text:
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Will Write for Food
I have a few thoughts.
1) This is hugely depressing
2) Step awaaaaaay from the computer
Yes, we've all heard the story of authors who were dressed in rags and eating cans of beans before they wrote a hit novel and became richer than oil barons.
But honestly, this is kind of like trying to resolve your financial problems by attempting to win the lottery. Only a lottery ticket costs a dollar and doesn't take hundreds of hours to buy.
There is no such thing as getting rich quick in publishing. It takes forever! Let's say you DO write a book that becomes a big hit. First you have to spend hours and hours and hours writing it, then you have to find an agent, then you have to find a publisher, then you get maybe half the advance, then you have to wait a long time until it's published, then you have to wait for it to take off, then you have to wait for the royalty period to end and maybe four months after that the publisher will pay you. By the time your money actually comes in we could all be using some currency of the future and novels could be BEAMED DIRECTLY TO OUR HEADS.
But. At the very least, if you are trying to escape penury through publication, do not mention it in your query. I get enough bad news every time I open Publishers Lunch.
Wait. That was a depressing post. PUPPIES!!
85 comments:
- Diana said...
Hmm. That sounds like a fad that was going on during my days working in university admissions, when high school kids realized they had a better shot at scholarship money if they showed how they overcame hardships to succeed. Suddenly, everyone had a parent die tragically and thus had to raise three younger siblings, was a quadriplegic basketball player and saved up aluminum cans to build schools for poor children in India.
- December 2, 2008 at 12:55 PM
- abc said...
People are strange. And desperate, I guess. I'm a little goofy, but not desperate. Which is why I never wear high heels or fake eyelashes.
I don't know what that means either. KITTENS!
Welcome back, Nathan B. Thanks for the substitutes. It was informative reading.
- December 2, 2008 at 1:08 PM
- Crimogenic said...
Did someone say Puppies? where, I want one!
Yes we are in financially hard times and yes we want to be famous, rich writers, but gosh, what's the purpose of putting that in a query letter. Add that in the pile of useless information in a query letter.
Word Verification: Mister! I was hoping for Puppies.
- December 2, 2008 at 1:15 PM
- Mark Terry said...
It's about DAMN TIME somebody in the publishing industry said this. I harp on it on my blog all the time. If you want to make money writing, work for magazines or online publications or whatever (try ransom notes), but to put all your financial eggs in the novel-writing basket is insane. Hey, believe me, I know because I did. I learned from experience.
Here's my latest comparison for people. Frankly, I don't expect anyone to listen.
According to most studies, there are about 500 writers in the U.S. (I think that's optimistic) who make a living writing solely off their novels.
There are, in the U.S., 500 CEOs of Fortune 500 companies (by definition).
Do you think it would be easier for you to become a Fortune 500 CEO?
- December 2, 2008 at 1:20 PM
- Merry Monteleone said...
Puppies? Did you say puppies? Add in rainbows and unicorns and I'm there...
Okay, a martini might do it, too...
- December 2, 2008 at 1:42 PM
yes, it's possible. Let's not crush any hopes here. There's nothing wrong with being realistic and hopeful at the same time. No feelings hurt if one doesn't survive off writing alone.
- December 2, 2008 at 1:43 PM
- MzMannerz said...
Newish to your blog, and continue to be amazed at what people think will happen to them once they write a novel. It's at times like these that I wonder if my NOT believing things like this make me really smart, or really a nerd because everyone else seems to be on a different page....
- December 2, 2008 at 1:43 PM
- Adaora A. said...
No worries Nathan! They do say that the truth hurts. It may be a bit of a sobering thought for some people, but sometimes that kind of a thing needs to be said. People have to work for a living while they wait to get a return on their 'baby.'
- December 2, 2008 at 1:47 PM
- shilohwalker said...
I don't really see it as depressing-it's just realistic.
If people think writing a book is a sure-fire way to get rich quick, then they need a reality check, I think.
- December 2, 2008 at 1:48 PM
- ORION said...
I'm so glad you said this. I write because I love to write and want people to read my stories. As successful as LOTTERY has been it still does not enable me to stop working...and the more I say this the less people believe me...
- December 2, 2008 at 1:59 PM
- Madame Lefty said...
What if it was a certain Secretary of Treasury telling you the hard financial times he was running into? Or someone part of the big three? Ah, kidding, kidding.
Though in honor of your last sentence:
Can't do html here, but you can at least look at the real thing. :p
- December 2, 2008 at 2:03 PM
- Other Lisa said...
Dang...well, I guess it's back to Publisher's Clearinghouse for me. Say, isn't that Ed McMahon?! He's got something in his hand...
- December 2, 2008 at 2:04 PM
- Corked Wine and Cigarettes said...
Get people proactive in buying books! Check out Moonrat's blog: http://editorialass.blogspot.com/2008/11/book-buying-world-savers-unite.html . The Facebook page is closing in on 1000 members!
Maybe it will help.
- December 2, 2008 at 2:05 PM
- Zoe Winters said...
LMAO! You crack me up! So very true. It's the old publishing joke: "The secret to making a small fortune in publishing? Start out with a large fortune."
- December 2, 2008 at 2:06 PM
- David Russell Mosley said...
Personally, (this will in part my response to the earlier post on money versus notoriety) I write because I love it and because I have a message that I think needs to be heard. If I didn't think that way I would not be working as hard as I am on my novel. Money will not help me reach more people, writing a fantastic book that's cheap will help me reach more people.
I have had, for some time, hopes of publishing my work. I have never had hopes of making a living for my family off of my writing. People who want that and only that need to reevaluate why they write. I really have no time for people who just want money.
- December 2, 2008 at 2:07 PM
- Melissa said...
Yeah... um, no. If you're going to write, write because you love it, because you have something important to say. Don't write for the money, because there just isn't that much.
Now the important stuff. Puppies! Like mine... the cutest ever:
- December 2, 2008 at 2:10 PM
- Ulysses said...
Novels beamed directly into our heads? Thank-you, no.
Now, if they could come up with a way to beam a novel directly OUT of my head, without all that tedious writing and revising, then they'd really have something!
Puppies? Why is it always puppies or kitties? Why don't geckos ever get any love?
- December 2, 2008 at 2:14 PM
Is that a reference to the Amero? I've heard about that...
- December 2, 2008 at 2:21 PM
- Lady Glamis said...
Yes, I'm sure it takes forever. Patience is the key, as you've said before. Thank you for sharing, Nathan. The reminder that things don't happen right away is appreciated.
- December 2, 2008 at 2:23 PM
- Marilyn Peake said...
Thank you for such a blunt post on the real difficulties inherent in trying to succeed as a writer. I've recently found some kind of peace in both the current financial market and the current publishing world...well, except when I watch the news and hear how things could get soooo much worse in the next few years. PUPPIES!! KITTENS!! UNICORNS!! In regard to writing, a part of me is happy that it's so hard to get published right now (that's only part of me, not all of me). It allows me to really concentrate on writing my next novel, to concentrate on the writing itself, rather than rushing to submit it. It's allowed me to slow down, research, polish as I go along, to find the joy in writing once again. Of course, I'm writing this on a good day. On a bad day, I think I should give up writing completely. PUPPIES!! KITTENS!! UNICORNS!!
By the way, I saw on the news this morning that Joe the Plumber's book was released yesterday. He said that he turned down lots of lucrative deals in order to spread the wealth by publishing with a small press. Is this true?
- December 2, 2008 at 2:26 PM
- Margaret Yang said...
Dear dog, people actually do that?
Puppies, indeed.
- December 2, 2008 at 2:38 PM
- Kristan said...
PHEW, thank goodness you threw that last line in there!
- December 2, 2008 at 2:43 PM
- lotusloq said...
Desperate times, I reckon! I can't believe they'd tell you about their poverty/starvation/falling apart in a query. The things you must have to read!
Where's the professionalism, people? Of course, those of us reading your blog would hopefully not be the culprits.
- December 2, 2008 at 2:53 PM
Thank you for saying this, Nathan.
Ditto on what Mark Terry said. I have these kinds of questions, and I give this kind of answer, when I do public speaking to writer's groups. I'm only one-time published, but at least I've made it that far. Some of these newbies think "Gee, you must have it made!" NOT.
Thanks for your whole, great informative blog, Nathan.
And thanks for that last thought about PUPPIES!!
- December 2, 2008 at 2:58 PM
- Justus M. Bowman said...
You have to accept my query...my best suit is made of baked beans!
- December 2, 2008 at 3:00 PM
- Robert A Meacham said...
I am lucky in that I work in management with a retail grocer in Texas. I get 12 hours a day talking to unhappy customers, chasing bad checks, fraud, and on and on.But in reality I have a job to be thankful for. I am a realist, knowing that I will never be picked up by a mainstream publisher, and that does not bother me. I have the time to work on my writing, send in queries, and paste them on my wall as if to say to myself; "At least I'm trying."
I do not have the podium like news folks, pompous politicians, or any other fashionable author, yet I will plug on. I am not desperate or live life in desperation. I just write about it.
- December 2, 2008 at 3:23 PM
- Stephanie said...
Wow. I can't imagine someone actually mentioning that in a query letter. "I lost my job so I thought I'd try writing a novel." It smacks of the whole, "Anyone can write a novel" line of thinking that far too many people have. As we've all heard a million times, "If you CAN do something else, by all means do." We write because we can't NOT write...and it has to become something that means everything to you. But it's just unprofessional to put that in a query. If these people lose their jobs, do they also put on their cover letters, "I lost my job and I was really hoping you could give me one so I can pay my bills?" NO!
- December 2, 2008 at 3:39 PM
- elesa said...
If you have any more information regarding novels being beamed directly into our brains, please let me know. That sounds like something right up my alley.
- December 2, 2008 at 3:40 PM
- pseudosu said...
So the message is-- "build a time machine!" -uh, right?
Hmm, since I'm so broke, I guess I will have to fashion from twigs ala Gilligan's Island. Then all my getting rich via publishing problems will be solved!
- December 2, 2008 at 3:58 PM
- Kay Bratt said...
Because the story I promised to tell involved the plight of children, I didn't want to wait months or years; so I self-published in July. My book hit #266on Amazon ranking three weeks after going public and I have now--five months later--sold several thousand copies. And...even though my ranking has gone way up, I now have an agent. I hope to republish the book with a traditional publisher. Even if it doesn't ever sell, the hundreds of letters from readers have made me feel the project was successful, at least to me.
I just want to say "Keep reaching for your dreams...sometimes you just might get there!"
- December 2, 2008 at 4:01 PM
- Deirdre Mundy said...
Dear Mr. Big-shot-Agent-Fellow,
Please accept my true-life-nonfiction-novel about puppies, in particular my puppy Pete.
I've just lost my job, and if you don't acquire this and get it a 6 figure deal within a week, I'm going to have to serve Pete to the children and tell them that he's really just an overcooked tuna casserole.
Sincerely Yours,
A Desperate Writer...
(Actually, my family's finances are stable, even if tight. And we've always assumed ANY of my writing money counts as lottery winnings.... nice to buy a few things we're saving for, but unneeded. So I guess we're in a good place. Oh, and there is no Pete the puppy... thought the kids have been begging for one...)
- December 2, 2008 at 4:05 PM
- Just_Me said...
What? Elasmobranchs deserve love too people...
This is just my two cents on the matter, for what little it's worth, but I think at the end of the day you have to be happy with yourself and what you do. Money can buy electricity and groceries (which are great) but it doesn't buy happiness.
- December 2, 2008 at 4:06 PM
- dernjg said...
These puppies?
- December 2, 2008 at 4:13 PM
- Ryan Field said...
I'm still waiting for a check from a well known magazine that came out weeks ago. And one editor actually e-mailed me last year about a piece, wondering if I would be okay taking a five dollar cut. I'm serious about this, too.
"By the time your money actually comes in we could all be using some currency of the future..."
Like Paypal?...I recently had an editor suggest I open a paypal account. So that's what I did. I want my money.
And, when I was an associate editor just out of college, I used to screen calls from writers who were always looking for their money. That was fifteen years ago and things haven't changed much.
- December 2, 2008 at 4:19 PM
- a cat of impossible colour said...
Hi Nathan :). I know you're crazy-busy with your 650 emails, but I wanted to pick your agent-y brains, if you have time.
I have been waiting three months for an agent to respond to me (he requested my full manuscript, and confirmed receipt). How on earth does one phrase a follow-up letter to an agent? Other than "Hi, remember me, have you read it yet?" I'm not sure what to say. Is there a good, pithy, polite stock phrase I could use that doesn't sound a) stalker-like or b) desperate?
Thanks so much
- December 2, 2008 at 4:26 PM
- Miriam S.Forster said...
Oy. That's like the people who find out I want to write for children and say. "Well, that's where the money is. Look at JK Rowlings/Stephanie Myer. You just need to write a book like that."
Yeah, I'll get right on that... (grimace) In the meantime, I have to agree with Melissa. Most Adorable Puppy Ever. But I have a big fat soft spot for Newfies, so I may be biased.
- December 2, 2008 at 4:34 PM
- Haste yee back ;-) said...
I write to practice my spelling.
And I'll work for DEPENDS... (Wide end - cup shaped please)!
Haste yee back ;-)
- December 2, 2008 at 4:36 PM
- beckylevine said...
KITTENS! With big heart balloons tied over their heads! :)
Become rich by writing? Huh? What planet is THAT on! Any realistic English major can tell you, well, never mind...
- December 2, 2008 at 4:47 PM
- Moanerplicity said...
When I want to write a sob-sad story, I tend to reserve it for my fiction. And trust me, I can and have made readers cry (sometimes even with a touch of autobiography).
Like many writers, artists and other creatives, my finances are often unpredictable, depressing and/or downright laughable. Adversity makes us stronger, if it doesn't kill us. I certainly don't announce in a query letter or to anyone that 'my money's funny and my change is strange.' Why make this the problem, the business or a plea for sympathy to people who obviously don't care or who don't understand, much less reveal it to a potential agent or publisher?
I just wish the suits, those people in power positions such as agents, editors, publishers didn't have such bouts of memory failure that so often they forget what it's like to BE a writer. As one who places heart, soul, blood, sweat, tears, time, energy, years, memories and yes, money into their craft, the Bigger Depression is not financial but spiritual, when one is coldly rejected countless times without ever given the courtesy of a personal reply or an ounce of encouragement, let alone a reason why the writer's work was deemed unacceptable.
Should even leaner and sadder times come, perhaps I'm be one of those displaced people who indeed 'will write for food.' There's no disgrace in pursuing one's passion honestly and steadfastly. But for me, personally, there's a horribly sour taste that comes when one is force-fed the cold food of rejection from a distance, like a strange and bitter after-dinner mint.
- December 2, 2008 at 4:49 PM
- Lisa said...
The Quarterly Conversation has a great essay on writing and work:
Grow up people.
- December 2, 2008 at 4:55 PM
- Janiss said...
Money is a good thing and important for anyone's well being, but I really hate when novelists equate their efforts with the hope of financial gain. Whatever happened to the joy of storytelling? That exhilarating rush of sitting in front of the computer when you're on a creative roll? If that isn't WAY more important than the piddly advance you'll most likely get if you're writing fiction (IF you're lucky), then you are SO in the wrong business.
Oh, and - KITTIES!!!! Lots and lots of 'em!
- December 2, 2008 at 5:00 PM
- kumhianoa said...
I quite agree with Janiss's view that monetary gain should have very little to do with getting a novel published. Personally, i think everyone should seperate make a living from their creative pursuits. I know that's very hard to do, but seriously i'd rather be working odd jobs for money, and writing a good novel on the side, that way whatever comes out is quality because it is not tied to any timeline based on money.
- December 2, 2008 at 5:12 PM
- Lisa McMann said...
You totally reminded me that I haven't looked at the puppy cam today! Check it out: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/shiba-inu-puppy-cam
- December 2, 2008 at 5:21 PM
- bloggingexperiments said...
Thanks for the PUPPIES, Nathan...they are always cheerful! Are you seriously getting money woes in queries? Wow.
What if I mentioned that we had to put our dog to sleep, and the cat was eaten by a coyote? Would that get me anywhere???
- December 2, 2008 at 5:32 PM
- Deirdre Mundy said...
While I don't write primarily for money, I have to say:
Getting paid for writing is an incredible high. And once it happens, you're always looking for the fix again....
Not that I plan my future around my incredibly meager writing income, but there's nothing wrong with liking storytelling AND money.
Plus, I had to work really hard to break into some of those paying markets, so it improved my craft, too!
Writing is like marriage that way... you do it for love, but that doesn't mean you'll turn your nose up at roses and chocolate, when your spouse offers!
- December 2, 2008 at 5:37 PM
- Kristin Laughtin said...
The logic of including that in a query letter puzzles me a bit, although my first thought was similar to Diana's in the first comment. (Although, really, a sob story is not what you need to get published. You need a good book. Publishers don't just pick the books that "deserve" it.)
Your last sentence, though, demonstrates again how I like the way you think!
- December 2, 2008 at 5:39 PM
- Heather Kennedy said...
That totally makes me want to send you a spoof query just so I could end it with PUPPIES! My tac is to futz around the internet until someone approaches me to write something for $. I figure I have better odds that way and I can't exactly quite my day job. ;-)
- December 2, 2008 at 6:14 PM
- Chris said...
People who don't write don't get how it works. They traipse around Barnes & Noble and think, "Hey, I could write stuff better than this. It'll be easy."
To that I say, "Hahahahahahaha, that's what you think."
- December 2, 2008 at 6:37 PM
- Wanda B. Ontheshelves said...
That's a pretty good hook, I think.
Meaning: Person stands by side of road with cardboard sign that reads "Will Write For Food." Who stops? Do they have stories they want to have written, and for how many bags of groceries?
Just spend a year, you and your sign, traveling. Offer yourself up to advertising agencies (I'm thinking of BBDO). Stand in their parking lot. First, call local news media. Get some attention.
Also, start a website www.willwriteforfood.com - you know, they pay you by ordering Harry & David Fruit of the Month memberships for you online, Godiva chocolate, etc. Delivered to your doorstep.
Offer to write anything - greeting cards, apologies, novellas, novels, poems, songs.
Or if a purely fictionalized account, you could have a scene where other people are selling Girl Scout cookies, so all the bewildered girl scouts are asking their mothers - what does that mean, write for food? And mom, can I trade a box of thin mints for a poem about my cat?
Or, you can make it a romance novel, and this is the way someone meets their true love.
Splendiferous possibilities.
Wanda B., reporting from Michigan, automotive ground zero
- December 2, 2008 at 7:03 PM
- sally apokedak said...
--By the time your money actually comes in we could all be using some currency of the future and novels could be BEAMED DIRECTLY TO OUR HEADS.--
That was not depressing. It was hysterical. Thanks!
- December 2, 2008 at 8:03 PM
- Linda Lou said...
Want to make great money by writing? Become a technical writer. I get paid well and although I don't give a crap about the stuff I'm writing about, every day I am practicing my craft. Technical writing teaches you to "write tight," which is essential to creative writing as well.
Nathan's depiction of the publishing process is a reality that, for me, puts more weight on the self-publishing side of the scales.
- December 2, 2008 at 8:14 PM
- Liz said...
Funny, I get encouraged by the deal reports every time I look at Publishers Lunch. People are still selling books! There's still hope!
- December 2, 2008 at 8:21 PM
Hmmmm... Nathan's away for weeks and when he returns there's talk of a wedding... Spencer and Heidi announce their union while he's gone... Coincidence? I think not.
Could it be there was a double ceremony in Cabo?
- December 2, 2008 at 8:31 PM
- Betty Atkins Dominguez said...
You should hear my woes, you'd all send money and I'd get rich that way alone.... oh, XC#@!& With this lot, I'd have a better chance with publishing!
- December 2, 2008 at 9:28 PM
No mention of Speidi getting married, Nathan? No Mention of Nana on the Hills list night? I am so disappointed.
- December 2, 2008 at 9:54 PM
As a new novelist who just landed an agent, I can say honestly that my brain did strange things when it came time to write my first queries. It didn't matter how many books and articles I read on the subject, or even the great seminars I went to conducted by agents --when I sat to write the Immortal Query––I made the same novice errors I suspect most newbie novelists make, which tend to involve wearing your heart on your sleeve. Writing a one-page letter that sells yourself and your beloved work felt to me as hard as writing my novel. With that said, I never told an agent that I was flat broke and needed a miracle. Ouch.
- December 2, 2008 at 10:51 PM
- BJ said...
Confucius say, "Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life."
My ultimate dream is to be able to live off my fiction writing. I don't expect it to be easy or to happen quickly. But if I could make even a lower middle class living by writing fiction, I'd be able to write all day, every day, without a day job getting in the way. Which, for me, would be heaven.
For now, I'll struggle through on tech writing and copywriting contracts, just happy I'm making something of a life writing. But the dream will always be there.
Oh, and give me a grown dog any day. Mine may be getting old, but he's still damned cute.
- December 2, 2008 at 11:00 PM
You're so good at answering questions, I have one that piqued my curiosity.
In a recent Publisher's Lunch e-newsletter, there's an abbreviation (I think) after the notice of sales, e.g., "Booker Prize winner Penelope Lively's FAMILY ALBUM, to Carole de Santi at Viking, for publication in fall 2009, by Emma Sweeney (NA)."
What does the "(NA)" mean?
Thanks, and sorry for this off-topic post. :-D
- December 2, 2008 at 11:20 PM
- Nathan Bransford said...
North America. So, the rights sold are for the US and Canada.
- December 3, 2008 at 12:04 AM
- Wanda B. Ontheshelves said...
It's pitiful, I suppose...but I feel exactly the same way:
"But if I could make even a lower middle class living by writing fiction, I'd be able to write all day, every day, without a day job getting in the way. Which, for me, would be heaven."
- December 3, 2008 at 12:27 AM
- Vancouver Dame said...
Welcome back, Nathan, hope you had a great time. The guest bloggers were interesting, but it's your humor, and your honesty about publishing that keeps me coming back to read your blog.
Mentioning the state of one's finances in relation to writing is overstepping the bounds of professionalism. What is the purpose - to gain your pity, rather than your respect as an author? I'm amazed at what people will say to get one-up on the other guy. I'm sure we could all think of reasons why our book should be the next breakout novel. Thanks for telling us what NOT to put in a query. That list keeps getting longer or is it my imagination?
- December 3, 2008 at 12:34 AM
- Gay said...
I figure if I write a successful novel and I win the lottery, I will have fame and fortune. And if follow the rules my mother taught me, I'll have a few friends left, too.
Probably need to do all three.
Maybe I'll pet my cat the rest of today.
- December 3, 2008 at 1:04 AM
- Aubrey said...
I suppose I understand authors wanting to hit it big with their book so they can not only quit their day job, but so they can actually have money, but I am surprised they are mentioning it in a query. I guess I just look at getting published as a way to have your story told, not just to make money. If money is your main motivation, chances are your book is not going to be very good.
- December 3, 2008 at 1:20 AM
- Whirlochre said...
It's a sad fact of our warped logic, here in the UK as in the US, that we pride ourselves on our recognition of reading as a Wonderful Thing while doing as little as possible to reward the people whose skills provide us with words to read.
Maybe there's a parallel universe where people choose plumbing and astrophysics for their Very Costly Hobby...
- December 3, 2008 at 3:37 AM
- whoissecretdubai said...
A humble request...
Do you, by any chance, happen to know who Secret Dubai (the blogger: secretdubai.blogspot.com) is?
- December 3, 2008 at 7:08 AM
- Grrr.... said...
My will to write is sloughing off like... like... I can't even come up with a frikkin' simile here! That's it; I'm going back to my day job as an assassin for hire. At least it pays well, and the flexible hours make it possible for me to be with my kids when the come home from school.
- December 3, 2008 at 8:37 AM
- Heidi the Hick said...
Yeah, I write because I love it and because I have a strong need to tell stories blah blah blah
I wanna get paid for it!
It's worth it. We need to put a value on creativity and imagination.
- December 3, 2008 at 9:08 AM
- jnantz said...
Be careful, Mr. Bransford. I'm a recovering rasslin' fan. After listening to Jerry Lawler for years, an exclamation like "Puppies!" can have an entirely different meaning.
Though, if you were just trying to lighten the mood, I guess that could still work for some people...
- December 3, 2008 at 11:10 AM
- Avily Jerome said...
People actually mention their financial woes in queries?!? How tacky!
"Dear Mr. Bransford, please pick my book to represent, because, even though I haven't done my homework and it isn't well written and it doesn't have a great plot, I need it more than anyone else because I'm poor."
- December 3, 2008 at 11:56 AM
Hi Nathan, I did a double take when I saw this post. I have a blog
(note to self: update blog).
I'm a freelance journalist and in that capacity I think people should put their writing on a business footing and regard their name as a brand. Good publications will always need good writers. However, if $$$$$ are your main focus in life then writing is the WRONG career.
It's summer where I live, and the work slows until late January so rather than sitting about feeling broke I save a little bit through the year to tide me over each summer so I can throw myself into my fiction. This may pay off later or not. But I love it now.
- December 3, 2008 at 12:22 PM
Something for those who throw pity parties for themselves in their queries to consider;
If agents actually saw low financial status as a quality worth consideration in their choice of new representees, most writers would have agents!
- December 3, 2008 at 1:02 PM
- Dara said...
I would never even THINK of mentioning financial woes in my query letter.
I mean, anyone can make up a sob story--they have to realize agents won't fall for it.
Then again, perhaps they've become desperate...or just weren't all that wise to begin with. :P
- December 3, 2008 at 1:02 PM
- Scobberlotcher said...
Well, said.
I predict this economy will produce more writers. It's harder to write when everything is peachy, isn't it?
- December 3, 2008 at 4:43 PM
I'm wondering...do you think it pays to mention your a trust fund brat with so much money you could fly your agent to Paris every day?
I might just do that when I get around to writing query letters. Nathan, your such an inspiration.
- December 3, 2008 at 6:25 PM
- jo said...
There goes all my hopes and dreams. Crushed. Thanks a lot. ;)
- December 3, 2008 at 6:49 PM
I dunno, Nate-dawg. I think a lot of people are experiencing layoffs right now and I'll bet some of 'em just wanna signal how much free time they have, in theory making them a better client. I say: ignore it, remember you agents are filters as well as a salesmen. Our freaky writer personalities keep you guys in the biz.
- December 3, 2008 at 8:52 PM
- Jeff Carlson said...
Dude, sign me up for the novels BEAMED DIRECTLY TO MY HEAD!!! ;)
- December 4, 2008 at 1:18 AM
- Erik said...
"But honestly, this is kind of like trying to resolve your financial problems by attempting to win the lottery. Only a lottery ticket costs a dollar and doesn't take hundreds of hours to buy."
That is soooo my line. Imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery. Thanks!
- December 4, 2008 at 10:40 AM
- Nathan Bransford said...
Whoops! Did I steal that one from you?
- December 4, 2008 at 11:18 AM
- Erik said...
Things that involve lottery tickets, check cashing stores, and other features of life on the bad sign of town are often registered trademarks of mine. Not because I alone live with them, but because I'm the only one in the 'hood who would think to make them into marketable phrases. Even rap usually avoids stuff like that.
Just so you know. :-)
- December 4, 2008 at 2:36 PM
- Mira said...
I appreciate this post, because I think people need to be reminded that writing is not a fast way to make money. Especially those who are new to the 'business,' but are in trouble, and are looking for a 'way out.'
But I think we can also be compassionate here. Some people are in serious trouble, and are feeling desparate. When that happens, people don't always think clearly, and they may include phrases in their queries or cover letters that are too personal (like, I need money.) Survival fears are the worst - it can be truly terrifying if you don't know how you're going to survive financial.
I think the gift of this post, is that Nathan is encouraging people to be realistic. That's important in an economic downturn like this. Put your eggs financially in a basket that is likely to pay off, not a lottery ticket.
- December 4, 2008 at 2:54 PM
For myself and my friends that work for various newspapers and magazines in Colorado(Vail Daily, Aspen Times, Glenwood Post/Independent, to name a few), food is overrated! (Colorado was listed as one of the leanest states in the union according to an obesity poll done nationwide w/in last year or so, if not the leanest state ... don't remember) PC in CO would read: will write for ski pass. S. Susan VanLeeuwen
- December 5, 2008 at 10:33 AM
- Newbee said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- December 6, 2008 at 1:24 AM
- Newbee said...
Sorry...computer issues.
People can be very odd. Sadly some people try to play a sad song to get their way. I heard a story in the news of a mother who told a bunch of lies to get some Hannah Montana tickets for her daughter.(It is beyond me why you would do anything like this anyways...but for... Hannah Montana? ...Why?) She was caught in the lie and she had the tickets taken from her after she won a contest for her sad story.(Maybe she could have written a book...? She might have been convincing...?) Anyways my point is this, if you want to deceive people it shouldn't be to someone who you are trying to establish a relationship with; Bad, bad, choice of opener. It's like telling a first date you have a sexually transmitted disease. (Yuck...) I don't think they will want a kiss goodnight, or that second date. NEXT!
- December 6, 2008 at 1:36 AM
Holy crud, what was I thinking? My mother owns a catering company, I was her assistant until I was 23, now am mere consultant. I own a designer spice company ... very popular with chefs and waitstaff in the Vail resorts (Saucy Wentch Spice Co (please note misspelling of Wench.) I've got resumes and testimonials. PROPOSAL: I'LL FEED YOU IF YOU WRITE MY QUERY LETTER!!! How 'bout it?
- December 7, 2008 at 5:27 AM


text: email@example.com wrote: > Is ist known what the USA xxx satellites are good for? > Are they all classified? Are their dimensions known? USAxxx is used for unclassified as well as classified sats. For instance, GPS sats also have a USAxxx designation. There are several kinds of USA sats. Dimensions are available for some of them. RAE tables list them. You may also find some info in the Joel Runes tables available on Mike McCants site. -- Jay Respler -- email@example.com Sky Views: http://mars.superlink.net/jrespler/skyviews.htm Satellite Tracker * Early Typewriter Collector Freehold, New Jersey

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Look for Autographs from the hottest Rookies from the Class of 2011, including Cam Newton and Mark Ingram!
Find Premiere Materials AFC-NFC Numbered to 99 or less!!
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Archive for the 'Garrett Leight' Category
GUS + GARRETT LEIGHTPosted BY RHYS HALLETT ON August 16th, 2012
new garrett leight frames in the shop! there are some really great sunglasses styles to choose from, but gus, being all smart and stuff, was over the moon for these. pretty handsome, eh?READ MORE »


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AThought I would post this site which has a wonderful peacock feather mold if anyone would be interested. http://www.ahcakedesign.com/mn323-peacock-feather.html.
I stumbled across it this weekend while searching the net. I order it and I should have it by Wednesday in time to make my feathers.
0 replies
Quote by @%username% on %date%


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Vosges Haut-Chocolat Gift Basket
1 Recommendation
erin1231's recommendation
Vosges' exotic chocolates are made from the finest ingredients offered around the world. Katrina Markoff utilizes the original methods of French confectionery artistry which she learned during her training at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Having graduated with the Grand Diplôme from Le Cordon Bleu and having worked extensively in France, Spain, Italy, Southeast Asia and Australia, her collections of haut-chocolats have great, worldly inspirations. Inspired by her global apprenticeships, Vosges chocolates have exotic influences of an 'East meets West' theme. The infusions of rare spices and flowers combined with premium chocolate give a delicate balance of flavor, leaving you with a layered and lingering sensation of spice and chocolate. Our Vosges Basket delivers a true 'haut-chocolat' experience. Includes La Parisienne Couture Cocoa: This traditional dark chocolate cocoa is rich and flowing with cacao and Madagascar vanilla. Voted #1 hot chocolate by Rachael Ray out of 75 contenders. (8 oz.)
My Collections:


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Part of the vision for this year is praying for your needs.
To do that, you have to let your prayer needs be known.
That's easy to do!
You can give your name or be anonymous.
You can give as much or as little information as you choose too!
Just let the KAVX Prayer Intercessors know how they can pray for you.


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|From: Grant Rettke (grettke at acm.org)
Date: Wed Oct 6 22:11:20 EDT 2010
On Wed, Oct 6, 2010 at 4:24 PM, Jay McCarthy <jay.mccarthy at gmail.com> wrote: > I've made a proof of concept FFI for OpenMPI. I believe that Grant > Rettke was working on one too, but I didn't see any evidence of it > online. I did do some work for one of my homework assignments, but didn't take it further than that.
|Posted on the users mailing list.


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Implats' socio-economic development (SED) activities in South Africa are managed under the auspices of the Impala Community Development Trust (ICDT), which was established by the group in 1998. The ICDT's operation is underpinned by the philosophy that it should be the facilitator of social development, rather than the sole sponsor of activities, and that it should encourage the development of meaningful and sustainable interventions. The ICDT has very specifically adopted a collaborative approach – with communities that 'own' the projects, with other donors (in order to attract more investment), with government (to ensure the integration into broader, longer-term plans), with non-governmental organisations (NGOs), community-based organisations (CBOs) and others – to ensure on-the-ground support for projects.
The group's Corporate Social Affairs Policy (PDF - 397KB) was adopted during the year and is aimed specifically at the social and economic development of communities in which the group operates and the areas from which the group's employees are drawn. Through our activities, we work to ensure that it makes a positive contribution to poverty alleviation, community development (infrastructure development and empowerment of community structures) and the empowerment of government to facilitate improved service delivery and local economic development. While we aim to empower a broad range of stakeholders, it does place a specific emphasis on black youth, women and people living with disabilities.
The ICDT aims to:
Projects submitted to the ICDT are evaluated internally prior to consideration by the ICDT board of trustees. Group CEO David Brown is the chairman of the board of trustees.
Planning for the ICDT is carried out in line with the group's strategic planning process, with budgets outlined on a five-year time horizon. Social development officers based at the operations identify possible projects or review the various applications they receive and submit these for approval. Projects are classified as high-, medium- or low-risk interventions. High-risk projects require a service level agreement to ensure delivery on planned objectives. An independent service provider, funded by the ICDT, undertakes an assessment of the impact of the project as well as the utilisation of the funds.
|Empowerment of community structures
|Support for government infrastructure
|Sports development
|Environment development
|Safety and security
The ICDT has eight areas of focus, namely:
A specific goal of the ICDT was to increase significantly our socio-economic development spending.
During FY2007, we spent R31.8 million on SED projects in South Africa. (FY2006: R14.2 million). The figure includes an administration fee of R3.7 million to manage the funds. Moreover, this figure is believed to be an under-reporting of the total investment made by Implats in its communities as it excludes all 'in kind' donations. 'In kind' donations refers to either manhours or materials from our operations.
During FY2007, direct and indirect beneficiaries of our corporate social investment expenditure numbered 14,195 and 11,599 respectively. Of these beneficiaries 410 (148 direct; 262 indirect) were people living with disabilities.
The following discussion illustrates a number of key projects undertaken by the group in the various areas of operation.
The ICDT has engaged the Institute for Corporate Social Investment (ICSI) to verify and track all funding to service providers and beneficiaries. In this way the ICDT is able to ensure that the desired socio-economic development goals are achieved. At a cost of around 3% of the ICDT budget (around R3.7 million), the ICSI has been engaged to:
During the year, the trust deeds for the Impala Bafokeng Trust (set up in 2006 as part of the Implats/RBH BEE transaction) signed and lodged with the relevant authorities. Trustees have been appointed and it is expected that the Trust will begin operating by September 2007.
In Zimbabwe, corporate social investment expenditure is focused primarily in the areas of education and health. Zimplats spent in the region of $207,000 (R1.5 million) in FY2007; and Mimosa some $179,000 (R1.3 million).
|Impala Rustenburg
|Head Office
|Impala Springs
|Labour-sending areas –
|North West Province
|Labour-sending areas outside
|North West Province
|Impala Rustenburg
|Impala Springs
|Head office
|Group total
The goal of this well-established project, to which Impala contributed R3.2 million in FY2007, is to increase the number of young black people from historically disadvantaged communities in the Rustenburg (Bojanala-West) area to become engineers and scientists.
Through the Ukuqonda Institute, the ICDT has been able to access a team of committed and experienced mathematics and science educators with an established track record in providing post-matric and supplemental instruction and in-service training to teachers. The project includes the production of specific resources for learning (including certain items of laboratory equipment), as well as providing vacation work enabling past post-matric students who are now studying at university to augment their bursaries.
A 'C symbol' or higher for mathematics higher grade (HG) and physical science HG is generally regarded as a minimum entry requirement for university students to be successful in engineering or physical science degree courses. The impact of the Ukuqonda Institute Maths and Science Project on the performance of HDSA matriculants in the Rustenburg (Bojanala West) region since 2003 is shown in the tables below. These students all participated in the post-matric programme (case study on Maths and Science Post Matric Development Programme).
|Mathematics HG
|Number of C+ symbols achieved with direct support from the Ukuqonda project
|Total number of C+ symbols achieved by HDSA matriculants in mathematics HG in the Bojanala Educational District
|Percentage contribution of the Ukuqonda project
|Physical Science HG
|Number of C+ symbols achieved with direct support from the Ukuqonda project
|Total number of C+ symbols achieved by HDSA matriculants in physical science HG in the Bojanala Educational District
|Percentage contribution of the Ukuqonda project
|Cost of the post-matric programme, including set-up and development costs
|R1.1 million
|R1.22 million
|R1.36 million
A new building and sports fields for the Vukuzenzele Primary School is a joint initiative between Impala Rustenburg and the North West Department of Education's Bonjala Region. This is the first project approved by Impala Rustenburg in terms of an integrated development plan (IDP) for the area (the Mining Charter requires companies to co-operate in the formulation and implementation of IDPs). Together, the company and the department have made R10 million available for the new facilities.
Situated next to our Rustenburg operation's No. 9 shaft hostel in Freedom Park, North West Province, the school, which has 900 learners, is currently housed in prefabricated buildings donated by Impala Rustenburg. The building project, which started in January 2007, is scheduled for completion by December and has provided 80 employment opportunities, 34 of these to people from Freedom Park (case study on Vukuzenzele Primary School).
The R1 million per annum contribution by the ICDT to the award-winning Woodchips Project has a dual objective: it has created a small business for local community members, and it has an environmental aspect as it uses waste products for an economic purpose. Woodchips, which are remnants of the timber packs used as support in underground mining operations, are separated out from the ore during processing and, when combined with sewage sludge, form rich compost that is used in the rehabilitation of tailings dam slopes. The community-based business – called Monontsha – has been in operation since 2005. It employed 48 people during 2007, and 15 of the women currently employed have a 5% shareholding in this project (case study on Woodchips Project).
Some R2.6 million was allocated towards the Small Business Development Projects in the Bojanala area in FY2007 in an effort to support enterprise development in the region. The aim is to establish, develop and assist co-operatives, small, medium and micro (SMMEs) enterprises and CBOs, with the help of service providers within the community to become profitable and to enter into the mainstream economy. In total, 90 cooperatives, 16 NGOs, SMMEs and 1,600 individuals benefited from these capacity-building projects (case studies: Mahube Trust assists Rule Slate and Tile Co-operative and the Masizakhe Bafazi Co-operative).
Implats is one of a number of sponsors of the Greater Rustenburg Community Foundation (GRCF) which strives to create a stable and prosperous local community through grant-making to and improving the capacity of non-profit and community-based organisations. The Lebone Women Empowerment – Home-based Care Project, which currently looks after 288 terminally ill patients in Boitekong near Rustenburg in the North West Province, is an example of such an organisation (case study on Lebone Women Empowerment).
In FY2007 Implats supported Tsholofelo Masego, a shelter for orphans and vulnerable children, with a grant. The group is also the sole sponsor of the Rustenburg Community Development Centre (RCDC) which provides ongoing assistance to the project. (case study on Tsholofelo Masego Children's Project).
Around R897,000 was provided to a Saturday school project in FY2007 as part of the group's support to a Maths and Science School Incubator Educational Programme. Some 200 pupils benefit from the provision of tuition in mathematics and physical science to Grade 10 to 12 learners.
The amount of R470,000 was donated towards this education project for the salaries of 10 full-time educators to provide adult basic education and training (ABET). Around 200 students benefit from this project.
To date, Implats has donated R360,000 to the Good Future Development Co-operative which was established in March 2006 as a women's empowerment initiative (case study on Good Future Co-operative).
The amount of R372,000 was provided towards the support of eight police stations in North West Province through a partnership with Business Against Crime North West. This initiative formed part of a national security imperative (Impala's total contribution in FY2007 being R962,000) that not only assists in the fight against crime, building long-term capacity within the management of the police ranks, but also enhances service delivery and performance improvement at police station level.
The Business Against Crime Leadership Development Programme, a South Africa Qualification Authority-accredited programme, is aligned to the SAPS national training strategy and also supports the government's service delivery improvement strategy. An intense process of impact evaluation, based on a set of desired outcomes, has been implemented to ensure that the strategic objectives of the programme are met.
A total number of 63 police members from eight different police stations have been trained. It is anticipated that this will have a positive spin-off on Impala communities, both locally and within some labour-sending areas.
The South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) is a body of 29 members appointed by the ministers of education and labour. Its functions are to:
Although the matriculation results in the North West Province have shown a slight improvement in the past two years, there is still much concern about the effective teaching at schools within the disadvantaged communities. As long as ineptly qualified and demoralised teachers are utilised in these schools, especially in the field of natural and economic sciences, much has still to be done through support and intervention programmes if quality prospective university students are ultimately to be produced. In an effort to alleviate this serious problem, Implats through the North West University offers classes on Saturdays to Grade 12 learners, in an attempt to assist them through supplementary teaching by senior dedicated teachers.
The ICDT donated R214,970 towards the total annual funding for establishing and running Saturday-school teaching programmes at the Taung centres. The main objective of the Ikateleng project is to improve overall examination results as well as the individual symbols attained so that learners can meet the admission requirements of tertiary institutions or also helps to prepare them for such training. (21% of the students in 2006 were enrolled at North West University.)
The project is run over a period of 18 consecutive Saturdays. The aim is to assist learners in the specific areas in which they experience difficulties, namely mathematics, physical science, biology, accounting and economics. Life skills training is included in the programme, which is aimed at facilitating career maturity and personal development by teaching participants effective study methods, self-management skills, creative problem-solving skills, career exploration as well as awareness of their aptitude and career interests.
An English programme is also offered, with the objective of equipping the learner with certain basic skills and techniques which are not only applicable in speaking, reading and writing activities, but which can also be applied to related fields, for example, in study material for other school subjects, in selecting leisure reading material, or finding and understanding information of general interest.
Implats has donated R816,670 to EQUIP (a partnership project between business, government and school communities) to improve teaching and learning in disadvantaged schools in North West Province. The focus of the EQUIP programme is on effective governance, quality management and strategic planning with a view to enabling schools to take responsibility for their own development and the ensuring of quality teaching and learning in their classrooms. EQUIP aims to improve the participating schools' functionality and effectiveness.
A baseline study, school audit and situational analysis was conducted for each of the schools selected from Impala's labour-sending areas in North West Province to:
Ten schools were selected to participate in and benefit from the EQUIP programme. A similar project was undertaken in the Springs area and an amount of R192,000 was donated.
Support has continued (R500,000 in FY2007) as part of a five-year R2.5 million grant towards the Medical Research Council's research into the development of an AIDS vaccine. The potential impact of success in this area of health is significant – it is estimated that 27 million people in sub-Saharan Africa are living with the virus.
The Steelpoort Producers Forum (SPF), whose members represent most of the mines in the footprint area, has collectively decided to assist the Greater Tubatse Municipality (GTM) in addressing pressing infrastructural needs. The SPF decision is a result of several mine expansion projects within this greater municipal area. Local municipalities bound by economic development obligations, are responsible for the provision of bulk services that include roads and storm water drainage, while district municipalities are responsible for bulk water provisioning.
Around R3.3 million was provided during the year towards this government support project as Marula's specific contribution to the GTM. Marula also supports a project management unit (PMU). This unit is regarded by the National Treasury as a pre-requisite before municipal infrastructure grants (MIG) can be made. Legislation makes it possible for municipalities to apply for such grants from national government if they comply with the very stringent criteria set. For example, projects undertaken should benefit communities at large, be of infrastructural nature and project proposals ensuring service delivery must be in place before a grant can be made.
Funding from Marula was subsequently acquired to make the PMU operational. The unit was further strengthened by sponsoring a full-time civil engineer and financial manager together with a part-time projects manager to assist in the efficient implementation of infrastructure projects in the GTM areas. The PMU also received funding for the purchase of office equipment (computers and printers, desks, chairs, tables).
Assistance to the municipality with a PMU has shown the desired results, as demonstrated by the fact that a R12 million MIG allocation was approved by National Treasury and spent by the GTM on infrastructure projects in the area in FY2007. Apart from the MIG allocations, the municipality now also contributes capital funding via the newly established PMU. This is a significant step forward for the GTM as no MIG funding was ever allocated to this institution before.
The SPF serves as an example of how the mining industry can work in harmony with municipalities in the delivery of infrastructure projects that benefit both the mines and the adjacent communities.
Nine students drawn from extremely poor and disadvantaged households in the Marula area are receiving enrichment education in mathematics and science for a period of a year at a cost of approximately R387,000. On successful completion of the year's course, they will be offered bursaries in mining-related tertiary education or scholarship opportunities at the mine (case study on Edumap College).
Impala has been involved with Tapologo since its inception in 1994 and, under the guidance of Bishop Kevin Dowling, the programme has provided assistance to families affected by HIV/AIDS in the communities around Rustenburg. Impala provided funding and support to the following initiatives of the Tapologo Programme at a total cost of R1.4 million during FY2007.
Implats' Hlaluphilile programme, which forms part of Teba Development's home-based care service, was originally designed as a response to the increasing numbers of mineworkers retiring to rural areas on the grounds of ill-health. Together with 10 other companies, we pay a fee for every former employee participating in the programme, which helps to ensure the sustainability of the project. In FY2007, we contributed R225,000 to assist 60 of our former employees and their families.
Services provided include training family members as care-givers and in the provision of continuous palliative care; provision of services by a local home-based care group and provision of family first aid/home-based care kits. Referrals are also made to other organisations which provide clients with services such as VCT, ART, psychological and rehabilitation services. Care supporters and retired nurses are contracted on a daily basis by Teba Development to provide services to the clients.
In some areas, the health of the beneficiaries has improved dramatically and a number of them are involved in various forms of income-generating activities. Support groups for people living with HIV/AIDS were established in FY2007. Participation in these groups is open to other people in the community in addition to ex-mineworkers and their families. The process of establishing support groups is driven by fieldworkers in partnership with local community clinics that already have support groups in place.
Zimplats has committed to spending $645,000 (R4.6 million) to refurbish the Wanganui Turf High School and increase its capacity, over a period of five years. The project is being undertaken in partnership with the local authority and the national Ministry of Education. Included in the project scope are new classroom blocks, teachers' housing, water and electricity reticulation and school furniture. Some 450 learners will benefit from the project.
Zimplats is involved in the refurbishment of the Turf Clinic with the aim of restoring it to a fully functioning primary health care point for employees, their dependants and the local community. The project, which is being undertaken in conjunction with the local authority, is being carried out at a cost of $185,000 (R1.3 million). About 800 people will benefit.
Zimplats has funded the construction of offices to be used by the local authority at Turf at a cost of $145,000 (R1.0 million). The Turf community (comprising between 8,000 and 10,000 people) will benefit.
It is a critical aspect of Mimosa's mission statement to foster a mutually beneficial relationship with the surrounding community. Year by year requests for assistance come regularly from the various community stakeholders, including schools, co-operatives and other independent centres. These requests are evaluated according to needs and they are measured against Mimosa's corporate governance guidelines. During the period under review a total of R1.3 million was spent on such projects.
In FY2007 Mimosa donated 130 bags of cement towards the construction of a footbridge at the Shagashe River to provide easier access to the school. A total of R28,000 was spent on this project. Mimosa continues to have a close relationship with this school, which is used to benchmark its educational assistance policy.
As part of a community engagement initiative, Mimosa runs community co-operative projects which include work assignments such as growing gum trees around company sewerage ponds, digging trenches, clearing fire guards around the company perimeter fence, etc. Proceeds from such projects are channelled towards community projects, for example, the construction of Mukwidzi Secondary School. Approximately R36,500 was spent on these projects, which are of an ongoing nature. In addition, Mimosa provided a borehole pump, accessories and the installation of a 5,000-litre water reservoir, for a total amount of R426,000.
Mimosa runs 'Cop of the month' and 'Cop of the year' schemes as part of its commitment to the ongoing efforts by various stakeholders to fight crime within society. The competitions are run every quarter at the Zvishavane police depot and are presided over by senior Mimosa management and provincial police command.
Mimosa repaired two boreholes in the Kromdrai resettlement area. This joint project between Mimosa and community leaders saw two broken down boreholes being repaired through assistance with pipework and other ancillary equipment.
Each year Mimosa contributes towards the Better Schools programme by funding and/ or providing academic material in the form of prizes for the best schools in the Zvishavane district. This year the mine provided textbooks to the value of R18,000 as a contribution towards prizes for the winning schools and children within the district. Mimosa has also funded the construction of a classroom block with three classes, including furnishings, at Makwasha Primary School. A total of R805,000 has been spent on this project.
Key objectives for FY2008 include:


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Honoring the Maya culture is our dive plan. The cenotes on our itinerary all hold artifacts that collectively paint a picture of how the ancient Maya lived, prayed and died. Because these sites are of immense archaeological importance, one expert, underwater archaeologist Guillermo de Anda, has made it his life's work to find out the answers—and I have the unique privilege of diving with him for an action-packed week in several stunning cenotes that he discovered, mapped and continues to study.
Accessing the cenotes requires a challenging entry, since divers and their gear must be lowered on lines to reach the water's surface, which generally is 40 to 70 feet below ground level. The openings can be small, but they usually lead to large, flooded caverns decorated with stalactites, stalagmites, and the dramatically long, ropy roots of the alamo trees that seem to thrive beside every cenote.
The Ancient Maya and Cenotes
For centuries, the Maya of Mexico's Yucatán peninsula have had a complex—and still not fully understood—relationship with the region's thousands of inland sinkholes, known as cenotes. With no rivers or lakes, limited rainfall, and limestone bedrock, the Yucatán can be an unforgiving (to say the least) environment, which is why the crystalline water in the cenotes has always been a vital lifeline for the area's inhabitants. Evidence shows that the ancient Maya both depended on and feared these dark sinkholes, believing that their unfathomable depths were portals to Xibalba, the spooky underworld that loomed large in their cosmology.
Many questions still surround the cenotes, especially the ones hidden in the forests near Mérida, the Yucatán's capital. Did the Maya ritually sacrifice virgins in them, as many people believe? Or were the cenotes used as subaquatic ossuaries, places to deposit the bones of the deceased? One expert, underwater archaeologist Guillermo de Anda, has made it his life's work to find out the answers—and I have the unique privilege of diving with him for an action-packed week in several stunning cenotes that he discovered, mapped, and continues to study.
De Anda, who has logged some 10,000 dives, most in the Yucatán, has the mind of a scientist and the soul of an adventurer. A professor of archaeology at the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán and the first Mexican to be named a National Geographic Explorer, he has fastidiously researched centuries-old documents, testimonies and hieroglyphs to learn the locations and ceremonial uses of cenotes that were sacred to the Maya. For decades, de Anda has been unraveling mysteries that, this year in particular, have extra-special resonance.
That's because, as the end of 2012 approaches, the ancient Maya will be making headlines in a big way. December 21, 2012, is the date that the Maya "long-count" calendar ends after more than 5,000 years—a supposed finality that doomsday believers, occultists, and other woo-woo types claim will be the apocalypse (see sidebar). De Anda, ever the rational scientist, dismisses this idea of impending doom. "Frankly," he says, "the best thing we can hope to come out of this kind of mystical thinking is an increased honor of Maya culture."
Diving the Dark Side
First, an overview: "There are tens of thousands of cenotes throughout the Yucatán peninsula," de Anda says, "most of which have never been explored. Divers have found extensive cave systems connecting the cenotes near Tulum, in the state of Quintana Roo, but the cenotes we're diving this week, in the state of Yucatán in the peninsula's northwest corner, are mostly unlinked."
Once we are at depth, de Anda says, we'll need to exercise great caution so as not to stir up silt or disturb artifacts with a wayward fin kick. He will guide us into the caverns by unspooling a reel, so we'll always be able to find our way out. We'll need good lights to illuminate the pitch-blackness and excellent buoyancy skills to maneuver through tight passages. Above all, he emphasizes, no touching. Nada. Because some of the treasures we're about to encounter are thousands of years old and remain in their original positions, archaeologists can glean from them precious information about ancient customs.
Sacred Spaces, Above and Below
Our first dive site, Kankirixche, is located several miles down an unmarked dirt path in the middle of the forest—and it's a great place to learn the ropes (so to speak) of cenote diving. Our crew rigs a line and-pulley system at the opening, which is comfortably large—some 75 feet in diameter. One by one, we divers strap on harnesses, attach them to the ropes, and are lowered 40 feet to reach the water below. We wait for our equipment to be lowered next, and gear up in the water. Because Kankirixche has such a capacious opening, there is plenty of light in the chamber below, helping us get our bearings as we make our first descent into the Maya netherworld.
De Anda guides us down 80 feet, and we enter an ink-black cavern. We see a few critters at depth—blind catfish and shrimp, primarily, who've adapted to life in total darkness—and a gorgeous display of limestone speleothems. At bottom, we discover a pile of animal bones, deer perhaps, which may have been deposited here centuries ago as sacrifices to Chac, the Maya rain god.
Now, with Kankirixche under our belt and a bit more confidence in our cave-diving chops, we are ready to up the ante. Our next cenote, Noh Mozon, offers even more tantalizing mysteries. Well-hidden in the forest, Noh Mozon lies a good 45 minutes by car at the end of a narrow, rutted dirt path. It's clear we are deep in Maya territory when we stumble upon a traditional altar en route, a small stone structure filled with offerings to the gods: candles, bottles of honey, crosses, and huipiles, the intricately embroidered textiles worn by Maya women.
When we reach Noh Mozon, we are delighted to see that it has one distinct advantage over Kankirixche: a sturdily built staircase that descends 50 feet from the ground to the water—which means, for the one and only time during this trip, we can avoid the rigors of descending by rope. The sun is directly overhead, spotlighting an iridescent, turquoise circle of water that pools in sharp contrast to the surrounding blackness.
De Anda tells us that we will find human remains at 110 feet, so we descend in search of them. Our most exciting discovery is a skull partially submerged in the silt; all that's visible are the top of its head and its eye sockets. We can't determine its age or sex, but it appears to have been an adult at the time of death. De Anda estimates it is at least 800 years old, probably dating to the post-classic Maya period.
As we make our ascent along the cavern's wall, we encounter a dark passageway. De Anda unspools his reel, and we follow him into the narrow cavern some 200 horizontal feet, at the end of which is a glorious vertical space. The sensation is magical, like we are gazing up through a beautifully sculpted chimney. It is awe-inspiring, and we surface with the profound sense that we have just experienced a sacred space.
Deformed Heads, a Dozen Virgins, and an Unexpected Blessing
As the week unfolds, we find that each new dive is more challenging than the last—the openings get progressively smaller and the drops to the water deeper, but the rewards at depth get better and better.
It would be easy to drive right by Chihuohol Dos, a cenote that de Anda discovered 14 years ago. The entrance looks like a narrow slit in the ground, not more than six or seven feet across at its widest point. We descend to find a huge bell-shaped chamber, and then drop underwater 110 feet to discover a trove of ancient ceramics and the bones of dogs and deer.
Even more interesting is a human skull—a female—that shows evidence of cranial deformation. It was most likely flattened at birth as part of the traditional Maya "head-binding" process. The heads of newborns, as de Anda later explains, were often pressed between two boards for long periods of time to create elongated skulls. The reasons why are not fully know. Some experts speculate that the Maya wanted their children's heads to resemble those of jaguars, which were sacred animals and symbols of power. Others maintain that the Maya flattened their children's skulls in order to keep the soul from escaping the body.
When our crew hoists us back into the daylight, we learn we'd had a surprise visitor while underwater. It turns out that a Maya priest, accompanied by a dozen young virgins, had stopped by the cenote to get water for a ceremony in his village, two hours away; he brought the 12 virgins to bear witness to the purity of the water he was collecting. When our crew told him there were subsurface divers, the priest didn't seem to worry that we might contaminate his water. Because we were diving the cenote to study it, he said, we would not compromise its purity. The priest said a prayer for our safety and departed before we could make his acquaintance. And whether it was due to his blessing or not, we all did, in fact, emerge safely and soundly.
Heart Extractions and Screaming Skulls
Until now, we haven't known how the skulls we've encountered ended up in the cenotes. But our next site, Kanum, reveals some startling truths about sacrificial customs among the ancient Maya.
De Anda found Kanum in 2002 by doing some extraordinary detective work. Most Maya records and imagery had been destroyed when the Spaniards landed in the Yucatan in the 1500s, most notably at the hands of Bishop Diego de Landa, who went to villainous lengths to suppress the Maya, torturing them and persecuting them for "idol worship." De Anda came upon records from these 16th-century idolatry trials that referred to a certain cenote in which Maya priests offered human sacrifices, throwing corpses into the water after extracting their beating hearts on the surface. The references all pointed to Kanum, today's dive site.
Kanum is a tiny, rectangular stone well that sits on the grounds of a decrepit Spanish hacienda. It was surely the property's water source back in the Spanish colonial times, but it is doubtful the owners knew what lay below. We shimmy down the well to reach the cenote, and descend another 60 feet, where we come across a ghoulish skull that looks like it's screaming at us. It has a dislocated jawbone (hence the shrieking countenance) and an unusual incision in two of its teeth, which have been carved with the symbol for ik, the Mayan word for wind, or breath, or life force. We see several other skulls and a human skeleton lying in perfect anatomical position—which suggests that it was thrown in as an intact corpse, with its flesh still on it. De Anda has also found skeletons with slashes on their left ribs, indicating their hearts may have been cut out before the bodies were sacrificed into the cenotes.
When we surface, I ask de Anda what he still hopes to discover in the cenotes. "My biggest dream is to really understand which rituals happened where, to whom, and why. Because if cenotes were just cemeteries for the Maya, we'd have found hundreds of thousands of skeletons in them. But we haven't. Clearly, only a select few people were sacrificed or buried in cenotes, and we are still learning why."
Crucifixions in Xibalba
Our final cenote, called San Antonio, is again accessed through a stone well, with a small, nine-by-four-foot opening. Again, de Anda had learned about this cenote from Bishop de Landa's chronicles, which indicated that San Antonio may have been used for human burials and sacrifices for millennia—from the Maya pre-classic era (2000 BC – 300 AD) up through the 16th century, making this site one of extraordinary archaeological significance.
We are lowered into the narrow well and descend to a subsurface depth of 90 feet. San Antonio contains lots of deformed skulls and bones, but perhaps most interesting is our discovery of wooden beams in close proximity to the human remains, suggesting that the bodies had been crucified before being deposited in the water. "This may be the first solid evidence of Maya crucifixions that occurred as recently as 500 years ago," de Anda says. "The chronicles reveal that Maya priests came here to deposit corpses possibly thousands of years ago, and continued to do crucifixions up through the 16th century."
The eeriness of these discoveries is both unsettling and exhilarating. We emerge from San Antonio feeling privileged to have experienced such sacred waters, even though their mysteries are yet to be fully revealed. And while we may never fully understand what actually occurred here, we divers are among the very few ever to glimpse the enigmatic Maya netherworld by taking an unforgettable underwater journey to Xibalba and back.
Cenote Diving: Gear and Training
The water in the Yucatán's cenotes is dark and cool, typically 74-76 degrees F. Recommended gear includes:
- 5mm hooded wetsuit
- short, stiff fins
- dive lights
- cavern safety reel
Most cenote divers will be accompanied by an experienced guide who will operate the safety reel and bring extra air. Open water divers can do cavern dives—in which you never lose sight of natural light—but for those who want to hone their skills, PADI offers a cavern diving specialty course, with Advanced Open Water as the prerequisite. Cave diving—in which divers penetrate deep enough to lose sight of the light—is a technical specialty that requires advanced training.
Resources and Recommendations
To dive the cenotes in the state of Yucatán, contact Dark Side Divers, an outfit specializing in archaeologist-led dives. Visit www.darksidedivers.com for more information.
Dark Side Divers works in partnership with Catherwood Travels, which can assist with accommodations and logistics. Visit www.catherwoodtravels.com for more information.
To dive the cenotes in the state of Quintana Roo, visit www.padi.com for a listing of PADI dive operators.


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The vote comes amid today's reports that suspected Boko Haram militants beheaded at least 23 people in a raid on a village in the Borno State in northeastern Nigeria on Friday.2015(updated 13:34 29. Nike Cortez Hot Sale are expected to hold several bilateral meetings during the course of the day.5 hours. the Visa Services manager said they "will also reinforce the need to double check email recipients before sending emails.000 subscribers who signed up for his blog. "'Andrew, China and the United States are already in Switzerland. REUTERS/ Brendan Smialowski/PoolIran Ready to Continue Nuclear Talks, Yulia Shamporova The defeat of the Socialist party in the final round of the departmental elections in France is a clear message from the French people, on unemployment, Prior to its disassembly,000 lari (about $12.
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The party room is located at the west end on Poelking Lanes South. It is a spacious room with several ways to set up.
Supported Layouts and Capacities
The Bowl Pin Lounge & Grill is located inside Poelking Lanes South. It is a spacious room with a long "L" shaped bar that will seat 20. The room features a large 120' HD projection screen along with 6 flat screen televisions located around the room. There is plenty of good seating for viewing any sporting event at our unique bowling lane table tops. The room also has a billiard area and for larger groups we have a separate billiard room available. The maximum occupancy for this room is 90.
Supported Layouts and Capacities


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Martin Brest: astrology, horoscope, natal chart
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|August 8, 1951, 12:00 PM (unknown)
|The Bronx (NY) (United States)
|15°20' Leo
|22°32' Libra
|Virgo, Leo, Libra
Sun, Mercury, Jupiter
Fire, Earth / Cardinal
|Chinese Astrology:
|Metal Rabbit
|Birthpath 5
|4,998 clicks, 21,872nd man, 31,865th celebrity
Martin Brest (born August 8, 1951, The Bronx, New York) is an American film director, actor, screenwriter, and producer. Education Brest graduated from Stuyvesant High School in 1969, from New York University's School of the Arts in 1973 and from the AFI Conservatory with an M.F.A. degree in 1977. Career His debut as a writer/director for a major studio was with 1979's Going in Style, which starred George Burns, Art Carney and Lee Strasberg. Brest was next hired to direct the film WarGames but was fired during production. Brest's next project was his first major hit film 1984's Beverly Hills Cop, starring Eddie Murphy. The film earned well over $300 million and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay as well as earning Golden Globe nominations for Be...
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U.S. exchange-traded fund assets under management grew by 3.1 percent in December, while mutual fund assets under management edged up 0.8 percent, according to a new report.
Cerulli Associates, Boston, published this finding in a January 2013 report, "The Cerulli Edge: U.S. Monthly Product Trends Edition." The monthly publication covers issues and trends in asset management and distribution.
The report reveals that U.S. ETF assets under management attained $1.33 trillion in December, up 3.1 percent from the $1.29 trillion recorded in November. U.S. mutual fund assets under management surpassed $9.27 trillion, up 0.8 percent from the $9.2 trillion posted in November.
ETFs finished out the year with inflows of $38.1 billion in December and $187 billion total for all of 2012. However, after a full year of positive monthly net flows, mutual fund flows dipped in December by $9.6 billion, but totaled $269 billion for the year.
By asset class, equity ETF flows totaled $37.8 million in December, up from $10.3 million in November of 2012. U.S. stock and sector stock ETFs accounted for most (63.6 percent) of the flows. Inflows into fixed income ETFs and alternative and commodity ETFs in December totaled $602 million and a negative $546 million, respectively.
By contrast, fixed income assets outperformed equities and alternatives in the mutual fund category in December. Flows into fixed income mutual funds totaled $13.1 billion, surpassing flows into alternatives and commodities, which reached $588 million.
Equity mutual funds experienced outflows totaling $22.3 billion in December. This exceeds the outflows of November and October, which totaled $16.8 billion and $8.4 billion, respectively.
By asset class, U.S. stocks account for the largest share of mutual funds, totaling $3.5 trillion or 37.6 percent of mutual funds. This compares to $2.5 trillion (27 percent) for taxable bonds, $1.4 trillion (15.1 percent) for international stocks, 877.4 billion (9.5 percent) for balanced funds, $584 billion (6.3 percent) for municipal bonds, $277.2 billion (3 percent) for sector stocks, $89.8 billion (one percent) for alternatives and $50.2 billion (0.5 percent) for commodities.


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Most Alle-Kiski Valley school districts surpass 90 percent graduation rate
Some Alle-Kiski Valley school districts are clawing their way toward 90 percent graduation rates, but most have reached that number.
Ten of the A-K Valley's 15 school districts graduated more than 90 percent of their seniors, according to the most recent data from the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
Only one Alle-Kiski Valley school district, New Kensington-Arnold, failed to exceed the state's average graduation rate, according to those numbers from the 2010-2011 school year.
New Kensington-Arnold's graduation rate that school year was 80.8 percent.
A-K Valley school districts are following a national trend by reaching 90 percent graduation rates, according to a children's advocacy group.
America's Promise Alliance, which says it's the nation's largest child advocacy group, said that by 2020, only 10 percent of high school students will drop out before earning their diploma if graduation rates maintain their current pace.
America's Promise Alliance was formed out of the President's Summit For America's Future in 1997. At that summit, then-President Bill Clinton and former Presidents George H.W. Bush, Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford met to discuss the problems facing the country's youths.
"We're cautiously optimistic, that if the nation continues its progress. we'll reach that goal," said Colleen Wilber, spokeswoman for America's Promise Alliance. "But there are still 23 states that aren't on pace to make the 90 percent goal."
Pennsylvania is one of those 23 states, according to the alliance.
The state's graduation rate is above the national average, she said, but it is only rising at a 0.4-percent a year pace — not strong enough to get it to above 90 percent by 2020.
Districts react
New Kensington-Arnold Superintendent John Pallone said his district's state-reported graduation rate of 80.8 percent is erroneous.
"The prior administration had been reporting our numbers incorrectly," Pallone said. "There's a nuance when you deal with graduating special needs students and how you count them toward your graduation totals.
"When we sat down with the state and told them what was going on, they said, 'Your numbers are wrong for who knows how long.'"
Pallone said that when the next batch of graduation numbers are released, they will reflect New Kensington-Arnold's true graduation rate.
"We can't go back and edit what the state has," he said. "But our new numbers are better. The 2011-2012 numbers will show an improvement."
The Department of Education did not return multiple calls for comment on Pallone's claims.
Kiski Area had the A-K Valley's fourth-lowest graduation rate, at 87.3 percent, which is still almost 5 percent above the state's average graduation rate.
"We're trending up, but we won't be satisfied until we graduate 100 percent of our students," said Scott Koter, Kiski Area's assistant to the superintendent. "We're pleased with our progress, but it won't be satisfactory until every student graduates."
Koter said the district has come a long way in the last five years.
"We have a much deeper data culture," he said of the district, which had a graduation rate of 81.7 percent during the 2004-2005 school year. "We're able to identify at-risk students at a much younger age.
"We have to have a pro-active monitoring system; that's a huge key."
During the 2010-11 school year, school districts overall in the Alle-Kiski Valley graduated 92.4 percent of their students.
Attempts to reach Highlands officials for comment on Tuesday were unsuccessful.
Two Alle-Kiski Valley school districts topped the 98 percent mark, Franklin Regional (98.5 percent) and Leechburg Area (98.2 percent).
"We focus on a lot of factors to make sure our district's doing well. Obviously this (graduation rate) is one of the big ones," Leechburg Area Superintendent James Budzilek said.
Budzilek said Leechburg Area's small size — the school graduated 56 of 57 eligible students in 2010-2011 — is a positive when it comes to quantifying graduation rates.
"Having only graduated 50 some students per year, we're able to keep a close watch on our students," he said. "A student doesn't get lost in a shuffle, like they could in a bigger school.
"We're able to keep a close eye on our students and identify any student who might be lacking."
Keys to raising the rate
America's Promise Alliance's Wilber said that multiple factors have contributed to the country's increase in high school graduation rates.
"First, between 2006 and 2010, there were a couple of intense efforts to address the dropout rates," she said. "A lot of people didn't realize that, on average, a quarter of the kids in this country weren't graduating.
"Also, over the last 10 years the availability of data, and how it's compiled has come a long way," she added. "We need to have the data to see who's struggling and when they're struggling.
"A lot of the kids who dropout have been putting up 'smoke signals' for help, for a long time."
Wilber also said minority graduation rates have greatly increased in the last decade.
"The graduation rate for Hispanics has gone up 10 percent in the last 10 years," she said. "And for African Americans, it's gone up about 6 or 7 percent."
In 2010-11, Hispanic students graduated at a 64.6 percent rate in the state, while blacks graduated at a 65.3 percent clip.
All of the Alle-Kiski Valley's school districts graduated minorities at rates above the state averages.
R.A. Monti is a freelance writer for Trib Total Media.


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Qiuci Kingdom is one of the ancient kingdoms in western regions of ancient China. Residents in the area were good at music, and Qiuci music dancing was originated there. It was an important town on the ancient Silk Road, and the connection point of western culture and Chinese culture. The original site for Qiuci Ancient Town is located at Pilang Village, about two kilometers west of Kuqa County. The ancient town has an area in an irregular square shape with a perimeter of near 8,000 meters. The city walls at the east, north and south are still able to be recognized now, but the west wall has already disappeared.
Aksu Prefecture in Xinjiang is now the concentrated place for ruins of Buddhist grottoes of ancient Qiuci Kingdom. Qiuci Grotto is one of the most important cultural relics in the world, and it not only keeps a clear skeleton of the development of ancient Buddhist art, but also keeps a special value at the historical study area of China Buddhism, fine art, aesthetic theory and the society, history, economy of ancient Qiuci Kingdom.
Solo Adventure Tips:
How to Get There?
Take bus No.705 from the Coach station. Kuqa Park is located just at the opposite side of the ancient town ruin. It is located near the Qiuci Hotel.
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We try to make the information on China Travel accurate when we write/edit it. If you find any outdated information, please inform us.


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By Tsn
Im Tsn, guildmaster of Divided.
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Battletag: Zanngetsu#1255 Discord: Tankstâ2329
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