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Currently eComStation dependes on the good will of IBM / Serenity Systems / Mensys. If we push eComStation to became open source we can remove any kind of vendor dependency. If eCS became open source there can be more players willing to use it and improve it. Currently the source code is closed and can not be shared with other developers to be improved or fixed. eComStation has the risk as OS/2 to became abandonware at any time, without any future expectation.
If we want to have a bigger user community we had to show that this platform has a future. A stopper to use eCS is the uncertain future because IBM stopped developing OS/2, and Serenity / Mensys are not recognized software developers.
A way to show that the platform has a future is to clone it with open source replacements (using the open source definition of opensource.org). Replace eComStation file by file with open source replacements will be a good start for this. For example the Haiku OS Project (BeOS Open Source Clone) has more expectative than eComStation, and Haiku had been selected to be on the Google Summer of Code 2008.
We need to remove the vendor dependencies to ensure the future of the OS. That will benefit all of us, even Serenity and Mensys.

subset: commoncrawl


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You can smell the doubt in Tory ranks, see the fear in Tory eyes. It's not yet panic, although in this febrile political climate it wouldn't take much to start one. But they are worried, deeply worried, that Tony Abbott might just have lost the plot.
This swine of a budget has been a disaster, both in its construction and its political execution. Stunned by the public protest, Abbott and his ministers have been furiously daubing the pig with lipstick, but it's not working. The polls have the Coalition trailing badly on the primary vote and Bill Shorten is streets ahead as preferred prime minister, even though he has done little but keep his bum pointed to the ground.
So the usual Tory toadies of the media are stampeding to the aid of the party. For more than a week they have been exhorting Abbott to stand firm, to take arms against a sea of troubles, blah blah. Always a sure sign the faecal matter has hit the fan.
An even more certain sign is when they start fighting each other. Treachery! The shrill denunciation of Malcolm Turnbull by Melbourne's village idiot, Andrew Bolt – amplified on Thursday by Sydney's village idiot, Alan Jones – sent the needles on the right-wing paranoia scale trembling off the dial. Hilariously, the Parrot dictated a pledge of loyalty for Turnbull to repeat on radio, a wheeze not seen in any modern democracy since the demise of the infamous American Senator Joe McCarthy.
To his credit, Turnbull stiffed the two nongs right back, branding them ''bomb throwers'' doing Labor's work. He'll not be forgiven. It's been hugely enjoyable.
The polls tell you more and more people are realising Abbott has not so much lost the plot as that he never had one. In opposition he was the wrecker, brutally effective against a divided and demoralised Labor Party, promising to lead an adult government faithful to its election commitments. But in power he and his ministers trudge through the smoking ruins of their policy flip-flops and broken promises, haplessly blaming their predecessors for the mess. This scaled new heights of idiocy on Wednesday when Defence Minister David Johnston proclaimed that it was Labor's fault Abbott's RAAF VIP jet had been late leaving for Indonesia.
In truth, we are saddled with a gang of punishers and straighteners, of cutters and slashers, run by the sort of bossy former private school prefects who enjoy enforcing dress codes at golf clubs. To borrow from that American wit, the late H.L.Mencken, these Abbott Tories are racked by the haunting fear that someone, somewhere, might not be working hard enough.
So the government has changed. But despite the dogged efforts of Peta Credlin and her platoons of highly-trained spin doctors, it is ever more obvious that Abbott himself has not. Beneath those crisp white shirts and pale blue ties there still beats the heart of the campus bully. And Australians know it.
LIKE MANY stonkingly rich people, Clive Palmer displays two grand delusions. One: that great wealth automatically confers great wisdom, and especially political wisdom. Two: that his antics are endlessly fascinating to us lesser folk. He is entirely wrong about the first. In additional proof I give you that American fruit loop Donald Trump, and our very own Gina Rinehart.
But he may be partly right about the second delusion. In his slender youth, Palmer learnt the tricks of massaging the media at the feet of no less than Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, a grand master of the art. ''Feeding the chooks,'' the old crook used to call it, in his sly, yokel way.
All it takes is colour and movement. Announce that you are going to build a replica of the Titanic. Or turn up at Parliament in a vintage Rolls-Royce. Works every time, and you can count on short memories; been a while since we've heard of the Titanic project.
It's rather more difficult to discover what – if anything – Palmer actually stands for beyond trick populism. Although when you name a political party after yourself you are giving away a pretty big clue.
Lately I've been tossing around a few metaphors to fit the man. One, that here is a great bladder of gas that will eventually crash and burn like that ill-fated Zeppelin, the Hindenburg.
But I like the second better: Palmer as a tout in sideshow alley. Roll up, only $10 to see The Bearded Lady, The Mexican Midget, The Two-Headed Gorilla. In the darkness of the tent you realise it's done with smoke and mirrors, but it's too late. Clive has already got your money.
THE TROUBLE with writing critically about child abuse in the Catholic Church is that you get accused of sectarian bigotry. It's how they hit back. Carlton hates Catholics, they cry. He's out to shaft us.
This is particularly offensive to me. My father was a Catholic priest. I hardly knew him, for he died when I was five, but by all accounts he was a good and honourable servant of his God and his church, much loved. I was christened a Catholic myself, at no less than St Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne. I am now an atheist, but some of my best friends, etc.
The true demons, though, are not us heathens but those who have betrayed their faith by not dealing properly with child abusers within the church.
The Cunneen Commission into child abuse in the Hunter Valley found this week that Father Brian Lucas, Secretary of the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference, knew of child sexual abuse by a predatory priest, Father Denis McAlinden, but did nothing to report it to the police. Instead McAlinden was allowed to leave Australia, where his practise of abuse continued after 1993. Commissioner Cunneen found that Lucas was consulted about the plan to relocate McAlinden, but at the inquiry, ''sought to distance himself from the appearance of having any involvement''.
Matthew 25.40 comes to mind: "In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
In the light of Cuneen's findings, how is Lucas' position tenable? He should at least have the decency to get the hell out.
email@example.com Twitter: MikeCarlton01.
Mike Carlton began his career in journalism at the ABC in 1963. He has been a war correspondent in Vietnam, ABC News bureau chief in Indonesia, a TV news and current affairs reporter, and then talk radio presenter in Sydney and London. A keen student of naval history, his next book, on Australia's entry into the First World War, will be published this coming Spring.


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Synonyms for in that
Old English in (prep.) "in, into, upon, on, at, among; about, during;" inne (adv.) "within, inside," from Proto-Germanic *in (cf. Old Frisian, Dutch, German, Gothic in, Old Norse i), from PIE *en "in" (cf. Greek en, Latin in "in, into," Old Irish in, Welsh yn-, Old Church Slavonic on-). As an adjective from 1590s.
The forms merged in Middle English. Modern sense distinction between in and on is from later Middle English. Sense of "holding power" (the in party) first recorded c.1600; that of "exclusive" (the in-crowd, an in-joke) is from 1907 (in-group); that of "stylish, fashionable" (the in thing) is from 1960. The noun sense of "influence, access" (have an in with) first recorded 1929 in American English. In-and-out "copulation" is attested from 1610s.


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Hidden Talents of Griz Soccer Player Tyler Adair
Griz fans and followers get to see student-athletes compete on the court or playing field, but not everyone gets to see a student-athlete out of uniform.
As crazy
as it sounds, the student-athletes at The University of Montana actually have talents besides scoring goals and shooting baskets.
Okay, the sarcasm is a little strong, but I poke fun for two reasons. One being that I'm a student-athlete myself, so essentially I'm making fun of myself, which validates the teasing ( I hope!). The other reason is because I have witnessed and heard very talented student-athletes first hand. No, this does not include the Lady Griz singing in the locker room. Sorry, team.
One specific University of Montana soccer player stands out. I've literally driven around campus blasting the voice of Miss Tyler Adair out my window. It's fine, you have every right to think I'm a stalker now, but just you wait. The sophomore standout from San Diego, Calif., sports number 27 on the soccer field, but you should hear this girl sing! She not only writes her own music, but also accompanies herself and sings the h-e-double-hockey-sticks out of her songs.
I'm no Simon Cowell, but I think the fact that she's approaching 14,000 hits on her song "You'll Miss Me Someday" in just two months speaks for itself.
"I sing and song write for fun," said Adair, a spunky midfielder. "I absolutely love music, so I've been singing around the house since I was 2. Some of my inspirations to sing come from personal stuff, but also it's a lot of storytelling, so it's easy to exaggerate for a more exciting or relative story."
Next time you see Adair on campus or on the field, remember her for more than just her soccer skills.
"I do it (sing and song write) for fun right now, but if anything ever came out of it I would be so ecstatic," Adair said. "I would be lying if I said I didn't have a long-shot dream about possibly making it big!"
Who knows, maybe you'll get to tell your friends that you know a famous singer/songwriter someday?
Jordan Sullivan is a current student-athlete at The University of Montana where she is a member of the Lady Griz basketball team. She grew up in Sidney, Montana, and is working toward a degree in marketing.


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Florida English Language Institute
The Florida English Language Institute (FELI) of Dunedin, Florida, is a CEA accredited, SEVP certified, private ESL school for non-native speakers who want to focus on General English, Academic English for university admission( TOEFL preparation,) and/or Business English for professional development.
FELI is SEVP-certified and can issue I-20s for students needing to apply for student visas.
With ongoing monthly enrollment of 4-week sessions throughout the year, FELI offers General English (six levels), Academic English (TOEFL Preparation), Business English and customized programs for different professions for all ages; minimum age is 16.
Located on the Gulf Coast of the Tampa Bay area, Dunedin is an English speaking community where students may practice English outside the classroom. The area offers many outdoor activities and cultural events in a safe, friendly environment. Downtown Dunedin, with its many restaurant choices, is a 10-minute walk from FELI. By car, Tampa and St. Petersburg are about 45 minutes away while Orlando is less than 2 hours away.
FELI is happy to offer students services, such as finding accommodations (homestay, studio apartment, vacation rental or hotel), scheduled outings and cultural events, visa and immigration advising, computer laboratory, free Wi-Fi, assistance with university placement, and supportive friendships that make the FELI experience personally and professionally exceptional.
School Information201 DOUGLAS AVE STE C
Florida, Florida 34698-7953
Locale: City: Midsize
Open Admissions: Yes
Sector: Private for-profit, less-than 2-year
Carnegie Basic: Not applicable, not in Carnegie universe (not accredited or nondegree-granting)
Religious Affiliation: Not applicable
Common name(s): FELI
Total Tuition $1,850.00
Degrees & Programs
|ESL (English as a Second Language)


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4 Zone Starter Kit (SPK-4)
The SPK-4 Starter Kit is a great package which enables you to initially set up your PulseWorx system by enabling you to control 4 lighting zones in main areas in your home. Your kit includes:
This 4-Zone package will soon be expanded once you experience the richness added to your life. The UPStart software and PIM will let you fully customize and program a variety of scenes and control 4 different lights from the keypads. Change the characteristics of Keypad and Wall Switches including fade rates, default on levels and scene characteristics.
Additional Info
Additional Info
|Part Number
|What's in the box
|(1) PulseWorx 4 Zone Starter Kit


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Everything below is old...feel free to read it. It's totally embarrassing.
(just so this series makes more sense)
Comic 1: "At All Times, Please Bathe Before Procrastinating"
Comment: Hey, all comics don't ALWAYS have to be great the first time. I made Poco Shoop-da-Whoop for crying out.
You guys are just mean. JK
Comic 2: "Resolution: Make More Arcs and Save Money"
Comments: This is Tilted's first Actual arc. Just stay indoors and nobody gets hurt.
Comic 3: "Wanna Get Some Money? Start a Zombie Apocolypes."
Comments: I can't imagine knowing that in the next couple of days that my life would change from comic
making, to being devoted to sifting through trash cans for food and shotgun ammo.
Comic 4: "Money-Mad Greedy Head"
Comments: It's a genius idea. I applaud you Darcsyde.
Comments: Here's the proper way to react in this situation.
"The suggestion box is basically a set of rules that you will follow if you have
a suggestion for these comics. A good example of a suggestion would be, 'Oh you should have Poco blow up.'
Or things that would be similar to that. It's all your imagination. And plus at the end of the comic
I'll give you credit for it. "
Read and fill this form if you want to suggest something for Titled 2012:
THIS MUST BE PMed NOT POSTED IN THE TOPIC
(it saves time and money and keeps these forums spam free)
"There is a difference for being a Guest Star and a Permanent Guest Star (hence the name).
In this case, if you choose to GS in Tilted, you'll appear in the comics once.
I don't recommend that you'll appear immediately, but you will appear nonetheless. Count on it.
As a PGS, you will appear throughout the comics permanently(not just one comic).
I must also inform you that, as a PGS or GS you are giving me the full privilege to use you/your
character to do whatever I want in the comics. However, I promise you that I will not abuse your character.
Though explosions are necessary in this case. But you all know how it goes.
I choose to GS your character by the way your personality is.
Whatever you put into the Personality section, will be your personality in my comics.
So if you just put, 'Gets annoyed easily…' expect Poco to annoy your character. Please pay attention.
Furthermore, copy and paste and PM this sheet to me.
AGAIN: THIS MUST BE PMed NOT POSTED IN THE TOPIC"
SPRITES: (NOTE: this is so I know what colors you have. You can use chrimoru or RZ
to show off what you actually look like. {Delete this in the PM})
PERSONALITY(keep this concise and clear. But it doesn't have to be a paragraph either):?
I already have a lot of characters(blame the NGC cast for that.) And unfortunately, I'm currently out of PGS
spots. Unless I kill of some characters or just purely discard any, I think I'll open up more. But for now.
No mo PGSs.
3 Kahi
"I like drawing and making fun of Bionicle sometimes too.
That's how these comics were born. If you like 'em, I might also do more of these."
F1 "Cal is a Stinky Procrastinator."
F3 "Less Comforting than 404."
Fan Comics:
Anyway, enjoy TILTED 2012
Edited by Calvirick, Nov 04 2012 - 08:21 PM.


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You are here
Known Issues Affecting S2S Applications
R&R Subaward Budget Organization Name
- All applicants, both forms-based and system-to-system, must include the Organization Name as part of the R&R Subaward Budget attachment.
Unique File Names
- All attachment file names within the application XML must be unique. Grants.gov ensures uniqueness of file names for form-based submissions by using a combination of the date/time the file name was attached to the application and the file name itself. This safeguard is not in place for system-to-system submissions and it is up to the submitter to ensure file name uniqueness within the XML.
Suffix Fields
- Grants.gov forms provide a list of values for suffix fields (i.e., Jr.; Sr.; M.D.; Ph.D). However, the schema allow for other values up to 10 characters. eRA systems will throw a system error for suffix values over 5 characters. Please keep suffix values to 5 characters or less until a code change can be scheduled.
Modular Budget Indirect Cost Data
- In Section B. (Indirect Costs) of the PHS 398 Modular Budget form, Indirect Cost Type, Indirect Cost Rate, Indirect Cost Base and Funds Requested must all be supplied if any one of these criterion is supplied. This requirement is enforced in the Adobe application forms, but not in the schema. A code change to handle applications with incomplete cost data more gracefully is not yet scheduled.
- NIH business rules and the Adobe application forms enforce that only 10 appendices can be included with an application. Our eSubmission system will process S2S submissions that include more than 10 appendices (the schema maximum is 100), but such applications may be identified as non-compliant post-submission. Our application instructions very clearly state that the maximum number of appendices is 10. eRA hopes to address this disconnect between the schema and the application form validations the next time form development is needed for the PHS 398 Research Plan, PHS Fellowship Supplemental Form, PHS 398 Career Development Award Supplemental Form, and PHS 398 Research Training Program Plan forms.
PHS Fellowship Supplemental Form
- Expected Completion Date must be in the format designated on the form (MM/YYYY).
- XML must include the tag for the 'Change of Sponsoring Institution' field:
<PHS_Fellowship_Supplemental_2_0:ChangeOfInstitution>N: No</PHS_Fellowship_Supplemental_2_0:ChangeOfInstitution>
<PHS_Fellowship_Supplemental_2_0:ChangeOfInstitution>Y: Yes</PHS_Fellowship_Supplemental_2_0:ChangeOfInstitution>
Form-based applications always include the tag and our code currently does not gracefully handle XML without it. Not including the tag or including an empty tag (i.e., <PHS_Fellowship_Supplemental_2_0:ChangeOfInstitution></PHS_Fellowship_Supplemental_2_0:ChangeOfInstitution>) will cause a system issue until a code change can be scheduled.
Return to System-to-System page
This page last updated on February 14, 2014
Technical Issues: E-mail OER Webmaster


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|Years Coached:
|18 years
|Last Season Coached:
|Stanley Cup
Jack Adams Award (1)
|Quenneville has been a proven winner throughout his career, registering a .592 regular-season winning percentage in parts of 11 years as a head coach in the NHL, including seven seasons with the St. Louis Blues (1996-2004) and three with the Colorado Avalanche (2005-08). A veteran of 839 regular-season games as a head coach, he boasts a coaching record 155 games over .500 (438-283-118). He most recently served as the bench boss for the Avalanche in 2007-08, posting a 44-31-7. The Windsor, Ontario, native has guided nine of his 11 teams to the postseason, which includes reaching at least the second round on six occasions. In 2007-08, he led the Avalanche to the Western Conference Semifinals before being eliminated by the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings. One of only three men in the history of the NHL to have played in and coached 800 or more games, Quenneville has notched at least 40 wins in eight of his nine full seasons as a head coach, which includes a career-best 51 victories – and 113 points – in 1999-2000 with St. Louis when the team captured the President's Trophy for the league's best record. He is the winningest coach in Blues history, having compiled a 307-191-95 record in that post. Quenneville was awarded the 2000 Jack Adams Trophy as the league's top coach and also served as the head coach of the North American All-Stars at the 2001 NHL All-Star Game.
|Quenneville was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round (21st overall) of the 1978 NHL Entry Draft. He spent 13 seasons as an NHL defenseman, netting 54 goals, 136 assists, 190 points and 705 penalty minutes in 803 career games with the Toronto Maple Leafs (1979-80), Colorado Rockies (1980-82), New Jersey Devils (1982-83), Hartford Whalers (1983-90) and Washington Capitals (1990-91). His best year statistically was the 1980-81 season with Colorado, when he scored 34 points (10 G, 24 A) in 71 games. He retired as an active player after the 1991-92 season, when he served as a player-coach for the American Hockey League's St. John's Maple Leafs. Quenneville broke into coaching with the AHL's Springfield Indians before serving as an assistant coach for the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche organization for two and a half seasons. He helped Colorado capture the 1996 Stanley Cup in that position before accepting his first NHL head coaching job with St. Louis for the 1996-97 campaign. Quenneville and his wife, Elizabeth, have three children: Dylan, Lily and Anna.


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EmilyThomsom video. All videos (7)Free chat with EmilyThomsom
What's up guys!! I'm on vacation rigth now!! Please don't forget me and look for me the next month!! Iâ??m an easy person who always have a smile in my face. I am a passionate woman and like to try new things, Iâ??m ready to make you happy


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OJS 2.3.3-2 Recommended Patches
The following patches are recommended for OJS 2.3.3-2.
Please subscribe to the RSS feed for this page to stay informed about important bug fixes for this release.
Applying Patches
Patches can be applied to the codebase using the GNU Patch Tool (available on most *NIX platforms, and as a free download for Windows-based systems).
Each entry below links to the Bugzilla record for the bug in question. Patches are linked from there. Patches against OJS should be applied with the -p1 option from within the OJS installation directory; patches against the PKP library should be applied with the -p1 option from within the lib/pkp subdirectory.
Note that security-related and other critical patches will be clearly identified as such; otherwise, patches should not be considered critical.
- Bug 6246: OJS 2.3.3 upgrade fails on PHP4
- Bug 6023: PostgreSQL groups upgrade fails when content in groups table
- Bug 6025: Fatal error with HTML galley image view function
- Bug 6035: Fix broken link to pkp.css
- Bug 6022: Error when uploading a replacement supplementary file
- Bug 6063: Upgrading from 2.2.4 to 2.3.3 fails with PostgreSQL
- Bug 6068: User interests controlled vocab entries check assoc_id without specifying assoc_type
- Bug 6052: Misnamed variable in templates/article/article.tpl
- Bug 6072: saveReviewFormResponse missing validate() call
- Bug 6070: Fatal error when managing Article Submission fee
- Bug 6054: New article notification sent to journal manager but the URL leads to an editor page
- Bug 6036: PHP fatal error when clearing reviewer
- Bug 6076: Plug-In version entries are not properly being installed/updated
- Bug 6458: Subscription verification bypassed with custom galley identifiers
- Bug 6689: Article cover image does not check file type (Critical)
- Bug 6695: Books For Review cover page upload file type not validated (Critical)
- Bug #6696: File uploads should not trust supplied extension (Critical)
WARNING: This release is out of date and this list may not be further maintained. Upgrading is recommended.


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San Diego Chargers rookie Josh Lambo pushed a 39-yard field-goal attempt wide right with 2 seconds left and the Cleveland Browns jumped up and down, thinking they'd forced overtime.
Not so quick, fellas.
Cleveland's Tramon Williams was whistled for offside, giving Lambo another chance. He sent a 34-yarder through the uprights, his third of the game, to lift Philip Rivers and the Chargers to a 30-27 victory that snapped a two-game losing streak.
"Thankfully I got a second chance," said Lambo, who beat out veteran Nick Novak for the job. "I missed the first one and I just started laughing. Then I saw a flag on the field and said. 'Oh, OK, let's try...


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Car News
2015 Ford Taurus: New Car Review
The 2015 Ford Taurus has us thinking about Ford's decision to revive the Taurus name back in 2007. It's been nearly a decade since then, and the Taurus still hasn't regained the beloved status it once enjoyed among the American public. In fact, despite a complete redesign in 2010, Taurus sales have sagged in recent years, while the rest of the car market has surged.
That's too bad, because the 2015 Taurus is actually a pretty good car. It's smooth and quiet on the road, like a big sedan should be, and its sleek dashboard can be outfitted with the cutting-edge MyFord Touch infotainment system. Plus, there's a ridiculously fast EcoBoost twin-turbo V6 in the high-performance SHO model. The Taurus may not be top-of-mind for many large-car shoppers, but if you take a closer look, you'll find that it has a lot to offer.
What's New for 2015?
The 2015 Taurus gets a standard rearview camera across the lineup, and the SEL trim level adds standard rear parking sensors.
What We Like
Supple, quiet ride; ample cargo volume; loaded with available tech; perfect crash-test scores
What We Don't
Snug front-seat space; surprisingly cramped back seat
How Much?
Fuel Economy
The 2015 Ford Taurus comes standard with a 3.5-liter V6 that generates 288 horsepower. Fuel economy is rated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at 19 miles per gallon in the city and 29 mpg on the highway with front-wheel drive. The available all-wheel-drive system drops those figures to 18 mpg city/26 mpg hwy.
Optional on front-wheel-drive Taurus models is a 2.0-liter 240-hp 4-cylinder turbocharged EcoBoost engine that checks in at an impressive 22 mpg city/32 mpg hwy.
The all-wheel-drive SHO boasts a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter 365-hp EcoBoost V6 that returns 17 mpg city/25 mpg hwy, a respectable showing for such a powerful car.
Standard Features & Options
The Taurus is offered in SE, SEL, Limited and SHO trim levels.
The SE ($27,880) offers standard features such as 17-inch alloy wheels, a tilt-telescopic steering wheel, rear-seat climate vents, a 6-way power driver's seat (with manual recline and lumbar), a rearview camera, the SYNC voice-command system and a CD stereo system with an auxiliary audio input.
The SEL ($30,310) adds such items as 18-in wheels, heated mirrors with courtesy lighting, rear parking sensors, dual-zone automatic climate control, a power-adjustable steering wheel with wood and leather trim, remote ignition and satellite radio.
The Limited ($35,230) turns on the charm with keyless entry/ignition, leather upholstery, heated and cooled front seats and the MyFord Touch infotainment system with an 8-in color LCD touchscreen and driver-configurable gauges.
The SHO ($41,045) comes standard with a sport-tuned suspension, the twin-turbo EcoBoost V6, xenon headlights, dual exhausts, special sport upholstery, power-adjustable pedals and steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters. A Performance package is available that tacks on various pieces of track-ready hardware, including upgraded brake pads and 20-in wheels with high-performance tires.
Options, depending on trim level, include a Sony audio system, a self-parking system, adaptive cruise control and the EcoBoost 4-cylinder engine (front-wheel-drive models only).
The 2015 Taurus features anti-lock disc brakes and has a full complement of side- and front-impact airbags. Other standard safety features include electronic stability control, rollover sensors and a post-crash alert system. Optional safety systems include adaptive cruise control, collision warning with automatic braking, blind spot monitoring and a cross-traffic alert system.
In government crash tests, the Taurus came up aces, receiving a perfect 5-star rating in frontal, side and overall crashworthiness.
Behind the Wheel
In general, the 2015 Taurus is a remarkably comfortable vehicle, especially when loaded with extras such as heated and cooled leather seats. Unfortunately, the gigantic, albeit stylish, center console cuts into long-distance driving comfort by curtailing knee room and making front passengers feel like they're sitting in a spaceship. Also, the rear seats are surprisingly tight by large-sedan standards, and headroom may be cramped for taller passengers due to the oddly elevated rear seating position.
Out on the road, the Taurus exhibits respectable handling poise for such a large sedan, particularly the SHO with its sport-tuned suspension. But a smooth, quiet ride is the real point of cars like this, and that's where every Taurus delivers. Under the hood, the standard V6 is fine, though once you've tried the SHO model's EcoBoost V6, you might not want to go back. As for the EcoBoost 4-cylinder, its fuel economy may be impressive, but we've found that it sometimes struggles to move this Ford's considerable mass with authority.
Other Cars to Consider
2015 Chrysler 300 -- Perhaps the closest competitor for the Taurus, the Chrysler 300 offers a similar model range (mainstream trim levels complemented by a performance package) and is priced similarly, too.
2015 Toyota Avalon -- The sleek Avalon is surprisingly fun to pilot, and it's available as a hyper-efficient hybrid.
2015 Chevrolet Impala -- If you haven't experienced the current Impala, it's a must-drive vehicle. Chevy has completely reinvented its iconic large sedan.
Used BMW 5 Series -- You can find a certified pre-owned (CPO) 5 Series for the price of a high-end Taurus, and with BMW's solid CPO warranty, it's a pretty tempting proposition.
Autotrader's Advice
The SHO is good fun, but for everyday luxury and value, consider the SEL trim with its healthy equipment roster and reasonable base price.


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My work diary of last week, in which members of the public put a valuable part of the collection at risk with their smart phones, tiny floating snails cause a flurry of visitors and microfossils are mentioned on the Test Match Special cricket commentary(!) in a varied week for the curator of micropalaeontology.
First up is a trip across the Museum to the Nature Live Studio with some delicate specimens that will be the subject of my two public talks later in the day. We can't move large items across the Museum during opening hours and, with the galleries filled with summer visitors, this is more than sensible at present.
In the Nature Live Studio with host Tom Simpson - a CT-scan of a Blaschka glass radiolarian model on the screen.
All of the specimens in my care bar the one in the Treasures Gallery are housed behind the scenes, so regular visitors might not even know that we have microfossil collections. A previous head of palaeontology collections calculated that we have as few as 0.001 per cent of our fossil collections on display.
If you haven't been to one yet, the Nature Live events are a great way to bring these parts of our collections out for the public and allow us to talk about our science. The incredibly delicate and unique Blaschka Glass models of radiolarian microfossils are always a big hit, but we have to ask a smart phone-brandishing throng of children and their parents to move away from the specimens after the first show as a mother leans over the barrier and takes a picture on her phone from right above the specimen. We add two extra barriers for the second show!
I've had an enquiry from The Geological Magazine asking me to review a book that I have almost finished reading. I have to think carefully about saying yes or no. Receiving a free copy is the usual bonus for undertaking these tasks but, as I have a copy already, dedicating a lot of time to a review does not seem so appealing.
I decide that I shall send the extra copy to my student in Malaysia but I think I will wait until after she has finished writing up her MSc thesis. Her first chapter arrives today for comment as do some proofs for a book chapter on microfossil models that I have written. Much of the day is spent checking these and providing additional information requested by the editors of the book. It will be about the history of study of microfossils and will have an image of one of our microscope slides on the cover.
The galleries are packed with summer visitors but it is relatively quiet behind the scenes with many staff on annual leave, away on study trips, conferences or fieldwork.
This quieter period is a good time to catch up on some of the documentation backlog so today I finish documenting a new donation, continue to work on a large dataset relating to specimens from the Challenger Collection, and register 30 Former BP Microfossil Collection specimens that are due to go out on loan to the USA.
I spent my first 6 years at the Museum on a temporary contract curating the Former BP Microfossil Collection so it is always satisfying to see it being used by scientists. We have big plans for this collection in the future. However, I feel that I will need to do more than wait for a rare quiet day if I am to meet my part of the databasing targets set by the Museum. We plan to have details of 20 million of our specimens on our website within 5 years.
An enquiry has come in this week about our heteropod collection. These are tiny planktonic gastropods, or literally floating snails. They are of great interest to scientists looking to quantify the effects of ocean acidification because they secrete their shells of calcium carbonate directly from the seawater that they lived in.
Measurement of carbon and oxygen isotopes from fossil examples can give details of the composition of ancient oceans and help to quantify changes over time. I mention the enquiry to staff in the Life Sciences Department and three visitors arrive to look at our collection within a day, including two from the British Antarctic Survey looking to develop projects on ocean acidification.
It is back to documentation again, a task I often save for days when the cricket is on. I am amazed when I hear dinoflagellates mentioned during the Test Match Special commentary. Dinoflagellates are protists that are a major consituent of modern and fossil plankton. We have thousands of glass slides of them here at the Museum within the micropalaeontology collections.
New species of Australian Jurassic dinoflagellate Meiogonyaulax straussii (1-4) and Valvaeodinium cookii (16-20) published by Mantle and Riding (2012). Images courtesy of Dr Jim Riding, British Geological Survey.
A regular visitor to our collections who works at the British Geological Survey in Nottingham has described two new species of Jurassic microfossil from the NW Shelf of Australia and named them strausii and cookii after the former and current England cricket captains and Ashes-winning opening batsmen. It causes much merriment in the Museum microfossil team as another former England Captain, Michael Vaughan, remarks on the radio that they look rather like omelettes.
Cricket is the theme for today as I attend a lunchtime retirement party for a former cricketing colleague at the Science Museum next door. I leave a colleague to take a visitor to lunch but come back to find that he has gone home sick and the visitor is still here with a list of requests that account for the rest of the day...


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The time-honored tradition of throwing footwear at politicians was revived on Thursday night in Vegas, when a woman chucked an orange shoe at former New York senator Hillary Clinton.
Clinton was at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino, speaking at a gathering of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries. As security ushered the woman out, Clinton took the humorous road: "What was that? A bat? Is that somebody throwing something at me? Is that part of Cirque de Soleil? My goodness, I didn't know Solid Waste Management was so controversial. Thank goodness she didn't play softball like I did."
It's not clear what the protest was all about, but the woman is in custody and facing criminal charges, says the Associated Press. The National Journal points out this isn't the first time Clinton has had a shoe lobbed at her. In July 2012, when she was Secretary of State, shoes and tomatoes were pelted at her motorcade during a visit to Egypt.
Naturally, this brings up that other famous shoe-throwing incident (which, according to Wikipedia inspired copycat incidents across the globe).
Which spawned this:
And this:
So cue the debate as to who ducks a shoe better, along with some other knee-slappers.
Memes, we're waiting.
-- Barbara Kollmeyer writes for MarketWatch. Follow her @bkollmeyer
More must-reads from The Margin and elsewhere on MarketWatch:
French bar workers from using phones, reading work email after 6 p.m.
HHS chief Sebelius to resign after stormy Obamacare reign: reports


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Monica's past weeks have been filled with inspiration from vintage collectibles,
photography and of course accessories!
Follow Monica's inspirational week through Instagram @botkier.
1. What to wear – Denim blues and bright hues SS13 sneak peek #lucy
2. Empty your bag … #deepthoughts #art cc: Sophie Calle
3. Vintage jewelry inspiration #oneofakind
4. Crave City! Got the sugar blues #Balthazar
5. The amazing @giannandrea1 stopped by to cut my hair!! Thank you xoxo
6. Subtle sparkle is the uniform for Fall. Gunmetal #valentina and these @MattBernson booties! xoMB
7. Camera Collection #oldschool #inspiration. What do you collect?
8. Shoe Fetish alive and well!
9. Day number one! SS13 @FashionCoterie booth 1409
10. Rise and shine early birds!
11. Kissing cousins getting cozy. #Blair #Marlow
12. Inspirational photo by my friend @gerald_forster LOVE! Maui, Hawaii


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Obama shares hopeful, inclusive vision
Washington --
A buoyant and confident Barack Obama took the oath of office Monday for a second term as U.S. president, predicting that a resilient nation that has endured a series of crises will emerge stronger if leaders can work together for progress on issues including gay rights and immigration reform.
Four years after expressing grim resolve to overcome an economic crisis and a military morass, the 44th president laid out a liberal governing philosophy for a second term that mixed can-do American optimism with must-do American action.
"This generation of Americans has been tested by crises that steeled our resolve and proved our resilience," he said in a tautly written, crisply delivered inaugural speech. "A decade of war is now ending. An economic recovery has begun. America's possibilities are limitless, for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands: youth and drive, diversity and openness, an endless capacity for risk and a gift for reinvention. My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it - so long as we seize it together."
Obama took the oath of office from Chief Justice John Roberts, with his left hand on a stack of Bibles including ones used by civil rights hero Martin Luther King Jr. and President Abraham Lincoln. Vice President Joe Biden was sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who became the first Latina to administer an inaugural oath.
15-minute speech
The president's 15-minute address, coming 50 years after King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech at the other end of the National Mall, echoed the martyred minister's calls for equality, with a distinctive 21st century edge. Invoking the ideals of America's founding fathers, Obama made history by defining same-sex marriage and legal status for undocumented immigrants as modern civil rights priorities. Obama became the first president ever to utter the word "gay" during an inaugural address.
"Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law," he said. "Our journey is not complete until no citizen is forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote. Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity - until bright young students and engineers are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our country."
An enthusiastic crowd numbering in the hundreds of thousands braved cold winds and cloudy skies to hear Obama's words, but the turnout was significantly smaller than the estimated 1.2 million to 1.8 million who attended the inauguration in 2009, which marked the first time an American of African ancestry had become president.
Word from the GOP
While Monday's inaugural address focused on hope and progress, it was short on specific plans to rein in a $17 trillion national debt, increase tepid economic growth and rein in explosive entitlement spending, something skeptical Republicans quickly pointed out.
"It was a very liberal speech, checking off every ideological box of the left," said GOP consultant Matt Mackowiak. "I was struck by how the speech completely ignored our immense fiscal and entitlement challenges."
Some presidential scholars viewed Obama's speech as a liberal counterpoint to Ronald Reagan's eloquent 1981 inaugural address, which shared Obama's optimism but included the famous Reagan phrase, "Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem."
Obama himself gave a knowing nod to Reagan's antigovernment philosophy but reached a different ideological conclusion.
"We have never relinquished our skepticism of central authority, nor have we succumbed to the fiction that all society's ills can be cured through government alone," Obama said. "Now, more than ever, we must do these things together, as one nation and one people."
Cindy Rugeley, a political science professor at Texas Tech University, said the speech "reminded all of us of what he is about, who he is, and about the fundamental values of our country."
"In my opinion, it was an excellent speech," she said. "I would actually put it alongside Reagan's 1981 inaugural in that it talked about America's better self. He also reminded us that American exceptionalism is not defined economically but by our values."
While Obama avoided the economic policy debates that have paralyzed Washington over the past two years, he waded into some of the other hot-button issues of the day, including climate change. The president also placed the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre into historical perspective, mentioning how American children should be safe from harm "from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia to the quiet lanes of Newtown."
The president did not specifically mention guns, gun violence or gun-related legislation. But Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said that "Newtown was very much a part" of the inauguration.
Subtle partisan digs
Obama didn't mention Democrats or Republicans in his speech - but he took several not-so-subtle digs at GOP lawmakers who have blocked much of his policy agenda for the past two years.
"The speech was not overtly partisan, but the subtext was there," said John Pitney Jr., a government professor at Claremont McKenna College. "When he said, 'We cannot mistake absolutism for principle,' he was talking about the Republican right, not the Democratic left."
Richard S. Dunham is a reporter in the Hearst Washington Bureau. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


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The Vancouver Art Gallery presents exhibitions of work by artists ranging from historic masters to leading-edge contemporaries. These include major thematic exhibitions, presentations of solo artists and smaller, more focused showcases. In a typical year, 2 to 3 exhibitions are borrowed from other institutions and 10 to 12 exhibitions are developed in-house, drawing on our permanent collection and loans of works from around the world. In addition, the Gallery tours a few of its exhibitions each year.
James Hart
November 2012 to March 9, 2014
Hope at Dawn: Watercolours by Emily Carr and Charles John CollingsNovember 10, 2012 to May 26, 2013
The medium of watercolour is one of the most challenging used by artists. After the pigment has been placed on paper, change is not possible and the artist must possess considerable skill to achieve his or her artistic goal. Two major artists working in British Columbia in the first half of the twentieth century used watercolour extensively: Emily Carr and Charles John Collings. Read More.
Visionary Partner:
Michael O'Brian Family Foundation
Offsite: Damian MoppettNovember 8, 2012 to April 1, 2013
Damian Moppett's artistic practice uses a wide variety of media to question ideas of mastery, craftsmanship and value. Drawing on broad references from the history of modern art, Moppett uses the mediums of sculpture, painting, photography, drawing and video, often in relationship to each other, as a meditation on the activity of making art. Read More.
Generously Supported by our Visionary Partner:
Michael O'Brian Family Foundation
Ian Wallace: At the Intersection of Painting and PhotographyOctober 27, 2012 to February 24, 2013
Ian Wallace: At the Intersection of Painting and Photography is a major survey exhibition of the work of one of Canada's most significant contemporary artists. Based in Vancouver, Wallace has played a critical role in the development of contemporary art since the late 1960s. Read More.
Traffic: Conceptual Art in Canada 1965–1980September 29, 2012 to January 20, 2013
Traffic: Conceptual Art in Canada 1965-1980 is the first major exhibition to track the impact of conceptual art as it was taken up across the country. Comprising work by more than 90 Canadian and international artists, it examines the complex, rigorous and diverse forms in which conceptual art appeared and the ways in which its premises were inflected by the specific needs, interests and geographic situations of Canadian artists, collectives and communities. Read More.
Emily Carr and the Theatre of TranscendenceMarch 10 to October 28, 2012
Throughout her career, Emily Carrs art was informed by a questioning of organized religion. This was strengthened through her encounters with Lawren Harris, a founding member of the Group of Seven and a proponent of Theosophy, in the mid-1920s. Find out more...
Generously Supported by our Visionary Partner:
Michael O'Brian Family Foundation
Offsite: Kota EzawaFebruary 2 to September 16, 2012
Artist Kota Ezawas diverse projects take the form of digital animations, slide projections, lightboxes, paper cut-outs, intaglio etchings, ink drawings and wood sculptures. For Vancouver Art Gallery Offsite, Ezawas large-scale wooden tableau pictures a group of people raising their hands to vote in what appears to be a town hall meeting. Find out more...
Generously Supported by our Visionary Partner:
Michael O'Brian Family Foundation
Collecting Matisse and Modern Masters
May 26 to September 30, 2012
Rodney Graham - Canadian HumouristMay 26 to September 30, 2012
The legacies, predicaments and vexations of modernism have been central to the work of Vancouver-based artist Rodney Graham since the 1970s. Find out more...
Presenting Sponsor: With generous support from
Bruce M. Wright
SPIRITLANDS: t/HERE: Marian Penner Bancroft
June 30 to September 30, 2012
through a glass, darklyJune 30 to September 30, 2012
Imperfect memory and biased desire are often blamed for our inability to adequately represent past experiences and events. Find out more...
Generously Supported by our Visionary Partner:
Michael O'Brian Family Foundation
Yang Fudong
May 12 to September 3, 2012
Again and Again and Again
May 12 to September 3, 2012
Beat Nation
February 25 to June 3, 2012
Lights Out!
February 18 to April 29, 2012


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It's confession time. Ancient history is not my thing. And even worse I have to admit that as a homeschool mom/teacher, I managed to instill the same apathy toward the study of ancient history in my children that I have always possessed. Imagine my surprise and delight when a recent blog post revealed that my firstborn has begun to overcome this gap in her homegrown education. And even more surprising is the fact that with her post she's actually managed to plant a seed of interest in ancient history within me. I actually want to read some of the books she recommended.
Here's an excerpt. But if you want to see her reading recommendations, you'll have to click over and read the whole post.
"In fact, one thing I saw this year for the first time is how, from the world's perspective, the story of God and His people is actually pretty tiny. In the books about ancient Rome, the land of Judea is simply one place in a list of many places under Rome's thumb. At the time, it wasn't considered "special" to the Romans. In some of the books we read this year, it isn't mentioned at all. Similarly, the Romans crucified thousands of people. In their records, Jesus is just one of the many who died that gruesome death, probably not even bolded or footnoted. How much more amazing is it, then, when we realize God's story is anything but tiny? A tiny baby born to insignificant parents in an insignificant town, barely a blip in the timeline of human history, became the entire purpose – the point – of all human history. The rest of the world's history pales in comparison."
Read more of "You say "ancient history" like it's a bad thing.."


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I'd have to say I love the opportunities to travel that come with being part of an international research field - in fact, this is my second trip to Japan this year. But it's not all fun and games. In Japan, manners and etiquette are crucial, especially for women. Of course, most of us are aware of this before we arrive but can sometimes be presented with situations which are a kind of clash-of-cultures.
Just going for lunch brings us the dilemma of how to choose a table. Around this area the restaurants are mostly the front room of a persons house. Do we sit cross-legged at a Japanese style table or on stools or chairs at the bar? For me this week I've had no choice, I managed to ruin my knee on the flight over so physically can't sit on the floor. Unfortunately this has lead to a lot of hand-waving explanations as to why I have to sit on a chair. Then of course we have to find a Japanese colleague to explain the menu options to us. Lunch takes about an hour or more, but of course the food is fabulous. I particularly enjoyed the local speciality of Okonomiyaki. I'm told it's a Japanese version of pizza but really its like a very flavoursome pancake or omlette with ingredients of your choice and lots of sauces with it.
|Okonomiyaki - or 'japanese pizza'. A speciality around Osaka.
Other things to remember (often not easy while completely jet-lagged) are when it is appropriate to wear shoes and when to wear slippers. When to take off the slippers. Not blowing your nose in front of other people, covering your mouth when laughing (mostly for women), bringing a gift for the host, not pointing your chopsticks or leaving them upright in your meal (this means death), not pouring your own drink and then (for women, again) pouring it using both hands... the list is quite long, trust me!
Thankfully I'm familiar with most of these and it comes fairly naturally to me now, but I've certainly seen colleagues or friends make more than a few blunders. Even people who have been here many times can lapse back to their 'normal' etiquette without thinking about it.
Which brings me to the question of when it is appropriate to get naked with your colleagues. It'd be a fair bet that in most countries the answer is "never". So it was quite a challenge to western sensibilities to have our banquet last night at a venue with an Onsen - or hot spring. This one was particularly nice as it was outdoors in the mountains, though thankfully men and women were separated. There were only a small handful of women at this workshop and I think all of us (apart from one) went in - although only two of us were not Japanese. I only wish we were less prudish in the 'west' as it was a lovely kind-of 'back to nature' experience being outdoor in the night bathing in water from a naturally hot spring. My only warning to people with pale skin is that you will come out looking decidedly similar to a lobster. All part of the fun.
The rest of the evening was an absolute blast, with a huge multi-course feast including abalone and some very expensive mushrooms. The beer and sake flowed freely and I think we all enjoyed ourselves. This morning (yes, it's Sunday) we're back to the workshop for concluding remarks and summaries and then we're off back home. Or in my case - shopping for a day, then home.
|View of a temple rock garden in Kouyasan (taken in black and white with red highlight).


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The story goes that that Marshall Campbell handed 'Garibaldi' Smith (of Smith & Batten) half-a-crown, thus closing the deal which made over the Blackburn Central Sugar Mill (founded 1874) to Natal Estates Ltd for 20 000 pounds.
Five years before that, Smith had missed a chance of selling the property for 70 000 pounds. Smith & Batten had been offered, in the early 1890s, this large sum for the Blackburn Estate, but nothing came of the offer. In 1895 Garibaldi Smith became convinced that the district's sugar prospects had been ruined by drought and locusts, and offered the estate to Marshall Campbell for 20 000 pounds.
As was the practice in those times, Campbell handed Smith a half crown to clinch the deal and then proposed that Natal Estates buy the property. But the London Board turned down the idea. Nevertheless Campbell was able to make local arrangements suitable to all parties and Blackburn became part of Natal Estates ca 1898. Some of the mill machinery and buildings were moved to Mt. Edgecombe.
Smith & Batten had acquired the Blackburn Estate in 1880 (from the Glasgow and Natal Sugar Co. Ltd. which went into liquidation in October of that year), paying 12 000 pounds for it - so made a considerable profit selling at 20 000.
Why was A. Sinclair Smith called 'Garibaldi'? Apparently he 'boasted service as an officer in the red-shirted legions of the Risorgimento' (the political and social movement for the unification of Italy in the 19th century) and because of this intriguing history Smith was nicknamed after the Italian rebel leader Giuseppe Garibaldi.
|Giuseppe Garibaldi, Italian rebel leader, in 1861
Our local Garibaldi, i.e. A Sinclair Smith, also played a role in local Natal politics: after the General Election of September 1892 when Marshall Campbell had forfeited a seat in the Victoria County constituency, Campbell was the following year appointed to fill one of the vacant coastal seats vacated by Smith.
There was another link between Smith and Marshall Campbell: Campbell had bought two cane farms, Hill Head and Meadowbank, both situated on the Great Umhlanga. Meadowbank extended to the mouth of the river. Originally owned by Charles Povall (one of the Wesleyan settlers who arrived in Durban in March 1850) the property was purchased from Povall in 1874 by Garibaldi Smith for Ł6 000. Later, Smith sold it to Campbell and the latter subsequently excised 17 acres on the eastern boundary of this land where he built a holiday bungalow named Peace Cottage near the Umhlanga Lagoon.
For more on the Campbell family, including the Blameys, see http://lisawilsonfamilyhistory.wordpress.com/category/blamey-campbell-manning/


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In our final post featuring 2014 Packaging Your Imagination speakers, we have a cornucopia of three very different book experts: Holly Kent, who will be speaking about social media, Ashley Spires, who will be speaking about graphic novels, and Susin Nielsen, who will be delivering our Claire Mackay memorial lecture entitled "Confessions of a Word Nerd."
Holly Kent is the Community Manager for the National Reading Campaign, a not for profit dedicated to making Canada a reading nation. Holly manages the NRC's entire web presence, including the blog Readerly, two interactive websites, and several social media accounts. Previously, Holly created the social media strategies for Scholastic Canada and the Canadian Children's Book Centre.
Lena Coakley: The topic of your CANSCAIP presentation is: Social Media for Authors & Illustrators: Reaching Readers Online. Can you give us a little taste of what you'll be talking about? What are some tips or nuggets of wisdom you'll be sharing with PYI attendees?
Holly Kent: Because I'm expecting a wide range of social media abilities, I'll start with a social networking bootcamp. I'm going walk attendees through all the online tools that authors and illustrators have at their disposal, from Facebook to Tumblr to the 49th Shelf. I'll also share some secret (and less than secret) tools to achieve social media goals, like gaining followers, driving traffic to your website, or meeting likeminded individuals. I anticipate a lot of specific questions about social media, so please don't be shy. If I don't know the answer to a question I'll find it - probably by asking my Facebook friends.
BC author, illustrator and cat enthusiast Ashley Spires is best known for her junior graphic novel series, Binky The Space Cat. She likes to make picture books too, namely 2014's The Most Magnificent Thing and Edie's Ensembles. Her work has won the Silver Birch Express, the Shining Willow and the Hackmatack awards.
Lena: What about you, Ashley? What will you be sharing with PYI attendees?
Ashley Spires: I notice that my presentation, The Accidental Graphic Novelist, is being billed as a writers workshop. That's quite humourous because I still don't totally consider myself a writer (thus the accidental part of the title.) I was, and will always be, an illustrator first. The world of graphic novels, where the words and the pictures are splitting the story-telling workload, is a perfect place for an excited illustrator/ hesitant writer to find a home. I'm going to talk a lot about that wonderful place where the pictures and the text overlap, because the real story exists in that crossover space.
Lena: How do you stay motivated?
Ashley: My trick to staying motivated may not be the healthiest, but it sure works. Basically, what I've accomplished thus far is never enough. I'm always wanting the next book to be better- whether that means that it sells better or earns more awards or I just plain think I did a better job than the last book. Maybe when I'm not so new to this career I will feel differently, but right now there is just so much to accomplish that I can't help but work, work, work! Which reminds me, I better get back to that painting...
Susin Nielsen is the author of the best-selling novels Word Nerd, Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom and the Governor General's Award-winner, The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen. Her new novel, We Are All Made of Molecules, will be published in Canada, the US and the UK in Spring 2015.
Lena: Can you give us a little peek into what you'll be sharing at PYI, Susin?
Susin Nielsen: I'll be talking about my journey to becoming a writer, and along the way I -- an eleventh grade math dropout -- will also attempt to prove a mathematical equation.
Words of wisdom: Malcolm Gladwell says it takes ten thousand hours to become an expert at something. I think this is mostly true - except, I'm pretty sure I've done ten thousand hours of writing, and (sorry) it doesn't get easier. That said - I do believe that the more you write, the better you get at your craft - or at least, better at sniffing out what isn't working.
Lena: We're all eagerly awaiting your next book. Can you tell us about it?
Susin: My new novel is called We Are All Made of Molecules. It comes out in spring 2015, and will be published in Canada, the US and the UK simultaneously - which is a first for me. I have two narrators, one of whom appeared in a smaller role in Dear George Clooney, Please Marry My Mom. It's about a blended family ... and loss, love and acceptance of differences.
Lena: Thanks you three! See you on Saturday!
There is LESS THAN ONE DAY left to sign up for PYI. Registration closes at 11:59 tonight, Thursday the 16th.
Thanks so much to Sylvia McNicoll for writing up Wednesday's Ontario meeting, which did NOT take place in Toronto as per usual, but at the Art Gallery of Burlington, in the Fireside Lounge.
President Bill Swan welcomed everyone to the first trial of having our Toronto meeting outside Toronto and deemed the venture a success with over 30 people attending.
Heather Rath, a long time writing member, made it to a meeting for the first time in 15 years, as well as Diane Matich, a Friend, Caroline Freibauer, a teacher/librarian from Assumption College in Brantford, and many more.
PYI: Lorna Poplak the co-director of Packaging Your Imagination listed five reasons to sign up for Packaging Your Imagination by the cutoff date Thursday, October 16.
1) The amazing array of workshops.
2) The Industry Panel
3) The Networking opportunities
4) The All day Pitch Perfect on Sunday, October 19 both for authors and illustrators. The author spot is full, there are three spots for illustrators
5) The art exhibition running untill October 17th, Monday to Friday from 10 to 5 at Humber College, Lakeshore campus. "Capturing Imagination: The Art of Storytelling" features illustrations from such stars as Sue Todd (illustrator of the beautiful woodcut above) Brenda Clark, Michael Marchenko, and Barbara Reid. (It will also be on display at Inspire: the Toronto International Book Fair, November 13, 14, & 15th.
Sign up today!
Congratulations to CANSCAIP member, Lesley Choyce, (East Laurencetown, N.S.) who is a nominee for the Governor General's Award for Jeremy Stone (Red Deer Press) a young adult novel written in free verse about a First Nations teenager finding his spirits.
CANSCAIP friend since 2010, Nadia Hohn thanked CANSCAIP for its support and encouragement. The story she's struggled with over the years, Malaika's Costume, won the Helen Issobel Sissons Canadian Children's Award and will be published by Groundwood Books in 2016. Nadia also wrote a feature "Who Will Write Our Stories?" article for the Fall 2014 Issue of Canadian Children's Book News.
Lana Button signed a contract for another Willow picture book with Kids Can Press for 2016, tentatively entitled Willow's Picture Day Smile .
In April 2014, Ellen Jaffe worked with students at the Hamilton Hebrew Academy (grades 3-7) on a poetry and art project about the Holocaust, to help them understand and empathize with children of that time. Some of the students' poems and artwork will be published in the Hamilton Spectator's "OUR PULSE" page on Tuesday, Oct. 14. This weekly section features work from students in the public and Catholic school boards and from private schools in the area. Ellen and the teachers and principal at HHA were very impressed with the students' ability to connect with this painful time, and to express their feelings in writing and art.
Liam O'Donnell is an award-winning author, educator and literacy advocate. He has created over 35 graphic novels and books, including Max Finder Mysteries, Graphic Guide Adventures, and Geeked Out Mysteries. The first book in his upcoming series, Battle for Minecraft, will be published in November, and his new series, Tank & Fizz, comes out in Spring 2015. Liam teaches Grade 1 in Toronto, where he uses video games and other alternative sources of literacy to engage reluctant readers.
(Liam and PYI co-coordinator, Lorna Poplak, chat after the meeting.)
The Mystery Behind the Writer
Liam O'Donnell admits to being empowered by a strange inner mantra: "I don't know." When he first applied for the position of editor at Owl Magazine some 20 years ago, he was instead offered another opportunity: Could he take over the writing of 'Mighty Mites' (originally written by Emily Hearns and illustrated by Mark Thurman)? With his media writing background, he seemed a natural. Despite having no clue about whether he could do it or not, he agreed, took the Mites into outer space and gave them superpowers. Many years later, when Owl editors felt 30 years of Mighty Mites had taken them everywhere they could possibly go, they asked if Liam had any other ideas.
Writing the Mystery
While inwardly chanting his mantra, outwardly he said, "Sure." He asked the editors for the weekend to formulate his thoughts. While he had no idea whether he could write a mystery, he knew he liked Encyclopedia Brown. What if he did something like that in comic-book form? Owl signed him on for three trial episodes of Max Finder which ended up continuing for another 12 years.
As Liam fumbled (his word) through 30 mysteries, he soon understood that each was a puzzle to be layered with truth, red herrings, suspects and alibis. Of course, says he, there is no murdering in middle-grade mysteries. Theft, vandalism, sabotage, talent shows that end in disaster because things go missing-these are the only possible crimes. Still they were fun to create, and he learned that adding elements of mystery to any genre is a great way to get a story going.
Regarding writing series, he's learned to involve a growing cast of characters in a central location. Tank and Fizz is his new series involving a troll and goblin who live under a mountain. In it, text and comics tell a kind of diesel-punk-noir detective story about a war between technology and wizards using magic and gadgets. The Case of the Slime Stampede will be out with Orca in the spring of 2015.
The Mystery of the Market
Fast forward through some 35+ books, (Liam wrote System Shock in 2008 and many Max Finder Mystery novels). A lack of consistent income made him take up teaching grade 1 five years ago. In the classroom he's known for using alternative text, comic books, graphic novels and even video games to encourage literacy. He says that while in 1999, graphic novels were not condoned as quality reading materials for the schools, today they are actively pursued. Currently, video games enjoy that same mark of disdain.
Just as he uses non-traditional avenues to get kids reading, he's also pursuing "indie" publishing methods to get his books out there. He hates contracts (and the hit-and-miss route of pursuing them) and feels that the 25% industry standard royalty rate on ebooks is blatantly unfair. He began with Ganked, a story he intended as a 15,000 word Orca Soundings that somehow overflowed the box into a 25,000 word YA. Instead of hunting for someone to publish this stand-alone, he put on a publisher's hat and hired editors and designers to help format the book. He says he's never had so much fun in his life. He notes that life became too busy for him to properly market the work, and he intends to pay more attention to that aspect in the future.
When he was approached by a book packager with an offer to write a 20,000-word Minecraft book in three weeks for $2,000, he instantly declined but recognized the potential of such a project. He decided to write and publish the novel on his own. This way he can put out a series before his young readers tire of the video game. Watch for Battle for Minecraft: Descent into Overworld.
Liam loves the mystery of the new choices and opportunities and thinks CANSCAIP can potentially play a huge roll in assisting us all with these ventures. Will his indie books succeed or will traditionally published books triumph and will both happily coincide? I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. As he says, this mantra charges him. "Not knowing can either fill you with fear or thrill you with opportunity." It's clear that Liam is thrilled.
Today we're continuing our series of interviews with 2014 Packaging Your Imagination conference speakers with physicist turned poet turned YA fantasy author, Erin Bow.
Erin's first novel, Plain Kate, one of my favourite fantasies, received numerous honours, including the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award. Her second novel, Sorrow's Knot, is nominated for the Monica Hughes award for Science Fiction and Fantasy and made the Kirkus Best Books of 2013 list.
Lena Coakley: Hi Erin! Thanks for stopping by the CANSCAIP blog. The topic of your presentation is: Details: How Little Things Bring Your Writing to Life. Can you give us a little taste of what you'll be talking about? What's one tip you'll be sharing with PYI attendees?
Erin Bow: Details are a paradox: They are both the thing that bog readers down in boredom, and the thing that makes writing feel real and lively and moving. This is a workshop about telling the difference between those two. It's about where to use details, which ones to use, and what effects to get out of them.
I've got one really good concrete tip for you, that I adapted from something I heard from Hugh Cook. It's called the ladder of specificity. For example you could describe a classroom floor as:
The floor
The linoleum floor
The checkerboard linoleum floor
The old, cracked floor, cheap in the seventies and cheaper now.
My quick advice is to match how high you go on the ladder to the emotional intensity of the scene. People – and our characters -- notice things more in intense situations. Say your character is entering a new classroom for the first time. She's had to transfer schools because her old boyfriend was killed by a werewolf and she was framed for it. The HORROR. Now everyone is staring at her, including the people she suspects are secret werewolves. She looks down at the floor.
It's a cracked linoleum floor, right? Brown and maybe it used to be cream but now it's kind of spoiled-milk yellow and one of the bad-milk squares is cracked off at the corner, and the triangle of untiled floor is black with sticky dirt.
Whereas the day before she was framed, it was just a floor.
What I'm saying is you don't want an unremitting pile-up of specificity. That's the kind of thing that makes readers scan ahead and hope for explosions. But you want to build an ebb and flow of specificity that matches the ebb and flow of the story. A bunch of bottom of the ladder things will breeze by the stage business of the story. A couple of third-step-of-the-ladder every couple of pages will keep the world seeming real. Go to the top when you need an emotional punch.
Lena Coakley: Wow. Thanks Erin. Now, I'd like to ask you a completely unrelated question, but, as a novel writer, one that's close to me personally: How do you stay motivated?
Erin Bow: My trouble is not staying motivated, it's getting started. I go to the office with lots of amazing ideas and I still end up wondering if maybe I should play solitaire for an hour or two. I have the willpower and attention span of a goldfish. So I have some systems.
First, I have an office. I have a place that I go where I don't (and can't) do my dayjob. Where I am not (and can't be) a hands-on parent. Where I can't do the laundry. I have set hours that I go there, and I go with my figurative writer hat on. Second, I have rituals that key my tiny goldfish hindbrain that it's time to write: I have a soundtrack and certain kind of tea and other, sillier things. If I thought a literal hat would help I would totally get one. Third, I make I deal with myself that I'll spend 15 minutes working on something small. Often this is all I need to get going. Finally, and this has been key to me, I give myself a sticker when I get 1000 words.
The stickers mark my good days with a wee ritual, and motivate me to at least TRY on days when writing sucks and I suck. They make a book seem more manageable -- 100 or so is a draft, which isn't an impossibly huge number -- and they help me keep track of what I did when. But mostly , I do stickers because it's amazing what my tiny goldfish brain will do for a sticker. Honestly, there are days when scrubbing the toilet sounds better than writing, but even on those days, I'll write for stickers.
Today we're continuing our series of interviews with 2014 Packaging Your Imagination conference speakers with Debbie Ridpath Ohi, illustrator of the picture books I'M BORED and NAKED (both written by Michael Ian Black) and of numerous Judy Blume covers. Debbie has the most vibrant internet presence I know, so I am sure her PYI talk, Lightning Rods, Agents & Book Deals: Building Your Personal Brand will be chock full of useful information. Lucky for us, she's agreed to give us a little preview.
Lena: Can you give us a taste of what you'll be talking about at PYI? What's one tip or nugget of wisdom you'll be sharing with attendees?
Debbie: However you feel about the word "brand," everyone has a personal brand. You DO have control over it (yes, even the shy and introverted) and it can have a big effect on how successful you are in achieving your personal and professional goals. Some keys, I've found: Be authentic, find your niche and don't try to do everything. Come to my workshop and I'll explain more, including social media tips for those who aren't quite sure what to do with their social media.
Lena: I'm a great fan of I'M BORED and NAKED. Tell us about your next book.
Debbie: I'm super-excited about my next book because it's also the very first children's book of which I'm author as well as illustrator. WHERE ARE MY BOOKS? is a picture book about a little boy named Spencer whose beloved books are mysteriously vanishing, one at a time. Who is taking them? Spencer needs to solve the mystery before his bookshelves are empty. WHERE ARE MY BOOKS? comes out from Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers in May 2015.
Lena: I love that premise! If you could offer one piece of advice to an aspiring author/illustrator, what would it be?
Debbie: Don't try to do it on your own. If I could have given my younger self one piece advice, it would have been to start meeting other author/illustrators and attending conventions like Packaging Your Imagination much earlier. While it's possible to find publishing success on your own, the journey can be made easier and much more enjoyable if you can commiserate with, encourage and learn from others.
Lena: Do you have a marketing strategy? Could you tell us what's worked for you and what hasn't?
Debbie: I believe that everyone needs to find a marketing strategy that works for them; there is no ONE right way to do it. My own marketing strategy (if you could call it that) developed because I wanted to avoid asking people to buy my book. So instead of doing that, I do what I can to make people interested in me and my work, so that when my new book DOES come out, they're already aware of it. If they want to buy the book, that's great. But if not (even the most avid bibliophiles have limited book-buying budgets), that's also fine. But in either case, I'm hoping that they might borrow it from the library or read it in the bookstore. And if they like it, maybe they'll let others know about it by word of mouth or social media.
As for what's worked and what hasn't worked for me, I have no hard sales data thatconnects specific marketing strategies to sales. However, I do notice certain patterns with what people respond to via sharing or Likes on social media.
What's worked for me:
Sharing my process, sharing my excitement about my own books as well as other books. I've found that people respond most to when I add something personal. Including something visual (whether it's a book cover or especially a sketch or illustration) also gets more responses.
What hasn't worked for me:
Anything resembling direct marketing.
Lena: I feel like I've watched your success happen before my eyes. How have you grown as a writer/illustrator between your debut and your latest book? What advice do you have for debut authors?
Debbie: One thing I've learned: the angst NEVER ENDS, so it's important to enjoy every success, no matter how small. I used to think that getting my first book published was the ultimate goal. As soon as my first book got published, however, I realized that there was a whole new level of angst waiting with each book: What kind of reviews would the book get? Would there be ANY reviews? What would sales be like? How much promotion should I do? How would I juggle promotion and working on my next book? How do I keep from getting into a rut? and so on and so on.
I still angst, of course, but I also try to enjoy the process and the journey.
Another piece of advice: Don't get so caught up in promotion and marketing efforts that you forget to CREATE.
Lena: I SO agree that the angst never ends, but I sometimes find it a bit demoralizing. How do you stay motivated?
Debbie: I make time to play (doodle and write for the fun of it) every day. I keep working on my craft, learning new techniques that I can't wait to try out.
And as I said above, I attend events like Packaging Your Imagination where I can learn from others in the industry. I also surround myself with creative types who inspire me, or follow them online.
Lena: How have you built an audience over time. Any tips?
Debbie: I'll be sharing many more tips in my PYI workshop, but here are just a few:
Before diving into social media, figure out what you want to get out of it first. Too many authors and illustrators join Twitter just because they know their publishers want them to, but then get frustrated because they're not sure how to use it.
Decide who your target audience is, and then post accordingly. Don't try to be everything to everyone. Pick your niche. How can you stand out? What are your strengths?
Don't get obsessed with follower count. Therein lies madness and frustration. Focus on good content and non-spammy interaction.
Give good karma and it will come back to you.
Lena: That's such perfect advice, Debbie, and if there's anyone I know in the kidlit world who gives out good karma, it is you. Thanks so much for dropping by the CANSCAIP blog.
Follow Debbie on Twitter!
Lightning Rods, Agents & Book Deals: Building Your Personal Brand
(Professional Development, Beginner)
Debbie will explain how an effective author or illustrator brand can give you a major edge in finding agents, landing book deals and marketing your work. She'll also offer practical tips on how to find your own authentic brand as well as how to build it online.
(Please note: this workshop will not be conducted in the tub.)
CANSCAIP's Packaging Your Imagination conference will be held on Saturday, October 18th in Toronto.
Toronto CANSCAIP meetings started up again with a bang last night. Our guest was Groundwood Books publisher Sheila Barry, who spoke frankly about Writing and Publishing Books that Matter.
Sheila brought out the stars, who were happy to see each other again after the summer break. Jean Little, Barbara Reid, Patricia Storms, Sylvia McNicoll, Andrea Wayne von Königslöw, Loris Lesynski, Vladyana Krykora and Jo Ellen Bogart were just some of the well-known children's authors and illustrators who were in attendance.
CANSCAIP President Bill Swan welcomed the group and introduced the Executive and Board members present, Holly Main (Membership), Erin Thomas (Programming), Jennifer Maruno (Programming), Cathy Rondina (VP), and yours truly, Lena Coakley, sitting at the back, taking these faithful notes.
Nominees for the 2014 Canadian Children's Book Centre Awards have been announced! Of those, over 50% CANSCAIP authors and illustrators. Click here for the full list.
Janet Wilson showed us Severn and the Day She Silenced the World about Severn Suzuki's speech at the 1992 Earth Summit. Janet will be at the Eden Mills Festival this weekend!
Elizabeth MacLeod showed off Bunny, the Brave War Horse, based on a true WWI story.
Heather Stamp presented Amelia and Me, a book about Amelia Earhart that's been shortlisted for a Red Cedar Book Award.
Kari-Lynne Winters had two books: No-Matter-What Friend and Stinky Skunk Mel. The latter was accepted in 2008 and is only just coming out now!
Jennifer Maruno presented Totem, which Quill & Quire recently gave a starred review.
Finally, our own Erin Thomas presented Forcing the Ace, a book about magic from Orca's new performing arts series, Limelights.
Helena pitched our upcoming, Packaging Your Imagination conference taking place Saturday, October 18th. Workshops by Erin Bow, Shelley Tanaka and Lesley Livingston are filling up fast, so if you are interested in those particular sessions, you'd better click this link. Like now.
Helena also announced that CANSCAIP will have a booth at the Word on the Street festival and we need volunteers to help give out brochures and chat-up CANSCAIP. It's a great way to get to know your fellow members and friends, so if you're going to be there anyway, why not help out for a few hours? Call or Email Helena at the office for more information.
Jennifer Maruno (glowing from that recent star in Quill and Quire) took the podium to announce that our next meeting in October will be an outreach meeting in Burlington, Ontario. This will help to serve some of our out-of-town members, but we hope that our Toronto people will make the effort to car-pool or Go Train as well. Further information will follow.
Are you farther afield and burning with jealousy about our fabulous meetings? CANSCAIP offers seed money to groups who wish start meetings in their local area. If you are interested, please call or email the office for more information.
Sheila said that she wanted to begin her talk with an apology. "I would hate for anyone to think from the title of my talk that I believe the only children's books that matter are books on tough subjects like war." She feels that all books for children are "books that matter," and would not want to offend authors who write light-hearted works.
"Books about soup!" whispered Loris Lesynski, who was sitting next to this recorder.
Sheila's talk was based on a piece she wrote for Freedom to Read week, and she hoped that we were all familiar with this event, which takes place in February. Freedom to Read celebrates and promotes the right of every child to read without impediment. Sheila was asked to write this piece because Groundwood is known for publishing books on difficult subjects. Just some of the subjects Groundwood has tackled are: pornography, genocide, prostitutes as lead characters, first nations children taken from their homes, and children hurt by war.
"Part of Groundwood's canon are books that some might consider inappropriate for children."
Sheila held up the book, The Composition, as an example of a classic Groundwood title. The book, by Antonio Skarmeta , is about a child under a repressive South American regime. "This sounds like the worst topic in the world for a children's book," she said, "but it is a beautiful book." Sometimes books like this can be a tough sell to parents, but Groundwood relies on and is very grateful to libraries, often the place where a child would find a book like The Composition.
"When publishing books for YA, you can talk about anything," Sheila said, "but picture books are a different story. I always ask myself, 'Would I read this to a child I know?'"
Sheila then showed us the book, Good Night, Commander by Iranian author Ahmad Akbarpour. The book is about the aftermath of Iran-Iraq war and is the story about a child who has lost both his leg and his mother to the conflict. This is a touching book, which Sheila says she would read with a child. It's power lies in its absolute fidelity to the things a child notices and the things a child thinks. She believes that some books should be read and discussed with an adult and hopes that they are. "There are expectations around context which we at Groundwood can't control," she said.
Goodnight Commander was not a best seller, Sheila told us, but a book she was very proud to have it on Groundwood's list.
Sheila then went on to talk about submitting to Groundwood, telling us that the worst part of her job was saying no so often. They receive 1,500 submissions a year and publish 30. This means that for every yes, there are 49 nos. A phrase rejected authors and illustrators hear again and again is: "This project is not right for our list." This is not a brush off. Most Canadian publishers have a notion of what their list is when taken as a whole. Look at their catalogues to get a sense of this. Groundwood does not consider genre fiction like fantasy or mysteries, even though Sheila is a big mystery fan. It's just not what Groundwood does.
When Sheila considers a submission, the first things she wants, before anything else, is an artistic creation. (We could talk for hours about what that means, she added.) She asks herself, is this literature? Groundwood is known for a standard of excellence in writing and illustration, which she considers before asking herself what message the book is sending. Will this book deliver a rich reading experience?
Sheila had a lot to say about the issue of messages in children's books. Every book on a difficult subject is a book with a message. In fact, any book is a book with a message. What Sheila does not want is a book that gives and easy solution to a complex problem. She gave the example of a hypothetical book on bullying:
A little girl is bullied. She, possibly with the help of a kind adult, comes up with a strategy. She implements this strategy and, suddenly, she has friends. In the end, she and her new friends ride their bikes to the ice cream store.
Sheila is not arguing that a bullied child shouldn't have a strategy, but it does readers a terrible disservice when the problem is solved so easily. The book she wants is more inconclusive. Don't wrap it all up.
Of course, no child should feel more alone and more miserable than they did when they opened the book, but that doesn't mean all problems must be solved. A child character must have arrived somewhere but not necessarily to a solution. The boy in Good Night, Commander learns that war is made up of victims like himself, but he does not draw conclusions about war that are beyond him. He makes a small step. When reading a story about siblings, no one thinks it's the writer's job to solve the "problem of siblings." It's the same with war or bullying or pain.
Sarah Ellis's new book, Ouside In, published this spring, is a good example of what Sheila is looking for. It's book primarily about friendship, but one of the girls is effectively homeless. She has been abducted by a man who found her. To an adult this sounds terrible, but in the context of the book she is a heroic figure to the other girl who becomes her friend. What Sheila loved about the book is that it never delivers a moral judgement. The book's goal is to tell a story about two girls who become friends. The message is given very subtly. "I am finding myself wanting that subtly more and more," Sheila said. "I have less need for resolution."
Sheila then threw a question to the audience: "If we are passionate about the world we live in, what about telling stories that aren't ours to tell…or are all stories ours to tell?"
This is the question of appropriation of voice, which Sheila said she didn't have an answer for. As writers, can we write about different races, different cultures? She thinks that our writing would be very narrow if we could not, but she thinks its an important question that she urges us not to gloss over. It is a question worth grappling with again and again.
Sheila ended the talk by giving us a few of her "pet peeves."
Pet Peeve #1
Why does all historical fiction have to be about rebellious girls who don't seem to fit in their own time period? Too many historical novels are anachronistic in that characters do not have the mind of their times. By doing this, authors are creating someone "born better." Isn't it more interesting to write about someone completely immersed in their own time period, who has the attitudes of the day?
Pet Peeve #2
In too many novels there is a boy who sticks with the girl through thick and thin. Sheila does not want to be anti-boy, but in some novels, this character's faithfulness is his only quality. He's hard to believe in, this perfect boy. Sheila doesn't think this is the best hope to be giving young girls. There is a desire to end a book--especially a book where a girl has had a bad time--with the promise that a guy will be there in the end. Sometimes this works and is appropriate, but authors need to ask themselves the tough question: Are you telling lies to children?
Pet Peeve #3
The first person in picture books is tricky. If it works it can be brilliant, but often an author attributes too much to the voice of the child. The wonderful thing about Good Night Commander is that even at the end, the boy protagonist is thinking "sort of the wrong thing" about his situation. He's only part way. And everything he says is from this realistic point of view. Writers, ask yourself: Are you using the child protagonist to communicate things to the reader that no child could communicate? If so, you have a problem.
Thanks so much for joining us on a rainy Wednesday, Sheila!
A note from your recorder: That's right! What were once called "CANSCAIP Minutes," write-ups of our Toronto meetings, will now appear on our blog. In upcoming months, we'd like to make our blog more vibrant, so if you have any ideas for posts, contact me at lena (at) lenacoakley (dot) com
Big changes are afoot on the CANSCAIP blog! In the next few months, we'll be bringing you more content than ever before, so keep checking back or grab an RSS feed, above. We'll start by having write-ups of our monthly Toronto meetings and featured interviews with the speakers of our upcoming Packaging Your Imagination conference. If you have further ideas for what you'd like to see here, please don't hesitate to contact the office.
And now, without further ado, here is the first in our series of short features about our PYI speakers:
Lena Coakley: Hi Paula! Thanks for answering a few questions for us. The topic of your CANSCAIP presentation is: Standing On Your Head: Adapting Your Work for the Stage. Can you give us a little taste of what you'll be talking about? What's one tip or nugget of wisdom you'll be sharing with PYI attendees?
Paula Wing: I'll be talking about and sharing exercises that have helped me to adapt books to the stage. There is a saying in Italian about translation that I think applies in some ways to adaptation: Traduttore, tradittore. Meaning, translator, betrayer.
You have to be faithful to the original, but you have to be faithful to the spirit of the original rather than the letter of it. You will have to abandon certain things. You will have to invent small things. In order to be true to what the original is about.
Lena: Translator, betrayer. I love that.
You have been writing and adapting plays for many years now, with all the ups and downs that entails. How do you stay motivated?
Paula: Staying motivated is one of the challenges of the writing life. For me, one of the best ways is to mix it up. I change the location of my writing sometimes - meaning I go to a café or I even go to a different room in my apartment, or write in bed when I wake up. On rare occasions when I have a big deadline I sometimes go off for a "dirty weekend", to a cottage or don't tell motel where I hole up and write pausing only to eat ripple chips.
I recently took an online writing course to kick start me after a sluggish period. I meet with other writers in coffee shops for writing dates. I am fuelled by the brilliance and success of others (though I admit I can struggle with feelings of envy and jealousy there too. But when I can use others' success as a motivator, it works very well).
Lena: Thanks so much, Paula. See you at PYI!
Paula Wing is a playwright,translator and teacher. Her most recent play was an adaptation of Robin Hood for Geordie Theatre in Montréal. Her original play Risky Phil is indevelopment at Young People's Theatre in Toronto.
720 Bathurst St, Suite 503, Toronto, ON, CANADA, M5S 2R4
416-515-1559 email@example.com


text:
It�s been nearly a half century since the first students headed for class at the brand new Gaston College in Dallas. Since that day in 1964, thousands upon thousands of area residents have walked off the campus and into a better life because of their Gaston College education.
Many more will do the same, thanks to the Golden Leaf Foundation which last week announced it would give $500,000 to the school for renovations that will expand the space for training machinists and welders.
The demand for employees with these skills is so great in Gaston County that students are hired by local companies before they complete their certification. By expanding training space, the college can accommodate more students to meet the demand and keep those students in the programs until they are fully certified.
The certification means increased pay over the course of a career, and better pay means a better life for the certificate-holders and their families.
The half-million dollar Golden Leaf grant � the maximum amount awarded by the foundation � can be attributed in large measure to the community�s support of Gaston College and its education mission.
Six years ago, Gaston voters approved a bond referendum to benefit the college. County commissioners designated $3.3 million from the bonds for the renovation of the Pharr Trade and Industrial Center, where machinists and welders attend class.
Golden Leaf citied that community support as a plus in evaluating the grant.
Also behind the Golden Leaf�s large award to Gaston College is the county�s manufacturing job base. Long the core of Gaston County�s economy, manufacturing continues to play an important role on the jobs front. Slightly more than 18 percent of the county�s jobs are in manufacturing.
Gaston College has deep roots in training local men and women for jobs in manufacturing. The East Campus in Belmont grew out of the North Carolina Vocational Textile School that dates back to the early Forties.
While the textile industry is not what it once was in Gaston County, diversified manufacturing operations continue to create a demand for skilled workers.
Thanks to a new partnership between the Gaston County community and the Golden Leaf Foundation, the college will continue to offer the quality training that produces a skilled workforce to meet the demands of existing industry and to attract new businesses with good-paying jobs.
Congratulations Gaston College for securing the Golden Leaf grant � and for bringing the opportunity for a better life to so many Gaston County residents.


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Painting the Figure
Course #2000026
Jeff Tolbert
Model Fee: $40.00
*Please bring cash or check payable to the instructor to your FIRST CLASS SESSION. This fee does not cover the cost of materials listed below.
Materials for the FIRST class session:
Students only need to bring $20 model fee and note-taking material to the first class.
The following list of supplies will be discussed during the first class.
Materials for subsequent classes:
acrylic paint (recommended brand: Golden Artist Color)
Cadmium Red Medium
Cadmium Yellow Medium or Deep
Cadmium Orange Medium
Ultramarine Blue
Permanent Green
Dioxazine Purple
Mars Black
Titanium White
spray bottle
palette knife
variety of brushes (1/4" 10 1" width; nylon bristles or natural depending on preference)
good quality 2" house painting brush (Purdy or Rockset or comparable quality brand)
stretched canvas or panel primed with acrylic gesso (16"-20" minimum size)
cups with sealable tops for mixing paint
small water container to clean out brushes (1-2 quart)
paper towels (Bounty is the best brand)
4' x 5' piece of plastic
masking tape
pad of Bristol paper, 9"x12" optional
newsprint pad 18"x24" or bigger
Suggested Art Supply Stores:
New York Central Art Supply—3rd Ave. between 10th and 11th Streets
Utrecht—111 East 4th Ave. between 11th and 12th Streets
Pearl Paint—308 Canal Street
* Some of these stores will give you a student discount if you present your Cooper Union Continuing Education registration receipt.