text:
October 15, 2005 - Issue #209
From the Desk of Laurie Likes Books:
Racism in Romance? (Laurie Likes Books)
Years ago when I was a manager at the City of Dallas, we all went through what was fairly new at the time: Multi-Cultural Training. By the time I'd joined the city's government through a management training program for MPA's in 1986, it had been thoroughly professionalized. In some of the "line" departments (Public Works, Streets & Sanitation), many a Bubba filled a mid-level management slot, but in departments such as mine, more and more management positions were going to Young Turks like me, and because the City was already dedicated to diversity, friendships grew quite naturally, regardless of a person's color. In my own department most middle managers were substantially older than I was, and I had the most in common with other YUPPIE/BUPPIEs. But what I took away from the Multi-Cultural Training was that Multi-Cultural was, by definition, about more than one culture and the difficulties and joys involved in different ethnic cultures coming together.
This was my mindset when the very first Multi-Cultural Romance hit my desk for review at AAR. My assumption was that a Multi-Cultural Romance either featured a mixing of races or offered teaching tools in the same way that Beverly Jenkin's wonderful historicals did.
I should have remembered about assumptions: they make an ass of u and me. "Multi-Cultural" was not defined in the world of romance novels as I had assumed. Instead, it was a synonym for African American Romance. Being the naive sort that I am, I wondered why it was necessary to create a sub-genre based on color. Why not just include romances featuring AA characters as written by AA authors in existing lines and imprints? That would surely be better than what had happed in the past, when black authors wrote historicals set in England featuring all-white casts of characters. If there are enough people who want to read about SEALS, small-town sheriffs, and werewolves, surely there would be enough people to read about AA characters. After all, when I go shopping with a black friend, we don't hit the mall and go our separate ways...we go together. And when we go out for a meal, we don't go to "Black" or "White" restaurants either. So in the world of Romance, who, after all, did I have more in common with: my AA friends; the daughter of a lehman and former serf freed along with her mother by the hero's father during the Middle Ages (Madeline Hunter's By Possession); the gorgeous convent-raised princess from a fictional European nation (Castles by Julie Garwood, my favorite romance novel) who falls in love in Regency England with the second son of an aristocrat (which means, of course, that he's both in business and a spy); or shoe-obsessed, blondly vain vampire (MaryJanice Davidson and her Betsy books)? Then too, my response would be pretty much the same if Denzel Washington or George Clooney knocked on my door...well, it would be if I weren't married. <g>
That's why we don't have a Book Type for MC Romance. If a book written by a black author features black characters and is a romantic suspense novel, we call it Romantic Suspense. If it's a Contemporary Romances, that's what we call it. Because I believe that a disservice is done to all readers, and all writers, if certain categories of books are segregated from others. Who do I blame for this? Are the publishers simply following market demands, or are assumptions made that lead to foregone conclusions?
If they don't, well, then, there's still the fact that when a lead author writes a book, big bucks are spent promoting it; authors at the highest level get not only magazine ads and bookstore displays, they get radio and TV advertising. But mid-list authors seem to be pretty much on their own, which means that many a talented author will languish in the mid-list unless something catapults here out of it. Obviously that happens, but how many of your favorite authors never made it out of the mid-list? I'll go one further...one of mine never did, but lost her contracts in the end, even though a group of some of her out of print books in our recent AAR Aid auctions to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina went for a very high dollar amount.
When the publisher is a smaller publisher, with fewer dollars at their disposal to begin with than the behemoth publishing conglomerates, the problem is magnified. Keep that in mind as we track the creation and growth of the Arabesque imprint.
Beyond that, we all know you can't judge a book by its cover, but because so much book-buying is done as a result of browsing, what would happen if not only were there no distinction made on the spines of books, what if generic covers were given to all romances? I know that when I receive books, they are often in galley form...no cover, no information other than the title and author. What if the playing field were evened for all readers, if all Contemporaries looked alike and were shelved together, if, instead of people on the cover there were landscapes or icons?
And yet I understand the other side as well...in some of our earlier ATBF discussions on covers, I came to realize that while many of us don't like the traditional clinch cover, when you look at a clinch cover, you know what you'll be getting. You can wander into a bookstore, see one of those clinches from across the room, and know that's where the romances are. So if your market is AA readers, it makes sense to target "AA Romances" accordingly. Last month mainstream AA author Tayari Jones weighed in with her thoughts on the shelving of AA books in Maud Newton's well-known literary blog: "Ultimately, I am in favor of the color-blind shelving of books. As I said before, literature is universal. However, keep the Colored Section where it is. Let us call for the overthrow of racism, prejudice, and even indifference that makes such sections necessary. I know that placement is said to be everything in the bookstore game, but do we really believe that the reason so few writers of color reach that "mainstream" audience is that their books are not displayed in the "literature" section? Let us steer our attention away from Borders' shelving practices and take a longer look at ourselves."
It was announced last week that Harlequin had purchased the Arabesque imprint from BET. My view is that Harlequin would like to be the Microsoft of Women's Publishing, so I understand this move. But how Harlequin handles this new asset raises some questions that will provide a perfect opportunity for us to discuss the readership of African American Romance.
Arabesque was an imprint begun for Kensington books by Monica Harris in 1994. During her interview for the job of historical romance editor, she mentioned her research on the publishing history of black romance novels. As serendipity would have it, Kensington was kicking around the idea of a "black romance novel" imprint and hired Harris as Arabesque's first editor. In 1998 Arabesque was sold to BET, in part to help generate material for BET movies. Since that time thirteen BET movies have been made from Arabesque releases. Eighty-six Arabesque titles will be published in 2005.
Several days ago, I asked for input, both at AAR and on a couple of reading/writing lists, for input. Everyone was invited to participate, but I hoped to hear from African American authors and readers specifically, as well as reviewers previously or currently reviewing at AAR. I asked whether or not Harlequin plans to and/or should incorporate Arabesque books into existing lines (suspenseful titles into the Harlequin Intrigue line, for instance, and family-oriented titles as part of Silhouette Special Edition) and imprints (HQN, MIRA), or will/should keep Arabesque intact as its own imprint?
I'm sure there are regional differences, yet here in Dallas, my local library stocks an entirely different set of books in Romance than the libraries I visit in more "urban" areas. At the large Half Priced Books superstore here in Dallas - and there are HPB's in many states - Arabesque books are shelved separately from other contemporary romances. Granted, so are each of the Harlequin and Silhouette lines, but the Arabesque line isn't a series line - it's an imprint just as Avon is an imprint for HarperCollins.
Your own community may reflect a different reality than mine, but my local grocery store and drug store doesn't shelve any Arabesque titles, which hits on a point I made earlier. If AA titles are marketed solely to African Americans, were wider marketing attempts attempted or unsuccessful? And if unsuccessful, was it because distributors felt Arabesque titles were "too hard a sell" or because, after not selling well, stores and distributors decided not to carry them?
Obviously we live in a time of hundreds of cable channels, each aimed at a certain audience. Genre fiction, by definition, does something of the same, and yet within romance, why are most romances written by African Americans, featuring African American characters, less available for me to find? (As his recent death reminds us, after all, it's not as though August Wilson was a great AA playwright...he was a great American playwright.) If many of those buying romances do so through browsing, how will African American romance authors break through to a wider audience if their books cannot be browsed at the local grocery store or drug store, which is where many paperbacks are sold (as opposed to actual bookstore sales)? Then too, there's Harlequin's history of publishing and marketing series lines...through subscription sales and because retail stores buy lines rather than individual authors, if AA authors were incorporated into existing series lines, would those authors experience greater sales right off the bat? Or does Harlequin fear that what is perceived as an old-fashioned (1950s, pre Civil Rights Act) readership would balk at the idea? At times I fear that publishers cling to negative stereotypes associated with reading romance, which may create self-fulfilling prophecies. After all, if we're a bunch of small-town hicks who think the world was better when there were poll taxes, we'd never deign to pick up a book that didn't feature folks just like us.
Again, regional differences where you live may reflect a different reality, and if they do, let's hear about them. I'd like to hear your experience in finding - and reading - Arabesque books, because, quite frankly, other than a handful of very successful romance authors whose books are marketed quite widely (including Donna Hill and Kayla Perrin), if you are an African American romance author writing genre Romance, your publisher may well be Arabesque.
We tried to pin things down with Arabesque's publisher since 1998, Linda Gill, who will be moving from BET to Harlequin along with Arabesque. We also asked what's been heard through the grapevine. Current Harlequin author Karen Templeton knows that Harlequin plans an AA series line as well as a single title AA women's fiction line but is unsure how this particular acquisition will fit in. Monica Jackson, with seven Arabesque titles to her credit, adds that Harlequin recently began to acquire some black authors in its major lines/imprints and plans to publish them alongside the others while also signing most of those authors for a separate AA line.
Both Templeton and Jackson have heard that when black authors' books are sold alongside white titles (not as a separate imprint, but as part of a larger imprint), those black authors sell fewer books than the white authors. If this is true, Jackson says, than the large publishers are simply following the money and market dictates, adding further, "The majority culture as a whole demands black title segregation and niche marketing. Black romance is obviously treated far differently than whites by the majority romance community. Why would this be the case unless books by black authors were assumed to be inherently different, possibly inferior?"
Jackson believes that "black romance authors can
only write for black readers," something she finds true in most mainstream
fiction as well. On the other hand, Templeton has heard that black authors have gained more sales parity, at least in the last year or so, and not all anecdotal evidence backs up Jackson's belief.
Robin Uncapher, who lives in Montgomery County, Maryland, says that in her area, stores like Borders shelve some of the biggest names in African American Romance in a number of areas simultaneously. An AA author such as Kayla Perrin, is often shelved with African American fiction, in Romance, and General Fiction or Literary Fiction. She believes that this has to do with the huge success of authors like Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, and Terry McMillan and that their success has led to an assumption on the part of bookstore owners and librarians that African American Romances with attractive hardcovers or trade bindings are a literary step above clinch cover romances. She adds, "Montgomery County is not a place where romance gets a lot of respect, so the fact that certain African American Romances are seen as more than Romance is probably a good thing marketing-wise." But series novels tend to get the short shift in Bethesda with fewer and fewer supermarkets carrying them, and while Arabesque is an imprint and not a series, they are seen as such in many a retail outlet. Where Robin resides, Arabesque releases are shelved in the Romance Fiction area and never in the AA areas of her local bookstores, where the AA section is saved for books that look more literary.
Which goes back to one of my initial questions: Which came first: the chicken or the egg? Are AA authors more likely to draw a larger readership if their books are "separate but equal," to use the outdated and racist legal parlance, or, if they got a big push from Harlequin in terms of marketing, could they draw a bigger readership from an entire community? When Kensington started Arabesque, I'm sure part of the problem was that Kensington itself has a rep for being a "second-tier" publisher, and while BET is a big presence in the AA community, it's not a publishing company with decades of history publishing books under its belt.
You've now read my views on the issue...it's time to turn the floor over to the viewpoints of others, beginning with a short Q&A with Arabesque's publisher, Linda Gill, who has twenty years of media experience, fifteen of those with BET. Next up is Monica Jackson. Her December release from Dafina Books (a Kensington imprint), Mr. Right Now, is built on a very innovative paranormal premise. I enjoyed it very much, particularly the rapid-fire dialogue, which reminded me of MaryJanice Davidson. The book reads incredibly quickly, and is filled with some wonderful secondary characters. It is both sexy and filled with observational humor from a unique perspective that totally fits her lead character. We'll also hear from author Wayne Jordan, whose first Arabesque will be published next month, followed by brief comments from a couple of AAR reviewers. We'll wrap up from readers who responded to my call for input, including black British blogger Karen Scott. By no means does this give a full view of the subject, but it does provide a variety of viewpoints, and since (according to Gill), we are the first to have contacted her about the sale, it's also timely.
Q&A With Linda Gill
Was Arabesque then, and now, an
imprint or a series line? What were your goals for Arabesque then, and now,
and have they changed?
BET Books was launched in 1998 with the acquisition of the Arabesque imprint from Kensington. Celebrating more than ten years of exceptional romance, passion and intrigue, Arabesque continues to be the leading imprint of African-American romance by African-American authors. Our objective remains the same: to affirm positive, loving relationships between strong African-American heroes and heroines. Our target audience is the African-American reader but romance is universal and we hope that all readers discover the wonderful stories by Arabesque authors.
How will Arabesque be changed - if at all - with the sale to Harlequin? Will it continue to be distinct, and AA Romance only?
Arabesque will move forward under the new ownership of Harlequin with its guidelines and objectives unchanged. Arabesque will deliver exceptional stories that resonate with the African American reader with references they will readily recognize and appreciate, such as Spelman College, Howard University, the Schomburg Center, and communities such as Oak Bluffs and Idlewild, just to name a few. The hero and heroine will overcome major obstacles that are traditional for romance novels, such as trust, to reach a satisfying conclusion and a positive loving romance that leaves the reader wanting more!
How important a part of BET was Arabesque? Obviously movies of the week
were drawn from Arabesque books, but as far as the corporate entity that is
BET and even the larger corporation, Viacom, where did Arabesque fit in?
Arabesque was fortunate to have thirteen of the novels made into made-for-television movies for the BET network, brining to life wonderful stories by Donna Hill, Carmen Green and others. BET is one of 32 main properties at Viacom, and BET Books is a division of BET.
BET and Viacom have decided to move in a different direction with its publishing business and we look forward to building upon all of our efforts with Harlequin as the largest women's fiction publisher.
Kensington is the one remaining print publisher of romance that is not
part of a huge publishing conglomerate, and with BET, you were basically
blazing a trail. How different do you think it will be at Harlequin, which
has a long, long history in romance publishing, with arms across the world?
How important a part of Harlequin would you like it to be, and are your
goals shared with Harlequin?
The benefit of going to Harlequin is that we get to bring laser beam focus to our publishing efforts to ensure that we get the widest distribution possible for authors since Harlequin is so renowned for romance but also have taken a leadership position in women's fiction and non-fiction. We hope Arabesque grows with them.
As far as marketing Arabesque books, is there/has there been and/or will
there be an attempt to market them beyond the AA market. If there has been
an attempt, was it successful, and if not, why not? I ask this because
where I live, in Dallas, Texas, my local grocery store, for instance, stocks single titles and series titles, but no Arabesque titles.
Arabesque titles are available wherever books are sold. We have a number of authors in the Dallas and Houston areas, and this market has been strong for Arabesque sales. We are sold by all the major chains and discount stores including Barnes & Noble, Waldenbooks, Wal-Mart, and exceptional independent stores such as Black Images Book Bazaar in Dallas - a cultural icon, celebrating over 25 years of business.
Arabesque titles often receive special placement in stores, such as at cash registers, where they are available for purchase by all readers.
How do you think racism affects AA Romance as it is read by romance
readers? Is it a realistic goal to have all romance read by all readers? Is
that pie in the sky or something that just isn't all that important - ie,
the focus is on building the market within the AA community?
It is my hope that working with Harlequin and our key customers that we can extend our distribution to include outlets that may not have traditionally carried titles of African American interest. We want everyone to have access to these wonderful works of literature. My hope is to work through Harlequin with key accounts and distributors to include these titles in a broad variety of places because African Americans purchase not only where they live, but where they work, as well as other destination points of interest.
What It's Like (Monica Jackson)
Laurie writes: "I put the blame squarely in the lap of publishers. Because not only did they apparently make the initial assumption that only AA's will read a romance featuring AA characters (and who's the ass there?), but their lack of promoting mid-list authors as a rule only makes things worse. And if publishers believe, as some of the AA authors I spoke to in preparation for this column, that white readers won't and don't read books by AA authors
because whites believe AA authors are inferior as writers to white authors, then I guess the game is over before it's even begun."
We've all heard both white and black romance readers say they don't read black romance, and I believe those readers do believe that black authors are inherently inferior to white ones. Publishers are into mainly making money, no? They knew that black readers have been reading white romances for years. After Terry McMillan's success in the early nineties with Waiting to Exhale, that's when they got the notion that blacks would eagerly read popular fiction (Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison and other literary types have always been available in print. But romance and Jackie Collins type books featuring black characters were the novelty).
BET put good money into promotion of its list, more so than I see other publishers doing. Their lead authors received more as usual though. I received television spots, radio spots, ads in black glossies such as Essence, a glossy where ad space isn't cheap, ads in Romantic Times, lots of flyers, postcards and other promotional materials. Other than RT, this promo was targeted toward the black consumer, though.
It's true that the publishers created this market, when they could have merely incorporated more authors of color into their established woman fiction and romance imprints. But readers define the market. If a black romance broke out to majority readers, there would have been a stampede to make books by black authors more available to the white dollar. But the fact is the white dollar has never been spent on black popular fiction with any great significance. The reader's dollars are what ultimately leads the publishers. An illustration of just that fact is visable when you compare these two covers for SF writer Octavia Butler. The picture to your left is this novel's first edition...to the right is a subsequent edition of the same book, after the author had gained some measure of success.
It's exciting when a writer gets The Call from an editor. In many ways the call is only the beginning of an angsty rollercoaster for any novelist. But if you're a black, you have a special ride reserved just for you.
Writing romance while black means you get a sub-genre of your very own - no matter what the content of your novel. Your special niche is already measured and the boundaries are set on your readership. Your marketing will likely be different than the white author in your chapter, even where your books are shelved in some bookstores. If you decided to attend book signings and other events with your white colleagues, the difference of your reception and audience will be thrown into stark relief.
Because since you're black, you're a romance writer that the majority of romance readers will never read. Your readership is defined and limited to only black romance readers by a variety of circumstances outside your control, so your opportunities are far smaller than any white romance writer from the moment you were published, regardless of your talent and determination.
How many white writers think about being white as they write their novels? Do they write with special white flavor and have to be sure and add white cultural tidbits less they be accused of not being authentic? Most writers generally don't put race first and foremost when writing a character unless it's an integral part of the plot. In a romance the integral part of the plot is the romantic relationship. Both black and white writers write about and for human beings.
I've written many words on why black racial separation is so prevalent in romance. My favorite theory is that it's the nature of the romance genre. Romance is fantasy-based. Readers are notoriously picky about their settings and having sympathetic characters that they can relate to them. Also, majority romance readers have plenty of romance novels to choose. There's no shortage of books, so why should a reader take the trouble to venture outside their comfort zone and spend money on something that may not appeal? No black romance author gets major buzz in the majority romance community compared with the buzz, awards and recognition white authors receive, so where do they start?
These are a few of the reasons, but figuring out how to address the issue of segregation in romance and thinking about how to go about changing it, is a daunting task. Race is an uncomfortable and taboo subject to discuss on nearly any level by almost anybody, black or white. Desegregating any institution in this country has always been a monumental struggle.
Tayari Jones asks: "So what's a writer to do? Of course I want to be universal. . . since my publisher decided to acknowledge the fact of my race for this book, I was able to use their resources to reach the audience that probably loves me best. And if I were even luckier, there would be no choice to make."
In some ways it's easier having such a racially based specialized market mapped out. There might not be as much competition, and there are many publishers vying for niche market supremacy, so there are lots of places to attempt to sell one's work, although with a major merger, it's becoming less. It's more convenient for readers of black fiction and nonfiction to have all the books they prefer in one section so they can browse them readily. In many ways it's more comfortable for the author because there's less competition with white authors. They have their big market, but we have our own turf.
So, agents, editors, and publishers push black authors into writing black books to fit this niche. Is black book segregation a reality of the market or a self-fulfilling prophecy? Am I so inherently different - my thought process so far apart from whites - that they couldn't be possibly be interested in reading anything I write? If I go by what I observe in, I'd have to say that is what many whites believe.
"I had lunch with this one editor, she took me to this fancy restaurant, and she told me I had to make a decision whether or not I was writing for black people or white people." - Danyel Smith
"I had lunch with this one editor, she took me to this fancy restaurant, and she told me I had to make a decision whether or not I was writing for black people or white people." - Danyel Smith
With the proliferation of black lines and black fiction, it appears that both publishers and readers are invested in segregation from black books and authors. But corporations care mostly about money. Why can't our books be simply books? Why must we be black authors instead of merely authors?
Percival Everett, a literary black author, wrote, "To tell the truth, I simply am tired of people connected with publishing and art in this culture being so amazed that anyone not white can create a work that race is all they can see. I will not waste my energy discussing this kind of insidious racism, but will say only that this brand, often practiced by those who in all things else would consider themselves liberal, progressive and intellectual, makes one appreciate the overt brand of bigotry practiced by the likes of the late Strom Thurmond."
Agents, publishers and editors along with readers buy into similar reasoning that a black author is only fit to write for blacks, and can't be presented along with the other books. Are America and Americans still truly that backward?
It seems so. We might need to turn the pages back to these words:
"This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God's children. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood." - Martin Luther King
"This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God's children. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood." - Martin Luther King
And some day, maybe books will be judged by their contents rather than the color of their author's skins.
Racism in Romance? (Wayne Jordan)
The announcement by Harlequin that it had purchased the assets of BET Books
was a welcome surprise to me. Firstly, I was realistic enough to realize
that from a financial point of view the resources available to Harlequin far
outweighed BET's and the financial gains in relation to contract,
distribution etc would more likely be better. And on a slightly more
personal note, I've always wanted to write for Harlequin. Why? Because for
years, Harlequin has been the symbol of excellence in romance writing, and
like many aspiring and published authors, publication by Harlequin has
always been a symbol of achievement. However, entering through the
proverbial back door, does not lessen the important of this achievement, but
only makes me more determined to introduce to the Harlequin readers ship
story of excellence written by African-American authors. By purchasing BET
Books, Harlequin is finally acknowledging that a radical change in its
acquisition policies is necessary. Let me say, that I'm not naive enough to
believe that this may be the foremost reason.
I'm followed the discussion over the years about the segregation of romance
and the "racist" attitudes of white romance readers. Ironically, here on the
island of Barbados where 95% of the population is black, "white" romances
have sold better that "black" romances. I have a friend who still believes
that "white" romances are superior to romances written by black authors.
Fortunately, she is in the minority. Thought the sales situation is still
the same, things are changing. Two years ago, the Arabesque novels moved
slowly from the shelves; today, releases by favorite authors are of the
shelves in a few days.
I've always believed that change is inevitable, but significant change
rarely takes place overnight. A long history of racism and warped mentality
stifles individuals from accepting change and recognizing that society and
its habits cannot remain static. As black romance authors, we must stop
sulking and moaning about the injustices done to us, and do every thing in
our power to promotion our work. And I don't mean promotion that needs
money. I mean the day to day interaction with readers and fans, I find
lacking in our circles of authors. There are several authors who have
discussion lists and interact with readers, but this is the minority. The
visibility of the majority of black authors lacks the consistence of white
authors. I belong to several discussion groups, both black and white, and
the level of participation by white authors far outweighs the participation
of the black authors. Participation on RWA general lists and PAN lists by
black authors is rare, unless the questions of race and injustices done to
us are the topics of discussion. I, too, recognized my own contribution to
this lack of visibility.
I'm a daily visitor to the eharlequin forum and interact with many of the
authors. Very rarely do any of the black authors who write for
Harlequin/Silhouette visit the forums, but there are many black (and white)
readers aching for interaction with them. Hopefully, this will increase when
the "change" over takes place and new boards are created for discussion of
the former BET lines (Arabesque, Sepia and New Spirit).
However, for change to take place, we must all be open to change. Without
it, our societies will remains stagnant and bogged down by racist attitudes
that serve to retard the development of a word of peace and harmony.
AAR Reviewers Weigh In
Though books by AA authors have been reviewed by many members of our review staff, I sought out the input of two of our past/current AA reviewers. The first because I knew from prior discussions that his views on the topic were strong, the second because she's reviewed more books by AA authors than anyone else on our staff.
First up is Anthony Langford, who reviewed at AAR off and on for a period of several years. A terrific reviewer, but a very independent sort who reviewed from his own stash of books rather than being assigned books by AAR, he's only read two AA romances, both of which were historicals (one that he reviewed for us at AAR). Just as many a reader is influenced by what she/he hears along the grapevine, Anthony shied away from Arabesque books because of bad buzz among his circle of reading friends. But this isn't any great loss to him because: "All books should be treated the same regardless of 'color'. That makes sense and it's probably how it should be. A romance is a romance is a romance - no matter what race the lovers. It's certainly something I don't take into account when I read a romance."
TaKiesha Smith, an AAR reviewer since 2003, reads a fair amount of AA fiction - romance and otherwise - and believes that segregation of African American romance is wrong. TaKiesha lives in the Midwest, and AA books where she shops are shelved either in mainstream AA fiction or in a small AA romance section within the AA fiction section. She argues that: "This makes the books harder to find and an unfair segregation." Further, she says, "When new paperbacks are shelved at the front of the stores the new AA romances don't get the same treatment unless of course it is one of a few big authors like Donna Hill or Beverly Jenkins. The lesser known authors get an unfair shake on this front."
TaKiesha asks, "If Erotica and SF can share the shelves, why can't AA books?" She hopes that because of Harlequin's power in the publishing industry, some of the segregative practices will change. The buy-out is a good thing and will help black romance authors in general, but also, more specifically, she believes, because of the better editing and promotion black romance authors will get.
She describes her particular experience with Arabesque: "When they first came out I subscribed to them but after the novelty of reading black romance wore off, I canceled. Now I buy them in the store but my selections are much more author-based then publisher. I will probably read one or two of their selections a month [with four to six titles published monthly, she's buying something between 17% and 33% of their releases], depending on the authors." But if, as TaKiesha thinks, Arabesque books are "formula-driven, like Harlequins," and that "small press publishers like Indigo and Kingston tend to let the authors have their own voice and style," that isn't likely to change with the move from BET to Harlequin.
One last thing before leaving the topic of AAR reviews of books by AA authors, romances by AA authors, and Arabesque; so far the only AA author to qualify for Buried Treasure status (all positive reviews) is Eric Jerome Dickey (with two Desert Isle Keeper reviews for Signet-published books to his credit), although authors Adrienne Byrd, Margaret Johnson-Hodge, Brenda Jackson, Eva Rutland, and Tamara Sneed have also earned DIK status. Johnson-Hodge, Jackson, and Sneed's DIK's were published by St. Martin's, Byrd's publisher was Harper, and Rutland's DIK was published by MIRA. As for Arabesque review grades, here are some of the authors to have earned positive ones: Donna Hill, Francis Ray, Angela Winters, Geri Guillaume, Dara Girard, Martha King-Gamble, and Sandra Kitt (who also has two DIK's released by other publishers under her belt). We hope that as a result of this column, there will both be more interest in our reviewing romances by African American authors, and that we will receive more books by AA Romance authors to review.
Is It Really All Black & White? (Karen Scott)
Here in England, we don't have the problem of white readers not reading books by black romance authors. You may ask why this is, and the answer is really quite simple. Procuring black romance books in my country is akin to England winning the World Cup, it doesn't happen very often. Which is why, we don't have the angst over here that black American authors seem to.
I've been told in no uncertain terms that white people simply don't buy AA romance. I'm not one to take things at face value, but apparently the sales figures are there to prove that this is so.
However, being the Pollyanna-type personality that I am, I find it extremely hard to believe that this is purely a matter of racial divide, so with this in mind, I thought it would be prudent, to look at this from all the different angles, before delivering my final verdict. I want to know if this issue is truly as black and white as it first appears to be.
In a world where rapper, Fifty Cent, appeals to as many, if not more, white folks, than black folks, how is it possible that black American authors are struggling to get white people to read what they write?
It was suggested a while ago that perhaps the fantasy element, which obviously goes hand-in-hand with most romance books, is one of the main reasons why many white women will not read books featuring black, or inter-racial lead characters. Apparently white women don't want the distraction of having a black-skinned hero or heroine marring their fantasy of the perfect relationship.
To me this just doesn't make sense, because if this supposition is correct, then how would you explain the popularity of books featuring Middle Eastern men (sheiks), especially when you consider current world events.
Then again, the answer may well lie within this morass of speculation and assumption. Could the lack of readership indeed be attributed to the fact that people of Middle Eastern descent are usually light skinned, and so are maybe not regarded as all that different from white people, thus keeping the fantasy intact?
Hmmm. I certainly hope that this isn't the case. But who knows?
The packaging of the book, could be another problematic area. I would wager that a white person is probably less likely to pick up a romance book that has a stereotypical black person (ie. braided hair, ethnically identifiable mode of dress etc.), on the front cover.
So what would the answer to this quandary be? Avoid presenting black characters on the front cover of the book?
A lot of African American authors may consider having anything other than black characters on the covers of their books, as selling out, so I'm not sure if this is something that AA writers would compromise on.
Another possible reason for the lack of white readers, that one must consider, maybe something as simple as white people assuming that most AA romance books are there to tweak one's social conscience, rather than just telling a story about two people falling in love.
Laurie confessed that when the first multi-cultural romance first hit her desk, she expected it to be a teaching tool, one that would endeavour to educate hapless white people, so that they could better understand black culture.
Perhaps she is not alone in this? Perhaps other white readers feel, that by picking up a romance book featuring black characters or written by a black author, they are actually signing themselves up for a history lesson that they would rather forget? Or indeed a message that they would rather not hear.
Having ruminated and cogitated for a few days on this subject, I've come to the conclusion, that all of the above points have played their part in ensuring that white readers continue to avoid books written by, and featuring African Americans, but as far as I'm concerned, the main problem starts with lack of marketing and promotion and ends with lack of marketing and promotion.
There are both white and black authors out there, who are currently languishing in mid-list mediocrity, but I simply refuse to believe that all of them are there because their work isn't good enough.
In agreement with Laurie, it is my assertion that most of the blame can be laid at the door of the publishers who, if LLB is to be believed, do not promote mid-list authors to the same extent as they do lead authors, and in fact, in a lot of cases, authors are actually asked to promote their own books, which is very unfortunate, because few authors have the resources to launch a full scale campaign.
Buzz and hype will always help sell books, it's as simple as that. No buzz and hype = no sales. Promotion and marketing is so powerful, that in the past, I've seen distinctly average books elevated to the top of the best seller lists, just because the author happened to be a marketing genius.
Harlequin buying Arabesque books on reflection, should be a good thing, but it really depends on what they intend to do with them. Personally, I would like to see HQN make a huge song and dance about the procurement of this line, and really drive these books into the radar of the white folks out there, who may or may not, know about their existence.
It's the least they can do as far as I'm concerned.
If no obvious attempts are made to market this new acquisition, then I suspect that it will not be long before people start questioning what Harlequin's real motives were, for buying the line in the first place. I wait with bated breath to see what the future brings.
With regards to the shelving issue, I've never really understood the need for the segregation of books based on colour. I don't think that it particularly helps either the author or the reader. In my opinion, all this does is to create a divide between what are essentially, the same genre of book.
Shelving romance books written by black authors in a different sector, has far reaching implications. In the short term, it may be easier for the readers who are specifically looking for AA books, to find, but surely it's the genre that loses out in the end? If this practice is to continue, how can we expect the relationship between black authors and white readers to end happily ever after?
Senetra Weighs In (Senetra Herndon)
The black population of my town, Anderson, Indiana, has a population of about 50 thousand and is roughly 15% black, 80% white and 2.1% Hispanic and growing.
The thing about Anderson is that a lot of people read romance, but more read Christian fiction, like Janette Oke and Karen Kingsbury. And the largely untapped black Christian fiction market is huge but I don't think it's as big as it is going to get.
When I lived in Detroit, Arabesque titles were easy to find, but the black population is large. So I think a lot of availability will depend on the size of the black population.
My local library stocks all of the Arabesque titles each month and most of the BET fiction books and a lot of black authors from Striver's Row and Strebor Books. I know that one grocery store (four in the chain) stocked Arabesque books, but I don't think the other three did. Target never did and Meijer did but eventually stopped. I don't shop at Wal-Mart so I can't say if they carry them there. Kmart's book section is practically non-existent, they only stock the Harl/Silh titles, Christian fiction and best sellers. I never see any books that are not lead authors at drugstores anymore, they now stock about 15 titles. The Half-Price Books separates them into a category just as they do with the Harlequins. Sometimes I wonder if it is because of the length because they are about as long as a Special Edition or SuperRomance. I actually like that they are separate because then I don't have to hunt for them by author because they are all together.
I haven't bought many Arabesque titles lately because I haven't bought as many books in general due to money and interest. When I do find one that sounds interesting I get it from the library if I've never read the author before. If I have read the author I and I like their work, I buy it. The main thing that keeps me from buying Arabesque (and any romance) is that a lot of plots now involve romantic suspense. I'm not that keen on romantic suspense, so I look elsewhere.
What Sandy Wants (Reader Sandy)
Who was it that determined that there must be a dividing line between books by White authors and books by African-American authors? If African-American authors and publishers have always been marketed separately, how was it determined that "White" readers won't buy "Black" books? If it's never been tried, how do they know it doesn't work?
I don't believe that African-American romances are too different and couldn't possibly be relevant or interesting to White readers. I'm a middle-aged, mostly White woman who has lived in the South and Midwest. If I can read books about Regency debutantes and like them, surely I can read and enjoy books by Americans of other races. Yes, there are probably cultural differences between my personal experiences and those of the characters in the book. A good author should be able to bridge the gap, to make the characters and their world real to the reader. If I don't find the book or the characters understandable, my personal opinion is that the author might not have done a good job. Do I think I can read a book and know what it's like to be African-American? Of course not. No more than I can know what it's like to be male or extremely wealthy or Japanese-American or any number of other things that I'm not. But I can still read and enjoy books by African-Americans, men, etc. The idea that I would only read books written by authors of my own race and background is ridiculous.
I find it terribly depressing to think that most romance readers are refusing to buy books simply based on the race of the author. I would much rather believe that it might be a matter of marketing. But I've been wrong before.
Potpourri Commenters
To help wrap things up, I'm excerpting some of the comments posted to our Potpourri Message Board from a variety of readers.
"I'm a reading omnivore and like to read all kinds of genres. When I'm picking up a mystery or a literary fiction, there's no "multicultural" section to make me miss the most popular selections...Which brings up a HUGE rant for me. Why are "multicultural" books only about the black of African American experience anyhow? I live in total nonmulticultureville, and a fairly small town to boot. Therefore, the multicultural lines aren't available. I'd be lucky to find a Harlequin Historical (and midlist romances in general) if I wanted it, I'm going to find little of the "multicultural" lines.
I'm looking for good books, and had some bad luck with my first couple multicultural books. For a while it seemed there was a lesser standard. I don't care what ethnicity my characters are, I want a good story.
So I say - PUT THEM TOGETHER and offer me some good reading.
In my opinion, the only thing that matters is how well the characters are drawn. If I can get inside the character's head and understand how or why he or she makes a particular decision, then I can get into the book. Some of my favorite books have leads that I have nothing in common with and cannot relate to on a personal basis. But because of the skill of the author, it doesn't matter.
The type of music he or she likes, or the food, or dialect might add another layer to the character but that is not why I read romance. The point of a romance is the connection between the two lead characters. If I want to read something urban and gritty, I'll pick up an author who writes that.
Romance has been known for avoiding certain issues (ie. STDs and poverty). Why should it deal with more reality because the characters are black? It seems that there is this expectation that a romance with a black lead couple is supposed to deal with more reality that a "mainstream" romance.
But for me, it's the same as reading an American-set story about Italian- or Greek- or Hispanic- or Jewish-Americans. All Americans, but our approach to life definitely colored (as it were!) but our individual heritages, at least to a certain extent.
It wouldn't have made any difference to the story either way.
Time to Post to the Message Board
In any individual column it's difficult to express the views of an entire readership, or even an entire sub-section of a readership. In no way have we represented every distinct viewpoint on this topic, but I hope the segments give us a good start to continue a dialogue on our At the Back Fence Message Board. Whenever an "ism" is written about and opened up for discussion, there's always a chance that the discussion will end badly, which is why I'd like to keep the focus tight and for us simply to talk about African American Romance rather than trying to dissect and resolve race relations in the U.S. (or anywhere else, for that matter). It's true that some discussion of race relations is necessary in order to get at where we are today with the publishing and reading of African American Romance, but I hope everyone will keep in mind and emulate the respectful tone taken by all those who participated in the writing of this column.
Many viewpoints were suggested in this column, and many questions were raised throughout. Answers for some were attempted, but as often is the case, there is no one, true answer, just a variety of interpretations. Rather than list individual questions, therefore, please simply consider what you've read here and comment accordingly.
(AAR uses BYRON for its romance reference needs)


text:
Polyester Finishes as seem for Moving Claim Damages
by J. Timothy Wilson
Originally seen on European imports and recently more frequently from most anywhere while they look shinny they are nearly impossible to repair. A reference discussion.
Polyester Finishes
A Neophyte's Perspective
(written mid 1990s)
<see March 2005 update at end>
In the last four months I have run into four high valued moving claim items that involved damaged polyester finishes. By now I feel like a trend is being established. Some six years ago I had a horrible experience with what I now know to have been a polyester finish. I haven't run into it since until recently.
I feel like a neophyte trying to get ahead of the learning curve. I feel that if I can't master how to repair polyester finishes, the moving companies will have to pay out some big bucks in settlements! I know I should know more.
I have turned to my regular suppliers, experts, and consultants on finishing questions for guidance. I have received more non-answers than clear answers. It all seems too vague.
Past History:
Six years ago I agreed to strip and refinish a set of 6 desks and credenzas for a regular client. They were made of oak veneer with a clear finish. We stripped them by all of the normal means. Nothing worked. Eventually we were advised to use a dangerous airplane stripper, which also did not work. The stripper did nothing more than etch the finish. The finish simply was not even softened.
We had ruined the furniture and had to make arrangements to settle the situation. Luckily the client was understanding and did not press the loss. They accepted we had tried our best. We concluded we were not experienced enough.
Recent Situations:
THE DINING TABLE: A moving claimant had a new $10,000 dining room table with a faux marble finish under a thick high gloss coat. It matched still other high-deco style furniture. The packing crew had used it as a packing table against the claimant's specific repeated requests not to do so. The top had wide spread abrasions and cuts into the pristine clear gloss finish.
It did not test as lacquer or varnish base. A spot test of stripper on the underside had no impact. We agreed with the claimant's understanding that it had to be polyester, without knowing all that it meant.
We agreed to hand scuff the table's top and leaves attempting to cut below the scratches. The risk was scuffing below the clear coat into the faux marble. After the scuffing we power polished the top surfaces back up to their high gloss coat. We were lucky because whatever minor mars still existed were hard to see due to the faux marble.
A table was saved but the risks were very high. We knew we had more to learn.
THE SPEAKER CABINET: A client brought us a $2000 mahogany stereo speaker cabinet damaged in shipment. The model was no longer made, had a matching twin, and matched a total custom audio system. The design included 1/2" radius edges and corners. All four top corners were compressed with bad finish flaking. The high gloss finish was thick and at the damage edges appeared to be layered and fibrous, since the edges had fiber strings protruding and the edges could be lifted with a pocket knife.
Again, it did not test as lacquer or varnish base. The manufacturer would not divulge their "secret" finish process.
One of our mail-order finish repair sources suggested it might be polyester finish. He suggested that the damaged areas be scooped out by scuffing and that a clear lacquer burn-in be accomplished. We knew again that we had something to learn.
Trying his procedure we performed the clean up of the area, applied color to the raw wood below, and then a clear burn-in on the triple-radius corners. The result was that the tapered edge areas looked really bad. We reversed the process.
We then cut straight down around the damaged areas causing a sharp edged cavity. The sharp edges were slightly radiused by careful scuffing.
The first corner's result did include some small pin sized white spots floating inside the burn-in.
We then attempted the other corners being extra careful to remove any old finish dust. The result was perfect!
The speaker was saved and the stereo set was saved. The claimant was satisfied.
The Current Situation:
THE PIANO: A very important corporate move claimant had a $15,000 Baldwin Classic Grand mahogany piano. It had apparently been moved without a piano board being used. It came into the home on a 4-wheel dolly and blankets. Having trouble getting it over the threshold, the crew forced it forward and it slipped off the dolly. You might imagine the damage.
All along the long flat side bottom edge the finish was compressed with hairline cracks about 1/2" wide. Wide spread gouges existed on both ends. Of most concern was a top flat area, above the left side of the keyboard, which had distinct cracks deep through the finish much like an ice cube might look when it cracks.
We concluded that we were looking at polyester.
Our inquiries had repeatedly advised that a polyester finish could not be refinished by anyone other than a specialized shop equipped to apply such a finish. The reason was that it was not removable by normal means and required specialized equipment to apply. We did not fully understand.
We were even advised it was not repairable, but we had already successfully repaired both the dining room table and the speaker cabinet, both of which we are convinced were with polyester finish.
Both our third-party consultant piano expert and piano finish repair expert said that they knew of no one in our greater metro area that would refinish a polyester finish.
They also said that they knew of no one who would work on repairing such wide spread damage to the finish.
Their conclusion was that if the piano had polyester, and since it had such wide spread damage, that the moving company would have no choice but to replace the piano and salvage the damaged one for absolute minimal value due to its condition.
We were not satisfied.
THE BALDWIN CONNECTION: We decided to pursue the Baldwin Piano Company and eventually talked with their technical support experts. By having the serial number from the instrument it was determined that the instrument was not finished with polyester finish as suspected, but with lacquer.
We now knew we had a piano with a non-polyester finish that was all lacquer and that the finish was repairable or refinishable!
What about that ice-crazed finish? Our conclusion was that the damage was caused by a side pressure on the narrow top surface involved and looked like it did because of the high number of coats of lacquer.
We concluded it was repairable by normal lacquer means.
THE SCHIMMEL BOOKLET: We asked our local piano experts if they had any written guidance on piano finish repair, still hoping to learn more on polyester. We were provided a booklet published by Schimmel Piano of Germany in 1989.
It was a gold mine of information.
The highlights are included at the end of this article.
PIANO CONCLUSION: In the end, by reading the Schimmel booklet and talking with THE Baldwin Piano folks, we factually determined that the Baldwin piano had a lacquer finish that could be repaired successfully using techniques with which we are very familiar. It was not polyester. The piano did not require total refinishing
The Next Claim:
A CUSTOM DINING TABLE: The very next moving claim for a national company was a hi-value shipment of a single custom-made unique dining room table valued at $25,000. It was for a major client of the moving company.
When we saw the table we now knew what we had on our hands. We entered into the discussions with some degree of expertise. We were moving beyond being a neophyte.
The ten-foot sycamore veneer table had a high gloss clear coat polyester finish. The four legs were art deco high gloss black polyester.
One of the legs had been jammed hard into something causing several areas of damage. Each area was through the finish to the sub-surface with finish flaking and lifting. The finish fibers existed. Some wood compression existed.
We are now comfortable that we can successfully perform the wood and finish repairs to the polyester finish involved.
What a Coincidence!:
That very day after completing the above moving claim inspection and writing the report for the adjuster, I chose to take a private moment and scan my new July/August issue of Professional Refinishing that had an article entitled "Smooth as Glass, Tough as Nails" by Gregory Johnson. Guess what he was writing about? Polyester finishes.
The editor starts with a statement: "Imagine this: You accept a refinishing job thinking you're dealing with polyurethane or catalyzed lacquer, and you find instead that you're up against a layer of polyester so tough that your ordinary stripping techniques are worthless. This can be the worst of all possible worlds, says one long-time finisher and refinisher, unless you know what it takes to work with these 'indestructible' finishes.
The highlights of the article, like the Schimmel booklet, follow for closer review.
The Schimmel Booklet: Here is what the booklet told us.
Kinds of Finish: Different finishes get there by different coats.
A high gloss piano instrument is finished with polyester finish for all coats, with the final coat power buffed. Polyester requires special repair techniques.
An eggshell finish starts with polyester coats that are top coated with sprayed polyurethane. The top layers are repairable to the degree that the polyurethane allows.
A filled satin finish starts with paste filling of the grain, receives polyester base coats, and is then sprayed with nitrocellulose lacquer. The top layers are repairable by normal lacquer repair techniques.
A open pore semi-filled satin finish starts with a basic paste filling, has a base coat of polyurethane, and is then sprayed with nitrocellulose lacquer. It is repairable by normal lacquer repair techniques to the extent that the damage does not go into the polyurethane coats.
This tells us polyester might be used for the sealer coat, build coats, or all coats. It can be concealed under more common finishes like varnish or lacquer top coats, and yet it impacts dramatically what repairs can or can not be accomplished.
High Gloss Polyester Lacquer Finishes: They use it for their high gloss finish by buffing coats of polyester to the high gloss result.
This type of finish was chosen for its outstanding properties in regard to stability and buffability.
With polyester the hardening takes places by means of a chemical reaction rather than the evaporation of a solvent.
The pores of the wood are completely sealed, and so there is much less sinking into the wood over the years than with traditional shellac or high-gloss nitrocellulose finishes. This is not to say, however, that this never occurs at all with polyester; with high-gloss finishes, the slightest change is visible.
Use and Care of high-gloss finishes: Dust is best removed with a feather duster, an anti-static cloth or a slightly damped chamois or soft cloth. The damped cloth should have the water's surface tension lowered by the addition of a few drops of any conventional dishwashing detergent. The more aggressive a polyester finish is rubbed when being cleaned, the more static-electricity buildup in the finish, and hence the more it will attract new dust.
Effect of extremely low temperatures on polyester finishes: At temperatures below 23 degrees the polyester loses a portion of its elasticity, i.e. it becomes brittle and cracks can form, particularly if bumped or jarred.
The colder the temperature or the longer exposed or the more sudden the temperature change, the more likelihood of cracks.
Transporting such an item outside in temperatures below 14 degrees is an extremely risky venture.
Damage to the Core Wood: Any assessment involves determination of the possibility of polyester finish coats at any level, the possible kinds of top-coats, and whether the damage is in the surface coats, through all of the coats, into the wood below, or causing structural damage.
Level of Repairs: Any wood repairs should use glue suitable for wood that dries completely.
Any stain damage must be repaired realizing prior sun damage to the area and anticipating the impacts of the finish repairs. The slightest deviation in color will be more visible under a high gloss finish repair. Realize that a high gloss finish brings out the grain of a stained wood surface to a marked degree. Hence the color matching of the re-stained spot with the surrounding area should be made with the stain still wet.
The area must be absolutely dry before any top clear coat repairs.
Water or alcohol base wood stains can be used. Avoid using any stains containing sal ammoniac (ammonium chloride) as they react chemically with polyester.
Preparing the damaged spot for the topcoat: The rework of the damage area should cause no larger an area of damage to the topcoat than absolutely necessary.
Small dents: small depressions causing no damage to the top finish or color or wood below. Sand dent with 240-grit avoiding sanding through the top coats. Burn-in level.
Finish Cracks: normally sharp lines going all the way through the finish clear coats with no loose portions in the finish. Sand the crack all the way down along the crack resulting in a sharp rounded groove. Do not sand into the wood or stain below. Burn-in level.
Finish Loose: the damage to the finish has caused cracks, lifting, separation, or loose portions in the clear coats. Usually associated with wood damage below.
All loose portions of the clear coat should be carefully cut away with a sharp knife. The sharp cut finish edges should be carefully sanded to remove invisible small flakes or cracks.
Perform repairs to the wood below and then to the color.
Burn-in level.
If the damage area is very large, the best solution is to refinish the entire edge or surface involved.
Removing the Finish: Removing the old finish by sanding it down is a completely unacceptable method. Most paint or varnish removers have no effect on polyester finish, and with those that do, it is often impossible to apply a new coat afterwards.
How to Remove Polyester Finish: The proper way to remove a polyester finish is by applying heat. Use an ordinary household iron and a paint scraper or putty knife.
Once polyester finish is sufficiently warmed, it will loosen its bond, chip loose and come off in small flakes.
Burn-in Finish Repairs: Deep but small damaged spots such as holes or edge gouges can be patched with standard lacquer burn-in sticks. The melted stick should be forced down into the damage area to achieve total penetration.
A patch done in this manner will not be completely invisible due to the different materials involved. If the surface area is in plain view, the patch should be sanded and top coated with rubbing as a final process.
There are references to the availability of special polyester burn-in sticks, but we have not found a source.
Polyester Repair Kits: There are references to the availability of a special polyester repair kit. We have found a source but not experimented with them yet.
The polyester repair kits apparently are available in clear, black and white. Due to the impacts of sun and age, slight variations in color should be expected, particularly in white.
They appear to have a shelf life of only 4-6 weeks. Accordingly, the stain and the lacquer are furnished separately and the stain is mixed in at the time of use, before adding the hardener.
The amount of mixed repair polyester should be estimated in advance, as any not immediately used must be disposed.
Having not yet performed such a repair, our conclusion is that it is much like handling two-part epoxy materials.
Applying the Polyester Repair:
To a horizontal surface, drip the mixture slowly into the damaged area making no allowance for shrinkage.
To a vertical surface the goal should be to move it to a horizontal position.
To an edge or corner involving several surfaces, the immediate damaged area can be masked off with tape edges sticking up causing a dam area to catch the run off. Such a repair might require several applications to reach all surface areas such as surface, edge, and then another edge.
The extent of application should be to at least level the damaged area, since any excess must be removed by further abrasive procedures. It might be easier to apply a 90%+ fill and then shortly a final fill to achieve as level a fill as possible.
In the hardening process a dull layer of paraffin forms on the surface. It can be removed with lacquer thinner.
Rubbing Out the Repair Area: Start with at least 280 grit and wet sand, gradually and carefully moving up to 400 grit, 600 grit and higher.
The process is finished with power buffing compounds at high grits until the repaired area looks like its surrounding area.
Refinishing Larger Surfaces:
If larger surfaces, entire cabinetry components or complete pianos must be reworked, it is recommended that this be done in a workshop specially set up to handle polyester. The polyester repair mixture process would not be used, but polyester spray would be used.
The room temperature must be between 68 and 86 degrees and the relative humidity must be at least 50% and not exceed 80%. Any drafts are detrimental. The surface to be sprayed item must be at least 68 degrees. All areas and materials must be dust free and absolutely dry. Nitrocellulose dust, grease, minute traces of silicone can cause major problems.
It is obvious the application technical requirements are extremely demanding, hence the need for special facilities and equipment.
Professional Refinishing article by Gregory Johnson "Smooth as Glass, Tough as Nails":
Here is what the article told us.
As for reversibility or stripping, forget it when it comes to polyester.
If you keep it wet with methylene chloride stripper for half an hour, all that'll happen is that the sheen will get a little dull.
Trouble is, refinishing shops are starting to encounter more and more of these finishes - and the frequency is only going to increase because this finish is popular among makers of high end piano and furniture in their quest for an indestructible finish.
Working with polyester means adopting a whole new way of thinking and a new set of rules.
For starters, you'll almost never be asked to refinish a piece because the polyester is "shot".
If you don't know beforehand that you can't give your customer what he or she wants, you lack of knowledge can hurt you badly.
The key to success with polyester is making sure you don't get yourself into trouble by promising the impossible.
In a sense, the advent of this material represents the dawning of a new age in our industry, and you have to adjust your thinking accordingly.
Short of mechanically removing a polyester finish, you have to think in terms of what you can do with the material that's already on the wood.
The first step in dealing with polyester is identifying your adversary.
You'd think that a polyester finish would have a tell-tale appearance - very high gloss and an extremely smooth, flat surface that is hard like plastic - but products like catalyzed polyurethane and pre-catalyzed lacquer also boast such features. And of course, looks can sometimes be deceiving: All polyester finishes are not high gloss.
The real test isn't with my eyes or fingertips, but with a fingernail: By tapping the surface, you can usually tell the difference in hardness as compared to lacquer, polyurethane or conversion varnish.
Many late-model pianos, for instance, are finished with high gloss or satin polyester, and it's a safe bet that any new piano shipped from Europe <or Korea> within the last 25 years has a polyester finish.
And it's not just pianos: A great many of today's electric and acoustic guitars are being finished this way worldwide, and most modern European designer furniture, complete with colorful and reconstituted veneers, is finished in polyester.
Beyond examination and finishing trends, however, you certainly can test with solvents to the narrow range of possibilities. Try dabbing an out-of-the-way spot with a bit of stripper. If the stripper doesn't have any effect at all, you are almost certainly face to face with polyester.
Polyester resin is in the same family as fiberglass resin and auto body filler and has the same, distinctive styrene smell. Scuff an out of-the-way area to check for the smell.
Safety is a huge concern. In fact, this stuff is plain dangerous, so never cut any corners when it comes to protecting yourself.
The resin is usually sold separately from the promoter (cobalt) and the catalyst (methyl ethyl ketone peroxide, or MEKP). There is a reason for this: If the promoter comes in contact with the catalyst, the reaction can be violent.
This risk isn't the only concern: A single drop of mishandled MEKP can blind you.
Beyond the safety factors, one of the key things you need to get used to with polyester is the short pot life. It will begin to gel in your gun within 15-30 minutes.
You also need to be aware that polyester won't cure properly if sprayed directly on an oil wood such as teak, rosewood, or ebony.
The Conclusion:
It is concluded that repair firms should know how to recognize the presence of polyester and what it means to potential repair procedures.
It is concluded that the experts are correct that only finish shops specifically set up to apply polyester finishes should risk doing so. The same goes for removing it.
It is concluded that polyester base coat and/or top coated finishes are repairable by careful and special lacquer burn-in techniques and special polyester repair kits.
I wish to express appreciation to Greg Johnson, author of the quoted article, and others for their assistance in editing this article for basic concepts.
Request for Feedback:
Have you had an experience with polyester finishes? Are you running into it more and more? What have you done to perform dent and ding spot repairs? How about gouge repairs? Have you used the polyester repair kit? Where have you obtained specialized supplies?
UPDATE March 2005:
Of all the white papers and other information in our website this one on Polyester Finishes brings more phone calls from other repair firms from around the nation than any other. We still don't feel we are "the experts" but drew together the best information we've been able to find.
Benco Sales Inc 1-800-632-3626, who supplies finish stripper chemicals to the trade, has just announced a new stripper #B95 in paste form that they feel confident will strip polyester and epoxy finishes. It is understood to be alcohol based with an acid ph that could damage galvanizing of the strip tray, but that it works. We have found it to have limited results; and, yes it damaged our strip tray.
If you want a higher gloss final result then make that the final coat application.
The Wood Works Inc of Overland Park (Greater Kansas City metro), Kansas 66202 —
Should not be used by others without giving due credits.
Our mailing address is:
7710 Shawnee Mission Parkway
Overland Park, KS 66202
Phone: 913-362-2432
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There has been a lot of noise about Social Security and Medicare in the last few months. On this site if there is a great deal of discussion about a topic, it involves health, family or finances and it can be studied it will be written about. Social Security disability is one of those topics. In a previous article we covered Medicare, what services cost the most and in what states. In this part one of two articles, we are going to cover Social Security of a specific type, Social Security disability. Why are we doing this? Well, although we have seen charts on the amount we spend on Social Security, not much has been shown on the disability portion of Social Security, how much is spent, on what disabilities and in what states. It is with these two articles I hope to shed some light on this portion of our Social Security budget.
The data used in this article on Social Security Disability was obtained from the Social Security website and downloaded in cvs format. The data was then converted to Microsoft Excel and charted. The resulting output is what you will see in both these two articles on Social Security disability. It is my hope that these charts and the discussion on them will answer some of the questions you may have about the program, where your money goes and to whom it goes too.
In this first chart you will see the average Social Security disability monthly benefit in dollar based on age group. As you can see the older the age group the higher the benefit amount, perhaps because older individuals have had longer periods of gainful work with which to base their benefit about on.
This second chart shows the average monthly Social Security Benefit about based again on age but also by sex. This chart expands on the first to show that women as they age receive benefit amounts that are up to a few hundred dollars less a month.
This third chart shows the same average monthly social security disability benefit based on age group, but just a different way, as a bar chart. You can see that the greatest disability income between men and women occurs between the ages of 60 and 64. A couple of hundred dollars may not seem like a big difference but it can mean the difference between being hungry and having food on the table, especially for the elderly who are on fixed incomes.
When we look at who gets what money regarding Social Security disability we also need to talk about income distribution. Not only does the amount of Social Security disability differ by age group, by sex but also by type of disability and frequency. This chart shows the percent of the total Social Security disability budget paid out by amount dispersed per person. Clearly, you can see that the majority of all recipients of Social Security disability payments receive only 800.00 dollars per month. This about accounts for about 11 percent of the total Social Security Disability budget while the rest is skewed to 2000.00 dollar per month range. My assumption is that those who receive this amount have had enough work credits invested to receive a greater about of income when they become disabled.
Finally, for this article one of a two article series on Social Security disability income, the chart below shows disability income based on working status over time. We can see that workers receive over twice as much Social Security disability income as widowers and dependent children. This brings into question what can couples do to secure long-term income for themselves should one of them pass away. One way could be to set up an Annuity that would pass the benefits onto the survivor. Another way would be to set up a variable whole life insurance policy when the couple is young with the benefits granted to the survivor. Of course, these are just two suggestions. In the second article of this series, we will delve deeper into Social Security disability benefits to see which states receive the most disability income and what types of disabilities receive the most disability benefits.


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X5 Superlite Nano Ceramic Tourmaline Iron (1")
Tourmaline, a rare, precious stone, has unique ionic & infrared properties that naturally emit the most negative ions and infrared heat possible, straightening the hair like never before. Being one of the most potent sources of ionic energy found in nature, the negative ions are like the diet and exercise for your hair-sealing the cuticle and straightening without "cooking" your precious locks.
Model#: 7023 /
Guaranteed AuthenticGuaranteed Authentic
Folica is an authorized distributer of this product and guarantees its authenticity.Close
- Micro chip temperature control
- Tourmaline/ceramic/ionic plates
- Creates curled or straight styles
- Up to 446F with rapid heat up and even heat distribution
- Leaves hair shiny and silky smooth in half the time
- Nano silver technology eliminates bacteria to promote a germ-free zone
- Dual voltage 110/220V
- Auto shut off after 1 hour
- 48 month warranty
|Plug Type:
|Max Temperature:
|410 Degrees Fahrenheit
|Technology :
|Ionic, Infra-red
|Dual Voltage
|4 Year(s)
|Nano Silver, Tourmaline, Ceramic
|Plate Size:
|1 Inch
Folica's Warranty
Folica stands behind every product we sell and we honor all manufacturers' warranties. For all electrical appliances we offer complete protection. If you experience any problem with an item purchased from us and it's still under the warranty period, all you have to do is fill out our Warranty Replacement form, send us the items plus a small shipping and handling fee and we will take care of the rest. We'll repair or replace your item with a new product or a Folica Certified Refurbished product. It's that simple.
No Complaints Here!I bought this iron about 5 months ago from a local beauty supply store.
I have never had any problems with it turing off on its own, I think the design is fine.
I am able to curl my hair with this iron no problem, and I have thick hair.
When I showed my friends how I curl my hair with it they were in Awe!
I love this iron!
I know of at least 3 people getting this product because the have seen the results!
Dec 15, 2010Jorja H. / Santa CruzHAIR TYPEBlonde / Thick or Coarse Hair
Use this link to send this review via e-mail, Twitter, or to post to your blog.Close
I Really Disliked This IronThis is not a good straightening iron - I'm VERY disappointed. I bought this one from a beauty supply store because it happened to be the best of their lot, but I'm sorry I did. Because I lost my receipt I was stuck with it so I tried to make the best of it for a couple of months. My hair has never looked worse. I ended up ordering a much better iron for slightly more from Folica (a Hai) even though this one is relatively new. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. It doesn't get very hot, it turns off all the time because of the way the switch is positioned (as I pull in down my hair, the switch gets pulled too, dumb design!!). 1 star at best.Mar 4, 2010Julie / Atlanta, GA
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Good Flat Iron For The PriceI bought this flat iron because my friend had this one and I liked it worlds better than my Hot Tools one. It heats up fast and straigtens and flips my hair with just one pass. Your hair might smell a little fried, but I have yet to come across one that doesn't have this problem, and it might be partly because I use the highest setting (410 F). It makes my frizzy curly hair super smooth and shiny - I think if I came across people who hadn't seen my hair curly, they'd think it's naturally straight. I might look into a more expensive iron later once this gives out, but I use this one every day and am very happy with it!Mar 1, 2010JenniferHAIR TYPECurly Hair
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just had it for 2 days but this I can say that it stands well in humid condition.....wow....i have tried the hairart (very good one too) stands well in humidity too but not as great as the x5 superlite....even when my hair gets exposed to tiny snow flakes (on my hair) it stayed flat all throughout when it dried....and i get to pass it on my hair only once....it does a great job curling my hair too with just one swipe....andd it is just as what the name names superlite....it very light...and the outside doesnt hot so as to burn ones hand/fingers...a piece of advise though...when you pass this through your hair use a comb instead of your hand coz it gets (hair) very hot....well, i love my x5 superlite nano to the max....it makes my hair shiny and silky straight....it is definitely a keeper for me...Feb 26, 2009Rose / Vancouver, BC Canada
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22 October 2007 11:07
My knees hurt on descent. What gives?
By Anonymous
Many hill-walkers suffer from 'runner's knee', 'downhill knee' or, to give it its proper moniker, iliotibial band friction syndrome (IBFS). There's a lot you can do to relieve the symptoms; but ensure you also see your doctor, who may refer you for physiotherapy.
The iliotibial band is a band of tissue that stretches from your pelvis, down your thigh and over your knee, and attaches to your lower leg. It aids flexion of and stabilises your knee (preventing it from over-bending sideways). Every time you bend your knee, this band moves across the side of your knee. Do this repeatedly and the friction against the bone can result in inflammation and pain. Covering a lot of miles can actually shorten the iliotibial band, increasing the friction, and increasing the likelihood of IBFS.
How to know if you have IBFS
If you suffer from these symptoms, see your doctor for diagnosis:
- You feel a pain in the outside of your knee when it's bent, particularly around an angle of 30 degrees, and particularly when you've got all your weight on that leg. The pain could range from a dull ache to a sharp needle.
- This pain frequently occurs when walking or running downhill.
- It gets worse if you continue walking downhill.
- It disappears when you stand upright.
What to do
If you're suffering from IBFS, rest your leg, ice the painful area and take ibuprofen (and your doctor's advice). It's okay to walk as long as it isn't painful – but avoid hills (bah!) for a few weeks. You must also avoid any exercise that causes pain: this is likely to include running, cycling and knee-flexing gym-bunny moves like squats.
These actions will alleviate the symptoms. But if you want to prevent IBFS flaring up again, you'll have to embark on a stretching regime. These exercises will all increase the flexibility of your iliotibial band, and therefore reduce the friction. Spend 10 minutes, twice a day, doing them SLOWLY and SMOOTHLY – and don't stop as soon as the symptoms disappear: these should be a daily mission for the rest of your life…
Exercise 1
- Lie on your back and keep your shoulders flat on the floor throughout the exercise. Extend your left arm out to the side, keeping it on the floor.
- Now lift your left leg over your right leg, and hold it in place with your right hand on the base of your right thigh. Straighten your left leg as far as possible: you'll feel the stretch down the outside of your left leg. Repeat for the other side.
Exercise 2
- Sit on the floor with your legs flat on the floor in front of you. Cross your left leg over your right leg, and place your left foot flat on the floor next to your right knee.
- Curl your right elbow around your left knee. Turn your head and upper body a little to the left: you'll feel the stretch down the outside of your left leg. Repeat for the other side.
Exercise 3
- Stand upright and cross your left leg behind your right leg, keeping your body upright.
- Put your right hand on your right hip, and bend from the hips to lean to the right: you'll feel the stretch in your left hip. Repeat for the other side.
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RE: My knees hurt on descent. What gives?
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. You helped me a lot indeed and reading this your entry I have found many new and useful information and rest of the entries are also very useful.Debt consolidation loans
10 July 2013 05:59
Wirklich sehr gute Infos gegeben in Ihrem Artikel und nützlich.Ich bin ein nützliches Nachschlagewerk für mehr Infos zur Verfügung.
Wirklich sehr gute Infos gegeben in Ihrem Artikel und nützlich.Ich bin ein nützliches Nachschlagewerk für mehr Infos zur Verfügung.
01 July 2013 16:07
There are many people who suffer from knee pain, sometimes this pain could become so excruciating that it becomes impossible for you to move up or down. It is best to consult a specialist physician when you feel such pain. With right medication and workout it is easier to beat the problem. To have overall fitness workout is vital, however, those who aim to get an athletic body shape they need special kind of workouts.
04 January 2013 08:08
YOu definitely have to get a MRI on the Knee. This is the only way to get the knee checked out properly. This is what i would do. Bank Accounts
30 November 2010 18:04
15 May 2009
I have started getting pains in my left knee on descents. It feels like a nasty twist in my knee, but goes away when I stop walking. I wear insoles for fallen arches. Anybody any ideas how to prevent or the cause? Or any ideas on exercises to strengthen the area if it turns out to be a basic weakness? ...
See our great subscription offers at www.greatmagazines.co.uk


text:
Jimmy May, Associated Press
Waiting in line for the bus, a Pennsylvania kindergartener tells her pals she's going to shoot them with a Hello Kitty toy that makes soap bubbles. In Maryland, a 6-year-old boy pretends his fingers are a gun during a playground game of cops and robbers. In Massachusetts, a 5-year-old boy attending an after-school program makes a gun out of Legos and points it at other students while "simulating the sound of gunfire," as one school official put it.
Kids with active imaginations? Or potential threats to school safety?
Some school officials are taking the latter view, suspending or threatening to suspend small children over behavior their parents consider perfectly normal and age-appropriate — even now, with schools in a state of heightened sensitivity following the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in December.
The extent to which the Newtown, Conn., shooting might influence educators' disciplinary decisions is unclear. But parents contend administrators are projecting adult fears onto children who know little about the massacre of 20 first-graders and six educators, and who certainly pose no threat to anyone.
"It's horrible what they're doing to these kids," said Kelly Guarna, whose 5-year-old daughter, Madison, was suspended by Mount Carmel Area School District in eastern Pennsylvania last month for making a "terroristic threat" with the bubble gun. "They're treating them as mini-adults, making them grow up too fast, and robbing them of their imaginations."
Mary Czajkowski, superintendent of Barnstable Public Schools in Hyannis, Mass., acknowledged that Sandy Hook has teachers and parents on edge. But she defended Hyannis West Elementary School's warning to a 5-year-old boy who chased his classmates with a gun he'd made from plastic building blocks, saying the student didn't listen to the teacher when she told him repeatedly to stop.
The school told his mother if it happened again, he'd face a two-week suspension.
"Given the heightened awareness and sensitivity, we must do all that we can to ensure that all students and adults both remain safe and feel safe in schools," Czajkowski said in a statement. "To dismiss or overlook an incident that results in any member of our school community feeling unsafe or threatened would be irresponsible and negligent."
The boy's mother, Sheila Cruz-Cardosa, said school officials are responding irrationally in the wake of Sandy Hook. She said they should be concentrating on "high school kids or kids who are more of a threat, not an innocent 5-year-old who's playing with Legos."
Though Newtown introduces a wrinkle to the debate, the slew of recent high-profile suspensions over perceived threats or weapons infractions has renewed old questions about the wisdom of "zero tolerance" policies.
Conceived as a way to improve school security and maintain consistent discipline and order, zero tolerance was enshrined by a 1994 federal law that required states to mandate a minimum one-year expulsion of any student caught with a firearm on school property. Over the years, many states and school districts expanded zero tolerance to include offenses as varied as fighting, skipping school or arguing with a teacher.
Some experts say there's little evidence that zero tolerance — in which certain infractions compel automatic discipline, usually suspension or expulsion — makes schools safer, and contend the policies leads to increased rates of dropouts and involvement with the juvenile justice system. Supporters respond that zero tolerance is a useful and necessary tool for removing disruptive kids from the classroom, and say any problems stem from its misapplication.
The original 1994 federal law, and most state and local zero tolerance policies, give school administrators the flexibility to tailor punishments to fit the circumstances, noted school safety expert Kenneth Trump.
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (TheCCSA.com) - Florida Gulf Coast's Jennifer Morgan (Edmonton, Alberta) has been selected as the CCSA Women's Swimmer Week, while North Florida's Fernanda Robles (Sao Paulo, Brazil) and Florida Gulf Coast's Cayla Collins (Largo, Fla.) shared the Diver of the Week honors for meets competed Sept. 24-30, the League announced today.
Morgan had a good showing at the All-Florida Invitational. She earned fourth place in the 200-yard relay with a time of 1:36:64 and was a member of the 400-yard medley relay that placed sixth at 3:53.62. Morgan placed fifth in both the 100-yard backstroke and 200-yard backstroke with times of 56.99 and 2:03.22, respectively. She was also a part of the 400-yard freestyle that earned fourth with a time of 3:29.87.
Robles competed in both the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events at the All-Florida Invitational. She was North Florida's top finisher in both events, posting 205.40 points in the 1-meter board and 226.20 in the 3-meter board.
Collins also competed in both the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events. She placed 12th in the 1-meter board with a score of 184.15. Collins earned seventh place for the 3-meter board with a 227.05 total.


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Can You Explain More About Lighting a Candle When You Finish a Room Please??
Janis asked me this on my Facebook page as I explained that after my 12 year-olds friends had left after a sleepover, I was going through the house 'tidying, vacuuming, lighting candles as I finish each room.'
I have noticed that when I have people over to my house for something that is a big deal requiring preparation, planning and probably some cleaning, after they have gone I like nothing more than to put everything back the way it was. This can be a dinner party, a major afternoon tea, or an overnight visit. I've also noticed I like to do this when either the house has been too untidy for too long or when I've been travelling without my family and I've just returned home.
I usually start in my laundry and fold all the dried, washed clothes. When that's done I move through the whole house room by room, doing all the things I described above as necessary. When I have finished each room I light a candle. I have a candle in every room for this very purpose.
Sweeping the house in this way is my way of reclaiming my territory. It's a form of energy-clearing. I guess. I'm clearing the space of the energy of those no longer there and making a fresh start. The candle signifies both the end of the previous energy and the beginning of something new and also contributes to the cleansingprocess. It is a ritual I've performed for several years (ever since my kids were old enough to be around a lighted candle) and I always have two bags of candles stored upstairs and downstairs ready for use.
The candles I buy are inexpensive, used or unused, scented or not. I often buy them from rummage sales. The type of candle isn't important. It is the flame of the candle and its symbolism that are essential to the ritual.


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Most Recent Articles In Fragrance
Latest Fragrance Articles
- Calvin Klein Launches Deep Euphoria
- Salvatore Ferragamo Unveils Men's Fragrance
- Michael Kors Unveils Wonderlust Fragrance
More Articles By
BERLIN — Puma hopes it has picked a winning face in record-setting and champion sprinter Usain Bolt for the June launch of a line of men's and women's fragrances called Animagical.
It's the first time a celebrity has been used to represent Puma fragrances, according to Procter & Gamble Prestige Products, which oversees the brand and announced the endorsement deal last Thursday.
This story first appeared in the March 17, 2010 issue of WWD. Subscribe Today.
Bolt, who has been involved with the Puma brand since 2002, will appear in a print and TV campaign for the fragrance line.
Puma Animagical Man is described as an aromatic, green, fruity fragrance with notes of African Kei Apple, cardamom oil, rosemary and pineapple, as well as white ironwood for warmth. Puma Animagical Woman, a floral, fruity, woody scent, combines pink grapefruit and Caribbean lime, Cape Town freesia, water lily, chocolate and South African Tamboti Wood.
Both eaux de toilette will be packaged in zebra-print-inspired, vividly colored bottles and boxes.
The Animagical line, which is being positioned as an Africa-influenced scent — from its exotic ingredients to its animal-inspired packaging — is part of a larger Africa-themed campaign for the Puma fashion brand, which is celebrating a decade of Puma's support of African sports.
It's perhaps slightly at odds with the sports star, who hails from Jamaica. Yet Bolt's energetic personality, love of dancing and joyful demeanor are described as key to the themes of the ad campaign.
"Feeling good and confident with myself is very important to me both in my everyday life as well as on track," stated Bolt. "Being the face of Animagical, I have the opportunity to show a different side of me."
The Puma Animagical Woman edt will come in 20-, 40-, 60- and 90-ml. sizes. They will be accompanied by body lotion and shower gel (both in 200-ml. sizes) and deodorant in vaporizer and aerosol forms.
The men's edt will come in 25-, 40-, 60- and 90-ml. sizes and will be accompanied by a 60-ml. aftershave lotion, a 200-ml. shower gel and deodorant in vaporizer, stick and aerosol forms. Prices have not been confirmed.


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Ovidiu L. (Romania) commented on our Facebook page on our last post where we wrote that "You will never, can never destroy Serbia It doesn't matter how many armies you assemble, how many PR Firms you hire, how many churches you burn… You will never, can never destroy Serbia."
Ovidiu commented saying "That's bit too radical. why would you think someone or something wants to destroy Serbia, even metaphorically speaking? that's a paranoid statement in my opinion. People change, countries do too!!"
For Ovidiu, and others, that's not a paranoid statement. Of course, "someone or something" wants to destroy Serbia. Oh yes, maybe you need an example. Watch this video recently uploaded to Youtube entitled "Albanian Map In 2020." All they want is to destroy Serbia. They will not win. Here, at Serbia's Ambassador to the World, we are going to fight (on the internet) forever against Anti-Serb propaganda. Well, here's the video showing what Albanians want (more than Calgon)… Serbia, all Serbia:
Karl Odburic
Latest posts by Karl Odburic (see all)
- Made In Serbia! - March 24, 2016
- Serbia: The Best Food In The World - March 20, 2016
- This Is Serbia – One Of The Most Beautiful Countries In the World - February 18, 2016