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Don Nguyen
Drifting.... - Poem by Don Nguyen
This jazz with all its dazzling mesmerizes my feeling
The sax played with precise perfection allures my soul to deepest being
the mind of my memories drifts back to the place of dreams
which I have been there only seemingly, enchantingly
Where street lights are always lit, pedestrians walk to trace back time
lovers walks hand in hand, quietly exchange the smile in their eyes
The days of reminiscence, long buried in this tired body
Being re-surfaced by the sounds of celestial jazz
Twirl around like fallen autumn leaves landed on my lips
paint vividly misty clouds onto my eyes
make me not wanting to come back to reality
but simply sitting here to drift away in music
or getting up, cover myself with a blanket, trace the alley with my you-tube
What a (romantic) life of a poet,
Which is destined for this poor soul who is forever walking dreaming.
Have a good day all my friends!
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Here are some fan pics of Summer Glau at this year's Wizard World Chicago Comic Con. She will also join her Firefly co-stars Nathan Fillion and Adam Baldwin for a panel from 3pm to 3:45pm in Room 24. You can tweet your questions to @WizardWorld. If you haven't met the new mommy yet, head over to her booth (#4408), for a quick chat, a photo and/or an autograph with her.
See more photos after the jump!
Check out some of the lovely images of Summer with fans and at the Firefly panel below and head over to the gallery for the rest. As always, more images will be added when they arrive. Thank you all for sharing.
Public Events > Events in 2015 > Chicago Comic Con, August 22 - 23, 2015
Photos courtesy of: Wizard World Chicago | @dgct2 | @DystopianHero | caroline oxley | Nicolas Moscatt | Travis Melillo
Here are a few fans impressions (mostly) from the Firefly panel:
From @Olicityibelieve: Summer Glau impressed by Stephen Amell's photo ops line... Priceless!!!
From @AnKexin2011: Wash's death explained as "unemployment" by #SummerGlau
From @pas_deChat: Summer Glau has not aged since 2002. It's creepifyin'.
I don't get tired of seeing myself on a comic book.
Glau on River's future: she'd get her own ship (The Riverdance?), start a jewelry business, and get a boyfriend.
From @CherokeeRoseXO: Summer's scariest moment as an actor? Jumping naked out of the box the first time on set.
From @riseofthecanary: Summer Glau: "Firefly was my first family and still is."
From Nathan Fillion: "I'd like to officially invite Summer to be on an episode of Castle Season 8!"
Summer Glau's ideal super power? She doesn't need one! As a new mom she feels like she can do anything!
You must have patience but meeting Summer is always totally worth it. We hope everyone is having a wonderful time at the convention and meeting Summer in person. We would love to hear some of your stories, so don't hesitate to post them in the comments below or send them over by mail.
More information on Summer Glau's appearance at Chicago Comic Con 2015, as well as photos and reports from con-goers will be posted in the Chicago Comic Con forum thread (check it regularly).
Like our Facebook fan page below to stay connected to the latest Summer Glau news!

subset: commoncrawl


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At the local bar Sally, Josh and Aidan see nurse Nora on a date with a doctor from the hospital. When Sally sneaks over to eavesdrop on them she gets disgusted by the doctor putting his hand on Nora's knee and causes a beer bottle to blow up in their faces. Josh starts to intercede but instead chooses to walk away.
Later on, Sally stops by the hospital to check in on her roomies and Aidan takes the opportunity to walk her over to the part of the hospital that is still haunted by ghosts so that she can meet some of her own kind. The experience proves to be traumatic for Sally and she's furious with Aidan for leaving her there alone.
On his way home from work, Aidan protects Bernie, a neighborhood kid, from being beat up by bullies. Through his relationship with Bernie, Aidan gains a friend and a glimpse of what it would be like to have a son again. The boy's mother is suspicious at first but relaxes when she sees how well her son gets along with Aidan.
When Nora approaches Josh at work, he brings up her date and Nora reiterates her interest in Josh. They go out on a second date but, since it's so close to the full moon, Josh runs away so he won't hurt her. Angry, Nora confronts him at the hospital moments before his transformation and the wolf in him takes over. They have sex right then and there before John rushes home to transform in private. Sally watches for as long as she can stand it and then joins Aidan outside on the front stoop to wait it out. When Nora shows up at the house to talk to Josh about his abrupt departure, they decide to try being a couple.
Meanwhile, Aidan tells Sally that he took her to the haunted hospital wing to show her how she'll end up if she leaves her earthly issues unresolved. Taking this into consideration, she returns to the hospital on her own and asks the help of the spirits there by leaving a note on the wall. Like many of the other ghosts, Sally wants to know why she's stuck on earth.
Rebecca picks up on Aidan's fatherly vibe when she shows up unexpectedly in the park where Aidan and Bernie are playing. Aidan is happy to see her but blows her off to spend time with Bernie. Things go south, however, when Bernie steals the DVD of Rebecca killing someone from Aidan's room. Bernie's mother promptly forbids Aidan from coming near either of them ever again.


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|Kwanzaa: Ghetto Slang for Murder!
BEWARE OF FALSE HOLIDAYS THAT MOCK THE BIRTHDAY OF JESUS CHRIST!Freehold, Iowa - Always vigilant about finding things to protest in God's name, the Ladies of Landover (after getting permission from their husbands) disguised themselves as filthy Negroes earlier this week to attend a local Kwanzaa party. The Ladies had been tipped off to the all-night party while listening to secretly recorded tapes of their domestics' telephone conversations. At first the Ladies had no idea what "Kwanzaa" was in reference to. "It is hard enough to understand what those people are saying," lamented Taffy Davenport Gaines-Crockett, "But when they start making up words you might as well just give up." After listening to the tape five times, Mrs. Venitia Johnson, the town's only known liberal, was called in to decipher. She informed the Ladies of Landover that Kwanzaa is actually a black alternative to the celebration of Jesus. "Something to compete with Jesus?" asked Suzzanna Beth Jenkins. "Well, if that don't smack of Satan I don't know what does!"
The Ladies' intention was to find out if this non-Caucasian holiday is of God or the Devil. "Lucifer just lays in wait to prey on the immoral and simple-minded," said Landover Lady vice-president, Judy O'Christian. "So, when we realized it was a Negro-type event, we naturally became suspicious. We wanted to find out if those people were desecrating the baby Jesus' birth. It also provided a wonderful opportunity to see if we could locate sterling flatware that was missing from our homes."
Using coal from their Christmas fireplaces, the Ladies disguised themselves so well that they moved stealthily among the party unnoticed. "Our blackened faces made us look like everyone else. LOL!" Taffy Davenport Gaines-Crockett remarked, "But we were just living in absolute fear that one of us would correctly conjugate a verb and be instantly unmasked. Fortunately, Negroes essentially look so alike that it is difficult to tell them apart, which is why I require my help to wear numbers."
Having never been in a Negro neighborhood, much less a Negro home, the Ladies had no idea what to expect --except the worst! After an ear-piercing hour of profane tribal music, grape soda spritzers made with Thunderbird wine, platters of pickled pigs feet, pork ears stuffed with peanut butter, and fried chicken, the seemingly innocent, though horrendously catered, 'party' changed into something more sinister. "I have a hard time keeping a straight face watching a black person eating fried chicken," said Sister Taffy. "But the Holy Spirit helped me stay in character! Praise Baby Jesus I am alive today because that invisible bird was watching out for me!"
The Ladies reported that, after brief outbursts of gunfire exchanged between a few of the guests, the entire party moved into the living-room/crack den to witness the ritual killing of a stolen white child dressed up as the baby Jesus. "I was petrified," Sister Taffy remembered, "I was frozen in horror. I couldn't move. I mean, I wanted to at least make sure the child was saved before they killed it, but it would have meant giving ourselves away so I pretended to gnaw on a rum-soaked watermelon rind instead. It tasted dreadful!"
These brave Christian Ladies had gone into the party knowing that anything could happen, but were confident in Jesus' promise to protect them from savages. "We knew that we were dealing with an unpredictable race of people," said Mrs O'Christian. "And the Kwanzaa Festival obviously brings Negroes closer to their voodoo Satanic African roots. In the limousine on the way over we had speculated that sacrifices would probably be somehow a part of Kwanzaa. It's not like these people have to worry about staining hand-knotted carpets. But, we just assumed that a small pet, or one of their own people would be involved. Not a real human!"
After almost being caught, the Ladies made a hasty exit. "None of them noticed that we weren't joining in on stories about ways to break into white people's cars," recounted Taffy, "but one of the women noticed that Sister Marge was wearing a pair of $850 shoes Betty Bowers had loaned her. I knew we were in trouble when Marge corrected the woman, telling her that she had not stolen the shoes from anywhere. After that slip, I knew it wouldn't take long for them to realize we weren't one of them." After complaining that they had to leave because "the Man was making them work," the Ladies made it out alive to report to an entire congregation the following Sunday. Pastor Deacon Fred mentioned, "We admire the Landover Ladies Club for risking their lives to uncover this horrific ritual of Lucifer. These dedicated women of God would have even sipped the White Chowder (a Kwanzaa soup created from the remains of a human white baby) for the Lord, if it meant bringing back the truth about this false holiday to those of us sitting here in this congregation today!"
As a result of the Ladies' report, all sanitation workers, dishwashers and gardeners on the Landover campus have been dismissed. The Ladies of Landover are also busy interviewing Mexicans to replace their black domestics. "But we aren't going to actually fire them until after the holidays," reported Judy O'Christian. "They may be killing white babies left and right, but no one wants to be training new help when you are expecting over 250 people over for a New Year's Eve party."
The Landover Baptist website is not intended to be viewed by anyone under 18
*ROC: Return Of Christ


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Most of the candidates running for the White House reported in Monday with their first-quarter fundraising numbers. What do these numbers — with Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney out front — mean? National Rreview Online asked a group of political observers.
Kellyanne Conway
The $26 million that Hillary Clinton raised in the first quarter is not as newsy as the double that was raised against her in the Democratic primary. Practically speaking, a dollar for Obama, or Edwards, or Richardson is a dollar bet (or hope) against Hillary. One report estimated that 100,000 people have ponied up for Obama. Those folks have guts to publicly defy the Clinton machine, and I'd suspect 2 of the 100,000 even knew who Obama-the-undistinguished-state-senator was five years ago. Obama's money comes from folks who are excited, not obligated. And plenty of the Clinton stash was given because of Bill, not Hill.
Governor Romney's showing is most impressive, and caught the MSM by surprise since they are obsessed with his hair and religion. Mayor Giuliani and Senator McCain issued respectable totals, especially since each is blessed with the coveted "special" and "different" characteristics (albeit for different reasons) that currently make enough GOP primary voters excuse, ignore or forget some of their non-conservative stands.
The real test is the second quarter, after one's rolodex has been exhausted and intimates maxed out. Sustained buzzability and a credible charge that "you can win" will affect fundraising. Excitement begets money, allowing new candidates who have big names and long resumes to generate both come the fall when the current field will be attacked for seeming boring and unimaginative. Money is important, but not necessarily determinative. Short of buying YouTube, it won't help Messrs. Romney and Giuliani erase those disturbing clips that could double as Planned Parenthood ads. And a billion dollars will not enable Hillary to become Black or become Bill Clinton.
– Kellyanne Conway is president and CEO of the polling company, inc.
Richard Brookhiser
A Roman emperor supposedly had a slave whose job it was to whisper in his ear that all glory was fleeting. The candidates in the 2008 cycle should employ a staffer to whisper "Phil Gramm."
I remember covering a Gramm dinner early in the 1996 cycle which raised a _illion dollars (fill in the first consonant), which Gramm, in his inimitable flattened armadillo accent, called "yewer best friend in pol ticks." Gramm raised a lot of illions, but there were better friends to have: Supporters willing to go to the polls. He was humiliated in the early going by Pat Buchanan, who succumbed in time to Bob Dole, who lost to Bill Clinton.
I see signs of Grammism in Senator Clinton's campaign now. Her husband will get a hard work out over the next year — not to raise money, but to dispense the charm that may motivate voters on her behalf.
– Richard Brookhiser is a senior editor of National Review and author of What Would the Founders Do?: Our Questions, Their Answers.
John Samples
Every story today predicts "this will be the most expensive presidential campaign in history." So what? Spending on presidential campaigns depends a lot on economic growth and incumbency advantage. Americans are a lot wealthier now. If they spend the same proportion of their income on contributions as in the past, every election will be the most expensive in history. In a presidential race lacking an incumbent, many people believe they might be president and raise money to that end. But money isn't everything. Hillary has raised $36 million but looks like an uncertain frontrunner. Obama may be the right man with the right aura at the right time. On the GOP side, Mitt Romney has lots of money and less support than Fred Thompson who once supported campaign-finance restrictions for all candidates who do not star on a network crime drama. John McCain has been undone by the regulation of money in politics. Republican primary voters just don't like him or his BCRA, and however much money he raises will not change that. First quarter fundraising tells us things we already know. We are wealthier than in the past. We have competitive presidential nomination contests. Money matters less than people think.
– John Samples is director of the Center for Representative Government at the Cato Institute and author of The Fallacy of Campaign Finance Reform.
John J. Pitney Jr.
In pondering the campaign-finance numbers, think of Ada Mills.
During his 1980 campaign for the Republican nomination, former Texas governor John Connally spent $11 million, the equivalent of $27 million today. But while the sum was staggering for its time, it couldn't buy Connally out of his problems. He had been close both to Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon — deadweight names after Vietnam and Watergate. His acquittal in a bribery case hadn't erased the memory of his indictment. And he had to face Ronald Reagan.
For all his money, Connally won a grand total of one delegate: Mrs. Mills, of Clarksville, Arkansas.
The moral is that money does not mean political success. Connally deepened his woes by failing to develop a coherent strategy and frittering away resources.
So while it's important to see how much candidates raise, it's more important to ask how much they spend and what they spend it on. Are they picking targets carefully? Are they investing in effective advertising and get-out-the vote operations? Or are they blowing their cash on top-heavy campaign organizations and harebrained tactics?
When we know the answers, we'll know who could be president and who will be a one-delegate wonder.
– John J. Pitney Jr. is Roy P. Crocker Professor of American Politics at Claremont McKenna College.
Lisa Schiffren
I am a gut prognosticator. I am always happy to listen to people with complicated theories about percentiles of this and that, and projections out to whatever election. But for most candidates, it's essentially binary: He can win or he can't, and the zeitgeist is blowing for him or against.
Money is not just any old number, of course. It is a vote of sorts. And it theoretically can be turned into more votes later. Though not always, as my favorite president, Phil Gramm might warn.
Money, especially primary donations, is an artificial vote. First of all, only the rich give. Most people have something better to do with $2300. And rich political types are usually either hobbyists, or people with some interest for which they want political protection. Their instincts aren't the same as most voters. Furthermore, there is no way to measure how many people gave more than once — to Hillary and Obama, or McCain and Giuliani, to hedge their bets, and maintain social alliances.
So, these first-quarter numbers tell us disparate things. Mitt Romney's $23 mill tells us that he has a very good fundraising operation. Still, I don't think he can be elected. Not because he is Mormon, because he is too much like the Bush dynasty.
Hillary's 26 million ratifies our knowledge that she is the frontrunner and she has a very tight grip on many party donors. No news there.
Rudy's 15 million says — I can do it, but I may be a candidate of voters, not donors.
Obama's unreleased numbers will say the same as Rudy's.
John Edwards's 14 million doesn't matter. He isn't electable.
Finally, I keep thinking about the tortoise and the hare. The winners will be the candidates who can pace themselves, and whose strengths are most relevant in November of 2008. This frenetic quarter tells us nothing about that.
— Lisa Schiffren is a former speechwriter for Vice President Dan Quayle.


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Located within the House of Peace Community Center in the Walnut Way neighborhood, the House of Peace Community Nursing Center staff develop strong and lasting relationships with clients and are active advocates for their health and well-being.
Wellness groups, a cancer survivor gift closet for wigs and other personal items, assessment and referral and intensive nurse case management expand the safety-net primary care provided by nurse practitioners and clinicians. Clients include African American and Hmong residents from the surrounding area. Many College of Nursing students benefit from having their community health clinical experiences at the House of Peace Community Nursing Center.
Clients enjoy a range of services provided at the House of Peace Community Nursing Center including:
- Health Information and Referral
- Breast/Cervical Cancer Awareness
- Diabetic and Blood Pressure Monitoring and Counseling
- Adult Wellness Classes with House of Peace
- Gift Closet for Breast Cancer Survivors
- Support services for families dealing with cancer
Jean Bell-Calvin, MS, RN, PHCNS-BC
Nursing Center Director
Clinical Assistant Professor
Community Health Nursing Preceptor
Vanessa Baldwin, BSN, RN
Nurse Clinician
Wellness Class Coordinator/Educator
Amy Mosely, BSN, RN, CLC
Nurse Clinician
Nurse Case Manger
Clinic Hours
Please schedule your appointment by calling: 414-933-1590
Monday – Thursday 9:00am – 4:00pm
Friday 9:00am-12:00pm
Clinic Location
1702 West Walnut Street
Milwaukee, WI 53205
Phone: 414-933-1590
Fax: 414-933-0135


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Arbitration continues to proliferate and supplement or replace traditional civil litigation as a method of resolving disputes. Practitioners should be aware of the distinctions between these methods – at least one of which can create a potential landmine in large complex arbitrations. The issue of pre-hearing discovery can create some hazards and obstacles in the necessary gathering of information from third party sources in arbitration. Consider for example the following situation: you represent a subcontractor in litigation with a general contractor on a construction project. During the preparation for the arbitration hearing, you are engaged in discovery when you determine that a number of documents are not in either your client's or the general contractor's possession – but instead are kept by the Architect, who is not a party. How can you go about getting those documents?
In many instances, non-parties to the arbitration will refuse to recognize an arbitrator-issued subpoena based on a variety of grounds – including that the service of the subpoena was improper under state law. Unfortunately, the Federal Arbitration Act ("FAA") does not provide a mechanism for establishing service of arbitrator-issued subpoenas. In fact, there is serious dispute regarding the power of an arbitrator to compel discovery from non-parties.
Federal circuits are split on whether or not an arbitrator has the authority to issue a subpoena for documents prior to the hearing. While it is undisputed that the FAA allows an arbitrator to summon witnesses and documents for a hearing, the debate lies over whether this can occur prior to a hearing. For example, the 8th Circuit says that there are implicit powers in the FAA that authorize the arbitrator to subpoena documents prior to the arbitration hearing. The 3rd Circuit takes the opposite view, holding that the FAA only authorizes production of document at the actual hearing. The 4th Circuit takes an intermediate approach, holding that in certain, specific circumstances an arbitrator may compel pre-hearing discovery. Other circuits have not conclusively weighed in on the question, but individual district courts have taken positions all along the spectrum.
So what is the practitioner to do? One option, if the case is in a district that allows the arbitrator pre-hearing discovery powers, is to procure a subpoena from the arbitrator and file suit in the district court having jurisdiction to have the subpoena enforced. Alternatively, the party seeking discovery can move a local district court to issue its own subpoena for the information. A fairly common practice is to file suit and a concurrent motion to stay pending arbitration in a state or federal court having jurisdiction at the same time as the filing of a demand for arbitration. This gives the party a court to which it can turn to seek subpoenas if a non-party resists the arbitrator's subpoena, and provides a forum for the confirmation of the arbitration award at the close of arbitration. Another option is to request a special hearing before the arbitrator, have the arbitrator subpoena the non-party production of documents at the hearing, then have the arbitrator recess the hearing to allow the party seeking discovery an opportunity to review the documents. Obviously, none of these options are ideal.
Until or unless the United States Supreme Court decisively weighs in on the pre-hearing discovery issue, practitioners will continue to have to utilize creative methods to procure discovery from uncooperative non-parties in arbitration. This may cause some practitioners to reconsider whether arbitration is the proper vehicle for resolving a particular dispute.


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There are active timber sales!!
The resulting growth from a heavy thinning.
Sugar Maple regeneration with deer browse damage.
Every timber sale should remove a portion of the cull trees.
This is a photo of one of our mechanical operators working on a stand with 40 years of high-grading activities. The crew is cutting low grade and damaged material. The thinning was marked with a goal of increasing stand vigor, health and improving individual trees spacing.
This picture is of an American beech control project.
Saddled Propminent Catepillar is a mojar defoliator of our northern hardwoods tree species.
This a picture of a finished portion of a commercial thinning. This stand is an northern hardwood stand composed of northern red oak and red maple.
This is a picture of a shelterwood thinning in an oak stand that had been previously high graded.
The process of thinning the forest creates spaces between the trees to enhance tree growth.


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To be considered for this Palliative Medicine opportunity, please contact us at (866) 995-6077 or by email at email@example.com.
For more Palliative Medicine physician opportunities, visit us online at www.fidelismp.com or follow us on Twitter @FidelisMP. You may also fax your CV to (949) 325-7011. All inquiries are considered confidential.
Physician with MD/DO degree REQUIRED – Board Certified or truly Board Eligible with valid medical license


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"The video footage illustrates some of the most sickening human suffering imaginable." — British Prime Minister David Cameron addressing lawmakers before a vote on military action in Syria. A grim-faced Cameron conceded after the vote failed to pass that "the British Parliament, reflecting the views of the British people, does not want to see British military action."
"Football has been my life and football has been kind to me. But when I signed up for this, I didn't know some of the repercussions. I did know I could get injured, but I didn't know about my head or the trauma or the things that could happen to me later on in life." — Former Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett who will share in a $765 million NFL settlement to compensate players with brain injuries.
"If you don't sell this product to children, if you keep violent crime away from your business, if you pay your taxes and you don't use this as a front for illicit activity, we're going to be able to move forward." — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee laying out guidelines for marijuana entrepreneurs.


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Lohan Obama Tweet Raises Eyebrows
Lindsay Lohan has offered her take on Monday's final presidential debate via Twitter and appeared to have lent President Obama her support.
During the debate, Lohan retweeted a pro-Obama message, despite having posted her support of Romney just weeks ago.
"RT @BarackObama: RT if you're #ProudOfObama as our commander in chief," Lohan posted to her account on the micro blogging site.
The troubled actress offered several comments throughout the entire debate on Monday, starting with, "OMG it is HAPPENING!!!!!!! The Final Debate!!!!! I'm so nervous!"
Lohan later added, "1920s, 1950s… IT'S ALL THE SAME, History repeats itself… Only if you let it."
Lastly, the 25-yearold actress posted, "Nice work to both @BarackObama and @MittRomney… I'm so relieved that its over. Maybe more than both of you.. severe anxiety- God Bless xo L"
Some of Lohan's tweets confused Twitter users since she previously stated support for Obama's opponent. Just two weeks ago, the notoriously unstable actress told FOX411 that she supported GOP candidate Mitt Romney.
"I think unemployment is very important for now, so as of now I think [my vote] is Mitt Romney," said Lohan to FOX411 during a launch party for an energy drink.
Perhaps it was her previous comments that led Lohan to delete her pro-Obama tweet shortly after it was published on Monday. The retweeted message was not the first time she had taken to Twitter about Obama though.
Last month, Lohan directed a message posted to Twitter at the President asking that he "cut taxes for those who need it: middle-class families, small businesses" and "those that are listed on Forbes as 'millionaires.'"
Meanwhile, the former Disney star will appear in Lifetime's made-for-television movie "Liz & Dick" where she portrays iconic Hollywood star Elizabeth Taylor. The production will also see Grant Bowler, who portrays Taylor's husband Richard Burton.
The highly anticipated movie will air on Lifetime on Nov. 25.


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The number one problem I see photographer's face is that they never seem to generate enough inquiries and leads to keep them booked and continually shooting. They'll get a shoot or two, then there will be a gap until the next client comes calling. What's going wrong? The pictures are looking great, but I still don't have many clients!
You need to create a Call to Action when you're posting your photos. The Call to Action is the final instruction to your audience that lets them know the singular thing you want them to do. Consider it a no obligation statement that removes or reduces the risk of them getting to know about your product or services.
Facebook builds them in with their ads and "Learn More", but you should build in a Call to Action on your photography posts to let people know that you're available to book and there's a great reason why they should contact you!
In today's world, we're bombarded with photos and ads all day long. The average person will see 5,000 forms of advertisements in their normal day, just showing a great photo isn't good enough. Even if it's the best photo they see all day, once they leave your page or your Instagram feed, what entices them to come back or remember it?
So here's some tips on how to INCREASE your engagement with your audience and get them knocking down your door to shoot a photo of them.
- Build an experience for them. Tell them a story about the photo and captivate your audience.
- Focus on your Unique Selling Point. What do you do better or differently than everyone else?
- Leverage the Urge to Belong. Let's face it, people love to have social proof and will follow what their friends do.
- Take Advantage of FOMO. Let them know how LIMITED your spots are and that you're booking NOW.
- Know your devices, don't ask for lengthy contact forms since over 90% of web traffic comes from the phone, keep it simple and you'll get more inquiries!
Ultimately it's about building your tribe and getting them engaged with your work. The more engaged your tribe is, the easier the rest of this will be.
If you like this post, Follow me on Facebook or check out my work on Instagram.


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FontFont Has Never Been More Independent
When the deal between Monotype and FontFont was announced yesterday the internet exploded, wailing and lamenting the perceived loss of independence of the world's largest library of original contemporary typefaces. Arguments like "FontFont is no longer the last major independent foundry" and "There's never been a better time – nor a better argument – for independent foundries than now" were retweeted countless times. Maybe it is time to put things in perspective.
In my capacity as a member of the TypeBoard I personally witnessed the fortunes of FontFont since Release 2 in 1991 – including the original FF Meta, Neville Brody's seminal FF Typeface 6 & 7, FF Dolores by fresh-faced newcomer Tobias Frere-Jones (how times have changed!), Martin Wenzel's first foray into type design FF Marten, and FF Jacque by Max Kisman who was part of the inaugural Five Dutch Type Designers release too. Last month FontFont Release 67 (!) was announced. I remember many times in the past quarter century when we felt anything but "independent". The rapid growth of our library and changing font formats cannibalised all of our income in the late 1990s. Our catalogue shrank to the size of a CD booklet, and instead of publishing type specimen posters we had to resign ourselves to sending out mere post cards. The burden for the FontFont Focus booklets published between 1998 and 2001 was braced by FontShop Germany and the small FontShop BeNeLux alone.
There is no denying these were romantic times. We were loved, our typefaces were popular, our print materials became collector's items. Yet if we are to face the hard facts we must also admit FontFonts did not sell that well. We were treading water for years at end, and many of our type designers suffered with us. The turnaround came sometime around 2004, when word of the aesthetic and technical quality of FontFonts finally started to do the rounds in the marketing departments of large companies. Thanks to our new colleagues at FontShop San Francisco who secured some sizable multi-license agreements, the FontFont headquarters in Berlin finally had room to breathe again. At last a decent marketing budget became available for quality printed promotional materials and a proper website. The international expansion of our sales made itself felt and became the secret of our success.
Now, a decade later, FontFont will immediately benefit from the marketing and sales power of Monotype. Just like many independents in the punk era managed to cross over and teamed up with major labels to get their records in the stores, Monotype will introduce FontFonts to customer groups that we never managed to reach in 25 years – equipment manufacturers, software developers, operating system developers, and so on. Monotype makes almost 60% of its sales in this segment.
What does "independence" in the creative field actually mean? Nothing else than "Power to the artist", and something like "Priority to good taste". At FontFont, testimony to these ideals are our fair designer contracts (keywords royalties and intellectual protection) and the independence of our TypeBoard that selects new typefaces. These are our core values; neither is up for debate. Yes, Monotype would like to peek over the shoulders of our TypeBoard and our FontFont marketing team to learn from us, so they can apply this new knowledge to improve the sales and reputation of their other libraries. But the fact still remains that we will continue to develop FontFonts with their fair designer contracts, an unchanged TypeBoard, the same technical team of the FontFont Type Department and an identical, high quality standard; just like we have been doing the past quarter century, but reaching a much larger user base thanks to Monotype's contacts. The only thing that was lost was an abstract, romantic notion – nothing else. What is gained is the independence to do more.
11 Comments:
This is a very reasonable explication of what independence has meant for FontShop in the past, Jürgen, and what it might mean in the future. Yes, capital enables things, but this is also why concentrated accumulations of it are problematic: who gets to decide what happens?
While expressing very well what independence means, in very practical terms, for FontShop, I think you are overlooking what it means to type designers, which is something more than a romantic notion. When I talk with designers who license their work through resellers, the common concerns I hear regard having a say in how their work is marketed and licensed, and the question of who gets to profit from their work. Designers who were happy for Joan and Erik to share in the profit from their labour may be considerably less happy to see their work further enriching the coffers of Monotype, a company whom many see as already too powerful and influential in this business; indeed, a company that Erik himself has in the past characterised as a monopoly.
I don't doubt that you and the rest of the FontShop team will continue to do good and interesting things, just as my friends at Linotype, MyFonts, Ascender, etc. have done, and just as my friends at Monotype have been doing all along. There are many good and talented people in all these organizations. And likewise I don't blame Joan and Erik for deciding that it is time to cash out. But it would be wrong to mistake the sensible concerns of type designers regarding the further concentration of control of the type business as something like nostalgia or romanticism. The larger Monotype gets, the more its actions in the market have an impact on all other foundries, and the more it is able to utilize its capital advantage to monopolize that market the harder it will be for type designers to decide who gets to profit from their labour. The avenues for bringing fonts to market without contributing to Monotype's bottom line are getting narrower.
Anyway, I wish you and Petra and Ivo and everyone else at FontShop all the best for the future, both personally and as a company.
Too much power in one hand is bad, I agree. But I'd rather have that power in the hands of a company that has type as its core business. The real danger comes from Google and their free fonts. They could destroy the market for retail fonts tomorrow if they so wished. And they may well do so in their quest to own as much intellectual property as they can. On our own, a medium-sized label like FontFont has no chance against a giant like Google (or Amazon, for that matter). As long as I can walk without assistance and make my own decisions I shall kick as many asses at Monotype and elsewhere as I have been doing all my life.
Hi Erik,
Can you please explain this a bit more?
"The real danger comes from Google and their free fonts. They could destroy the market for retail fonts tomorrow if they so wished."
How could they actually destroy the market?
Kris: I suppose Google could buy Monotype once TA Associates have lost interest.
They could offer every independent type designer enough money to retire in return for their IP. Only big guys could resist such an offer. Google's plan is to own all IP on the planet. They make their money from traffic, not from offering creative solutions. The more "content" they own, the more traffic they generate.
Maybe, but in terms of traffic return on dollars, I'm sure there are better deals out there for Google. But then again, these newly retired type designers could live outside too.
Speaking of IP: the caption to the opening picture suggests that Made with FontFont or its cover design is by Stephen Coles. For those not in the know: Though I assume Stephen did take the picture (and did a good job) the book was edited by Erik Spiekermann and me, and the cover was by Strange Attractors, under my informal art direction.
Pleased, and somewhat surprised, to be working for the same company again. :-)
You have decided about who gets to profit from my intellectual property for as long as our contracts run (too long for my current taste) without me having had a say in it.
I feel like I need to explain myself better after merely having thrown in bits and pieces. I slowly regain conscience.
I'm furious.
Business-wise I even trust that the FontFont designers will benefit from the move. I don't have the necessary far-sightedness in the industry to judge that decision, but I simply trust, and I trusted you. Though I understand that only a private company can resist selling, which is now too late.
I find it also very legitimate that you cash out as you reach retirement age after having built a successful and super cool company. But you forget that your company was a special one, that its value wasn't based on your ideas (alone) and built by fleet of wage-labour assembly-line workers. It was based on the intellectual property of well over a hundred other people. Small parts of the $13M in your pocket is my money. I feel like to some extent I should have been involved in the decision (a bit ridiculous, I know), or at least informed early enough, and I my particular case warned before I signed yet another contract for Antithesis only very few months ago. Do you think I can't keep a secret? Now I'm locked up in this for too long.
Here's why: There's more to life than business. There's also ideals. I'm a person of strong ideals and principles. One of them is: I don't work for capitalism. I used to work for Google and Linotype, as is known, but that was years ago and I was young and I have since developed a stance over the topic. There's no rule that says that designers must work for anybody as long as there's enough money offered. Definitions of success are personal ones. I choose. Capitalism is the dark side of the power because it's knowingly ruining our world. Growth for the sake of growth is the motivation of the cancer cell. That it's Monotype doesn't concern me in particular.
And eventhough I can't influence who is buying my typefaces, I want to decide on who gets to profit from my work. Here's my idea on who should profit: You as the owner and founder of the company, all the wonderful employees making my typefaces marketable and marketing them, and myself. Full stop! No Monotype, no Adobe, no Google and no whoever.
I other words: I'm a lot happier with earning less money from a company that is a private LLC and making extra money with side jobs as it becomes necessary than this. And now I don't have a choice for many years to come. I have no other typefaces in the drawer to market with somebody else or alone.
All my writing might come as a surprise to some, but there was never a need to explain myself. I based my decision to work with you on my principles. It was a quiet, personal decision that no one needed to know about. I want to continue to work with FontShop and especially its people, but it's now against my will against my principles, and that's tearing me apart.
Truth is Monotype have a murky history of acquiring certain foundries whilst simultaneously decimating others. They may be on a spending spree at the moment but, if history tells us anything, they are just as likely to close FontFont & FontShop down as they are to open it up. Maybe you guys have had enough of the stress of running a world renown typographic institution such as FontFont but please don't try and kid us that it's in safe hands and that this hasn't just been a slightly desperate dash for cash.
The FontFeed is a daily dispatch of recommended fonts, typography techniques, and inspirational examples of digital type at work in the real world. Eat up.


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Marc Kaufman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, July 21, 2008 11:00 AM
Washington Post staff writer Marc Kaufman and planet-hunter Paul Butler were online Monday, July 21 at 11 a.m. ET to discuss the search for alien life.
Butler, who discovered some of the first extra-solar planets, will be joining the discussion from the Keck Observatory in Hawaii after a night of sky gazing.
Kaufman notes in his story, Search for Alien Life Gains New Impetus ( Post, June 20), that there is an explosion taking place in astrobiology, in part because of NASA's Phoenix landing on Mars.
"Few believe that the discovery of extraterrestrial life is imminent," writes Kaufman, "However, just as scientists long theorized that there were planets orbiting other stars -- but could not prove it until new technologies and insights broke the field wide open -- many astrobiologists now see their job as to develop new ways to search for the life they are sure is out there."
A transcript follows.
Marc Kaufman: Good morning. We're talking today about life beyond Earth, and the remarkable work being done by a broad range of scientists to learn what life actually is, and where else it might be found. The subject may seem far-fetched, but I can assure you the science is top-notch and the discoveries being made (and will be made in the future) are fascinating.
Joining me, I hope, is planet-hunter extraordinaire Paul Butler, which has been part of teams that have discovered about half of the planets found in distant solar systems. Paul is at the Keck Telescope in Hawaii now, and it's very early morning for him. He agreed to join us and, if all goes well, he soon will.
Everett, Wash.: If robotic probes find a planet sterile, then what are the chances of using extreme organisms on Earth to environment engineer and terraform other planets in this solar system as a preparation before humans even land there?
Marc Kaufman: I would have to say the chances are very, very small. NASA and other space agencies have protocols about making sure missions to other planets do not bring contaminants, and they're taken very seriously. I suspect this idea would run afoul of those rules. Also, we really don't know at this point what the introduction of any life form from Earth would do to another celestial body, so I can't see it happening now or in the future.
Rockport, Mass.: How many stars and how many planets are in the immediate vicinity of Earth, say 10 light-years?
Assuming that the technology of spacecraft improves by a factor of 10, how long would it take for a space probe to reach those nearby stars?
Paul Butler: The nearest star to the earth is more than 4 light-years away. Within 10 light-years, there are only a handful of stars. About 2 or 3 of these stars are known to host planets.
If our fastest spacecraft ever could go 10 times faster, it would take thousands of years to reach the nearest star.
Kaneohe, Hawaii: Since no life have so far been found any where, evolution as we know it, only exist on Earth. And since evolution is all they teach in the class room, this is like only teaching about Earth and nothing about the Universe that might entail more than evolution?
Marc Kaufman: I have to disagree with your premise on several counts. The first is that we've only been looking seriously for extraterrestrial life for a blink of time, and in a very, very tiny neighborhood of the galaxy. So there's a lot more exploring to do.
But further, the field of "cosmic evolution" is alive and well, and is teaching us enormous amounts about how the Big Bang gradually led to the formation of the first stars, and then to the production of heavy elements, and then to galaxies, etc. So while this is not biological evolution so far, it represents a kind of change that is evolution as well.
But to your larger implied question about a Creator, that's undeniably part of this discussion. Science will never be able to explain everything to everyone, and so it makes perfect sense that people will look to religious explanations. Whether or not they make better sense is, I guess, up to the individual.
Reston, Va.: What is the role for the radio telescope search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI)? Are the SETI League and the SETI Institute doing good work in this area?
Paul Butler: The SETI Institute not only carries out its own sophisticated radio search for extraterrestrial intelligence, but it funds efforts by other research groups as well. The people and work at SETI is excellent.
After 40 years of SETI searches, it is clear that radio transmitting intelligent creatures (or machines) are rare in our galaxy.
Arlington, Va.: Are scientists looking for evidence that life once existed or that it's possible? Are there any theories about where humans and Earth fit in a time spectrum of the universe?
Marc Kaufman: They're definitely looking for both -- that it once existed, that it may exist now, and that the conditions are right for it to exist if we can't current find it.
The task is daunting for so many reasons, and one of them is the time spectrum you mention. The universe is now believed to be more than 13 billion years old, and that the Earth has been here as a planet for more than 5 billion years. So human existence on Earth is a fleeting moment in the life of the universe. Other intelligent civilizations could easily have come and gone long ago, or perhaps are in the throes of early evolution right now.
Bethesda, Md.: Could you explain how scientists can tell there are planets circling distant stars. Are scientists sure of what they're reporting?
Paul Butler: As a planet orbits a star, it kicks the star into a small counter orbit. Newtons 3 rd law, for action there is an equal and opposite reaction. It is this small motion of the star that is detected. From the stellar "wobble" we can calculate the orbit and mass of the planet.
Columbus Ohio: It seems the task of finding water on Mars is led by the scientists from University of Arizona. I'm wondering what is the underlying organizational structure. Do you (a university research group) have to be working closely with NASA before you can land such an assignment? Or you can make a proposal anytime as long as your idea/expertise makes sense?
Paul Butler: Most NASA research programs begin as competitive proposals sent to NASA from University researchers. For example, my director at DTM proposed the NASA MESSENGER mission to Mercury, and he is the primary investigator for this program.
Alexandria, Va.: Why do you think schools are only recently developing astrobiology programs? Is the field more widely accepted among scientists now or is it because the technology has improved considerably so that scientists can do better research in this field?
Marc Kaufman: Some of both. Technology and new scientific insights have opened up the field in brand new ways, and that has led to a sense that the field is real (and exciting.) The discovery of so many strange and unimaginably hardy "extremophiles" living in acidic, sulfuric, parched, boiling hot and freezing cold environments on Earth has also created a way to find and study possible analogue organisms and environments that could survive elsewhere in the universe.
Boston, Mass.: What was the reason for halving the astrobiology budget in 2005 and do you really think the science community has enough clout to get it back to its previous numbers?
Paul Butler: The current administration has decided that going to the moon is NASAs first priority. This initially involves designing and building a new rocket since the shuttle can only go into low earth orbit and it is being retired in 2010. NASAs budget of $16 billion per year is not enough to fully fund science and the engineering needed to produce a next generation rocket capable of carrying humans to the moon. So science budgets have been cut.
Austin, Texas: I'm curious about your opinion of the Drake equation. Do you think it is useful in explaining to people the kind of work that you do?
Paul Butler: The Drake equation is a wonderful way of outlining our ignorance. When Frank Drake first proposed this in the early 60s, the only parameter that was known was the number of stars in the galaxy. Now we can make an informed guess on the fraction of stars that have planets. Every other parameter remains completely unknown. We have no idea about the fraction of planetary systems that have habitable planets, the fraction on which life develops, or the fraction that develop technology or radio telescopes. There will be work in this field for our grandchildren.
Chicago Ill.: I have no doubt that there's life outside Earth, but any such life we ever discover will almost surely be microbial.
I'm equally convinced that we'll never find intelligent life. Not because it doesn't exist, but because if our history is any guide, the kind of life we could detect has only existed for a very tiny fraction of the universe's existence. Our Earth is 4.6 billion years old, yet humans have only been able to transmit messages off-planet for what, 75 years? That's a cosmic blink of the ey (not even) -- if you scanned Earth 150 years ago you would have heard nothing. So even if there are 1 million earths scattered throughout the Milky Way, the odds are that, at any one point in time, only one or two of them have civilizations like ours.
Marc Kaufman: I agree with your general assessments, though the history of both astronomy and fledgling astrobiology is that you can expect to be surprised. Just as the Hubble Telescope allowed us to find new and stupendous galaxies and greatly expanded our understanding of cosmic evolution, technology in the future will greatly expand our ability to study the atmospheres of distant planets and determine if life exists there. And then beyond that, it's not impossible to imagine improved technology to pick up transmissions from galaxies many light years away. As we know from the presence of cosmic background radiation from the Big Bang, what's in interstellar space tends to stay in interstellar space.
Washington, D.C.: If the nearest stars, and thus planets outside of our solar system's, are so far away based on our current technology, if humans are to expand beyond Earth, is it a better bet to work on intra-solar system expansion, or improve technology to make inter-system travel more feasible? Thanks.
Paul Butler: It will be hundreds of years (at a minimum) before we have technology capable of transporting humans to nearby stars. It will be tens of years before we can send humans to Mars. NASA hopes to have permanently manned bases on the moon in 15 years. Given the sparsity of good worlds, I would hope that humans work harder on cleaning up the only place in the universe that we can inhabit.
Marc Kaufman: Nobody asked this question, but I wanted to raise the issue myself. Some people who have thought long and hard about the possible discovery of extraterrestrial life believe it could have broad implications for religious and philosophical thinking. It would, after all, be a major moment in the history of mankind.
Some think it will require adaptation from the western, Abrahamic religions that tend to see the meaning of the universe as tightly tied to the relationship of God and man on Earth. Some say it could even prove to be the new evolution. But others say it can be absorbed into religious theology quite easily.
To me it's all fascinating to consider and, given the speed of the progress in the field, perhaps important to consider, too.
Washington, D.C.: For Dr. Butler: You and your team have used iodine as a reference spectrum to measure the radial velocity of stars. Are you still using iodine, or is there another substance that will serve as an even better reference for detecting the more subtle wobbles caused by even smaller planets?
Paul Butler: We measure stellar wobbles using the Doppler effect, similar to the radar guns used to catch speeders and measure the speed of a fast ball. Doppler measurements rely on the fact that the spectrum of a moving object will be shifted in wavelength relative to the object at rest. We use the Iodine cell to provide a wavelength standard, in essence a measuring stick, against which to measure these spectrum shifts. Iodine remains the premier standard because it is directly tied to atomic physics, the wavelengths absorbed by Iodine never change.
New Orleans, La.: Maybe this is all too philosophical, but have you heard the simplistic theory of the universe that explains that all matter is or was at some time alive, and that life is built upon complex organizations of matter where it is necessary to consume more matter and energy to stay alive? Is this a possible explanation for the universe or just folklore?
Marc Kaufman: I havent heard this theory before, and it does seem highly unlikely. However, your question brings up an interesting point: Is the universe that we know and love the only one out there. To my surprise, I've found that the theory of the multiverse - that there are many universes existing in different dimensions, times and spaces -- is a serious one, and many cosmologists are inclined to think it could explain some otherwise difficult to explain realities. For instance, it appears that our universe is "fine-tuned" for life, meaning that if the basic underlying physics were even slightly different, stars wouldn't form, heavy elements wouldnt be created, and there would be no life. Some say this supports the idea of a Creator; others say it means there are many different universes out there.
Ellicott City, Md.: I think it was Fermi who asked if there is intelligent life elsewhere, why haven't they visited yet? Much as I would like to believe in alien civilizations, that's a persuasive argument to me that they don't exist. Your thoughts?
Paul Butler: The "Fermi Paradox" is very powerful. Since our galaxy is roughly twice as old as our Sun, there are billions of sun-like stars out there that are older than the Sun. If intelligent technological life developed on some of these stars, then there might be aliens out there with technology that is thousands or millions of years more advanced than our own. Such technological civilizations would have surely solved the problem of interstellar transportation, and they, or their machines, should have explored the galaxy. Yet we see no aliens, there is no evidence for aliens. So technological aliens in our galaxy must be very rare, or the problems of interstellar transport must be insurmountable.
Marc Kaufman: Many thanks for your questions. I suspect this is a subject we'll be coming back to in the future.
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Waa Juwara Urges Attitudinal Change
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
The Executive Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Alliance Movement (NDAM) Mr. Lamin Waa Juwara has called on Gambians to change their attitude and put the interest of the country first in whatever they do.
Mr. Juwara, now a nominated councillor at the Brikama Area Council, made these remarks in an interview with The Point at his Brikama residence over the weekend.
According to the former Niamina Dankunku parliamentarian, each and every citizen of this country should put the interest of this country first based on a high level of maturity.
The peace, he added, will only be maintained when all hands are put on deck for the development and advancement of this country.
Mbarodi, as he is fondly called, also called on all public officers to be vigilant and steadfast in the way they behave, as they should always be role models to the younger generation.
"Every action you take in society is monitored and your engagement in any dubious deal will bring bad reputation to not only your institutions but also to our beloved country," he added.
Author: Alieu Jabang
Source: Picture: Lamin Waa Juwara


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|Photo Credit - Michigan House Democrats
Michigan House Leader Tim Greimel visits
Independent Underground Radio LIVE 5/12/13 @ 7PM ET
- Michigan House & Senate Republicans want to limit the Unlimited Maximum Automobile Insurance Medical Benefit Claim to only $1 million dollars. Republicans such as Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson has called this legislation "reckless" and "inadequate" to meet automobile medical claims where severe injuries have taken place. We will discuss this subject with Michigan House Leader Tim Greimel (D).
- Buena Vista Public Schools are closed, Ypsilanti & Willow Run School districts are set to consolidate after June 1, Muskegon Heights & Detroit Public Schools have Emergency Financial Managers, Ann Arbor Public Schools are set to borrow $10 million dollars to meet payroll for the 2013-14 school year for the first time in its' history and Pontiac Public Schools have declared a financial emergency. What is going on with the concept of Free Public Education in Michigan? We will talk about this topic with Democratic Michigan House Leader Greimel.
- Are you abled bodied, poor and expect the Affordable Health Care Act (ACHA) Medicaid expansion to take care of your basic medical needs? Not if Michigan House and Senate Republicans have their way as they introduce a bill limiting the ACHA to a 48 month LIFETIME maximum limit. We'll discuss this!
- As more details come forth about the Cleveland, Ohio kidnapping case, we'll discuss the heroism of Charles Ramsey and the vain attempts to smear his name by the "Smoking Gun" website.
- Jodi Arias is guilty of First Degree Murder of her former boyfriend Travis Alexander. Should Arias face the death penalty since in a interview after her conviction, death instead of life in prison is what she asked for?


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Bills, junk mail and letters from friends and family arrive daily in mailboxes across the state. Those accumulations soon could be joined by tickets.
Traffic tickets that is.
Jere Hart, Lubbock's traffic engineer, hopes to be able to install cameras at major intersections. The cameras would snap photos of cars running red lights, and traffic citations would be mailed to the registered owner of the automobile.
Those actions, however, depend on the passage of recently introduced legislation that would permit Texas cities to install the devices.
''In places where the red light photographic enforcement has gone into effect, there has been between a 30 percent and 60 percent reduction of people running red lights,'' Hart said.
''That's all over town, not just at those intersections.''
That reduction translates to between a 10 percent and 20 percent decrease in the number of actual accidents, he said.
''This is a wonderful tool to lower (red light running) that requires little additional manpower because the work is contracted out,'' he said.
Police Chief Ken Walker hopes to install cameras at intersections as soon as possible if the legislation is passed. ''This will help save lives,'' he said. ''That's what our mission is.''
The equipment would not be installed at every intersection all the time, he said. Two to four intersections would have the equipment at any one time, with the intersections changing so people wouldn't know where it is.
Under House Bill 1115, filed by State Rep. Joe Driver, R-Garland, cities could contract with companies that make the system and have it installed at intersections.
If a driver stops and backs up at a red light, the picture of the car in the middle of the intersection will show the car never went through and a citation will not be given.
''If a person goes through the red light for a legitimate reason, like there's an ambulance behind them, the camera will show the ambulance and they won't get a ticket,'' Hart said.
Drivers would be fined $75 for running a light. A city must send the ticket to the car owner within 60 days, under the legislation. The time limit is to prevent the city from putting it off for months and the driver from having too long to worry about it.
Cities would be required to post signs at the city limits telling motorists that there is a photographic enforcement system in place.
In 2000, Lubbock issued 1,962 traffic citations for running red lights, according to police statistics. Running red lights was cited as the main factor in 258 accidents last year.
Even with heavy police enforcement, only 30 percent of red light runners are caught, Hart said. With the cameras in place, about 80 percent of the runners will receive citations, he estimated.
At least two officers are needed now to catch red light runners, Walker said.
One officer observes the intersection and reports the offense to a second officer, who makes the traffic stop, he said.
If only one officer is used, that person would have to run the red light after the violator to catch him, he said.
''We don't have officers to man every intersection all the time,'' Hart said.
Under the legislation there are two ways for a city to install cameras, Walker said.
The first is for the city to buy and install it themselves, he said. The second is to contract with a private vendor to install the equipment and send out the citations.
Installing the system costs more than $50,000 per intersection.
Walker doesn't know yet which would be better for Lubbock.
A previous version of the bill did not pass; however, Walker and Hart believe it has a chance this time.
''This makes sense,'' he said. ''I think all the questions that were raised last session have been answered.''
Even so, Hart said they still need help.
''Tell (your legislator) you want this legislation passed,'' he said. ''We need help from the citizens.''
Some people think this is just a scheme to raise the city's revenue, he said. With the money spent on equipment, Walker said he doesn't believe anyone would make much money off this.
Another criticism is that people think their privacy is invaded, Hart said. However, the camera focuses on the vehicle's license plate, not the front window. The identity of passengers is not revealed.
''Why would anybody be opposed to something that would make it safer (to drive) and doesn't invade anyone's privacy?'' Hart asked.
Stephanie Queen can be contacted at 766-8725 or firstname.lastname@example.com
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But her plea of authors needing to know what a book distributor is and why they should care did touch my heart so here is an overview of why book distributors are important in sales. (Remember sales? Once you get published, sales need to be considered.)
The short answer is that book distributors exist so libraries and bookstores can order a variety of titles at one time from one place. Yes, libraries and bookstores can order directly from the publisher, but there are a lot publishers and that's a lot of paper to have to track. If you can order the majority of the popular titles from one vendor, you have fewer invoices, fewer places to contact with shipping concerns, fewer places to send remainders back, and fewer catalogs to read.
Basically, life is short and book distributors are efficient.
Now your next question may be, "That's nice. Why do I care?" A good question. Not all publishers have agreements with book distributors. The larger ones do but a smaller press may not. If you are self published, odds are book distributors won't carry your book. They too need to think big and will generally have a minimum number titles by a set number of authors to before doing business with a new small press/publisher.
Book distributors vary too. Some focus on certain types of materials, such as academic libraries and university bookstores, others on school libraries, others on mainstream materials to libraries and bookstores, or even focus on media, such as DVDs and CDs. So a library may buy popular books from one distributor and DVDs from another one. One size does not fit all when talking about book distributors.(Of course I'm going to continue to make more generalized statements about book distributors now that I've told you that you can't generalize. I'm aware that life is unfair.)
Distributors do have online catalogs and generally have updates of quantities in warehouses. So if a book group wants to read your new title and need 20 copies, the bookstore needs to know that it can get 20 copies at the same time.
Distributors can also setup standing orders for bookstores and libraries. The lists are designed to simplify everyone's life. A bookstore knows about how many titles of a Stephen King hardback it needs and how many Nora Roberts hardbacks it needs. And it can setup accounts that say, "Every time there is a new Nora Roberts hardback send me X number of copies. Every time there is a Nora Roberts paperback original, send me Y number of copies."
This kind of thing makes a lot of groups happy and simplifies a lot of planning. The libraries and bookstores know how many they need and can fill out the forms and stop having to think about whether the new Nora Roberts got ordered or not. The book distributor can track how many libraries and bookstores have new Nora titles on a standing order and use that to start to figure out how many titles are going to be needed. (Not all libraries and bookstores use standing orders, but it's a good gauge.) So the book distributors can work with the publishers to make sure there are enough books to cover the demands too.
The fewer things people have to think about and track, the easier life tends to get.
Some standing orders will be based on types of materials. For example, a library might order 10 copies each of 20 paperback original romances and 10 copies each of 20 paperback original mysteries as part of a standing order. In this case, the library doesn't know which 20 new titles of romance and which 20 new titles of mysteries it's going to get each month, but the library does know that its patrons will check these out quickly .
For this type of plan to work the library also has to trust the book distributor to include titles and authors that will grab the attention of the library patrons. 20 random new titles can't be selected for these lists to be successful.
Strangely enough, people have to be involved in the creation of these lists. People are also involved in the initial decisions of how many titles to order for the warehouse/warehouses. (Some distributors have a single warehouse. Others have multiple warehouses across the country.)
And I would have to encourage you to let that idea go. There are just too many people involved.
And you may ask yourself, why? Isn't that the publisher's job? Well, yes but the book distributor is a bit different. The book distributor is selling its expertise in knowing the book market. It's not selling for the publisher. To a certain extent, it has no horse in this race except it wants libraries and bookstores to buy from it. It needs bookstores and libraries to thrive so it can distribute to them.
Because the book distributor has set itself up as an entity that can identify what the public wants, it has to have programs and processes in place to remind the bookstores and libraries of its ability. (Remember the standing orders earlier? No? That's exactly how I ended up writing this blog. I couldn't retain what I'd read earlier. Go back a few paragraphs and review.)
The same book may be read and assessed by completely different groups at a large distributor or even a specialized distributor. Stephanie Mayer started out in the Teen/Young Adult section. Once her titles started showing up on lists showing increased sales and Publisher's Weekly lists and New York Times lists, and people realized adults were buying these books too, the adult buyers for book distributors had to keep up with the new titles so they could identify similar types of authors/trends to include in existing lists or start new lists. Now adult fiction buyers, young adult fiction buyers, paranormal fiction buyers, and romance buyers all read Stephanie Mayer and include her works in lists.
You may be thinking, "Oh, I'll just bribe a few."
If only it was that simple.
Now, this is generalized but will give you the broad strokes of what next happens. Once a title gets into the system, decisions have to be made about shelf space. You have to know which titles that haven't been selling need to go back to the publisher and how much shelf space you're going to need for what may be a lukewarm versus a hot title. (Shelf space is more important than people think when they think about books. If you're adding something to a warehouse, something else is getting taken away.) It's hard enough for me in real life. The idea of doing on a warehouse scale makes my eyes cross.
It makes a lot of people's eyes cross which is why inventory and sales reports tend to run through programs so the inventory of the warehouse will match the demand by the bookstores and libraries.
Now you have to bribe programmers and these are pricey guys. And you'll probably have to bribe several of them because several programs may be involved. Now you're having to track buyers and reviewers and list makers and programmers and lions and tigers and bears, oh my. (Well, okay. Just track through the programmers. But that's still a lot of people per book distributor.)
Because if you're going to bribe these folks, the other folks you really need to bribe are the ones that clean up the publisher descriptions and make sure that there is a cover image in the catalog. Here's what I mean. Think about searching Amazon or B&N's site. You can see that a book by Christine Feehan, "Ruthless Game," will be published in January 2011. Right now, there is no cover art and no information about the plot.
As the publication date get closer, the publisher will send out a new feed , probably with the cover art and some plot information. But sometimes the cover art doesn't translate well in the feeds or doesn't come. And the wrong plot can be attached to the wrong title or missing too.
This happens enough that some distributors have a group that reviews the information in the system with the physical book when the physical book arrives in a warehouse. They confirm things are good when that's true and fix things that are missing or wrong.
And if a library orders your book, it may order it "shelf ready." That means that there's a cover and barcode on the book and catalog record to load into the library's catalog so the library can unpack the box and put the book on the shelf. This can take time and you want the book distributor creating the catalog record to spell your name correctly. If a library has a lot of local quirks to its cataloging, getting a shelf ready book to the library will take longer. Don't get me started on the myth of "all library use the same cataloging rules. (I have to stop now before the eye twitch comes back.)
With this, book distributors have to keep track of getting materials to libraries and bookstores as close to the release date of things as possible. The bookstores and libraries aren't supposed to release the materials prior to the release date so everyone is on a level playing field. If Bookstore A's box of books arrives on Thursday and the release is next Tuesday, it still can't put out the books until Tuesday. Bookstore B's box of books may not arrive until Monday. But it still can't put the books out until Tuesday. And the library can't let the patron have the books before the bookstores can sell them. That's part of the agreement. If you can't meet the agreement, your books don't get shipped to you until after the release date.
As a proud book geek, I know when titles I want to read are to be released. I will go from bookstore to bookstore searching for these titles on that day. (Yes, I should get a life but at this point it would simply confuse me.)
So with release dates in mind, book distributors have to factor shipping time with when titles leave the warehouse. Arrangements have to be made with groups like UPS, mail, and local carriers to make sure boxes get picked up and delivered in time.
So the short information is, book distributors are your friend. Libraries and bookstores like to order through them. A lot of people, work, programming, and physical assessments go on so your book can get to your readers. And then your readers can buy your work. And now we're back to sales.
As authors, the more you know about what is involved in getting your work to your readers, the better to spend your bribery money.
" 'S' has spent a lifetime haunting bookstores and libraries. Faced with nothing else that interested her, she continues to spend time professionally and personally in bookstores and libraries."
A note from Tina:


text:
James Brown Arena was packed when the largest crowd since the opening game of the 2004 season showed up on Saturday night. For the second night in a row, the Lynx's offense didn't.
The Lynx (23-19-1-3) lost 3-2 to the Pensacola Ice Pilots in overtime in front of an announced crowd of 5,506. Lynx head coach Bob Ferguson sent a wake-up message to his forwards by starting four defensemen and captain Louis Goulet on Saturday night after his offense was almost nonexistent in a loss to the Ice Pilots on Friday.
"It was a combination of trying to send a message and just trying to find a way to create some offense," Ferguson said.
For at least a period, the tactic worked. The Lynx came out and treated the large home crowd to an action-packed first period that saw a total of 34 penalty minutes.
Somewhere in the midst of 11 penalties whistled in the period and a penalty box filled with half a dozen players at one point, the Lynx managed to score. Goulet sent the puck in from the wing, and defenseman Adrian Veideman deflected it just enough to beat Ice Pilots goaltender Mike Brodeur on the near-side post for a 1-0 lead.
"We stressed before the game to get involved and get inside, and I think we did that early," Ferguson said. "The first period, I think they got the message -- it's urgency time. But then I think four games in five days caught up with us."
Pensacola tied the game less than two minutes into the second period on a goal from former Lynx player Dan Sullivan. Another former Lynx player, Pensacola forward Joel Stepp, came alive late in the game.
Stepp scored the go-ahead goal five minutes into the third period on a breakaway with a delayed penalty coming. The 2-1 lead looked like it would last, until a last-ditch effort by the Lynx paid off in the form of a Matt Auffrey goal with 4:37 left in regulation.
The 2-2 tie extended through the end of the third period, but it took only 93 seconds of overtime to decide it. Stepp once again made the difference when he slid in from the side and wrapped the puck just inside the post to beat Lynx goaltender Bobby Goepfert.
The Lynx hadn't lost a game all season when leading after the first period.
The lowly Ice Pilots (10-30-1-3) swept the Lynx on their home ice during the two-game set.
Reach Billy Byler at (706) 823-3216 or email@example.com.


text:
In the earlier discussion with the girls, he had said there were things in his past that caused him to shut down his emotions, which is why he came across that way.
What Jerry said - which was extremely rude and uncalled for - probably brought up some past event and he exploded.
Wasn't one of the situation to do with an ex girlfriend too? maybe that is what happened there and it seems like he is really trying. I wish I could find that convo. Jerry is a jerk, in this and many other ways.


text:
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text:
(Tune: He Leadeth Me)
Hark! How the Gospel trumpet sounds!
Christ and free grace therein abounds;
Free grace to such as sinners be,
And if free grace why not for me?
The Saviour died and by His blood
Brought rebel sinners near to God;
He died to set the captives free,
And why, my soul, why not for thee?
Thus Jesus came the poor to bless,
To clothe them with His righteousness;
That robe is spotless, full and free,
Eternal life by Christ is giv'n,
And sinful men are raised to heav'n;
Then sing of grace so rich and free,
And say, my soul, why not for thee?
Today's Speaker: Brother Randy Wages will conduct the 11:00 am service today. Pray for him as he delivers God's word.
Television Broadcast: Our Reign of Grace Television program is being broadcast on WFXL Fox 31, Channel 4. The program will air every Sunday morning at 11 AM.
Radio Broadcast: Sunday morning at 9:30am on 98.7 FM –WISK. To hear sermons click here
Web Sites: Visit our newly designed web site at: www.rofgrace.com
Also visit us at: www.Sermonaudio.com\reignofgrace
Birthdays: Jimmy Casey – April 30th
How deep, how dreadful, of what awful magnitude, of how black a dye, of how ingrained a stamp must sin be, to need such an atonement-no less than the blood of him who was the Son of God-to put it away. What a slave to sin and Satan, what a captive to the power of lust, how deeply sunk, how awfully degraded, how utterly lost and undone must guilty man be to need a sacrifice like this. "Ye are bought with a price." Have you ever felt your bondage to sin, Satan, and the world? Have you ever groaned, cried, grieved, sorrowed, and lamented under your miserable captivity to the power of sin? Has the iron ever entered into your soul? Have you ever clanked your fetters, and as you did so, and tried to burst them, they seemed to bind round about you with a weight scarcely endurable? But have you ever found any liberty from them, any enlargement of heart, any sweet going forth from the prison-house, any dropping of the manacles from your hands, and the fetters from your feet, so as to walk in some measure of gospel liberty? "Ye are bought with a price." Ye were slaves of sin and Satan ye were shut up in the dark cell, where all was gloom and despondency; there was little hope in your soul of ever being saved. But there was an entrance of gospel light into your dungeon; there was a coming out of the house of bondage; there was a being brought into the light of God's countenance, shining forth in his dear Son. Now, this is not only being bought with a price, but experiencing the blessed effects of it.
--- J.C. Philpot
The Loving Kindness of God
"O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee." (Psalm 36:10)
The Son of God has grappled with death. He has gone with all the sins of the church to face death; the sting of death entered into His heart, and He drew it out again; and now death is a friend to the child of God, for the Saviour has conquered "death, and him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." (Heb. 2:14) All this was done in loving kindness! And He has ascended up on high, having finished the work, conquered every foe, satisfied every particle of the demands of justice; He has gone there, and is now surrounded with glorious majesty. He went up as a conqueror, with the sound of the trumpet; as it is said, "God went up with a shout, and with the sound of a trumpet." "Open ye the gates, and let the King of Glory come in. Who is the King of Glory? The Lord mighty in battle," (Isa. 26:2; Ps. 24:8) that has conquered all His foes, redeemed His church, satisfied every perfection of Deity. Child of God; He is thy Head; and thou, virtually united with Him, went up with Him virtually into glory. You ascend up on high, and are there virtually seated with Him, until He brings you home at last, one glorious man, perfect in Christ Jesus the Lord. What loving kindness! O, would to God this sweet blessing were fully revealed in every contrite heart, and that the Comforter would bring the light, and power, and glory of it into our souls!
--- John Warburton – preached April 08, 1855
Most people don't feel that they really need mercy. Do you need mercy? I do. Mercy is described as the kind treatment of those that have shown themselves your enemy. It is for the miserable. The mercy of God must of necessity be God not giving us what we deserve in ourselves. We deserve death and wrath from Him as the holy God because we are sinners who have sinned against Him! We have been "enemies in our minds by wicked works." We have trusted in and relied upon our own works to save us rather than the grace of God in Christ while the scriptures say clearly that it is "not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us..." (Tit. 3:5) God has said that "it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy." (Rom. 9:16) Yet, most are still "going about to establish their own righteousness." Mercy can never be deserved, earned or gained by the offender in any way. If we receive mercy, it must be at His sovereign throne. From God who has said, "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy." (Exo. 33:19; Rom. 9:15) The apostle Paul said of himself, that he "was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy," (1 Tim. 1:13) How does God show mercy? Only in the crucified Christ! Those who receive mercy from God confess the same thing. We were "by nature, the children of wrath even as others.. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) (Eph. 2:3-5) Grace and mercy are like Siamese twins, inseparable and where God has mercy in not giving us what we deserve, grace is there giving us what we don't deserve! An eternal inheritance. Both in Christ who bore what we deserved for our sins and in whom we receive every blessing of God's grace. Behold the man Christ Jesus hanging on the cross, there is mercy and grace! There He is performing the mercy for those "vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory." (Rom. 9:23) Blessed be the name of the Lord who is plenteous in mercy, who has appointed a people to mercy in Christ through His death for them as their Substitute. They are described by many names in scripture but are also identified by their own confessed NEED! "Lord, have mercy on me..." This is always our case: "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
--- Gary Shepard


text:
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Anti-diabetic preparations; Cells for medical or clinical use; Pharmaceutical preparations for treating diabetes; Stem cells for medical or veterinary use; Stem cells for medical purposes
Business in Gaithersburg, MD


text: Hi all, I have a couple of books that I would appreciate some help inspecting. I have checked out the DAISY versions but I'm not a Braille reader so I wonder if I could ask for some help with teh BRFs. The books are not yet online, so if you think you have an hour or so to help me with this this week, please drop me a line off-list at volunteer@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Thanks! jesse. ________________________ Jesse Fahnestock Collection Development Coordinator, Bookshare.org www.bookshare.org A Project of The Benetech Initiative - Technology Serving Humanity 480 S. California Ave., Suite 201 Palo Alto, CA 94306-1609 USA (650)475-5440 x133 (650) 475-1066 FAX jesse@xxxxxxxxxxxx www.benetech.org


text:
NBC Sportscaster Al Michaels, who has spent decades calling "Sunday Night Football" and "Monday Night Football" NFL games for NBC Sports and ABC Sports, was arrested Sunday for driving under the influence. He also called the legendary "Miracle On Ice" hockey game between the U.S. and Soviet Union at the 1980 Winter Olympics.
ESPN has more details on the arrest:
He was booked for suspicion of DUI and held for about five hours before being released on his own recognizance, Lewis said.
"We are aware of the situation and we've been in contact with Al," said Greg Hughes, a spokesman for NBC Sports. "We have no further comment at this time."


text:
How will Russell go home if any one of the Jeff/Laura cliche is on the block? The non-athlete cliche will not vote against him and the other group will not have the numbers to save one of their own. If Ronnie thinks he has any hope of getting Russell out of the house, he's believing his own deluded hype--either that or he's too stupid to count.Quote:
Originally Posted by paridy;3589247;


text:
Miss Suu Kyi, who was released from seven straight years of detention days after an election last November, has defied a government security warning with a visit to the Bago region, about 50 miles north of Rangoon.
Police tried to clear supporters off the roads as hundreds of people lined the streets to greet Miss Suu Kyi as she travelled between towns in the area, many of them shouting and waving small banners saying: "We love Mother Suu!"
The 66-year-old began the one-day trip with a visit to a pagoda in the town of Bago before opening a library in nearby Tha Nat Pin, where she delivered a speech to a crowd of around 600.
"We can develop this country only when we all work together," she said.
"Unity is a strength, unity is needed everywhere and it is needed especially in our country."
She said she had always "tried her best" since she joined politics more than 20 years ago, and would "continue as much as I can".
A convoy of about 30 cars left Rangoon early in the morning, also carrying members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party, journalists and diplomats.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner said as she embarked on the trip that she was reliant "on the support of the people" – which appeared to be much in evidence in Bago.
"I'm very happy to see her. We all are," said Win Win Myint, a 23-year-old student in Bago. "I haven't see her in person before."
Security is a concern as Miss Suu Kyi's convoy was attacked in 2003 during a political trip, in an ambush apparently organised by a junta frightened by her popularity.
"Our party members will take care of her security and also the authorities will help us," Nyan Win, an NLD spokesman, said on Saturday.
He has described the one-day excursion as "political".
In June the military-backed government warned Suu Kyi that a political tour could spark chaos and riots.
She has since tested her freedom with a trip to an ancient temple city in central Burma, although politics was not on the agenda.
The democracy champion has spent much of the last two decades in detention, and some observers believe the government would be quick to restrict her freedom again if she were perceived to threaten its rule.
But there have been signs of a thaw in relations between the government and Suu Kyi recently, with the Nobel laureate holding a second round of talks with labour minister Aung Kyi on Friday.
A joint statement released following the discussions said both sides would work together for "stability" and democratic development.
Also on Friday, the government pledged to continue the dialogue in its first media briefing in the capital Naypyidaw since taking power.
Initial talks in July came just days after the United States called for "concrete" progress towards democracy.
Burma is subject to economic sanctions by the US and other western nations who are calling for democratic and human rights reforms.
Last year's poll was won by the military's political proxies and was marred by widespread complaints of cheating and intimidation.
The NLD, which won an election in 1990 but was never allowed to take power by the junta, boycotted last year's vote because of rules seemed designed to exclude Suu Kyi and was stripped of its recognition as a political party as a result.


text:
Chevron Press Release - Chevron Applies For Variance To Sell Conventional Gasoline In California
SAN FRANCISCO, July 13, 1999 -- Chevron today applied for permission from California officials to temporarily sell conventional gasoline in the state to avoid a supply pinch associated with lower production at the company' s Richmond Refinery.
"Industry inventories of California cleaner-burning gasoline are at a very low point and are unavailable immediately from other sources, so it's necessary to purchase conventional gasoline to tide us over the next three to four weeks," said Patricia Woertz, president of Chevron Products Co., which manages Chevron's U.S. refining and marketing network.
"Bringing in the conventional gasoline normally sold in adjacent states will do a lot to help minimize any potential for supply disruptions, and greater supplies should also lessen the price increases one might expect if a large supply shortfall occurred," she said.
"We apologize to our customers and the people of California for this inconvenience," Woertz added.
Conventional gasoline is in greater supply because it is sold in most other states, while California gasoline must meet unique guidelines set by the California Air Resources Board (CARB).
Chevron asked CARB today for a variance to allow sale of up to 3.5 million barrels (147 million gallons) of conventional gasoline for a maximum of 45 days. CARB is expected to hold a public hearing to consider the variance. If granted, the variance would require Chevron to pay a penalty of 15 cents a gallon, amounting to about $22 million if all gallons are sold.
Gasoline production at the Richmond Refinery was reduced over the weekend because of damage to a key gasoline-making unit. No injuries occurred, and the impact was imperceptible outside the refinery. However, the refinery was already operating at a reduced rate due to damage from a March incident.
The facility typically refines 240,000 barrels of crude oil a day, of which about half becomes gasoline. Production of gasoline has been reduced by about 70 percent.
Updated: July 1999


text:
Goodbye Norma Jean, Though We Never … Knew You Were Jewish
Is the idea that the FBI spied on Arthur Miller supposed to surprise anyone?
On the other hand, the idea that Marilyn Monroe took her vows under a chupah is a surprise.
Perhaps they stepped on a martini glass.


text:
Tavistock 2017
Group Relations Conference - Authority, Leadership and Diversity in Groups and Organizations
Friday, January 27, 4:00 p.m.-Sunday, January 29, 5:00 p.m.
Conference Director: Solomon Cytrynbaum, PhD
Conference Associate Director: Vicki Seglin, PhD
Effective leadership and the meaningful exercise of authority require more than intellectual and technical understanding. Group Relations Conferences provide a well-defined context within which to learn experientially about the dynamics and challenges that impact performance and productivity in organizational life. This Conference will benefit professionals in the fields of business, human resources, organizational development, government, education, and mental health.
Applications must be postmarked by January 16 to be processed.
Download the Conference brochure for more information.
Contact information:
Phone: 847-733-4300, ext. 590
Fax: 847-733-0390
Mail: Olivia Tinati and/or Kaitlyn Whitebread
Group Relations Conference
The Family Institute
618 Library Place
Evanston, Illinois 60201