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Thank you for a spectacular 2016-17 Season! Click here to see what we have in store for 2017-18!
We're renovating our site! GSO's new website will be launched on July 1st. We are so grateful to the team at NewGizmo Blog, for their generous support!
Season Finale Concert
Saturday, April 29, 2017 7:30pm
AUDIENCE CHOICE: ELGAR and ESTACIO
2016/17 season ends with audience and orchestra's choice of Elgar's Enigma Variations and Canadian
composer John Estacio's "A Wondrous Light". Also featured is the Grand Winner of the 2016 GSO Under-
23 Concerto Competition, pianist Coral Solomon | River Run Centre
Pre-concert talk (6:50pm), by Joe Ringhofer
Pre-concert Donor Reception (6:50pm) on the second floor lobby)
Click here to read David Knight's engaging program notes!
Earlier this season
Saturday, October 29, 2016 7:30pm
SEASON OPENING GALA – ALL HALLOW'S EVE BALL Elegant Pre-Concert Gala Dinner; Separate Ticket $150
We open our season with a gala performance, featuring symphonic masterpieces inspired by All Hallow's
Eve. Music by Mussorgsky, Berlioz, Prokofiev, Saint-Saens and Poulenc. Featuring: Canadian Piano Duo
Anagnoson and Kinton, and Special Surprise Guests from the Guelph Community | River Run Centre
Join us in the lobby, immediately following the concert, for an after party for the entire audience, generously sponsored by the Delta Guelph Hotel and Conference Centre and Stonehammer Brewing!
Concert generously sponsored by Prime Care Pharmacy, Arboretum
Sunday, December 11, 2016 3pm
Featuring: Young Artists of Oakville Ballet performing Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker (Act I Family Scene, Snow Scene and Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy),
Trumpet Trio of Matisse, Aled, and Maslin Blundell performing Telemann's Concerto for 3 Trumpets, and
the Guelph Youth Singers (Director Markus Howard). The concert includes the annual carol sing-a-long
with audience | River Run Centre Click here to order tickets through the River Run Box Office
We are excited to offer beautiful pastries from Eating Clouds as a fundraiser for GSO this holiday season. Surprise that special person in your life with some Sugarplum treats! (Or make your holiday preparations little easier this year)! You will even have the option of picking up your order at our December 11th Nutcracker Concert or arranging for local home delivery, in the week before Christmas!
Click here to register for the GSOKIds Club
Sunday, January 1, 2017 3pm
Featuring: Canadian soprano Jennifer Maines, winner of the 2015 Austrian Music eatre Prize Best
Leading Actress. Her recent performance as Senta in Wagner's Der fliegende Hollander was described by
Musical America as "a force of nature with a voice of incredible power, effortless throughout its range."
Also on the programme will be Viennese classics by Johann Strauss Sr. and Jr., and Franz Lehar | River
Run Centre
Click here to register for the GSOKIds Club
Sunday, February 12, 2017 3pm
On the programme is the GSO musician's choice of Brahm's Symphony No. 1. To celebrate the 15th
anniversary of GSO's Under-23 Concerto Competition, we will be featuring winners from both the strings
and piano categories.| River Run Centre Click here to get your tickets
Guelph Symphony Orchestra's Musicians' Choice concert shines the spotlight on emerging artists. Sunday, February 12 @ 3 pm, River Run Centre
YouTube sensations, Mitchell Moffit and Gregory Brown of ASAPScience (of 'What Colour is this Dress' fame, and authors of the New York Times best selling book, AsapSCIENCE: Answers to the World's Weirdest Questions, Most Persistent Rumors, and Unexplained Phenomena ) , will perform their Periodic Table Song.
The GSO Under-23 Concerto winners , Morgan Melbourne (Grieg Piano Concerto), Felix Hong (Prokofiev Piano Concerto no. 1) and Leslie Ashworth (Barber Violin Concerto) will rock the house with their impassioned performances
Dylan Langan, the GSO's new Assistant Conductor will make his debut, conducting the Barber
The concert will conclude with one of the most well-known, masterpieces in the symphonic repertoire. Fourteen years in the making, Brahms Symphony No. 1 is the Musicians' Choice!
Here is a link to the our Inside Guelph Interview, featuring Feb 12th soloist, Morgan Melbourne!
Inside Guelph – Monday January 30, 2017
Sunday, April 9, 2017, 3pm
VERDI'S REQUIEM at the BASILICA
With Guest Soloists: soprano Cheryl Hickman and mezzo Nina Yoshida Nelsen. tenor, Ernesto Ramirez and bass Adam Lau. Guest Choir: University of Guelph Choirs (Director Dr. Marta McCarthy) | Basilica Our Lady of the Immaculate
Last Season
1. GSO SEASON OPENING GALA – A MASQUERADE BALL | Saturday, October 24, 2015, 7:30 pm. Back by popular demand: Ballet, Opera, and Symphony in one evening! Special Guests: Selene Guerrero Trujillo and Dylan Tedaldi from the National Ballet of Canada, up-and-coming Superstar Soprano Brittany Renee Robinson, and a joint-choir comprised of the University of Guelph Chamber Singers and the Laurier Singers. Programme includes the glitteringly virtuosic Black Swan Pas de Deux from Swan Lake, the terrifying and instantly recognizable Dies Irae from Verdi's Requiem, and Prokofiev's hauntingly beautiful Cinderella Waltz.
2. A HOLIDAY CELEBRATION | Sunday, December 13, 2015, 3pm. Celebrate Christmas with music by the Baroque masters Bach, Vivaldi, and Handel, the exciting battle and snow scenes from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker, and our popular traditional Carol Sing-a-long. Also on the programme is a screening of Raymond Brigg's animated classic, "The Snowman", featuring young soprano Bridget Walsh. Special guest include: GSO Harpist Sharlene Wallace
Our Holiday Celebration concert and fundraiser was a huge success! Thank you for your support! Anyone still wishing to order Holiday Pastries from Angela at "Eating Clouds", is asked to call 519 362-5628. We regret that there was a typo in the program.
3. NEW YEAR'S DAY in VIENNA | Friday, January 1, 2016, 3pm. Bring in 2016 with your favourite Viennese waltzes and polkas, along with our special guests, 3 Spectacular Singers from the COC Ensemble Studio. (Last New Year's we brought you the 3 tenors – now a soprano, a tenor and a baritone want their chance to take centre stage!) With music by Johann Strauss, Franz Lehar, and W. A. Mozart.
4. LOVE IS IN THE AIR | Sunday, February 14, 2016, 3pm. Celebrate Valentine's Day with the most passionate music in the Classical repertoire, featuring music by Tchaikovsky, Debussy, and Berlipz. Internationally- renowned Canadian soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian, who last thrilled us in the 2014/15 GSO Gala, returns as our very special guest.
FREE ADMISSION: CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS – Sunday, January 31, 2016, 3pm. To celebrate our city's historical love for all living creatures, members of the GSO will perform Camille Saint-Saens' charming Carnival of the Animals at the Guelph Civic Museum. Admission to the concert and the museum that afternoon will be free. This concert will also be presented at Arbour Trails. Further details to be posted.
Generously Sponsored by Miijidaa
FREE ADMISSION: UNDER 23 CONCERTO COMPETITION FINALS Sunday, March 13, 2016, 1:30 pm.
To be held in the Recital Hall at the Guelph Youth Music Centre.To be held in the Recital Hall at the Guelph Youth Music Centre. This year, in celebration our 15th season, the competition is open to Piano, Strings, Woodwind and Brass players. The winners will perform one movement with GSO in our 2016-17 season.
5. MOZART'S REQUIEM at THE BASILICA | Sunday, March 20, 2016, 3pm. GSO performs Mozart's final masterpiece, the Requiem Mass, at the completely renovated and fully accessible, Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate. Special Guests: University of Guelph Choir (dir. Dr. Marta McCarthy).
6. GSO SEASON FINALE – BEETHOVEN'S EROICA SYMPHONY | Saturday, April 30, 2016, 7:30 pm. The GSO finishes the 2015/16 season with one of the most influential and important works of the classical repertoire: Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 "Eroica". Special guest, violinist Emma Meinrenken (2015 GSO Under-23 Concerto Competition Winner), performs Paganini's electrifying Violin Concerto No. 1.
The GSO's 2015 Under 23 Concerto Competition finals took place on Sunday afternoon, March 1 from 1:30- 4:00. Our audience was treated to three stellar performances; Paganini Violin Concerto no. 1, Sibelius Violin Concerto and Elgar Cello Concerto. Congratulations to Emma Meinrenken, who will be featured at our final concert next season.
CONGRATULATIONS to Nancy Sullivan, the winner of the GSO New York Raffle Prize drawn at our "Love is in the Air" concert on February 14th at River Run Centre.
One GRAND PRIZE - A THREE DAY NEW YORK CITY EXPERIENCE FOR TWO PEOPLE
Air Canada return flights from Pearson Airport – Red Car Service from Guelph to Pearson – 2 Nights accommodation in NYC at the Downtown Marriott - Voucher for 2 Tickets to the Metropolitan Opera – (All Subject to Availability) – Value $3,500
Check out excerpts from REVIEWS –
Click here to read about our two upcoming holiday shows in the article published in the KW Record and Guelph Mercury's weekend concert publication., Nightlife
Click below to read the Guelph Mercury review of our Jan 1, 2014 concert: VIENNA, CITY OF MY DREAMS
Click below to read the Guelph Mercury review of our April 7, 2013 concert: BEETHOVEN SYMPHONY NO. 5
from the GUELPH MERCURY – Guelph Symphony Orchestra Starts New Year on a High Note.
to view Click here.


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Better: Carnival Victory Cruise Review by unca pete
Overall Member Rating
Destination: Southern Caribbean
Embarkation: San Juan
Embarking: We've done a similar Southern Caribbean cruise out of OSJ on the Crown Princess two years ago. Sailing from OSJ instead of Florida gives the ships a much greater cruising range into remote ports like Barbados and St. Lucia, for example. We came in two days early on a direct American Airline flight from Connecticut; and spent two very enjoyable evenings at the LaConcha resort (Priceline bid; we did two nights at the Hilton, also a Priceline bid, on our previous cruise.) We enjoyed being able to kick back and relax after a long flight, and being able to spend some time in Old San Juan. You can spend a full day in OSJ exploring the old city and More the forts; and the Body Works exhibit was being featured at the museum near the Sheraton Hotel.
We arrived at the dock at 1:30PM, about one hour early. Big mistake. The ship was still disembarking passengers; and they didn't allow embarking until the official 2:30PM time. All-in-all, it wasn't too bad of an experience, although I feel Princess has the edge here.
Muster Drill: Absolutely the pits. I can't imagine experiencing anything that was so poorly conceived and executed as the muster drill for the lifeboats! Carnival: get your act together here.
The Ship: After reading some of the other reviews, I am wondering if we were on the same ship? I looked for wear and tear, and signs of poor maintenance, but the ship glistened from stem to stern. The Victory is one of the best kept ships that I have sailed on. The crew was constantly doing upkeep, including replacing carpets, etc. The decor is a bit bold and brash, but I thought it looked rich and had a European feel. Some folks hated it, others loved it. We loved it. A personal thing... The hardest part was learning to navigate the ship! Deck 3 and 4 are blocked midship by the multilevel Atlantic dining room, and you have to learn how to get to the right section of the ship above or below those decks to get to the correct dining rooms, atrium, or Caribbean Theater. Our cabin was kept clean. Our stewart knew our schedule to a tee, we always returned to a clean cabin, a cute towel animal, and the ice bucket was always filled.
Dining: We avoided the buffets like the plague. The lines were horrendous, especially for the first few days! Carnival needs to revisit the buffet layout, and the ability to handle large crowds. Also, the dining rooms are closed for lunch on port days, adding to the number of folks using the buffet midday. We did use the Lido deck dining options on the days we stayed on board.
We preferred using the dining room (Pacific, early seating) for breakfast and dinner. I noticed some complaints about the length of the diners. Dining could take up to 1-1/2 to 2 hours, IF one ordered all of the menu choices (appetizers, entree, coffee, desert, etc...) Many folks came in and only ordered an entree and the desert, and were in and out within 30 minutes. The length of the meal was up to you. We enjoyed the time in the dining room, and being pampered by our waiters. What's the rush? The food was better than expected: prime rib was offered on two nights, lobster tail and shrimp, filet mignon, etc. The food was good, but not exceptional. The buffet choices were much more limited and quality was spotty; and you could waste a lot of time waiting in line.
Dining room service was a step or two down from previous cruise experiences. The waiters appear to care, and to try hard to please, but at times they seemed overwhelmed by the number of tables that are assigned to them. There were no specially restaurants (steakhouses, etc. with extra charges) on this ship.
A few more positives: lemonade, coffee, iced tea and self serve ice cream available on deck 24 hours a day. Pizza was also available 24 hrs. on deck. There was always something to eat or pick at. The hot dogs and hamburgers were okay, but the string french fries sucked.
The Ports: We've done most of these ports before, and whatever excursions you find on one line are the same ones offered by the others. Since we visited most of the islands numerous times before, we mostly went ashore to look around in the shops, but we did a quick tour on Dominica and visited a beach on St. Thomas. All of the islands start to look the same after a while :) The ship docked at all of the ports no tendering, and Carnival seems to have the pick of the better pier locations in many ports; and these are all great ports to visit. The itinerary was the highlight of this cruise!!! Well done, Carnival! Also, the times in port were more than adequate. The ship meet all of the published arrival and departure times no coming in late or leaving early.
Entertainment: In general, it left a bit to be desired. The Victory Dancers and Orchestra were great, and put on two good shows. On many evenings only one show time was offered. We missed the magic show because it was at 10:30PM, one night only, and we were too exhausted to stay up and watch it. There were two comedians who were not funny, and it was almost embarrassing to watch them. Victor, the comedian/juggler was excellent, however. One or two more shows, or a few different options each night, would have been nice. We were getting ready to strangle the singer/guitar player in the main atrium by the fourth night. The same songs, over, and over, and over.....
Negatives: The open decks seemed to be much more crowed on this ship than on others. We were told there were over four hundred children on board; although it didn't seem like there were that many. Spanish was the predominate language since many Puerto Ricans took advantage of being able to sail from a home port. For whatever reason this seemed to bother some folks? There were several rumors of a virus spreading through the ship, and the buffet items were being served by the ship dining staff about halfway through the cruise. The on deck movies were a bit lame, and they could have offered a few movies in the Caribbean theater, like Princess does.
Disembarking: A total disaster! Carnival is using a zone system based on your departure flight time. However, many, many passengers rushed the exits and ignored the protocols. This greatly delayed getting folks of the boat; in fact they weren't able to board passengers until 3:30PM because of the delays. To their credit, Carnival opened the pizza and deli stations at around 11:00AM for folks who were waiting to disembark. That was a nice gesture. Passengers had the use of their cabins or the lido deck while waiting, so it wasn't as painful as it could have been. We had a late flight back home, so we didn't mind lounging about on the ship and being the last ones off.
Cabin: We had an 8A cabin, located midship on Upper Deck. The cabin was larger, and the shower area in the bathroom was much roomier than we've had on other lines. Ditto for the size of the balcony. The cabin had a couch and king sized bed (I think the couch opens into a bed.)
Lasting impressions: Based on the itinerary, condition of the ship and discounted price we were well pleased with the cruise. We had a great time. Had we paid full brochure rate, I'd probably feel a bit different. There were negatives (there is always some on any cruise....) but we didn't let them detract from having fun and relaxing! We would sail on Carnival again. Less
Published 12/09/08
Cabin review: 8A6306 BalconyBalcony (8A) Reviews >>
Read Cruise Critic's Carnival Victory Review >>
Skip this dirty, smelly, rusti...
customer service, food, clean...
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Relaxing wedding cruise
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Lots of winners and few losers...
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subset: commoncrawl


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News from the Center's Local Human Rights Lawyering Program
Local Human Rights Lawyering Project Director appointed to newly constituted ICCPR Taskforce
Lauren E. Bartlett, Project Director for the Local Human Rights Lawyering Project, has been selected as a member of the US Human Rights Network's newly constituted ICCPR Taskforce, a Network body charged with coordinating U.S. civil society advocacy before the U.N. Human Rights Committee to hold the U.S. accountable to its obligations to respect, fulfill and protect human rights in the U.S. under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (the "ICCPR"). The ICCPR Taskforce consists of 12 members and 2 co-chairs, who represent different geographic regions, issue areas and constituencies.
The members of the ICCPR Taskforce were selected through a competitive application process and due to the fact that they have each been directly impacted by human rights violations or work with and on behalf of directly impacted communities, have experience in engaging with human rights mechanisms, and have an interest in developing expertise in UN human rights mechanisms.


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The first public hearing of the joint select committee on the proposed parliamentary budget office (PBO) last week was a polite and agreeable piece of theatre, especially for anyone familiar with the battle lines underpinning the exercise and not just those of last year's "new paradigm".
Anyone in Canberra would know Treasury and Finance would instinctively hate an independent PBO second-guessing their every fiscal move.
Yet milk and honey flowed from their evidence, led mostly by Treasury deputy Nigel Ray, who runs the fiscal group, and their joint submission, whose first six pages were devoted to outlining the complexity, scope and general excellence of their own budget and fiscal policy operations.
The PBO's functions "would need to be clearly articulated, including in any enabling legislation", their submission said.
No off-the-shelf model from other jurisdictions could translate directly. And of course, especially since the charter of budget honesty was legislated, Australia's fiscal frameworks were already well regarded internationally, in particular for their detail, transparency and public disclosure.
A PBO could help strengthen existing fiscal institutions by enhancing information flows and providing tailored analysis to non-government parliamentarians on budget and fiscal policy but alas, there would be a price tag (think heavy sigh).
"It will be important to remain mindful of the considerable resources required to undertake costings." (It transpired later that some 300 Treasury and Finance staff work on costings). Indeed, "a PBO may place a greater strain on existing Treasury/Finance resources because of the likely need to assist the PBO with its work, analyse, check and potentially respond to PBO costings".
Further, "fully duplicating the costing role of the Treasury and Finance has the potential to lead to confusion or conflict around estimates, rather than the substance of government policy options".
Meanwhile, the secretary of the Department of Parliamentary Services, Alan Thompson, is overseas on a (no doubt dreadfully onerous) fact-finding mission about other jurisdictions. Parliamentary librarian Roxanne Missingham, with a foot in two camps, represented both the Parliamentary Library, which hosted the $500,000 PBO trial (the "pre-election policy unit") last year, and DPS.
The committee chairman Labor's
Ms Missingham, who would surely kill to get her own appropriation and the PBO too, defended the library's independence while refraining from bagging the "resource agreement".
Mr Faulkner kept baiting the hook: "Given the critical importance of the independence of the Parliamentary Library, which I know that you accept, do you think such a model could work for the [PBO]? Are you able to say . . . 'here are some issues to look out for or some possible weaknesses?' "
Ms Missingham wasn't born yesterday and said it could have a similar set of (extremely complex) protocols including its own joint standing committee. Nor did she make the tactical error of staking the library's sole claim on it.
She didn't have to because, as Mr Faulkner said, the agreement between the government, opposition and independents of September 7 had said a PBO would be based in the library, although Liberal Christopher Pyne believed that wasn't binding.
Finance deputy Stein Helgeby said: "We have started from the assumption in the agreement that the institution is located within the Parliamentary Library.
"We have seen it as largely complementary to the charter. We have seen it as having a role which is in research, analysis and commentary."
There was also some debate over whether there was actually room for it in Parliament House.
The clerk of the Senate, Rosemary Laing, "a critical friend" of the committee, said it all came down to what parliament wanted the PBO to do.
"I think the greatest design principle that covers everything is that form follows function."
It could enhance Senate estimates committees whose secretariats had historically "not provided the same kind of support to estimates as they have to other inquiry processes".
Naturally, none of the officials, including the clerk of the Reps, Bernard Wright, wanted to lose staff to the PBO.
There was also much discussion about what powers it might have to extract information from government.
The last witness was Stephen Bartos, a former deputy secretary heading the budget group in Finance, appearing in a personal capacity. Mr Bartos, who recently evaluated the pre-election policy unit for the library, thought the PBO should be an independent fiscal body (perhaps a wholly-owned company like the Australian Strategic Policy Institute) with an external governing body, a clear legislated mandate and functions, matching resources, clear reporting lines and accountabilities.
Importantly, it should go beyond policy costings to such functions as longer term fiscal sustainability reporting and independent validation of official forecasts.
Staffing could include secondments from Treasury, Finance and the Reserve Bank of Australia (a red rag to three bulls).
So that's round one, illustrating the furious agreement and terribly pleasant disagreement of the "new paradigm" in action at the critical interface of bureaucracy and parliament.
The Australian Financial Review


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McKeesport ceremony honors vets
Veterans, first responders and civic leaders gathered in McKeesport's Memorial Park to honor those who have served in the U.S. military, paying special tribute to three locals who recently died.
"Each service, we've been honoring one person – a fallen veteran," McKeesport Veterans Activities Association president Jim Calvin said. "This is a sad day today."
Calvin was referring to the late Harry P. Kucich, who served in the Pacific theater of operations during World War II. He was a member of AMVETS Post 8 and American Legion Post 361.
"He always showed up for the veterans functions, and he isn't here," Calvin said. "Harry, wherever you're at, we miss you, brother."
Speakers also reflected on the service of the late Art Nagy of McKeesport and the late Bernard S. Ordos of West Mifflin. They were survivors of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
"We salute and remember two of our hometown Pearl Harbor heroes, who recently passed away," state Rep. Bill Kortz said. "These two brave Americans fought back against the Japanese, survived the attack at Pearl, went on to fight in the Pacific theater, and they returned home victorious.
"They returned home to raise a family. They shared their story with us. They shared their history with us. God bless them both."
Clifford W. Flegal Sr. gave a eulogy for Nagy, and Steve Nagy offered his father's flag to fly in Memorial Park until Pearl Harbor Day.
"Art, when he came back, he was one of the most intense and honest veterans that I ever knew," Flegal recalled. "Over the years, I've been master of ceremonies and chairman for so many veterans events I can't count. Art Nagy was always there for the veterans … I miss him very much."
Speakers offered a blessing to all veterans, including those serving today in the Middle East and around the globe.
In his invocation, the Rev. Rudy Mayak of Park Baptist Church said that to be called a veteran is a distinct honor, because those distinguished men and women are the best Americans this nation has to offer.
"We want to remember all the fallen heroes of all generations, who willingly gave their lives for the sake of freedom, liberty and justice," said the Rev. Rudy Mayak of Park Baptist Church. "Also, we want to thank all of those who have served in war and peace, and have returned home to their loving families and grateful nation."
VFW Post 514 Past Cmdr. Michael J. Melosky, who offered the Veterans Day address, said he holds a special place in his heart for those who were taken prisoner and those who did not return home.
A World War II veteran, Melosky endured Nazi captivity.
"I was a prisoner twice, and I escaped twice," he said. "I saw Adolf Hitler in person."
Melosky said he has the deepest sympathy and highest regard for veterans who gather in their communities for events such as McKeesport's.
"As the veterans stand next to each other, many seem to have taken their toll," Melosky said. "Shoulders are stooped, jackets are frayed, and backs bent. And yet their desire to stand as tall as they can with pride in their eyes to show respect to another veteran – one of their brethren – is unmistakable."
Melosky said he is humbled to see veterans living with chronic pain due to injuries they suffered while they served. Former Allegheny County commissioner Larry Dunn agreed.
"There are so many (wounded warriors) who need our help," Dunn said. "They fought the battle. They have terrible wounds. They are trying to get their lives back in order, and it's very difficult for so many of them."
Speakers encouraged attendees to do all they can to support organizations that aid veterans. They also spoke of the importance of taking time to recognize and simply thank the veterans they encounter.
"I believe this is an appropriate way to honor and recognize the 25 million veterans in the United States who have served proudly in the military and remain as role models to other citizens," Melosky said.
McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko said he wants children to be knowledgeable of what veterans mean to society and the true role they play.
"As an educator for 12 years, I taught 11- and 12-year-olds, and we would talk about heroes," he said. "You always hear about your football and basketball players. I always looked forward to the moment to discuss with them that, without our real heroes, we wouldn't have the chance to even know about these professional athletes."
Cherepko thanked McKeesport Area High School's marching band, which performed the national anthem Saturday and hosted a concert Friday to honor local heroes.
"If you were unable to be there, I strongly recommend you attend it next year," the mayor said. "They do this each and every year, and it's a first-class, tear-jerking performance."
Jennifer R. Vertullo is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 412-664-9161, ext. 1956
, or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Bridge Conference supplies and installs a variety of video conferecing equipment from various manufacturers, including Avaya and Polycom.
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Join as a member. There's a certificate with your name on it.
The display toggle settings for the following elements does not get saved as part of the export code
Site name
Site slogan
User pictures in posts
User pictures in comments
User verification status in comments
Shortcut icon
Main menu
Secondary menu
When you then install the theme on another site, or revert the theme settings to the code defaults in an existing site, the display settings for all of those elements get lost, and revert to being set to display=true. This means that, for example, if you are working on a theme locally, and then then you export all of the theme settings to code, and go to your live site and revert to suck in all of your changes, things like logos and navigation suddenly start to disaply where they had previously not been doing so. The result is an incredibly broken looking theme with 2 sets of menus and logos (I'm using the logos and menu blocks provided by delta_blocks rather than the theme variable based ones.
My guess is that it's because these settings arte provided by the core, and not by the theme - but even so, if that were the case, why should revering a themes settings back to those defined in code then also revert the display settings for theses elements?
Comment #1fubhy CreditAttribution: fubhy commented
|» Postponed (maintainer needs more info)
Are you speaking of the Delta export feature or the Omega tools export feature for the plain theme settings? Delta exports work... Omega tools is not yet working with 3.x and I do not recommend using it yet because it can cause problems (nothing bad, just headaches).
So I guess you are speaking of the Omega tools export?
Comment #3fubhy CreditAttribution: fubhy commented
|» Closed (won't fix)
Yep... Omega tools still has some minor problems. I will release a fresh version with a lot of cool stuff really soon but for now you have to take it as it is I am afraid :/.
Delta exports work tho! So if you export your Deltas you should NOT experience that bug. Please check that and report back in any case. I will place a note in here as soon as Omega Tools is released.
Comment #5fubhy CreditAttribution: fubhy commented
|» Closed (won't fix)
This is a won't fix for Omega because there is just no problem with Omega. This problem is related to Omega Tools and the fact that it is not functioning right with the latest 3.x version of Omega. If you want to use the features of Omega Tools you should wait until we have a proper release for that. You have two options:
- Export the settings with Omega Tools and manually place them in your subtheme.info file and then fix them manually (re-read them and make sure they are correct and contain the toggle logo, site_name, etc. settings).
- Use Delta with Context in a SITEWIDE CONTEXT! (yes you can tell a context to be active _always_ by setting it to "sitewide" context). In this long run this is not preferable because its always good to have the true theme settings as base.
I repeat: There is NO! problem with Omega (the theme). It is working 100% accurately with all theme settings and does NOT have any bad impact on what you are describing here. This is ALL and ENTIRELY related to how Omega tools exports the theme settings => Omega Tools fails here. And since you are reverting to what Omega tool exported you as theme settings before those toggle settings are (of course) lost.
This is a "won't fix" for the Omega issue queue because there is just nothing wrong with Omega and there is also no reason to keep this active for Omega tools because the new version is already on the way and has completely new code so it won't have this problem anyways.
For now you should just do it manually and uninstall Omega tools if you don't feel like debugging it all the time.
Comment #6fubhy CreditAttribution: fubhy commented
I suggest you just do it manually ... It is really not much of an effort to write the theme settings into your .info file by hand (remember, you only have to do that once!). The fact that exporting the base theme settings (not deltas) does not work at the moment sucks, i know, but I have too much other stuff to do and dont want to waste my time fixing a bug that is not going to be in the final 3.x release of Omega Tools anyways.
Comment #8fubhy CreditAttribution: fubhy commented
The only solution for weighting contexts right now is to order them by name by preceding numbers or something. Thats how context sorts it currently. Regarding that you are right! Deltas can override each other without a problem though.
Comment #9JThan CreditAttribution: JThan commented
|» Omega Tools
|» 7.x-3.0-rc4
|Closed (won't fix)
|» Active
Changing this to Omega Tools Project. It happened to me on a new install today. So this is still a bug :)
Comment #10danbohea CreditAttribution: danbohea commented
This is still a bug. The shortcut icon settings get lost too.
If I write these settings to .info manually, will a future export overwrite my manual changes?
Comment #11danbohea CreditAttribution: danbohea commented
Ah, just answered my own question. The settings get written to .info just fine so I'm guessing the issue is with the reading back in of the info file? That would make the suggestion to manually write your settings in #6 kind of pointless?
Comment #12danbohea CreditAttribution: danbohea commented
Wow, not really used Delta before. While it feels like using a sledge hammer to crack this particular nut, it does look very, very cool. Theme settings in Features! YES! :D
Comment #13dbassendine CreditAttribution: dbassendine commented
I'm seeing this issue too. The "Toggle Display" and "Logo Image Settings" settings are saved to the .info file, but they're not being recognised when theme settings are reverted. Instead, the theme just reverts to its default settings (eg. the default logo).
Comment #14mkadin CreditAttribution: mkadin commented
I can confirm this happening with zone weight as well. .info file looks good, but reverting to those settings isn't working properly.
Comment #15draenen CreditAttribution: draenen commented
The problem is that some settings are stored as global theme settings. The global 'theme_settings' variable needs to be deleted in addition to the theme specific settings variable.
A patch is attached.
Note the following from theme_get_setting()
The final setting is obtained from the last value found in the following sources:
- the default global settings specified in this function
- the default theme-specific settings defined in any base theme's .info file
- the default theme-specific settings defined in the theme's .info file
- the saved values from the global theme settings form
- the saved values from the theme's settings form
Comment #16DamienMcKenna CreditAttribution: DamienMcKenna commented
Deleting the global setting could be (slightly) dangerous as Omega Tools doesn't export those settings, only what is defined for the individual theme. I'd wager this should be either a "won't fix", or "needs work" and expand OT to also export all non-overridden values from the main theme_settings variable too.
Comment #17draenen CreditAttribution: draenen commented
|Needs review
|» Needs work
Yeah, this is "needs work" to export theme_settings also. I like to maintain all settings in the .info file for source control instead of using the UI. The revert tool is basically useless if it doesn't revert global settings as well. I'll work on a better patch as I have time.
Comment #18joelcollinsdc CreditAttribution: joelcollinsdc commented
|Some toggle display settings lost on revert
|» Better handling of global theme settings
So I would agree that it is definitely confusing that once you export theme settings, the global settings that are overridden in the theme.info file are lost. I made a patch that should provide the user with better guidance, and fixed some other issues along the way...
- Allow the user to delete the theme_settings variable
- Warn the user when reverting theme settings if there is a global variable that exists that will override exported theme settings
- Prevent the omega tools action buttons from showing up on non-omega themes
- Provide the user a way of telling if the theme settings are overridden or default.
Hope this gets accepted!
Comment #19joelcollinsdc CreditAttribution: joelcollinsdc commented
added a some rubuild theme calls after clearing out the variable
Comment #20joelcollinsdc CreditAttribution: joelcollinsdc commented
fixed some errors, added some more description text
Comment #21joelcollinsdc CreditAttribution: joelcollinsdc commented
|Needs work
|» Needs review
Comment #22joelcollinsdc CreditAttribution: joelcollinsdc commented
|» 7.x-3.x-dev


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Nicole Richie is reportedly back together with ex-fiance Adam Goldstein
Upon their bittersweet relationship that finally ended in December last year, Nicole Richie and Adam Goldstein still stayed in contact. And now it is widely believed that the twosome has rekindled their romance, but their engagement is still on hold.
"Nicole convinced him to give her a second chance, but they're not engaged. She asked if she could put her ring back on and he said no. They miss each other and want to try it again." So said a source. Though, we better see what will happen in the near future.


text: OverviewBack to top Irwin Naturals - Less-Stress Weight Control - 75 Softgels (contains Magnolia Bark) Item# :63882UPC# :710363263577 Brand:Irwin Naturals Size/Form:75 Softgels Ship Weight:0.65 Servings:37 Dosage:2 Softgel(s) Irwin Naturals - Less-Stress Weight Control with Magnolia, Green Tea and B-Vitamins - 75 Softgels Irwin Naturals Less-Stress Weight Control supplement contains Magnolia, Green Tea, B-Vitamins, and other nutrients to help you better deal with stress-related cravings. Irwin Naturals Less-Stress Weight Control supplement with Magnolia, Green Tea and B-Vitamins supports weight loss in three key areas: Stress Reduction: For thousands of years, magnolia bark has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to support relaxation and reduce stress. Herbal Support: Green Tea is one of the most powerful antioxidants found in nature. Used for centuries in Asia and extensively studied in the Western world, green tea provides powerful protection to your cells as one of the best free radical scavengers in existence. Emerging research suggests green tea may have a positive effect on weight management when combined with a healthy diet and exercise program. Enhanced Energy: Less-Stress Weight Control contains B-vitamins including thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6, B12, pantothenic acid and biotin. B-vitamins are key in the breakdown of carbohydrates into glucose to provide energy for the body. These essential nutrients are also required for the breakdown of fats and proteins. The comprehensive daily formula includes healthy levels of DHA and EPA from Fish Oil. The ingredients in Irwin Naturals' Less-Stress Weight Control supplement not only support your weight loss goals, but also support your overall health and well-being. Get Serious About PotencyIrwin Naturals is so serious about potency, bioavailability and absorption that they simply call it their Mission. So Irwin Naturals invests heavily in research and cutting edge formulas. In fact, Irwin Naturals' Liquid Soft-Gel technology, along with their bioperine-infused blends and their potent herbal extracts are setting a new "Gold Standard" in the industry. Are you ready to get serious? About Irwin NaturalsFor the past 15 years Irwin Naturals has been leading the formulation of nutritional supplements in both the domestic and international market place, offering over one hundred unique products worldwide. With distribution in over 50 countries, their products rank amongst the elite. A full line supplier of natural dietary and herbal supplements, they also thrive in the high volume, high impulse product arenas, including weight loss, targeted nutritional supplements, sexual health and cleansing. Their success is driven by highly impactful packaging, best-in-class formulas and the #1 consumer-preferred delivery form – Fast-Acting Liquid Soft-Gels.


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and What It Can Do for Your Decision Making:
Deliberations is written for the thinking investor, as an input to your own deliberations on markets.
Every third week you get to look over the shoulder of an experienced global analyst, see his charts, and read his commentary as he reviews the major world equity, bond, forex and precious metals markets.
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Some readers think of Deliberations as a chart service with commentary. A truly unique feature is the careful creation of timely, unusual graphic presentations that often speak for themselves. The charts in Deliberations are designed by a veteran of the world of finance (with 40+ years of experience). Seeing the markets through his charts affords subscribers a rare opportunity to benefit from his experience..
Most of the charts are custom made to Mr. McAvity's specifications by Topline Investment Graphics of Boulder, Colorado; with concepts, notations and trendlines by Ian McAvity.
No conventional wisdom here
Deliberations provides the thinking investor with many views, often controversial ideas, periodic jabs at the madness of the political process or craziness within the markets. A voice of caution to many, but a voice of reason to others. Unconventional perspectives from Deliberations have often become the mainstream view in time, providing profitable opportunities for those who anticipate change.
two pages from the January 18, 2000 issue
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text:
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 6/3/2014 (1237 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Paul Maurice juggled lines, moved Michael Froik to centre and pushed, pulled and prodded his squad any number of ways to generate some offence.
But the Winnipeg Jets' first game without Mark Scheifele in the lineup -- he's gonzo for up to eight weeks with an MCL sprain -- also left most at the MTS Centre watching the Los Angeles Kings completely stifle the home side in a 3-1 win thinking one thing:
Get well soon, No. 55.
The Jets were outshot 41-18 by the Kings Thursday night in a blueprint road victory by the visitors. And while there were slight jumps in ice time by those who were asked to gobble up the extra minutes in Scheifele's absence, the offensive creativity the rookie had been providing was lacking.
"When you've got some injuries it's not easy," said Frolik. "It's a challenge for other guys to step up. We need that. You have to deal with injuries. It's hockey. It's a part of it. We need to adjust pretty quick on that.
"We need to put the puck more to the net... we had just 18 shots or something. We need to put to the net and have traffic. They've got some big guys there and they protect the net. But it's more we've got to get there. We need more shots from the point and battle in front of the net.
"Those kind of teams, you usually score ugly goals. It's usually not pretty."
Maurice moved Frolik into the middle between Devin Setoguchi and Matt Halischuk and that trio was solid. But while Blake Wheeler was reunited with Bryan Little and Andrew Ladd, that line combined for only two shots. And in the third period Maurice had moved Byfuglien onto that line, moving Wheeler alongside Olli Jokinen and Evander Kane.
Interestingly, of the 18 shots the Jets got to Jonathan Quick, seven were fired by Kane.
Of course, much of that unfolded because of the guys in the white jerseys.
Silver lining? Frolik was solid in his first game at centre since a short stint with Chicago last year.
"I liked Mike Frolik's game an awful lot," said Maurice. "If we dig into that, it was a solid performance by what our third line might be. I thought he (Frolik) was great. Our faceoff percentage is going to be a helluva lot better if he's going to keep going like that (he won 57 per cent of his draws) and we can play a solid enough game to win with him at centre ice."
If anything, the Jets were guilty of over-complicating the game with the pucks on their sticks. And against dominant defensive teams like the Kings -- a crew with some beasts at the centre-ice position like Anze Kopitar, Jarret Stoll and Mike Richards -- simple can be much more effective.
"They play a tough game and we need to be sharper," said Frolik. "We struggled in the neutral zone. We didn't put the puck deep properly that we could have a good forecheck.
"We're all right. You're going to have some bumps in the road."
Twitter: @WFPEdTait


text:
J.R. Smith was a starter as a rookie. Since then he's made a living coming off the bench. He's thrived. He even won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award in 2013. However, he was named a starter last season and would prefer to remain a starter from now on.
At 6'6", 220 pound shooting guard/small forward J.R. Smith is an explosive scorer but he's also very volatile. Most around the league have viewed him best in a reserve scoring role. In fact, he's only made 167 starts in 692 games played over his decade in the NBA.
Back in 2012, Marc Berman of the New York Post reported Smith wanted to be a taken seriously as a candidate to start in the NBA.
"It gets frustrating after a while,'' Smith said. "People saying, "he's a sixth man, sixth man, sixth man'' when you believe you're a starter…"
Smith doesn't just want to be the scoring punch off the bench. He's wanted to be a starter for a long time and finally was given that chance under Mike Woodson. He's now hoping newly named New York Knicks' head coach Derek Fisher will view him as more than a reserve scorer.
Nope no more bench for me!! RT @Stangg_@TheRealJRSmith getting 6th man this coming season, mark my words— JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) June 10, 2014
About 17 hours later Smith made it clear that he'd talked to Fisher and heard good things.
Just talk to #CoachFish had a great convo! #BringOnTheRings— JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) June 11, 2014
That doesn't mean that Fisher necessarily views Smith as a starter. Perhaps Fisher will view Smith as best used in the same role Fisher played for the Oklahoma City Thunder this season when he led the second unit and often was on the floor to close games.
That being said, in 2013, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork reported that Smith believed his Sixth Man of the Year award showed he had nothing left to prove as a reserve.
"I've always wanted to start. Everybody knows that," Smith said. "I won the Sixth Man [Award] last year, so I felt as though there's nothing left to prove at the sixth-man spot…"
Obviously the number one player Fisher will need to deal with is Carmelo Anthony. That is, as long as he decides to stick around. However, Smith is an important player to juggle on the Knicks roster. He needs to be handled with care.
Smith is one of those players that given too much freedom can derail. He can also thrive under the right supervision. Hopefully Smith will get along with Fisher very well. He'll need the support of veterans like Smith while transitioning into his new coaching role.
Besides, Smith is not only signed for next season but also has a player option for the 2015-16 season. He's said in the past he'd like to retire with the Knicks. If he gets his way he and Fisher could be together for years to come.
That being said, if Smith wants to be a starter he'll have to buy into the triangle offense and play his role. He'll also have to prove that he can play more like the player who he looked like towards the end of this season and not the one who struggled through the first part of the season.
Smith will need to show that his struggles were more tied to his knee surgery and recover and not his transition to a starting role. How that works out is anyones guess. However, it's clear that Smith wants to be a starter. It's also clear that the decision is in the hands of Fisher. Only time will tell if Smith keeps liking what he hears from Fisher.


text:
Latest Stories
Capcom's New PSP Fighter0 Comments
April 5, 2007
About This Game
- Summary
- Specifications
- Game Editions
An erotic PC adventure game by Type-Moon, Fate/Stay Night follows the adventures of Shiro Emiya, a young man brought into the life of a Magi after the death of his parents. Intending to do good in Fuyuki City, he finds himself in the middle of a secret battleground of Magi. Although based on a serious action/magic storyline, the game also operates as an erotic adventure title and does have some hardcore content.
- Minimum Requirements
- Windows98/Me/2000/XP
- PentiumIII 400MHz
- Windows98/Me - 128MB RAM
- Windows2000 - 192MB
- WindowsXP - 256MB
- 1700MB Hard Disc Space
- 800x600 screen
- AGP graphics card
Fate/Stay NightRelease Date: January 30, 2004MSRP: 8800 JPY
Fate/Stay NightPublisher: Type-Moon
Help us solve the toughest (or most puzzling) game puzzles and challenges.
Our attempt to answer issues which most commonly occur on IGN's wikis.


text:
Fantasy Team #2
I am in 3 Fantasy leagues. This one started last year with my buddies. Tonight is my final draft. That league I have been in for over 15 years. It's tough. I have missed the payoffs the last 3 years. I had the 7th pick in this league and here is my team...
QBs: Cam Newton & Colin Kaepernick
RBs: Jamaal Charles, Gio Bernard, Ray Rice, Trent Richardson
WRs: Alshon Jeffery, Pierre Garcon, Eric Decker, Terrance Williams, Cecil Shorts
TEs: Jimmy Graham & Dwayne Allen
K: Steven Hauschka
D: Pats
Not bad getting Charles with the 7th pick. I took some guys I normally wouldn't because this league is more just for fun. But they could pay off.
It's a new month, so that means a new Marvel Vintage calendar pic! Check out Silver Surfer #1!


text:
Greg Iles: Action-packed plot keeps readers up late
By Terry Mathews | News telegram Arts Editor
There are many reasons to like best-selling author Greg Iles. He tells good stories. He does his homework. He's consistent. And, unlike some of his peers, he actually writes the words we read.
True Evil
One of Iles' strong suits is his ability to make his characters practically jump off the page. They're real, not cookie-cutter, formula action figures. His good guys have flaws and his bad guys usually have some reason driving their twisted behavior.
In his latest offering, Iles wastes no time in getting the action started. It begins with the first sentence:
�Alex Morse charged through the lobby of the new University Medical Center like a doctor to a code call, but she was no doctor.��
Morse is a hostage negotiator for the FBI. Her sister, Grace, is dying in a Jackson, Miss. hospital, having collapsed at her son Jamie's Little League baseball game.
Morse's father was killed five months prior, her mother is suffering from ovarian cancer, and her own professional future is in doubt.
She botched a negotiation, was shot in the face, and in the melee, one of her colleagues took a fatal shotgun blast to the chest.
It gets worse. On her deathbed, Grace accuses her husband Bill of unspeakable evil. Grace begs Morse to protect young Jamie from the coming madness.
It takes five weeks of juggling a flailing career and visits to her mother's sickbed, but Morse uncovers the hidden links from her brother-in-law to the "true evil" of the title. She has the pieces of the puzzle, but she can't make them fit without the help of the evil's next victim, Chris Shepard, M.D.
How Morse convinces young Dr. Shepard that his life is indeed in jeopardy and how the two make an uneasy alliance in their fight to unmask the killers is the basis of the plot and makes for more than a few nail- biting moments.
I hope to see more of Alex Morse and Dr. Shepard. They make a good team.
Few writers do suspense like Iles. He's taken some heat from critics for stretching the plausibility angle, but in "True Evil," Iles has done his homework, and his theories don't seem so much like fantasy. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Do not start this book if you have a lot of items on your to do list ... like housework or laundry or errands ... or sleep. Iles is on top of his game here and the urgency of the story makes it nearly impossible to stop reading until the last page is turned.
Older Archives
Looking for News-Telegram Sports and News Archives for January 2004 - November 2008


text:
A pharmacy in Aberaeron has become the first in Wales to gain recognition for its work with carers.
Mrs Bernadine Rees OBE, Chair of Hywel Dda University Health Board presented staff from Boots the Chemist with their Investors in Carers (IiC) Certificate.
The store is the first pharmacy in Wales to gain this accreditation for its work in identifying and supporting unpaid Carers in the local community.
The IiC scheme is being operated across the Hywel Dda region with nearly all GP surgeries in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire already gaining accreditation. The scheme is now being rolled out to pharmacies and selected hospital wards across the region.
In awarding the certificate Mrs Rees said: "I am delighted to be making the award which is my first official presentation as Chair of Hywel Dda and Carers Champion for the Board.
"I support the promotion of this initiative which helps address the unmet needs of carers by helping people realise there is support available to help them continue to care for close family and friends. "
Mr McConnell agreed that the scheme had opened his and his team's eyes to the role that unpaid Carers undertake and they were keen to maintain the work they had started.


text:
The latest player to unmask itself is the United States. Even as tensions brew between Pakistan and the US over a resolution introduced in the US House of Representatives seeking sovereignty for the volatile province, officials reveal that the US has been pushing Islamabad for permission to establish bases in Balochistan for intelligence operations against bordering Iran.
The international front
Running parallel to the Balochistan saga is the recent rising concern in the West over purported Iranian ambitions to build nuclear arsenal. Reports in the recent past suggest American and Israeli authorities are starting to run out of patience, and the threat of Israeli military action against defiant Iran is a growing one.
Experts say the statement was a veiled reference to American ambitions to put an end to Iran's nuclear drive.
In December last year, President Asif Ali Zardari delivered a speech at a gathering of Pakistan Peoples Party workers, saying he would never allow his country to become part of any other war theatre in the region.
"We are the well wishers of all and don't want to make any more enemies," the president said in remarks that officials interpreted as a snub to American pressure seeking permission for anti-Iran intelligence operations.


text:
COUNCIL bosses have asked Whitehall for around £3m to replace lights covering part of the M65, the Lancashire Telegraph can reveal.
Controversial proposals to remove lights between junctions 10 and 14, as part of work to replace the central reservation, attracted a chorus of disapproval earlier this year on safety grounds.
But now it has emerged that the Labour-controlled county council has appr-oached the Department of Transport seeking extra funding to install new lights - as the current ones will need to be removed when a concrete barrier is installed along the route.
County Coun Azhar Ali, who represents Nelson South and is health and social care cabinet member, said the authority had been left with no option but to replace the lights, as a precursor to the new central reservation proposals.
"I fully support the replacement of the lights because it has a huge impact on the health and wellbeing of people in East Lancashire. That is why we have asked the government for help," said Coun Ali.
The Lancashire Telegraph has campaigned against the lights being switched off overnight, and has won the backing of a number of MPs, and emergency services representatives. And it has also been confirmed that any work on the central reservation and lights will not now begin until 2015.
Phil Barrett, the county council's highways services director, said replacing the barrier would reduce the risk of serious collisions by preventing vehicles from crossing onto opposite carriageways when accidents happen.
But he added: "The work could not take place before next year in any case as we'll be carrying out work to the barriers and bridge parapets along the hard shoulder later this year, and the two schemes could not be done at the same time."


text:
Florida spring football practices are closed to fans and media, but UF Communications provided these photos. Gator Country has added full captions.
Check back as more photos will be added as practices continue.
10 photos added on 8/10
9 photos added on 8/16
14 photos added on 8/18
Photo Gallery: UF 2011 fall football practice (click here to view gallery)


text:
Your donations keep RPGWatch running!
Torchlight - Review @ GIN
by Dhruin, 2009-12-18 20:00:31
More praise for Torchlight with Gaming Industry News awarding 4.5/5 in their review:
What Torchlight's lacks in story it makes up in environments, gameplay, and fun! It is easy to dismiss the graphics as a World of Warcraft copy but there's enough of a unique style to give Torchlight a signature look. Even the environments, a dead-ringer of the new 3D-isometrical environment in Diablo 3, has a distinct look. It is fantastic that Torchlight can run well on older computers and newer systems given its incredibly crisp look. There were no performance problems when settings where maximized on my review system. The game is visually solid.
Source: Blues News
Newsbit options: Add / View Comments (0) | Forward this newsbit | Link to this Newsbit
Information aboutTorchlight
SP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Fantasy
Genre: RPG
Platform: PC
Release: Released


text:
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
The No A**hole Rule
How many successful authors today do you know who fit that description?
Um. On second thought, don't answer that. But now think of the huge number of bestselling and successful authors you know today (some of whom comment regularly on the blog) who are awesome, cool people who you would love to hang out with even if they weren't also incredible writers.
I'm not sure what's in the cultural waters, but I'm hearing from non-publishing people in the world of business that there's a new trend afoot toward politeness, anger management, and a less rigid hierarchy -- in other words, in business you can't really be a jerk anymore. Managers are no longer allowed to mistreat their assistants, it's essential to treat people with respect, contain tempers, work together, and generally avoid being a misanthrope. Stanford prof Richard Sutton chronicled the negative effective of assholes in the workplace with his appropriately titled book THE NO ASSHOLE RULE, and it's been a bestseller. Jim Collins showed in GOOD TO GREAT that the best leaders are humble, not egotistical.
Now, with publishing you're dealing with artists, who are not exactly known for an even temperament. And no doubt there's much more tolerance for eccentricity in publishing than there would be in the rest of the business world. But even in publishing an author who is a joy to work with and has a dynamite, charming personality has a leg up over one who doesn't. Allow me to venture a hypothesis on why this be so: I think this has a great deal to do with the role of the modern author.
Way back when in simpler times, the book was what mattered. The author may have had to do some events and readings, but for the most part an author's engagement with the public was limited. Word of mouth and reviews drove sales. If a writer wrote a good book but was a pill to deal with, that was basically ok.
Not so much anymore.
Now, via TV, radio, the Internet, lots more travel, etc., the author is face to face with their readership more than ever before and is called upon to generate sales opportunities -- this requires social skills. They are also more closely in touch with people within a publishing organization -- also requiring social skills. And it helps when people want to work with an author because they're an awesome, friendly, professional, hardworking author.
Is a publisher going to decline to publish a great book simply because the author is a jerk and a handful? Probably not. But when those difficult and nebulous decisions are being made in a publishing house, such as who gets what advertising and who is going to be the lead title and a great deal of complex factors are being weighed, put a great personality in the "pro" column for an author.
Personality counts.
60 comments:
- sex scenes at starbucks said...
I just saw this issue tackled on another blog. In my experience with artists (extensive) and writers (getting to be as extensive) the people who are jerks are nearly the people who aren't very good. I'm sure there are exceptions to the rule, but I haven't met them.
Fisticuffs. Heh. I love that word.
- April 22, 2008 at 4:46 PM
- Brian said...
Amen, brotha.
As a publicist, I'm much more eager to help out those authors who treat me professionally and are out there doing their bit to promote their book than the ones who look at me over the top of their glasses and say, "It's not MY job to promote my book, it's YOURS."
I work hard on the books for all my authors but I might just work a liiiitle bit harder for the nice authors.
- April 22, 2008 at 5:04 PM
- Conduit said...
It's always been my experience that those who are genuinely good at what they do, in whatever field, are seldom assholes. It's the wannabes you've got to look out for.
A quick anecdote-
In May 1992 I met the man many believe to be greatest guitarist alive today, Allan Holdsworth (Eddie Van Halen worships him). I'm a guitarist myself, and a Holdsworth fan, so when I saw him hovering by the bar after a gig in Manchester, I was very nervous as I approached him. And you know what? Not only was he the best guitarist I ever saw, he was also one of the sweetest men I've ever met. Still is, on both counts. If anyone had the right to be an arrogant prick, it was him - but no, he was the very definition of a gentleman.
One exception to this rule might be Miles Davis, who was notoriously mean-spirited.
- April 22, 2008 at 5:12 PM
But that's the dream of every aspiring author: to get a ton of books published (preferably hardcover) and use them to beat people over the head!
Sorry; I think the vodka is talking. ;)
- April 22, 2008 at 5:12 PM
- Marva said...
Writers I know (that's a good number) are more likely to be shy and self-effacing. It's a very hard change for them to become confident when going out to appearances and readings. After they decide no physical harm came to them, they begin to relax and even enjoy the public appearances.
Not an a**hole in the lot.
- April 22, 2008 at 5:15 PM
- David said...
There's another parameter involved, and that's the expectations of the book-buying public, which has always liked writers to be eccentric, but the flavor of the eccentricity has changed.
At one time, a lot of readers liked writers to be hard-drinking, hard-smoking, hard-cursing SOBs. Now they prefer that the writers exhibit eccentricity in other ways -- e.g., by wearing a stupid white suit.
- April 22, 2008 at 5:19 PM
- Diana said...
Everybody should read The No Asshole Rule. I think we've preached "the customer is always right no matter what" for so long, that we've forgotten it's not necessary to tolerate a customer or client's severely rude or abusive behavior at all costs.
From a purely pragmatic standpoint, I'm not sure why most agents, editors and the like would put up with someone they hate to work with and who has the potential to exhibit destructive or abusive behavior towards others - especially in the public eye. Dealing with people like that is hard, and being connected to people like that makes others look down on you.
Worse yet, many of these types of personalities ultimately self destruct, leaving it up to everyone else to clean up the mess.
- April 22, 2008 at 5:21 PM
- Josephine Damian said...
As Conduit pointed out: "One exception to this rule might be Miles Davis, who was notoriously mean-spirited."
John Updike is eqully notorious. (Having personally clashed with the literary legend myself, I can attest to this). Somehow I don't think it effects his book sales.
As to the no a**hole rule? I say there should be a no-more-neurotic- insecure-whining-over-book-reviews rule.
- April 22, 2008 at 5:48 PM
Um, I don't think we need another forum for bitching about Deborah MacGillivray or Tess Gerritsen (who, btw, was joking when she wrote her now infamous blog post on DAM).
- April 22, 2008 at 5:52 PM
- Nathan Bransford said...
For the record (and just so it's clear), I actually wrote this post a while ago and only just got around to posting it. I definitely didn't intend it to refer to any particular person.
- April 22, 2008 at 5:55 PM
- Furious D said...
I think being a jerk shows a certain lack of interest or passion for the work.
If you're really passionate about your work, then you will act professionally about it, and that means a certain level of decorum. Being a jerk takes up too much time and effort.
Society is slowly learning to stop rewarding bad behaviour by the famous, but the media isn't because it's cheap filler material.
- April 22, 2008 at 5:57 PM
- Adaora A. said...
I completely agree.
But the thing writers often wondering when making their pitch via 'the query letter' is how to let your personality show without being TOO showy.
I work in retail (because it's convenient to organize my time with school and writing), and I think if I worked with people I hated it would not work in any way. I've been called a f**** and a b***** by customers at checkout just because they thought they didn't get a 10% discount they believed was their right to recieve. It's nice to have co-workers I can laugh about it with. Every buisness demands people who are pleasing. I don't think agents would have clients for very long if they were hard to speak to. This post really connects to your post about being able to speak to your agent and to feel comfortable with them.
- April 22, 2008 at 6:08 PM
Nathan, I was talking about the post in front of mine. Not yours, which is awesome.
- April 22, 2008 at 6:11 PM
- Nathan Bransford said...
Sounds good, anon.
I meant to stress in the post that I wasn't referring to anyone in particular, so you just jogged my memory that I needed to so.
- April 22, 2008 at 6:12 PM
- Heidi the Hick said...
This is a bit of a relief... I'm hardworking and friendly and learning how to be professional, and I don't think I'm an a**hole (Unless you'd have asked my little sister 20 years ago) so this is all okay.
But the best part of this post, for me, is this:
And no doubt there's much more tolerance for eccentricity in publishing than there would be in the rest of the business world.
- April 22, 2008 at 6:20 PM
- Erik said...
There's a fine line between being blunt and being an asshole, in my opinion. The latter is a bully who is out to control.
But being blunt is a very useful skill, IMHO, especially when you're dealing across lines of culture or social class. There's no reason you can't surround what you say with pleasantries, of course, but I still find that across the lines of social class a couched word is a misunderstood word.
I hope I stay on the good sign of that line, but it's not my call to make. But I do think that while a writer as a commanding presence or a drunk is a cliche worth dumping, the writer as a blunt observer is worth championing.
It's better than a damned white suit, IMHO.
- April 22, 2008 at 6:21 PM
- Julie Weathers said...
Another blog recently, perhaps Janet Reid's discussed a publisher who cut one of their authors because they got tired of the F*** You e-mails.
I don't blame them. Who wants to put up with that garbage.
I worked for a horse racing magazine for years. I called one trainer for an interview after a big race and he asked my why I wasn't calling the owner. The owners are the widow and son of a Hollywood legend and the son is a movie producer. I told him I figured they wouldn't have time to talk to me.
He gave me Jim's number and told me to call him since he was wondering why I wouldn't ever call him.
Princess Kawananakoa's trainer is a dream.
Several world famous trainers and owners were gems.
The ones I invariably got attitude out of were the newcomers who felt I ought to be paying proper homage.
Diana Gabaldon is a perfect example, to me, of the author attitude we should have. She is always very gracious and generous with her time and advice. I wonder at times if she gets tired of the many admirers vying for her attention, but if she does, I have never seen it.
Life is too short to have to put up with jerks. I have no intention of giving anyone reason to put me on the life's too short list.
- April 22, 2008 at 6:24 PM
- Other Lisa said...
I try!
It's hard.
I mostly agree with what Marva said, that most writers are introverts and eccentrics (by larger society's definition), so there's always going to be a certain amount of friction when bumping up against the real world.
Interestingly, I work in an industry where you expect to encounter a lot of huge egos and screamers - and they do exist. But I've found that they are in no way the majority, that even entertainment companies by and large prefer to deal with rational human beings who are decent in their interactions with others.
Though I do have some funny celebrity rider stories...heh!
- April 22, 2008 at 6:26 PM
The only assholes I ran into in publishing were editors.
Both times I dealt with big publishers my books were acquired by someone really pleasant and bright who quit in mid project and was replaced by someone rude and insultingly toxic.
The first replacement editor made it clear he could not imagine why his publisher had ever bought the two books they had published, one of which had been very successful.
I had to offer him the next book, because of my contract terms. When I did, he said, "Who'd ever want to read a book about that?"
The answer was 60,000 people who were willing to pay $19.95 a pop to do so. But that was at another publisher.
But no sooner did that book succeed than my editor at the new house quit and was replaced by someone who must have been the twin sister of the replacement editor at the first house.
- April 22, 2008 at 6:50 PM
One of the only things my ex-husband ever told me that made sense was that if you hang out with screwed up (he actually used the f word, but I'm trying to be G rated here) people, you get screwed up. He is actually a pretty toxic and abusive person himself, but that's a different story altogether.
Anyway, my point is, I've found out that when I spend my down time with people who have the attitude and outlook I want to emulate and don't emit toxic waste, I can pretty much get along with anyone when I'm working without losing my composure.
But to me, being a good person is more important than anything else. Because to me, none of my accomplishments or pending goals are worth anything without my family and friends who enrich my life so much every day. They are the best!
- April 22, 2008 at 7:23 PM
- Kristin Laughtin said...
I have to agree with marva- most writers I know are rather shy and self-effacing, or if they possess a lot of confidence, are at least decent people. Granted we're all aspiring amateurs right now... But it seems the unpleasant ones spend more time doing that than actual writing.
It makes sense. The world is becoming more interconnected, authors are expected to help with their own publicity, and there is just more contact between people at all stages of the game in general (whether in person or online). No one in the business wants to deal with a belligerent personality, and I've known more than one person entirely avoid an author's works due to the persona they put out there.
- April 22, 2008 at 7:24 PM
I don't know if it's that we (writers)have changed all that much since the days when we were "notoriously difficult to handle," or if it's just that we've learned how to play the game a little better because that's what's expected of us these days.
- April 22, 2008 at 7:48 PM
Hey look, in the early days, I was part of a "sensitive" writers group and someone "joined" and said:"I hope there are no stupid rabbit books in this group..." (guess who had a stupid rabbit manuscript in progress at that time...)
The second group I joined, you had to be "selected" to get in. I got "selected." However... They all, individually professed to needing to be "rich and famous." I said, I would be really happy if I could just be reasonably "well known and well paid." Although there was much to be said about that, well, my ego was deficient for the patter there.
The next group wanted everyone to "write realistically" and, alas, I make up my story worlds and form.
The next, after that, was the pretentious, "the resident poets" who read aloud and publicly, poetry about their locally known ex's and their defects in a public forum. Ummm...
Then there was the "grammar police." And THEN there were the BIG BAD MURDER MYSTERY WRITERS trying to kill everyone in the group it seems too, with all their RULES AND RIDICULE AND JUDGMENT! I might as well crawl under the bed with the dog and die.
Yikes. I mean "YIKES!"
To make my "The Three Little Bears (or how much I could bear all this) Story" complete, at last there was the group I now fit with and belong to, an open minded group of eclectic ( as opposed to elected) but professional writers (most anyway and the others supported on that journey).
They are so nice to each other. It is a JOY to share. And along that path, we are honest, supportive, instructive in supportive ways, and many of us are starting to get published. Best of all, we LIKE each other. Isn't that a nice affect of politeness and kindness and etiquette!
I certainly vote for nice.
(And I am not sure that "I" could show up in a rude place.)
- April 22, 2008 at 7:51 PM
Anonymous 4:51 - I was in a writing group and I submitted a manuscript which included a scene where a young, handsome Australian hiker who was flirting with me asked me how I got in good shape and after I answered, my internal dialogue was something like "I can't believe this guy ten years younger finds me attractive." In the margin, she wrote in the margin "being in good shape doesn't mean you're attractive." I mean, come on, is this relevant or female jealousy in its worst form? I was beyond annoyed.
- April 22, 2008 at 8:06 PM
we have to consider the source, of course, when receiving "feedback."
I'm so glad you were able to.
It took me a "process" to get to that point,myself.
However, I believe, as Nathan, has suggested, that the "tend" is towards kind and polite.
Now, what a supportive peer or honest friend can tell you, good or bad, but for your own good, that may be more worth listening to and for, and in my own book is valuable and I am grateful for.
- April 22, 2008 at 8:13 PM
- windsong5 said...
I have to agree--especially as authors are more reachable to the public than they have been before. Personalities color people's perceptions of both the author and their works. There was an author I loved to read. I loved her world and her stories. Then she threw a very public fit over a question a reader sent her. Ever since then I havent' been able to enjoy her books as much and am not likely to buy anymore. Authors are human and have every right to get offended at some of the mail they receive--privately. Public humiliations and name calling are a bit excessive.
- April 22, 2008 at 8:31 PM
I will also say, sadly, that my husband and I waited for almost two hours, in a line, once to meet a beloved favorite author, not for his "signature" so much as to meet him.
When we were twenty some people from the end of the line, we got told he "was done" and sent home.
We have stopped buying his books.
THAT was rude.
- April 22, 2008 at 9:23 PM
- Mary said...
For years, I resisted the urge to write because I was terrified of turning into a chain-smoking, hard-drinking depressive. It's a complete stereotype -- but, growing up, that was my impression of writers.
- April 22, 2008 at 9:32 PM
- Adaora A. said...
I use to think writers were bi-polar! They do say many of the great artists in history were. That's why they could be so unbearable one second and completely obliging then next. What do you think about that theory Nathan?
- April 22, 2008 at 10:32 PM
- superwench83 said...
It's about time that people stop being rewarded for being jerks.
Of course, people who are assholes are convinced that everyone else is an asshole, not themselves.
- April 22, 2008 at 10:32 PM
- moonrat said...
Amen! No A**holes for me!
I, for one, am done working with them. At least, on purpose.
- April 22, 2008 at 10:42 PM
- mlh said...
No A**holes Rule! Interesting! Don't be the stereotypical bi-polar, chain-smoking, hard-drinking, depressed writer. Yet you're smoking and drinking because you are agitated when waiting for a response from an agent . . . depressed when the agent rejects you . . . and paranoid that someone might have stolen your idea for the same story and their book is being rushed to the shelves.
Who said artists don't suffer for their work?
Anyhow, Nathan, I get your point. Just because a person is a jerk on the inside doesn't mean they should be a jerk on the outside. Image and personality matters - which means I have to break out of my little shy, introverted, self.
And I thought the hard part was writing the novel.
- April 22, 2008 at 11:29 PM
- Just_Me said...
Color me young but writing that gets past my door and into any public forum, be it critique group or publishing house, is business. If I want to rant, rave, and be eccentric I can do that on my own time not when I'm working on cultivating relationships that I intend to make work for me.
I've met a variety of writers. I've been *gasp* an editor on a small newspaper so I've seen both sides, writer vs editor, fiction vs non. The crazies are crazy regardeless of everything else. And they don't make good writers. There's this nasty creature in publishing called a Deadline, unstable characters miss deadlines. That doesn't work.
Nathan- I admit you are more patient than I am. While I'm shopping for an agent personality is an issue, I don't want to walk away from conversations with an agent with my eye twitching and ready to punch holes in the wall. Why you'd want to subject yourself to flighty, negative, abusive personalities for good writing ... okay, good writing *is* good writing, but draw a line in the sand somewhere. There's only so much abuse a human being should take.
- April 23, 2008 at 12:33 AM
Most serious writers I know are neurotic and/or eccentric to varying degrees, but nearly always very nice people. The a**holes are usually the non-savvy writers who ooze with ego and push their awesome first book that NOBODY must touch because it's already perfect. You see these "I know what's best even though this is my first book and I have no experience in publishing" writers regularly in various writing boards. Sadly, instead of swallowing the humility pill and learning about their craft, these writers often go with vanity or self publishers and become highly bitter towards the commercial publishers and agents who didn't recognise their genius.
- April 23, 2008 at 12:52 AM
- Vanessa said...
this requires social skills
I am soooooo screwed *grin*
- April 23, 2008 at 2:08 AM
- Other Lisa said...
- April 23, 2008 at 3:38 AM
but, but, but I like drinking and making a tit of myself.
You're sucking all the fun out of life :(
- April 23, 2008 at 4:42 AM
- Kimber An said...
This is wonderful news! Anything which sheds the jerkwads is a good thing.
- April 23, 2008 at 8:57 AM
- Margaret Yang said...
Thank you, other lisa! xie xie. I'm adding that book to my wish list.
- April 23, 2008 at 9:11 AM
This part of your post makes me a little sad, Nathan...
"Way back in simpler times, the book was what mattered."
Ugh. I don't know any A-hole writers, including myself, but I have to say the book is ALL that matters to me. The less I know about the author, the better. I'm the same way with music. I want to sing along when I'm driving down the street -- even knowing what the singer looks like somehow lessens the song for me.
I know it's not a realistic approach in today's world -- talk shows and entertainment shows make you think you need to know everyone's business -- but I like a little mystery.
- April 23, 2008 at 9:23 AM
- Howard Shirley said...
So, has anyone worked up the nerve to inform Harlan Ellison about this rule?
Seriously, I have long agreed with this idea, before I even knew it existed as a rule. (Other than it being simply a negative rephrasing of The Golden Rule.)
I once heard a very celebrated children's author, known for her sweet and heartfelt books, turn a "my life as a children's author" speech into a raving (and poorly constructed) political rant. Sort of soured my taste for her books.
But it's not just the authors, as others have pointed out. I know of more than one case where editors have either publicly or privately humiliated authors at paid conferences and critiques, trashing their work or even the author personally (despite not knowing the individual). Yet in these same cases, the authors themselves later became very successful with the very works the editor attacked. In one instance, the editor was long established and respected in the industry, and should have known better.
In a similar vein, I also heard about a publishing professional who started an industry dinner with other professionals, none of whom had met before, with a series of profanity-laced, poorly considered jokes. Hello? Maybe not the best way to represent either yourself or your company? It certainly made me think twice about sending a submission to the business, and I only heard about the instance second-hand. If anything, the actions at the dinner at least showed both poor taste and poor judgment, neither of which I desire in someone reviewing my work.
A firm personality can have its place. But poor judgment never does.
Thanks for the interesting discussion, Nathan.
- April 23, 2008 at 10:02 AM
- mlh said...
Ah, hope flickers for this shy introvert when a thoughtful blogger posts a link!
Thank you, other lisa!
- April 23, 2008 at 10:06 AM
- John C. Brewer said...
Like many here, I'm an aspiring writer. I work a day job as a Rocket Scientist. I have worked at a number of companies and can tell you straight up that the most successful are run by people who are great fun to be around. Not that they are funny, but that they are just decent people. This flies in the face of conventional wisdom - that all rich people are jerks - but I've come to believe that the main reason they are successful is because they know how to work with other people. This isn't a law of nature, but it is definitely a strong suggestion!
- April 23, 2008 at 10:14 AM
What about Tucker Max, Maddox, and some of the other "fratire" writers? They seem to be doing fairly well being a**holes.
Is this just a persona adopted by a writer to target the fratboy market?
- April 23, 2008 at 11:01 AM
- Taylor K. said...
Awesome! This sure helps me because I know I'm the humblest guy. I would totally beat you in a humble contest! Hooray to me for being so cool, but not knowing it! ;)
More seriously though, off topic, I was thinking over some of your previous entries, Nathan, and I had a question. Have you ever had a query that began with the first line of the manuscript, and then was followed by a rhetorical question? I would also ask if this same query started with "Yo Nate-Dog" but I think that'd be a bit too much.
- April 23, 2008 at 11:38 AM
- Nathan Bransford said...
Oh yes. I've seen every rhetorical question combo there is at this point.
- April 23, 2008 at 11:39 AM
- C.J. said...
coming to this discussion a little late...
it seems to me that personality counts in terms of being a decent author to work with, etc. but, i also think that being an intriguing character is becoming a more and more important aspect of selling your books. y'know, "memoirs of thus and such person from the fringe of society" or "stripper turned screenwriter." maybe we're headed toward an era where having a great story and being easy to work with aren't enough either.
- April 23, 2008 at 11:52 AM
- CM said...
Speaking of being an asshole, here's a completely unrelated question.
You say you don't represent genre romance.
But you're attending RWA, and the agent interest grid on their site doesn't list just romantic elements type work. Are you, in fact, branching out into romance? Or by "genre romance," do you mean something closer to "category," and something farther from "stories that are for women that focus on a love story and other things along the way"?
- April 23, 2008 at 11:58 AM
- Nathan Bransford said...
I meant category and said genre. I rep women's fiction and memoir (i.e. FRENCH BY HEART), as well as romantic suspense, but not romance romance.
- April 23, 2008 at 12:09 PM
- Adaora A. said...
Ah got it. You rep things which might have elements of romance (BLACK MOUNTAIN has some too), but you don't do harlequin or blaze romance. Do you read romance romance in the way that I read it but don't write it?
- April 23, 2008 at 12:25 PM
- CM said...
Thanks! Much clearer now.
- April 23, 2008 at 12:27 PM
- Nathan Bransford said...
No, I read women's fiction and romantic suspense but I don't really read romance romance, and thus don't represent it -- I wouldn't really know what's good.
- April 23, 2008 at 12:28 PM
- Other Lisa said...
Margaret, bukeqi!
- April 23, 2008 at 12:47 PM
- Adaora A. said...
Thanks! I always wondered if agents have ever read what they absolutely don't represent.
There are so many romance romance imprints out there. Blaze, Harlequin, Harlequin Historical, etc.
- April 23, 2008 at 12:54 PM
Way back in 1968 (when the earth's crust had just cooled and I was a girl), I happened to be on 5th avenue, near the Tishman Building, and walked by a tall, stunningly gorgeous man who was waiting to cross the street.
My first thought was, "Gee, he looks familiar," and my second, after I got a few yards away, was, "Damn. That's Sidney Poitier."
By the time I turned around to gawk at him, he was completely surrounded by women wanting his autograph.
For the next fifteen minutes or so he smiled and chatted with these women and signed autographs and shook their hands without showing any impatience or irritation. And all I could think was, "Now that is class."
Since then, I've had the privilege of working with writers and musicians at every level of achievement. Some of them are as gracious, decent, and classy as Sidney Poitier, and others are just jerks.
I wish I could say that it's the famous folks who are terrific, while the novices are impossible, but that hasn't been my experience.
What I have discovered is that decency and class have nothing to do with status or achievement. Decent people recognize the humanity in others, and understand the importance of respecting it, while jerks simply do not.
- April 23, 2008 at 3:50 PM
- Betty Atkins Dominguez said...
Actually, all of the authors I have met, whether famous or not, have been very gracious and kind. My favorite was Anne Mccaffrey, such a doll. My fav even though I don't write Science Fiction. Her advice was perfect for all genres.
- April 23, 2008 at 6:15 PM
- Betty Atkins Dominguez said...
Gosh, I forgot to tell what Anne's advice was.
Write what you love. And, polish, polish, polish.
- April 23, 2008 at 6:18 PM
I went from your blog about No Rhetorical Questions to this page. WTF? You throw one out there right off the bat. Come on Nathan, you may be smart & talented, but don't be a hypocrite. Think man! Think before thou typest!
- June 4, 2008 at 11:31 AM
- Nathan Bransford said...
Last time I checked, this blog post isn't a query letter.
- June 4, 2008 at 11:33 AM
Interesting post. I have been thinking about something similar, which is that many literary agents and editors I follow on social media come off as total jerks. They write things that seem very smug and self-satisfied, which is interesting, because publishing is not the most secure industry right now. I mean, I realize being an agent/editor must be very frustrating sometimes, but so is EVERY job. (And I don't post on Twitter about how stupid people are. I keep it to myself!)
That's one reason I like your blog. You always seem so upbeat and pleasant. Maybe that's why you are not an agent anymore. ;)
- March 6, 2012 at 3:36 PM


text:
TMC114IFD3001 - Study Providing Continued Access to Treatment With Darunavir (DRV)/Ritonavir (Rtv) for Adults Coming From Any of the Three Ongoing Tibotec-Sponsored Studies With DRV
This study is ongoing, but not recruiting participants.
Janssen Sciences Ireland UC
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Janssen Sciences Ireland UC
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: December 30, 2010
Last updated: February 6, 2017
Last verified: November 2016
|Tracking Information
|First Received Date ICMJE
|December 30, 2010
|Last Updated Date
|February 6, 2017
|Start Date ICMJE
|August 2011
|Estimated Primary Completion Date
|December 2017 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Current Primary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|All serious adverse events, adverse events leading to discontinuation, and adverse events at least possibly related to the DRV treatment, as measures of the safety and tolerability of DRV/rtv in combination with other ARVs [ Time Frame: Upto 4 years (ie Qtr 1 2015) ]
|Original Primary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Same as current
|Change History
|Complete list of historical versions of study NCT01281813 on ClinicalTrials.gov Archive Site
|Current Secondary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Original Secondary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Current Other Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Original Other Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Descriptive Information
|Brief Title ICMJE
|TMC114IFD3001 - Study Providing Continued Access to Treatment With Darunavir (DRV)/Ritonavir (Rtv) for Adults Coming From Any of the Three Ongoing Tibotec-Sponsored Studies With DRV
|Official Title ICMJE
|Continued Access to Darunavir/Ritonavir (DRV/Rtv) in HIV-1-Infected Adults (Roll Over Patients From C211, C214 & C229)
|Brief Summary
|The primary objective of this trial is to continue the provision of DRV/rtv to adult patients who have completed treatment with DRV/rtv in the clinical trials TMC114-C211, TMC114-C214, or TMC114-TiDP31-C229, sponsored by Tibotec Pharmaceuticals, who continue to benefit from the use of DRV/rtv, and who live in a country where DRV is not commercially available, is not reimbursed, or cannot be accessed through another source (eg, access program, government program).
|Detailed Description
|This is a continued access trial for adults who have completed treatment with darunavir / ritonavir (DRV/rtv) in the clinical trials TMC114-C211, TMC114-C214, or TMC114-TiDP31-C229, sponsored by Tibotec Pharmaceuticals, who continue to benefit from the use of DRV/rtv, and who live in a country where DRV is not accessible. At the baseline visit, inclusion and exclusion criteria will be checked to confirm eligibility. Once the eligibility criteria are met, patients will continue treatment as follows: HIV-1-infected patients participating in the TMC114-C211 trial will continue on the DRV/rtv 800/100 mg once daily dosing regimen and emtricitabine / tenofovir (TDF/FTC) as administered in the original trial. HIV-1-infected patients participating in the TMC114-C214 or TMC114-TiDP31-C229 trial will continue on the DRV/rtv 600/100 mg twice daily dosing regimen as administered in the original trial. Assessment visits are recommended according to local, generally accepted standards of care, but not less frequently than every 6 months. Adverse events (AEs) considered at least possibly related to DRV/rtv, AEs leading to discontinuation or treatment interruption, serious AEs (SAEs), and pregnancies (or all AEs if applicable per local regulation) will be recorded at each visit. Patients will be instructed to report any AEs to the investigator, who will report SAEs within 24 hours to the Sponsor. In addition to the assessments in the flowchart, the following assessments are recommended to be performed locally every 3 months or according to local, generally accepted standards of care: efficacy assessments (immunology and plasma viral load) and laboratory safety assessments (hematology and biochemistry, including pancreatic amylase [if available] or lipase and lipid analyses). Treatment will be continued until one of the following criteria is met (whichever occurs first): significant increase in viral load; treatment-limiting toxicity; loss to follow-up; withdrawal of consent by the patient; pregnancy; termination of the trial by the sponsor; DRV becomes commercially available for the adult patient, is reimbursed, or can be accessed through another source (eg, access program, government program) in the region the patient is living in. A post-treatment follow-up contact will be performed 4 weeks after the last dose of trial medication for patients with an ongoing adverse event. This is consistent with the primary objective of the study to provide continued access to DRV/rtv for adult patients who previously received DR/rtv in the clinical trials sponsored by Tibotec Pharmaceuticals. This study is not set up to address any specific hypothesis. Depending on the previous trial the patients were in, they will continue to take either : DRV/rtv 800/100 mg once a day as 2 tablets of 400 mg DRV and 100 mg ritonavir; or DRV/rtv 600/100 mg twice a day as 1 tablet of 600 mg DRV and 100 mg ritonavir twice a day.
|Study Type ICMJE
|Study Phase
|Phase 3
|Study Design ICMJE
|Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: No masking
Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Condition ICMJE
|HIV-1 Infections
|Intervention ICMJE
|Study Arms
|Publications *
|Not Provided
* Includes publications given by the data provider as well as publications identified by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number) in Medline.
|Recruitment Information
|Recruitment Status ICMJE
|Active, not recruiting
|Enrollment ICMJE
|Estimated Completion Date
|December 2017
|Estimated Primary Completion Date
|December 2017 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Eligibility Criteria ICMJE
Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
|18 Years to 99 Years (Adult, Senior)
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers
|Contacts ICMJE
|Contact information is only displayed when the study is recruiting subjects
|Listed Location Countries ICMJE
|Costa Rica, Guatemala, Malaysia, Panama, South Africa, Thailand
|Removed Location Countries
|Australia, Mexico
|Administrative Information
|NCT Number ICMJE
|Other Study ID Numbers ICMJE
TMC114IFD3001 ( Other Identifier: Janssen R&D Ireland )
|Has Data Monitoring Committee
|U.S. FDA-regulated Product
|Not Provided
|IPD Sharing Statement
|Not Provided
|Responsible Party
|Janssen Sciences Ireland UC
|Study Sponsor ICMJE
|Janssen Sciences Ireland UC
|Collaborators ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Investigators ICMJE
|PRS Account
|Janssen Sciences Ireland UC
|Verification Date
|November 2016
ICMJE Data element required by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and the World Health Organization ICTRP