent.
The vaccination rate to protect against human papillomavirus (HPV) was 53.8 percent last year for teen-age girls, just marginally higher than the 53 percent rate a year earlier, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Thursday.
The rate reflected girls who had received at least one dose of the vaccine. Full vaccination requires a three-dose series.
HPV is responsible for an estimated 26,000 cancers in the United States each year. About 79 million people in the country have the sexually transmitted virus, and 14 million are newly infected each year.
"We're dropping the ball," Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said on a conference call with reporters. "We're missing opportunities to give HPV vaccines and that needs to change."
The CDC collected data from the National Immunization Survey-Teen, which collects vaccination data for 13-17-year-olds.
The CDC recommends routine HPV vaccination for boys and girls at age 11-12, before they are sexually active.
The CDC noted that among unvaccinated girls, 84 percent had missed the opportunity to get an HPV shot when they visited a healthcare provider for another immunization. Had they also received an HPV vaccine at that time, the percentage of girls who had received at least one dose could be as high as 93 percent.
Each year the vaccination rate remains at its current 33 percent for girls who have received all three doses, an additional 4,400 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer, according to the CDC.
HPV, which most often does not show symptoms for several years, can also cause vaginal and vulvar cancer in women and can lead to penile cancer in men. It may also lead to anal and throat cancers among men and women as well as genital warts.
HPV vaccines are sold by Merck & Co, under the name Gardasil, and by GlaxoSmithKline, under the name Cervarix.
The vaccination rate for adolescent girls who received the recommended three-dose series decreased slightly in 2012 to 33.4 percent from 34.8 percent a year before.
Health officials hope to achieve an 80 percent vaccination rate within seven years, according to goals laid out in 2020's Healthy People, a set of 10-year objectives aimed at improving health in the United States.
President Barack Obama's healthcare reform law, which requires almost all Americans obtain health insurance or pay a penalty beginning in 2014, could help increase the vaccination rate as uninsured families gain coverage for the shots, health officials said.
Health officials said many parents do not believe their daughters need to be vaccinated because they are not sexually active, or are afraid that receiving the vaccine will open the door to sex.
But Frieden and Thomas McInerny, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said like other vaccines, the HPV vaccine needs to be administered well before exposure to potential diseases.
For example, health officials have seen high success rates with a three-dose vaccine series for hepatitis B, a contagious liver disease. The doses for hepatitis B vaccine are typically given at birth and through the first few months of a child's life.
"We don't wait for exposure for any other vaccine," McInerny said on the call. "We recognize that the conversation about HPV can take extra time in practice."


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Wyoming Classic Fit | The Hunky Dory PlaidSale price $ 105
A plaid inspired by David Bowie 's "Hunky Dory" in a three season, crisp cotton shirting.
The fine details:
- 3" more room in the chest and torso than the Portland
- Sewn on placket to add integrity to the shirt front.
- Center back pleat adds comfort and range of movement.
- Weave: Twill
- Composition: 100% Cotton
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The Hunky Dory Plaid
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As any young brand, we started JCRT with a big idea: Plaid that connects us through the graphic intersection of color and line. Then we had a bigger idea... what if all JCRT was made just for you? By combining our analog skills in fashion design with cutting edge technology, we're doing just that.
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It takes two weeks to get your plaid, because that's how long it takes us to make it.
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Customer Reviews
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I'd had my eyes on The Hunky Dory Plaid since it's release, but put off buying it... until I saw that there was only one XL remaining. I HAD to have it! It's a beautiful interpretation of one of my favorite Bowie albums. Fit and Finish is, again, perfect! Thanks for another great shirt..


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by Tyler Peck, sports information graduate
MORROW, Ga. - The Peach Belt Conference (PBC) held its annual men's tennis awards banquet last night (April 17) hosted by Clayton State University. Three singles players and one doubles squad from No. 6 Georgia College & State University made the team along with head coach Steve Barsby being named PBC Coach of the Year.
Barsby earns his second PBC Coach of the Year award after leading Georgia College & State University to their first PBC regular season championship in 2009. Now in his ninth season at GCSU, Barsby led the Bobcats to an undefeated 7-0 conference record, 14-2 overall and a No. 6 national ranking.
GCSU was ranked as high as No. 4 this season after beating Armstrong Atlantic State, then ranked No. 1. Barsby took coach of the year honors on the women's side in 2003.
Justin Pickham (Armidale, Australia) and Erick Siqueira (Sao Paulo, Brazil) earned First Team All-Conference in singles and together as a doubles squad.
Ranked No. 8, Siqueira was on last year's all-conference team and teamed with Francis Yoshimoto (Sao Paulo, Brazil) to make it as a doubles team a year ago. Siqueira went 11-4 this spring, including a 5-2 conference mark, all at first singles. Pickham, No. 15 in singles nationally, held down the second slot, going 11-3. His 6-0 record in PBC matches was the second-best on the team, and he went a perfect 3-0 against ranked teams.
The No. 2-ranked Siqueira/Pickham duo was 13-1 this year, going 6-0 in conference matches. They've won their last 11. Siqueira now owns six All-PBC honors total in his four-year career.
No. 24 Yoshimoto made Second Team All-PBC this season, owning a 13-3 record, tops in wins for GCSU. The senior was undefeated in PBC battles, going 7-0.
The all-conference team was expanded this year and with double
the number of award winners split into a first and second team. In
all, 24 men's tennis players were honored.
The 2009 All-Conference team is listed below. The team was selected by the league's head coaches who were not permitted to vote for their own players.
The top-seeded Bobcats square off against No. 8-seed North Georgia today, April 18 in the second round of the PBC Tournament at 11:30 a.m.
Visit www.GCSUBobcats.com to nominate your favorite former Bobcats and Colonials to the GCSU Athletics Hall of Fame. The GCSU Department of Athletics sponsors 10 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. As a Division II program, GCSU prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the Bobcats' multiple appearances in post-season competition as well as documented academic success and community-service involvement. Sign up at Twitter.com username GCSUSID for up-to-the-minute reports.


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Seattle, WA based band comprising of several noted musicians from the Seattle scene. Led by singer/guitarist Mat Brooke (ex-member of Band of Horses and co-founder of Carissa's Wierd), Grand Archives represents a change in direction for Brooke with light subject matter, high flown melodies and hope, high spirits and a sense of camaraderie forming the staple of the bands sound.
Brooke formed Grand Archives (formerly just Archives) with a trio of friends in September, 2006. Drummer Curtis Hall (The Jeunes), bassist Jeff Montano (The New Mexicans), and guitarist/keyboard player Ron Lewis (Ghost Stories) shared his desire to make great pop, rather than curse the darkness and guitarist Thomas Wright signed on shortly after. Sharing a common objective to recreate the vocal harmonies of the 1960s Californian sunshine pop of bands such as the Beach Boys, The Association and The Turtles - they set to work and soon released four demos via the Internet in early 2007. A prominent rise stateside saw them go from a bottom-of-the-bill, midweek first show playing to a small Seattle club, to being signed by Sub Pop, to supporting Modest Mouse over much of their 2007 US tour.
Mat Brooke / Jeff Montano / Curtis Hall / Ron Lewis / Thomas Wright


text: REV 3.0 - New H61 B3 RevisionGreen, safe and super-friendly H61 boards from ASUS ASUS EPU- System Level Energy Saving Anti-Surge - Full-time Power Guardian-Make System Free From Risk UEFI BIOS - Flexible & Easy BIOS Interface AI Suite II - One-stop Access to Innovative ASUS Features TurboV - Easy, Real-Time O.C. Tunings Learn more about the new B3 revision and previous version Shop Modal header LGA1155 socket for Intel® Second Generation Core™ i7/ Core™ i5/ Core™ i3 Processors This motherboard supports the Intel® second generation Core™ i7 / Core™ i5 / Core™ i3 processors in LGA1155 package with memory and PCI Express controllers integrated to support 2-channel (2 DIMMs) DDR3 memory and 16 PCI Express 2.0 lanes. This provides great graphics performance. Intel® second generation Core™ i7 / Core™ i5 / Core™ i3 processors are among the most powerful and energy efficient CPUs in the world. Intel® H61(B3) Express Chipset The Intel® H61(B3) Express Chipset is the latest single-chipset design to support the new 1155 socket Intel® Core™ i7 / Core™ i5 / Core™ i3 2nd generation processors. It provides improved performance by utilizing serial point-to-point links, allowing increased bandwidth and stability. EPU Tap into the world's first real time PC power saving engine through AI Suite II utility. Get total system power savings by automatically detecting current PC loadings and intelligently moderating power consumption. This also reduces fan noise and extends component longevity. AI Suite II With its fast user-friendly interface, ASUS AI Suite II consolidates all the exclusive ASUS features into one simple to use software package. It allows you to supervise overclocking, energy management, fan speed control, voltage and sensor readings. This all-in-one software offers diverse and ease to use functions, with no need to switch back and forth between different utilities. ASUS UEFI BIOS (EZ Mode) Exclusive to ASUS motherboards, its UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) is the first ever mouse-controlled graphical BIOS interface designed with dual selectable modes. It delivers a user-friendly interface that goes beyond traditional keyboard-only BIOS controls to enable more flexible and convenient input with quick scrolling. Users can easily navigate the UEFI BIOS with the smoothness of their operating system. Quick and simple overclocking and setup sharing is facilitated by the F12 hotkey BIOS snapshot feature. The exclusive EZ Mode displays frequently-accessed setup info, while the Advanced Mode is for experienced performance enthusiasts that demand far more intricate system control, including detailed DRAM information. Supports Hard Drives over 2.2TB ASUS UEFI BIOS natively supports hard drives larger than 2.2TB in 64-bit, with full storage space utilization helping deliver far more exciting computing than traditional BIOS versions. Exclusive ASUS Interface • EZ Mode - gives easy access to selectable, optimized system modes, clear system info display and drag and drop boot prioritizing • Advanced Mode - for experienced performance enthusiasts that demand intricate system settings TurboV Easy, Real-Time O.C. TuningsFeel the adrenaline rush of real-time OC-now a reality with the ASUS TurboV. This easy OC tool allows you to overclock without exiting or rebooting the OS; and its user-friendly interface makes overclock with just a few clicks away. Moreover, the ASUS OC profiles in TurboV provides the best O.C. settings in different scenarios. Anti-Surge Protection Protect Your Device Anti-Surge Protection Design detects overvoltage conditions and prevents voltage surges from spreading in real time. It also actively cuts off the overvoltage supply to protect the system.1. Real-time over voltage detection.2. Active protection against potential damage to your motherboards and systems. 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Hello Nelson
A big welcome to this world of rationality, truth and peace, where common sense and science lead to freethinking wisdom --- as you know in being a non believer and freethinker like us.
We invite you to make good friends by joining the busy group "ORIGINS: Universe, Astronomy, Life, Earth, Humans, Religion, Gods, Atheism, Evolution, Darwin..." with 700 discussion topics and 3500 members.
Welcome, Nelson! Glad you could join us. :D
Please consider joining a group to meet people and talk about anything that's on your mind, Hang With Friends. You might want to introduce yourself to my friend Jabal Kawanja in Kenya, who is organizing atheists locally.
After you've searched for topics of interest in "Groups" above and in the "Forums", don't forget to look at recent activity which hides along the right margin of the page all the way at the bottom.
Since Kenya is subject to the droughts, floods, and sea level rise of Climate Change, please consider as well joining Eco-Logical. You might also like Psychology.
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The Norwood Hamilton Scale, otherwise known as the Norwood Hair Loss Scale, is a widely used and accepted standard for classifying male pattern baldness and hair loss. The original Norwood Scale was created in the 1950s by Dr. James Hamilton with adjustments and revisions in the 1970's by Dr. O'Tar Norwood.
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When exploring hair loss treatment options and setting expectations for hair growth after a hair transplant its important to understand where you fall on the Norwood Scale. Depending on your Norwood Scale classification hair loss cure options can be abundant or limited. Call us at 844-327-4247 to speak with a doctor and get your Norwood Scale questions answered. At Natural Transplants our friendly and knowledgable hair transplant surgeons are avalible to supply a Norwood Scale classification and review related hair restoration options FREE of charge.
At the Norwood 4 Stage recession of the triangular or wedge-shaped pattern in the temporal areas (front corners) becomes progressively severe as companied to Norwood 3 and a general recession occurs in the frontal region. Hair loss in the vertex (crown) increases to form a bald spot more with heightened definition over Norwood 3 How do I Vertex. A thick brand or bridge of hair divides the temporal areas (front corners) and vertex (crown).
If you have a history of hair loss or male pattern baldness in your family its important to periodically monitor for indications of thinning hair or a receding hairline regardless of your current Norwood Scale classification. Identifying changes early on and implementing a preventive hair loss treatment can stabilize or slow your hair loss.
NORWOOD HAMILTON SCALE of 5
At the Norwood 5 Stage hair loss in the frontal areas, temporal areas (front corners), and vertex (crown) is enlarged compared to Norwood 4 and hair density is reduced. The brand or bridge of hair dividing the temporal areas (front corners) and vertex (crown) has narrowed and thinned.
NORWOOD HAMILTON SCALE of 6
At the Norwood 6 Stage the brand or bridge of hair dividing the frontal areas, temporal areas (front corners), and vertex (crown) in Norwood 5 has disappeared leaving some "peach fuzz" or a fully bald areas. A "horse shoe" pattern is formed by hair remaining on the back and sides.
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Among the handful of people who might actually enjoy seeing gasoline return to $4 a gallon, let's include marketing managers for the 2010 Honda Insight and 2010 Toyota Prius, a pair of all-new hybrids set to do battle this spring.
They'll be successful with gas at $2 a gallon, but they'd likely be smash hits if gasoline prices go back up.
Though both names are familiar, these are two new cars. The Honda Insight introduced gasoline-electric hybrids to the U.S. market in 1999, but that car was a little hot dog-shaped two-seater that never sold in big volume.
Toyota was a little later to the hybrid party with the Prius, but it was a four-door with a usable rear seat, and it became a far bigger hit than the Insight. It still sells well — the Prius accounts for more than half the hybrid cars sold in America.
For 2010, the Insight is back, but it's an entirely different car — in fact, the resemblance to the Prius is undeniable. It's a four-door hatchback with room for five, powered by a 1.3-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine, aided by an electric motor.
The 2010 Prius is slightly larger than the 2009 model it replaces, and is classified as a midsize car, while the Insight is a compact. Really, the difference in interior space is not that noticeable. The Prius' 1.5-liter four-cylinder gas engine is now 1.8 liters, and while the basic hybrid battery pack is essentially the same as in 2009, the rest of the drive system is, Toyota says, 90 percent new.
Here are the dueling hybrids in a nutshell.
2010 Honda InsightWhile Honda still makes the Civic Hybrid, the new Insight is the first hybrid-only Honda since that original two-seat Insight. It's a handsome car, with room for two adults in the rear, three in a squeeze.
The base-model Insight lists for just less than $20,000, but don't expect to see many at that price on dealer lots. The test Insight had the navigation system with voice activation, and listed for $23,770. Fuel mileage is EPA-rated at 40 mpg in the city, 43 mpg on the highway. I averaged just more than 43 mpg.
2010 Toyota PriusKnowing in advance that the Insight was coming, Toyota stepped up the makeover for the 2010 Prius, and it's impressive: There will be a base model likely priced above the current starting price of around $22,000, but add options, and it seems certain the Prius can top $30,000.
Options include a sunroof with a solar panel that doesn't generate electricity for running the car, but for running fans inside the car that can keep the interior cooler while the Prius is parked in the sun. There's also a feature that can actually parallel-park the Prius on its own, with the driver's hands literally off the steering wheel.
Add those two features to leather upholstery and a navigation system, and the Prius becomes almost a luxury hybrid.
Toyota won't release prices of the new Prius for a month or so, closer to its arrival at dealers. But it has released mileage figures: It's EPA-rated at 51 mpg in the city, 48 mpg on the highway.
Why is the city mileage better than the highway mileage? Because the Prius can run on electric-only power at speeds up to 25 miles per hour, and depending on the charge level for the battery, for a distance of almost a mile, using no gasoline at all. I averaged 51.8 mpg in the Prius.
Which is better?So the biggest question from customers cross-shopping the Insight and the Prius is likely to be this: If the Insight has a smaller gasoline engine, why does it get worse mileage than the Prius?
The answer is because the Prius is a "full" hybrid, meaning it can move along on electric power alone. The Insight is considered a "mild" hybrid, meaning the gasoline engine is always turning. With both cars, the gas engine stops at a red light. With the Insight, it restarts when you take your foot off the brake. With the Prius, it can accelerate — slowly — on electric power alone before the gas engine starts up.
Actually, though, it isn't quite that simple, due to Honda's new "integrated assist" feature: While all the internal components of the gas engine are always rotating as the car drives down the road, under certain, limited conditions — rolling downhill, for instance — the onboard computer can actually cut the gasoline supply to the engine, while the electric motor does the work.
In essence, the car is operating on battery power alone, but since the engine is always turning, you don't get the stealthy, silent-running experience you do in a Prius.
That said, for pure driving experience, I slightly prefer the Honda. The new Prius steers and handles much better than the current model, but the Honda has a sportier feel, and I'd submit that it's the better-looking car.
If I lived in a big city, though, and was constantly caught in heavy stop-and-go traffic, the Prius would be the better buy in the long run.
Both cars are aimed carefully at their target markets, and both score direct hits. One of these is likely to be the 2010 car of the year.
Steven Cole Smith can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com, at 407-420-5699, or through his blog at Enginehead.com.


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Global oil refining industry shifts to Middle East
As high oil prices and improved efficiency force refineries in the US and Europe towards closure, the industry is shifting toward the Middle East and Asia in a move fuelled by a thirst for energy among emerging economies.
China and India in particular are driving the demand, with multiple refineries cropping up in China and the Gulf and Indian energy group Reliance, for example, running two giant refineries capable of processing a total of 1.2 million barrels of crude oil per day.
In eastern Saudi Arabia, state oil group Aramco — the world's largest — and French counterpart Total are putting the final touches on their Jubail site, which will open next year as one of the world's biggest refineries.
The refinery, located in the desert about 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the Persian Gulf, will be able to process 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day and will be fully operational by the end of 2013.
For Total, the project "is very important for our future, because we were everywhere in the Middle East, except here, and it's a way of paving the way for the company," Total's head of the refining and chemicals division, Patrick Pouyanne, said on a tour of the site this week.
Total's expansion to Saudi Arabia comes as the energy group and others reduce their presence in Europe, with Total closing its Flanders plant in northern France in 2010 and Swiss refiner Petroplus shuttering its Reichstett plant last year.
Since 2003, Total has slashed its refining capacity on the continent by 24 percent, while Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell and British energy group BP have reduced theirs by 40 percent.
Driving the phenomenon is an increase in oil prices that has dampened fuel sales and made fuel oil a less competitive option for heating than gas.
"The problem is present everywhere in Europe, it's a strong trend that won't abate," refining expert Constancio Silva from the French institute for oil and new energies (IFPEN) told AFP.
"We'll consume less oil and in a more efficient manner, and that leads to a reduction in refining capacity," he added, saying the situation was mirrored across the Atlantic.
"In the United States as well, there are shutdowns and key changes among refineries, and this year we witnessed the largest reduction in capacity," he said.
He added that the cropping up of new refineries in the Middle East is only aggravating the problem, as the sites compete with their European counterparts.
Total said that while the group hopes to beef up its presence in the Middle East, it will still keep its European refining sustainable.
"There are still refining overcapacities in Europe and they'll have to be reduced. But streamlining doesn't necessarily mean shutting down, but also better managing what exists, or producing less to produce better," Pouyanne said on his tour of Jubail this week.
He cited as an example the company's heavy investment in its Seine-Maritime refinery in northern France to adapt it to the change in demand and said certain European sites could also be pooled together.
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