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Articles • Marketing
Affiliate Marketing: Holiday Action Items
August 26, 2014 • Carolyn Kmet
Just as you're gearing up your ecommerce business for a busy fourth quarter, your affiliates are going through the same exercise for their own audiences. ... Read More »
Articles • Marketing
Importance of Affiliate Marketing Managers
July 27, 2014 • Carolyn Kmet
Simply launching an affiliate program does not guarantee revenue. I've seen many affiliate programs fail because of the "if I build it, they will come" ... Read More »
Articles • Marketing
Affiliate Marketing: How to Engage Bloggers
June 26, 2014 • Carolyn Kmet
I've previously addressed how to recruit bloggers to your affiliate marketing program. In this article, I'll review how to engage bloggers once you've recruited them. Working ... Read More »
Articles • Marketing
Affiliate Marketing: 5 Ways to Energize Affiliates
April 28, 2014 • Carolyn Kmet
Here's the scenario. You've launched your affiliate program; it's been live for about six months now, and you have about 200 affiliates. But no one ... Read More »
Articles • Marketing
Affiliate Marketing: 3 Legal Issues to Monitor in 2014
March 26, 2014 • Carolyn Kmet
Online affiliate marketing is still in its infancy. Many trace the channel's roots to the mid-1990s, when several retailers developed platforms that would track third-party ... Read More »
Articles • Marketing • Search Engines
Working with Search Marketing Affiliates
February 26, 2014 • Carolyn Kmet
In affiliate marketing, affiliates often utilize the same marketing tools as their retailers. The challenge for retailers, then, is to ensure that affiliate efforts do ... Read More »
Articles • Marketing
Affiliate Marketing Events in 2014
January 9, 2014 • Carolyn Kmet
The following is a non-exhaustive list of top affiliate marketing events in 2014. Deciding which to attend will depend on whether your primary goal is ... Read More »
Articles • Marketing
Conducting an Affiliate Marketing Annual Review
January 6, 2014 • Carolyn Kmet
The start of a new year presents an opportunity to review your marketing activities of the prior year. In this article, I'll walk you through ... Read More »
Articles • Management • Marketing
Enforcing FTC Advertising Disclosures for Blogs, Social Media
December 3, 2013 • Carolyn Kmet
Earlier this year, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission updated its disclosure-of-advertising guidelines to include blogs and social media. If you are paying a monetary or ... Read More »
Articles • Marketing
Affiliate Marketing: Evaluating Paid Placement Options
October 30, 2013 • Carolyn Kmet
As we enter the heart of the fourth quarter, competition for premium placement on affiliate websites increases. Home page banners, inclusion in holiday promotions, and ... Read More »
Carolyn Kmet
Carolyn Kmet is Chief Marketing Officer for All Inclusive Marketing, a full-service ad agency that specializes in the online and mobile arena, providing analytics, marketing and site optimization services for clients such as Picaboo, Dearfoams, and Abe's Market.
Prior to this role, she was the director of affiliate marketing for Groupon, where she helped shape global affiliate marketing strategy. In this role, she was honored with the Affiliate Summit Pinnacle Award for Affiliate Manager of the Year 2010, and the New Advertiser of the Year 2011 award from Commission Junction.
Kmet also has experience leading the client services team at ShareASale.com, a Chicago-based affiliate network, and managing affiliate programs at Orbitz, CollectiblesToday.com and MyPoints.com. She is an adjunct lecturer at the Loyola University of Chicago, where she teaches both undergraduate and MBA level e-marketing courses.
Kmet earned a MBA from Loyola University Chicago, a MSJ in Journalism from Northwestern University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from University of California, Berkeley.


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Since our first circle, Hearth and Kin has been changing and growing to meet the needs of our the community we serve. To continue to meet those changing needs we have decided to combine our full moon and sabbat circles with those of the Circle of the Sacred Muse in Courtenay and Campbell River as well as start a local non tradition specific working circle under the guidance of priestess Tanya Duncan.
For each full moon and sabbat, we will run a bus service up island that anyone is welcome to ride on for small donation to cover fuel costs (Typically $10 per person). This will allow anyone who wishes to practice the ATC tradition to do so as well as provide access to open public ritual.
For those interested in participating in the local working circle, please know that this will be a closed group and those who are interested in participating should contact Tanya directly by e-mail at: firstname.lastname@example.com
A schedule will be posted on our website http://www.hearthandkin.org as well as posted on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/hearthandkin

subset: commoncrawl


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And I wrote about it for the Village Voice. My only regret is that she did not play "Credit In The Straight World." Celebrity Skin came out during my last year of intermediate school, when every cultural experience still left marks. And even though I could hardly bring myself to look at the cover of Ask For It, when I bought it that year at a second-hand record store in Christchurch, New Zealand, it still kind of changed my life. I don't care how many times Courtney Love, with middling coherence, insults the blog I write for; I will never not know and love each and every word in "Northern Star."
UPDATE 1: Courtney Love saw the review, and wrote a long response in the Voice comments section. It mentions Pynchon, "several high end bythat i mean GOOD psychiatrists" with whom she has experience, and split infinitives. It is an all-round highly entertaining read.
UPDATE 2: Courtney Love saw this post, too. Hi, Courtney.
Meanwhile, if you'd like to read something by Courtney Love that is long, precisely written, and well-argued, I recommend the transcript of a speech she once gave about the economics of the music industry, which Salon published as an essay in 2000. It's still riveting.


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A judge says a Fargo construction company owner must serve prison time for employing and housing illegal workers.
Twenty-nine-year-old Garrett Setterholm pleaded guilty in January to harboring six or more workers who were not in the United States legally.
Federal authorities say Setterholm employed the workers at his roofing company in the summer of 2011.
As part of their employment, Setterholm allegedly provided the workers with apartments and transportation to and from the work sites.
U.S. District Judge Ralph Erickson sentenced Setterholm to three months in prison, to be followed by six months of home confinement. Setterholm was ordered to forfeit $80,000.


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'Thoughts circulating in a lyric or a music line' – The Undercover Soundtrack, Amanya Maloba
Posted by Roz Morris in Undercover Soundtrack on July 30, 2014
My guest this week admits she is antisocial. She likes to people-watch from behind wide sunglasses, and cocooned inside big headphones. She says her day is characterised by a constant flow of music, which has fed directly into the set of vignettes in the short fiction collection she has just published. I particularly have to thank her for introducing me to one of her special trigger tracks, by Florence + the Machine, as there's something in it I might need for Ever Rest. And so the muse hops from mind to mind; I hope it will to yours too. She is Amanya Maloba and she's on the Red Blog with her Undercover Soundtrack.
The Self-Editing Masterclass Snapshots will resume tomorrow.
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Self-editing masterclass snapshots: bland friend and upsetting antagonist
Posted by Roz Morris in How to write a book on July 29, 2014
This week I'm running a series of the sharpest questions from my Guardian self-editing masterclass. In previous posts I've discussed three/four-act structure and endings. Today it's two questions about difficulties with characters.
The bland friend
One romance writer had a character who was the supportive friend for the protagonist. She worried that, in all the scenes of tea and sympathy, the friend was bland. I suggested giving her a rough edge that showed the limits of this tolerant soul. I drew inspiration from Dave's mother, easily the most accommodating person I ever met. But she couldn't abide spiders, and would not have been bothered if you squashed one while removing it from her presence. Suppose, I said to my romance writer, your nice lady is so mortally afraid of spiders that she always stamps on them?
The antagonist you're afraid to write
Another lady had an antagonist who made her feel inhibited. She knew he should have more darkness than she had written but she feared to explore it. She also recognised this was cheating the book. What if, I said, she put that worry into another character, let them act out her discomfort? Would that free her to unlock the antagonist? She seemed to feel that would do the trick. I also encouraged her to look for the kernel of good that let him feel positive and justified about himself – and maybe even disturbed him.
Contradictions are a great way to make two-dimensional characters into compelling story-people. I've written about it at greater length here. And of course, there's even more about characters here.
Thanks for the pic, heyjoewhereareyougoingwiththatguninyourhand
Tomorrow: accents in dialogue
I'm really curious about this question of the character who upsets us so much we feel inhibited when we write them. Have you had experience of this? Let's talk.
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Self-editing masterclass snapshots: endings and epilogues
Posted by Roz Morris in How to write a book on July 28, 2014
This week I'm running a series of the sharpest questions from my Guardian self-editing masterclass. Yesterday I ran a post about three/four-act structure. Today it's a great point about how you tie up the end.
Tying up the ends at The End – should you write an epilogue?
One student in the class had written a major climax scene, then another scene to tie up the subplot ends, then an epilogue so we could see what the characters did next. She asked, how many climax scenes could you have? How long should you go on after that? She also felt she didn't know when to let go and allow the book to end.
Deciding the order of the end events is tricky. You need a main climax, which obviously is the major plot thread. Other threads can be solved in less prominent positions, and often work well in the post-climax scene, as the dust is settling, as a leave-taking for the whole book.
But then what? Do you need an epilogue to show life going on? At what point do you pull the plug and send the reader away?
This is very much a gut decision, but I've seen a lot of writers who can't leave their characters behind. They embark on epic epilogues which dilute the ending, water down its poignance or sweetness, or delay the final punch for too long.
But I know why we write them. I did it myself with My Memories of a Future Life. I wrote several more chapters after the end, page after page, but I recognised that this was so that I could let go. It was an act of exorcism, just for me. I never intended those chapters to be in the book.
Of course, in your mind and in the reader's there's always more to tell. So answer this – what will an epilogue add? And who are you adding it for – the reader or yourself?
Tomorrow: two difficult types of characters
Do you have trouble tying up the end of a novel? Have you ever written extra chapters so you could 'let go'? Have you ever had feedback that suggested you'd paced these ending chapters wrong, either too abruptly or too slowly?
authors, beginning-middle-end, characters, climax, editing, End, entertainment, epilogue, fiction, Fix and Finish With Confidence, Guardian masterclass, Guardian newspapers, having ideas, how to edit your novel, how to write a book, how to write a novel, I want to edit my book, I want to edit my novel, interesting questions, My Memories of a Future Life, Nail Your Novel: Why Writers Abandon Books and How You Can Draft, novels, Plot, polishing, publishing, revising, revision, Roz Morris, self-editing, self-editing for fiction writers, write a good book, writing, writing a novel - Nail Your Novel, Writing Characters Who'll Keep Readers Captivated: Nail Your Novel
Revision and self-editing: masterclass snapshots
Posted by Roz Morris in How to write a book on July 27, 2014
Yesterday I was teaching a course for Guardian newspapers on advanced self-editing for fiction writers. My students kept me on my toes and I thought I'd explore their most interesting questions here. There are quite a few of them, and the weather is too darn hot, so instead of giving you a giant reading task I'll be posting them in short bites over the next 7 days.
Three/four-act story structure – how strictly must you stick to it?
Briefly, most stories have a beginning, middle and end, and seem to work best when the major turning points are at 25%, 50% and 75%.
It's a formula followed by Hollywood screenplays, and it's certainly useful for novelists – but as a guideline, not a hard rule. In novels it probably won't matter if you begin your climax at 80% instead of 75%. If you begin at 90% the ending might feel abrupt because you might not have time to come down the other side. You might also have too much of a lull beforehand. On the other hand, it might be perfect.
Where the structure rules become really useful is if you spot a problem. If the end seems too sudden, or too drawn out, would repositioning it help?
Tomorrow: ends and epilogues
Thanks for the pic TMAB2003 on Flickr
Let's discuss! Do you find the three/four-act structure is useful to you, too formulaic? Has it helped you iron out a problem in your manuscript?
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'The music of exile' – The Undercover Soundtrack, Kathleen Jones
Posted by Roz Morris in How to write a book, Undercover Soundtrack on July 23, 2014
My guest this week has written a novel of exiles – artists, sculptors and musicians displaced from their home countries by the border shifts after World War II. The central character is doubly exiled, born between genders at a time when such things were poorly understood. Music helped her create their personalities, guide her research and develop their histories. She drew on a rich heritage of opera, jazz and folk – and even composed her own folk song for the novel. She is Kathleen Jones and she's on the Red Blog with her Undercover Soundtrack.
artists, authors, Ben Webster, Catherine Cookson, Cosmopolitan fiction prize, Croatia, deepen your story, Desert Island Discs, drama, entertainment, Europe, exile, Fay Weldon Award, folk, folk music, folk songs, Gilad Atzmon, Gilad Atzmon and the Orient House band, hermaphrodite, historical fiction, Homeland War, Homeland War Lenka, intersex, Istria, Istrian folk songs, Italy, jazz, Kathleen Jones, Kaštela, literary fiction, literary novels, Middlesex, music, music for writers, music for writing, My Memories of a Future Life, Nail Your Novel, opera, playlist for writers, Roz Morris, sculptors, Slovenia, The Centauress, The central character, The Undercover Soundtrack, Tuscan folk songs, undercover soundtrack, WH Smith bestseller, Women Writers, writers, writing, Writing Characters Who'll Keep Readers Captivated: Nail Your Novel, writing life, writing to music, Yugoslavia, Zenobia
Ghostwriting FAQs: should you get a ghostwriter, do you want to become one?
Posted by Roz Morris in How to write a book on July 20, 2014
'Can I ask you about ghostwriting….?' As you may know, this is how I first got published, writing novels that were released under the names of other people. I was the secret hand that wrote these (and others…)
I get asked about ghostwriting all the time, from people curious about it as a career path, or thinking about hiring a ghostwriter, or the plain curious. So here's the dirt. Or as much as I can safely reveal.
Which books are ghostwritten?
Celebrity biographies and novels If someone has an interesting life story or is popular, a ghostwriter might be engaged to help them write a memoir. If that sells they might be asked if they fancy doing novels.
Megabrand genre novels It's well known that James Patterson uses ghosts, outsourcing early draft work to keep up with demand. And that publishers hire writers to keep popular authors feeding the market after they die – eg Robert Ludlum. There are also plenty of other big-name authors in commercial fiction who are still alive and use ghostwriters, unacknowledged. (Knowing wink. You would be scandalised.)
So there's plenty of work.
How do you find ghostwriting gigs?
It's all about who you know.
Editors and agents If you have a literary agent, let them know you're up for ghosting. Also it's worth mentioning to book editors you've worked with.
Journalism Journalism is another way to break in, especially for non-fiction. You might meet someone who wants help writing their life story or a book on their patch of expertise (but see below).
Author services companies I get frequent approaches from author services companies, who want reliable ghostwriters they can recommend to clients. I don't know what the terms are, but, in general, I worry about working for services companies. Judging by other areas of publishing, one party gets a bad deal – either the client pays over the odds, or the freelance gets a lot less than market rate.
Pros and cons Cons first. You're caught between two masters – which you realise when the 'author' wants one thing and the editor wants another. You will be amazed at the issues that blow up into diplomatic incidents and you're left trying to please both. (Knowing wink. You'll earn every dime.) Commercial ghostwriting is satisfying because the book will be published, and because of the cost of hiring you, it will probably be well marketed. Depending on your deal, should be a worthwhile addition to your CV and earnings stream. If you ghostwrite for an author services company, you may find there's no long tail because the book is far less likely to earn in money or reputation.
What will you be paid? Deals vary, obviously. But to generalise, you get much better terms if you have representation. My agent is horrified at the contracts I have from my ghosting days.
My personal beware list
Don't do any ghosting work for individuals unless you're very sure they'll get a publishing deal. Even if they're a celebrity you know personally.
Don't do any work on spec for agents. In more naive days I spent four months rewriting a thriller for a phenomenally well-connected gentleman, persuaded by an agent to do it for a future profits share. The book never sold and I never saw any payment.
Be even more careful of the situation that might land you in court – or worse. I get a lot of approaches from people who want me to help them write a book about their murder trial. Such a book couldn't be published without cast-iron legal backing, which only a major publisher has the chops for. And as for the chap who wanted me to write the book about how he was manipulated into assassinating … No I can't tell you. (Knowing wink with a nervous twitch. You might be dead.)
Can I hire a ghostwriter myself?
Question. Can you afford to pay six to nine months' salary for a writer to do a proper job of your book? This is why, in commercial publishing, ghostwriters are generally funded by the publisher, not the writer (although they don't always get a fair fee – see above). But if you have a strong concept for a book and a writer who is a good match, you could seek a deal together.
What about royalty-split deals? See the caveats above, but these are frontier-busting times. Indies are leading the way with new ways to fund books, as we're seeing with ACX for audiobooks and translation deals.
How can I break in?
Aside from personal contacts, there are opportunities for beginners if you know where to look. Book packagers are companies that dream up commercial ideas for novels, which they pitch to publishers. Some of these become phenomenally successful. They need writers.
They give you the plot in painstaking detail, so your job is to flesh out the story into scenes. Sounds a doddle? There are two downsides. One – the pay is rubbish. Two –they demand rewrite after rewrite because they design the story by committee and change their minds. But it is a way to get experience, and you might make useful friends. Find them in Writers' and Artists' Yearbook, or the US equivalent. Contact them and ask if they're looking for writers. If you send them a sample and it's good enough, they might ask you to try out for a live project.
Have you any questions about ghostwriting? Or wisdom to add? Your turn!
author services, authors, book packagers, books, break into ghostwriting, deepen your story, entertainment, fiction, Fix and Finish With Confidence, ghostwriter, ghostwriters, ghostwriting, ghostwriting careers, ghostwriting deals, how to become a ghostwriter, how to become a writer, how to write a book, how to write a novel, James Patterson, legal pitfalls, literary agents, My Memories of a Future Life, Nail Your Novel: Why Writers Abandon Books and How You Can Draft, novels, publishers, publishing, publishing deals, Robert Harris, Robert Ludlum, Roz Morris, secrets of a ghostwriter, should you use a ghostwriter, The Ghost by Robert Harris, traditional publishing, where to find a ghostwriter, writers, writing, writing a novel - Nail Your Novel, writing business, Writing Characters Who'll Keep Readers Captivated: Nail Your Novel, writing life
'Abhorrent combinations… fear not as the music writes the story for you' – The Undercover Soundtrack, Josh Malerman
Posted by Roz Morris in Undercover Soundtrack on July 16, 2014
My guest this week says his novel was written in a trance. He rented an attic from a musician, who he could hear practising in the rooms downstairs, brought along a cageful of finches and set them free to fly around him as he typed. You'll see from the title why they seemed like a good idea. These avian muses were also treated to the soundtracks of several movies – Rosemary's Baby, The Fog and Creepshow – which doubtless helped them get further into character. When he needed to crank up the intensity, there would be two songs howling at once – the radio at one end of the room, classical music at the other. My guest reports that sometimes his birds got tired and stared at him. This endearing aural vandal is Josh Malerman, his novel is the post-apocalyptic thriller Bird Box, and he's on the Red Blog with his Undercover Soundtrack.
apocalyptic, authors, Beetlejuice, Bird Box, birds, birdsong, classical music, Creepshow, Danny Elfman, Desert Island Discs, Detroit, drama, entertainment, future, futuristic, High Strung, John Carpenter, Josh Malerman, literary novels, male writers, medium, music, music for writers, My Memories of a Future Life, Nail Your Novel, playlist for writers, Rosemary's Baby, Roz Morris, Shameless, Slumber Party Massacre, speculative fiction, The Fog, The High Strung, The Undercover Soundtrack, thriller, thrillers, undercover soundtrack, wild birds, writers, writing, Writing Characters Who'll Keep Readers Captivated: Nail Your Novel, writing to music
How to fix a plot hole
Posted by Roz Morris in How to write a book on July 13, 2014
I have bought your book, Nail Your Novel, and it has been really helpful. I was having a blast. Loving my characters, villains, setting, plot. But after 70.000 words I have a huge abyss in my story, I hit this blank between the middle of act II and the climax. Everything before and after that is just fine, but it seems that no matter what I do, I can't resolve this blank spot.
Eric Alatza, first-time writer, Brazil. (Oh my: Brazil. I know the web is world wide so this shouldn't give us pause, not for even a picosecond. Especially as you might be reading this in Brazil too. But it reminds me, in London, how much I appreciate that self-publishing and social media lets us reach …. anywhere. #momentofawe #howmuchdoIlovetechnology)
Okay, here's how I'd attack Eric's problem.
1 Does your story climax really fit?
You're trying to join the end to the rest of the book, but does it fit? Has the story evolved beyond your original plans? Do you believe in this ending?
I had this problem with Lifeform Three. In my first draft I had written a storming finale, planned from the start, and indeed it had a lot of material I was chuffed with. You will never see it because it wasn't the ending the book needed. As I wrote, the characters had taken on deeper issues, confronted essential questions – and my original ending was logical but disappointing. So I nuked it – yes, the entire final third of the book – and started again.
I'm wondering, Eric, if your spider sense is telling you this, which is why you can't jump the chasm to the finale you planned. Ask yourself:
- Is the ending unsatisfying in terms of themes explored, questions posed, other threads left dangling?
- Are you forcing the characters in a direction they don't want to go?
- Will a character have to be uncharacteristically stupid to bring about this climax?
Is a new ending too painful to contemplate? Well, it costs nothing to brainstorm. Just as an exercise, cut loose and see where else you might go.
You mention you have problems with the story's middle. Is that because your ideas so far don't seem significant enough?
If so, ask why. The middle of act II is traditionally a turning point. Perhaps the story stakes magnify, or an event turns everything on its head. Mr Darcy proposes to Elizabeth, which surprises and appals her. Nothing can be the same after that conversation. Perhaps there are new alliances that change the nature of the conflict – as in The Hunger Games. It might be the point where the character's flaw, inner problem or true self first emerges as a dominant force – in Fahrenheit 451, the midpoint is where Montag meets a new mentor character. In the film of The Godfather, the midpoint is the scene where Michael Corleone commits murder, setting him on a new path. It might be a transformation that is subtle but deep. In My Memories of a Future Life, it's where my narrator truly surrenders to the future incarnation. (I tried to write that without giving spoilers…)
So is your midpoint important enough? Have you got that sense of transformation and escalation? If not, brainstorm ways to find this significance. (And allow yourself to think of solutions that might mess up your planned ending.)
3 Get fresh inspiration
As always, you might be running on empty. When I'm stuck, I go to LibraryThing.com and search for novels that tackle similar themes, issues and situations. I also post an appeal for recommendations on Twitter and Facebook. (I'd do it on Goodreads too if I could work out how.)
Dissatisfaction is progress
There is a reason why you're balking, although you may not consciously know it yet Our instincts are rarely articulate, but they are usually right. You know the rule about inspiration and perspiration? To fill a plot hole, do more digging.
Drafting is more than transcribing your notes
All the stages of novel-writing are creative. We're constantly triaging our ideas and refining them. Whether we're outlining, drafting or editing, we might find new insights and directions. Be ready to make the most of them.
More about the Nail Your Novels here. Even available in Brazil.
Thanks for the pic Corinnely
What would you say to Eric?
authors, books, Brazil, deepen your story, Elizabeth Bennett, endings, Fahrenheit 451, fiction, Fix and Finish With Confidence, Goodreads, having ideas, how to draft a novel, how to fix a plot hole, how to outline a novel, how to write a better novel, how to write a book, how to write a good ending, how to write a novel, ideas, initial inspiration, inspiration and perspiration, Jane Austen, LibraryThing, Lifeform Three, Mario Puzo, Michael Corleone, midpoint, Mr Darcy, My Memories of a Future Life, Nail Your Novel: Why Writers Abandon Books and How You Can Draft, novels, outlining, Planning, Plot, plot holes, plots, Pride and Prejudice, publishing, Ray Bradbury, reading as a writer, Roz Morris, story midpoint, story structure, structure, Suzanne Collins, The Godfather, The Hunger Games, three-act structure, writer's block, writers, writing, writing a novel - Nail Your Novel, Writing Characters Who'll Keep Readers Captivated: Nail Your Novel
'Music of raw power, pulling back from chaos and feedback' – The Undercover Soundtrack, David Penny
Posted by Roz Morris in Undercover Soundtrack on July 9, 2014
My guest this week describes his writing as a constant state of striving – to achieve the same visceral punch of great music. His books come to him that way too – protagonist, thread and plot in one hit. In fact I've actually seen this thunderbolt descend; I was with him on a course one day when he told me he'd just overheard a conversation that gave him an entire plot and its characters in an instant. After that comes the hard work, of course, and music helps him return to that state of fever. The novel he is talking about this week is the first in a crime series, set in the final years of Moorish rule in Spain, and its soundtrack is full of sweat, guitars, lutes and bass. He is David Penny and he's on the Red Blog with his Undercover Soundtrack.
authors, bass, Counting Crows, crime, David Penny, Desert Island Discs, drama, entertainment, Grace Potter, guitars, historical crime, historical fiction, historical thriller, Joe Satriano, John Hiatt, literary fiction, literary novels, lute, male writers, Moors, murder, murder mystery, music, music for writers, music for writing, My Memories of a Future Life, Nail Your Novel, neil young, playlist for writers, protagonist, Roz Morris, Spain, surgery, The Red Hill, The Undercover Soundtrack, thrillers, Tinariwen, undercover soundtrack, writers, writing, Writing Characters Who'll Keep Readers Captivated: Nail Your Novel, writing to music
Studying Ray Bradbury: a beat sheet of Fahrenheit 451
Posted by Roz Morris in How to write a book on July 6, 2014
I get a lot of emails about the beat sheet revision exercise I describe in Nail Your Novel. I've just prepared an example for my Guardian masterclass using the opening of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 so I thought you guys might find it helpful.
Bradbury is one of my heroes for the way he explored science fiction ideas in a lyrical style – and indeed he described himself as a writer of fables rather than SF. Strong influence there for my own Lifeform Three, in case you were wondering. Anyway, creating the beat sheet made me admire Fahrenheit even more so I thought it would be fun to share my discoveries here. (Discreet cough: spoiler alert…)
First of all, what's a beat sheet?
It's my absolute rescue exercise for revision. Think of it as an x-ray of your draft. It lets you check the structure, pacing, mood of scenes, character arcs, keep control of plots and subplots, wrangle your timeline – all the problems you can't see when you're lost in a sea of words. And you can learn a lot if you make a beat sheet of a book you admire.
Here's how it's done. You summarise the book, writing the scene's purpose and add its mood in emoticons. Either use an A4 sheet and write small, or a spreadsheet. Be brief as you need to make this an at-a-glance document. Use colours for different plotlines or characters. Later you can draw all over it as you decide what to change. This is the first third of Fahrenheit 451.
- Intro Montag, startling wrongness, brutality of burning scene :0
- Meets C, explanation of fireman job + role. Establishes M's alienation from
natural world & how people are isolated
- M " home. Wife overdosed :0 !
- Horror/desperation of rescue, texture of deeper sadness :0, concealment of
true feelings, everyone's doing this
- Morning. Wife doesn't remember. M isolated with the horror. TV gives people substitute for company
- M meets C again, disturbed by her, fascinated by her curiosity & joy
- Intro to mechanical hound. Brutal games other firemen play. M hated it & feels threatened by hound. Guilty secret :0
- Friendship with C deepens. She's misfit. Explanation of how kids are
- taught in school. Other kids as brutal as firemen. M increasingly drawn to her outlook
- M progressively more alienated & uncomfortable :0 Goes with firemen to house. Steals book ! Woman defends her books & sets fire to herself !!
- Men shaken. Captain B pulls them together
- M too upset/afraid to go to work. Tries to talk to wife. Wife's priority is for him to keep his job & buy gadgets. Can't comprehend or notice M's distress :0
- B visits – pep-talk, history lesson. Wife finds concealed book ! Does B know?
- M confesses :0 ! Is B friend or foe? ? !
- M confesses to wife ! He has 20 books !! Now she could be in trouble too. Furious. Persuades her to start reading !!!…
So that's how it's done.
Now, even more delicious, what can we learn from Mr Bradbury?
Introduce the world and keep the pace moving – variety and contrast
Beginnings are tricky – what information do you show? Bradbury gives us a lot, but makes it memorable and entertaining with his use of contrast.
First is the startling close-up of the books being burned and the brutal relish in his description. Next is the conversation with Clarice McLellan, the kooky neighbour who seems to come from a completely different, gentler world. Third scene is Montag's home life. (We can see this from the colours – blue for work, orange for the conversations with the intriguing girl, yellow for home.)
We're probably expecting the home scene, so Bradbury keeps us on our toes and breaks the pattern. It's no regular scene of domesticity. It's Mildred Montag's suicide bid. There follows a horrifying scene where technicians pump her out, routine as an oil change. It builds on those two emotions we've seen in the earlier scenes – the brutality from scene one (brought by the technicians), and the sensitivity from scene two (Montag's reaction). In just three scenes, the world is established – and so is the book's emotional landscape. A brutal, despairing world and a sensitive man.
Connecting us with the character
In the next scene, Mildred is awake, chipper, and has no memory of the previous night. Only Montag knows how dreadful it was and he can't make her believe it. She is only interested in talking about the new expensive TV gadget she wants. This confirms Montag's isolation and disquiet. And ours. We are his only confidante. We're in this with him.
In each of those scenes, something is changing – Montag is being surprised or upset (or both). Although Bradbury is acquainting us with the world and the characters, he is also increasing Montag's sense of instability. As you'll see from the beat sheet, the later scenes continue that pattern.
Pressure and relief: reflects the character's inner life
Look at the emoticons. They show us the mood of each scene and, cumulatively, of the book. But successive scenes of pressure (action, perhaps, or upsetting events) can wear the reader down. That's one of the reasons why we might have a moment of relief – downtime around the campfire, or a brief flash of humour. These relief scenes often carry enormous impact because of the contrast.
Fahrenheit 451 builds this atmosphere of a brutal world, and we notice it quickly. The only relief is in the conversations with Clarice – so the reader's need for relief mirrors Montag's internal state. Reader bonded to the main character by the author's handling of mood. What perfect, controlled storytelling.
I could go on, but this post is long enough already. And we need time to discuss!
The beat sheet is one of the tools in Nail Your Novel: Why Writers Abandon Books and how you can Draft, Fix and Finish With Confidence. More here
And more about Lifeform Three here
Have you made beat sheets of your own novels, or novels you admire? Are there any questions you want to ask about beat sheets? Or let's carry on the discussion about Fahrenheit 451. Ready, aim, fire
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Eka Pada Sirsasana (Foot-behind-the-Head Pose)
I might suggest to such a student that he consider de-emphasizing his physical edge for a while and refocus his attention on the quality of his breath and his state of mind. This would give him a chance to consolidate his practice and find a more subtle internal edge, rather than constantly forcing himself further physically. I find that students sometimes strongly resist such a suggestion, either openly or passively. It is often difficult�and really quite enlightening�to realize that playing your edge may occasionally mean not doing advanced poses. This realization can have a transformative effect on your practice by shifting you away from
an acquisitive and perhaps aggressive approach toward a more internally perceptive and holistic attitude. You may become more interested in playing the edges of consciousness than performing wowie-zowie advanced poses. Ironically, advanced poses may then come more readily, like guests who are invited to dinner rather than employees who are ordered to attend.
Every spiritual tradition employs the art of playing the edge of consciousness; each has its own methods and disciplines. Whatever techniques you use, bringing yourself to your perceived limits is a way to deepen your understanding of who you are and how you approach the world. And when you rub up against your limits and work to expand them, you can generate a powerful shift in your consciousness. The altered states of consciousness that playing your edges induces can pry you out of stuck places and open up creative energies previously unavailable to you. And they can move you beyond the edges of your small self and bring you into contact with the limitless, edgeless Beyond.
A longtime student of B.K.S. Iyengar and a certified senior Iyengar teacher, John Schumacher directs the Unity Woods Yoga Center in the greater Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.
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Culture, War and Events in Asia
Battles and Wars
Learn more about key battles and the many wars that have occurred in Asia over the past several thousand years.
- 12 Battles that Changed Asia
- Mongols Invade Japan, 1274 & 1281
- The Opium Wars, 1839-42 & 1856-60
- First Sino-Japanese War, 1894-5
- Timeline of the Korean War
- Photo Gallery: The Korean War
- The Battle of Dien Bien Phu, 1954
- Timeline of the Vietnam War
- Photo Gallery: The Vietnam War
- Iranian Revolution, 1979
- History of Nuclear Weapons in Asia
Protests and Massacres
From the An-Lushan Uprising in the 8th century to the Quit India movement of the 20th and beyond, Asian people have come out in protest of their governments innumerable times. Unfortunately, those governments sometimes react by cracking down on the protestors - which can turn into a massacre. Learn more about Asian protests and massacres here.
- Indian Revolt of 1857, or "Sepoy Rebellion"
- Boxer Rebellion Timeline
- Boxer Rebellion in Editorial Cartoons
- Gwangju Massacre in South Korea, 1980
Natural Disasters
Asia is a tectonically active place, with earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis among the dangers inherent to the area. To make life even more precarious, monsoon floods, typhoons, sandstorms and endless droughts can afflict different parts of Asia. Sometimes, these natural forces influence the history of entire nations.
- Asia's Worst Natural Disasters
- The Black Death in Asia
- Monsoons Fail, and Chinese Dynasties Fall
- Mt. Tambora Eruption, 1815
- Indian Famine of 1899-1900
- Asian Influenza Pandemics of the 20th Century
- Great Tangshan Earthquake of 1976
- 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami
Asian Arts
The creative minds of Asia have brought the world a huge number of stunningly beautiful art forms. Explore the history of different types of Asian music, theater, dance, painting, pottery and more here.
Cultural History
Great leaders and wars, earthquakes and typhoons - these things are interesting, but what about the lives of everyday people in Asian history? Learn more about the concerns, the fashions and the lifestyles of ordinary Asians throughout the centuries.
- Image Gallery of Heian Japanese Beauties
- Japanese Noblewomen's Hairstyles through the Ages
- Historic Photos of Old Korea, c. 1895-1920
Asian Inventions
Asian scientists and tinkerers have invented an enormous number of useful things, including some that you no doubt use every day. Learn more about these Asian inventions here!
- The Invention of Paper
- The Invention of the Mirror
- The Invention of the Crossbow
- The Invention of Gunpowder


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Before his sold out concert at the Barclay center, Drake sat down to discuss why the Hit-Boy produced track "Trophies" didn't make "Nothing Was The Same." Drake told Revolt TV the single wasn't an album leftover. Simply because Drake is a hands on man, the 27 year old said after writing two different hooks and not being pleased, for the sake of his performances he decided to not place the track on the album, but promises to release the single for the fans.
Drake also dished on Wu-Tang Forever Remix, and a few songs he's got up his sleeve.
Peep the video.
Follow @giant_life For The Latest In Music, Men's Culture, Sneakers, Sports And Lifestyle—
GIANT Life (@giant_life) July 09, 2013


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MILWAUKEE (WKOW) -- The trial of a former aide to governor Scott Walker is moving forward.
Attorneys for Tim Russell asked for his case to be dismissed, but that was denied today by a Milwaukee County judge.
Russell is accused of stealing more than 21-thousand dollars from a non-profit Walker asked him to lead when Walker was Milwaukee County executive.
Russell's trial begins December 3.
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University of Nevada Assistant Professor of Physical Anthropology
For complete position description and requirements view athttp://www.unr.edu/anthropology ; apply at https://www.unrsearch.com/hr/postings/13754/. Application closing date is January 31, 2014.
A background check may be conducted on the candidate(s) selected for hire.
HR will attempt to verify academic credentials upon receipt of hiring documents. If the academic credentials cannot be verified, HR will notify the faculty member that an official transcript of their highest degree must be submitted within thirty days of the faculty member's first day of employment.
The University of Nevada, Reno is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action in recruitment of its students and employees and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, creed, national origin, veteran status, physical or mental disability, and sexual orientation. The University of Nevada, Reno employs only United States citizens and aliens lawfully authorized to work in the United States. Women and under-represented groups are encouraged to apply.


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Who's More Stressed on Valentine's Day — Singles or Couples?
For a holiday all about the heart, Valentine's Day sure wreaks a lot of havoc on it.
For a holiday all about the heart, Valentine's Day sure wreaks a lot of havoc on it.
Every year we try to talk ourselves out of caring about Valentine's Day and every year we give in to the fun of celebrating love. Or, specifically not celebrating love, if that's your thing. Either way, even if it's become way too commercialized, we always pay attention to society's day of love.
This year, instead of complaining about the prices of roses and chocolates, entertain your valentine with some of the stories that make Valentine's Day more than just a day of obligatory affections.
Australia has decided to blow out the candles on a birthday tradition.
Love may be in the air on Valentine's Day, but so are bigger bills.
We all know how tough finding a job can be. But finding certain ones may be a whole heck of a lot easier than others.
Joe Flacco threw three touchdown passes, and the Baltimore Ravens withstood a stadium power outage and a furious 49ers' rally to beat San Francisco, 34-31, at Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans on Sunday night.
February is American Heart Month, which is a good time to take stock of your ticker to make sure you're doing all you can to remain healthy and happy.
It's Valentine's Day – time for Cupid to come out and do his thing and you to come out and do yours for that man or woman who makes your heart skip a beat.
Know when to say, 'I'll have another."
The secret about how people really feel about their significant other is out.
The controversial full-body scanners that the Transportation Security Administration has been using in airports to detect illegal objects being hidden by passengers will be removed from all airports.
A new survey sheds some light on what tempts Americans more than anything else.
Wanna guess? Eating junk food? Cheating on a spouse? Oh, why don't you just give in and read on to find out, already.


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Our fully paved parking lots are easily accessible to Hwy. 19 and IH-20. Let our convenient FREE Trolley system transport you to and from the First Monday market. You'll find a wonderful menu of items at our Food Court making Canton Marketplace the perfect place to begin and end your shopping day.
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|Fourth-quarter lifts Bath over Jays
|Monday, February 18, 2013 4:04 PM
BATH TOWNSHIP — A 15-4 spurt to start the fourth period was enough for Bath to take an 8-point lead and the Wildcats hung on for a 52-49 non-league boys basketball triumph over St. John's Saturday night at "The Bath Tub" inside Bath High School.
The school honored its 1977-78 team in halftime ceremonies.
Senior Conner Rockhold led the winning Wildcats (17-4) with 21 markers, including five triples, while fellow senior Logan Rockhold and classmate Cole Chambers added nine each.
The Blue Jays (14-5) received 15 counters from senior Curtis Geise, 11 from junior Ryan Koester, knocking down three trifectas, and nine from sophomore Andy Grothouse.
The Jays led 39-36 entering the ultimate period but the Bath full-court pressure defense, especially looking to trap at the mid-court line, forced three turnovers (16 total) in the Jays' first four possessions of the fourth. The Wildcats turned those into four straight baskets, including a pair of treys, to take a 46-41 lead. Eventually, that lead was 51-43 on a third-chance putback by Logan Rockhold at 2:54. The Jays rallied: Geise dropped in a deuce at 2:34, followed by a layin by Grothouse and a steal-and-layin by junior Eric Clark at 2:00 to get within 51-49. After forcing a Bath turnover (11 for the game), the Jays had three looks to tie the game but they wouldn't fall. After another Bath miscue, Geise's baseline drive was blocked and Rockhold was fouled with 28.9 ticks to go. He hit the first of the bonus but missed the second and Geise got a carom. After calling a timeout four seconds later, the Jays ran down the clock and Geise fired in an off-balance triple from the left wing that misfired, with Colin Gossard grabbing the rebound as time expired.
Both coaches pointed to that stretch to start the fourth as key.
"That's what they try to do with their defense; turn you over and transition to offense. They make you do things faster than normal," Jays coach Aaron Elwer said. "You can't afford to turn it over; they are already have high skill level and when they are getting easy baskets, it makes it even harder for you, especially when they are hitting threes. We had 16 turnovers and three big ones in that one stretch; we shoot for 12 and under, so we didn't meet that goal, but they've done that to a lot of teams."
Bath head man Doug Davis got what he intended.
"That's what we want to do all the time. We like to get up and down the floor and defense is what helps us do that," Davis explained. "We try to get that first trap and rotate people up to get steals and get going the other way."
Both teams shot 20-of-41 from the field for 48.8 percent, except Bath was 9-of-19 beyond the arc and the Jays 6-of-13. Each team hit three free throws: the Jays on five tries (60%) and the Wildcats on six attempts (50%). Both teams were coming off tough games from the night before: the Jays an overtime win and the Wildcats a last-second loss. After St. John's senior Seth Bockey scored inside just 14 ticks into the game, the home team had the better of the proceedings. Conner Rockhold netted seven points as Bath surged to a 14-4 edge on a Taren Sullivan jumper from the left elbow with 40 ticks on the board. When Geise hit two singles with 1.1 ticks on the clock, the Jays were within 14-6.
The Jays continued that trend into the second period, slowing the Bath offense down slightly better with their mix of man-to-man and matchup zone defenses. On the other end, Geise started to get untracked with seven points and Koester added a pair of bombs. They were within a point three times, the last at 23-22 on a Geise triple from the right wing at 1:06, before Sullivan pun it a third-chance basket at 44 ticks to make it 25-22, Bath.
The hosts slowly built up their lead in the third period, grabbing a 34-26 edge on a 3-point play by Chambers at 3:53 and forcing Elwer to call time. The Jays then had their reply: a 13-2 spurt, jump-started by a Bockey hoop-and-harm and featuring five straight made baskets, including a pair of trifectas. When Buescher hit a back-door layin at 28 seconds, the Jays had their biggest lead of the game at 39-36.
The Jays outboarded the Wildcats 25-18 (11-9 offensive) as Geise and Buescher each had eight rebounds for the Jays and Sullivan grabbed five for the hosts. St. John's had 11 fouls and Bath 12.
The Jays close their regular season Friday with a Midwest Athletic Conference game on the road at Parkway.
"Coming off a tough game, we started off slowly tonight but kept at it. They have so many weapons, you are really challenged on defense," Elwer added. "Even when they went up eight in the fourth, we battled back. We had some good looks down the stretch but they didn't fall; it just wasn't meant to be."
The Wildcats host Western Buckeye League foe Celina the same night.
"A lot of guys took that loss really hard last night and they came out ready to go. They bounced back nicely and we got off quickly," Davis added. "St. John's came back, which you knew they would. They hit some tough shots against some pretty good defense. We also know at times, with the way we play defense, we will give up some layups. It's a gamble and sometimes, you lose."
In junior varsity action, Bath secured a 52-44 victory.
Leading their way were Andrew Renner with 13 and Cam Clark 12 (4 treys).
For the Jays (8-11), Alex Odenweller dropped in 13.
Andy Grothouse 4-0-9, Ryan Buescher 3-0-7, Eric Clark 1-0-2, Ryan Koester 4-0-11, Curtis Geise 6-2-15, Cole Fischbach 0-0-0, Evan Hays 0-0-0, Seth Bockey 2-1-5. Totals 14-6-3/5-49.
Conner Rockhold 8-0-21, Hayden Atkins 1-0-2, Cole Chambers 3-2-9, Logan Rockhold 3-1-9, Doug Sanders 1-0-3, Colin Gossard 0-0-0, Taren Sullivan 4-0-8, Tyler Baxter 0-0-0. Totals 11-9-3/6-52.
Score by Quarters:
St. John's 6 16 17 10 - 49
Bath 14 11 11 16 - 52
Three-point goals: St. John's, Koester 3, Buescher, Grothouse, Geise; Bath, C. Rockhold 5, L. Rockhold 2, Chambers, Sanders.
Aaron Hellman 2-3-9, Ryan Hellman 0-0-0, Ben Wrasman 3-0-6, Eric Gerberick 1-0-2, Gage Seffernick 0-0-0, Jake Csukker 2-2-6, Austin Heiing 2-0-4, Alex Odenweller 4-4-13, Tyler Conley 2-0-4. Totals 13-3-9/12-44.
Cam Clark 4-0-12, Noah Burchett 0-2-2, Nate Clark 0-0-0, Andrew Renner 4-3-13, Chase Clark 1-1-3, Cam Jenkins 2-4-8, Dylan Burkholder 2-0-4, Trent Jones 3-0-6, Hunter Weis 1-2-4. Totals 11-6-12/22-52.
Score by Quarters:
St. John's 15 13 6 10 - 44
Bath 17 20 3 12 - 52
Three-point goals: St. John's, A. Hellman 2, Odenweller; Bath, Cam Clark 4, Renner 2.
|Last Updated on Wednesday, February 27, 2013 3:47 PM


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Many have said that the best way to become a consistent winner is to build to win your division first and foremost. The first order of business is to give the NFC North an identity. Looking at the Packers, the most clear traits are a franchise quarterback with a lethal receiving corps and a defense centered around generating pressure to the quarterback. The Bears also feature a franchise quarterback along with a dangerous receiving corps to compliment an aging, but stout defense that thrives on keeping the score low and providing turnovers. The Vikings may be on the downturn, but they still have Adrian Peterson, along with Percey Harvin and Sydney Rice, and a defense that only needs to restock a few pieces to become fearsome again.
For lack of a better description, the best way to describe the NFC North, in a single term would be "arms race". A division who has provided the NFC with three of the past four NFC Championship teams, along with last years Super Bowl Champions. Looking ahead the path seems to be clear. The Packers are looking to retool and make another run this year. They only need to account for projected losses at free agent and retool their offensive line along with recovering from last years war wounds. The Bears are looking to solidify their offensive line as well and add a receiving threat for for Jay Cutler. They also may want to revitalize that aging defense. The Vikings are in the worst shape as they look for a franchise quarterback, a complimentary deep threat or possibly replacement for Sydney Rice, and replacements for their aging defensive front four and secondary. They are also in the most dire need of retooling their offensive line.
So it is clear what the opposition must do to combat the Lions newfound weapon Ndomukong Suh. However, what is the best course of action for the Lions? To answer that question let us first look into the obvious. In this cold war-esque environment the Lions are living in, the clear trump card is to counter other teams nuclear arsenal directly. In the spirit of Star Wars enter those who would seek to neutralize our foes franchise quarterbacks and passing attacks with a corner back to throw a defensive net over the field. We will call this the Star Wars strategy, Ronald Regan, the Detroit Lions salute you.
Looking at something from just one side would not only be narrow minded, but also irresponsible. After all the U. S. S. R. was not defeated in the cold war in just one day or one way. In fact, some would say that it never truly has ended. Enter the fight fire with fire strategy. Yes and arms race! Who could the Lions possibly find in this years arsenal of weapons that would allow them to nuke the opponents more times than they could nuke the Lions? Conventional wisdom would lead you to a complimentary deep threat to Calvin Johnson. Not only would it provide the Lions with more nuking power, but also allow them to continue to nuke if their main weapon is taken out of play. We will call this the walking on the moon strategy, President Kennedy, the Detroit Lions salute you.
Ahh but there is another way yet "young Grasshopper"! Time to take the gloves off and play dirty, get our hands in the mud. Perhaps the best way to win a cold war is through attrition! Yes! Let us lead the Lions down a path where the enemy spends more on their weapons arsenal to keep the war going! Lets do this all on the sly too so that no one sees the true source of this vile new attack. The best way to do that is to first find weapons on the cheap that can counter all of the Lions enemies weapons. Phase one of this new attack would be to add a featured anchor in the middle of the Lions offensive line, one that would allow the Lions weapons to reach through any walls that may be built. Be this wall in Berlin or Minnesota, the Lions will break it down! Phase two would provide the Lions with a cheap delivery system to counter the opponents superior, and more pricey fire power. The best way to do this would be to find a bruising power runner that can not only wear a defense down, but also keep opponents high powered offenses out of play. This is perhaps the most critical element of the overall strategy, because it will allow the Lions to win on an unfair battle field, in Lambeau and Soldier Fields, in the middle of December. Central Intelligence Agency, the Detroit Lions salute you.
So there you have it, one mans take on how the Lions can employ the very same strategies the United States of America did to win their cold wars and arms races to win the NFC North. One last point, while the U. S. took years and millions, er billions, uhm.. possibly trillions of dollars to accomplish this very same plan the Lions can fare much better. Oh yes, they can win this war in a day, draft day, should we call it D-Day 2K11?


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NASA?s Plutonium Problem Could End Deep-Space Exploration
I wonder if that clown college in Washington will care
Where's Doc Brown when you need him?
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Please pardon us while we are remodeling this website. However, please visit www.700credit.org with more information about the free, Grant-funded, credit programs and career opportunities.
While it receives less attention than aspects of physical wellness like our body mass index, cholesterol, and blood pressure, Financial Wellness is equally important to our health and well-being.
In fact, more than 200 studies and surveys have tracked, measured, and documented the link between financial stress and illness. The American Psychological Association recognizes financial stress as the leading cause of unhealthy behaviors like smoking, weight gain, and alcohol and drug abuse.
Beyond health issues, poor Financial Wellness results in a decreased quality of life and creates a barrier to nearly everything including housing, transportation, education, and employment.
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There are six core principles of Financial Wellness:


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I know that with everything going on, it is highly improbable that we will qualify for the postseason this year. However, for the sake of actually having a reason to watch the remaining 5 games, lets just think back to a time not too long ago when the redskins were in a similar situation in 2007.
We had just lost to a team that was playing horribly all season in the Buffalo Bills. We lost at home to a team that had been playing more poorly than we were at the time. All hope was lost as we dropped to 5-7 on the season and had these same conversations of demise and playing for next year. How do the Redskins repay us.....??? By winning the next four games against Chicago, New York, Minnesota and Dallas! 9-7 and a wild-card berth for a team that fought hard the rest of the way! Of course we would lose in Seattle but it was alot of fun watching the final 5 games of that year!
Could it happen again this year???? In 2007, it started against Chicago and then New York. We are back in New York this week to begin a new streak of wins. I would like to believe that it will and here are my extremely optimistic reasons to believe after the jump
- We are 5-6 now. We still have 5 games left with only one of those games an AFC game. We essentially could get 4 more wins in the NFC. Now is not the time to give up hope.
- We have three more division games left and could be 4-2 in the division. We have a depleted Giants team this week, an overachieving Cowboy team in three weeks, and the Giants again at home to finish out the season. This is why the schedule makers placed more division games toward the end of the season.
- Lets play prognosticator for a second: If we win out we will have given the giants 2 more losses in the division giving us the tie-breaker with them if we somehow both ended up at 10-6. The Eagles also have 4 losses and would need 2 more for us to tie them in the loss column. They still have 3 division games as well and if they somehow find a way to lose at the Giants and split with the Cowboys, they should finish the season at 10-6 as well. A three way tie at the top of the division at 10-6 (if this scenario plays itself out) would give the nod to the Redskins and give us a home game in the playoffs against a team that will probably have a better overall record than us.
The season is not over! We are still well within striking distance of a playoff berth. Once again, I have tempered my expectations and realize that this may not happen the way I just illustrated, however, I wanted a reason to watch the rest of the season. I wanted a glimmer of hope that something magical could happen. Redskins Nation....Here is your scenario! There are probably other ways that it could happen but I wanted to focus on our division! Nation, lets stand up and get behind our team for the stretch run!


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2:15 PM Eastern
Just so you have something else to do on Christmas Day with everything closed except for movie theatres and Chinese restuarants (the traditional Jewish Xmas combo), here's my first-ever mailbag!
I tried to answer every piece of e-mail that I've gotten since this blog started earlier this month, but couldn't get everyone in here because I didn't put in repeat questions and didn't use any of the Rios-Lincecum stuff because that's all moot now, thanks to the greatness that is Aaron Rowand.
E-mail was edited for space only (it was REALLY hard not to edit some for punctuation and grammar, but I held back), and I took out any compliments to me. I really do appreciate them a lot, but I don't think you readers want me to publish other people telling me how much they like me. Gotta be pretty insecure to be throwing that stuff up there.
So, without further ado, here you go – actual comments from actual readers, as they say:
Dear Mike,
My question is if you know how much JP values defence versus runs scored (1 saved run = x scored runs). Also, has JP estimated how many runs the Jays need to score (and give up) this year to hit at least 90 wins?
Thanks in advance,
I don't think J.P. values defense nearly as much as he values offence. Preferring Eckstein over Johnny Mac shows one example of that. I know for sure that he believes that a great defender is much easier to find than a great hitter.
I'm also not quite sure about estimating how many runs a team needs to score (and give up) in order to reach specific amount of wins. It's not like you can look at your roster and say, "Wells should drive in 105 runs, Thomas should drive in 100, Rios might have 110 RBIs, etc…." then add it all up and see what you get. It's more about how many more runs you score than you allow over the entire season, but don't tell that to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
By the way, you have inspired me to check and see how the experts expect the Blue Jays' players to do next season. OK, the expert. Bill James projects players' outputs in his annual Handbook, which I highly recommend picking up. I took it and looked at how many runs he expected the Blue Jays to score, and how many runs he projected the Blue Jays to allow next season (though he didn't project Sal Fasano, Buck Coats or Randy Wells, unfortunately). I put Curtis Thigpen in as the back-up catcher, for argument's sake, and found that BILL JAMES SAYS THE BLUE JAYS WILL WIN 97 GAMES NEXT SEASON! He projects 800 runs scored and 655 runs allowed, which leads to a pythagorean winning percentage of .598.
(By the way, that's accounting for the projected offensive production of Zaun, Thigpen, Overbay, Hill, Eckstein, Glaus, McDonald, Scutaro, Johnson, Stairs, Wells, Rios, Lind and Thomas and the projected pitching performance of Halladay, Burnett, Marcum, McGowan, Litsch, Chacin, Ryan, Accardo, Janssen, League, Downs, Frasor, Tallet and Wolfe. It doesn't account for unearned runs, though, so throw 50 of those in there and you still come up with 92-93 wins.)
I made a point to vote for Tom Cheek everyday as well as Dave Van Horne and Don Chevrier.
If the Jays get off to a slow start next season will Gibbons get the axe. How much time do you feel JP has to get the Jays going in the right direction before he is let go.
Is it the plan of the organization to have Janssen in the starting rotation next year.
What is their drawing card to tickets this year if they do not have a signing to attract more fans, any chance of trade to shake up the team.
Thanks for taking the time to read my note.
First of all, thanks for casting a daily vote for Tom! And it was nice of you to include Van Horne and Chevy, as well.
I do think the rope is nearing its end for both Gibby and J.P., but I think it's important to remember that John Gibbons squeezed 83 wins out of his team last season with only three healthy regular everyday players, without his closer, and with only one pitcher making more than 27 starts.
That said, it's time to win, and if the team stays reasonably healthy and is buried early, I think Gibbons will be let go. Also, if the team stays reasonably healthy and doesn't play a significant game in September, that will be it for J.P. as well.
I don't think any of that will happen, though. I believe that healthy, the Jays are more than good enough to take a run at the big boys. And so does Bill James!
As for Janssen, the plan of the organization is definitely to have him as a starter in 2008, but that's not necessarily the plan of the manager, so it'll be interesting to see what happens there. If Ryan and League are healthy out of Spring Training, there's no debate. If they're not, Gibby's going to want Janssen back in the 'pen. J.P. wants him starting either way.
And the drawing card for ticket sales? Even if there were a major signing, it wouldn't be that. Heck, Roger Clemens, that 'roided up freak, didn't significantly boost attendance when he was winning his back-to-back Cy Youngs here. The fact is, the Blue Jays have been a very entertaining team to watch the past few years, despite their lack of overall success, and they'll continue to be. Hill, Wells, Overbay, Rios, Reed Johnson and of course, John McDonald (when he plays) are a treat to watch defensively. You have a terrific group of young pitchers in McGowan, Marcum, Janssen and Accardo, and Halladay and Burnett can blow the doors off at any time. And if chicks still dig the longball, there's Thomas and Glaus to cheer on. Lots of reasons to come to the ballpark. Oh, and Eckstein is a lot of fun to watch – and not just see if his arm stays in its socket while he's making a throw to first, or while he's in the on-deck circle.
Look, the fact is, if you enjoy watching baseball, you'll come out to see the Jays. If you don't enjoy watching baseball, you'll come out to see the Jays if they're in first place in September.
Hey Mike,
I feel that the Riccardi has to do something about this teams inability to hit right handed pitching. Having 2 regular left handed bats (3 now with Stairs), in the lineup against right handed pitching isn't enough. Do you see any moves being made in an attempt to balance out the order a little more?
I thought last year that the Jays were too right-handed, but I don't think that's what wound up hurting them in the long run. Yes, they had a far better record against left-handed starters, but that's because Thomas and Glaus are superhuman against lefties, and always have been.
The thing is, most seasons the Jays' right-handed hitters have been better balanced than they were last year. Glaus, Thomas, Wells, Rios and Hill all had all-star offensive seasons in '07 if you only look at their numbers against lefties, but Hill, Rios and Thomas were just average against righties and Glaus and Wells were train wrecks. That doesn't usually happen, though it's now been two awful years in a row for Glaus against right-handed pitching. Glaus should probably be dropped down to the 7 spot in the order against righties, but that will never happen.
I think that Wells will return to form in '08, as will Overbay, and the addition of Eckstein will give them a nice offensive boost, though I don't think it should come from him out of the leadoff spot.
Six righties and three lefties in the everyday line-up (vs. RHP) isn't the issue, production is. After all, the Tigers might be the scariest team in the AL right now, and they only have two left-handed bats in the everyday line-up.
Hey Mike. I'm Toronto born but moved to Mexico for health reasons.
People "poo pooing" your idea of Santana, McGowan and Rios haven't grasped the fact that Rios has moved up from lower middle tier to upper middle tier outfielder or even lower upper tier. OK OK no more tiers.
I however while taking the same approach would leave Santana to the Bosox, Yanks and Halos.
Mike Hogan was lamenting the fact that the Jays and Raptors had virtually no appeal outside Toronto and they weren't marketed much outside Toronto either. To me that's a shame. Canada needs to identify with a team and it's unlikely Raps will ever be it.
BUT there has never been such an opportunity as there is now to make the Jays more popular coast to coast. Forget Santana. Go for Bedard who is available and a bit cheaper, younger and Canadian. That'd give you (not you you but the impersonal you) Bedard and Stairs and an outfield spot for Bay. Riccardi wants a reclamation project. Why not Jason Bay?
You'd have to spend some but for the first time you could market nationally with two of the highest profile Canadian ballplayers there are and Stairs is pretty popular nationally too.
It won't happen. I'm just daydreaming but that's what I'd try. Canadian content baby!
Dave (in Guadalajara)
I'm glad you stuck the "it won't happen" in there at the end. Shows that you know that even in Guadalajara, your idea won't do. Though I did not think the girl could be so cruel.
There's something to be said for going after great Canadian players, and even something to be said for overpaying for great Canadian players, but a player's passport can't be the focus of an organization that is trying to win.
I would love to see Jason Bay in left field for the Jays (though that does add another right-handed bat, which Steve might have a problem with), and I thought in Nashville when I heard that the Indians and Pirates were talking that the Jays could easily have put together a better package than Kelly Shoppach, Franklin Gutierrez and Cliff Lee (Thigpen, Lind and Chacin?). But the fact that that deal hasn't happened yet means the Pirates want more, which they should. It's a bad time to deal Bay anyway, coming off a down year. And besides, he's a Mariners fan.
I would also love to see Erik Bedard on the mound in Toronto, but I have been led to understand that Peter Angelos will not allow him to be traded to an AL East team, so we'll have to wait a couple of years for that.
Still, I go back to the notion well above that people don't come out to see one player, they come out to see a winning team. If the Jays had 25 Hungarian players and they were in first place, Jays fans would be just as nuts over them as they would if they were all from Moose Factory. Who is the most beloved Blue Jay ever? My money is probably on Roberto Alomar, as opposed to Rob or Rich Butler, Matt Stairs or Dave McKay.
Hey Mike,
Just one quick question. I read your blog on Dec. 5th and you set up the possible '08 rotation. I noticed that Gustavo Chacin wasn't mentioned. I was just wondering if Ricciardi is planning on working Chacin out of the 'pen, or possibly a trade?
Hopefully it wasn't a stupid question, hope to hear back from you.
There are no stupid questions, only stupid people. Or something like that.
I don't believe that the Jays are all that high on Gustavo Chacin in general. When the best thing you can say about a pitcher is that "all he does is win", that can be a real indictment of the rest of his skill set. The fact is, Chacin just hasn't really been all that good, despite his 25-15 career record. Heck, he shouldn't have even made the team last year – he was their 8th-best starter in Spring Training, and carried over the lack of success into the season, allowing 6 homers in 27 1/3 innings before getting hurt.
In 2006, when he was healthy for only half the season, he allowed 128 baserunners in 87 1/3 innings, including 19 homers.
Basically, I think he fooled people with the wacky delivery and the novelty and such in his first year, but ever since then he hasn't been able to either stay healthy or keep the ball in the ballpark. And if you'll remember, the Jays weren't exactly in a rush to get him back on the field last season.
Right now, Chacin is behind Halladay, Burnett, McGowan, Marcum, Litsch, Janssen and probably Wolfe and maybe Purcey on the depth chart among starters. I think he starts the season at AAA, and if he has some success down there, he gets called up when somebody gets hurt. Or maybe he starts in Spring Training and if he pitches well and shows he's healthy, he gets dealt.
Simple Minds and Psychedelic Furs were both used in Breakfast Club. This
is probably why you, me and many others link the two songs. As for
getting a song stuck in your head for days, try getting the Doodlebops
theme song (or any kids show theme) out of your head (wait a minute, you
probably know ALL about that). It doesn't help that my daughters watch
the show frequently. Just when I've almost purged the song, my mind is
're-infected' upon hearing it again. Ouch.
You make an interesting point or two about Lofton. The Jays do need that
bonafide lead off guy and he or Willits would be great. I truly felt
Reed was our man but last season he showed that he is best in a platoon
roll (even factoring in the injury).
It was great to hear that BJ looks to be back in business at spring
training — what a relief (so to speak). Weren't the Jays estimating
'May/June' for his return? What bumped up his timetable? J.P.'s not
going to rush him back is he? With all the injuries last year it would
be such a buzz-killer to have BJ go down 1.2 IP into the season.
I am saddened by the return of the powder blue, though for purely
selfish reasons. Years ago I managed to find an old poly "Clancy" jersey
that has given me tonnes of olde school street cred over the years (and
isn't that what we all strive for? Olde school street cred) and now that
jersey will be "just another jersey."
Good call on the Furs/Simple Minds comparison. I hadn't made that connection, but that probably has a lot to do with it. The Doodlebops, thankfully, is one of those shows that has yet to invade our home. I'm stuck with at least three showings of Hi-5 every day, which isn't so terrible. At least they vary the music a bit. Though I still can't get that damn Antarctica song out of my head………don't have to be told that it's icy cold, way down south in Antarctica! And I highly recommend The Backyardigans, by the way.
We can forget about Lofton or Willits now that David Eckstein is in the fold. The Jays really seem to think he's the answer in the leadoff spot, but I just don't see it. I mean, his career high in on-base percentage is .363! Every Blue Jay save for Wells and Zaun should be able to get there if healthy – does Eckstein lead off just because he has no power at all to speak of? I think he's best suited to hit 8th or 9th in an American League line-up, but hey, he's the leadoff man.
I guess what bumped up BJ's timetable was just his rate of recovery over the winter. I would love to see him not be pushed until the end of May, until 12 months post-op, but he's only being called upon for 20 pitches or so per outing, so maybe he can come back sooner than a guy who's expected to throw 90-110. I have a feeling, though, that it won't be full speed ahead for Ryan until a couple of months into the season, and Accardo will get his share of saves in April and May.
Don't get down about the return of the powder blue, it's definitely cause for celebration! Just be satisfied in the knowledge that you knew it was cool before everybody else did.
1. What do you think of going back to divisionless playoffs, essentially, the top 4 teams of each league, regardless of division, make the playoffs. This prevents 80 win teams like Colorado from making the playoffs.
2. Are teams able to trade players not on the 40 man roster. I've never been clear how it works.
3. Do you think the Mitchell report will really impact the use of steroids in baseball long-term?
Ooh, numbers! OK, here we go:
1. I like the idea of the top 4 teams in each league making the playoffs, regardless of division. Of course, that means going back to a balanced schedule, which I also like a lot. However, don't rag on the Rockies. They won 90 games last season, and were a half-game away from having the best record in the National League. No team with a losing record has ever made the playoffs, though the Padres and Cardinals have made it close recently.
2. Yes, teams can trade any player they have under control anywhere in their system, so long as they've had them in the organization for one year.
3. Nope.
Hey Mike
The Cubs let Mark Prior go, he would probably want a Major League contract since he is only in his late 20s. What you think of the jays signing hom to a 1 yr or 2 yr contract that would probably cost 3-5mill a year. JP tried with Ohka, Zambrano, Tompson last year even though they were alot cheaper. Even though hes injury prone, he still had nasty stuff few years back…
Any possibility to this?
Chris Stephens
Probably not. Last I heard, the Padres were on the verge of signing Prior, though there were at least 8 or 9 other teams interested. I would be all for the Blue Jays signing him to a two-year deal, kind of like the Yankees did with Jon Lieber a few years back. If healthy, he's among the best in the game. And his agent says he'll be ready to pitch in the majors by the end of May, which sounds about right for A.J. Burnett's annual trip to the D.L.
An interesting result of statistical analysis that I've come across
recently is the idea that a player's fielding performance varies
quite a bit from year to year, just like hitting. Unfortunately,
fielding stats aren't nearly as well understood as hitting stats, and
that's why we see the same guys winning gold gloves year after year
(not to say those guys aren't deserving – but sometimes they have an
off year with the glove, or a lesser fielder has a particularly good
If you look at Eck's fielding stats from the past few years (I use
revised zone rating (RZR) and out of zone plays (OOZ) – not sure
where to find defensive plus/minus), you'll notice that last year was
somewhat of a down year for him. Whether this represents an age
related decline or simply an off year is up for debate, but I'm
inclined to believe the latter given that he's only 31. With that in
mind, if Eck's defense regresses to the mean next year, I think the
offensive difference will more than make up for the defensive
Some quick numbers:
Eckstein (2007) – .783 RZR, 46 OOZ, 943 innings
McDonald (2007) – .845 RZR, 51 OOZ, 799 innings
Eckstein (2006) – .841 RZR, 43 OOZ, 1029 innings
McDonald (2006) – .837 RZR, 31 OOZ, 661 innings
There's no question Johnny is the superior defensive player, but I
just think the difference may be smaller than you think.
I appreciate the research, it's well done and shows nicely the differences between the two players. And Eckstein's defensive plus/minus wasn't nearly as awful in 2006 as it was in '07, either. I do agree with you that defense can slump, just as much as offense, but I'm not with you on the Gold Glove thing – that award is a joke, plain and simple.
Still, even looking at the numbers you present tells something important. In the year where Eckstein was more normal and McDonald was more human, 2006, and their Revised Zone Ratings were nearly the same, McDonald made just EIGHT fewer Out Of Zone plays in 358 fewer innings! The man gets you extra outs, even when he's not having an extremely spectacular defensive year.
Maybe the difference isn't as great as I had thought, though I still believe Eckstein is average defensively at best and McDonald is among the best in the business, but I think it's still great enough to warrant playing Johnny Mac.
Hello Mike W.:
Your new blog has unwittingly given me another forum in which to pester you all off-season with mindless Blue Jayica.
I know there was talk of pursuing Matt Clement in the low-risk, coming-off-injury, nothing-to-lose philosophy (a la John Thomson, Vic Zamb.).
However, I was milling about some L.A. Angels forums and there is a lot of vitriol directed at a guy who similarly over the last two years has been frequently injured, with excremental 2006-07 combined stats of: 155.2 IP, 5.90 ERA, 1.56 WHIP 7-13 W-L and BAA >> .300!!!.
But from 2001-05: 4.04 ERA 1.24 WHIP 74-41 W-L, with one Denton True Young Memorial Trophy.
Besides the injuries and what appears to be lack of attention to his diet and nutrition, can the 34-year old Bartolo Colon bounce back? Would the Jays ever consider taking a flyer on him or is he actually expecting something along the lines of his 2007 salary of $14-M? (to which we would all say, "not a chance").
Happy holidays,
Adrian F.
Colon has had his issues the last couple of years, as you mention, mostly because he can't get himself into good enough shape to stay healthy. But I'm with you, he's the perfect flyer to take, if he's willing to take a low-risk, high-reward contract like Thomson, Ohka and Zambrano all did last season.
Thing is, I don't think he's going to be willing to do that. A few teams are interested in him – the Diamondbacks have kicked the tires for sure, among others, and I think he's going to be able to pry at least a one-year deal worth over $6 million out of somebody. That kind of risk is too high for the Jays to take, I believe, given their depth in starting pitching.
And if I had to choose between the two, I'd pick Prior over Colon, just because I think Prior is going to wind up having a much better year. Long-term, of course it's Prior, but that doesn't matter, since no one would sign either of them beyond 2009 anyway, if that.
Looking back, is the Troy Glaus for Orlando Hudson & Miguel Batista trade one
you would still make?
I know a lot of people disagree with me on this one, by my answer is an unequivocal yes. Like I mentioned earlier in the mailbag, it's a lot easier to find a great defender than a great hitter, and Troy Glaus' career rate stats are about the same as Reggie Jackson's. He was exactly the big, scary bat that the Blue Jays needed at the time, and the Jays had a ready replacement at second base for Hudson in Aaron Hill, who is nearly as good defensively and has the potential to be a much better hitter. Batista, in my mind, is very, very replaceable. He almost doesn't enter into the discussion. And with the advantage of that great pitchers' park in Seattle last year, he allowed 294 baserunners in 193 innings.
I would make that trade again in a heartbeat.
There you go, the first mailbag! And as long as the e-mail keeps coming to email@example.com, I will keep answering it. All those of you who are celebrating today, have a wonderful, meaningful Christmas! The rest of you – try to find some place that's open to go and enjoy your Tuesday.
5 Responses to "Mailbag – Bill James sez the Jays will contend"
I don't get why you keep mentioning Eckstein's career high OBP of .363 as if it's a bad thing. That's 20 points higher than the leadoff average last year, and a whopping 41 points higher than the Jays' in 2007. Not amazing, but he's been a pretty solid leadoff guy for the last three years now and the Jays don't have a better fit. Sure a healthy Glaus, O-bay, Thomas and Rios could match that but that makes no sense, and who knows what OBP Hill and Reed will put up next season.- Jonathan
Because Mike knows over his career Reed has a .371 OBP vs LHP (and thus more suitable to lead off against them) to go along with OBPs of .381 and .422 the last 2 seasons vs them.
He also knows that over their careers, JMac only hits for 54 less OPS points vs LHP than Eckstein (and happened to hit a ridiculous .329/.360/.459 last year) and considering their gap in defense last year and the Jays dominance vs lefties, it's clear that when facing LHP Reed should lead off and Eckstein should ride the pine.
It just seems extremely silly to give probably the team's weakest every day regular the most ABs over the course of the season.- Ari
Thank you for answering questions, Mike. You really made my day.- brrent
"Troy Glaus' career rate stats are about the same as Reggie Jackson's"
On the surface, this is true. Jackson: 262/356/490. Glaus: 254/358/500.
But there are two contextual factors that are conveniently being ignored.
First, Jackson played in a lesser hitting environment, so his career line translates to a 139 OPS+. Glaus's OPS+ is just 121.
Second, Jackson's career line includes his decline phase (he played until he was 41). Glaus's career line only takes him to age 31 (one can safely presume that his career line will be poorer than it is now, after his decline phase has taken its toll). Comparing apples to apples, Jackson's OPS+ at age 31 was over 150, further highlighting the contrast in his and Glaus's offensive abilities.- Chuck
It's also fair to note that Reggie Jackson is in the Hall of Fame because of his World Series numbers (.357 .457 .755). Otherwise Reggie Jackson is remembered about the same way as, well, Troy Glaus, a good but overrated power hitter and the only way he gets to Cooperstown is to buy a ticket. Once Glaus "gets mysteriously thinner" a la Giambi, his numbers will collapse like Rich Aurilia's. Plus, the demand for known steroid users, outside of Shea Stadium and Kansas City is almost nil.- Lanny


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Faletau 'unfazed' by transfer speculation
ESPN Staff
January 4, 2013
Toby Faletau's signature is in demand © Getty Images
Dragons forwards coach Rob Appleyard is adamant that Toby Faletau is completely focused on turning out for the Welsh region despite the rumours surrounding his future.
Wales No.8 Faletau has been heavily linked with a big money move to Aviva Premiership side Bath despite his contract having another year to run. Bath have reportedly tabled a six-figure transfer offer for Faletau's services but the Dragons are adamant that their star back-rower is not for sale.
If Faletau, who has 21 caps for Wales, decides to leave then it would be a massive blow for a Dragons side that have already seen the likes of Dan Lydiate, Aled Brew and Luke Charteris opt to play elsewhere. But Appleyard has praised Faletau for his continued professionalism amid all the discussions and rumours concerning where he will play next year.
"I don't think it's fazing him," Applyard told Wales Online. "Toby turns up and trains as hard as anybody, whether he's just come back from an international campaign or whether he's been with us for a few weeks. He's a one-off character without a shadow of a doubt. He's a really good rugby player.
"We can talk about a new line-up set-up, which he's never heard of before and he goes in and delivers it having heard it just once. So he's a very coachable player and listens a lot. But one thing that's on my mind is we wouldn't want to overcoach him so he loses his X-factor. It's almost the way he runs he doesn't care. He runs as though he doesn't even know people are trying to tackle him sometimes. He just seems to run and beat people."
And Appleyard is adamant that the Dragons want to keep Faletau at the region. He added: "We want Toby to stay. We understand it's not always that easy. If you are being offered double or treble your wages, would you take it to move to the south of France? I am sure most people would contemplate it.
"Obviously we want to keep Toby with us. He has got another season with us. It's out of my remit, but I'm sure talks are going on behind the scenes to retain Toby's services. But, at the end of the day, it comes down to what the individual wants to do."
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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Leinster favourites for three on the bounce
ESPN looks at the forthcoming season of the Guinness PRO12 and assesses how each of the 12 teams will do
"Like the Treaty of Versailles, despite all the promises, the new Participation Agreement is certainly not the final solution." John Taylor writes
The emotional rollercoaster of Kingsholm
"We know where we are going and we know where we want to get but how long that will take is anybody's guess." David Humphreys on his plans for Gloucester
The two sides of the Premiership coin
Jim Mallinder and Justin Burnell were sat on the same top table, but in different circumstances. Tom Hamilton reports on the Aviva Premiership season launch


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In America, where we're collectively crazy about football and plenty of other things, could any of us imagine a Presidential debate being postponed for any sort of sporting event?↵
That's exactly what's happening in Canada this week, as Quebec political leaders hope to postpone a debate in some election that I can't figure out because I don't pay attention to Canadian politics.
Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe asked Sunday that the French-Language party leaders debate, currently scheduled for Thursday, be moved up to Wednesday so as not to conflict with an NHL playoff game between the Canadiens and the Boston Bruins.↵
Seriously, this would only happen in Canada. No word on if it'll actually be postponed, but would we be shocked if that turned out to be the case?↵
The Habs and Boston Bruins are scheduled to begin their first-round playoff series on Thursday night at Boston's TD Garden.↵


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In loving memory of our dog Lil LuLu & our cat Gomez! You both are missed daily! Love Mama & Papa
In memory of our beloved Zeus and Wagner. You are still missed so much.
~ Janice Cockrell
~ Janice Cockrell
I have very fond memories of my first pet Little Joe. A mixed mut that just showed up at our door and my parents let us keep him. I took him for rides in my little red wagon. Except for school and church I think he was always with me.
Love Ya Joe ~ Alan Woods
Ruffles, RIP. You were a heartbeat at our feet. Gone, but never forgotten. See you at the Bridge! ~ Evelyn Owens
In memory of Nox.
Gracie, I love you and miss you and look forward to when we can be together again.
This donation is in loving memory of my American Eskimo Kuma. I recently had to have her put down at the ripe old age of 13. She was a great dog and will be missed. ~ Maggie von Moos
To my friend, Teddy Bear, who brought out the teeth-baring ugly-face in me that scared my mommy (ha ha!), I will miss you. Rest in peace, big boy.
~ Carlie Jean
~ Carlie Jean
Les and Sunny, I am so sorry for the loss of your companions. It is so hard and sometimes difficult to find closure. Each one is so special in their own way. I know you will always cherish the memories of your beloved Champagne and Blake.
~ Debbie Bridges
~ Debbie Bridges
In memory of Kingston and in honor of those who save these dear pets.
~Diane Brinkmeyer
~Diane Brinkmeyer