text:
"Is that a deal or what?" Juan Carlos quizzes me. "And the best part is that once you're paid off, you can use our products and services for the rest of your life."
I tell him I'll get back to him. There is a romantic flair to the phonetic pronunciations that could come in very handy if I find my soul mate on echatepaca.com.
The following day, I call Juan Carlos and take a pass on Hablando Inglés by speaking to him in perfect English. He is quite surprised how quickly I have mastered the language. That's when I tell him I've been speaking English for 31 years. "Well now I feel like a pendejo," he says, bursting out laughing.
Next, I call the number on the "Handyman Special." It leads me to a two-bedroom, one-bath, single-story residence at 1210 NW 125th St. in North Miami. The house could use a fresh coat of exterior paint to replace the drab light-pink color scheme. Tall weeds and overgrown bushes have devoured the front yard. The roof looks like it needs work. And the windows are boarded up. But for $48,500 it's a steal, Dean gushes when he answers the phone. He tells me I don't necessarily need all the cash to buy the house. "If you can come up with 40 percent and closing costs, we can get you a hard-money loan," Dean explains. "But to be honest, $5,000 to $10,000 is not going to be enough."
Dean claims to be a real estate investor residing in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but buying and selling properties in Miami-Dade. He is among dozens of land hustlers whose roadside signs troll for customers. All of them are looking to capitalize on the recession. Some act as middlemen for banks hoping to unload their housing inventory from the record rash of foreclosures in Miami-Dade.
Dean, who declines to provide his surname, boasts he earns $10,000 to $15,000 on each of his real estate transactions. He asks me if I am looking to buy the North Miami abode as an investment. "You may want to do a mentorship program with me," Dean suggests. "I can teach you. Making one deal will pay back your investment. And you can do it from anywhere in the world. All you need is a phone and a computer."
Basically, he would generate sales leads for me and give me access to his hard-money lenders to start closing deals. "You have access to my information and my connections," Dean offers. "You have access to my inventory. If I have seven, eight properties to show investors, so do you."
Essentially, Dean tries to sell recently foreclosed properties owned by banks and lenders to real estate investors looking to buy houses at drastically reduced prices. In the case of the North Miami home, it used to be owned by a man named Jean Carlo Adrasse, who took out a $210,000 mortgage to buy the property in 2007. He stopped making payments a year later. In 2009, his lender, Countrywide Home Loans Service, filed a lawsuit against Adrasse to foreclose on the residence. According to court documents, Adrasse owed $210,000 plus late charges and attorney fees.
When the house was sold at auction last September 28, Countrywide bought it back for just $20,300. Dean is now marketing the property at more than double the bank's purchase price. And that's how the real estate cycle renews itself over and over.
"This is a great time to be selling to investors," he brags. "You can make $8,000 on one deal. Do three or four a month, and you're doing pretty good. I've even made $30,000 on just one deal."
A graduate of Miami Beach High, Dean says he moved to New Mexico a few years ago when his wife landed a job with the government. He doesn't specify which agency. "I enjoy teaching people my business," he says. "I taught my uncle, who is still in Miami. He was literally broke. Now he's making close to $150,000 a year."
A six-figure salary would certainly increase my chances of finding a date on echatepaca.com, I ponder. I had set up a profile on the dating service two weeks ago and still hadn't met any women. In fact, I couldn't even get a conversation started in the chatroom. No one understood the English Juan Carlos taught me.
Dean assures me his business model would get me laid and rich at the same time.
He gives me another phone number, his private line, to call him back if I decide to take him up on his apprenticeship offer.
I meet Samuel Pichardo at a table outside the Starbucks on Biscayne Boulevard at NE 135th Street. The 23-year-old North Bay Village resident, with his oval-framed eyeglasses and skinny body, resembles an Xbox champ rather than a shrewd businessman with a plan to conquer the handyman market within the tri-county region one roadside sign at a time. "Road signs have an extremely high return call rate," Pichardo says authoritatively. "It costs me $1.50 per sign, which generates five to ten calls. The key is placing the signs in high-density places."
Pichardo is the mastermind behind the "Fix wut your husband destroyed" sign. His number leads to the handyman referral business he started more than a year ago with his 31-year-old girlfriend, Ena Devi, while they were chilling inside a Barnes & Noble bookstore. She is with Pichardo when we meet at the Starbucks. "Signs work for anything and everything," Devi attests. "I told Sam it would be nice to have one number to get ten handymen to call you back."
I seen one: " Why lie, I need a beer" so I gave him a dollar. Just cause he was honest.
What a wonderful article, the best kind of human interest story. You are a great writer, and to think (grin), you are a Nica! (I joke, I stepped foot in Nicaragua, once, only about fifteen feet).Frank, thank you for the fun story. I have a sign picture to send you, it's fresh and here in the Grove, not quite like your thrust, but it shows our local color.
Echatepaca.com El video chat mas atractivo de miami y todo latin america y hora social networking.Quense en contacto con amigos y familiares venga y visitenoshttp://echatepaca.com.
It sure has worked for me visit us on Echatepaca.com Miami's and all latin america most sexy and attractive videon chat in town !!!!!!!!!!! Echatepaca.com El video chat mas atractivo de miami y todo latin america y hora social networking.Quense en contacto con amigos y familiares venga y visitenoshttp://echatepaca.com.
I hope these fools take down some of those ugly signs. I live in Libery city and these signs are plastered all over the place. Liberty city already have issues with litter, the last thing they need is more litter. If this guy is trying to flip houses, does it not work against them to litter a place that they are trying to sell a house in. I don't mind a few signs but they are putting up hundreds of signs that are making our neighborhood look bad. CLEAN UP OR SHIP OUT!!!
Great Article. I have always thought about doing the exact same thing, maybe I should get a job at Miami New Times.
You really should do an article on how Hispanics in Miami-Dade County has made it so that nonSpanish speaking Americans and legal U.S. residents are unable to find gainful employment within the city limits. You should do an article on how inheretly racist Hispanic Americans in Miami-Dade County are and how they use and dispose of Americans and legal residents who speak only English. That is a story that would earn you a pulitzer. Tell the truth about what Miami Dade County is really like if you are not Hispanic.
Fantastic article. I was cracking up at the "biutiful" part- my girlfriend came over here when she was a kid and still pronounces it "be-a-YU-ti-ful." What was the guy's number again?
Frank has found humor in the daily drudge of Miami-Dade. Great piece, made me smile.
Excellent article. Goes to show how many scammers there are in South Florida. Hence the scammer capital of the world. Besides Nigeria. All we need now is to have people saying they have large sums of money overseas and need your help to take it out for a price.
Good luck with finding a woman on echatepaca.com. lol...
Excellent article! Depicts life in south florida so well..we are full of "inventors" all the time..congrats on this article. Posted to Facebook
Why do you mock a 32 year established Hialeah company that promises/offers to teach English in six months when the University of Miami promises to do a thorough course in teaching/learning Espanol in only seven days?
Maybe UM offers the formal, proper Spanish, which very few in South Florida speak or understand.
It is similar to someone from 'Ox-Bridge' trying to understand someone from the backwoods of Mississippi.
Otherwise, your article was fairly amusing.
So if you are living in Miami and you can't get a job because you don't speak Spanish, then why don't you just learn Spanish? It's not a very hard language to learn. I'm sure you could learn it if you tried.
Calm down! I have a lot of non-Hispanic friends that enjoy Miami very much....stop being such a sourpuss. 95% of Hispanics are very outgoing people, just make an effort to get to know them and stop being a racist!
We shouldn't have to learn spaninsh to get a job because Miami is not in South America. It's in the United States of America and we speak ENGLISH here. A hundred years ago my ancesors immegrated here and they learned English and so should all the people who immegrate today. We build a strong society and a strong country by having a common language. Things fall apart when people cannot communicate effectively. "Trapped In Miami" I really feel for you. My family escaped Kendall 25 years ago and it's only gotten worse since then.
We shouldn't have to. You live in an English speaking country. In fact this country was built on the English language and you should learn English and speak it. And if you don't like that then Leave.


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Tequila on the Farm: The Forge's Dewey LoSasso Makes Dinner in Paradise
All photos by Laine Doss |
Welcome to Paradise Farms. |
Paradise Farms is well named. The small organic farm was purchased by Gabriele Marewski in 1999. Since then, Miami's finest restaurateurs purchase Marewski's edible flowers, greens, fruits, and vegetables and the farm hosts the popular Dinner in Paradise series.
See also:
- Interview With the Forge's Dewey LoSasso, Part One
- Interview With the Forge's Dewey LoSasso, Part Two
Last evening, the farm hosted Milagro Tequila's brand ambassador Jaime Salas and The Forge's executive chef Dewey LoSasso for an evening of farm-to-table dining and drinking.
Guests were greeted with fresh carambola juice cocktails and a tour of the farm, where Marewski pointed out the various edible flowers grown on property and bees drinking water at a fountain before turning in for the night.
We were then led to the open dining area, illuminated by fairy lights, for our four-course pairing meal.
Chef LoSasso explained that he created the dishes using produce from Paradise Farms and other local sources. "I would say that the ingredients were harvested from around 10 miles ... but it's actually more like 10 feet!" Milagro's brand ambassador, Jaime Salas, was equally inspired, using local honey, fruit, and herbs in his cocktail tutorial (guests were charged with making their own Margaritas under the careful tutelage of Salas).
Sponsor Content

subset: commoncrawl


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Cartoon Cute Animals
- Posted by Johanna on May 9, 2010 at 8:45 pm
- Category: Books and Prose
- CREDITS: by Christopher Hart
- PUBLISHER: Watson-Guptill; $21.99 US
Christopher Hart's latest how-to-draw book is subtitled "How to Draw the Most Irresistible Creatures on the Planet!" but I would have called it "A pose book for ripping off Chuck Jones", since all these adorable kittens and puppies and chipmunks look like they stepped right out of one of his cartoons.
There are plenty of examples of expressions and poses, with chapters determined by animal type: cats and dogs, bears, woodland creatures (including chipmunk, beaver, raccoon, rabbit, mouse, and for some reason, porcupine), birds, sea life, and "animals of the jungles and plains". That last one had me speculating on which movies spurred their inclusion. The giraffe was definitely Madagascar, while I doubt meerkat would have been mentioned without Disney's usage.
What really annoyed me, though, was the single page entitled "Feminizing Animals", which states several requirements for making a girl version: wispier whiskers, fluffy tail, bows or flowers or other accessories, and the must-have almond-shaped, tilted eyes. I hate these kinds of lazy shorthand, but I hate more that, by these rules, all the animals drawn in the book are boys. Why is that kind of stereotyping necessary when we're talking about cute animals, which are androgynous by definition?
(The publisher provided a review copy.)
37 Responses to "Cartoon Cute Animals"
- Christopher Hart Says:
May 10, 2010 at 4:59 AMJohanna,
The last several books of mine, which you have chosen to review – no one forced you to do it – you have used juvenile words to describe, words that professional reviews just don't use, like "hate."
You clearly have a crusade against my books, and perhaps it's that despite your personal dislike of them, the public ignores your comments so utterly and turns them into best-sellers. As we speak, "MANGA FOR THE BEGINNER: CHIBIS" is one of the most popular art books in the country.
I suggest that readers look to a reviewer who doesn't become, as you admit, "annoyed" when you pick up a Chris Hart book. Then, perhaps, the reader will get a balanced review.
- Johanna Says:
May 10, 2010 at 7:54 AMSorry, I didn't get the list of "words professional reviewers are allowed to use" memo when I started. If we're going to argue professionalism, though, what about the guideline that pro authors generally know better than to attack reviewers they disagree with?
If your goal is sales over quality, congrats, you've achieved that in spades. McDonald's is one of the most popular restaurants in the world, too, but I'd rather eat somewhere that makes good food, not just good-selling stuff.
I don't have a crusade against you or your books. I just dislike mediocre works churned out simply to make a buck. Since you've indicated that's your priority, well, yeah, I'm sure we'll continue to disagree. Thanks for stopping by to share your opinion.
- Christopher Hart Says:
May 10, 2010 at 9:17 AMIn The New York Times Book Review section, authors are typically are allotted space to respond to reviewers. You are obviously unaware of that, since you consider the practice "unprofessional."
A book reviewer who does not consider the practices of the New York Times book review section the standard in the industry.
Thank you for making my point.
- Johanna Says:
May 10, 2010 at 9:32 AMYeah, I'm internet generation, not print. But you'll notice that I didn't say "pros shouldn't respond", I said "they shouldn't attack". You completely ignored my points — that your characters look like copies of better-known versions, that your approach to female characters is sexist and exclusionary — in order to attack me as a person. I doubt that's the expectation in the pages of the NY Times. (Well, perhaps it is — standards are down all over.) I think your comments say more about you than they do about me.
- Christopher Hart Says:
May 10, 2010 at 9:43 AMboasting of not reading the New York Times Book section? As a book reviewer, do you realize how foolish that makes you appear? And even more foolish to blame it on your being part of the internet generation, when the New york Times is online. Perhaps you should quit this debate while you're behind. Your vitriol is undoing you.
- Johanna Says:
May 10, 2010 at 11:15 AMYou are reading in emotion that doesn't exist. I wasn't boasting, simply noting that my influences are different from your assumptions. And you continue to ignore the substance of the review or respond to my points in order to claim some kind of "win". This isn't a debate, and it's not about you vs. me. I provided an honest reaction to and evaluation of the book, one you have yet to engage. I am confident that my words and history, like yours, stand for themselves.
- William George Says:
May 10, 2010 at 11:18 AM"…public ignores your comments so utterly and turns them into best-sellers"
Quick. Tell her that she's just jealous of you!
- Thad Says:
May 10, 2010 at 11:23 AMJill Thompson doesn't appear to have read the book.
Mr. Hart,
I don't actually see you debating any of Johanna's criticisms. Your objection to her tone is fair enough (nobody likes being insulted — I think "insult" is a fair description, though "vitriol" is a bit of an exaggeration), but "I'm popular" and "You don't read the New York Times" don't make for a very good defense of your work.
- Johanna Says:
May 10, 2010 at 1:09 PMWilliam, thanks very much for the laugh!
- Thom Says:
May 10, 2010 at 4:40 PMI've been trying to determine the most divisive way to say this.
I've flipped through a lot of Hart's books. And they are definitely…not for me. I realize that they are probably aimed at a younger audience, who are new to drawing, but want to learn how to draw like the comics and cartoons they love.
But I have usually found myself nodding in agreement with Johanna's concerns she has addressed.
- Thom Says:
May 10, 2010 at 5:02 PMUh… I meant "decisive" not "divisive". :)
- Diana Green Says:
May 12, 2010 at 9:53 PMAbout a decade ago, a student bought a hart book- how to draw Supeheroines or some such- to my class. I looked through it and thought there were some useful bits of information and some good insights, but nothing I hadn't seen elsewhere.
I was quite put off, however, by lines like "this woman has the most legs in comics". I only counted two, BTW.
Mr. Hart, if you're keeping up with these comments, I'm glad you're making a good living with these books and that so many people care about learning comics that they'll buy them.
However, I'll stick to my Loomis, Redondo, Eisner and McCloud books. I must concur that your writing shows little respect for women at times. If enough people call you to task for something, you might want to stop and ask yourself if they have a point. - Hsifeng Says:
May 15, 2010 at 10:43 AMChristopher Hart Says:
"…words that professional reviews just don't use, like 'hate.'…"
Professional reviews and professional reviewers use all sorts of words. ;)
S.J. Stanczak, Chicago Said in a message to Movie Answer Man, Chicago
Sun-Times, September 11, 2008:
"Yo dude, u missed out on 'Disaster Movie,' a hardcore laugh-ur-@zz-off movie! Y U not review this movie!? It was funny as #ell! Prolly the funniest movie of the summer! U never review these, wat up wit dat?"
Roger Ebert Said in reply at Movie Answer Man, Chicago Sun-Times, September 11, 2008:
"Hey, bro, I wuz buzier than $#i+, @d they never shoed it b4 hand. I peeped in the IMDb and saw it zoomed to #1 as the low$ie$t flic of all time, wit @ lame-@zz UZer Rating of 1.3. U liked it? Wat up wit dat?"
- Mike Says:
November 19, 2010 at 3:01 AMI have read a few of Mr. Harts books. I've learned a few tips to help to see the super basics of his methods, but that is where the learning ends. All of his books seem rushed as well as copied from other artist styles and influences with boring and 'typical' character designs.
There is little to no structure and the characters usually end up flat and boring with bright and miss-matched colors. (Dont know if that was intentional but the color schemes in some books can be really distracting)
Also, I notice that on amazon, you seem to get people who dislike your books or have negative comments to disappear? But that is another issue altogether
You have just lost me totally as a potential customer to your works. The fact that you obviously scour the internet looking for negative reviews, and the way you handle such reviews, tells me a lot about your character. Its an effort to pimp out your books and make as much money as you can and suppressing those who you deem are against you.
The last thing is: Please stop attempting anime/manga…
- Aine Says:
August 11, 2011 at 8:32 PMHmm… I found the two of Hart's books I've read to be mediocre and derivative, and from this discussion it seems he can't take constructive criticism without resorting to personal attacks. (And as Mike points out above, he appears to be scouring the internet to find negative reviews of his books to attack. Classy.)
If anyone's looking for good cartooning books don't bother. I'd recommend Ben Caldwell's Action Cartooning and Fantasy Cartooning.
- Shae Says:
May 17, 2012 at 3:51 PMIf I had seen reviews like this before and knew more about art before I bought a lot of Mr. Hart books, I feel like I could have saved myself quite a bit of money.
- GNBraun Says:
May 17, 2012 at 7:02 PMHmmmm… it's industry etiquette for writers not to respond to reviews or any criticism, especially in the form of an attack on the reviewer.
Maybe Mr Hart should rethink his options here. - Ro Says:
May 17, 2012 at 7:30 PMAuthors starting flame wars with reviewers is probably the leading reason for why I don't read certain books. I have read terrible reviews for some books, but still read them myself. Seeing the author act so ungraciously and immaturely is a bigger turn off because I don't want to contribute my money to someone's (unwarranted) ego-trip.
- Gemma Says:
May 17, 2012 at 11:25 PMI was actually a huge Christopher Hart fan when I was little, I found that his books were (at lease back then) the only "how to draw" books that were actually written by someone who could actually draw. But to be honest, in the Hart books I do have (admittedly quite a few years old now) I haven't come across anything objectionable. There are a lot of helpful hints in there for the inexperienced artist. Of course the art is going to be derivative, all "how to draw" books are, they are written for people who want to draw and emulate the characters they see.
That said, I have seen some scans around that do present some troublesome dialogue about drawing women. Representing other forms of women in your books would go a long way to rectify that. Draw some tanks, some older women, elderly women, fat women – just like you do with men.
- Jules Says:
May 18, 2012 at 12:43 AMI'd like to point out that there's probably some decent how-to videos online these days for beginners. For the more advanced artist, head to a university books website and see what texts they are prescribing students. Those books would have been vetted by industry pros. Or why not look up some of the famous early cartoonists and research who inspired them – Go back to the source and learn from the masters themselves.
- Durghha Says:
May 18, 2012 at 11:56 AMOkay it really rustles my jimmies when people bitch about gender identifying in animals. WHO THE FUCK CARES? It helps children who watch the damn cartoons have characters to relate to, and help them learn about gender equality. If the cartoon animals aren't put into gender roles, well, who cares? It's a preference, and getting onto someone for that is stupid.
- Jéssica Says:
May 18, 2012 at 1:16 PMYou don't need to give "feminine" features to a character to make it be identifiable as a woman/girl. Just a woman's voice, name or using the term "she" is enough.
Assume that I woman must be "feminine" and cute to be a woman is sexism.
- Bob Says:
May 18, 2012 at 8:31 PMFeminism patrol out today it seems.
Hart's books were…and still are great, excellent resources for aspiring comicbook artists, character designers, animators.
If people want to draw realistic women, they'll do life drawing. If they want to draw comicbook style, they can look at Hart's books or in a comic. Eventually those artist find their own style after years of combining the two.
An angry mob of women following a link from a blog is disgusting. Joanna's comments were just ludicrous. She is of the 'internet generation', which means she has no manners and thinks she has the right to say whatever she wants.
You embarrass our generation.
I bet no one has complained about all male characters being ripped, or how attractive men have to be in films, swooning over 6 packs.
- Diana Says:
May 18, 2012 at 8:39 PMDon't know why there's so much interest in this two year old topic all of a sudden, but OK.
Bob, your notion of "comicbook style" is under-informed, implying there's only one way to draw women, or anyone or anything else in comics. Look at the incredible variety of women in comics. Once you accept that there is no universal means of portrayal in comics, the issue of what the portrayals mean becomes even more significant. And we have every right to complain. If you disagree, you can say so, but you have no right to tell us we can't speak up.
And you would be wrong in your notion that unrealistic depictions of men do not have their detractors. - Mike Says:
May 18, 2012 at 8:45 PM'Bob'
you sound like you're working FOR hart, (OBVIOUSLY)People are entitled to their opinions.
Hart helps some, but hurts most.
If you want to do comic books or cartoon characters, you need to look at the masters and learn their Techniques, Not Hart's 'put a circle with 2 eyes and a cute nose and call it feminine' or whatever.
And to your last comment, a MUCH better artist is Tom Nguyen. Why? While I do not like his style, I love the way he BREAKS DOWN the artwork so the artist can understand.
He draws the six pack, as well as the 'fat slob' Image and everything in between.
Hart does not. He pimps his books out with characters that have been done to death.
While I do not like Deviantart, Check out how many other artist use his 'influence' or even really mention him.
Hart, coming back as 'bob' is not helping your cause.
You are not professional and while YOU many 'understand' how to draw, you are teaching others who buy your books to become one trick ponies with no form or mass behind their work.
- Johanna Says:
May 18, 2012 at 8:53 PMBob, every single one of your statements and assumptions are wrong.
1. Actual working artists — not those who've built a career out of just telling others how to do it — have criticized Hart's books and pointed out their many flaws. I have yet to hear anyone who doesn't have a financial interest in them praise them strongly.
2. "Comic book style" doesn't make sense, since comics are a medium, not a particular genre. Saying "comic book style" makes about as much sense as assuming all movies are directed the same way.
3. "Comic book style" is no excuse for sexism.
4. Male visual exaggeration to demonstrate strength in service of a particular type of story is nowhere near comparable to women being treated as objects.
5. My name has an H in it.
6. When women who look similar to Woody Allen or Zach Galifianakis have anywhere near their careers, we can talk about how attractive movie men have to be.
7. I suspect we're not anywhere near the same age, because I know better than to wade out slugging at random strangers the way you have.
But thanks for stopping by!Diana, apparently something popped up regarding Hart online recently, which caused more interest in how badly he reacts to criticism of his work, thus traffic to this post.
- uromastyx Says:
May 18, 2012 at 8:58 PMBob, you clearly have no idea what being an artist means or what learning how to become on entails. Life drawing is the best method to learn how to draw, period. Some books can teach some basic concepts, but those books are NOT authored by Hart. They are okay for kids who want to learn how to draw their own characters like the ones they see on tv, but not if they want to learn how to draw.
Men being ripped with muscles is a power fantasy. They are not reduced to their abs or biceps. Women on the other hand are reduced to their sex appeal, and Hart's books clearly show they that women have no right being drawn unless they are attractive and 'feminine'.
You embarrass our generation by saying a person does not have the right to say whatever they want. Freedom of Speech is a human right.
- Ami Angelwings Says:
May 19, 2012 at 1:43 AMHey! I resurrected this thread complete with a fresh garden-picked troll! XD
- Sean Says:
May 19, 2012 at 9:07 PMyou know what they say… those who cant do… teach.
Having a(so-called)Award winning "How to draw" books does not make you a good artist. Your art should be able to stand on its own. And even if you do buy in to a "How to draw" book, id get one thats a bit more technical than Harts simple 3 stage pictures. No one whos ACTUALLY in to art buys the crap he publishes. Talent isnt something thats learned… ESPECIALLY from Hart. (I can back myself up if i need to, so please, Mr. Hart, enlighten us.
- Linda Says:
May 21, 2012 at 9:30 AMI agree with Gemma about liking Chris Hart's books when I was little, and that's not really something to be ashamed about. Many of the other how to draw books I remember were how to draw in a very realistic, pencil shaded style, and Hart's books looked fun, cartoony, and anything with "How to Draw" on the cover seemed like a good idea at that age.
And they were perfectly acceptable books for that age group, when I was frankly too young to notice or care about their various shortcomings.
When Hart says that the sales of the books speaks for the quality of the books – well. They had appeal for kids, and for the adults who wanted to buy an encouraging book for their kids; they were simple, easy to absorb, and easy to find. Once the earlier books got enough steam, publishers have obviously been happy to keep making them, and people keep picking them up because they are quite dominant in that niche market of How to Draw books.
I'm not too worried that Hart's books are particuarly damaging to young minds, despite his dumb in book comments about drawing women, his assumptions about manga, and the general insipid nature of the advice. But I wouldn't give one to a relative or recommend Hart's books to someone, because there are much better options available.
So previous to reading this (and it's not the first example of Chris Hart trolling/stupidity on the web I've come across) I didn't have a crusade against Chris Hart's books, (and I wouldn't be suprised if Johanna had other things to do with her time as well), but after this I gotta say my level of scorn for Hart went way way up. There's a great solidarity vibe you get from joining in on a "This man is clearly an idiot" conversation. And this man is clearly an idiot.
- Christopher Hart's Next How-to-Draw Book Goes Kawaii » Manga Worth Reading Says:
May 30, 2012 at 6:51 PM[…] Hart, the bestselling author of how-to-draw books who doesn't take criticism well, will be releasing another book on August 7 from Watson-Guptill. Manga for the Beginner Kawaii […]
- Kat Says:
May 30, 2012 at 9:02 PMI like Chris Hart's books. I started with manga for the beginner and that book helped a lot with my stay at the hospital. I also have The Big Book of Manga, and the equivocal versions of how to draw hentai and kodomo style(separate books lol). I've also checked out Chris Hart's Chibi book at the library which I loved.
You completely ignore the fact that it says "beginner" on the front of the book and virtually all of his books are intended for novices and not necessarily for people looking to draw their own manga. I've also read McCloud's "drawing comics" which is probably the best way to teach comics and "Drawing Words and Writing Pictures"? is a suitable substitute.
Hart was not intended to be used to teach a class or help a seasoned artist step up their game. His books are for people who doodle in their school notes and want a solid entry into drawing. And books like his animal themed one are OBVIOUSLY for children. This hipster doofus righteous indignation where we can't have physical traits to distinguish the genders of animals is idiocy at its finest. Would you prefer an 8 year old get a lesson in drawing genitalia, or maybe we can just take some simple characteristics to distinguish genders. I mean is the guy who drew Ms. Pacman sexist for making her wear a bow? What about Ranma 1/2, is that sexist as well?
We get it, you have a blog and are the master of the internet, but these books are like the $25 Wacom tablets that newbies buy, I mean if you want to draw an anime person, and have never drawn anything substantial before, you could do much worse than Hart. And I'm looking forward to the Kawaii edition Chris. - Johanna Says:
May 31, 2012 at 7:46 AMI'm glad they were helpful for getting you started, and I'm glad you've moved on to more substantial works. (I'm assuming you meant Scott McCloud's Making Comics.) I'm not sure everyone agrees with you that the books are just for kids, since the publisher (for example) didn't provide an age rating, which is normally done for books aimed at younger readers.
You're missing the point about sexism. The problem isn't that the girls wear bows — it's that the male is considered the default, with the female an afterthought exception. You can read more about that in more depth in other websites, though, if you're interested.
In future, you might have more luck fostering discussion and having your points taken seriously if you didn't descend to insulting those who disagree with you. I see that's another way in which you're following Hart's lead.
- pygmy Says:
June 2, 2012 at 11:04 PMI'm just… I'm speechless. That is possibly the least mature reaction to criticism I've seen, and I browse a website full of thirteen-year-olds daily.
- Benjamin Says:
June 3, 2012 at 1:49 PMI used to read, and buy, Hart's books. None of them helped me at all, not when I found anatomy books to study, and life drawing lessons, instead. Hart's HTD:Manga/Anime books just irk me. Limited, anatomically incorrect, and copy-pasted. If you want to teach anyone to draw, I suggest looking at muscle structures and life models first.
Cleaning up the attitude and deflating your enormous ego would also help. Just because you're a published "artist" does not mean you are flawless. Rob Liefeld is a good example of that. - Gwynn Says:
June 25, 2012 at 12:09 AMAs a "professional" artist, you would think that Mr. Hart would be able to handle criticism a little more professionally. His attacks on your review were both immature and biased. If you are to be taken seriously as an artist you shouldn't be bothered by something as just one review. Especially by your attacking the reviewer, Mr. Hart, I have lost my respect for you as a professional artist.
However, I'm not sure whether to call his work professional or not. I would like to see some real works of his, not sketches or drawings of random, background-less cartoon characters. If this is all that he can accomplish, then I'm afraid I am going to have to take his words with a grain of salt. As an artist, your work should be able to stand by itself and be admired, not by teaching others how to copy it.
I must admit that for a beginning artist his books would be quite helpful. Of course, this learning artist should not use the books as their only resource, and should definitely disregard them once they have begun to get skilled. This is to enure that they have a chance to develop their personal style of drawing. - Sven Says:
August 6, 2012 at 7:43 AMI thought this might interest you, because it's kind of hiilarious :D


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Work, play, learn and succeed. We do it all together.
We all know that a happy work culture breeds success. At Clearly Contacts our culture is beyond happy, its practically zany! From pie eating contests to flash mob Fridays, our Party Posse is always hard at work coming up with the next best ideas to have fun!
Some people call it corporate social responsibility, we call it having a good time and making a difference. From our in-house charity, Change the View, to waffle Wednesdays to raise money to send kids to summer camp, our employees have always come together for a great cause.
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text: Though Friday was more than a bit wet, Saturday more than a bit warm, and Sunday unknown to me since I left after feast on Saturday night, this year's Schutzenfest in the Barony of Nordskogen which had a Mongolian theme and added equestrian activities, seemed to be successful. At least 56 archers and a dozen there to work with the horses plus those toiling in Mistress Aramanthra's kitchen to provide a most wonderful feast (one of the first times that HE Rodrigo left the table more than a bit satiated since it was mostly meat...meat...and more meat), and a number of us just there to enjoy friendship and feast, had a wonderful day. Two albums have been uploaded so far to the Gallery and can be found at: http://nsgallery.melm.org/main.php/v/Naadam/ Please enjoy my efforts as well as those of THL Mechthild "Erilar" zur Drachenhoehle. As always, for my pictures, feel free to leave comments and help me label the pictures , use any picture for SCA purposes, ask me to delete something if you don't like it via private message, or share with your friends and family. If you want larger files than are posted for your own use, let me know and I'll send them to you. Also, please pass on the link to other lists if you wish. For the pictures that others have taken, please contact them directly for permissions and such. Enjoy! Pax- Shava -- I remain, in service to the Northshield, our Society, and most of all, to the populace~~ justShava(r) Elashava bas Riva, CL, CP, 13th Viscountess of Northshield, Baroness of the Court of Edmund III and Kateryn III (mka Sue Gilbert) 3314 Ridgeway Ave. Madison, WI 53704 phone: 608.244.2845; cell 608.213.1107 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.minstrel.com/public/cam/attachments/20070624/37bcae36/attachment.html


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Culture Connect Featured Event
The (5th annual) Big Picture 2012 is being planned for April 5 at the Parade Plaza, from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m. This year, you can look forward to an element of surprise from our friends at Connecticut College! You won't want to miss it!
Last year, nearly 250 people smiled for the camera, more than doubling our previous headcount record. Help us set a new record!
All of you who love New London and help to make it a special place are invited to attend.
Picture this - a community photo that represents New London today - teachers, college students, the new mayor, musicians, the City and other downtown workers, mail carriers, chefs, business owners, police officers, firefighters, congregations from our many beautiful churches - well, you get the idea. This photo will be a piece of New London's history!
Call 860-444-2489 or email Community Outreach Coordinator Joanne Gibson at firstname.lastname@example.com with any questions!
We look forward to seeing you there!


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Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program
What Is It?
The Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program is a new program created by the 2008 Farm Bill. USDA will administer the program, which will make grants to organizations that provide training, technical assistance or make small loans to new and existing rural small businesses. The Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program will have $4 million available for fiscal years 2009-2011, and $3 million for 2012.Who Can Apply for Grants
This program will provide grants and loan funds to organizations that provide training and technical assistance to rural small business owners, facilitate access to capital and access to services for rural microenterprises.Organizations eligible to apply for funding include nonprofit organizations, public institutions of higher education, and tribal governments that are not served by a nonprofit development organization. Applicants should have a demonstrated record of delivering services to rural microentrepreneurs or an effective plan to develop such a program. Applicant organizations do not need to be located in a rural area, but they must serve rural entrepreneurs. Microenterprises can be food or agriculture-related but are not required to be.
The farm bill defines organizations meeting the above qualifications as Microenterprise Development Organizations.
What the Program Supports
The Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program provides funding for three areas of work.- Loans to microentrepreneurs through applicant organizations: Funds to provide fixed interest rate microloans of less than $50,000 to rural entrepreneurs for the development or startup of successful microenterprises in rural areas. Loans can be made to rural sole proprietorships or businesses with less than ten employees which could not obtain funding from other lending sources due to lack of credit or limited business development experience. Loans cannot exceed a twenty-year timeframe and must have an annual interest rate of at least 1 percent.
- Grants to organizations to assist microentrepreneurs (connected to loan funds): Funding to organizations to provide marketing, management, and other technical assistance to microentrepreneurs who received or are seeking a loan from the microenterprise development organization. The maximum annual grant award is limited to no more than 25 percent of the organization's outstanding microloan balance.
- Grants to support microenterprise development (not connected to loan funds): Funding to organizations to provide training, operational support, business planning, market development assistance, and other services to rural entrepreneurs. To the greatest extent possible grants will be targeted to organizations which serve microenterprises in rural areas that have suffered significant outward migration. USDA is directed to ensure that recipients will be organizations of varying sizes and those which serve racially and ethnically diverse populations.
What You Need to Know to Apply
The Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program program will most likely be administered as a national program through USDA Rural Development's Business Programs Office. We expect USDA to issue a request for proposals in the first quarter of 2009.Applications must meet the following standards:
- Federal share of the cost of a project funded by this program shall not exceed 75%
- MDOs must match at least 15% of any grant amount
- Not more than 10% of any grant received by an MDO may be used for administrative expenses
For more information contact Steph Larsen, Rural Policy Organizer, Center for Rural Affairs at email@example.com or (402) 687-2103 ext 1014.
Examples of Current Microenterprise Development Organizations
Center for Rural AffairsEstablished in 1990, the Rural Enterprise Assistance Project (REAP) at the Center for Rural Affairs, delivers small business training, networking, one-on-one technical assistance, and microloans to rural entrepreneurs. To read about success stories of various microenterprises visit this link.
NC Rural Economic Development Center
North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center, Inc.'s Business Loan Program provides loans to rural small businesses. Their loan program works in partnership with small business centers at local community colleges and technology development centers to provide technical assistance and business planning to microenterprises.
USDA Information
A website specifically for the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program has not yet been launched, but will likely be located with other USDA Rural Development Business Programs at this site.Definitions
The farm bill provides several definitions related to the program.- Microenterprise development organization (MDO): an organization that is a nonprofit entity, Indian tribe (that is not served by an MDO), or public institution of higher education that provides training and technical assistance to rural microentrepreneurs, facilitates access to capital and services to rural microenterprises and has a demonstrated record of delivering services to rural microentrepreneurs or an effective plan to develop such a program
- Microentrepreneur: an owner and operator or prospective owner or operator of a rural microenterprise unable to obtain sufficient training, technical assistance or credit
- Microloan: a business loan of not more than $50,000
- Rural: any area other than 1) a city or town with 50,000 or greater population, or 2) an urbanized area contiguous or adjacent to a city or town with 50,000 or greater population
- Rural Microenterprise: sole proprietorship or business with no more than 10 full-time equivalent employees


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5 Tips For Sleeping Peacefully As A Couple from yourtango.com
1. Invest in a new mattress that doesn't transfer motion when your man tosses and turns, like the Tempur-Pedic. Or get a king-sized bed 2. Have your own blankets, especially if one of you tends to roll around. It's no fun waking up in the middle of the night cold and blanket-less. 3. If your guy comes home when you're already sleeping (or vice versa), have him change in another room so he won't wake you. Nothing sucks more than trying to fall asleep for the second time in one night! 4. Accept your partner's sleep schedule and work around it. 5. Get checked for sleep apnea, a potentially serious sleep disorder that can result in heavy snoring and problems with breathing. It's completely treatable and worth looking into!
20 Most Romantic American Cities from misstravel
1. Las Vegas, Nevada
2. New York, New York
3. Miami, Florida
4. San Francisco, California
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7. Los Angeles, California
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10. Washington, D.C.
11. Napa Valley, California
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20. Cleveland, Ohio Wiki Fact After analyzing 2.4 million deaths over a 40-year period, researchers discovered that you are 14% more likely to pass away on your birthday (as compared to any other day of the year). That risk increases as you grow older, in particular for senior citizens


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How to Start Your Own Local Brain Bee |
It is great fun and rewarding to run a local brain bee!The Brain Bee is a wonderful event and rewarding to host. It is a way to reach out into your community to raise awareness of brain research with students, parents, teachers, and media. It is a mechanism to recruit top high school students to consider a career in brain research and health sciences, and to showcase your department and university in the community and the local media. It doesn't have to cost much in time or money.All you need is a location for the competition, a neuroscientist to judge the answers, and high school students. It helps to have some volunteer help from graduate and undergraduate students. It is so much fun and such a good way for your university to interact with your community. Each Local Brain Bee has a coordinator who is affiliated with a university, museum, biotech company, Canadian Association for Neuroscience, or is a CIHR Synapse mentor. Local coordinators are given the flexibility to conduct their bee at any time or place, and in any way they feel is best for their situation. On the brain bee competition day, many local bee organizers arrange for lab tours, graduate and undergraduate student presentations, and other activities, but this is completely flexible; you can do whatever is within your constraints and resources. However, all brain bees are required to follow these rules (adapted from the International Brain Bee) :
Currently, the Canadian Brain Bee organizers are using the electronic book Neuroscience: Science of the Brain as the main study resource (go to this page to download the book). This book is also used at the National and International competitions. Confidential questions and answers are available (for coordinators only); contact me for details (Dr. Judith Shedden, CCNBB chair, shedden at mcmaster.ca). Please do not share copies of the questions because they are used at other Local Brain Bees across Canada and the integrity of the document must be maintained from year to year. We also ask that you help add to the question bank. Local coordinators are encouraged to inform the media of the Brain Bee event, since the media loves unique events like this one involving children, science, healthcare and competition. Don't hesitate to contact other organizers of Canadian local brain bees for start-up advice. We maintain a secure google discussion group where we share advice and information about all aspects of running a brain bee. I'll give you instructions on how to join our google group. |
Last Updated on Friday, 30 May 2014 11:15 |