Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
No matter what our kids and the new generation think about us, WE ARE AWESOME !!!! OUR LIFE IS LIVING PROOF !!!!
To Those of Us Born 1920 - 1965
____________________
At the end of this email is a quote of the month by Jay Leno. If you don't read anything else, please
read what he said. Very well stated, Mr. Leno:
____________________
TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!
First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can and didn't get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-base paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes,
we had baseball caps not helmets on our heads.
As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, no booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes no brakes.
____________________
At the end of this email is a quote of the month by Jay Leno. If you don't read anything else, please
read what he said. Very well stated, Mr. Leno:
____________________
TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!
First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can and didn't get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-base paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes,
we had baseball caps not helmets on our heads.
As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, no booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes no brakes.
Riding in the back of a pick- up truck on a warm day was always a special treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and no one actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter and bacon. We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar.
And, we weren't overweight. WHY?
Because we were always outside playing...that's why!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.
No one was able to reach us all day. And, we were OKAY.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride them down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem
We did not have Play stations, Nintendo's and X-boxes. There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVDs, No surround-sound or CDs, No cell phones, No personal computers, No Internet and no chat rooms.
WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
We would get spankings with wooden spoons, switches, ping pong paddles, or just a bare hand and no one would call child services to report abuse.
We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and no one actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter and bacon. We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar.
And, we weren't overweight. WHY?
Because we were always outside playing...that's why!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.
No one was able to reach us all day. And, we were OKAY.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride them down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem
We did not have Play stations, Nintendo's and X-boxes. There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVDs, No surround-sound or CDs, No cell phones, No personal computers, No Internet and no chat rooms.
WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
We would get spankings with wooden spoons, switches, ping pong paddles, or just a bare hand and no one would call child services to report abuse.
We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.
We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not poke out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them.
Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!
These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever.
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.
If YOU are one of them, CONGRATULATIONS!
You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good.
We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not poke out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them.
Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!
These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever.
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.
If YOU are one of them, CONGRATULATIONS!
You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good.
While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave and lucky their parents were.
Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?
_______________________
'With hurricanes, tornado's, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu, swine flu, West Nile virus and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?' ~Jay LenoKind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?
_______________________
No matter what our kids and the new generation think about us, WE ARE AWESOME !!!! OUR LIFE IS LIVING PROOF !!!!
To Those of Us Born 1920 - 1965
At the end of this email is a quote of the month by Jay Leno. If you don't read anything else, please read what he said.
Very well stated, Mr. Leno:
TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!
First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can and didn't get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-base paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had baseball caps not helmets on our heads.
As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, no booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes no brakes.
At the end of this email is a quote of the month by Jay Leno. If you don't read anything else, please read what he said.
Very well stated, Mr. Leno:
TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!
First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can and didn't get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-base paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had baseball caps not helmets on our heads.
As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, no booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes no brakes.
Riding in the back of a pick- up truck on a warm day was always a special treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and no one actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter and bacon. We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar.
And, we weren't overweight. WHY?
Because we were always outside playing...that's why!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.
No one was able to reach us all day.
And, we were OKAY.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride them down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We did not have Play stations, Nintendo's and X-boxes. There were no video
games, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVDs,
No surround-sound or CDs,
No cell phones, No personal computers, No Internet and no chat rooms.
WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
We would get spankings with wooden spoons, switches, ping pong paddles, or just a bare hand and no one would call child services to report abuse.
We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and no one actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter and bacon. We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar.
And, we weren't overweight. WHY?
Because we were always outside playing...that's why!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.
No one was able to reach us all day.
And, we were OKAY.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride them down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We did not have Play stations, Nintendo's and X-boxes. There were no video
games, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVDs,
No surround-sound or CDs,
No cell phones, No personal computers, No Internet and no chat rooms.
WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
We would get spankings with wooden spoons, switches, ping pong paddles, or just a bare hand and no one would call child services to report abuse.
We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.
We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not poke out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them.
Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team.
Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment.
Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!
These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever.
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility and we learned how to deal with it all.
If YOU are one of them, CONGRATULATIONS!
You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good.
While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave and lucky their parents were.
Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?
'With hurricanes, tornado's, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu, swine flu, West Nile virus and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?' ~Jay LenoKind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?
Monday, August 23, 2010
http://www.themattmaherstory.com/blog.php?MACARONI-208
MACARONI
It cooled off
tremendously on the tier, which brings people back to life as you can
see by the activity and chatter all around. As I write, an argument is
brewing about a macaroni found in the sink. The inmate who cleans the
bathroom does an outstanding job and really goes off when someone
disrespects the bathroom.
In an environment, where 88 men have to share a bathroom, heads are bound to bump because of what level of clean and sanitary is expected. Now I'm not talking simply about the macaroni that was found in the sink, but much grosser things that I will not talk about. I, too, believe it is disgusting and shows a lack of respect for other people when you don't take care of the common area-especially a bathroom. Prison or not, this is our house and you should respect your environment. I often wonder if it is too late to change one's habits? I don't really think so, I think change is possible, but it takes effort and won't happen over night. It is important that we learn to adapt to our environment, otherwise we will become blind to our affect on others around us. My dad would always say, "Adapt and overcome regardless of the circumstances and challenges." To adapt doesn't mean to concede to the "if I can't beat them, join them mentality. Rather adaptability is the ability to change, which comes from being humbled. Adapting is not surrendering to your circumstances, it's facing them.
I am thankful I have learned to adapt and overcome. And all of these thoughts come from a macaroni left in the sink. I guess what I am saying is, "We shouldn't become what our environment is telling us to become. It all starts with self-respect which leads to humility, and humility leads to learning and when we learn , we adapt and overcome. So instead of surrendering and adopting the characteristics of your circumstances, adapt and overcome.
~~~THANKFUL TO BE FINDING PURPOSE THROUGH THE MACARONI IN THE SINK~~~
In an environment, where 88 men have to share a bathroom, heads are bound to bump because of what level of clean and sanitary is expected. Now I'm not talking simply about the macaroni that was found in the sink, but much grosser things that I will not talk about. I, too, believe it is disgusting and shows a lack of respect for other people when you don't take care of the common area-especially a bathroom. Prison or not, this is our house and you should respect your environment. I often wonder if it is too late to change one's habits? I don't really think so, I think change is possible, but it takes effort and won't happen over night. It is important that we learn to adapt to our environment, otherwise we will become blind to our affect on others around us. My dad would always say, "Adapt and overcome regardless of the circumstances and challenges." To adapt doesn't mean to concede to the "if I can't beat them, join them mentality. Rather adaptability is the ability to change, which comes from being humbled. Adapting is not surrendering to your circumstances, it's facing them.
I am thankful I have learned to adapt and overcome. And all of these thoughts come from a macaroni left in the sink. I guess what I am saying is, "We shouldn't become what our environment is telling us to become. It all starts with self-respect which leads to humility, and humility leads to learning and when we learn , we adapt and overcome. So instead of surrendering and adopting the characteristics of your circumstances, adapt and overcome.
~~~THANKFUL TO BE FINDING PURPOSE THROUGH THE MACARONI IN THE SINK~~~
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
A Victim Treats His Mugger Right
March 28, 2008
Julio Diaz has a daily routine. Every night, the 31-year-old social worker ends his hour-long subway commute to the Bronx one stop early, just so he can eat at his favorite diner.
But one night last month, as Diaz stepped off the No. 6 train and onto a nearly empty platform, his evening took an unexpected turn.
He was walking toward the stairs when a teenage boy approached and pulled out a knife.
"He wants my money, so I just gave him my wallet and told him, 'Here you go,'" Diaz says.
As the teen began to walk away, Diaz told him, "Hey, wait a minute. You forgot something. If you're going to be robbing people for the rest of the night, you might as well take my coat to keep you warm."
The would-be robber looked at his would-be victim, "like what's going on here?" Diaz says. "He asked me, 'Why are you doing this?'"
Diaz replied: "If you're willing to risk your freedom for a few dollars, then I guess you must really need the money. I mean, all I wanted to do was get dinner and if you really want to join me ... hey, you're more than welcome.
"You know, I just felt maybe he really needs help," Diaz says.
Diaz says he and the teen went into the diner and sat in a booth.
"The manager comes by, the dishwashers come by, the waiters come by to say hi," Diaz says. "The kid was like, 'You know everybody here. Do you own this place?'"
"No, I just eat here a lot," Diaz says he told the teen. "He says, 'But you're even nice to the dishwasher.'"
Diaz replied, "Well, haven't you been taught you should be nice to everybody?"
"Yea, but I didn't think people actually behaved that way," the teen said.
Diaz asked him what he wanted out of life. "He just had almost a sad face," Diaz says.
The teen couldn't answer Diaz — or he didn't want to.
When the bill arrived, Diaz told the teen, "Look, I guess you're going to have to pay for this bill 'cause you have my money and I can't pay for this. So if you give me my wallet back, I'll gladly treat you."
The teen "didn't even think about it" and returned the wallet, Diaz says. "I gave him $20 ... I figure maybe it'll help him. I don't know."
Diaz says he asked for something in return — the teen's knife — "and he gave it to me."
Afterward, when Diaz told his mother what happened, she said, "You're the type of kid that if someone asked you for the time, you gave them your watch."
"I figure, you know, if you treat people right, you can only hope that they treat you right. It's as simple as it gets in this complicated world."
Produced for Morning Edition by Michael Garofalo.
Julio Diaz has a daily routine. Every night, the 31-year-old social worker ends his hour-long subway commute to the Bronx one stop early, just so he can eat at his favorite diner.
But one night last month, as Diaz stepped off the No. 6 train and onto a nearly empty platform, his evening took an unexpected turn.
Julio Diaz recorded his story in New York City
just days after he was mugged in the subway.
He was walking toward the stairs when a teenage boy approached and pulled out a knife.
"He wants my money, so I just gave him my wallet and told him, 'Here you go,'" Diaz says.
As the teen began to walk away, Diaz told him, "Hey, wait a minute. You forgot something. If you're going to be robbing people for the rest of the night, you might as well take my coat to keep you warm."
The would-be robber looked at his would-be victim, "like what's going on here?" Diaz says. "He asked me, 'Why are you doing this?'"
Diaz replied: "If you're willing to risk your freedom for a few dollars, then I guess you must really need the money. I mean, all I wanted to do was get dinner and if you really want to join me ... hey, you're more than welcome.
"You know, I just felt maybe he really needs help," Diaz says.
Diaz says he and the teen went into the diner and sat in a booth.
"The manager comes by, the dishwashers come by, the waiters come by to say hi," Diaz says. "The kid was like, 'You know everybody here. Do you own this place?'"
"No, I just eat here a lot," Diaz says he told the teen. "He says, 'But you're even nice to the dishwasher.'"
Diaz replied, "Well, haven't you been taught you should be nice to everybody?"
"Yea, but I didn't think people actually behaved that way," the teen said.
Diaz asked him what he wanted out of life. "He just had almost a sad face," Diaz says.
The teen couldn't answer Diaz — or he didn't want to.
When the bill arrived, Diaz told the teen, "Look, I guess you're going to have to pay for this bill 'cause you have my money and I can't pay for this. So if you give me my wallet back, I'll gladly treat you."
The teen "didn't even think about it" and returned the wallet, Diaz says. "I gave him $20 ... I figure maybe it'll help him. I don't know."
Diaz says he asked for something in return — the teen's knife — "and he gave it to me."
Afterward, when Diaz told his mother what happened, she said, "You're the type of kid that if someone asked you for the time, you gave them your watch."
"I figure, you know, if you treat people right, you can only hope that they treat you right. It's as simple as it gets in this complicated world."
Produced for Morning Edition by Michael Garofalo.
Monday, August 16, 2010
How Fairy Tales Really End
Cinderella
Snow White
Little Red Riding Hood
Sleeping Beauty
Jasmine (Aladdin)
Belle (Beauty and the beast)
The Little Mermaid
Seems like only yesterday...
Barbie Doll had her 50th birthday this year......
Tweety Bird is 60 years old!
And what about all our other childhood Superheroes?
Superman
Thor
Wonder Woman (touch of menopause here I think?)
Batman and Robin
Spiderman
"Life is short, forgive sooner and always keep smiling.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Homeless man reunites with woman who lent him her credit card - NYPOST.com
A Manhattan homeless man had an emotional reunion yesterday with the kindhearted ad executive who lent him her American Express Platinum Card outside a SoHo restaurant, in what became a shining act of generosity, trust and honesty.
"I didn't have to thank him. I trusted him all along," said Merrie Harris, 45, as she hugged Jay Valentine, 32, outside La Esquina on Kenmare Street.
Harris lent her card to Valentine there Monday after he asked her for change. Most people who witnessed the act of extreme generosity doubted he would ever come back. But a short time later, he returned with the card, stunning many and earning Valentine the title of Most Honest Homeless Man in the City.
William Farrington
THANKFUL:Jay Valentine returns yesterday to the spot where he was lent a credit card by Merrie Harris.
"What he did was no surprise to me," Harris said yesterday. "People keep telling me, 'Why would you talk to him and trust him?' But are we only supposed to trust people we know? What would Bernie Madoff's friends be saying?"
Valentine told The Post that he was surprised to be handed the card, but he never thought to take advantage of Harris' generosity.
"I wasn't tempted at all," said the 32-year-old Brooklyn native. "She trusted me, and I didn't want to violate that trust. I would never do that."
Valentine said he has been homeless for a few years, since he lost his job at a real-estate company that had allowed him to sleep in the office. He said he now spends his nights in an Internet cafe whose staff allows him to sleep on their chairs. He said he was hungry and low on cash on Monday when he saw Harris standing with friends outside the restaurant.
"I asked her for change and told her I wasn't working," he said.
"She said she only had a card. She said, 'Can I trust you?' I said, 'I'm honest, yes.'
"I went and bought a few things and came back and gave her her credit card back, and everybody was surprised.
"I said thanks for trusting me. I guess she had a good sense of judgment. She knew I was trustworthy."
Valentine said he bought deodorant, body wash, a pack of Nat Sherman cigarettes and Vitaminwater. It all cost about $25, he said.
"She was really lucky it was me she ran into" and not someone who would have stolen the card, Valentine said. "I was really in need. I only had a couple of dollars on me."
"It sets a good example that people in need -- like I am or worse -- can and should be trusted," he said.
"Everybody in the restaurant was surprised. They probably thought I would run off with the card."
kevin.fasick@nypost.com A Newbie's Guide to Publishing
The Beginning of the End?
Dorchester just announced it is cutting its mass market paperback line and focusing on ebooks.A few months ago, Medallion announced the same thing.
I've heard, through sources who asked not to be named, that sell-through for paperbacks is as bad as 20%. In other words, out of ten printed, only two sell.
Now what's going to happen if more publishers follow this business model?
Here's a possible scenario.
1. Fewer paperbacks are published. Publishers either eliminate their paperback lines, or begin publishing more selectively, in smaller numbers, to cut costs and losses.
2. Bookstores have fewer books on their shelves, and sell fewer books as a result. Which means less money to the publishers.
3. Publishers downsize, since the ebook market, though growing, doesn't bring in the same money as print does. In order to maintain positive cash flow, they bill their accounts to pay up.
4. Their accounts--bookstores and distributors--can't pay up. They don't have the money to pay for the books they've sold--which they bought on credit. So they begin returning other books on the shelves to get credit for those.
5. Now there are far fewer books on the shelves, which means far fewer sales.
So when publishers stop printing as many books as they are now, the delicate balance will shift.
What does this mean to you, the author?
The main reason we need publishers is for distribution. We can't get into Wal-Mart or Borders on own own. They can. So we accept 8% royalties in order to sell a lot of books. But if publishers are no longer printing books, there is ZERO reason to sign with them, because they no longer have that advantage. Especially when we can earn 70% royalties on our own.
If you do sign with a publisher, make sure it contains a clause that states they MUST release it in print, or revert the rights back to you. Make sure there is specific wording for "out of print" that doesn't include ebook sales.
But, if you do sign with a publisher, do you think you'll ever get your rights back?
Let's say I'm running a publishing company. I see ebooks are the future, and I've got three new authors coming out in print. I gave these authors healthy advances, and there's no way they'll earn out these advances with print sales.
Their contracts state the only way they'll get rights back is if the books go out of print. But if I'm making all of my money on ebooks, and I'm still not close to earning back the advance money I gave the author, I simply can't allow the books to go out of print.
What should I do, as a publisher? If a book is selling very few print copies, but a lot of ebook copies, what are my options?
Now, we all know that publishers are honest, and their accounting is always truthful. But what if, when facing bankruptcy, some unscrupulous publisher (as opposed to all the honest ones) decide to artificially keep a book in print in order to keep earning ebook royalties?
Here's an imaginary example.
Joe Blow gets a $50k book deal with Publisher X. Publisher X cuts the print run because they're having some money trouble, and ships out 30k copies. The book does so-so, and has a 30% sell-though. Of those 9000 copies sold at $6.99 each, Joe Blow earns $5040.
So the publisher is in the red for $45k (probably more, but we'll stick to the advance..)
However, the book is doing well as an ebook, and has sold 5,000 copies. And unlike the print books, which dwindle down to a few hundred per year, the ebook stays strong.
5,000 ebooks sold, at $6.99 each, equals $6,100 in royalties.
Let's look at the royalty numbers for the first few years.
Year 1
Print: $5040
Ebook: $6100
Year 2
Print : $1020
Ebook: $7,200
Year 3
Print: $302
Ebook: $9,000
Year 4
Print: $51
Ebook: $12,500
Now the publisher has a problem. Joe Blow has earned out $41,213 of his $50,000 advance. By year 5, he'll certainly earn it out. But his book is pretty much out of print, which means the publisher has to revert the rights back to the author, on a book that is earning money.
The publisher may be reluctant to do that, for obvious reasons. So what should Publisher X do?
Maybe, incredibly, they sold more print books in Year 4 than they originally thought. Maybe they tell Joe Blow they owe him $1500 for print sales--which is enough to say the book is still in print, and then they still have the rights.
Will Joe Blow ever get his rights back?
Now let's look at what would happen if Joe Blow never sold the book at all. He self-pubs at $2.99, earning $2.04 royalty per book.
Using the same sales figures as above, let's see what he makes.
Year 1: $10,200
Year 2: $12,039
Year 3: $15,049
Year 4: $20,901
Looks like Joe earned $41,213 through his publisher, and $58,189 on his own. Plus he still owes the publisher $8787 on his advance.
Chances are, Joe will earn out his advance in Year 5, and then make a steady $10k per year off of this title, through his publisher.
If he'd kept the rights, he'd be making $20k in Year 5, and every year after that. But my numbers assume he'd sell the same number of books at his publisher's $6.99 price as he would at his own $2.99 price--which is doubtful. The $2.99 price will sell a lot more, based on my experience.
So how much money is Joe Blow losing in the long run by signing with a print publisher? Will Joe ever get his rights back when "creative accounting" comes into play?
Now, I know this scenario takes a lot of liberty with reality. None of us can imagine a future where publishers would knowingly fudge numbers. And we all know that print will remain the dominant force in publishing for years to come, even if publishers are printing fewer books and even dropping their print lines completely.
Right?
Monday, August 9, 2010
Husband Down
A husband and wife are shopping in their local Wal-Mart.
The husband picks up a case of Budweiser and puts it in their cart.
'What do you think you're doing?' asks the wife.
'They're on sale, only $10 for 24 cans he replies.
'Put them back, we can't afford them demands the wife, and so they carry on shopping.
A few aisles further on along the woman picks up a $20 jar of face cream and puts it in the basket.
What do you think you're doing?' asks the husband.
'Its my face cream. It makes me look beautiful,' replies the wife.
Her husband retorts: 'So does 24 cans of Budweiser and it's half the price.'
On the PA system: 'Cleanup on aisle 25, we have a husband down.'
(Thanks, Tess for the post)
(Thanks, Tess for the post)
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Thanks to the Brevard County Emergency Response
Thanks to the Brevard County Emergency Response, Firefighter Deyon and Ken for assisting my daughter in her accident!
Firefighter Deyon and Wyatt
Firefighter Deyon and Wyatt
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Shot from top of Vulcan Monument may be longest ever made
By Jeff Eisenberg
An hour and a half into their attempt to hit the longest trick shot they've ever tried, members of the Alabama-based Legendary Shots wondered if they might have dreamed up an idea too difficult to pull off.
Time after time, they shuttled basketballs by elevator to 17-year-old Evan Sellers on a 134-foot-high platform near the top of Birmingham's famed Vulcan monument. And time after time, the Pinson Valley High School quarterback launched shots that clanged off the rim or narrowly missed the basket set up on the ground below.
Finally, 10 minutes before the two-hour time limit the monument staff gave them expired on Sunday afternoon, Sellers cocked his right arm, lobbed another shot and watched in disbelief as the ball found all net. It was a jubilant moment for the group of Alabama teens who have become YouTube sensations since they began attempting trick shots in the driveway of Carson Stalnaker's home two years ago.
"It was pretty exciting," Stalnaker, the group's 17-year-old founder, said by phone. "I asked Evan afterward, 'Did you think you were going to make it,' and he said, 'I really didn't.' If we hadn't made it, it would have been a really disappointing day."
Footage of Sellers' shot filmed by Stalnaker and fellow group member Bryan Anderson has drawn thousands of page views on YouTube in the past 24 hours, but the video has sparked controversy as well. The Legendary Shots originally labeled their YouTube video "The World's Longest Basketball Shot," prompting commenters to question whether the shot went further than this one by a group of Texas A&M students from the third deck of the school's football stadium.
According to Stalnaker, Sellers released the ball 130 feet above the 10-foot rim and the basket was set up approximately 150 to 180 feet from the base of the monument. Thus some simple algebra tells us the ball traveled somewhere between 198 and 222 feet between Sellers' hand and the rim.
Regardless of whether the shot sets a record or not, it will bring more attention to a group of teens who have received plenty lately. Other trick shots The Legendary Shots have attempted have appeared on Birmingham newscasts and national websites and have been featured in a series of commercials for Hampton Inn.
"We definitely never expected this when we first got started," Stalnaker said. "We thought it was a big deal when 50 people saw one of our shots on YouTube, let alone the millions who have ever seen them now. It's been pretty crazy, but it's been a lot of fun too."
An hour and a half into their attempt to hit the longest trick shot they've ever tried, members of the Alabama-based Legendary Shots wondered if they might have dreamed up an idea too difficult to pull off.
Time after time, they shuttled basketballs by elevator to 17-year-old Evan Sellers on a 134-foot-high platform near the top of Birmingham's famed Vulcan monument. And time after time, the Pinson Valley High School quarterback launched shots that clanged off the rim or narrowly missed the basket set up on the ground below.
Finally, 10 minutes before the two-hour time limit the monument staff gave them expired on Sunday afternoon, Sellers cocked his right arm, lobbed another shot and watched in disbelief as the ball found all net. It was a jubilant moment for the group of Alabama teens who have become YouTube sensations since they began attempting trick shots in the driveway of Carson Stalnaker's home two years ago.
"It was pretty exciting," Stalnaker, the group's 17-year-old founder, said by phone. "I asked Evan afterward, 'Did you think you were going to make it,' and he said, 'I really didn't.' If we hadn't made it, it would have been a really disappointing day."
Footage of Sellers' shot filmed by Stalnaker and fellow group member Bryan Anderson has drawn thousands of page views on YouTube in the past 24 hours, but the video has sparked controversy as well. The Legendary Shots originally labeled their YouTube video "The World's Longest Basketball Shot," prompting commenters to question whether the shot went further than this one by a group of Texas A&M students from the third deck of the school's football stadium.
According to Stalnaker, Sellers released the ball 130 feet above the 10-foot rim and the basket was set up approximately 150 to 180 feet from the base of the monument. Thus some simple algebra tells us the ball traveled somewhere between 198 and 222 feet between Sellers' hand and the rim.
Regardless of whether the shot sets a record or not, it will bring more attention to a group of teens who have received plenty lately. Other trick shots The Legendary Shots have attempted have appeared on Birmingham newscasts and national websites and have been featured in a series of commercials for Hampton Inn.
"We definitely never expected this when we first got started," Stalnaker said. "We thought it was a big deal when 50 people saw one of our shots on YouTube, let alone the millions who have ever seen them now. It's been pretty crazy, but it's been a lot of fun too."
Quotes to Note
"It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light."
~Aristotle Onassis
"Nothing but heaven itself is better than a friend who is really a friend."
~Plautus
"We have, I fear, confused power with greatness."
~Stewart Udall
~Aristotle Onassis
"Nothing but heaven itself is better than a friend who is really a friend."
~Plautus
"We have, I fear, confused power with greatness."
~Stewart Udall
Once Wild' ebook - 1/2 price
'Once Wild' ebook is now available for 3.99, half-off the original ebook price. Visit http://carolgambill.com/OnceWild.aspx to purchase.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
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About Me
- Author Carol Gambill
- I like to think my novels are overpowered by one thing that we all need to survive, let alone breathe; and that is love -- a touch, an emotion that makes life seemingly bearable and worthwhile. For we all know, in life there is both pleasure and pain but it is in the hurting where we finally acknowledge and appreciate the life given. Every element of who we are is stripped away, exposing what we are truly made of. In the end, we're finally able to find happiness, love, and most importantly, ourselves. It is so basic, so simple, we choose not to see it, or simply can’t.
Accept both pleasure and pain and embrace them.... be mindful however of the one embraced tightly. Make the best of both.
Remember if you veer from that road less traveled, take your dreams, hold tight and press on... no matter how treacherous or tormenting the path may be.
