text:
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36050789533094812832018-05-28T23:18:41.605-07:00Too Much InformationStories, opinions, and random information from Suzanne Morgan WilliamsSuzanne Morgan Williamshttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3605078953309481283.post-89702394835428291362010-09-23T19:12:00.000-07:002010-09-23T19:32:05.486-07:00At Least It's Not SidewaysSo I wanted to share a video and a tip from me today and I went to my file of flip videos and remembered - most of them are sideways. I didn't know the camera only really works in one direction. So, that limited my options and I picked this one of a very friendly dog in Oregon. I didn't even preview it. It was one of two that would work so I picked the dog. What's the point? Sometime you sit down to write and everything comes out sideways or backwards, or worst, there's so little coming out of your head that you feel ridiculous. How can I be a writer when this is what I produce, you might say? Well, we all have those times and that's when you get a soda or a cup of coffee or whatever you require, look again, and find some little kernel works. Dump the rest, and work with the one sentence, one idea, one metaphor that speaks to you. That new beginning should really help.

<OBJECT id=BLOG_video-4b9b8ed89f553ded class=BLOG_video_class width=320 height=266 contentId="4b9b8ed89f553ded"></OBJECT>

So what about the dog? That was about my only choice for this blog but we can work with that. This is the kind of scene I like to put right before something terrible happens. Someone is outside throwing a ball to their two very cool dogs. Rusty takes off with the ball. What happens next? Does someone scare your character? Does a mountain lion show up? Does the character get bad news? Try writing a scene that starts out perfectly normal and ends up with your character having a huge problem. The more everyday the scene, the bigger surprise the problem will be. So, now, what happens to Rusty and Lizzy? You figure it out.Suzanne Morgan Williamshttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3605078953309481283.post-69840184504221230062010-09-21T14:47:00.000-07:002010-09-21T14:54:45.904-07:00Writing Tip from MG Author Rosanne ParryRosanne and I had our first novels debut within a month of each other. They are twins in setting and some of the details - both deal with families changed by their loved one's deployment overseas. Both are set on ranches in adjacent counties - no kidding. We even both have a character named Paco. We didn't know each other until the novels came out. And the books are very different. A study in different writers, different voices. Since then, Rosanne and I have worked together on several projects. Our next one is a panel presentation at the National Council of Teachers of English in Orlando in November. So I'm excited to share her tip here:

Look for Rosanne's new novel, Second Fiddle soon.

Here's a back to school writing idea to help your young writers tackle revision. The What-I-did-over-summer-vacation essay is a classic and one that can do with a little spicing up. Once your students have gotten back into the groove of writing with the standard essay. Let them go back to it and re-vision the piece with an imaginative element.
What would have happened on your summer vacation if….
A magical creature had come along
A natural disaster had occurred
Your favorite story character had come along
It had all happened in a different country
It had all happened 100 years ago
If you had super powers
If you were blind or unable to speak

Let them imagine a different outcome for a familiar event, and see how that moves a non-fiction essay into the realm of fiction.
You can take a look at some "revised" stories in published books. The Graveyard is a re-visioning of The Jungle Book with ghosts instead of animals. The 3 Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig is a role reversal of the Three Little Pigs story. For high school students, A Curse as Dark as Gold is a retelling of the Rumplestiltskin story.
Having revised something in a more light-hearted context of the exaggerated vacation story may make it easier to tackle more academic revisions in the future.Suzanne Morgan Williamshttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3605078953309481283.post-53956724185343609952010-09-20T13:39:00.000-07:002010-09-20T13:47:16.062-07:00Seize the DaySo I'll take a look at my video library from the summer soon and post some new writing ideas with video. In the meantime I have Rosanne Parry's and Janet Fox's tips to post. Rosanne's on Thursday or Friday I think. But I want to use today to talk about stories.
 I have a whole bunch of them in my head. Real ones that my relatives told me, experiences of my own, and then, of course the fiction that's always cooking. I love family stories and geneology - mainly because of the stories that go with it. And here's the thing. If I don't write them down and pass them on, they'll disappear. My kids know some of them, but I don't know which ones. I'm the one with the stories. So I need to tell them. Our neighbor and friend died suddenly last week - no warning at all. And he wasn't old. He was young if you asked me. Any stories that he had went with him. He left some songs. So, if you are a writer, a storyteller, a student with ideas - write them down. Don't worry about how silly they sound or how polished they are. There is no time like today. Only you own your stories. Only you can tell them. If you write them and want to change them tomorrow, all the better. But please, write them down and let them go. You need to start.Suzanne Morgan Williamshttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3605078953309481283.post-86685332664361273692010-09-17T19:37:00.000-07:002010-09-17T19:53:30.845-07:00Author J.T. Dutton's Writing Tip of the WeekYou'll notice it's been two weeks and I have writing tips lined up from several wonderful writers. I've been busy finishing a partial manuscript for my agent to submit and trying to catch up on yard and maintainance work before I head to Kansas City and Junction City, Kansas for the Kansas Association of School Librarians Conference and a writer's workshop with the Kansas Region of Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. I'll also be visiting Eisenhauer Middle School in Manhattan and maybe another middle school or two. The trip should be really fun. So, here it is - another writing tip - this one from J.T. Dutton, my Class of 2k9 compatriot, author of Freaked and Stranded. Jen is an English teacher so this one should be good. Suzy

Last year, I was invited to teach a three week arts immersion course at Hiram College (in Ohio) to unsuspecting business, nursing, and biological science majors. They chose my writing section instead of dance, fine arts, and theater because they thought writing would be less weird than standing on a stage singing, acting, or painting..
On the first day, I asked the group to draft original poems about an emotional state.
A woman in the front row of the class raised her hand.
"Does it have to rhyme?" she asked.
"Please, no." I said.
"I'm not that creative," a guy in back complained.
I'd heard this kind of thing before..
 I suggested they all start the poem with a microwave oven. It was the first appliance that came to mind.
Generally speaking, new writers fall back on tried and true patterns of comparison and overly fixate on what they think is expected of them. They write about rainbows when they are feeling happy and clouds when they are feeling sad. I told the group that experienced writers venture out of the safety of cliche and make something more of their feelings and perceptions.
The process of inventing similes and metaphors is entertaining, like playing 'pretend' as a kid. It can crack into a whole level of thinking that some people aren't used to enjoying. Best of all, there is no way to be wrong when you search for authenticity.
So we made a list of ways in which a microwave oven was a metaphor for frustration. In my opinion, it's a very creative list for baffled students: Microwaves reheat food and turn it soggy. Their molecules bounce around but stay trapped inside. They only come in a few decorator colors, mostly black, they only do what you tell them to do.
The consensus when we finished brainstorming was that microwaves truly were oppressed appliances. We discovered the truth at the heart of the beast.
For extra credit, I suggested everyone consider happy microwaves. Here are the ways my students think a microwave can be joyful--they channel power from electrons, they bleep when you turn them on, they make life better for college students and give them something to eat besides institutional food.
"This class is strange," the guy in back stated when we finished.
"True enough," I agreed.
"But", I added, "A good life is more than rainbows. It can be household appliances too."
Somehow, given the kidding around the followed and the original poems they turned in, I think they got the point.Suzanne Morgan Williamshttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3605078953309481283.post-34826364675702598262010-08-30T18:00:00.001-07:002010-09-03T13:11:08.901-07:00Author Sydney Salter's Writing Tip of the WeekYou are in for a treat. A number of writers - all my friends so far - have agreed to share a writing tip for you so you aren't always hearing from me. We are starting with Sydney Salter who not only writes funny, interesting books, but she's a truly nice person as well. This is what Sydney says about herself: Sydney lives in Utah with her husband, two daughters, two dogs, two cats, a pair of quiet tortoises, and a baby bearded dragon. When not writing, she enjoys reading, cooking, hiking, skiing, traveling, and searching for the ultimate cupcake. www.sydneysalter.com
She sent a video too. It may take a minute to open, but how fun is it to hear from the real person - or the virtual one at least. Enjoy and try this very cool exercise. Sydney Salter's novels include My Big Nose And Other Natural Disasters, Jungle Crossing, and Swoon At Your Own Risk. <OBJECT id=BLOG_video-9081bd7958cf8908 class=BLOG_video_class width=320 height=266 contentId="9081bd7958cf8908"></OBJECT>Suzanne Morgan Williamshttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3605078953309481283.post-51585792561216619152010-08-27T20:02:00.000-07:002010-08-27T20:08:39.352-07:00Biblio Burro - the Library BurroJust one thing to share today but what a treat. This is from my friend Yuyi Morales' Facebook page - and YouTube. If you wonder why we write, look at this. Doesn't matter if you speak Spanish or not. It's all in the video. And for a writing tip? Try this exercise - particularly if you DON'T speak Spanish. What do you know from the people's expressions? How can you describe them? Can you write a scene from the video without dialogue so we get the whole picture? Now write it with dialogue. If you have a friend who speaks Spanish, have them listen to the video and translate if for you if they can. How close is your version?

<object style="background-image:url(http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/tsHyN9zj8_o/hqdefault.jpg)" width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tsHyN9zj8_o?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tsHyN9zj8_o?fs=1&hl=en_US" width="425" height="344" allowScriptAccess="never" allowFullScreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object>Suzanne Morgan Williamshttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3605078953309481283.post-37616224377461463082010-08-25T14:22:00.000-07:002010-08-25T14:26:38.110-07:00Oh, That Writing ThingI had lunch with a friend today and she told me I'd always been a writer. I corrected her - I started writing as an adult. But I was always a day dreamer. In fact, I used to get in trouble for that when I was in elementary and junior high school. There was always an interesting world in my head to inhabit. So that led to the train of thought that as an adult, I often judge my progress by words or pages written. How many time have you writers seen a post that says "Yay, I wrote 2,000 words today." Yes, that's a measure. But you know what? Yesterday I put not one word onto paper, or shall I say entered none on the screen, but I found the heart of my current novel - while I was walking my black lab Ralph before the sun rose. That's progress. That's that writing thing. Cheers.Suzanne Morgan Williamshttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3605078953309481283.post-4646812920159845732010-08-17T10:13:00.000-07:002010-08-17T10:21:21.467-07:00A Moment I Almost MissedI've been walking every morning. So lucky to start my day in one of the most beautiful places I know - my own valley. I really didn't want to go this morning, though, but Ralph, ourbig black lab, was so excited I opened the door and out we went. I was on automatic, slow to wake up. Decided to walk up a side street that I usually skip and a pinto mare began to run right to me. There was something different about her, besides her desire to see me - most horses ignore us (that's me and Ralph). We met at the corral fence. She was eager to be petted or fed or ridden. I didn't do any - she's not my horse - but I did stare. She had the most amazing blue eyes. Stunning. Clear and bright blue. I've never seen a horse with two bright blue eyes before. Look for it in a book. That's where inspiration comes from. Walks you almost didn't take.Suzanne Morgan Williamshttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3605078953309481283.post-39479785247217808982010-08-14T20:23:00.001-07:002010-08-14T20:29:13.421-07:00Computer Cat #2So have I talked about this before? My cat loves to stretch out between the keyboard and the monitor. Then he occasionally bats at the keys. Writing prompt - what if he learned to type? What would your cat say? Any cat? Are there cat poets out there? Complaining cats? Mystery writing cats? This is a gold mine of feline fantasy. Go for it.

On the news front, I found that Bull Rider is included in the preliminart list for the 2011/2012 Truman Award for middle school books from the Missouri Association of School Librarians. I think that means kids will be reading it (along with books from a list of 25)this fall and voting on their favorites which will then become the Nominees (list of 12). It's a long process but there will be readers involved all along the way.Suzanne Morgan Williamshttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3605078953309481283.post-51489872683334795802010-08-07T09:02:00.000-07:002010-08-07T09:05:17.941-07:00Odds and EndsI'm revising this morning and will put on some music to go with my mood and the manuscript. Some writers swear by this. Some make playlists for their manuscripts. I'm not that dedicated yet. But I do know what I want to listen to to set a certain mood. So imagine me listening and writing - soon. Also, watch the blog for tips from other writers. I'll be posting them about once a week starting toward the end of August. And if you know teachers, writers, or students who are looking for tips and ideas send them this way. It's nice to know people are reading the blog. Happy weekend.Suzanne Morgan Williamshttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3605078953309481283.post-16326439816745272010-08-05T14:32:00.000-07:002010-08-05T14:34:26.640-07:00Writerly StuffShort note today. I'm off to revise an opening. Very jazzed about it. It's so wonderful when you love your own work. That's good and important. If you don't stand by your writing, your story, who will? Coming up - tips from some great YA and MG authors. See the list on the right. More later - meSuzanne Morgan Williamshttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3605078953309481283.post-49628659831682776472010-08-03T16:57:00.000-07:002010-08-03T17:09:37.194-07:00Mining Family StoriesI just got home from the Society of Children's Book Writer's and illustrator's conferene in Los Angeles. It's always a feast of information, tips, opportunities, and new and old friends. And of course books. I bought one new book to read (the bookstore must have sold out of many titles early) and I loved it. The Red Umbrella by Cristina Diaz Gonzalez. I really enjoyed reading it and I learned a lot too. The book is based on her family's experience in 1961 and 1962 when thousands of Cuban children were sent to the United States alone to escape the new Castro regime. Most of them were reunited with their families later.

So the tip - your family has stories too. Sometimes they happened last week and sometimes they are stories from decades or even a century ago. What has happened to you that would make a funny story? What adventures have you had with your family? Have your grandparents told you stories of when they were kids? Ask them. You may get an idea for a great story. And remember, you don't have to tell it exactly as it happened. You can start with an idea, and if your story is fiction, you can change things to make the story more interesting, longer, scarier - whatever you need. Good luck.Suzanne Morgan Williamshttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3605078953309481283.post-6517025524450422492010-07-31T10:03:00.000-07:002010-07-31T10:08:19.945-07:00Reading and Writing YourselfI'm at the SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) conference in Los Angeles. Not only is it a great chance to learn and reconnect with friends, there is a room downstairs full of books. I can't wait to have some time to go down and buy five or six - my reading for the rest of the summer. Some will be written by friends and some will be totally new to me. I'm excited. Some of the best advice I have for writers is to read. Read what you love and read what you'd like to write. Are they different? Is there a reason for that? Reading is the receptive language of writing. If you read, you will learn the rhythm of the language. You'll learn the structure of dialogue. Read enough and the sequences of dialogue, action, description, scene will begin to seem natural. It's a great place to start. Go to your library. Head to a bookstore. What are you reading? Seriously, post it here!Suzanne Morgan Williamshttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3605078953309481283.post-49037066278360863792010-07-27T11:06:00.000-07:002010-07-27T11:43:07.650-07:00Allowing Your Gifts and DreamsOK, so this may take some time to swing around to the writing, but our writing really does reflect our own unique stories. We have to be willing to know ourselves and decide how much of that we will share. I generally stay away from religion and politics on my blog and Facebook although I have strong convictions about both. But today, to understand what I'm going to say, you have to come with me on my morning walk. This is something I love to do, once I get in the swing of it (I am now) and my big old black lab, Ralph, loves it too.

But this morning I was grumpy. I wasn't enjoying the birds or the horses or the sunrise. I was complaining to myself and reviewing the stuff I was annoyed with in my life. So I stopped and took a drink of water (thanks to a speaker's gift from Western Washington SCBWI - thanks for the water bottle guys), and wondered how to cut off all the negativity that was washing over me. I turned to the Lord's Prayer which I memorized when I was four. Then I did something new. Instead of reciting it, maybe over and over, I meditated on each line until it felt right. That exercise engulfed me and Ralph and we covered a lot of ground.What an amazing set of words.

So where's the writing, you ask? Coming, hold on. The line that took about 1/2 mile to get through was Thy kingdom come. I'm pretty familiar with the fact that God's will is not mine and that I need to be forgiven and that it would certainly be fine of me if I would forgive others. But, Thy kingdom come? That means I would like to live with peace and happiness. I would like to relax in a wonderful idyllic space. I would accept gifts beyond my imagination. I'm not sure exactly how to handle that. I'm a worker and a fighter. I'm an honest observer and a seeker of justice. Asking to experience God's kingdom? Hmmm.

Ralph and I kept walking. And then I realized that much of it is already here. In the gifts around me that others offer every day. In my own abilities. In the lack of pain in this moment. In my dreams. I knew I needed to let go of the complaints and the "debts" and accept new possibilities. This is part of God's kingdom that I can understand. So, writers, let's dream, let's be thankful for what we have and might do. Let's explore the possibility of the shared word.

Take a minute and write down two or three things you really dream of. They can be writing related, places you want to visit, changes in your life. Go ahead, write down your dreams. Now watch this video. I promise to make it all make sense.

<OBJECT id=BLOG_video-48a1ab9d0486a403 class=BLOG_video_class width=320 height=266 contentId="48a1ab9d0486a403"></OBJECT>

So what do you think those miners dreamed? What would their idea of a divine space be? How would their dreams be different from yours? What if you could sit down with one of those miners, with one of their kids and talk about what you both want? What would you say? What would the miner's child say? What happens when we are too tired or hurt to dream? Does anyone believe in your dreams? Take a minute and sit quietly with your thoughts. Now write. Write about anything you think of. Don't be afraid to write what you are really feeling. Create a new character. Write about yourself. Just write. That is a gift. Accept it.Suzanne Morgan Williamshttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3605078953309481283.post-45598967287018972282010-07-26T23:23:00.000-07:002010-07-26T23:40:32.927-07:00Losing My Mind, or Maybe Just My ThoughtsYesterday I was walking my dog and I had the very best idea ever for this blog. And then I got inspired by the sun and the mountains, and the bachelors buttons and cotton tails and, well gee, I totally forgot it before I got home. I told myself I would remember it soon and then I could share my great idea with all of you. But I spent today doing all kinds of officy catch up things for a writers' group I belong to and the idea did not reappear. This is not what I planned. So, I have no stellar thoughts.

Ideas come from photos too. Take lots of them. Don't lose them. This is in the Sculpture Garden in Minneapolis. What does it make you think of? Any good ideas?

Here's the lesson - be sure to write down your ideas when they come to you. They can seem stupid later in the day or tomorrow. That's fine. You can always crumple up the paper and throw it away. But if you forget your ideas, they are gone. Some people like to keep a journal. Some blog their ideas. I know writers who have old fashioned file card boxes stuffed with notes for characters, settings, story ideas. Any one of these can be just what you need when you are developing a new story or stuck on an old one. So my suggestion today is that you start keeping your ideas. Get a notebook, or a card file, or a drawer, or a Word Document. Don't be shy. Write them down. Then they'll be there when you need them.Suzanne Morgan Williamshttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3605078953309481283.post-30612892666219222752010-07-24T09:40:00.000-07:002010-07-24T09:52:14.270-07:00Cow Tipping and Other Story StartersSo a friend just wrote me an e-mail that said "writing tips" reminded her of cow tipping and that reminded me of a T-shirt I got for my 3 year old grandson from a trip to the Oklahoma Library Associations' Encyclomedia that said "Junior Cow Tipper, Oklahoma" or something like that. He totally loves it. I just had to get it for him. In fact, I try to get a little something for him when I travel. From Arkansas, he's getting a pig nose. Best I could do with my time and budget in the airport store and they didn't have a razorback T-shirt that would fit him. Don't tell, the nose is still in my closet.

So this brings me to a story idea. A kid with a collection of crazy stuff his grandma brings him. How old is he? Maybe ten or twelve. Old enough to have memories and maybe not to use the junk so often any more. What does he do with the stuff? What is his conflict? Has grandma died? Is mom demanding he junk this stuff? Does it have magical powers? I have no idea, but this is how I might start a story or develop a character. What can you do with this collection of information and questions? Oh, and that's the photo of the cows from my hotel room in Wisconsin - go back a few entries if you missed that story. Happy writing.Suzanne Morgan Williamshttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3605078953309481283.post-3297518731571066582010-07-22T09:20:00.000-07:002010-07-22T09:43:43.022-07:00That Crazy Bear Loves Fruit LoopsSo about two years ago I was able to watch a black bear, who had been hanging around some houses, be trapped and tagged. It was an amazing experience and I used a lot of that information in my work in progress (WIP), Face Off. What I didn't do was touch the bear. The people who were tagging him were working and I felt lucky just to be there to observe. I wasn't going to ask if I could pet the tranquilized, 200 pound bear.

Then, last week, when we were in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, we found a brochure for the Oswald Bear Ranch. They rescue bear cubs from all over the country and currently are the permanent home for about 42 bears. In order to support that (and maybe themselves) they charge a small admission, sell souveneirs, and for $5 you can have your picture taken with one of the youngest cubs. I couldn't resist. Off to Oswald's we went. You can watch me and some of my family in this video. That's my son feeding the bear Fruit Loops. Now the nature lover part of me says this is exploitation of the bears and definitely not the healthiest of treats. But the practical part of me says that if the cub eats fruit loops for three months (until he's too big to pet) that will go a long way toward paying for his future keep. The older bears eat apples.

And, aaah, and the writer part - now I know how a brown bear feels. THAT will be in a book. And the little guy was so cute.
<OBJECT id=BLOG_video-a9b9bf00a2e23fa0 class=BLOG_video_class width=320 height=266 contentId="a9b9bf00a2e23fa0"></OBJECT>

Try this: Write down three adjectives you think describe the bear. Now write five words about what you think he was feeling, tasting, smelling etc. Next, write a paragraph - five or six sentences - about this scene from the bear's point of view. If he could talk, what would he say? What would he like more than anything? Re-read your paragraph. Does it give you an idea for a story? Your idea doesn't have to be from the bear's point of view, although it can be. It might be totally different. Sometimes one experience (like watching a crazy bear video) triggers an entirely different idea. Our minds are wonderful things. Honor your ideas. Now go write!Suzanne Morgan Williamshttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3605078953309481283.post-70147980853099158682010-07-20T12:46:00.001-07:002010-07-20T13:07:20.638-07:00Computer CatI'll be uploading photos and videos and some writing challenges from the Midwest trip soon. There are a couple I'm really anxious to share. But today is catch up day. I've worked on the mentor program that Nevada SCBWI runs and on our new e-list system to communicate with our members. I've cut flowers and assessed our weeds (pulled only a very few, I'm afraid.) My cat is stretched out behind my computer key board. He's very happy. I am too. I'm completely in catch up mode.

And I'm so ready to get working on one of my current projects. What's in the pipeline? China's Daughters, a non-fiction book of short biographies of 17 (I think) Chinese women and how their lives illuminate their particular historic time will be published, probably in early 2011 - that's a guess - by Pacific View Press in San Francisco. It's done. YAY! Sierra Blue, the story of a teen aged girl who saves a race horse and couple of her friends along the way, is out on submission. Face Off, set in the Arctic is about a boy who, abandoned by his birth father, works through his anger on the ice hockey rink and on the sea ice when he faces a rogue polar bear. That one is in the process. I'm holding myself back from starting another project - too many voices to keep in my head - but am anxious to get to writing regularly again soon.

Here's a tip from my process - and every writer's process is different. When I have an idea for a book - a setting and some sense of the plot - then I spend quite a while exploring my characters. I may write 20 pages about my main character, maybe 50 pages, before I start my first chapter. I want to know that person very well. I want to think like he or she does and know how she sounds.

Try this exercise: Choose two people who talk differently - say your best friend and your grandfather. Maybe those two people grew up in different places, or maybe you have a friend who is always trying out the latest cool words and phrases. Imagine a scene - make it dramatic - maybe an auto accident of the last minute of a football game and the home team fumbles the ball. Write it out twice - the way each of your people would describe it. Their words should be different, maybe their reactions are different, even though they are talking about the exact same thing. This is the basis of voice and point of view. If you don't get how this works the first time, try again. Writing well takes practice and it's ok if your first pages aren't very good. Professional writers almost always start with lousy paragraphs and make them better. That's the key.Suzanne Morgan Williamshttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3605078953309481283.post-17151214267381455542010-07-18T16:38:00.000-07:002010-07-27T11:52:26.583-07:00Snippets for StoriesSo at my presentation I spoke of how we authors (or at least this author) piece together bits of reality, both physical and emotional, to create our fiction. We finished the talk and tornado sirens went off. The whole group tromped down several flights of stairs to the Loft basement where I signed books and the organizers served the cake that they had carried downstairs with them. I thought of the old brick building above us and hoped that if a tornado hit it would be strong enough to lift the bricks up and away and not just dump them in on top of us. After a prudent wait, we all went back upstairs where the signing continued as though nothing had happened. Welcome to the midwest, Dorothy.

Signing books during the tornado warning!

Afterwards a few of us donned garbage bag ponchos (no kidding guys - that mountain training is useful) and ran half a block through the rain to a little club to visit. Wonderful talk and soaked pants and shoes, dry from the waist up, thanks to the silly plastic bags. I've never seen that much rain fall from the sky. All of this, will one day, end up in a book. You can look for it. Cheers for now from Minneapolis.Suzanne Morgan Williamshttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3605078953309481283.post-14298608393604567642010-07-17T07:46:00.000-07:002010-07-17T07:50:05.449-07:00Writer's LifeIn Minneapolis today. Meeting a friend for lunch. He helped me greatly in writing my book The Ojibwe (Heinemann 2003) and has remained a friend. It is one of the great perks of being a writer. Then dinner with the people from the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis and author Gary Schmidt (Wednesday Wars, Trouble etc.) Hopefully I'll make new friends. Then a presentation with Gary at the Loft Center. I've been looking forward to this for a while. And I'll get to see a little of Minneapolis. I have to say though, that I'm really looking forward to my days at home. . .Suzanne Morgan Williamshttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3605078953309481283.post-76639987300585722292010-07-14T19:23:00.000-07:002010-07-14T19:37:50.928-07:00A Sense of PlaceSo my father told me stories about growing up in far northern Wisconsin and I wrote that novel from his descriptions. When I got here, there was little that I didn't already know. The only thing I added to the novel was the look of the eastern white pine trees. Nothing prepares you for those spreading arms if you are from the West. Two thoughts here: Listen when people tell you stories. You not only learn about them, but you will know things beyond your own experience. These pieces of truth you can tuck into your own stories like calico into a quilt. Second, pay attention to details. The small things about a place make a story sing. If I have someone walking on Grant Avenue in San Francisco, I should know the view they will see, or the smells they will smell, or the difference between Grant and Stockton Street. At least if I want to impress a San Franciscan - and if I write about their town I should. For a great YA read that takes place in San Francisco read Cory Doctorow's Little Brother.

Now, think about how you would get that kind of detail if you haven't been to a place. There are ways to do it. And for an exercize, try this. Think of a spot you know well - your backyard or the block your school is on, maybe a favorite camping place or your grandmother's kitchen. Write down everything you remember about it. Are they mostly things you see? What do you hear? Smell? Touch? Now pick a sound or smell from that place and write about how it makes you feel. This is the beginning of giving your story a sense of place. It may even give you an idea for your writing.Suzanne Morgan Williamshttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3605078953309481283.post-83356757082752229722010-07-13T10:15:00.000-07:002010-07-13T10:36:45.092-07:00It's Tuesday and I'm on the south shore of Lake Superior where my father grew up. I saw my grandmother's grave and I didn't have any particular feeling after all that looking - the nice lady in Wisconsin had sent a picture so that surprise was over. I left flowers, and it started to drip rain. Just then I thought of the scene in the novel that I had written, with John Wesley Morgan (my character) watching his mother be buried. It was a very different place that I'd imaginined than the one I was standing in. But suddenly I felt my father, six years old, in the same real place that I was, watching his real mother be buried. I thought of my six year old father and that loss and I cried. Stories connect us to our past and to what our future can be. They are so very powerful. You have your own stories.

I've uploaded a video of me at Grandma Jensen/Morgan's grave. I'm not a movie star. This will be the first of I hope many videos to help you think about stories. And teachers, I thought about starting this in the fall, but so many of you teach year round I'm just picking up now, where I am. I hope the rest of you will read the blog from the beginning and find some prompts and questions that will help you.

<OBJECT id=BLOG_video-56f48a2a105bf0b7 class=BLOG_video_class width=320 height=266 contentId="56f48a2a105bf0b7"></OBJECT>

So, after watching the video, think about the grave stone. Why do people make gravestones? What kinds of things do people write on them? Imagine a story with a character who has lost someone. It can be a dog, a relative, an enemy. What would they write on the gravestone? What does this say about them? About the person or pet who has died? Now make a list of what the person/pet was like when it was alive. Try writing a scene between your character and the one who died. What happens, what do they say? Does this give you an idea for a story? If you try this, let me know - post a comment. Til next time. . .Suzanne Morgan Williamshttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3605078953309481283.post-10252538567956719662010-07-11T05:56:00.000-07:002010-07-11T06:17:11.665-07:00There's a Cow in My Bedroom and Other ChangesI'm in a motel in Wisconsin on my way to what is my first, almost vacation only travel in a few years. After being in the room for a couple of hours last night I looked up and there is a huge photo of two cows hanging above the desk. How did I miss that for two whole hours? They are very cute.

So that's the way I sometimes feel about ideas and stories. The most obvious things can be right in front of you and you never notice.Forty eight hours ago I was in Arkansas and a very savvy reading professor, Ken Stamatis, asked about my blog. I told him I had one but that lately (or mostly) I'm a very bad blogger. Bad blogger (slaps hand). I hadn't blogged for months. He pretty much made me promise to start up again, and here's where the cows come in, promise. He directed me toward a new audience - student readers and writers. Cows in my bedroom. No, I'm not saying students or teachers are cows, but that as a former teacher and professional writer, I hadn't thought of blogging for you. Now I am. So to my friends and professional writer friends, come along. Comment all you want. We are going to share tips, and daily insight (or not - ahem) and just what I'm doing to work on books and career with readers and writers. We are going to start a discussion on our own unique experiences and the stories they produce.

So today, my husband and I are driving to the Upper Penninsula of Michigan. My sister is excited because that's where Ernest Hemmingway spent many summers. I'm excited to meet up with our son. And today, after years of searching for it, we are going to visit my grandmother's grave. She died when my father was six and he had few memories of her. Only her name really. My grandfather, her husband suffered from dementia by the time I was old enough to remember him. I got no information from him. So after years of looking in old records and crawling around a few cemetaries in Wisconsin five years ago, last Tuesday I got an e-mail from a lovely woman in Oneida County with the location of the grave. Today, I'm taking flowers. I'm pretty sure no one has visited in at least thirty years - maybe in almost a hundred. What does this have to do with readers and writers?

The Point: My story ideas come from lots and lots of places, but the best ones are ideas that won't leave me alone - like finding some piece of this grandmother's life to hold onto. I've never seen a photo - they all burned in a fire a couple years after she died. With only her name, and this desire to know about her, I wrote a whole novel that started with the day she was buried (I didn't know where then) and I made the rest of it up. That novel isn't published but I hope someday a version of it will be. It's a story I love. It isn't true but it started with a little truth and an idea that I couldn't let go.

INVITATION: Teachers - if you are working on writing this year, why not have your class follow and comment on this blog? I'll try to include tips and ideas and a peek into the writers life and I'd love to hear from you and your class. Let the discussion begin!!Suzanne Morgan Williamshttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3605078953309481283.post-20697226937115964402010-05-30T11:03:00.000-07:002010-05-30T11:17:36.565-07:00Win a Copy of Bull RiderSo - has it really been five months since I posted here? It's five months that I've been in Lake Dallas, Texas, Oklahoma City, Elko and Battle Mountain, Nevada, Charlottesville, Virginia, Eugene, Oregon, San Diego, California. I've been neglecting the blog.

So today you can win a copy of Bull Rider by visiting the TeensReadToo blog and making a comment. Be sure to leave your e-mail address. http://trtbookclub.blogspot.com/2010/05/visit-with-suzanne-morgan-williams.html I wrote this for Memorial Day and it is featured along with an essay by Rosanne Parry and one by Sara Lewis Holmes. Together, I think they are powerful. I'll post the text of all three on this blog on June 1. Good luck!Suzanne Morgan Williamshttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3605078953309481283.post-89586664581415349742009-12-09T16:57:00.000-08:002009-12-09T17:43:13.859-08:00Snow
I didn't know what to call this because I am just thinking about snow. We had fourteen inches of it followed by two below zero nights and frigid days. The streets are a mess and we've been hibernating as much as possible. I was terrified my goats would freeze - but extra grain, buckets of warm water, and thick fuzzy coats have saved the day.

 Snow seems to be a marker in my life. The snow in the Arctic when I first visited, challenging myself to do something so far out of my comfort zone. I went, and loved it, so many surprises. One of them? I learned to listen. Carefully. To appreciate silence and big jackets and wind pants. So I have the gear for this weather - I've not even dressed up to full capacity. Minus seven is not minus forty, or minus fifty-five. But it's plenty cold.

 It was cold enough I didn't want to mess with going out and shoveling a path to the goat pen (but I did - don't shovel you get ice.) I hoped our elusive neighbor who sometimes plows our driveway with his heavy equipment would show up. I wondered how long we should mess with snow and an acre and large animals. After all, it was ice two years ago that caused Fred to pull me over and tear my bicep (I don't recommend it.)

 And then I bundled up in heavy socks, hiking boots, wind pants, Bolivian knitted hat (great look that), down coat and mitts and out I went. There were bunny tracks everywhere, and bird prints too. Our lab had dragged his tummy through the snow in long arching leaps. Yellow warblers bounced in and out of trees and the geothermal well across the valley spewed a tower of steam hundreds of feet into the air. So, good goats. You make me go outside every day, even when it's hard. Good winter, to remind me how easy summer can be. And thanks to elusive neighbor, Bob, who came by while we were out and cleared out the driveway.Suzanne Morgan Williamshttp://email@example.com


text:
Prayer is very spacial. The where matters. Your environment can be a catalyst or a hindrance. Your ideal centering place to be with Got may not resonate with someone else but that is ok. Prayer Idea Number 2 is this:
Identify a specific place to pray
There are a couple things that can happen by repetitiously praying in the same area.
- A greater measure of the presence of God can be built – sort of like creating a holy place. In the old testament God would command people to take off their shoes because the place where they were standing was Holy. It was Holy because God was there in a unique and greater way. By consistently praying in the same place you are in a sense opening a greater window into heaven here on earth.
- You are creating knee jerk reactions. When someone throws something near me my knee jerk reaction is to try and catch. When I smell chex mix I want to eat it right away. When I hear a song "Crash" from the Dumb and Dumber soundtrack I immediately feel like hopping into a geo metro and delivering some pizza's. By using the same place you are building up some knee jerk reactions to pray. You enter the place and your natural response is to pray.
But there is a second angle on this. Call it Prayer Idea Number 2b
Don't be limited to a specific place to pray
If we are only comfortable or capable of praying in a certain place, with a certain environment, with the right song on, and enough sleep, and all the ducks are in a row we will never pray. Often times the best place to pray is right where you are. This week I have marveled at the number of times the Lord has prompted me to pray while shooting hoops with Toby.
Your thoughts on how to create a place to pray?

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Tips To Find The Grime Low cost Airline Tickets
HAVANA People traveling to Cuba later this month are being moved out of Havana accommodations to make room for President Barack Obama's entourage and being sent tantalizingly close to a place U.S. legislation effectively forbids them from visiting: the seashore. Get in contact with the corporate's former shoppers to seek out out if it is able to make respond instantly to claims, which is the hallmark of a good insurance company. There are several travel agents and excursions operators which provide complete information for Rajasthan city excursions, like Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Bharatpur, Pushkar, and Ajmer metropolis guide.
The route is about 4.2 km long and the journey prices €6.5.Alpha Yachting offers crewed yacht which is a luxury in itself. For travelers heading north, Manchester has one other massive gay and lesbian neighborhood, together with a gay village around Canal Street that provides quite a few gay bars, pubs and golf equipment. Study conditions at your vacation spot that would affect your health and about the importance of medical insurance coverage whereas traveling.
If a single guardian is traveling with more than one baby, it's best that they place themselves between the 2 children who are more likely to need the most consideration. The president signed the travel ban on March 6, following up on a promise to re-work a previous govt order that a court docket in Seattle stopped in early February ― after a chaotic rollout that led to stranded travelers , protests and dozens of lawsuits nationwide.
Another plaintiff is the Center Eastern Studies Association, which says the travel ban impacts scholars and college students who are associated with it and are worried about traveling abroad for fear of being stranded. Don't forget to keep some clothes for events and occasions as a result of the travel will not be only about intercourse. There is a scarcity of gasoline stations within the countryside, so filling the fuel tank utterly when passing via city area is advisable and since there is lack of national recovery system; travelers needs to be ready for an emergency or breakdown before hand.
Many travelers succumb to the temptation of fast food stops as a result of it appears extra handy. CNN's Jake Tapper tweeted Thursday that not traveling with reporters would be each unusual" and insulting" to a public that expects unbiased press protection of the secretary of state. The goal of travel insurance in India is to assist in fairly than restrict senior citizens travel applications.


text:
Watch new movie trailer
Nights in Rodanthe 2008
Cast: Richard Gere, Diane Lane, Christopher Meloni, James Franco, Viola Davis
Director: George Wolfe
Release Date: September 12th, 2008
A doctor stops at an inn in North Carolina while traveling to reconcile with his estranged son. At the beach town, the doctor has a life-changing romance with an unhappily married woman.
Trailer - Nights in Rodanthe
Drama | Romance
Best Movie Trailers


text:
product description page
Drawmaster Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy : Rocket, Groot and Gamora Deluxe Set - (Paperback)
About this item
Thanks to Drawmaster's Deluxe Drawing Sets, children of all ages can draw perfect pictures of their favorite characters from the Marvel universe.Each box includes:• a book with background information about each character• easy-to-follow instructions• 12 color-coded stencils so you always know what color to draw• 30 background pictures to create scenes and tell your story• more than 75 stickers to add a powerful punch to your creation• 5 washable markers
Number of Pages: 6
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Pgw
Age Range: 4-8 years
Language: English
Street Date: May 14, 2018
Item Number (DPCI): 248-81-5200
If the item details above aren't accurate or complete, we want to know about it. Report incorrect product info.
In stock - free standard shipping with REDcard
Not in stores
Loading, please wait...
Prices, promotions, styles and availability may vary by store & online. See our price match guarantee. See how a store is chosen for you.


text:
Cool Grey 1 Promarker. I used my Swiss Dots & Spellbinder dies. Then I added the gems & sentiment.
Tuesday, 14 January 2014
Monotone Birthday
Cool Grey 1 Promarker. I used my Swiss Dots & Spellbinder dies. Then I added the gems & sentiment.
12 comments:
I really like your card layout and design!!
So clean!! :) :)
Nice that you finish the inside, too!!
:) :) Thank you for joining us @ Crafty Sentiments for "ANYTHING GOES"!!! :) :)
Nicole's Craft Nook
Nicole's Valentine's Day BLOG Candy
- 14 January 2014 at 22:04
- Dawn C said...
Love the monochrome look & the lines look straight too lol x
- 15 January 2014 at 08:14
- Emz said...
Brilliant card. Thank you for joining us this fortnight at Charisma Cardz for our 5th Birthday Challenge xx
- 15 January 2014 at 09:17
- Debbie said...
Wonderful card both inside and out!! I can see even in pics how that DP is hard on the eyes!
Thanks so much for joining us this week at Tuesday Morning Sketches!!
- 15 January 2014 at 18:00
- Chris Hanselman said...
Great card. Love the monotone color. Thanks for joining our Patterned Paper Challenge at Delightful Challenges.
Design Team
Delightful Challenge
- 17 January 2014 at 00:08
- Kris B said...
Great card! Glad to know I am not alone when it comes to cutting straight lines! Your card turned out wonderfully, love the way you decorated the inside too! Thanks for playing along with us at Tuesday Morning Sketches, hope you will come back and play again!
- 17 January 2014 at 04:17
- Vannessa said...
This is a fabulous guy card! Thanks for joining our Monochromatic Challenge this week at Fussy & Fancy.
Hugs, Vannessa
- 17 January 2014 at 17:44
- Angela said...
Masculine cards can prove difficult but you've nailed this! Great muted colour choice.
Thank you for taking part in the Stamping Dragon 'Anything Goes ' Challenge.
- 18 January 2014 at 11:05
- Aunty Sue said...
great card and love the papers with the design, thanks for sharing with us this week at CRAFTY SENTIMENTS
- 18 January 2014 at 18:01
- Jessi Fogan said...
You made me giggle - I'm not great at cutting straight either, and often I end up with much smaller pieces than I meant to! :) I think this turned out fabulous - love the inside! Thanks for coming to play at Tuesday Morning Sketches with us this week!
- 19 January 2014 at 08:00
- Suze said...
Love the monochromatic colour scheme and the use of texture in this card. Thanks for sharing with the texture challenge at Incy WIncy Designs this week.
- 19 January 2014 at 09:20
- Grandma Bonnie said...
Clare, this is just super! Thanks for using our sketch at Tuesday Morning Sketches!
- 20 January 2014 at 00:22


text:
Satanicat Fur Hoodie [B]
Sold Out
This size is currently sold out, get a restock notification by signing up below!
She is a moonbeam chaser - so familiar but you cannot place her; fun, energetic and always happy in the dark, for without it, no beauty of the stars can spark.
- Soft Plush Fleece.
- Oversized Hood.
- Moon Charm & Appliqué.
- Fully Lined.
- Fitted.
Even the kittens from Hell can get chilly sometimez; 'Satanicat' is yer perfect hooded jacket! (=^・ェ・^=))ノ彡☆
Cute meets Goth; an easy go-to piece when the moon rise, the festival reach day 2 or simply just servin' some moon-vibes any day of the week! Soft touch fleece, with zip front & metal charm, large oversized cat-ear hood with drawstring and pompom detail, big moon appliqué to the back and fully lined with a black-on-black moon fabric.
Match with yer fun + attitude anytime and anywhere!
with KILLSTAR Branding, 100% Polyester.


text:
So you want a baby but you are a woman in a same-sex relationship? Well, just get your hands on some anonymous donor sperm, sign up for a bit of IVF magic and hope like hell Lady Luck is not pre-menstrual.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
While my frittata gently warms...
And don't think the irony has escaped me that I am about to blog about my body "image", for wont of a better phrase, while I am starvingly waiting for my lunch to cook. (Not sure how many grammatical/spelling rules I broke back there, but anyway.)
We had our last session w the counsellor last Wednesday. Well, last as in last for 2010 and last until we most likely call her again next year when we get pregnant again. (Not sure if I should have used "if" back there...told you my optimism had been dented by this whole experience of losing a baby.)
Anyways, it was a good session. Both T and I cried however. And there's nothing like therapy to make you realise how far and how not far you have come in one short hour.
Crying always takes us by surprise in those sessions. I know that sounds silly, but here is why. It's been two months since we lost the baby, and we do not regularly collapse as crying, heaving, sobbing messes into each other's arms while we are at home, during the normal course of a day.
The fact is there is just not the time for that. And I know that sounds weird. But there's Jay, there's work, there's the summer seedlings for the veggie garden to plant, there's that thing from that shop that I must pick up, there are deadlines, there's the Christmas ham to book, there's Medicare, there are Christmas cards, Christmas parties, oh, my, god, do, I, have, to, go, on?
But for one short hour or so each fortnight, we have been ushered into a small office out the back of the very hospital where, in Room 13 on September 23, I gave birth to our lifeless 16 week and four day old baby.
My grandma is looking after Jay when we go to the counsellor, I have left work at work and it's just us two and the counsellor in that room talking about one single experience and how it's affected us.
It's the only time we get to stop. To think hard about what it's done to us. Is it any wonder we cry.
This week it was more heartbreak for T as we talked about how deserted she has been by her parents (who don't condone our relationship - like I said, that's a whole other blog right there.) Tears, naturally.
Then there was me talking about how I had approached exercise in the preceeding eight days with the fervour of a Nazi Luftwaffe squadron leader: pretty intensely.
Problem was I had been sick with a head cold from hell at the same time - but I still went nuts bike riding, running, doing cardio exercise tapes any chance I could get.
The reason suddenly leapt out at me during our counselling session. I am desperate to get my pre-baby body back.
Now, normally you would associate that statement with someone who had gone full-term and given birth to a healthy baby. You'd purse your lips, turn them down into a mock frown and tilt your head to the side as you read something like that...sympathising that such a feat can be hard. Tough, naw.
But this is not some superficial Hollywood tabloid-type desire. It's simply about being a healthy weight.
Ok, so I am not obese. I get that. But my usual hover weight has been blown out of the water by this pregnancy cut short.
I am sure my own body is freaking itself out. I can imagine it going "Wait..now I'm sure last time I looked we had a baby in here. Where the hell is it? What in tarnation did I do with it?"
I am also not known for my patience, and so I expected to regain that magical hover weight after eight ridiculous days of exercise when I should have been resting my head coldy head.
The reason I was so hell-bent on getting it back is because I want to physically erase what has happened. I want all the cells in my body to forget, to go back to the way they were. That way, we can start again...back at the same diving board we leapt from all those months ago.
Slightly unrealistic, granted, but can you blame me. A deep part of me feels let down by my body, the body that was pregnant for not long enough. I want to get rid of any trace of that body and start again.
I have since mellowed a little bit about the exercise, and have actually noticed old clothes fitting almost as well as they did...before.
They do feel different though. Perhaps they always will. I cannot ever deny being changed irreversably by this. Inside and out.
2 comments:
- AnonymousMonday, November 29, 2010
After Blobby died I immediately wanted to get in shape - I wanted a healthy body so I could make another sibling for him. The first few days I could barely walk because I was still in pain but felt incredibly compelled to eat right and exercise. I had a massive fear of people seeing me and couldn't drive because my brain was too distracted, but I'd make my dog go for long walks up and down the hills where we live. (She was pretty annoyed with me because she's more reasonable it it was the middle of summer.) But all I think it did was put my body into more shock and make my physical recovery more difficult.ReplyDelete
Obviously I'm not you, but I do hope you can not be too hard on yourself. You're doing such positive stuff for your mind - make certain you're kind to your body too.
On a totally different topic, is your veggie garden going as insane as mine?! It's like aliens are taking over my garden - they grow before my eyes!
hells yes! but what is your trick? i have a gorgeous sub tropical climate to help my garden grow...which is helpful as i have no idea what i'm doing.ReplyDelete
i'm so happy to have found a fellow veggie gardener! i'll email you soon and we can swap notes - fun!
sorry too tired for punctuation. thanks for commenting X


text:
The Beginner's Guide To Using FanGraphs Shift Data
Earlier this year, FanGraphs began carrying shift data compiled by our friends at Baseball Info Solutions. With shifting on the rise every year, this kind of information has become more and more vital to fans and analysts. This posts walks you through how to access and use the data available on FanGraphs.
First, let's start by describing what data is available. We have pitcher and hitter shift data going back to 2010 that is viewable on the leaderboards (for players, teams, and league) and player splits pages. The data exists for balls in play only (non-home run batted balls), so if a team shifts mid-plate appearance we only have the alignment for the final pitch. This also means we don't have data for walks, hit batters, strikeouts, and home runs. If you want to know about how well a team deploys the shift while on defense, you want to look at pitchers. If you want to know about which hitters get shifted against, you want to look at hitters.


text:
Please check SEAI.IE for excellent advice on energy saving and grants.
Author: henrysheahan
SEAI – To the fore in energy saving promotion
Please check SEAI.IE for excellent advice on energy saving and grants.
Welcome to new Member Ecomax!
Ecomax Insulation Systems is the latest member to join NIAI.
Ecomax is a company that has been installing home insulation for over 40 years. It prides itself on its performance, honesty and attention to detail. It offer customers a friendly and efficient service. All our employees are expertly trained to the highest standard and monitored to ensure quality of performance.
Newly Designed Website Launched
NIAI is delighted to announce the redesign of its website to incorporate the suggestions of members and visitors.
The new website is faster, easier to navigate and updated on a daily basis.
Chairman – Liam O' Gorman
Latest News from NIAI
- SEAI Energy Theatre offering free briefings
- Electric Vehicle Showroom with test drives around Dublin
- Extended retrofit best practice demonstrations
- Extended International Markets Area
- Many free side events
Minister for Energy, Communications and Natural Resources Mr. Alex White TD & Mr. Liam O' Gorman
|Congratulations to Brendan and all at Premier Insulations in Birr!
|Brendan McCrea , MD of Warmfill recently hosted a meeting of the main Insulation Contractors, suppliers and connected parties at the Warmfill Plant in Larne Northern Ireland attended by Mr. Neill Marshall (Chairman of UK National Insulation Assoc.) ,Mr. William Adamson , (Chairman of the Northern Ireland Forum) and Mr. Liam O'Gorman (Chairman NIAI).This was a most interesting session involving Insulation personnel from Britain, Northern Ireland and Rep of Ireland.
Picture shows: Liam O'Gorman , Chairman, Niai, Brendan McCrea, Managing Director , Warmfill Group, William Anderson, Chairperson , NI Forum and Neil Marshall. Chief Executive of The National Insulation Asssociation (UK)
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all of the latest news.
This section of our web site is updated periodically.
National Insulation Association member Ms. Caroline Ashe of Kore Ltd.and Dr.Brian Motherway , CEO of Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland at the NIAI stand during the recent Energy Show at Dublin's R.D.S
Liam O' Gorman,Chairman of NIAI, Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte and Brendan Halligan, Chairman of SEAI
NIAI is now a Member of the European Manufacturers of Expanded Polystyrene (EUMEPS).
We aim shortly to introduce an insurance scheme which would serve as a further guarantee to our customers.
Pictured at the Dept. of Energy and Natural Resources on Nov 2010 are Des Brown, Sales & Marketing Director, Aeroboard Irl. Ltd; Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources Eamon Ryan; Liam O' Gorman,Chairman of NIAI and Dr Brian Motherway, Chief Operatioins Officer, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).


text:
As the EIBF closes its Charlotte Square gates this evening for another year, here's a final post on the festival, but not from me this time - the following has been kindly written for us by Mr. C. who attended an event featuring Sir Tommy MacPherson and Richard Bath entitled A True Hero Tells His Tale. Here are his impressions of that memorable hour spent in the company of a local hero whose exploits are the stuff of legend:
Every man thinks meanly of himself for not having been a soldier, according to Doctor Johnson; but rarely can this feeling of inadequacy have been so amply justified as in the presence of Sir Tommy Macpherson. His autobiography, Behind Enemy Lines, is a wonderful book about an extraordinary man. A boy of 18 on the outbreak of war in 1939, he joined the army and was eventually taken prisoner in North Africa in 1941. After a number of failed escape events he eventually got clean away in 1943, whereupon he was recruited by the Special Operations Executive and dropped in occupied France just before D-Day. Far from being a secret agent, part of his role was to raise morale by being an obvious rallying point for the Resistance, so as he went his merry way blowing up bridges and ambushing the German army he proudly wore his officer's uniform (including, of course, the kilt). On one occasion he learnt that the local garrison was to be relieved, with a gap between the departure of the old troops and the arrival of their replacements. He had two small pennants made, a Union flag and a French tricolor, attached them to the wings of his car and drove into the middle of town, where after destroying the Wehrmacht fuel dump he strolled across the main square to enjoy a glass of wine with the mayor. Later, as the Resistance and the Allies fought to hamper German divisions racing north to attack the Normandy beachhead, he drove unarmed in a Red Cross vehicle through a force of 23,000 nervous and trigger-happy troops to negotiate the surrender of their commanding general.
Apart from Sir Tommy Macpherson's exhilarating, terrifying adventures and great personal charisma - he is the most decorated living British soldier holding three Military Crosses, three Croix de Guerre, a Légion d'Honneur and a papal knighthood - it was salutary to recall that the freedoms we enjoy, including the freedom of expression and debate which the Book Festival embodies, rest on the bravery of a generation which is slipping away like the autumn leaves, of brave young men just out of school, who saw their duty and did not shrink from doing it.


text:
My Weekend In Numbers...06:07
0- The number of times I exercised this weekend.
4- The number of naps I took the whole weekend.
10- The number of times I told myself I would clean my room, that never got cleaned.
0- The number of photos taken the whole weekend because as you can see I was way too busy.
12 comments
Law & Order SVU marathons are one of my favorites :)ReplyDelete
I know, there is so many series so I just keep binge watching. It is so bad for my summer plans because I love Benson so much!Delete
Sounds like my kind of weekend!ReplyDeleteReplies
I love relaxing weekends too! It was perfect just what I needed.Delete
This is such a fun post idea! I have totally done the same with SVU haha.ReplyDelete
I am glad I am not the only one that binge watches way to much SVU ha! Thanks for visiting!Delete
This is such a fun idea! Four wine bottles sounds like a fabulous weekend!ReplyDeleteReplies
I could of drunk way more than four bottles after the week I had but I can't handle my drink well so it wouldn't of been a pretty sight! Thanks for stopping by!Delete
Well your weekend sounds awesome! The perfect ratio of wine, exercise, naps, & take out!ReplyDeleteReplies
I needed a relaxing weekend after the week I had ha! Who has time for exercise when there is a perfectly comfortable bed waiting for me!Delete
I freaking love the way you recapped with numbers!ReplyDelete
Thanks for linking up!Replies
I love linking up every week with you such a fab link up! Thank you for commenting!Delete
I love hearing from all my readers and following new blogs! If you have a question then don't be afraid to comment. I reply to all the comments that I get!
You can also contact me by email that you can find in my contacts page.


text:
Freaks of Nature - (2015)
4,555 Views
Sorry, only registred users can create playlists.
In the town of Dillford, humans, vampires and zombies were all living in peace - until the alien apocalypse arrived. Now three teenagers-one human, one vampire, and one zombie-have to team up to figure out how to get rid of the visitors.


text:
Garage Door Repair Peoria Il
Let this web spoil everyone in such a Garage Door Repair Peoria Il graphic collection of which with fantastic your home types. For those of you exactly who are searching for a good daydream house pattern, the following Garage Door Repair Peoria Il photo stock is the best suited supply of options. Fulfill your desire by way of figuring out every impression within Garage Door Repair Peoria Il snapshot collection certainly. The style loaded just by Garage Door Repair Peoria Il graphic gallery would have been a principle in acknowledging your own perfect dwelling. Do not allow your house appear poor, only just enhance this along with the recommendations out of Garage Door Repair Peoria Il graphic gallery. It is important so you might employ a comfy home when seen in Garage Door Repair Peoria Il photo stock considering it will cost considerable time in your house daily.
As noun
a building or indoor area for parking or storing motor vehicles
a commercial establishment for repairing and servicing motor vehicles
As verb (used with object), garaged, garaging
to put or keep in a garage
As noun
a movable, usually solid, barrier for opening and closing an entranceway, cupboard, cabinet, or the like, commonly turning on hinges or sliding in grooves
a doorway:to go through the door
the building, house, etc
, to which a door belongs:My friend lives two doors down the street
any means of approach, admittance, or access:the doors to learning
any gateway marking an entrance or exit from one place or state to another:at heaven's door
As Idioms
lay at someone's door, to hold someone accountable for; blame; impute
leave the door open, to allow the possibility of accommodation or change; be open to reconsideration:The boss rejected our idea but left the door open for discussing it again next year
lie at someone's door, to be the responsibility of; be imputable to:One's mistakes often lie at one's own door
show someone the door, to request or order someone to leave; dismiss:She resented his remark and showed him the door
As verb (used with object)
to restore to a good or sound condition after decay or damage; mend:to repair a motor
to restore or renew by any process of making good, strengthening, etc
:to repair one's health by resting
to remedy; make good; make up for:to repair damage; to repair a deficiency
to make amends for; compensate:to repair a wrong done
As noun
an act, process, or work of repairing:to order the repair of a building
Usually, repairs
an instance or operation of repairing: to lay up a boat for repairs
a repaired part or an addition made in repairing: th-century repairs in brick are conspicuous in parts of the medieval stonework
repairs, (in bookkeeping, accounting, etc
) the part of maintenance expense that has been paid out to keep fixed assets in usable condition, as distinguished from amounts used for renewal or replacement
the good condition resulting from continued maintenance and repairing:to keep in repair
condition with respect to soundness and usability:a house in good repair
As noun
a city in central Illinois, on the Illinois River
a town in central ArizonaRelated forms Expand Peorian,
As adjective,Dictionary
As noun
com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc
Cite This SourceExamples from the Web for Peoria Expand Contemporary Examples
Mainstream gays want Pride parades to play well in Peoria, with large corporate floats and photogenic participants
Is Caring About Climate Change an Essential Part of LGBT Identity? Jay Michaelson September ,
Peoria indulges in, and mostly enjoys, just about every vice known to man or woman from New York to Baghdad to Bangkok
Newsweek Takedown From Beyond the Grave: Michael Hastings's Fiction Tells the Truth Christopher Dickey June ,
Ernst even sought to find out how Ulysses might play in Peoria (not well, if the returned survey is any indication)
How 'Fifty Shades of Grey' Is Like 'Ulysses' Danielle Sigler June ,
And how the world then reacts has equally major ripples from Peoria to Portland
Debt-Debacle Hangover Zachary Karabell August ,
The -year-old Shali was dropped into the alien world of high school in Peoria, Ill
, unable to speak a word of English
The Noble General John Barry July , Historical Examples
But this man, named Clement, a banker from Peoria, had proved unworthy
The Forest Stewart Edward White
I was born and brought up on the plains, and I've been to Peoria only to get educated, as they say
The Boy Land Boomer Ralph Bonehill
This sheet of water, now called Peoria Lake, was twenty miles long and three broad
The Adventures of the Chevalier De La Salle and His Companions, in Their Explorations of the Prairies, Forests, Lakes, and Rivers, of the New World, and Their Interviews with the Savage Tribes, Two Hundred Years Ago John S
It's the City of Peoria, the same boat you boys tried to run away on
Mitch Miller Edgar Lee Masters
Come to Peoria, and I will see if I can't help you save money
Five Hundred Dollars Horatio Alger British Dictionary definitions for Peoria Expand Peoria /piːˈɔːrɪə/
As noun
a port in N central Illinois, on the Illinois River
Pop: ( est)Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co
, © HarperCollinsPublishers , , , , , , , Cite This SourceWord Origin and History for Peoria Expand
ilSymbol, Chemistry
You will notice that many model Garage Door Repair Peoria Il snapshot stock demonstrate incorporates a robust character. It happens to be a benefit you will get out of Garage Door Repair Peoria Il picture collection. Before you decide to use your type from Garage Door Repair Peoria Il image collection to your residence, several tips you need to think about. The main element is the suitability from layouts on Garage Door Repair Peoria Il photograph gallery with the personal taste. For this reason Garage Door Repair Peoria Il pic stock produce several graphic, you have an overabundance materials to be researched. You may unite this options incorporated into Garage Door Repair Peoria Il picture collection to create a property which has a distinctive look. Beautiful types is actually a factor that protrudes with Garage Door Repair Peoria Il pic gallery, thus you do not need to bother with this transforming trends.
As long as you may well use delivering ideas this Garage Door Repair Peoria Il image gallery shows to your residence, then you definately definitely will soon employ a your home which has a wonderful look. On the subject of this snapshot quality, the first thing you can realize can be Garage Door Repair Peoria Il picture collection sole produce premium illustrations or photos. With these truth, Garage Door Repair Peoria Il photograph collection are going to be full of drive for your needs.
Garage Door Repair Peoria Il Images Collection
Relevant Pictures of Garage Door Repair Peoria Il
Popular Posts
- arch door
Res: 1261 x 1682
Size: 448 KB
- out door curtains
Res: 549 x 688
Size: 80 KB
- waypoint cabinetry
Res: 1800 x 1100
Size: 314 KB
- tall cabinet doors
Res: 1000 x 800
Size: 29 KB
- cost of wood cabinets
Res: 623 x 576
Size: 93 KB
- refacing cabinets yourself
Res: 966 x 1288
Size: 185 KB
- plastic storage building
Res: 1000 x 1000
Size: 47 KB
- city self storage van nuys
Res: 1800 x 415
Size: 88 KB
- faux book storage
Res: 1200 x 1200
Size: 159 KB
Featured Posts
Tall Sofa Legs
December 8, 2017
Weiser Door Locks Home Depot
November 30, 2017
Entry Way Storage
December 12, 2017
Tylosand Sofa Cover
December 7, 2017
What Is A Chesterfield Sofa
December 9, 2017
Outside Door With Doggie Door Built In
December 11, 2017
Corner Sectional Sofas
December 11, 2017
Leather Reclining Sectional Sofa With Chaise
December 11, 2017
Soft Close Cabinet Doors
November 30, 2017
Garage Door Houston Tx
December 11, 2017
Tall Linen Cabinet With Doors
December 8, 2017
Black Wicker Storage Baskets
December 11, 2017
Lowes Door Knocker
December 1, 2017
Brown Storage Ottoman With Tray
November 30, 2017
Modern High Back Sofa
December 2, 2017
Leather Queen Sofa Sleeper
November 30, 2017
15 Inch Deep Wall Cabinets
December 6, 2017
Narrow Tall Cabinet
December 6, 2017
Best Sofa Sleeper Mattress
December 3, 2017
Ikea Karlstad Sofa Covers
November 30, 2017
Storage Augusta Ga
December 5, 2017
Ball Tip Door Hinges
December 6, 2017
T Cushion Sofa Slipcovers 3 Piece
December 7, 2017
Galvanized Storage Bin
December 1, 2017
Sectional Sleeper Sofa Leather
November 30, 2017


text:
Later on Martine moved to Vancouver, and then with her boyfriend to Grande Prairie. I didn't see her very often, but our friendship survived. She's one of those friends I can randomly call after months, and we can jump right into a convo like we talked the day before. Even as she had children she didn't push me aside for her "mommy friends." We could have out, with her kids, and act like us, not like a mom and a single gal.
When I found out after many years, and two kids, Martine was getting married I was so happy for her. But first, we had the stagette!
Mistake #1 - I took the Greyhound. Never, ever do this. Unless you like watching crackheads make out, and sitting next to people with dreadlocks. If so, then go ahead.
But, after the bus ride from hell we arrived in Jasper, Alberta and the fun started.
We were staying at these log cabins about a half hour out of town (If you can call it a town, that is... More like Banff's older, yet less socially adept brother.)
We arrived to appy's champagne and games. I got to know Martine's friends from Alberta and Saskatchewan, and it was a great crew. Everyone got along and no one was snobby.
The champagne led to some hot tubbing, which lead to a drunken walk around the campsite, which led to smashed glasses (and some noise complaints, sorry!)
The next day we went ziplining. Unlike other ziplines, you don't just sit in a seat and go, the zip was on a sloped building atop a hill, and you'd get hooked up, then run and throw your ass over the edge of the roof. Scary, yet amazing! You'd fly like Superman until the end! It took a while for the crazy woodsman zipline guy to get us all organized, and we were starving by the time we hit up Earl's.
This is where I first tried Jeera Chicken Curry. For those who haven't, it's super yummy... and I don't want to know HOW many calories.
After our heartbeats stablized from the adrenaline and day drinking we headed to the hot springs to relax. It was nice, but there's only so much sitting in hot water with 50 people I don't know. The craziest thing was there were some Islamic people there, and the men were in bathing suits, and the women were fully covered head to toe in black fabric... IN the hot water! I don't know how that's relaxing.
That night we headed out for some dinner and clubbing. Let's just say that Jasper's party scene leaves a little to be desired. I expected it to be like Whistler, where the streets are bumpin' at night, but when we walked out of the restaurant it was dead as a graveyard. The club wasn't the best either, it reminded me of an old "valley club", a la "Club NV." There wasn't even ONE hot guy for me to make out with, and that had been my plan for the night. No fair! After that we attempted to sneak into the hot tub, but our plans were foiled by a plethora of bungee cords and bike locks.
The next day I endured another loooonnngggg-ass bus ride home. It was worth it though. I really hope to keep in touch with some of the girls I met to do this again. And I'm excited to see them at Martine's wedding!


text:
Mature Pokemon story: Beta-writer - 11/04/2018 13:37 EDT
Budget $10-30 USD
I am writing a Pokemon ficseries, and would like someone who can write stuff up in their own words. Examples of what I mean are attached as files, for comparison purposes between each chapter already online.
In my original beta-writer's words, this is what is to be done:
"I wrote in an 'expansive' fashion. I took the stuff you did, and started by filling out paragraphs because yours seemed thin. Not every single one, but where it fit.
"By doing that, I also focused on adding 'character' to the characters. Expose their personalities. Add tics and traits. So on and so forth.
"And I also sexed it up 1000%."
-Must be capable of writing both male and female fanservice. This is in fact one of the reasons I am seeking someone out. Anyone who's been to Anime Fanservice Image Gallery or the Japanese fansite Pokesho should understand what I mean.
-Must be capable of writing between 5-10K words, in your own words.
-Outside-the-box thinking highly encouraged. I would prefer this be more than just an adaptation of the games with a gimmick attached. (I will show an outline of my story plans to anyone who shows some commitment, and we can discuss stuff to make happen along the way from there.)
-You will be awarded the job AFTER you show me a sample of how well you can beta-write.
-Please show me your work when I ask for it, and make any changes I request made. (If you have reasons not to, please run them by me.)
-You will have 3 days to begin before I ask for your progress, and 7 days to finish up. When I contact you, I would like to see your WORK. Not words of assurance. I can extend your deadline if you need me to, but only if you have made enough progress to warrant such.
-Please tell me how familiar you actually are with Pokemon, and especially the games, so that I know you read the rules. (If I see anything simplistic like "I played all the games to date," that leads me to believe you just made it up to get the job, you will not qualify for the job.)
3 freelancers are bidding on average $283 for this job
Hello! I am a professional writer with extensive experience in creating effective educational content. I have reviewed your project details, and am excited to offer a bid. This project fits my skills perfectly! M More


text:
Most powerful cordless wrench in its class. POWERSTATE™ brushless motor. Impact mechanism delivers up to 600 ft lbs of maximum fastening torque. REDLITHIUM™ XC 4.0 Extended Capacity Battery Pack for more work per charge and more work over pack life. Onboard fuel gauge. REDLINK PLUS™ Intelligence to allow operator to choose between 2 fastening modes and ensures maximum performance and protection from overload, overheating, and over discharge. Superior socket retention with a 1/2" pin detent anvil. Built in LED light. Variable speed trigger. Electronic brake. Voltage: 18V. Torque: 350 ft lbs (Mode 1) and 600 flt lbs (Mode 2). Tool warranty: 5 years. Battery warranty: 3 years.
Kit includes:
- 1 M18 Fuel®1/2" High Torque Impact Wrench With Pin
- 2 M18™ REDLITHIUM™ XC4.0 Extended Capacity Battery Packs
- 1 M18™ & M12™ Multi-Voltage Charger
- 1 Heavy Duty Carrying Case
Product Number: 2766-22
Call 800-227-4255 to order.


text:
Woodford County senior Claire Goodrum was all smiles last Friday when she signed to swim at Emory & Henry College in Emory, Va., but there was sadness in her heart.
Maddie Jackson, her best friend and swimming teammate since fifth grade, wasn't there to share the moment.
High school seniors are supposed to enjoy a carefree few months leading up to graduation, but that hasn't been the case for Claire. Her world changed Feb. 9 when Maddie was killed in a car accident on her way to an after-school practice.
The region meet followed a few days later, and Claire, wracked by grief, wasn't sure she could compete. "I didn't know if I could swim until that day, right up until the meet started," she said.
Sign Up and Save
Get six months of free digital access to the Lexington Herald-Leader
She did swim, determined to do her best for Maddie. Motivated by the memory of her friend, Claire won the 200 freestyle in school-record time, and qualified for the state in the 100 butterfly with another school record. In the state meet, Claire posted personal bests twice in the 100 fly (in the prelims and finals). Claire said Maddie's spirit carried her through the water. "For sure. She was there with me the whole way."
Prom has come and gone. Graduation is in three weeks. And Claire thinks about how much she's missing her friend, and how much her friend is missed. Claire's Twitter account has a photo of them together in the water, smiling playfully. Below the photo is Claire's message to the world: have faith, be kind, love all, live life — #LiveLikeMaddie 12/15/96-2/9/15.
"I'm definitely stronger after all that's happened," Claire said. "And Maddie is always here with me."
■ Baseball's postseason begins next week. 42nd District at Sayre Athletic Complex: Monday — Henry Clay vs. Bryan Station, 6; Tuesday — Scott County vs. Sayre, 6; Wednesday — finals, 6. 43rd District at Lexington Catholic: Monday — Lexington Catholic vs. Paul Laurence Dunbar, 6; Tuesday — Lexington Christian vs. Tates Creek, 6; Lafayette vs. LexCath-Dunbar winner, 8.; Wednesday — finals, 6.
■ Softball's postseason begins next week. 42nd District at Henry Clay: Monday — Henry Clay vs. Bryan Station, 6; Tuesday — Scott County vs. Henry Clay-Bryan Station winner, 6. 43rd District at Lafayette: Monday — LCA vs. Lexington Catholic, 6; Tuesday — Dunbar vs. LCA-LexCath winner, 6; Lafayette vs. Tates Creek, 7:30; Wednesday — finals, 6.
■ The tennis coaches at Lexington's public high schools have petitioned Fayette County Public Schools for an increase in their supplemental salary and funds for an assistant coach. Currently, only the head tennis coach is paid ($3,150), and it's less than what head coaches in some other sports get. (Swimming and wrestling coaches, for example, receive $3,900, plus an assistant in each sport gets $1,600). Tennis coaches handle both the boys' and girls' programs. That's asking a lot from one coach. Dunbar, for example, has 42 tennis players (25 boys, 17 girls). "You can't help but have simultaneous matches at different locations on the same day. One coach can't do it alone," said Dan Burch, a local teaching pro who helps Dunbar Coach Jonathan Thompson. Henry Clay has 41 players (26 girls, 15 boys). Blue Devils Coach John Herring's wife, Christy, helps him oversee the programs. "It becomes an issue of fairness," Herring said. "I don't think it'd be a huge commitment to fund an assistant coach position."
■ Raceland baseball coach Randy Vanderhoof picked up his 500th career victory when the Rams beat Lawrence County 5-3. Vanderhoof is a Raceland institution. He's in his 29th season as baseball coach, and previously coached the Rams' football and girls' basketball teams.
■ Lawrence County Coach Travis Feltner, who's pushing for baseball classification, took exception to comments made by Alan Stein in last week's notebook. Stein, former CEO of the Lexington Legends, was an early advocate for a 16-team state tournament. He thinks it'd be a mistake to go to classes. "The experiences of the kids far outweigh the few coaches who worry about whether they can win it all or not," Stein said. "I've been directly told by grandparents with tears in their eyes how much they appreciated this moment."
Feltner said he took a survey of the state's coaches, and 71 out of 100 voted in favor of a class system. Scott County football coach Jim McKee, who also coaches the Cardinals' freshman baseball team, agrees that the KHSAA should divide baseball into classes. McKee led Scott County to the Class 6A football title in 2013 and shared the accomplishment with his son, Clay, who quarterbacked the Cards to the top. "I bet the dad of the Class A state championship QB was just as proud," McKee said. "I respect what Alan Stein said about how the grandmother comes up to him and says thanks, but why wouldn't the grandmother of a 2A state champ be just as proud?"
■ Harrison County's baseball team beat Covington Scott last week for its 20th win. This is the 35th consecutive 20-win season for Coach Mac Whitaker's Thorobreds.
■ Luke Daniels, a four-sport star at Paintsville, signed to play basketball at the Coast Guard Academy in Connecticut. He was first-team academic all-state in baseball, basketball, football and soccer.
■ Clinton County point guard Keifer Dalton, the program's all-time leader in points (2,158), assists (602) and steals (362), will walk on at Western Kentucky next season.
■ Boone County has hired Jessica Wendeln as its girls' basketball coach. Wendeln has a tough act to follow: Nell Fookes led Boone County to 686 victories and nine region titles in 30 years as coach. Wendeln, who was a standout player at Covington Scott, was an assistant at Simon Kenton last year.
■ Justin Miller of state champ Owensboro will sign with Kentucky Wesleyan. The 6-7, 285-pound Miller, MVP of the Sweet Sixteen, withdrew an earlier commitment to Coppin State.
■ Hilton Isable is the new boys' basketball coach at Allen County-Scottsville. He'll succeed James Williett, who left the Patriots for Glasgow. Isable was a girls' assistant at Allen County-Scottsville last season.
■ Henry Clay's Jeremiah Tisdale, who missed his senior year of basketball after having ACL surgery last fall, signed with Lake Land, a junior college in Mattoon, Ill. As a junior, Tisdale averaged 14.4 points and 6.2 rebounds and led Henry Clay to the 11th Region finals.
■ The KHSAA's third annual bass fishing championship is Friday and Saturday on Kentucky Lake. Competition will begin each day at 7 a.m. Weigh-ins will be at approximately 7:30.
■ The Kentucky Football Coaches Association's summer clinic is Saturday at Centre College. Speakers include former Cincinnati Bengals coach Sam Wyche, Boyle County coach (and forrmer UK assistant) Chuck Smith and KHSAA commissioner Julian Tackett. The clinic is 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.


text:
venerdì 14 novembre 2014
The Vatican goes to great lengths to share the word of God on social media
Pope Francis is a verified social media saint. First off, his Twitter handle, @Pontifex, is the most retweeted account in the world (yes, that includes @KimKardashian). In fact, the pope's tweets are so sacred that he has an entire social media team dedicated to maintaining his page. Now his social strategists have launched a papal news aggregation site, News.va. Oh, and of course they're updating the pope's app to bring the words of the Holy Father straight to Catholics' smartphones. Basically, Francis, with some help, is winning the Internet right now.
I was assistant producer on this video produced by Vocativ for MSNBC
Nessun commento:
Iscriviti a: Commenti sul post (Atom)


text:
Chennai, June 14 (IANS) In a huge relief to the AIADMK government headed by Edappadi Palaniswamy, the Madras High Court on Thursday delivered a split verdict in the case relating to disqualification of 18 MLAs, an order that will allow the present status quo to continue, at least for some more time.
While Chief Justice Indrani Banerjee declined to interfere with the order of the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker P. Dhanapal disqualifying 18 MLAs owing allegiance to sidelined AIADMK leader T. T.V. Dhinakaran in September last year, the other judge Justice M Sundar forming the two-judge bench set aside the Speaker's order on the ground it is hit by "perversity, non compliance with the principles of natural justice, mala fides and violation of constitutional mandate".
The judges said since there has been disgreement between them, the case should be transferred to a third judge. Since the Chief Justice is involved in the matter, she is of he view that it would not be appropriate for her to nominate the third judge. Hence, the next senior-most judge would name the third judge, they said.
It is likely that the decision to name the third judge will most likely be taken by the senior-most judge Justice Kuluvadi Ramesh.
Maintaining status quo, the court also said till the case is finally decided the interim order issued earlier that barred holding of by-elections and floor test in the Assembly continue to be valid.
In the 296-page judgement, Justice Banerjee said that in her opinion the view taken by the Speaker is a possible, if not plausible view, and "I am unable to hold that the said decision is any way unreasonable, irrational or perverse".
"It is well-settled that when two views are possible, the High Court does not in exercise of its power of judicial review conferred under Article 226 of the Constitution of India interfere with the decision just because it prefers the other view. No interference is, therefore, warranted with the impugned order passed by the Speaker," she said, dismissing the petitions by the disqualified MLAs.
In his order differing with the Chief Justice, Justice Sundar said "sum totality of discussion leads this court to inevitably conclude that the impugned order of the Speker disqualifying 18 writ petitioners herein deserves to be set aside."
Citing various Supreme Court judgements, he said the Speaker's order was hit by perversity, non-compliance with the princioples of natural justice, mala fides and violation of constitutional mandate."
"It is made clear that his order is being passed without relying on the Yeddyurappa case owing to the controversy regarding implied overruling/per incuriam qua Nabam Rebia which has been left open," he said.
Responding to the judgment, rebel leader Dhinakaran said: "The longevity of the anti-people government now gets extended by couple of months. But it is not at all a setback for us. We got 50 per cent victory."
Had the judgement gone either way - upholding the disqualification or setting aside the Speaker's order, the AIADMK government would have faced critical problems.
In case the court had upheld the disqualification, then there would have been by-elections in 18 constituencies, exposing the ruling party to vulnerabilities of electoral politics
On other hand, if the court had quashed the Speaker's disqualification order, the government may have to face an opposition-sponsored no-confidence motion, which it will find difficult to survive.
In the 234-member Assembly, the AIADMK has 116 members followed by the DMK with 89, Congress with 8, one of the IUML, one Independent, the Speaker and 18 vacant seats. Besides, there is a nominated member.
DMK leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, M.K.Stalin, in a tweet, said: "Not only delayed justice is denied.... When people are having faith on the judiciary for protecting democracy. there should be clear and fast judgements."
PMK founder S.Ramadoss said the state government is surviving mainly due to legal delays and others and the K. Palaniswami government has no justification to continue in power and should resign immediately.
VCK leader Thol Thirumavalan termed the judgment "unexpected".
"The final decision on the case should be given at the earliest," Thirumavalavan added.
The case comes from the time when Panneerselvam had rebelled against the party led by jailed leader V.K. Sasikala. Later, he merged his group with the one led by Palaniswami, who sidelined Sasikala and her nephew Dinakaran.
A group of 19 lawmakers met then Governor C.V. Rao and gave a memorandum expressing loss of confidence in Palaniswami and requested him to appoint a new Chief Minister. The Speaker then issued notice to the lawmakers asking them why they should not be disqualified under the anti-defection law. Subsequently, one of them, S.T.K. Jakkaiyan, switched over to the Palaniswami side and the others were disqualified.
The case filed by the disqualified legislators against the Speaker's action is pending before the High Court since September 2017. The court had reserved the judgement on January 24.


text: Author: Tony Nester. Disasters come and go each year. It is through developing a self-reliant mindset, having essential survival gear and a handful of critical skills, that you and your family will be able to prevail in an urban crisis. Jammed with field-tested information from real-world applications, survival instructor Tony Nester covers how to prepare for both short-term survival ranging from 24-72 hours as well as long-term situations resulting from a grid-down emergency or pandemic. When the Grid Goes Down will show you how to make your home and lifestyle more self-sufficient and the critical gear needed along the way.


text:
|KOEHLER K11450 Reid Vapor Pressure Bath, 4-Unit
|Test Method
Vapor pressure is a critical factor in the handling and performance of liquid petroleum and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) products. The vapor pressure of automotive gasolines is subject to governmental regulation for pollution control purposes.
Features and Benefits
• Conforms to ASTM D323, D1267 and related specifications
• Free standing or flush-mount benchtop installation
• Microprocessor programmable high accuracy temperature control
|K11450 Reid Vapor Pressure Bath, 4-Unit
Constant temperature water baths designed for Reid Vapor Pressure determinations of liquid petroleum products and liquefied petroleum gases (LPG). Immerses vapor pressure apparatus at the proper depth per ASTM specifications. Controls bath temperature with ±0.2°F (±0.1°C) precision. Microprocessor PID control provides quick temperature stabilization without overshoot, and the bath is protected by an overtemperature control circuit that interrupts power should bath temperature exceed a programmed cut-off point. Dual LED displays provide actual and setpoint temperature values in °C/°F format. Communications software (RS232, etc.), ramp-to-set and other enhanced features are available as extra cost options. Contact your Koehler representative for information. Double-wall construction with fiberglass insulated stainless steel tank. A sturdy 1" (25mm) flange permits flush-mount benchtop installation for easy access to the bath interior. Built-in holders suspend test cylinders at the required depth. Equipped with overflow stand pipe/drain.
Test apparatus for liquid products (ASTM D323) requires:
Test Cylinders, one or two-opening type
Pressure Gauges
Constant Temperature Bath
Bath Thermometer
Transfer Connection
Manometer Adapter
Test apparatus for liquefied petroleum gases (ASTM D1267) requires:
Test Cylinders, two-opening type
Bleeder Valve Assemblies
Pressure Gauges
Constant Temperature Bath
Bath Thermometer
Flexible Tubing
Conforms to: ASTM D323, D1267; GPA 2140; IP 69, 161; ISO 3007, 4256; DIN 51616, 51754; FTM 791-1201; NF M 07-007, 41-010
Capacity: 1 to 4 vapor pressure apparatus, one-opening or two-opening type
Temperature Control Stability: ±0.2°F (±0.1°C)
Maximum Temperature: 212°F (100°C)
Bath Medium: 13.7gal (51.9L) water
Electrical Requirements
115V 50/60Hz, Single Phase, 18.8A
220-240V 50/60Hz, Single Phase, 9.4A
Dimensions lxwxh,in.(cm)
15x15x36 (38.1x38.1x91.5)
Net Weight: 67 lbs (30.4kg)
Shipping Information
Shipping Weight: 105 lbs (47.7kg)
Dimensions: 14 Cu. ft.
|Ordering Information


text: James PaweIski is Professor of Practice and Director of Education in the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania where he co-founded the Master of Applied Positive Psychology Program with Martin Seligman. The Founding Executive Director of IPPA, James is currently leading a three-year, multi-million-dollar grant investigating connections between the science of well-being and the arts and humanities. An international keynote speaker, he has presented in more than 20 countries on 6 continents, including "Romance and Research" (TM) workshops with his wife Suzie. He is frequently featured in the media, including the New York Times, U.S. News and World Report, Philadelphia Inquirer, and The Today Show.