text:
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Knowing What Your Words Mean
Now, I do get my share of intentionally insulting e-mails, which is fine and goes with the territory. But that's not what this post is about.
I receive a surprisingly diverse array of backhanded compliments, unintended insults, and unintentionally aggressive "praise" from authors who stuck their thumb in the Thesaurus and pulled out a recrimination.
If you're going to be a writer it's imperative you know what words mean. And not just what they mean, but what they connote.
This is one reason why queries are such a window into the soul of a book. An author who calls me "savage" or who praises my "abrupt" blogs (those are made up, btw, but very close to real life examples) probably doesn't make the best word choices in their novel. It's a serious stretch to think that they can mess up a word choice in the first paragraph of a query and still have the ability to write a publishable novel.
And let's start with what you're reading. It's a blog, or, if you want to get fancy, a weblog. It's not a Blogger or a bloglines or a bloge or a blogjournal, all of which I see on a regular basis. You gotta know this stuff. You're supposed to be a word person! You have to know what jargon the kids are using!
Now, I'm not saying that someone who struggles with grammar or word choice or who struggles with a learning disability can't write a good book. Storytelling is storytelling, and it's a gift possessed by many different types of people.
But if you are someone who struggles with word choice and grammar you must must must 1) know who you are and 2) have someone check and double check your query and manuscript for word choice issuances.
111 comments:
- Ink said...
Nathan, I love your turgid bloge.
I joke, I joke... Really, I don't love it at all.
Oh, okay, that was a joke too. It's been a long couple of days, I admit.
- March 24, 2009 at 5:02 PM
- Mira said...
Oh, how I wish I could be a fly on the wall. I'd love to see some of those queries.
Savage? You? Really?
Is there any possiblity, though, that the queries are 'in voice?' For example, maybe the writer has written an angry novel, and they are trying to capture that feeling?
Just a thought.
- March 24, 2009 at 5:05 PM
- Marilyn Peake said...
Currently writing the part of my novel where the plot is coming together and unfolding nicely, I'm finding myself concentrating on word choice more than ever - finding words that connote the exact meaning of the story, and sometimes symbolic meanings as well. I feel that much of the real power of writing comes from the correct use of words. Words have power.
I think that one of the reasons your blog is so popular is because you can really write. Your choice of words delivers the message; and, when you try to be funny, you succeed.
- March 24, 2009 at 5:08 PM
I agree with Marilyn. Why aren't you writing books? (I typed it the way I meant it.)
- March 24, 2009 at 5:14 PM
- Marilyn Peake said...
Dear Literary Agent,
I understand that you are flushing out new talent. I'm fresh, really fresh, and have a bright new manuscript. Are you interested?
Just havin' fun. :)
- March 24, 2009 at 5:15 PM
- Marilyn Peake said...
I agree with Irish B. Why aren't you writing a book, Nathan?
- March 24, 2009 at 5:16 PM
- Jo said...
Would a cleverly inserted malapropism catch your attention? If it was intended? Or would it grasp through your slip?
- March 24, 2009 at 5:23 PM
- Bija Andrew Wright said...
Glad to know I'm not the only one who gets frustrated with imprecise word choices. My students (in college writing classes) should learn to be careful, because one bad word choice can sabotage my confidence in their skills as writers.
- March 24, 2009 at 5:24 PM
- Martin Willoughby said...
What about the different meaning of words across nations?
In the UK, 'nick' can mean 'steal', 'cop' and 'copper' can mean policeman (among other things).
We also have different meanings for words in different regions.
Is there an allowance for 'regional' usage with some words the writer uses...not including bloge of course, unless that's how it spelt in some areas.
- March 24, 2009 at 5:29 PM
- Mercy Loomis said...
I think if you are writing a query letter, it's best to stick to plain old chancery English as much as possible. Avoid slang. As for novels, I personally prefer to avoid a lot of slang. A little in dialog adds voice, and usually people can figure it out from context even if they don't know the particular word or phrase. (And make sure that the word or phrase MEANS WHAT YOU THINK IT MEANS!) But you always risk kicking your reader out of the story if you use too much, and slang really has no place in a professional communication, in my opinion. And query letters written "in character" have got to be incredibly annoying after awhile.
- March 24, 2009 at 5:38 PM
- Mercy Loomis said...
And I must say I find it VERY odd that the spell-checker here counts "dialogue" as miss-spelled. Stupid spell-check.
- March 24, 2009 at 5:40 PM
- Mira said...
On the other hand, although I completely hear what you're saying - it's important to be careful - but it's also good to give a bit of latitude.
Communication is hard. It's hard to know how someone will take things. Obviously not something like: You're not as (insert word here) as the other agents. That's not pretty out there.
But savage. Maybe someone really thought you'd like that. It conjures up an image of he-men by the fire, ripping meat off the thighs of giant boars with their teeth. Maybe someone liked the idea of an agent who will savagely promote them, and thought you would too. I don't know.
- March 24, 2009 at 5:46 PM
- Dearth of Reason said...
Many of the advice points highlighted by Nathan in his helpful blog can be boiled down to, "Stop being lazy. Put in the work and you improve your chances in a harsh marketplace."
Being lazy myself, I like to sit back and resent this sentiment. But if you catch me in a rare moment of perspective, usually occurring somewhere between a large meal and an empty bottle of wine, I agree I should not expect to be published if I continue my indulgent ways. I would do something about it but right now I need to find the corkscrew... can't remember where I put the damned thing.
- March 24, 2009 at 5:48 PM
- Haste yee back ;-) said...
I find people's *connoting skills* vary immensely. Some see subtext everywhere, (conspiracy types) and some can't feel it with a 2X4 boink on their frontal lobe, (like a cave man sayin' "I love you!)"
I remember fighting a 65 lb catfish in blazing hot sun for 45 exhausting minutes. When the fish was tired, I shouted, "Get the net!" Whereupon my 14 yr. old nephew hands me a 3X5 inch minnow net as he leans against the secured 6 foot landing net which surrounds his head like a hair-net. (Meaning... what you're sendin' is only good as what's receiving')!
Haste yee back ;-)
- March 24, 2009 at 5:59 PM
- Aubrey said...
My favorite was an e-mail I received from a published author that wanted to be featured on my blog. It looked like their fingers were on the wrong keys when she was typing and didn't bother to fix it when she hit send.
Needless to say there were some really odd words in that e-mail.
- March 24, 2009 at 6:02 PM
- Sherin said...
"...from authors who stuck their thumb in the Thesaurus and pulled out a recrimination."
- March 24, 2009 at 6:03 PM
- Litgirl01 said...
Nathan...you always have a diplomatic way of putting things! ;-)
- March 24, 2009 at 6:05 PM
- Rachel said...
I'm not sure what surprised me more about this blog...that people don't know the difference between a blog and a blogger, or that someone would insult an agent at the same time they are seeking representation from him. Bizarre. Oh, well...Nathan, I love your blogger!
- March 24, 2009 at 6:10 PM
- Jen C said...
This just reaffirms to me that your query letter is an extension of your novel, not something entirely different.
(How's that for a short post! See, I can do it!)
Word Veri - Sulsidan. How cool does that sound?
- March 24, 2009 at 6:16 PM
- Vegas Linda Lou said...
Nathan, please... Do you really think someone's inability to keep up with technical jargon--which changes every 15 minutes--really indicates a lack of literary talent? If so, imagine what you're passing up!
- March 24, 2009 at 6:18 PM
- Kristin Laughtin said...
Wow. Of course, after a blogjournal like that, I'm morbidly curious to see more examples of this phenomenon. (And I find myself liking "blogjournal" a bit too much...)
I wonder if a majority of these people might be writing the intros (at least) to their queries on the fly, in an attempt to personalize each one. A worthy effort, of course, but still, let your draft rest for a night! I feel I have a good grasp of semantics, but occasionally I'll revise something I've written and realize I used a similarly spelled word in place of what I really meant, and the results are more often awkward than hilarious. Somehow these things can escape our notice in the first draft.
- March 24, 2009 at 6:23 PM
- Jen C said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- March 24, 2009 at 6:27 PM
- Mister Fweem said...
@ Vegas Linda Lou
Blogs -- and this basic terminology -- have been around for a while now. Some technical stuff changes, but most of it remains the same. And if you're communicating with an agent who uses a blog, you'd better know how to spell it.
- March 24, 2009 at 6:28 PM
- Jen C said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- March 24, 2009 at 6:28 PM
- K. Andrew Smith said...
I'm always amazed at how many people say they want to write a book, but they don't read, have a lousy vocabulary, and don't understand grammar.
What's even scarier is that some of these people actually do write their books, and try to get them published, if agent bloggers can be believed. While I'd love to spend a few days with a slush pile, just to see what I'm up against, I can't imagine having to deal with it day in, day out, sorting through hundreds of queries a week, trying to find traces of publishable writer.
Word verification: tieddis. Tedius, maybe? Seems fitting.
- March 24, 2009 at 6:30 PM
- Nathan Bransford said...
As I've said before, there's no such thing as an automatic rejection. If the only problem with the query was that the author didn't know what a "blog" is, I'm not passing it up.
But that never happens -- if they mess up "blog" the rest of the query is usually not very strong.
"Blog" isn't some crazy technical jargon. It's in the dictionary. It was Miriam Webster's word of the year in 2004. A writer who reads newspapers and magazines or... pretty much anything should have absorbed it by now.
- March 24, 2009 at 6:35 PM
- Chet said...
Someone who struggles with word choice and grammar - especially someone who knows they have such a struggle - will make the effort to make sure every word is the right word, or as close to the right one as possible.
The one who is comfortable with words and writing - that's the one who'll be less careful.
BTW, greetings from Malaysia. :-)
- March 24, 2009 at 6:36 PM
- Jen C said...
A bit OT, but Chet, what is your pic of? Is that one of the portable word processing thingys for writers?
Word Veri - Crock. What are you trying to say?
- March 24, 2009 at 6:40 PM
- Jen C said...
Vegas Linda Lou said...
Nathan, please... Do you really think someone's inability to keep up with technical jargon--which changes every 15 minutes--really indicates a lack of literary talent? If so, imagine what you're passing up!
I think the point is that, if one doesn't know what it means then one shouldn't use it. If someone doesn't know what a blog/bloge is, or know what the right term is, then they shouldn't really be using it as part of their query.
(OMG I had to delete the erroneous comment, I'm that OCD I just couldn't stand looking at it...)
- March 24, 2009 at 6:45 PM
simply look at the first paragraph and see whether I've been insulted.
Oh, please. First it was writers employing rhetorical questions. Then it was writers not following your query formula. Now it's writers offending your sensitivities. When are you going to realize it's about the book, not you?
- March 24, 2009 at 6:47 PM
- Nathan Bransford said...
What I'm saying is that these were clearly UNINTENDED insults. The authors didn't know what the words mean/connote. They're free to do that if they want, but if I didn't take poor word choice into account when reading a query I'd be really terrible at my job.
I really don't care what people think of me. You could secretly hate me and still query me. I'm not worried about it. As long as we can work together and you're talented and you can suppress the fact that you hate my guts, go for it.
- March 24, 2009 at 6:51 PM
I'm playing with Flash Fiction a lot recently. Talk about letting it all hang out. It is definitely giving me a respect, not only for the correct word, but for the MOST correct word.
And, here's something I've started doing, may be of help to others. When I have trouble with a chapter, I pick a very conservative number of words (usually around 500) and strip the chapter down to it. Makes everything quite clear. Also helps me focus on the main point of the chapter. Then, I build it back up from there.
- March 24, 2009 at 6:53 PM
- Ranielle said...
Re: "a 2x4 boink" because I honestly couldn't resist, given the post's topic.
boink, verb - to have or engage in sexual intercourse
bonk, verb - to hit, strike, collide, etc.
- March 24, 2009 at 6:53 PM
- Vegas Linda Lou said...
OK, I agree writers should know what a blog is; I was more concerned with Nathan saying, "You have to know what jargon the kids are using!"
Keeping up with the kids' jargon is a full-time job in itself! Oh, damn... I hate it when my 8-track flips over right in the middle of a song.
- March 24, 2009 at 6:54 PM
- Nathan Bransford said...
Ohhh, yeah, VLL you don't have to know what jargon the kids are using unless you're trying to write modern kids into your book.
I was more trying to poke fun at the fact that blog isn't really a new word. But I can see how you read it the other way.
- March 24, 2009 at 6:56 PM
- Jen C said...
Nathan, you have so much patience with people you put me to shame.
- March 24, 2009 at 6:58 PM
Anon here again.
I have no reason to doubt your ability as an agent. It's refreshing to find someone in this corner of the industry who can write. But I'm disturbed by what I perceive to be a growing trend among agents to be overly sensitive to how they're approached.
- March 24, 2009 at 7:03 PM
- Mercy Loomis said...
Semantic drift, baby. Gotta love it.
Word verification: prosesse. A snobby procession?
- March 24, 2009 at 7:09 PM
- MaLanie said...
Nathan- thanks for the heads up! It is always great to hear your advice. Have a nice evening!
- March 24, 2009 at 7:15 PM
While majoring in Journalism in college, it amazed me to see how many kids couldn't pass the GSP (Grammar, Spelling, Punctuation) exam and had to take it over and over. If I was that bad at something, I think I'd be looking for a new major--if not a new career. Not all writers can be their own editor, but they should know enough to ask for help.
- March 24, 2009 at 7:15 PM
- Sandra G. said...
Anon - I think agents have every right to be sensitive about how they are approached (and no, I'm not an agent...not even close).
Using spell check and having someone look over your query before you send it off is not difficult, and if you want to try and get ahead in this game you must have basic vocabulary and grammar skills.
That said, I'm with K. Andrew Smith - I'd love to spend a day wading through a slush pile to see what I'm up against.
- March 24, 2009 at 7:16 PM
- Sally Apokedak said...
Nathan, You come across as a genuinely nice fellow.
- March 24, 2009 at 7:25 PM
Different anon here. Wondering about the unprovoked agent hate that seems to pop up now and again. It must be part of the job, and kudos to you for not taking it to heart.
I've read your blog for a couple of years now, and am really impressed that you've kept my attention for so long. You're an entertaining writer, for sure, but I think mostly what I like about your blog is that you keep things so civil.
- March 24, 2009 at 7:28 PM
- Scott said...
After recently looking over lots of stuff by aspiring authors, I really get the impression that many are simply rushing the process. The writing even feels rushed. Maybe they're trying to get through the story before they feel too much doubt about what they're doing. I don't know.
For some, writing––query withstanding––is very frightening. The frustration and confusion it causes can be emotionally crippling, so instead of taking their time with a pinch of faith and working through it, they force it out. I can see how a lot of poor word choices can result from such a tack.
The Kamikaze Process rarely produces gold, so I say "take your time". New writers shouldn't be afraid of writing those first five to ten "bad" books. There are no shortcuts, unfortunately, so stay simple, choose wisely, and learn every step of the way.
- March 24, 2009 at 7:29 PM
- other lisa said...
@anon - I really think you're missing Nathan's point. If an author's query contains words that don't mean what the author thinks they mean, odds are, the book sucks too. Because said author lacks a really basic skill for a writer - knowing how to use words correctly.
- March 24, 2009 at 7:30 PM
- m clent hall said...
This is a very interesting subject and I offer an experience from the other side of the fence.
Attending an excellent conference, I paid money to have an agent look at my manuscript, a story in a field in which she professed interest. I don't use fancy language, I adhere to the Mark Twain dictum of five dollar versus ten cent words. But, she marked two words on the first page, said, "I don't know what those mean. OK I have a dictionary, but why should I look them up?"
Clearly I was wasting my time, but I didn't waste my money. I learnt, to be very simple in the words I use when trying to get an agent or editor to read my work. It's as easy to put them off with good English as it is with bad.
- March 24, 2009 at 7:33 PM
- Nathan Bransford said...
I'm not trying to create another hoop for writers, just pointing out the importance of recognizing word choice throughout the query. I just used unintended insults as an example.
Although even if the insult thing were the thrust of this blog post the advice would boil down to "don't insult the person you're querying," which... well, if you have trouble with jumping through that hoop you're probably going to have quite a bit of trouble finding an agent who wants to work with you.
It's also kind of ironic that these are the same people who tend to be most sensitive to perceived sleights.
- March 24, 2009 at 7:37 PM
- Colorado Writer said...
Vizzini: HE DIDN'T FALL? INCONCEIVABLE.
Inigo Montoya: You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
- March 24, 2009 at 7:37 PM
- jimnduncan said...
You would think, given the state of queries lately, that people would try to avoid anything extra at all in their queries. Agents probably appreciate the succinct queries even more now than ever. While I'm sure it's nice to know writers have found you through the blog, does that really have any influence at all on the query? Do you care or want anything more than title, genre, and word count before reading the blurb? Do you just read the blurb first and worry about the other stuff after the fact if you have any interest in it? Just thinking outloud here, but seems people could just avoid the worry of what to say by not saying anything. Obviously you have to say 'something' but you know what I mean.
- March 24, 2009 at 7:39 PM
- Nathan Bransford said...
I appreciate when people personalize because it shows a higher level of dedication/professionalism and bodes well for the manuscript.
But I think sometimes people let their guard down in those sections because they're not part of the query they sweated over. I'm looking at everything. Sometimes the way someone personalizes is more revealing than the body of the query because chances are they didn't have help on that part.
- March 24, 2009 at 7:43 PM
- m clement hall said...
To Sandra G:
If you want to see what a slush pile looks like, join Authonomy.
You'll get an idea of what the agent has to see.
You'll also meet some good people.
- March 24, 2009 at 7:44 PM
- Barb said...
Sleight - manual dexterity.
Slight - intentional disregard.
Sorry, couldn't resist.
- March 24, 2009 at 7:45 PM
- Allison said...
Stepping out of my usual lurkdom (don't care if that isn't in the dictionary, this isn't a query :) )
to heartily agree with Nathan's post.
I judge writing contests. Every time, I see proof that there are people who think they can write, but clearly have a limited grasp of the language they are writing in. In competitions, I try to convince myself that these people are beginners, and will improve. But finding it in your slush-pile day after day? From people who must believe they are at a publishable standard?
Do they make alcohol strong enough?
- March 24, 2009 at 7:47 PM
- Haste yee back ;-) said...
I really didn't think anyone would catch the subtlety... I caught it on my spell check before I post, but thought it was a decent joke. Good on ya!
I mean, the topic was POOR CHOICE OF WORDS!
Haste yee back ;-)
- March 24, 2009 at 7:57 PM
- pjd said...
Do you get many misplaced modifiers, such as Having read all your blog posts, my book really fits what you're looking for!
Those are my favorite.
Though I don't think I'd mind if someone called me "savage." In the right context, of course. Heathen, however...
- March 24, 2009 at 8:04 PM
Choosing the right word to evoke the feeling the author wants to create in the reader is so critical it saddens me that readers' vocabularies are becoming smaller and smaller.
Lewis Carroll chose such wonderful non-words in The Jabberwoky!
An aside: Why does sentence structure become higgeldy-piggeldy when I send manuscript pages over the internet?
- March 24, 2009 at 8:07 PM
@Irish B said... Why aren't you writing books?
You obviously didn't read Publishers Lunch this morning. New six figure deal: The Best of Bransford - 'Agent - A Gent'
Released next fall by 'Shaman & Shyster'. :)
- March 24, 2009 at 8:25 PM
- Ink said...
Dear Colorado Writer,
You killed my father. Prepare to Die.
- March 24, 2009 at 8:30 PM
- ryan field said...
Knowing what your words mean...it's important. The wrong word choices could alter the original intention. And sometimes it only takes one word to do this.
- March 24, 2009 at 8:32 PM
- Annalee said...
This is tangential, but boy do I hate the "but I'm dyslexic!" excuse. Blaming external factors just seems to me like a way to give up an awful lot of power over one's own success (and I say that as a dyslexic. One who can put a sentence together, thankyouverymuch).
To Anon: I think the point is not that these submitters are insulting Nathan. It's that they don't command the language well enough to know how to choose words that will best convey their meaning. If they can't manage that in a single paragraph, it bodes unwell for their ability to manage it over the course of an entire manuscript.
- March 24, 2009 at 8:35 PM
- Jen C said...
Annalee said...
This is tangential, but boy do I hate the "but I'm dyslexic!" excuse. Blaming external factors just seems to me like a way to give up an awful lot of power over one's own success (and I say that as a dyslexic. One who can put a sentence together, thankyouverymuch).
You're right, plenty of writers with dyslexia have gone on to have successful careers. My personal fave author, Piers Anthony, struggled with the problem for years, and then went on to be a best selling autor, with well over 100 books to his name. It just takes determination and a lot of hard work.
- March 24, 2009 at 8:42 PM
- Griffin Asher said...
Whenever I hear about people who are lazy with their words/spelling/grammar/etc. I always get a little bristly. They wine that it's hard and takes too much time.
All I can say is: suck it up. I've lived with dyslexia my whole life. Writing is always hard work for me, but I stick with it because I love it.
There's really no excuse for laziness. If I can do it, then anyone can.
- March 24, 2009 at 8:46 PM
- Colorado Writer said...
Stop saying that!
- March 24, 2009 at 8:55 PM
- lotusgirl said...
Wow! Write about correct word choice and hopeful authors parse your every word. For the love of blogdom and jelliquaria, leave the nice, helpful, kind agent be. He's just saying that authors (who work in words) should know what they communicate.
- March 24, 2009 at 8:56 PM
- Lady Glamis said...
Great advice, Nathan. I'll leave you with a lovely quote by Stephen King:
Any word you have to hunt for in a thesaurus is the wrong word. There are no exceptions to this rule. -Stephen King
- March 24, 2009 at 9:06 PM
- L.C. Gant said...
Excellent post, Nathan. I'm not bold enough to ridicule other writers for being guilty of this; I have more socially awkward moments online than I'd care to admit :-P
Anyway, good advice for anyone to follow, not just writers. Written words are hard to get right because you don't have things like body language and voice inflection to help get your meaning across.
That said, misusing words like "blog" and "blogger" is just ridiculous...
- March 24, 2009 at 9:23 PM
- susan said...
Great bloge. Do you also tweet?
Seriously, that blog was a classic. Thanks.
- March 24, 2009 at 9:24 PM
- Christine H said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- March 24, 2009 at 9:25 PM
As to Stephen King's words - doesn't it depend on who "you"(the reader) is? Are we to write for the lowest denominator? Personally I like to come across unfamiliar words - as long as they're not just being used to be pretentious.
- March 24, 2009 at 9:29 PM
- Christine H said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- March 24, 2009 at 9:31 PM
- Vancouver Dame said...
Thank you for getting back to writing topics. (I'd say let the authonomy discussion stay where it belongs, on that site.)
This post about understanding words and their meanings is why I follow your blog, not for sensational news about the latest publicity stunt.
Using the correct word is a skill, and can be learned. Using it to bring more life into what is being said along with all the nuances is an art. Along with the current desire for immediate gratification comes an unwillingness to do the research on what a word actually means.
I find it amazing that a writer would take a chance on insulting a prospective agent by being careless in how they approach that agent. Professionalism is the image the writer should aspire to, and the choice of words is very important.
Words speak for us, so we must be cognizant of what they say.
Great post.
- March 24, 2009 at 9:32 PM
- Rick Daley said...
Thank you, that was an alarming post, I here what your saying.
- March 24, 2009 at 9:34 PM
- Christine H said...
Sorry for the deleted comments. I keep forgetting that I can't edit myself on these bloges once I've posted something. I can't help it... I have CED... compulsive editing disorder.
Advice from C.S. Lewis:
Always try to use the language so as to make quite clear what you mean and make sure your sentence couldn't mean anything else.
- March 24, 2009 at 9:54 PM
- Dorinda Ohnstad said...
One of my favorite words that folks misuse constantly is "infamous." I'll never forget when someone told me I was infamous to my face, thinking they were paying me a great compliment!
Then my daughter had to correct her fourth grade teacher with respect to this word. He had to look it up, then had to acknowledge that she was right. Now how sad is that, when the person charged with teaching her English is telling her the meaning of words that they don't know themselves.
- March 24, 2009 at 10:05 PM
- T. Anne said...
Thanks Nathan, I hate getting backhanded compliments in real life so I can imagine they don't feel too good in a query either.
- March 24, 2009 at 10:24 PM
"You don't know about me without you have read a book by the name of The
Adventures of Tom Sawyer; but that ain't no matter."
But, oh, so right.
Sometimes the mishmash just works ... possibly not in a query letter, however.
Although I could give it a shot.
Hi Nathan,
Query attached. I'm using my pseudonym - Samuel Clem... er, Clemency. So please 'pardon' the unusual style.
- March 24, 2009 at 10:52 PM
- Kristi said...
I'm late in my blog reading tonight, but am actually most impressed with the fact that Nathan knew Miriam Webster's 2004 word of the year. Seriously, was this off the top of your head or did you google it? I can barely remember what I ate for breakfast today, let alone the year 2004.
- March 24, 2009 at 10:57 PM
"what jargon the kids are using..." its hard for us to keep up with it but you would know naturally since...
- March 24, 2009 at 10:57 PM
Who are these crazy morons who call you savage, abrupt blogger, some Crawford with syndrome. Pls go ahead and reject them - I'm with you. Really, I mean..
- March 24, 2009 at 11:14 PM
- Lucy said...
Re: Anon 3:47
I quote:
"When are you going to realize it's about the book, not you?"
May I gently suggest to you that publishing requires the skills of tact, cooperation, and concern for the feelings of other people? If your book is so very important to you that you cannot use common courtesy in dealing with an agent, I consider it highly unlikely that a reputable agent, or editor, will want to work with you.
Reputable agents, and editors, know that literary brilliance and its cash payoffs are no real compensation for tolerating arrogance, hypersensitivity, incomprehension of human relationships, and just plain nastiness.
And yes, your comment looked very nasty in black and white.
- March 24, 2009 at 11:42 PM
Twas turdish
And in the bogish swamp did play
The agent and his tweedy putermouse.
"Nay, nay, nay!" would he bray
And with a pixelish click
Dash and destroy and bransfordly demolish
A quovishly quivering writer.
- March 24, 2009 at 11:42 PM
- Richard Lewis said...
One of my Asian friends, educated in an American university, explained to me why he and wife had no children.
"My wife," he said, "she is inconceivable. No that's not the right word. What is it? Ah, yes. My wife is impregnable. No, no, that's not right. Oh, what's the word? Yes, yes, I remember. My wife, she is unbearable."
- March 24, 2009 at 11:47 PM
- Lucy said...
Kudos to Richard!
- March 24, 2009 at 11:50 PM
- Writer from Hell said...
O Richard that is so Racy!
- March 25, 2009 at 12:11 AM
- Bane of Anubis said...
What bothers me more than misused words is the misuse, nay, the outright dismissal of the subjunctive and conditional statements by authors... sometimes they use 'em, sometimes they don't - if I were an editor, I'd be consistent (save for possible dialog colloquialism or ignorance); sometimes, I wish I were an editor.
Fiddler on the Roof - "I wish I were a rich man..."
gwen stefani - "I wish I was a rich girl" - JFC - it's not like you even needed to fail (ditch) your homework to get that one wrong.
- March 25, 2009 at 12:21 AM
- austere said...
Abrupt blog? :)
Cut to the chase, do you?
- March 25, 2009 at 1:13 AM
- Chet said...
Jen C - my picture shows the AlphaSmart Neo, which is a portable word processor that runs on 3 AA batteries for up to 700 hours. Thanks for asking!
Nathan - sorry for going OT on your blog.
- March 25, 2009 at 2:09 AM
- Sarah said...
Thanks for this Nathan.
As someone who is getting ready to stick their head above the parapet and leap into into the exciting world of agents/publishers in the next year, this was absolutely, hilariously invaluable. I'd love to be a fly on the wall when you open some of the more 'interestingly written' queries!
- March 25, 2009 at 2:37 AM
- Jen C said...
Chet said...
Jen C - my picture shows the AlphaSmart Neo, which is a portable word processor that runs on 3 AA batteries for up to 700 hours. Thanks for asking!
Thanks Chet, I'm leaving you a comment on your blog regarding it!
- March 25, 2009 at 4:06 AM
- Ego said...
'Savage' is a compliment in Limerick, Ireland. So is it still an issuance?
- March 25, 2009 at 4:11 AM
- Prabhash said...
I must say that I agree with Nathan. I believe its human for a writer to not be comfortable with particular set of words, but someone not atleast doing these two things with his/her writing definitely is lazy (1) Spell Check. Although sometimes word processors act funny (2) Thesaurus Check - both for exact meaning as well as to check if a better word is available.
- March 25, 2009 at 7:00 AM
- Onyeka Nwelue said...
Nice one. I think more agents should be closer home to writers, share experiences and all whatnot.
Do check my blogsite if you have time.
- March 25, 2009 at 7:05 AM
- Ieva said...
I often find myself double-checking even the most mundane words just to make sure that I don't mess up, especially because the "natural" use of language often employs words incorrectly, be it intentional or not.
Writer is not just a creator of stories. Writer is a creator of language, from neologisms to sentence structures. There is an invisible border between "this works although it isn't really a word" and "this is constructed fairly well but just doesn't sound right". Funny thing being, it is almost impossible to tell why. You either feel it or you don't.
Also, _issuances_?
- March 25, 2009 at 7:25 AM
- freddie said...
I think some of this problem can be fixed by reading a lot, and reading widely.
- March 25, 2009 at 8:28 AM
- Stephanie Faris said...
"I regularly read your blogger on my Internet machine and I thought I'd typewrite a letter and electronically mail it to you because my novel is wonderful."
I understand some people don't get the jargon but what decade are we living in? I sure hope these people aren't writing young adult novels!
- March 25, 2009 at 9:33 AM
I contracted with a freelance editor to help polish my first novel. I had no idea about things like word choices, echoes, fantasy rules, etc.
My favorite comment my editor left me was in the prologue. I had written a line that read "his eyes sparkled with relish." My editor wrote a comment off to the side that read "hot dog anyone?"
I learned so much from the words that were surrounded in a ink box (annotating that I had made a poor word choice). You really have to work with someone to truly see what 'poor word choice' really means.
Plus, I think there's not enough publicity about echoes. Every five pages I would use a word three times...one time I used it six times on a single page! Wow, I had no idea about echoes. No one ever told me about them.
- March 25, 2009 at 10:05 AM
- Melanie said...
I am an editor of academic and government writing. I love getting manuscripts from people who have clearly made indiscriminate use of a thesaurus in their writing. I call a writer like that a "Thesaurus Rex" -- the king of the thesaurus is a sharp-toothed eater of meaning!
- March 25, 2009 at 10:09 AM
Getting unintentional slurs in a query is sad enough, but receiving intentionally insulting emails is just wrong! Must it really go with the territory? I'm sorry there are so many clods in the world.
And ahem, I believe I mentioned last week already that you should write a book, Nathan. Then people could quote you instead of D. Maas (who is also very good).
There's a topic idea. What is everyone's favorite book on writing, and why?
- March 25, 2009 at 11:00 AM
Those brazenly brusque writers
needed demolishing. I'm sure they aren't quovishly quivering
(what whackjob thesaurus is being used there?). They are hackin away
at the next one on the assembly line! They are the real demolition men!
same anon as 8:14pm
- March 25, 2009 at 11:02 AM
- Writer from Hell said...
lupina i second that!
- March 25, 2009 at 11:05 AM
Ahh...Nathan This stuff is so good I know you can't be making it up. For the first time I didn't like VLL comment, but then she redeemed herself with her next one. Seriously, if you don't love words, get irritated when people use the wrong word, you shouldn't be a writer. Is that savage enough?I can't wait to meet you at the Pikes Peak Writer's Conference. Hope you live up to your blog, dude.
- March 25, 2009 at 11:29 AM
- swati said...
You're a class act, Nathan, not using real examples....
- March 25, 2009 at 11:31 AM
The guy who said "boink" meant "boink." After all, he was talking about a cave man . . .
As for "savage," they probably meant "gnarly." That's surfer slang for "terrifying but beautiful."
- March 25, 2009 at 11:57 AM
- L.L. said...
Hello Nathan,
I'm new to your blog, but wrote the following entry this morning @ http://soulechoes2.blogspot.com/2009/03/thesaurus-101.html
, after reading your post.
It reminded me of a time or three when I inevitably had to ask, "You've been reading the Thesaurus again, haven't you?"
- March 25, 2009 at 2:56 PM
yikes! nathan, will you please share some examples? i've queried you before, and i vaguely remember saying i loved your blog, and that's about it...I hope!
- March 25, 2009 at 2:58 PM
- Emily Cross said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- March 25, 2009 at 3:14 PM
- Emily Cross said...
Ego: aw its not just a limerick thing! Think its nationwide now (apart from from dublin, surprise, surprise)
best be watching me slang so!
*cue david attenbourgh voice*
aw what a wonderful place to live, where an insult could be a compliment
- March 25, 2009 at 3:21 PM
Do any of you know what Stephen King's first query letter was like?
I think mine must be effing bad. Or at least the 5 pages I sent. It seems they are never quite what the agent is looking for. So what the blazes is he looking for?
- March 25, 2009 at 4:09 PM
- PurpleClover said...
How in the world did I miss this post?
Dang! Now I have to run through the query I just sent this morning to be sure I didn't unintentionally insult the agent!
- March 25, 2009 at 7:29 PM
- Janny said...
Actually, it's MERRIAM-Webster...not Miriam Webster. Sorry. Couldn't resist.
OTOH, Miriam Webster's gotta be a girl with a great vocabulary!
- March 26, 2009 at 11:48 AM
- Nathan Bransford said...
Ha. Good catch.
- March 26, 2009 at 11:49 AM


text:
Mohawk College placed eighth in a field of 24 men's teams at the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association cross country championships in Longueil Quebec last Saturday.

Fanshawe finished first.

Individually, Jessie Wilcox led the Mohawk contingent, finishing eight kilometres in 27:38, good for 34th place, in a field of 137.

Other Mohawk results included Bradley Wilcox (44) 28:22, Kevin Patterson (50) 28:28, Luc Seguin (65) 28:55, Hassan Ishaq (71) 29:02 and John Miles (78) 29:17.

Andrew deGroot of St. Clair won the race.

Mohawk was not represented in the women's five kilometre competition, which was won by Grant MacEwan from the University of Edmonton. Toronto's Humber College was the leading Ontario team finishing third.

Frederique Latraverse of Sainte-Foy, Quebec won the individual title in a field of 136.

Humber will host the 2013 CCAA cross country championships.

In what Mohawk men's head basketball coach Brian Jonker called "a war"; his Mountaineers defeated Algoma 60-57 in Sault Ste. Marie last Saturday.

The reigning Ontario and Canadian college champion Mohawk team was ranked number two in the country going into the contest against the top rated Thunderbird side which boasted a 4-0 record.

Mohawk entered the contest 3-0.

Jonker said Taylor Dowhaniuk played his best game for Mohawk, scoring 24 points and adding 10 rebounds.

On day earlier, the Mountaineers Sault College and defeated the Cougars 79-54.

Pat Iavarone notched 12 points for Mohawk.

The women's basketball team got a split in its games.

Mohawk downed Sault College 76-34 last Friday.

Lacey Wolters and Daniella Randazzo led the team with 13 points each.

The news was not as good the next day as Mohawk fell 68-56 to unbeaten Algoma.

Randazzo hooped 11 points.

The Mohawk men's volleyball team tacked on two more wins over the weekend.

Last Friday the Mountaineers scored a 3-1 victory at St. Clair.

The scores were 21-25, 25-19, 25-17, and 25-21.

Mo Sulaiman had 17 kills, one stuff block and 11 digs.

The next day, Mohawk moved into sole possession of first place in the west region with a 3-1 victory at Fanshawe.

Once again, the Mountaineers rallied after losing the first set.

The scores were 21-25, 25-13, 25-13, and 25-19.

Phil Youngblut had nine kills and six blocks for Mohawk which improved to 3-0.

The women's volleyball team had a weekend split.

The Mountaineers won in four sets at St. Clair in Windsor last Friday with the scores: 25-16, 25-21, 12-25, 25-18.

Mohawk was led offensively by rookie Chantal Baker with seven kills, two service aces and four stuff blocks.

The following day in London, the Mountaineers were swept 15-25, 18-25, 28-30 by the Fanshawe Falcons.

Linsay Collette had six kills, one ace and three blocks.

Julie Gagnon contributed 14 digs for Mohawk, which fell to 2-1.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
FLORENCE, S.C. – Francis Marion University senior center fielder Buddy Sosnoskie has been named to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-America Division II Baseball Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
The Statesville, N.C., native has compiled a 3.38 grade point average as a marketing major. He was named to the 12-member second-team.
Sosnoskie becomes the third Academic All-American for the Patriot baseball program, joining right-handed pitcher Sammy Ward (1980) and outfielder Alex Lee (2010).
On the diamond, Sosnoskie led FMU with a .391 average, 56 runs batted in, and a .444 on-base percentage. He set team single-season records for hits (92) and doubles (25). He shared the team lead in runs scored (51), while also hitting a pair of home runs and stealing nine bases. He finished the year with a 12-game hitting streak, compiled 27 multi-hit games and 15 multi-RBIs games, and reached base safely in 53 of 58 games.
Off the field, he was named to the 2012 Peach Belt Conference All-Academic Team; is a member of Chi Alpha Sigma, the national college athlete honor society; and has been honored by inclusion on the both the PBC Presidential and FMU Swamp Fox Athletic-Academic honor rolls.
This past season, Sosnoskie helped lead Francis Marion to a 40-18 record, a national Top-10 ranking, and a fourth straight appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament – where the Patriots reached the regional title game for the third consecutive season.
In both his seasons at FMU, Sosnoskie garnered All-Conference and All-Region accolades.
To be eligible for Academic All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be a starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, and have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings. Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.
2012 Capital One Academic All-America Division II Baseball Team
Pos. Name School Yr. Hometown GPA Major
P Mark Himmelberg Rockhurst Sr. Cape Girardeau, Mo. 3.91 Accounting
P Elias Tuma California San Diego Sr. Fremont, Cal. 3.93 Cognitive Science
C Devon Myers Truman State Sr. Fenton, Mo. 3.68 Exercise Science
IF Nick Adams Rollins Sr. Orlando, Fla. 3.84 Economics
IF Josh Chism Arkansas Monticello Gr. Mooreville, Miss. 4.00 Physical Education & Coaching
IF Jacob Karr Wingate Sr. Richmond, Va. 3.68 Accounting
IF Bret Schwartz Central Missouri Sr. Blue Springs, Mo. 3.60 Social Studies
OF David Atwood Young Harris So. Waynesville, N.C. 3.72 Biology
OF Josh Haley UNC Pembroke Sr. Jackson Springs, N.C. 3.50 Exercise & Sports Science
OF Buddy Sosnoskie Francis Marion Sr. Statesville, N.C. 3.38 Marketing
OF Bryant Walker King (Tenn.) Sr. Knoxville, Tenn. 4.00 Physics
DH Andy Hall Missouri Science & Tech. Sr. Rolla, Mo. 3.55 Civil Engineering


text:
Yangarra Estate McLaren Vale Shiraz 2008
Syrah/Shiraz from McLaren Vale, Australia
Winemaker's Notes
In 2008, cool and dry conditions during berry ripening encouraged thedevelopment of excellent avours and crisp acidity. The unexpected heatwave in March caused the most condensed harvest in McLaren Vale'shistory. Our cooler weather in the northern foothills of Blewitt Springsoffset much of the heat – resulting in tiny, intensely-flavored berriesand concentrated wines with rm structure and vibrant aromatics.
This wine has feisty yet adult aromas of white pepper, and smells ofred Australian earth in the summer. The blackberry and mulberry fruitstaste as if they've been gently stewed to a conserve, with whole berriesremaining in the pulp. The finish is teasing and appetizing with savorydark green tannins and an elegant, refined attitude.
Critical Acclaim
Australian Wine Companion - "Fresh and cooked blackberry bouquet, with mocha and fruitcake spice aplenty; rich, warm and showing generosity and depth of fruit to conclude."
Yangarra Estate Winery
Yangarra Estate is as true to its Australian roots as the soil from which its unparalleled flavors are born. Yangarra Estate only selects fruit from the top appellations of Australia, then uses both Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates and Australian innovative winemaking approach to produce varietal wines of inimitable quality.
Australian winemaker, Peter Fraser, teamed up with KJWE's Winemaster Randy Ullon to blend and bottle Yangarra Park wines in the famous Barossa Valley of South Australia. Peter brings his widely regarded depth and breadth of knowledge of each of Australia's finest winemaking regions. Peter's deft and cosmopolitan wine style results from more than eight years experience in the Australian wine industry. View all Yangarra Estate Wines
About McLaren ValeView a map of McLaren Vale wineries
McLaren Vale is home to the oldest Australian vineyard, with grapes planted in 1838. It's a coastal area with the Indian Ocean bordering the west, which contributes a cooling factor that prevents the grapes from getting too hot. In all, the climate is a perfect one for the vines.
Notable FactsIn McLaren Vale, there are vines as far as the eye can see. As in other parts of Australia, Shiraz and Grenache are the most-planted grapes of the region. While red rules, whites are able to hold their own here too. With the warm yet reasonable Mediterranean climate, white grapes like Chardonnay, Semillon and even some Sauvignon Blanc grow well. The wines are round and smooth and the producers in the region are excellent.
About AustraliaLike the United States, which is about the same size, Australia's winemaking regions are huddled into one or two pockets of the country. The state of South Australia, which produces about 60% of the country's wine, also has the most wineries and sub-regions, including McLaren Vale, Clare Valley, Coonawarra and Barossa Valley. New South Wales is home to the Hunter Valley, while the smaller, southern state of Victoria is best known for theYarra Valley. Head way west to the very large state of Western Australia and you'll find the tiny region of Margaret River at the southern tip.
Customer ReviewsSign In to Add Your Review44 out of 5 stars
10 ratings, 3 with reviewsdedalus2222 - Philadelphia, PA43/12/2012Ian Watt - Morro Bay, CA43/13/2012
This is a knockout red from a winery now US owned (luckily there are still many left in the McLaren Vale area that are small, Aussie-owned, and will be forever - GREAT place to visit with simply stunning wineries to visit and eat at)at a price that reflects quality for the dollar. Great depth, excellent fruit with no aftertaste of sweaty horse collar, dirt and manure (being a bit sarcastic there!) and very easy to slip down with duck, lamb, good beef, strong cheeses or just under the pergola ruminating with nature - something we do a lot of here in the Central Coast of California and back home in Adelaide, Australia when I visit each year.James Deresinski - Moberly, MO52/17/2012Laura Kantor - Smithtown, NY51/31/2012412/13/2011gkanamori - Rio Rancho, NM412/4/2011JB Braun - Newtown Square, PA49/29/2011
- Style
- Big & Bold
First sampled this deep purple, ultra jammy gem at a wine expo held by Westchester Magazine in White Plains NY. It's a meaty red wine with complex finish and without question fairly priced at 19.99.William Lau - Jersey City, NJ58/16/201147/1/2011
- Style
- Big & Bold
- Style
- Smooth & Supple


text:
U.S. Accuses Russia Of Missile Test, West Agrees On Tougher Sanctions
The Obama administration is formally accusing Russia of testing ground-launched cruise missiles, which constitutes a violation of a 1987 arms control agreement, according to today's New York Times.
Russian officials have previously denied the allegation. The move comes as President Obama and European leaders have agreed on tougher sanctions against Russia for increasing its troop presence along its border with Ukraine and for sending more heavy weaponry to pro-Russian rebels in Eastern Ukraine.
NPR's Corey Flintoff joins Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson from Moscow with details.
- Corey Flintoff, NPR's international correspondent based in Moscow. He tweets @CoreyFlintoff.
Copyright 2014 WBUR-FM. To see more, visit http://www.wbur.org.


text:
in the newsDownload our Press Kit
National Underwear Day
By Rosa Kaftan
Underwear has a use by date (yes, it's true) and chances are your fraying, graying undercrackers expired a long long time ago… So, throw them away! However, fret not for we at Antenna would not be so cruel as to inflict a commando situation upon the world. Today is National Underwear Day and in celebration of all things undergarment, they are giving away 5,000 pairs of underwear! Enter via the website freshpair.com to win yourself a pair of box fresh undies…
For more information or to obtain samples, please contact our Public Relations Department.
Public Relations Department
Phone: (212) 505-6900 option 3
Fax: (646) 390-6282
E-mail: email@example.com


text:
AP seems to have a biofuel problem...
Twice in the last two days, the Associated Press has produced stories about "bad" biofuels. Today it's all about Global Warming... yes, they called it that and not "climate change". Apparently, biofuels are bad for the planet.
"Biofuels made from the leftovers of harvested corn plants are worse than gasoline for global warming in the short term, a study shows, challenging the Obama administration's conclusions that they are a much cleaner oil alternative and will help combat climate change."
It wasn't done: "But an AP investigation last year found that the EPA's analysis of corn-based ethanol failed to predict the environmental consequences accurately."
And then over the weekend, they reported that lush, green, humid Hawaii - the place where I personally saw Iowa corn growing - is now a flashpoint for a GMO confrontation. "Kauai and Hawaii counties have moved in the past several months to regulate genetically modified organisms and the pesticides the farms use. In Maui County, a group is collecting signatures for a potential ballot measure that would impose a temporary ban on the crops," says AP.
"Seed companies with Kauai operations - Syngenta, Pioneer, BASF and Agrigentics - have sued the county to stop the law, saying they are already regulated by state and federal laws and there is no need for additional county rules."
So why is AP suddenly all bent out of shape over biofuels? I'm watching this one to find out.


text:
My Application Form StatusCheck the status of your application form with Angel Broking.
My Application Form StatusCheck the status of your application form with Angel Broking.
|Companies that start with: ALL and Industry: Engineering Turnkey Services
|Artefact Projects Ltd
|Artson Engineering Ltd
|Ashoka Buildcon Ltd
|Atlanta Ltd
|ATV Projects India Ltd
|BGR Energy Systems Ltd
|Engineers India Ltd
|Gammon Infrastructure Projects Ltd
|GMR Infrastructure Ltd
|GVK Power & Infrastructure Ltd
|Hindustan Dorr-Oliver Ltd
|IL&FS Transportation Networks Ltd
|Jaihind Projects Ltd
|L&T Technology Services Ltd
|Larsen & Toubro Ltd
|McNally Bharat Engineering Company Ltd
|MSR India Ltd
|Mukand Engineers Ltd
|Petron Engineering Construction Ltd
|Power Mech Projects Ltd
|Raunaq EPC International Ltd
|Reliance Industrial Infrastructure Ltd
|Sancia Global Infraprojects Ltd
|Sanghvi Movers Ltd
|Servotech Engineering Industries Ltd
|Shriniwas Power & Infrastructure Ltd
|Shriram EPC Ltd
|Sunil Hitech Engineers Ltd
|Supreme Infrastructure India Ltd
|Tarang Projects & Consultant Ltd
|Tarini International Ltd
|Technofab Engineering Ltd
|VKS Projects Ltd


text:
Hahaha. Sorry to annoy people. Too many others enjoying it and asking me to rev it. .
Special thanks to the mk5 r32 that told me he hoped Id blow my motor. Sorry I'm faster than you.
Build pics on the way. Has been a busy work week and I got lazy. Haha


text:
So Apparently Famous Street Artist 'Banksy' Sold His Art for $60 to Unsuspecting People in New York! [VIDEO]
This is just AMAZING! Apparently, famous street artist "Banksy" sold some canvas spray art this past Saturday on the streets of Manhattan for $60. You heard right...60 DOLLARS! Oh...& the BEST part was, these unsuspecting buyers had NO idea WHO the artist was.
Just WATCH this Banksy "Pop-Up Shop" all go down here...
Incredible! It was only CONFIRMED that these WERE in fact original Banksy works of art when the above video was actually posted on his blog!
The artist also confirmed in the video that in fact those were his paintings by saying, "Yesterday I set up a stall in the park selling 100% authentic original signed Banksy canvases. For $60 each."
& did we forget to mention that EACH work of art that was sold was worth somewhere around $31,000!! OMG! Consider those purchasers with a fine eye for art LUCKY (especially the ones who bought more than one). Oh, & don't all those "passer-by's" just feel pretty stupid right about now?? Why couldn't WE have been in Central Park that day??
(Photo screenshot courtesy of YouTube)


text:
Now Viewing:
Product Highlights
The BM-K1 LED-70 Power and Light Kit for Blackmagic Cinema Cameras from Bescor includes 2 LED-70 dimmable 70 watt Video/DSLR lights, a square frame bracket for mounting the lights, one Li-ion rechargeable battery for the Blackmagic Cinema camera and one Li-ion battery charger.
The LED-70's are on-camera, dimmable, daylight balanced (6500°K) LED lights that combine bright output with a compact (4.75"), flexible form factor. Powered by 4 AA batteries, a rechargeable NiMH battery or an optional AC power adapter, the unit's 96 LEDs produce an ultra bright, 70W-equivalent beam with a reach of up to 30 feet. Suitable for both video and DSLR cameras, the LED-70 includes a clear frosted filter for softening glare as well as an amber 4300°K correction filter for shooting indoors.
The included bracket is a tripod-mount camera and accessory bracket featuring numerous integrated cold shoe mounts on the top and sides, two removable hot shoes, a quick release 1/4" camera adapter, and numerous 1/4" and 3/8" accessory threads all around. The threads on the bottom allow attaching to tripods, and two carrying handles allow handheld use. A rotary wheel on the side loosens to enable tiling +/- 5°. Also included is the BM-EPIC battery and charger kit comprised of a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery for the Blackmagic Cinema Camera and the Li-ion battery charger.
|Light Source
|96 Individual 5mm LEDs
|6500º K
|4 AA batteries, Li-Ion batteries
|Power Input
|D.C. 6V/1.5A power Input Jack for A.C. Use
|1 hour on fresh batteries at full intensity
|4.75 X 1.5 x 4.25" (12 x 3.8 x 10.8 cm)
|Battery Voltage
|Operating Temperature
|Battery: -4-140°F (-20-60°C)
|Battery Pack Weight
|1.32 lb (599 g)
|Battery Pack Dimensions
|4 x 3 x 2.5" (10 x 7.6 x 6.4 cm)
|Packaging Infofyztxrverzarbbafyuxfdbrq
|Package Weight
|5.8 lb
|Box Dimensions (LxWxH)
|14.0 x 11.8 x 4.1"


text:
School Districts Might Have To Choose Textbooks
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- School districts in Florida may soon choose their own textbooks.
Florida made another step towards putting local school districts in charge of choosing their own textbooks… due to a bill passed by the House.
If the bill is passed by the Senate and the Governor's Desk, it would transfer the responsibility of choosing instructional materials and bargaining with publishers to individual districts.
But the Florida School Boards Association and officials from smaller districts, pushed back against the bill saying they don't have the manpower or money to choose their own textbooks.
"School districts are very much opposed to this particular bill… it's gonna cost a lot of time and a lot of resources and more importantly, it's gonna cost districts a lot of money and there's not gonna be any additional money that comes along with it," said Public Information Officer for Alachua County School District, Jackie Johnson.
Johnson says currently the state of Florida is able to negotiate textbook prices because of the large size of the state… but individual districts don't have the same kind of buying power.
Related Stories
- Serious Two Car Accident Might Have Involved a Third Vehicle
- District 1 to have run-off election
- School Named after KKK Leader Might be Renamed
- College Students Trying to Keep Up with Rising Textbook Prices
- Textbook Law
- UF Provost Challenges Textbook Cost Laws
- School district investigation closed in school bus assault
- School district wins grant to increase locally produced foods in schools
- Teacher Accused Of Having Sex With 15-Year-Old, Terminated From School
- New Law Could Help Kids Having Allergic Reactions in School


text: A wily moose became the talk of Burlington, Vt., when it was spotted roaming around the town's south side. FOX44 News in Burlington reported that officers from Vermont Fish and Wildlife and the Burlington Police worked for "several hours" to contain the moose, to no avail. The moose remains at large. Although Burlingtonians will surely be sleeping with one eye open while the moose stalks their streets (or the nearby wilderness), they can take at least some comfort in knowing …Read More Leave a Comment


text:
Free personalized radio that
plays the music you love
Runaway Love
Features of This Tracksouthern rap roots
r&b influences
east coast rap influences
danceable beats
use of vocal counterpoint
clear pronunciation
melodic part writing
subtle use of electric keys
a hand percussion layer
acoustic guitar layering
use of electric pianos
dominant melodic hooks
production by a respected producer
lyrics by a famous rap artist
and many other similarities identified in the Music Genome Project
These are just a few of the hundreds of attributes cataloged for this track by the Music Genome Project.show more
Similar Tracks
This song is true.... And i can relate to this song and it just hurts so much that i feel like running away.... Sometimes i think my home is a place called hell to..... And if u can relate to this song i know how u all feel but one day it possible might all get better (i hope) but dont hesitate if u need someone to talk to... I well help u cause i
This song always made me sad and want to make change for those girls b/c I can relate but not from my fam but from perv uncle.
I hope on day I can work at a shelter for teens or an orphanage as a Future teacher
em em
i love this song cuz its a great way of showing wat life its really about
Don't have a Pandora account? Sign up
Already have a Pandora account? Log In


text: Girls basketball -- St. Albans High School Shootout results, schedule June 25, 2013 Story Share St. Albans High SchoolSummer ShootoutTuesday's resultsGeorge Washington 1 46, Princeton 18Scott 31, Riverside 15St. Albans 1 49. Gilmer County 24Tolsia 44, Robert C. Byrd 40Bridgeport 34, Clay County 21Sissonville 60, East Fairmont 20St .Albans 1 45, Riverside 17Princeton 39, Gilmer County 7George Washington 1 46, Scott 26Bridgeport 38, Sissonville 34Tolsia 39, East Fairmont 29Robert C. Byrd 34, Clay County 29 Scott 48, Gilmer County 21St. Albans 1 42, George Washington 1 30Riverside 28, Princeton 26Clay County 35, East Fairmont 33Sissonville 40, Robert C. Byrd 36Tolsia 47, Bridgeport 40 Winfield 2 32, St. Albans 2 15Huntington 46, Nitro 34North Marion 1 48, Capital 37Preston 35, Parkersburg 30Pocahontas 2 34, McKinley 20Fairmont Sr. 34, Herbert Hoover 22Ritchie County 28, Richwood 15North Marion 2 58, Roane County 17Pocahontas 1 49, Winfield 2 26North Marion 34, Parkersburg 28Huntington 48, Preston 38Capital 53, Nitro 42George Washington 58, Pocahontas 2 23 Pocahontas 1 35, Richwood 14Fairmont Sr. 48, Roane County 13Herbert Hoover 36, Ritchie County 24North Marion 2 41, St. Albans 2 12Capital 43, Preston 33Parkersburg 57, Nitro 30North Marion 1 54, Huntington 51Winfield 2 24, Pocahontas 2 8Ritchie County 45, Roane County 9Pocahontas 1 35, Herbert Hoover 26Fairmont Sr. 42, Richwood 10George Washington 2 55, North Marion 2 25Today's schedule9 a.m.Preston vs. South Charleston (St. Albans main gym)Fairmont Sr. vs. Hurricane (St. Albans auxiliary gym)North Marion vs. Winfield (Ayash Sports Complex) 9:50 a.m.Notre Dame vs. Clay County (St. Albans main gym)Parkersburg Catholic vs. Roane County (St. Albans auxiliary gym)Charleston Catholic vs. Pocahontas 1 (Ayash Sports Complex)Richwood vs. North Marion 2 (McKinley)10:40 a.m.Hurricane vs. North Marion 1(St. Albans main gym)Winfield vs. Preston (St. Albans auxiliary gym)South Charleston vs. Fairmont Sr. (Ayash Sports Complex)11:30 a.m.Charleston Catholic vs. North Marion 2 (St. Albans main gym)Richwood vs. Notre Dame (St. Albans auxiliary gym)Clay County vs. Parkersburg Catholic (Ayash Sports Complex)Roane County vs. Pocahontas (McKinley)12:20 p.m.Winfield vs. Fairmont Sr. (St. Albans main gym)North Marion vs. South Charleston (St. Albans auxiliary gym)Hurricane vs. Preston (Ayash Sports Complex)1:10 p.m.Parkersburg Catholic vs. Pocahontas 1 (St. Albans main gym)Notre Dame vs. North Marion 2 (St. Albans auxiliary gym)Richwood vs. Roane County (Ayash Sports Complex)Charleston Catholic vs. Clay County (McKinley)2 p.m.Westside vs. George Washington (St. Albans main gym)Parkersburg South vs. Huntington (St. Albans auxiliary gym)Ironton vs. Huntington St. Joseph (Ayash Sports Complex)Pocahontas 2 vs. St. Albans 2 (McKinley)2:50 p.m.Gilmer County vs. Poca (St. Albans main gym)Ripley vs. Scott (St. Albans auxiliary gym)Braxton County vs. Tolsia (Ayash Sports Complex)Lincoln County vs. Chapmanville (McKinley)3:40 p.m.Huntington St. Joseph vs. Parkersburg South (St. Albans main gym)George Washington vs. Ironton (St. Albans auxiliary gym)Huntington vs. Westside (Ayash Sports Complex)Tolsia 2 vs. Pocahontas 2 (McKinley)4:30 p.m.Tolsia vs. Ripley (St. Albans main gym)Chapmanville vs. Braxton County (St. Albans auxiliary gym)Poca vs. Lincoln County (Ayash Sports Complex)Scott vs. Gilmer County (McKinley)5:20 p.m.Ironton vs. Huntington (St. Albans main gym)George Washington vs. Huntington St. Joseph (St. Albans auxiliary gym)Parkersburg South vs. Westside (Ayash Sports Complex)6:10 p.m.Scott vs. Braxton County (St. Albans main gym)Lincoln County vs. Tolsia (St. Albans auxiliary gym)Gilmer County vs. Chapmanville (Ayash Sports Complex)Ripley vs. Poca (McKinley) Story Share Story Share Trending Now 1 Six arrested in Capito's office after day of protesting health care bill 2 'There is no justice in bargaining against the people's interest': Federal judge rejects drug plea 3 Mitch Vingle: WVU's McKivitz, O-line facing challenges 4 Dozens go topless, braless in Charleston to normalize female bodies 5 Marshall plans to fire professor caught in highways corruption probe Recalling the simpler times of Big East Previous Story Good from the bottom up Next Story


text:
From Exalted - Unofficial Wiki
Back to the Wyldspan
Ahn-Aru, Destiny's Queen
At over twelve hundred years of age, Ahr-Aru is currently the oldest Exalt surviving in the Age of Infinity. She is three hundred years older than the next-most senior member of the Bureau, her second-in-command Mellan Yumis of the Caste of Distances, and believes that she is at least a hundred years older than any surviving Lunars, as well as having centuries on those few Solars or Abyssals who survived the Threefold War.
Over the centuries, the leader of the Bureau of Destiny has moved a great distance from her life as Sad Ivory, the Bronze Faction inquisitor, and she often reflects on the irony that it is a member of the Division of Endings that currently serves as leader of the Sidereals. She privately feels that she is unsuited to the position, and had planned to retain it only until Yumis reaches one thousand years of age, at which point she intends to turn political power over to him and work primarily as an advisor. That time is still over fifty years away, however, and the return of the Void has left her wondering if there was a greater plan to her leadership.
As one of barely over twenty living survivors of the Second Age that she knows of - only three of whom she considers friends - Ahn-Aru is in a strange position, isolated by her knowledge and age, but well aware that she has millenia yet before her death. She takes refuge in the company of the gods, who at least remember the world as she lived it, instead of the strange new one that most take for granted. Where once she felt strongly that only the Sidereals had the ability to shape the course of the future, the near-destruction of Creation in the Threefold War, and the fact that the Solars were necessary to the defense of the world, has badly shaken her confidence. When the Celestials gradually rose, she did nothing to stop it, and in fact encouraged the end of the Bronze Faction in favour of a new policy of alliance that worked on the concept of bringing all Exalt groups together as equals - a task that was not difficult, as only one other member of the Bronze survived the Threefold War, and he was far younger than Ahr-Aru. When Markian's empire rose alongside the Scarlet Reach, Sad Ivory encouraged the growth of both nations, hoping that their careful diplomacy would prevent a single tyrant from taking hold of Creation. Here, she was supported by the Silver Sky, with whom the Bureau has worked out several careful treaties. She has made attempts to reclaim Markian's Sidereal servants, but none that could be construed as an attack by the Solar Emperor.
Recent events in the Wyldspan have shaken her to the core, however. In Markian's reign, Ahn-aru fears that she sees the early echoes of the madness of the Solar Deliberative, and she does not approve of Soren Naganis - nor does she know how his predecessor died. With the Void growing stronger simultaneously, and the Bureau still understaffed, Sad Ivory is beginning to fear that the Bronze was right, and that there is no way for the Solars to exist without casting Creation in jeapordy. To date, however, she has been unwilling to reinstitute hostilities, and the Bureau of Destiny follows strict guidelines of neutrality between the two nations.
At her heart, Sad Ivory remains someone who would prefer to be on the front lines, and she has done her best to remain able to take on problems directly, using her trademarked tendancy to combine front-line action with a degree of stealth that ensures that few of her foes realize she was present until it is too late.
Character Sheet
Caste: Endings
Motivation: Protect the population of Creation
Strength 5, Dexterity 6, Stamina 4, Charisma 4, Manipulation 5, Appearance 4, Perception 5, Intelligence 7, Wits 4
Distances: Resistance 5, Ride 6 (Moving Quickly +2), Sail 2, Survival 4 (Finding Bolt Holes +1, When Alone +2), Thrown 0
Serenity: Crafts (Fate) 6, Dodge 6 (Other Exalts +3), Linguistics 3 [Forest-Tongue, High Realm, Old Realm, Riverspeak], Performance 3, Socialize 5 (Border Nations +2)
Battles: Athletics 2, Archery 6 (Surprise Shots +2), Melee 4, Presence 5 (Intimidation +1, Blackmail +2), War 3
Secrets: Investigation 4, Larceny 0, Lore 6, Occult 5 (Demonology +2), Stealth 7
Endings: Awareness 7, Bureaucracy 5 (Small Nations +2), Integrity 6, Martial Arts 7 (One-on-One +3), Medicine 3 (Poisons +2)
Virtues: Compassion 3, Conviction 5, Temperance 3, Valor 4
Willpower 9, Essence 7
Charms, Spells, and Colleges
- First Excellencies: Archery, Dodge, Martial Arts
- Second Excellencies: Presence, Resistance, Socialize, Stealth, Survival
- Third Excellencies: Performance, Presence
- Auspicious Excellencies: Archery, Crafts, Dodge, Martial Arts, Melee
- Propitious Alignments: Martial Arts, Stealth
- Resistance: Water and Fire Treaty, Optimistic Security Practice
- Ride: Yellow Path, Ordained Bridle Of Mercury, Spirit-Shaped Companion
- Survival: Sky And Rain Mantra, Becoming The Wilderness
- Crafts: World-Shaping Artistic Vision (People In Power), Destiny-Knitting Entanglement, Predestined Delivery Shaping
- Dodge: Absence, Duck Fate, Avoidance Kata
- Socialize: Shun The Smiling Lady, Fortuitous Fellowship, Life Without Compunction
- Athletics: Forgotten Earth
- Archery: Opportune Shot, Any Direction Arrow, Every Direction Arrow
- Melee: Harmony Of Blows, Impeding The Flow, Serenity In Blood
- Presence: Force Decision, Presence In Absence
- Investigation: Auspicious Prospects [Serenity, Endings], Efficient Secretary Technique
- Lore: Methodology Of Secrets, Of Truths Best Unspoken, Of Things Desired And Feared, Of The Shape Of The World, Of Horrors Best Unknown
- Occult: Mark Of Exaltation, Incite Decorum
- Stealth: Soft Presence Practice, Walking Outside Fate, Blinding The Boar
- Awareness: Prior Warning, Wise Choice, Inevitable Pursuit, Expected Pain
- Bureaucracy: Icy Hand, Terminal Sanction, Underling Invisibility Practice
- Integrity: Preservation of Resolve, Stern Essence Replenishment, Unhearing Dedication (Balance Between All Exalts), Death of Self Meditation, Unwavering Well-Being Meditation, One Direction Invocation
- Martial Arts: (Violet Bier of Sorrows) Secrets of Future Strife, Flight of Mercury, Blade of the Battle Maiden, Joy In Adversity Stance, Violet Bier of Sorrows Form, Death-Parrying Stroke, Horrific Wreath, Crimson Palm Counterstrike, Unobstructed Blow, Metal Storm, Life-Severing Blow, Conclusion-Pursuing Approach (Charcoal March Of Spiders) Unnatural Many-Stepped Stride, Dance of the Hungry Spider, Maw of Dripping Venom, Rain of Unseen Threads, Nest of Living Strands, Charcoal March of Spiders Form
Combos: Sad Ivory has four Combos, with a total XP cost of 30. These will be determined some time soon.
- Distances: Captain 4, Gull 2, Mast 2, Messenger 4, Ship's Wheel 4
- Serenity: Ewer 4, Lovers 2, Musician 3, Peacock 2, Pillar 4
- Battles: Banner 2, Gauntlet 3, Quiver 4, Shield 4, Spear 4
- Secrets: Guardians 3, Key 2, Mask 4, Sorcerer 5, Treasure Trove 3
- Endings: Corpse 4, Crow 2, Haywain 3, Rising Smoke 4, Sword 5
Backgrounds: Acquaintances 2, Artifact 5+, Backing 5, Connections [Bureau of Destiny] 5, [Scarlet Reach, Bureau of Humanity] 4 [Bureaus of Nature, Seasons, Abstract Ideas] 3, [New Imperium] 3, Manse 5, Salary 5, Savant 5
The corebook Sad Ivory is built on 750 XP [amusingly, the listed amount for a character one-third her age]. This version of Sad Ivory is built on 2250 XP, following my experience progression rules.
At the moment, Ahn-Aru is one of the eighteen users of Sidereal Martial Arts in all of Creation. To her chagrin, there are no surviving teachers of the Charcoal March, and she has had to rediscover the final Charms of the style for herself.


text:
Fair Housing
State and Federal Fair Housing laws prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, family status, disability, source of income, or any arbitrary status.
If a housing provider refuses to rent or sell a home, offers unequal terms, quotes different prices, or applies different policies based on the protected classes, he or she is violating federal law. Additionally, state law prohibits unequal treatment based on marital status, ancestry, age, or any other arbitrary class discrimination.
A landlord may take into consideration income, credit rating or any other pertinent information that directly relates to a prospective tenant's ability and willingness to pay rent. However, prospective tenants have the right to request and receive a reason why when they are denied housing and may file a private civil lawsuit anytime within two years of an alleged discrimination incident. Complaints may be filed with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing at (800) 884-1684 and with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development at 800.347.3739 or online.
The City of Vista contracts with Legal Aid Society of San Diego, Inc., a non-profit organization, to counsel property owners, managers, tenants, and homebuyers on fair housing related issues. The organization can also advise you of landlord/tenant rights and responsibilities, including repair issues and to mediate with your landlord on your behalf. If you think you are a victim of a housing-related discrimination incident or would like more information about fair housing, please call Legal Aid Society of San Diego, Inc. at 844.449.3500 and mention that you are a resident of the City of Vista. You can also visit them online here. Legal Aid Society of San Diego's fair housing brochure can be found here.
In addition, you may contact the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development at 800.347.3739 or online here.
- California Landlord Tenant Rights by Dept. of Consumer Affairs
- Legal Aid Society of San Diego
- San Diego Regional Alliance For Fair Housing
- San Diego Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice
- Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) 800.884.1684
- US. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) Fair Housing & Equal Opportunity Office 800.669.9777
- Tenants Legal Center of San Diego 858.571.7100


text:
Modified: db/derby/site/trunk/src/documentation/content/xdocs/papers/DerbyTut/install_software.xml URL: http://svn.apache.org/viewvc/db/derby/site/trunk/src/documentation/content/xdocs/papers/DerbyTut/install_software.xml?rev=1188432&r1=1188431&r2=1188432&view=diff ============================================================================== --- db/derby/site/trunk/src/documentation/content/xdocs/papers/DerbyTut/install_software.xml (original) +++ db/derby/site/trunk/src/documentation/content/xdocs/papers/DerbyTut/install_software.xml Mon Oct 24 22:49:49 2011 @@ -145,20 +145,20 @@ And don't proceed until you resolve that
Download the binary Apache Derby distribution from the Derby web site at http://db.apache.org/derby/derby_downloads.html. -These tutorial instructions use version 10.8.1.2 and +These tutorial instructions use version 10.8.2.2 and assume you downloaded one of the binary distribution files listed in the table below:
|Operating System
|Download File
|UNIX, Linux, and Mac
|UNIX, Linux, and Mac
If a more recent release is available, download that,
then substitute that version number
10.8.1.2 in the following instructions.
10.8.2.2 in the following instructions.
10.8.1.2 in the followi
Windows (use your extraction tool e.g. WinZip -- these instructions use mks unzip): mkdir C:\Apache -copy db-derby-10.8.1.2-bin.zip C:\Apache +copy db-derby-10.8.2.2-bin.zip C:\Apache cd C:\Apache -unzip db-derby-10.8.1.2-bin.zip +unzip db-derby-10.8.2.2-bin.zip
UNIX: mkdir /opt/Apache -cp db-derby-10.8.1.2-bin.tar.gz /opt/Apache +cp db-derby-10.8.2.2-bin.tar.gz /opt/Apache cd /opt/Apache -tar xzvf db-derby-10.8.1.2-bin.tar.gz +tar xzvf db-derby-10.8.2.2-bin.tar.gz
In both cases, the software will now be extracted into a subdirectory
- named
+ named
Windows: -C:\> set DERBY_INSTALL=C:\Apache\db-derby-10.8.1.2-bin +C:\> set DERBY_INSTALL=C:\Apache\db-derby-10.8.2.2-bin
UNIX Korn Shell: -$ export DERBY_INSTALL=/opt/Apache/db-derby-10.8.1.2-bin +$ export DERBY_INSTALL=/opt/Apache/db-derby-10.8.2.2-bin@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ semicolon (;) on Windows and a colon (:)
Windows: C:\> cd %DERBY_INSTALL%\bin -C:\Apache\db-derby-10.8.1.2-bin\bin> setEmbeddedCP.bat +C:\Apache\db-derby-10.8.2.2-bin\bin> setEmbeddedCP.bat
UNIX: @@ -292,19 +292,19 @@ system information: Java Version: 1.5.0_06 Java Vendor: Sun Microsystems Inc. Java home: C:\jdk1.5 -Java classpath: C:\Apache\DB-DER~1.1-B\lib\derby.jar;C:\Apache\DB-DER~1.1-B\lib\derbytools.jar; +Java classpath: C:\Apache\db-derby-10.8.2.2-bin\lib\derby.jar;C:\Apache\db-derby-10.8.2.2-bin\lib\derbytools.jar; OS name: Windows XP OS architecture: x86 OS version: 5.1 Java user name: user Java user home: C:\Documents and Settings\user -Java user dir: C:\Apache\db-derby-10.8.1.2-bin\bin +Java user dir: C:\Apache\db-derby-10.8.2.2-bin\bin java.specification.name: Java Platform API Specification java.specification.version: 1.5 --------- Derby Information -------- JRE - JDBC: J2SE 5.0 - JDBC 3.0 -[C:\Apache\db-derby-10.8.1.2-bin\lib\derby.jar] 10.8.1.2 - (1095077) -[C:\Apache\db-derby-10.8.1.2-bin\lib\derbytools.jar] 10.8.1.2 - (1095077) +[C:\Apache\db-derby-10.8.2.2-bin\lib\derby.jar] 10.8.2.2 - (1181258) +[C:\Apache\db-derby-10.8.2.2-bin\lib\derbytools.jar] 10.8.2.2 - (1181258) ------------------------------------------------------ ----------------- Locale Information ----------------- Current Locale : [English/United States [en_US]] @@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ Found support for locale: [cs] . . Found support for locale: [zh_TW] - version: 10.8.1.2 - (1095077) + version: 10.8.2.2 - (1181258) ------------------------------------------------------@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@ C:\Apache\DB-DER~1.1-B\lib\derby.jar;C:\
UNIX: $ echo $CLASSPATH -/opt/Apache/db-derby-10.8.1.2-bin/lib/derby.jar:/opt/Apache/db-derby-10.8.1.2-bin/lib/derbytools.jar: +/opt/Apache/db-derby-10.8.2.2-bin/lib/derby.jar:/opt/Apache/db-derby-10.8.2.2-bin/lib/derbytools.jar:
Modified: db/derby/site/trunk/src/documentation/content/xdocs/releases/release-10.8.1.2.html URL: http://svn.apache.org/viewvc/db/derby/site/trunk/src/documentation/content/xdocs/releases/release-10.8.1.2.html?rev=1188432&r1=1188431&r2=1188432&view=diff ============================================================================== --- db/derby/site/trunk/src/documentation/content/xdocs/releases/release-10.8.1.2.html (original) +++ db/derby/site/trunk/src/documentation/content/xdocs/releases/release-10.8.1.2.html Mon Oct 24 22:49:49 2011 @@ -22,27 +22,6 @@
Use the links below to download a distribution of Apache Derby. You should always verify the integrity of distribution files downloaded from a mirror.-
You are currently using [preferred]. If you encounter a -problem with this mirror, then please select another. If all -mirrors are failing, there are backup mirrors at the end of the list. -See status of mirrors. -- - -
There are four different distributions:
db-derby-10.8.1.2-bin.zip [PGP] [MD5]
- db-derby-10.8.1.2-bin.tar.gz [PGP] [MD5]
db-derby-10.8.1.2-bin.zip [PGP] [MD5]
+ db-derby-10.8.1.2-bin.tar.gz [PGP] [MD5]
db-derby-10.8.1.2-lib.zip [PGP] [MD5]
- db-derby-10.8.1.2-lib.tar.gz [PGP] [MD5]
db-derby-10.8.1.2-lib.zip [PGP] [MD5]
+ db-derby-10.8.1.2-lib.tar.gz [PGP] [MD5]
db-derby-10.8.1.2-lib-debug.zip [PGP] [MD5]
- db-derby-10.8.1.2-lib-debug.tar.gz [PGP] [MD5]
db-derby-10.8.1.2-lib-debug.zip [PGP] [MD5]
+ db-derby-10.8.1.2-lib-debug.tar.gz [PGP] [MD5]
db-derby-10.8.1.2-src.zip [PGP] [MD5]
- db-derby-10.8.1.2-src.tar.gz [PGP] [MD5] (Note that, due to long filenames, you will need gnu tar to unravel this tarball.)
db-derby-10.8.1.2-src.zip [PGP] [MD5]
+ db-derby-10.8.1.2-src.tar.gz [PGP] [MD5] (Note that, due to long filenames, you will need gnu tar to unravel this tarball.)
There are two separate Eclipse plugins for Derby:
derby_core_plugin_10.8.1.zip [PGP] [MD5]
- derby_ui_doc_plugin_1.1.3.zip [PGP] [MD5]
derby_core_plugin_10.8.1.zip [PGP] [MD5]
+ derby_ui_doc_plugin_1.1.3.zip [PGP] [MD5]
Please note: both plugins must be installed for full functionality. For information on installing and using the Derby plugins for Eclipse, please see the Using the 10 Core and 1.1 UI Derby plug-ins p age.
Use the links below to download a distribution of Apache Derby. You should always verify the integrity + of distribution files downloaded from a mirror.+ +
You are currently using [preferred]. If you encounter a +problem with this mirror, then please select another. If all +mirrors are failing, there are backup mirrors at the end of the list. +See status of mirrors. ++ + + + +
There are four different distributions:+
db-derby-10.8.2.2-bin.zip [PGP] [MD 5]
+ db-derby-10.8.2.2-bin.tar.gz [PGP] [MD5]
db-derby-10.8.2.2-lib.zip [PGP] [MD5< /a>]
+ db-derby-10.8.2.2-lib.tar.gz [PGP] [ MD5]
db-derby-10.8.2.2-lib-debug.zip [PGP] [MD5]
+ db-derby-10.8.2.2-lib-debug.tar.gz [PGP] [MD5]
db-derby-10.8.2.2-src.zip [PGP] [MD5 ]
+ db-derby-10.8.2.2-src.tar.gz [PGP] [MD5] (Note that, due to long filenames, you will need gnu tar to unravel this tarball.)
There are two separate Eclipse plugins for Derby:+
derby_core_plugin_10.8.2.zip [PGP] [MD5]
+ derby_ui_doc_plugin_1.1.3.zip [PGP] [MD5]
Please note: both plugins must be installed for full functionality. For information on installing and using + the Derby plugins for Eclipse, please see the Using the 10 Core and 1.1 UI Derby plug-ins p age.+
These notes describe the difference between Apache Derby release 10.8.2.2 and the preceding release 10.8.1.2.+ +
+The most up to date information about Derby releases can be found on the +Derby download page. ++ + + +
+Apache Derby is a pure Java relational database engine using standard SQL and +JDBC as its APIs. More information about Derby can be found on the +Apache web site. +Derby functionality includes: ++ + + +
+Java and JDBC versions supported: ++ + +
+This is a bug fix release. No new features were added. ++ + + +
The following issues are addressed by Derby release 10.8.2.2. These issues are not addressed in the preceding 10.8.1.2 release.+ +
|Issue Id
|Description+ +
|Possible NPE in NsTest.printException()+ +
|In the 10.8 branch, back out the concurrency improvements introduced by using SequenceUpdaters to allocate identity values.+ +
|Deadlock in AutomaticIndexStatisticsTest.testShutdownWhileScanningThenDelete (BasePage.releaseExclusive and Observable.deleteObserver (BaseContainerHandle))+ +
|Enhance existing concurrency test to stress sequence generators to also stress identity columns+ +
|SpawnedProcess.complete may fail to destroy the process when a timeout is specified+ +
|Empty MAPS table in toursdb+ +
|Improve the error raised by too much contention on a sequence/identity.+ +
|NullPointerException during system.nstest.utils.Dbutil.update_one_row+ +
|Make Derby run on Oracle Java ME Embedded Client+ +
|Network server session's close method neglects to close down any open trace file+ +
|SysDiagVTIMappingTest.test_5391() failed: java.text.ParseException: Unparseable date: "Thu Sep 15 14:00:16 CEST 2011"+ +
|NetworkServerControl#main can exit with status 1 without printing an error message to console+ +
|MemoryLeakFixesTest.testRepeatedDatabaseCreationWithAutoStats() fails on phoneME: java.lang.InternalError: Number of class names exceeds vm limit.+ +
|GrantRevokeDDLTest fails under Java 7+ +
|parameters for message 2200H - sequence generator does not cycle - is out of sync in non-English messages+ +
|Document DBO restriction for four diagnostic VTIs+ +
|Assignment instead of comparison in Driver20.getPropertyInfo+ +
|NullPointerException in storemore/bug3498.sql+ +
|DRDAStatement and DRDAConnThread swallow IOExceptions+ +
|By default, only the DBO should be allowed to run several of the diagnostic VTIs.+ +
|Reduce chance of OOME with XAMemTest.testDerby4137_TransactionTimeoutSpecifiedNotExceeded in low memory suite+ +
|Remove old in-memory database purge mechanism+ +
|The syscs_diag.error_log_reader() and syscs_diag.statement_duration() vtis do not work on derby error logs created since 10.7.1+ +
|NPE in BasicDatabase.stop in replication slave mode (dd.clearSequenceCaches)+ +
|SequenceGeneratorTest failures with weme 6.2 sane build ASSERT FAILED Identity being changed on a live cacheable+ +
|Improve documentation for OFFSET/FETCH NEXT+ +
|Reference Guide talks about a DriverManager method which does not exist.+ +
|Documentation should state authentication/authorization requirements more strongly+ +
|Need to document that the != and <> operators are pushed into Restricted table functions (once the work on DERBY-5369 wraps up)+ +
|Stale data retrieved when using new collation=TERRITORY_BASED:PRIMARY feature+ +
|HTML frameset files lack closing newline character+ +
|Document use of URLs with SQLJ.INSTALL_JAR+ +
|Remove unnecessary dita.regex build target+ +
|Derby table functions stored in a jar file inside the database which implement VTICosting or RestrictedVTI fail with ClassNotFoundException+ +
|Devguide needs update for definer's rights+ +
|Sample domain names should follow RFC 2606 conventions+ +
|Repeated database creation causes OutOfMemoryError+ +
|Incorrect permission arguments given for SYSCS_UTIL.SYSCS_SET_USER_ACCESS+ +
|Intermittent assert failure in testInterruptShutdown: thread's interrupted flag lost after shutdown+ +
|Incorrect use of CharsetEncoder in DDMWriter+ +
|Document who is allowed to run which system procedures/functions.+ +
|Checkpoint fails with ClosedChannelException in InterruptResilienceTest+ +
|Use assertDirectoryDeleted in ReplicationRun and remove dead code+ +
|Enable i18n tests in non-English locales+ +
|InterruptResilienceTest failed with ERROR 40XD1: Container was opened in read-only mode.+ +
|Document the behavior of the derby.language.sequence.preallocator property.+ +
|test_derby_4779 (lang.GeneratedColumnsTest) fails with ibm 1.4.2; ERROR 42X50; No method was found that matched the method call java.lang.Integer.signum(int)+ +
|Document what you should expect to see if you enable authentication/authorization on a database which was created without those safeguards.+ +
|SQLAuthorisation and views+ +
|test failure: NullPointerException with J2ME (weme 6.2) in testDerby4137_TransactionTimeoutSpecifiedNotExceeded(org.apache.derbyTesting.functionTests.tests.memory.XAMemTest)+ +
|Unable to boot 10.5.1.1 database - fails during soft/hard upgrade process for a new version number while trying to drop jdbc metadata+ +
|A derby crash at exactly right time during a btree split can cause a corrupt db which can not be booted.+ +
|Large batch of DDL in a database procedure dies on a transaction severity error.+ +
|AssertionFailedError in IndexSplitDeadlockTest.testBTreeForwardScan_fetchRows_resumeAfterWait_unique_split()+ +
|Reference manual has wrong length for BIGINT columns in system tables+ +
|getColumns() doesn't work with auto generated identity columns that start with large numbers+ +
|Client may hang if the server crashes due to a java.lang.Error+ +
|OOM issue using XA with timeouts with Java 1.4+ +
|Running JUnit tests with Java 1.4.2 fails if the package private tests are on the classpath+ +
|btree post commit releases latch before committing/aborting purges, possibly allowing other operation on page+ +
|Fix more difficult table problems+ +
|The keywords introduced by the CREATE SEQUENCE work are treated as reserved rather than unreserved.+ +
|Engine code references org.apache.derby.shared.common.sanity.SanityManager+ +
|make GrantRevokeTest pass in non-English locale+ +
|make ErrorCodeTest pass in non-English locale+ +
|A table created with 10.0.2.1 with constraints cannot be dropped with 10.5 due to NullPointerException with insane build or ASSERT FAILED Failed to find sharable conglomerate descriptor for index conglomerate with sane build+ +
|Warnings regarding XPath displayed when generating JavaDoc+ +
|assert failure in test testRAFReadWriteMultipleThreads: interrupted flag cleared+ +
|Remove usages of DriverManager to obtain an Embedded Connection in Derby Server+ +
|VARCHAR size typos in some documentation topics+ +
|Client driver silently truncates strings that exceed 32KB+ +
|Interrupt of create table or index (i.e. a container) will throw XSDF1 under NIO - connection survives+ +
|SQLJ system procedures should be documented in Reference Manual+ +
|Thread's interrupted flag not always preserved after Derby returns from JDBC API call+ +
|Compatibility tests fail to delete database directory+ +
|make ImportExportIJTest pass in non-English locale+ +
|Localize messages introduced or changed in 10.7 and 10.8+ +
|Reference Manual: language on authentication/authorization needs changes for several URL attribute topics+ +
|Make SysinfoCPCheckTest pass in non-English locale+ +
|Documentation: toc.html files need lang attribute+ +
|Misplaced p tags in release notes+ +
|Documentation of drop=true attribute contains error+ +
|XPLAIN table documentation needs some cleanup+ +
|Documentation needed for connection URL attribute retrieveMessageText+ +
|Tables in documentation need introductions and formatting fixes+ +
|Incomprehensible error message on client if attempting rollback after database has been shut down.+ +
|Row from SYSDEPENDS gets deleted when a table has update triggers defined on it and an upate is made to the table+ +
|Intermittent failure in AutomaticIndexStatisticsTest.testShutdownWhileScanningThenDelete on Windows+ +
|embedded/in-memory: SQLNonTransientConnectionException: No current connection due to invalid page format+ +
|testMTSelect(org.apache.derbyTesting.functionTests.tests.store.AutomaticIndex StatisticsMultiTest)junit.framework.AssertionFailedError: failed to get statisti cs for table MTSEL (#expected=2, timeout=0) on AIX IBM JDK 1.5+ +
|convert ijConnName.sql to a ScriptTest junit test+ +
|ALTER TABLE DROP COLUMN will not detect triggers defined on other tables with their trigger action using the column being dropped+ +
|Tests should restore the timeout values to default after they are done running.+ +
|ALTER TABLE DROP COLUMN may leave triggers invalid even if they are not using the column getting dropped.+ +
|NPE while inserting into a table which has a generated column and an insert trigger+ +
|ThreadDump class included in insane jars+ +
|ClassLoaderBootTest fails if derbyclient.jar comes before derby.jar on the classpath+ +
|BaseTestCase.execJavaCmd() does not work with weme 6.2+ +
|The Developer's Guide implies that, for in-memory database names, Derby does not resolve relative and absolute paths to the same in-memory database+ +
|Sysinfo.testSysinfoLocale failed with IB47 M 1.6 on Windows 7 64bit+ +
|Wrap rollback in exception handlers in try-catch+ +
|missing DOCTYPE and META tags in toc.html and index.html pages+ +
|Query executions fail when compressing a table using SYSCS_UTIL.SYSCS_COMPRESS_TABLE+ +
|Make derbynet/NetworkServerControlClientCommandTest run regardless of the locale+ +
|client side OutOfMemoryError running derbnetclientmats:jdbcapi/derbyStress+ +
|OOM issue using XA with timeouts+ +
|Concurrent Inserts of rows with XML data results in an exception+ +
|convert jdbcapi/derbyStress.java to JUnit+ +
|SEVERE error involving column-width property+ +
|SEVERE error involving column-number property+ +
|Assert during log file switch: log file position exceeded max log file size+ +
|Convert largedata/LobLimits.java to junit+ +
|Document all supplied system procedures in the Server and Administration Guide (e.g. class loading utils and import/export)+ +
|JVMInfo is duplicated in derbyclient.jar+ +
|Documentation for derby.database.classpath in developers guide is misleading+ +
|When Derby runs in Network Server mode, client does not receive warnings generated by Derby - should get documented+ +
Compared with the previous release (10.8.1.2), Derby release 10.8.2.2 introduces the following new features and incompatibilities. These merit your special attention.+ + +
+Now, only the database owner may view several diagnostic VTIs: syscs_diag.statement_cache, syscs_diag.transaction_table, syscs_diag.error_log_reader( ), and syscs_diag.statement_duration(). ++ + + + + + +
+Previously in a database with SQL authorization enabled, any user +could select from those diagnostic VTIs. Now only the database owner +can. ++ + + + +
+Application designers should ensure that only the database owner +selects from these VTIs. For most applications this should not be a +problem since the VTIs are intended to be used in production only as +technical support tools. ++ + + + +
+These VTIs reveal sensitive information which only authorized persons +should see. ++ + + + +
+Table functions with definer's rights can be used to grant other users +access to the information in these VTIs. For instance, the following +technique can be used to let ordinary users view the non-sensitive data in syscs_diag.statement_cache: ++ + + +
+First, create a static Java method which selects only the +non-sensitive columns: ++ + + +
+import java.sql.DriverManager; +import java.sql.ResultSet; +import java.sql.SQLException; + +public class SafeCacheViewer +{ + public static ResultSet safeCacheViewer() throws SQLException + { + return DriverManager.getConnection( "jdbc:default:connection" ).prepareStatement + ( "select id, schemaName, valid, compiled_at from syscs_diag.statement_cache" ).executeQuery(); + } +} ++ + + +
+Then the database owner should register the method as a table function +enjoying definer's rights, and grant EXECUTE +privilege on it to PUBLIC: ++ + + +
+create function safeCacheViewer() +returns table +( + id char( 36 ), + schemaName varchar( 128 ), + valid boolean, + compiled_at timestamp +) +language java parameter style derby_jdbc_result_set reads sql data +external security definer +external name 'SafeCacheViewer.safeCacheViewer'; + +grant execute on function safeCacheViewer to public; ++ + + +
+Finally, other users can select data from the table function as +follows (here test_dbo is the schema of the database owner): ++ + + +
+select * from table( test_dbo.safeCacheViewer() ) s; ++ + + + +
Derby release 10.8.2.2 was built using the following environment:+ +
It is essential that you verify the integrity of the downloaded +files using the PGP and MD5 signatures. MD5 verification ensures the +file was not corrupted during the download process. PGP verification +ensures that the file came from a certain person.+ + + +
The PGP signatures can be verified using
+PGP or
+First download the Apache Derby
+as well as the
asc signature file for the particular
+distribution. It is important that you get these files from the ultimate
+trusted source - the main ASF distribution site, rather than from a mirror.
+Then verify the signatures using ...
+% pgpk -a KEYS +% pgpv db-derby-X.Y.tar.gz.asc + +or + +% pgp -ka KEYS +% pgp db-derby-X.Y.tar.gz.asc + +or + +% gpg --import KEYS +% gpg --verify db-derby-X.Y.tar.gz.asc + ++ + + +
To verify the MD5 signature on the files, you need to use a program
md5 or
md5sum, which is
+included in many unix distributions. It is also available as part of
+Textutils. Windows users can get binary md5 programs from here, here, or
We strongly recommend that you verify your downloads with both PGP and MD5.+ + + + +


text:
Update: 12:25 p.m.: All lanes of the George Washington Parkway have reopened in both directions following a fatal wreck this morning in the Mount Vernon area.
Original post: 6:53 a.m.
The George Washington Parkway is closed in both directions between Mount Vernon Memorial Highway and Vernon View Drive after a car veered off the roadway this morning.
Police said a driver lost control of the car and drove into the woods at the side of the parkway.
The driver was killed and a passenger has been hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries, police said.
It remains unknown what caused the driver to lose control, police said.
Drivers are encouraged to avoid the area. The travel lanes may be closed for some time as police investigate the crash.


text:
Two Labour peers have become the first members of the Lords to be suspended in more than 350 years, after offering to amend legislation in return for cash.
Lord Truscott, a former energy minister, and Lord Taylor of Blackburn had been exposed by undercover reporters of the Sunday Times in January.
They were recorded saying they would help to amend a bill in return for a fee. Though both denied the charge yesterday, the upper house agreed without a vote to expel them for six months until the end of the parliamentary session, the first peers removed from the Lords in this way since 1642. They were not in the chamber to hear their fate; Truscott has resigned from the Labour party, saying he has been made a scapegoat.
Wrapping up the debate, the attorney general, Lady Scotland. warned peers of the "constitutional enormity" of the step: "This house has to consider whether these changed times entitles the house, obliges the house, to act differently."
The vote was moved after Truscott and Taylor were found by a Lords committee to be willing to change laws in exchange for cash. Yesterday the house debated this report, along with another on whether it has the authority to suspend both men.
Opening, the leader of the Lords, Lady Royall, said that other, innocent peers were being "shouted at in the street" because of the damage done; the episode had left many feeling "sullied".
"I've had members of this house come to me, as I'm sure other leaders have, to tell me what at times it has meant: being shouted at in the street, their spouses being reluctant to go to their local communities because of what people have been saying," she said. "We are at a dark moment for democracy. The trust people place in parliament and parliamentarians has sunk like a stone. People's disgust at parliament… is palpable."
It had been thought the Lords did not have the power to suspend. But last week a report from the committee for privileges said such power did exist. Royall said she thought suspending "appropriate, fair and just". She was "proud" to belong to the Lords, but the "cash for amendments" affair damaged the reputation of all.
Quoting Cassio's speech from Othello, "Reputation, reputation, reputation! Oh, I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial", she concluded: "I'm saddened when the reputation of this house is sullied."
Lord Brabazon of Tara, chairman of the committee, which also recommended disciplining the two, said until recently he had believed standards of conduct so high the house did not need sanctions beyond "naming and shaming".
"We can no longer defend that position," he said. Two other peers exposed by the Sunday Times, Lord Moonie and Lord Snape, were asked by the committee to apologise to the house.