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Faye's neck arches out from beneath the sheets, her skin clear and young and alabaster except for the marks—deep and red and descending the length of her nape. One, two, three—I count seven hickeys before Faye, in her sleep, must sense me standing over her. She turns her head away, her blond hair falling across her pillow as she sleeps off whatever happened the evening before. A one-night stand? A lover she's been hiding from us? Had she been drunk? Stoned? Does she even know his name?
"Here," I say when Faye—then 18 and soon off to college—emerges from her bedroom, sometime that afternoon. I hand her a concealer stick. "This should help." Silently, she takes it. "You can have good sex without getting your neck sucked off," I say, more harshly than I meant to. "You shouldn't let someone do that to you."
And yet I think, What fun she must have had.
Most parents have at least a decade and a half before they confront this sort of moment; I'd been Faye's full-time parent for just two years, since she and her younger sister, Jenna, moved in with my husband and me and our six-month-old, Daisy. They were 13 and 16 when they arrived, the children of my husband's ill-fated first marriage. The girls ended up with us because they'd dared to confess a secret: Their mother's drinking had long been out of control. On several occasions, she'd roused them from bed in the middle of the night and demanded that they empty their too-messy dresser drawers into garbage bags and put them out on the street. Jenna and Faye would follow her orders, then stay up waiting for their mother to pass out so they could retrieve their belongings. She called her daughters stupid. She called them whores. The girls had lived this way since their parents split years earlier; it was only recently that they realized they might not have to.
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When it came time for my husband's ex-wife to go before a family-court judge to defend herself against the children's allegations, she chose instead to sign the girls over to us—notifying us by e-mail and giving us just 24 hours to prepare. She's made no effort to see them since.
Now here Faye and Jenna were, in our apartment, and it quickly became clear that I had no idea what I was doing. What I'd expected of myself, without quite realizing it (and what my husband expected of me, also without quite realizing it), was that I'd love the girls through their pain, piece them back together—be the loving, consistent mom they'd never had. Yet if girls at that age hate their mother, they really hate their stepmother—especially when their mom has treated them badly, says Wednesday Martin, PhD, the author of Stepmonster: A New Look at Why Real Stepmothers Think, Feel, and Act the Way We Do, the only realistic account of stepmotherhood I've ever read. In such situations, any act of kindness toward me, even just enjoying my company, Martin says, could make them feel as if they were "killing" their mother.
Faye, the eldest, was very close to her father before he left, and she'd been possessive when we visited. Now, living with her dad full time, she wasn't going to lose him again. She took the place next to him at the dinner table, knowing full well whose seat she was occupying. Whenever we played a game—tag, Taboo, cards—she'd always call out, before we started, "Dad's on my team!" and refuse to play unless he complied. My husband didn't seem to notice. Or he did, but he actually enjoyed the attention after so many years of paying penance for the day the girls, then six and nine, came home from school to learn he'd left without saying goodbye. Whatever his reasons, I felt petty saying anything about feeling ignored, no longer chosen. The girls had been through so much; I was the grown-up.
But these weren't little girls. They were blossoming young women, ripe and dewy, just crossing the threshold into their sexual power, but still completely clueless about how devastatingly beautiful they looked with legs splayed on the couch or a lacy camisole peeking above their low-cut tank tops. I didn't get to watch my stepdaughters percolate slowly into womanhood. Even the younger one, Jenna, came pretty much fully brewed. Every day, their presence jarred me, their hereness everywhere. In the relative safety and comfort of their new home, these girls were no longer maltreated children needing to be rescued; they were my competition.
A few years before, when we'd been married just a short time, I'd opened my husband's toolbox to fetch a hammer. I found the hammer, all right; it lay beneath a stack of love notes he'd written to his ex-wife during their marriage. "I will never forget last night," he penned in a card with a big red heart on the front. "You are the sexiest woman I have ever known." I don't know if my husband had hidden the notes, or if she'd packed them away as a reminder for him to stumble upon one day—but it was a glimpse into his past that made me so jealous and angry my skin hurt. His daughters, the way they carried his former wife in the bone structure of their faces, in the curves of their bodies, in their casual and often dismissive attitude toward me, made my skin hurt too.
It certainly didn't help that I was getting older, a rather obvious fact that I'd managed to avoid confronting. At 39, when I met their father, I was still losing my own evenings to whim and altered judgment. Even after he and I married, a kind of illicit frisson buzzed between us. For the first four years of our marriage, I had him mostly to myself. Every other weekend we played parents. The rest of the time we just played.
That sense of freedom and my own desirability endured after Daisy was born. I remember her infancy in gauzy tones. The lights were always low, lullabies played, the air smelled like a fresh bath. I walked from room to room in our apartment in panties and a T-shirt, my baby in her diaper, her flesh against mine, my lips affixed to the top of her head. I felt vital, strong, full of possibility.
But a mere six months later, with two teenagers crammed with the three of us into our two-bedroom home, I'd become paralyzed in a sort of adolescent self-consciousness. I was in my midforties and had yet to feel anything other than youthful, sexy, and wanted. Now I couldn't stop noticing how the light bounced off of the girls' tight skin, how their breasts stood up without a bra. In them, I saw what I no longer was. I also saw, I imagined, the woman my husband wrote that card to.
Years before, when the girls were still living a few hours away with their mother, we had bought a weekend house near them to make visits easier. Looking back, it's rather curious how zealously he and I would go at it (in the bathtub, in the living room, on the hammock outside) the night we'd arrive at the place, before the girls joined us the next day. Then we'd barely touch. At the time it felt reasonable to just stop our lives for them. The house was small, and our bedroom was directly over Jenna's. It seemed enough that we were asking them—expecting them, really—to accept a new woman in their father's life; it didn't seem fair to make them hear our mattress squeak. And it was only for the weekend, anyway. I didn't mind holding my sexual breath for a few days.
But when the girls came to live with us, I stopped breathing altogether. Jenna and Faye took over the baby's room. The baby took over ours. And that was it. The same hesitation about being physically close I'd felt every other weekend I now felt every day. Add to that the impossibility of feeling sexual, what with the baby by our bed, two teenagers across the hall, and the constant sounds in my house—showers running, blow-dryers going, utensils clinking, televisions humming, cabinets closing, footsteps, whispers, even breaths—my God, it all got so loud. In the beginning, my husband and I would leap at the rare and ever-so-brief windows of opportunity to make love: when Daisy was asleep, the girls were out, and we weren't exhausted. But over time, we stopped necking in the living room while watching bad TV or copping a feel in the bathroom. The girls made faces whenever they saw the tiniest bit of physical affection pass between us. And forget about walking around in my underwear: I felt self-conscious even leaving the bathroom with a towel wrapped around my head. As the small intimacies between us waned—the foreplay of everyday life—it became hard for us to flip the passion switch with just a few moments' notice. It's been four years, and other than for a day or two here and there and a couple of vacations, I haven't had my husband to myself since.
I also began to see him differently. He's a great guy—loving, kind, generous—but as the domestic pressures mounted, I started to see how completely disengaged he was from the daily grind. When it became clear that we'd need to take custody of the girls, he tried to assure me that our new family would be manageable. "They're teenagers; they can fend for themselves," he said more than once.
"Do you realize what you're asking of me? Of us?" I'd demand, growing ever more agitated—and incredulous. I wanted them to come live with us as much as he did, but I also wanted to be prepared.
"What? What am I asking of you?" he'd reply. "What could they possibly need?"
Truly, he had no idea. And that's how it happened that most nights while he was working late, I was home telling them to do their homework, turn off the TV, and get their shit off the bathroom floor.
He couldn't, or wouldn't, see how angry and damaged Faye and Jenna were, how much they needed strong role models and firm but loving discipline. He let them say awful things to him, let them play on his guilt. And the more they demanded from him—money, gifts, help with homework at the very moment we were walking out the door—the more he tried to curry their favor. Cash went missing from dresser drawers, from wallets, from envelopes left on the kitchen table for the cleaning lady, but he never uttered a word to his girls. "How do we know for sure if we didn't see them do it?" he'd ask, righteously.
He'd become their bitch; that's how it looked to me, anyway. It didn't matter anymore that there was no space to sleep with my husband—I'd stopped wanting to.
"I saw Daisy with her big sister and her boyfriend the other day," a teacher at Daisy's preschool said to me one morning. I knew she was referring to Faye, but I had no idea who the boyfriend was. Then I remembered: Over the weekend my husband had taken a walk with Faye and Daisy.
"That was my husband," I said.
"Oh," she said, obviously embarrassed. "They looked, um, together. I mean, he looks really young." It's true that my husband has a preternaturally boyish face and his style tends toward skinny jeans, T-shirts, and high-tops—a look he'd embraced even more fully once his teenagers came to stay.
"Nope, that's their dad," I said in a tone meant to be light and kind of, Isn't it cool that I'm married to such a hipster. But my expression probably gave away how I was truly feeling: jealous, humiliated, ashamed.
Later, Faye appeared shocked. "Really? She thought Dad was my boyfriend?"
"Yeah," I told her. "Really." A sly smile crossed her lips as she walked away.
Years ago, when my husband and I were first dating, he'd leave me behind sometimes to spend a few days alone with Faye and Jenna. These weekends were all about what his daughters wanted to do. They were the princesses and he was their prince, and it was the first time in their lives he'd given them such focused attention. When a recently divorced man and his young daughters have this kind of time, "it's not unlike dating," Martin told me. (I'd called her, ostensibly, as a journalist; she ended up being my shrink for an hour.) "It's a kind of courtship where the father woos back his girls by doing whatever they want, whenever they want."
Later, when all of us moved in together, my husband's guilty parenting likely fed the girls' sense of power, Martin speculated, as did my fury at him for not loving me the way he once had. "More and more, the girls probably saw themselves as partners with their father," she said. "People love the trope of female competition—catfights—and sometimes impose it when it's not there. But when it actually is there, it's hard for anyone to take a steady look at."
Catfights: As I was putting the finishing touches on this essay, Jenna and I clashed in such a visceral way that we found ourselves screaming in each other's faces in the living room. "This family doesn't work," she yelled, practically spitting. "You should leave our lives!" Not her life. Our lives, the life she saw as belonging to her and her dad. "And you need to move back in with your mother," I retorted, as my husband tried to physically pull us apart. It was the worst thing I could've said, especially to Jenna, whom I've grown to love deeply. And though neither of us fully meant what we said, for both of us there was a certain relief in expressing that kind of anger to each other.
Recently, in what was a long overdue move, my husband and I started talking to a couples therapist. We don't have much more time with the girls—Faye is now in college, and Jenna has just a year remaining of high school—and we want to have something left in our relationship after they're gone. We're only just learning how much work that will take, how much their presence has colored our marriage.
"I always imagined that once my daughters were safe with us, we'd be fine, we'd be a family," he said, tearing up a bit. "I didn't think they needed anything else." He paused, looked over at me, and said, "I didn't think."


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Every great war has a back story. And a mighty big battle is brewing among the titans of technology. Software giant Microsoft is aggressively trying to buy Internet portal Yahoo! to compete for Internet dominance with Google, the current king of the Web search. Google obviously doesn't like the idea of Microsoft pushing into its terrain, and Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang has already made it clear that he doesn't want Microsoft to buy his company. It would seem at first glance that Microsoft is up to its old monopolistic dirty tricks--using its corporate muscle in an attempt to own Internet search the way it dominated desktop software for the past 30 years. But the player with all the real power entering into this fight is Google. And the move by Microsoft to buy out Yahoo may be more desperate than predatory. To make sense of it all--and as the Web giant unleashes a new plan to make more money on Web video--it helps to understand how Google has revolutionized the business of advertising and, in the process, changed the way the Internet works.
Like it or not, advertising funds much of the content that we take for granted, from the Web site you're reading right now, to the radio and television stations you listen to and watch, to the magazines and newspapers you pick up. The bargain struck between advertisers and content providers has always been pretty clear: Content providers bring the entertainment and information that draws an audience, and advertisers will pay for advertising placement to get their message in front of that audience. Some advertisers aim at a big audience (say, beer drinkers who watch football games), while some aim at a much smaller audience (poodle owners looking for a dog grooming service in the Jacksonville, Fla., area). What all advertisers crave, however, is accountability. If a beer company paid $2.7 million for a Super Bowl ad, the company would like to know if millions of beer drinkers saw the ad. If a local dog groomer paid $350 for an ad in Jacksonville's Florida Times-Union newspaper, she would like to know if anybody saw it.
For the most part, this sort of accountability has been provided by companies such as Nielsen and various audit bureaus that measure newspaper and magazine readership. But since television, radio and printed media are largely noninteractive, there is only so much data you can gather about the effectiveness of an ad. Assuming you believe that, based on Nielsen's numbers, 101 million people were tuned in when a particular beer ad played during the Super Bowl, you are still not sure how many of those people were paying attention as the ad played, or how many were truly influenced by the ad's message.
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The Internet, being a naturally interactive medium, flips the logic of advertising accountability on its head. And Google is the hands-down master of the new school of Internet-based advertising. Consider the dog grooming example: The owner of the shop wants to get her message to local poodle owners--that message being, "I'm a dog groomer in the Jacksonville area" and "I specialize in poodles." Using Google's AdWords program, that dog groomer can advertise on the Internet to only people who are looking for her specialized services in the Jacksonville area. Google can use both contextual and IP ("Internet Protocol") address targeting to narrow the possible audience for an ad. Google obviously knows the terms that were used in a search (for instance "poodle" and "grooming"), but the search engine also knows the IP address that search came from and where, geographically, that IP address is registered. It is possible that our dog groomer's Web site would naturally come up in the context of the user's Web search, but using Google's AdWords program, the dog groomer has a much better chance of getting in front of the user as a sponsored link. Plus, the dog groomer doesn't even have to pay for the ad unless the user clicks on it.
For advertisers, it's the ultimate accountability: Your ad only appears in front of those people who are interested in your type of goods and services, and you only pay for the ad if the user is interested enough in your product to click on it. To make it all work, Google has turned the sale of keywords into an auction wherein advertisers bid on terms. The more you're willing to pay when a user finally clicks, the more likely you are to appear higher up in a search. It's a highly effective system, so much so that many other major sites--including AOL, Ask.com and The New York Times--have adopted Google's search engine, and therefore increased the scope of its advertising power.
In the past few years, however, Google has extended its ambitions way beyond search. In 2004, the company launched Gmail, its Web-based e-mail program. Then, in 2006, the company expanded its offerings with Google Apps, which includes online word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software. That same year Google acquired YouTube, the immensely popular video-sharing site. The AdWords program doesn't yet extend to Google's full online empire, but observant Gmail users will notice that next to an e-mail from your sister about her wedding are sponsored links from wedding planners and photographers. That's because Google treats the text in your e-mail inbox just like the text of a search. The same thing is often done with YouTube video search queries.
Perhaps the most substantial development here is that, with the AdWords program, you are the content provider. So advertising through Google is less like putting an ad on a TV program or in a magazine, and more like a roadside billboard. But this is a billboard that knows a lot about who you are and where you're going, and it also knows whether or not you've looked at it. And as Google provides services for document creation, the company could eventually post its highly accurate sponsored links next to your resume ("Looking for nursing jobs in southern New Jersey? Come to Monster.com"), or your family budget spreadsheet ("Tax time's approaching. Have you considered H&R Block's new TaxCut Online?"). Plans for online data storage already raised privacy concerns over the reach of Google's directed advertising, and the company's new AdSense for video could only extend that dominance.
If I had to guess, I think this is the prospect that's making Microsoft so eager to gobble up Google's closest competitor. Yahoo also does search, and it has far richer content offerings than Google, including Yahoo News, Yahoo Travel, Yahoo Mail, Yahoo Music and Flickr, the photo-sharing site. Innovative advertising programs, such as Yahoo Smart Ads, can track a user's activity across Yahoo services. One of the promotional demonstrations from Yahoo shows a user in Los Angeles who enjoys online poker on Yahoo Games searching for information about Las Vegas from Yahoo Travel. Later, as he surfs around Yahoo News, he might see ads for cheap flights to Vegas.
Microsoft, on the other hand, has struggled to gain a following for its search services and has had a tough time building an Internet brand, with a confusing collection of offerings under the MSN service. In addition, Microsoft is still faced with the prospect of another technology giant creating services that compete with core products such as Microsoft Office, then giving them away for free. Microsoft sees that most software is trending toward a cloud-computing model, where data and processing power are shifted off the personal computer and onto the Internet. Given enough time, Microsoft may not have much of a product to sell. So, for Microsoft, buying Yahoo is a hedge against the future.
It's worth pausing for a moment to consider what that future may look like. Regardless of whether Google or Microsoft emerges as the dominant technology superpower, we are likely to see highly targeted advertising creep into all aspects of our technology. Late last year, Google announced the formation of a new mobile operating system, Android, which could be advertiser-supported. Android, which is still in development, may lower the overall cost of cellular phones and service, but it will almost definitely bring targeted, location-aware advertising that follows you everywhere you go.
To many users, Google's brand of highly focused advertising is a positive development--if you're going to be inundated with ads, at least they should be applicable to you. Others, however, may feel a bit queasy about just how much attention their devices and services are paying to their every move. But as the big players in the world of technology start to mimic Google's strategy, it may not matter how users feel about advertising's new math. Before long, it may be standard operating procedure.

subset: commoncrawl


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Baby Penguins Everywhere! by Melissa Guion
There was a penguin who was all alone on the ice floes. She liked the quiet, but sometimes it did get lonely. Then one day, she discovered a top hat floating in the water. Once the hat was on land, out popped a little penguin. And then another! The big penguin was very happy and no longer lonely. But then came another little penguin, and more, and more. Soon there were many, many little penguins everywhere. The big penguin was very busy and quite tired. She knew she just needed on little thing – a moment of quiet and solitude. But after that, she merrily joined in the fun with all of the other penguins again.
Guion frames her message about the need for quiet and solitude in a way that children will understand. The big penguin needs a little break, just like their parents sometimes do. The best part though, is that after that break, they are ready for more fun! The writing here is simple, making it just right for toddlers.
It is Guion's art that really shines here. The delight of the first two little penguins is perfection and then the surprise of turning the page and realizing that they just keep on coming makes the book even more fun. Guion has her little penguins in constant motion, playfully coming up with new ideas and new toys. This is much more like a class than a family, so teachers may appreciate using this book as a way to explain their own need for some quiet time too.
A cheerful look at peace and quiet, this book is wonderfully rowdy too. Appropriate for ages 2-4.
Reviewed from ARC received from author.


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Somerset selectmen will interview five police chief finalists Friday
SOMERSET — This town could be days away from hiring its next police chief.
The Board of Selectmen will interview all five finalists Friday at 5:30 p.m. at the public library, 1464 County St., with selection tentatively scheduled for Monday night at a time and place not finalized.
The public interviews are expected to take 35 to 40 minutes and include roughly a dozen questions, said Selectman Scott Lebeau, who chaired the screening committee.
From 24 candidates, the committee narrowed the field to 11, performed background checks, interviewed the top eight and set the finalists on July 1.
The search process began in late March after Joseph Ferreira announced he'd retire on June 2 after nine years as chief and 30 on the force. Until now, the town has always explicitly chosen a police chief from within its ranks.
Somerset Capt. Stephen Moniz was the sole town officer to apply after selectmen expanded the search process.
"I think we're in great shape. The quality of candidates we're down to now have exceeded my expectations," Lebeau said. "I'm certain, going forward, we will have the best candidate in that position within a short period of time."
Of the five finalists, the four from outside the department are Smithfield, Rhode Island, Deputy Police Chief Robert VanNieuwenhuyze; Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Maj. Arthur J. Martins; Newport, Rhode Island, Capt. Russell Carlone; and Randolph Lt. George McNeil.
All have served as acting chiefs of their departments, Lebeau said.
Job requirements include a minimum of 10 years of supervisory experience and a bachelor's degree, and preferably a master's degree, in a law enforcement-related field. The position carries a salary in the range of $104,000 to $115,000 and would need to be negotiated with selectmen as part of the contract package.
All five finalists have had more than 20 years service on their current police departments.
Town Administrator Dennis Luttrell supplied resumes with backgrounds of the finalists, and photographs were made available of each officer in uniform.
Smithfield, Rhode Island, Deputy Police Chief Robert VanNieuwenhuyze has been deputy chief since 2010, supervising three commanders, handling internal affairs and managing Smithfield's state and national accreditations.
A member of the department since 1992, he served as sergeant from 2000 to 2004, lieutenant and shift commander from 2004 to 2006 and captain that year until 2010, serving as uniform and detective divisions commander.
VanNieuwenhuyze graduated from the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, in 2009. He holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice studies from Rhode Island College, Class of 1991, and master's in administration of justice from Salve Regina University in 2000.
He's a certified assessor for the national Commission on Accreditation on Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. He graduated as valedictorian and recipient of the academic fitness award from the Rhode Island Police Academy in 1992. He lives in Smithfield.
The Smithfield department of 41 sworn officers is headed by Chief Richard St. Sauvier.
Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Maj. Arthur J. Martin has been a police major since 2006, heading Pawtucket's patrol division for two years and the investigative services division since then. He's the department's public information officer handling media inquiries.
A member of the department since 1987, he served as sergeant from 1996 to 1997, lieutenant and platoon commander from 1997 to 1999 and as captain from 1999 to 2006, heading the three platoons. In that capacity, he was responsible for grants and municipal courts.
Martins graduated from the FBI Academy. He holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Bryant University in 1989 and a master's in criminal justice from Anna Maria College in 1995, graduating with a 3.87 grade point average. He serves as department tobacco and alcohol control officer and lives in Smithfield.
The Pawtucket department of 135 sworn officers is headed by Chief Paul King.
Somerset Capt. Stephen Moniz has been administrative captain since 2011 and is responsible for training and the compliance of Somerset's force.
A member of the department since 1986, after five years as a patrolman for the police department in Concord, New Hampshire, he served as a sergeant from 2001 to 2002 and as lieutenant from 2002 to 2011, serving as court liaison officer in the latter two ranks. Other lieutenant duties included firearms licensing and field training and assisting with the department's state accreditation process.
Moniz graduated from Bristol Community College with an associate's in criminal justice in 1979 and from Roger Williams College with a bachelor's in criminal justice in 1993. He's taken executive development courses the past two years and is a certified boat captain with the Massachusetts Environmental Police. He lives in Somerset.
He's served as the officer in charge since Ferreira's retirement from the Somerset department of 27 sworn officers, with 30 budgeted. During the past three years, Moniz had served as officer in charge during the chief's absences.
Newport, Rhode Island, Capt. Russell Carlone has been captain in charge of administrative services since 2012 and has management experience in training, emergency management, records, information systems, internal affairs, organized crime and narcotics.
A member of the department since 1984, he served as a sergeant and detective sergeant from 1992 to 2007, when he became a lieutenant and internal affairs commander.
Carlone graduated from the FBI National Academy in 2008. He obtained bachelor's degrees in economics from the University of Rhode Island in 1984 and from Roger Williams University in 1996. He expects to obtain his master's in business administration this year from Salve Regina College. He holds certifications from several federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and Drug Enforcement Agency. He lives in Newport.
The Newport department of 78 sworn officers is headed by Chief Gary Silva.
Randolph Lt. George McNeil has been a lieutenant since 2003, serving as senior lieutenant, commanding shift operations and writing federal and state grants.
A member of the department since 1986, he served as a patrolman until 1993, police prosecutor/detective from 1993 to 1994 and sergeant from 1994 to 2002. He's worked part-time teaching for Bridgewater State University's criminal justice department since 2007, and taught at the Massachusetts Criminal Justice Training Council from 1990 to 1995 after graduating first in its 1987 academy class.
McNeil graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a bachelor's degree in animal science and technology in 1985 and from Anna Maria College with a master's in criminal justice in 1990. He lives in Bridgewater.
The Randolph department of approximately 60 sworn officers is headed by Chief William Pace.


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Ingrid Jonach is the author of books for kids and young adults.
Her young adult sci fi romance novels When The World Was Flat (and we were in love) and In The Beginning There Was Us are available now. She's also the author of picture book A Lot of Things and chapter books The Frank Frankie and Frankie goes to France.
Ingrid lives down under—in Canberra, Australia—with her husband Craig and their pug dog Mooshi. Read More
Linen Theme by The Theme Foundry – mod by Trevor Brennan
Copyright © 2018 Ingrid Jonach. All rights reserved.


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When you are decorating a room it is imperative to colour coordinate the colour of your curtains with the rest of the room. The curtains are generally easy to change and are chosen first when the room needs a new look. There are several things to consider when choosing the right shade of curtain for your room.
You have to consider the wall colour when you are coordinating your curtains with the room. The curtains are much easier to change than the wall shade. Coordinate the curtains with the paint colour on the walls. You can do this easily by taking a paint sample with you when curtain shopping. Remember that the paint is a shade darker on the sample so your curtain should be a shade lighter to have it as a match for the wall.
You should also consider the other colours in the room. Look at the furniture and the artwork you have on the wall. Do you have neutral or dark colour? You have to consider the room as a whole before choosing the right curtain for the room. It is just as important to match the curtains to the furniture as it is to the wall.
Remember the power of three. Every room should have three primary colours that are being used. The curtains that you choose should be one, or all, of these three. They should blend well together and are the focal point of the room. They will create the mood in the room and will make a difference in the theme of the room. Make certain that your colours and theme are apparent and all of your elements are coming together in a fluid way. Within these three there needs to be an anchor colour or one that brings it all together. Your curtains need to reflect this.
When you have a scheme but you need something else to balance it all out you can add neutral colours to your array. They are considered to be the peacekeeper because they bring everyone together in harmony and balance. When in doubt, use a neutral colour.
In many rooms such as bedrooms, kitchens and bathrooms you may have a theme instead. You could even have a theme in addition to your colours. The theme needs to be considered when you are choosing the appropriate curtains. Your curtains need to support the theme too.
Coordination of your curtains is very important in making your room and supporting your theme. People are drawn to the curtains and they can add ambience to the room. Your curtains need to be a focal point in the room and reflect the personality and the colour combinations that you have chosen. Your home is a reflection of you and your curtains are an important part of your home. Curtains are no longer just a window treatment to block or allow light. They have become an essential part of decorating any home.


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A broad array of system administrators, researchers, engineers and students who share an interest in the MVAPICH open-source library for high performance computing will gather at the Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC) Aug. 15-17 for the fourth meeting of the MVAPICH Users Group (MUG).
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Bharat Bhushan, Ph.D., was on sabbatical at EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland in 2005 when a transformation began.
When life-threatening weather events loom, forecasters warn citizens days, even weeks, beforehand so they can take action. It seems to work: We clear supermarket shelves, board up windows and even evacuate to higher ground ahead of the impending tempest to avoid danger.
Eighteen Ohio middle school girls are spending a week of their summer break investigating complex science problems while discovering career opportunities in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
Molecular dynamics simulations at the Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC) are helping scientists get closer to directly observing how and why water is essential to life as we know it.
Sixteen Ohio high school students are spending two weeks of their summer break investigating complex science and engineering problems, while discovering career opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
In February, NASA announced it would move forward with its Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) mission, which will study a broad set of scientific investigations. For the past five years, researchers from Ohio State, whose own research has been buoyed by the Ohio Supercomputer Center, have been on NASA's Science Definition Team for the preliminary study of WFIRST, set to launch in the mid-2020s. Find out how OSC is supporting this historic research and what it could mean for the future of space exploration.
Having set collegiate athletics afire a year earlier with four world records set or tied in a single day, Jesse Owens sprinted to four gold medals and two Olympic records at the 1936 Berlin Games and refuted the Nazi notion of Aryan racial superiority.
The Ohio Supercomputer Center has been selected as an Intel® Parallel Computing Center. As part of the the Intel® PCC program, the OSC research team will work toward modernizing a computer software package that leverages large-scale, 3-D modeling to research fatigue and fracture analyses, primarily in metals.
Washington, D.C. (Feb. 18, 2016) – The AweSim program at the Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC) and EWI have been selected to develop one of 10 national industry projects under the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) High Performance Computing for Manufacturing (HPC4Mfg) program.


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|The stupid question is the question not asked
comment on
|( #3333=superdoc: print w/replies, xml )
|Need Help??
Maybe I shouldn't have ++ it this node, but I must admit that it's quite fast and simple...
Obviously the speed of the script is mainly due to the fact that strredwolf has done his own XML (pseudo)parser. I talked with him on the CB and he didn't want to have the overhead of loading the regular parsing module. I agree that the XML output for the chatterbox is really simple, but I would not advise anyone to do so, especially in the Real World ™, just to gain on the overhead of the XML parsing with tools like XML::Parser, XML::Twig, XML::Simple or XML::PYX.
Anyway, nice client strredwolf!
Update: A XML::Parser Tutorial is now available, taking the CB ticker as a parsing example.<kbd>--
my $OeufMayo = new PerlMonger::Paris({http => 'paris.mongueurs.net'});</kbd>
In reply to Re: RedWolf MonkChatter
by OeufMayo


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Farrow Travel Phone Crossbody-Black
Travel light with this smartly designed 2-in-1 phone crossbody. This leather clad beauty comes equipped with a built-in card case and multiple interior and exterior pockets, ideal for keeping your essentials neat and organized. Our signature ring detail doubles as a key ring latch to clip onto the belt loops of your favorite jeans. Option to convert into a crossbody or shoulder bag, with our detachable Lou Chain Strap (included).
Please note that we have temporarily suspended shipping in support of our community and New York and California's mandatory order for all to stay at home.
IN THE US: We offer free ground shipping for any orders $150 and over and $9.95 flat rate ground shipping for any orders below $150. Expedited or Next Day shipping is available at checkout.
IN REST OF THE WORLD: We ship worldwide. For detailed shipping rates, please visit our FAQ page.
RETURNS: We offer 30 days to make a return from the time you receive your order. In the US, shipping a return is free when an order is returned within 15 days of receipt of your order, $9.95 when returned after 15 days. Returns may be made at My Returns & Exchanges portal on our site.
Products must be returned unused and unworn, have all tags attached and in its original packaging. Please note that we can not accept damaged returns.
EXCHANGES: If you are exchanging within the US, enjoy free shipping within 30 days of the receipt of your order. Exchanges may be made at My Returns & Exchanges portal on our site.
eGIFT CARDS are automatically issued via email upon purchase.


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The wisdom of Tuscany – Ferenc Mate
Tuscany is a quiet, picturesque piece of the world in Italy. In a sentimental journey through this remarkable place takes us Ferenc Mate – a globetrotter. Mate during his life journey lived in , among others, in Hungary, New York or Canada. Continue reading "The wisdom of Tuscany – Ferenc Mate" »


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Well, combine a talented team that sleepwalked through three quarters, a less talented, but well-coached and motivated opponent, a day with less than ideal weather and what do you get? Over 600 yards of offense – 400 more than the other guys – and a 24-point win that should have been much bigger, but for the third straight game marred by special teams snafus.
It's fine that Richt pulled Theus after the high snap that led to North Texas tying the game in the third quarter, but, good grief, it does make you wonder what the coaches are telling themselves when they review game tape and watch practices. If even a unserious tyro like me was fretting about special teams before the season started and a botched snap cost you a shot at avoiding a three-point loss in the opener, why does it seem like there's such a lackadaisical approach taken to special teams still?
I say that because the high snap wasn't the only flaw that led to the blocked punt. North Texas overloaded one side of the line and Georgia never adjusted the protection. Maybe they were admiring North Texas' gumption at that point. Maybe they were daring the Mean Green to try. Maybe it was another Fabris challenge. I don't know. But you have to think it was something the North Texas coaches picked up in their game study coming in. That's troubling.
But that's not what drove me craziest yesterday. That award goes to whoever decided that short kickoffs are a swell tactical move. The way the rules are set up now, there's an easy way to cut angst in a football game: kick the ball into the end zone. Either you'll be rewarded with a touchback, or a returner will start a return deep against a coverage team that five yards closer to him than they used to be. I simply don't get the mindset of a head coach who thinks punt returns are a significant risk but is willing to take the chancier route on the other team's kickoff return game. Kick the ball in the damned end zone – rotate the kickoffs to keep kickers' legs fresh, if need be – because it works. If North Texas could do it consistently, I have a hard time understanding why the Dawgs can't do it.
Bullet points, my good man, and be quick about it.
- Let me say it again: North Texas is one very well-coached bunch. In fact, Todd Grantham ought to spend a bit of time after the season is over consulting with whomever is coaching the Mean Green defense how to tackle. They put on a clinic in that department. (They can cut block a little, too.)
- Speaking of tackling, I did see Kolton Houston tackle his own running back, didn't I?
- Yes, the Murray interception was a dumb, dumb decision. And I bet Murray would be the first one to tell you that.
- You know that thing about biggest improvement coming between first and second games? Josh Harvey-Clemons was that guy yesterday.
- Tray's interception was helped by the receiver running the wrong route, but I'll take it.
- Leonard Floyd is really going to be something, at least when they don't drop him into coverage.
- On the sack front, Jordan Jenkins was oh, so close on several occasions. He still made the NT quarterback pay plenty. He also had a fine game with tackles for loss.
- In fact, maybe the most heartening thing I took from the game is how well the defensive front/OLBs generated pressure. Remember, NT was the team that led D-1 in sacks allowed last season and was tied for fifth coming into the game.
- I'm paraphrasing here, one of the beat writers – Emerson, I think – described the offensive line as not being overly talented, but being good enough to produce when it was motivated to fight and scratch on every play. Yesterday wasn't one of those days. Gates and Andrews, in particular, had tough times. I get struggling with SEC defensive linemen, but it's tough to understand when it's C-USA guys making for a hard time. And, yes, I get that North Texas sold out to stop the run. (Pass protection was spotty, too.)
- Nice first catch, Reggie Davis. It's all downhill from there. But isn't it amazing how they keep developing receiving depth?
- Along with the line not blocking consistently, the receivers, aside from Conley, had their worst game of the season in that respect.
- Which is why it's hard to get upset with what little Gurley and Marshall were able to get out of the running game. There just wasn't much there most of the day.
- Hey, dad sitting behind me with the ten-year old son who wanted to know why Richt wouldn't take Murray out and put Mason in the game in the third quarter, you must be so proud.
- I know it's an exceedingly small sample size, coming on North Texas' last drive of the day, but Shaq Wiggins really caught my eye when he was in the game. Good instincts and a quiet confidence.
- It really sucked seeing Rome hurt his ankle again.
- It's apparent from yesterday's comments that clock management at the end of the first half was a little strange. My theory was that Richt was pissed at the lack of intensity he saw and wanted to get to the locker room to straighten things out, but then suddenly realized he could maneuver the clock to get one last shot.
- Maybe Penn Wagers figured if the Dawgs were mailing it in, his crew could do the same thing. And you've got to give him credit for consistency – no offensive line ever holds Georgia.
- Also, I question that sideline catch on North Texas' one scoring drive. Sure looked like the receiver dragged his feet before he caught the ball and went out of bounds.
- Aside from Mason, the biggest losers from the game not being put away earlier were the backup ILBs. I don't think Herrera and Wilson missed a snap.
I don't expect the team to show up every week with the same level of intensity on display against South Carolina. And even when North Texas tied the game in the third quarter, it was hard to get very alarmed (irritated, sure) because it was clear the offense would be able to use the passing game to score enough to win. Plus, the defense was holding the Mean Green to negative rushing yardage then. But it's getting awfully old to hear talk week after week about needing to clean up the special teams mess. The offense is prolific; the danger is tolerating the mistakes in the belief that the offense can overcome anything. Ultimately that didn't work at Clemson and you can't expect it to work against LSU.
The offense left points on the table yesterday and special teams gifted fourteen to the visitors. A Georgia team clicking on all cylinders would have slammed North Texas by forty-plus. All I can hope is that the embarrassment of a third-quarter tie in a home game against a C-USA team is enough to get everyone's attention and focus this week. We'll see.


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Google has launched its first television advertising campaign across a range of US networks.
The company's TV adverts are an attempt to draw the public's attention to Chrome, the web browser that it launched last year in an attempt to compete with Microsoft's Internet Explorer.
The company has famously avoided traditional marketing in the past – indeed, its website boasts that it has become "one of the world's best known brands almost entirely through word of mouth".
But Google is desperate to raise the profile of Chrome, which launched to great fanfare last September but has so far failed to make major inroads on its competitors.
According to statistics from Net Applications, Internet Explorer continues to win the browser wars with a market share of 66%. In second place is Mozilla's Firefox, which is used by 22% of web users, while Apple's Safari program comes third with 8%.
Chrome, meanwhile, is the choice of just 1.4% of internet users.
It remains to be seen how mainstream audiences will respond to the clip, however, which has no voiceover, does not mention the fact that it is advertising a web browser and only displays the Google logo at the very end.
The campaign is also an attempt to highlight the effectiveness of the company's TV Ads system, which lets Google act as a broker to sell advertising time on television networks. Most advertisers and TV broadcasters consider the scheme to be an interesting but niche experiment, after striking just a handful of high-profile deals since it first began two years ago. Google is hoping that the Chrome campaign can help push the concept of using TV Ads into the minds of media executives.
The 30-second spot shows a stop-motion animation in which a tray of children's play bricks is rearranged to resemble a browser window – an image intended to represent the simplicity and ease of using Chrome.
In a statement on the official Google blog, the company said that the video was made by a team from Google Japan as a YouTube clip, but had proved so successful that it had decided to take it on to traditional television.
"After releasing this video on the web, we got lots of positive feedback and thoughtful comments," said the company. "We designed a Google TV Ads campaign which we hope will raise awareness of our browser ... we're excited to see how this test goes and what impact television might have on creating more awareness of Google Chrome."
To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email firstname.lastname@example.com or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000.


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This is an excerpt from As Texas Goes …: How the Lone Star State Hijacked the American Agenda, by Gail Collins.
My fascination with Texas began rather suddenly. It was the spring of 2009—you will remember, that was the season when the political right was failing to adjust to the idea of a President Obama. And there was Gov. Rick Perry at a Tea Party rally in Austin, publicly toying with the idea that his state might consider seceding.
It was quite a moment. Perry was standing behind a podium with a "Don't Mess With Texas" banner, wearing jeans, his trademark boots, and looking pretty damned ticked off. "Texas has yet to learn submission to any oppression, come from what source it may," he said, quoting the state's great founding father, Sam Houston. When Houston made that remark, he was definitely attempting to break away from the country to which Texas was then attached.
"We didn't like oppression then, we don't like oppression now!" Perry roared to the cheering crowd, some of whom were waving "Secede!" signs. It did sure sound like an Alamo kind of crisis. Their backs were to the wall!
And, important point: This was just a rally about the stimulus package.
It was perhaps the first time the rest of the country had taken notice of the fact that 21st-century Texans did not necessarily consider the idea of breaking away to become a separate nation as, um, nuts. We non-Texans were somewhat taken aback. How long had this been going on? Was it something we said?
"We've got a great union," Perry assured reporters after the rally ended. "There's absolutely no reason to dissolve it. But if Washington continues to thumb their noses at the American people, you know, who knows what might come of that?"
Does this sound like a serious commitment to you? Try to imagine a husband telling his wife that he saw absolutely no reason to get a divorce—but if she continued to fail to live up to expectations, who knows what might come of that?
You had to pay attention. Not necessarily to Perry himself, who of course went on to become one of the worst candidates for president in all of American history. But the rally, with its combination of egomania (We're the best!) and paranoia (Don't mess with Texas!), was a near-perfect reflection of the Tea Party's war cry in national politics.
That's not an accident. The more I looked at Texas, which seemed to be having an anti-Obama rally every time a cow mooed, the more important it seemed. Without anyone much noting it, Texas had taken a starring role in the 21st-century national political discussion. For one thing, it had the hottest economy—which the rest of us were told we'd better emulate unless we wanted all the local employers to pack up and move to Plano. The reason Perry imagined he could be president was the way Texas had created job growth by hewing to the low-tax-low-regulation ethic that the political right believes should be the model for the entire country. (The model had certain flaws, such as the assumption that every state could scrimp on higher education and just build a large professional class by importing people who went to college in other states.)
Then a friend sent me a headline from a Texas news report: "Man Allegedly Beat Woman with Frozen Armadillo." I was totally hooked.
So I started thinking a lot about Texas. Looking back over the last quarter century or so, I was stunned by how much of the national agenda it had produced, for good or ill.
Texas banking laws set the stage for the savings and loan crisis in the 1980s. The 2008 economic meltdown was the product of a financial deregulation that was the work of many hands, but most particularly the paws of Texas Sen. Phil Gramm. Our energy policy is the way it is in large part because Texas politicians and Texas special interests like it that way. (If the polar ice caps melt, it's not going to be Utah's fault.) Schools from Portland, Ore., to Portland, Maine, have been remade, reorganized, and sometimes totally upended under a federal law based on Texas education reform. For several generations, our kids have been reading textbooks written with an eye to Texas sensibilities. Texas presidents have led the country into every land war the United States has been involved in since Vietnam.
Texas runs everything. Why, then, is it so cranky? Is it because of its long string of well-funded but terrible presidential contenders? True, being the home state of Rick Perry, the "oops" candidate, had to be embarrassing. On the other hand, thanks to the Bushes, there's been a Texan president or vice president for 20 of the last 32 years, so the lack of White House access hardly seems like an appropriate subject for sulking. Is it the weather? The state of Washington has terrible weather, and you don't see people there threatening to secede.
The crankiness is actually a source of Texas's political power. The state has a remarkable ability to be two contradictory things at once. It's a fast-growing, increasingly urban place whose citizens have nevertheless managed to maintain the conviction that they're living in the wide open spaces. And its politicians are skilled at bragging about the wonderful Texas economy and lifestyle while wailing and rending their garments over their helplessness in the hands of the federal Death Star in Washington. You need that sense of victimhood because it creates energy and unity. You can't build a Tea Party on good news.
Another reason the Texas influence on the United States is outsized is that the place is just so damned big. The country has other hugely influential large states, like California and New York, but they're not on an upswing. California has more people, but it's hit a bad patch and it's struggling. New York is the media capital and it has Wall Street, but its population is flat. Texas just keeps growing, by leaps and bounds. (Think jackrabbit. It's a good metaphor. A really, really large jackrabbit.)
The huge Texas population—up 4.3 million in a decade—has an enormous impact on the country all by itself. We've got a super-big state with a young citizenry and a very high birth rate. You have to figure that by 2050, the entire United States will have a distinctly Texas cast. The state's ability to rear, educate, and prepare all the little Texans to take their place in the national economy is going to be an excellent predictor of how well the whole country will be faring down the line.
Spoiler alert: The odds of success would be better if Texas had more control of the teenage birth rate. Did you ever hear about the time Rick Perry defended abstinence-only sex education by saying that he knew from his own personal experience that abstinence worked?
We're not used to thinking of Texas as a driving force in American affairs, but there you are. Even when Democrats held the White House in recent decades, Texans seemed to be holding the reins—reins that were being used mainly to hog-tie the chief executive. Bill Clinton had to deal with two Texans—House majority leader Dick Armey and whip Tom DeLay—whose lasting contribution to American history was mainly the thwarting of the Clinton agenda, particularly health care reform. Barack Obama has been hamstrung by the power of the Tea Party Republicans, whose first big coming-out parties were organized by Armey and whose ideology sprang, as much as from any place coherent, from the thinking of Texas congressman Ron Paul.
You'd imagine a place with a motto like "Don't Mess with Texas" would be a small, scrappy state. But Texas is a huge, scrappy state. What could be more unnerving? And really, there's never a dull moment. Take the frozen armadillo situation. I couldn't resist looking into it, and at one point in my research I ran into an officer of wildlife enforcement who assured me that it was illegal to sell a live armadillo in Texas. "Dead armadillos you can sell parts of them," he added. "Make a curio of a little armadillo on his back drinking a bottle of beer."
How could you not want to know more about a state like that, particularly when it appears to have been setting the entire national agenda for decades, while continually howling about how the federal government is pushing it around?
And the people are great. I can attest that I had a wonderful time with everyone I met while I was wandering around, trying to figure out how Texas inspired a national education law which the politicians in Texas now denounce on an almost hourly basis, or why a state that would get more economic benefit than anybody from the health care reform law is so determined to repeal the health care reform law.
Anyhow, that's how I became obsessed with Texas. To paraphrase the old saw about elections and Maine, it really does seem as if these days, as Texas goes, so goes the nation. Whether we like it or not.
Reprinted from As Texas Goes …: How the Lone Star State Hijacked the American Agenda by Gail Collins. Copyright © 2012 by Gail Collins. With the permission of the Liveright Publishing Corporation, a division of W.W. Norton & Company.


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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Google is sifting through the photos and commentary on its blossoming social network so its Internet search results can include more personal information.
The additional personal touches that began to roll out Tuesday mark another step toward one of Google's most ambitious goals. The Internet search leader eventually hopes to know enough about each of its users so it can tailor its results to fit the unique interests of each person looking for something.
Different people should start seeing different search results more frequently now that Google Inc. is importing content from its 6-month-old Plus service, a product that the company introduced in an attempt to counter the popularity of Facebook's online hangout and Twitter's short-messaging hub. Google's main search results page also will start highlighting more content from an older online photo service called Picasa.
Facebook and Twitter pose a threat to Google because they don't allow Google's search engine to log the avalanche of photos, links and observations tumbling through those services. That's troublesome to Google because its search engine could become less useful if its system can't analyze what people are signaling is important to them so those preferences can be factoring into the results.
Google is tackling that challenge with an addition to its results called "Search, plus Your World."
The feature will be automatically turned on beginning Tuesday for all English-language searches made by users logged into Google. Turning off the personal results permanently will require changing a setting in Google's personal preferences. The personal results can also be excluded on a search-by-search basis by clicking on an icon of the globe on the results page (the personal results will be denoted by a button featuring a human's silhouette).
If the new formula works as Google expects, the search results will include pertinent information culled from the requestor's Plus account. For instance, a query about the San Francisco 49ers might include links and comments made about the football team by other people in one of the social circles on the user's Plus account. A search request that includes the name of a dog owned by the user or a friend might turn up photos of the pet that have been posted on Plus and Picasa.
"This is going to open up a whole new avenue in search," said Ben Gomes, a Google fellow.
Google isn't the first to do this. Microsoft Corp.'s Bing search engine has been mining some of the preferences and other information shared on Facebook since May. But Google's emphasis on more personal results figures to attract more attention because its search engine is so dominant. It handles about two-thirds of the Internet search requests made in the U.S. while Bing processes less than one-third, including the activity that it comes through a partnership with Yahoo Inc.
Facebook, though, has greater insights into personal tastes. That's because its nearly 8-year-old social network boasts more than 800 million users who share more than 1.5 billion photos alone each week. In October, Google said Plus had more than 40 million users. Google hasn't updated the information since then, although some external studies have estimated Plus began the new year with 60 million to 70 million users.
Some of Google's changes may help prod more people into joining Plus.
As part of Tuesday's expansion, the profile pictures of Plus accountholders will appear in the drop-down suggestions on Google's search box. So when typing in "Mary," you may see those named Mary in your circle along with those Google believes you'd find interesting.
In another twist, searches on general topics such as "music" and "sports," will generate suggestions on people, companies and places that have Plus accounts.
While Google is hoping the addition of more personal results will make its search engine even more useful, the changes also could spook some people as they realize how much information is being compiled about them. Google tried to minimize privacy concerns by recently switching to technology that encrypts all its search results to protect the information from slipping out.
Previous privacy missteps by both Google and Facebook resulted in both companies entering into settlements with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. The FTC agreements require Google and Facebook to submit to external audits of their privacy practices every other year.
© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.


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Welcome back! Wow, you must be serious about wanting to be an author.
During this 'So, You Want To Be An Author' series, I'm using all my WWBC knowledge taught to me by author and social media Jedi, Kristen Lamb, to help you become a better writer.
Last week we talked about why we wanted to become a writer and what it was about writing that we love so much, we need to write ourselves? And there were some brilliant answers.
This week, I want to talk about genres.
How many of you know what a genre is? Pretty much every single one of you, right?
Well I'm not ashamed to admit there was a time way, way back when they baffled the hell out of me. Huh? Is this girl a thicko, or what? Hang on. Before I'm hung, drawn and quartered, let me explain what I mean.
There are two main categories in writing: Fiction and Non-fiction.
I'll touch briefly on non-fiction as this post is mainly about fiction writing.
What is non-fiction writing? Non-fiction is factual. It's real. Under this heading we find DIY, health and beauty, sports, automobile, craft, autobiographies, etc, etc. Non-fiction shows, narrates, and even gives helpful little pictures of the topic we wish to learn more about. Got it? Good. Now lets move on.
Right, now let's get down to business.
What is fiction writing? Fiction is totally fabricated and made up – hence why I love it so much.
Now, I myself love writing thriller and crime novels although I'm currently writing a paranormal (but that's whole other story). Fiction has many sprogs: historical, contemporary, western, romance, science fiction, young adult. The list is endless. But, how do we know which genre is for us?
For example, as I said earlier I am currently writing a paranormal novel. But, I recently entered a competition and paranormal wasn't an option. Instead I found 'supernatural'. Okay, close enough,' I thought. Paranormal – supernatural…. same thing, right?
I mean, most of the genres seem straight forward. Horror pretty much speaks for itself and you can't go wrong with romance… Well, unless you write a romantic suspense. What does that make your novel? Romance or suspense?
If you plan on writing for Mills & Boon, then you're pretty much covered. They have a gazillion categories for everything you can think of: medical, nocturnal, western, historical. You just can't go wrong….unless you're writing something that has zilch romance. Then forget Mills & Boon.
So I thought I'd try to simplify the genre dilemma a little.
Western: Howdy. If it has cowboys, horses, (maybe) a damsel in distress, a saloon and a heard of cattle being yee-hawed across a prairie between 1800 and 1890, then western is your partner.
Historical: Whether Victorian, Edwardian, or Tudor, these tend to be based around specific eras with a ton of knowledge to go along with it. If you like your history and you like your research, this just may be the one for you.
Horror: Slicing and dicing is the theme here. Lots of blood, gore, and frightening the bejesus out of your reader.
Children: Don't confuse this with young adult. The children genre is usually aimed at toddlers and kids up to the age of eleven. So no bad language or sexual references. We don't want mumsy-wumsy throwing a fit.
Here's an example of how not to write for children – I warn you, it's rude.
Young Adult: Probably the easiest way to describe this genre is to think Stephenie Meyers Twilight saga, or L.J. Smith's (you can see her 30 second interview here), Vampire Diaries. All involving teenagers doing way much more than I did when I was their age. I was a good girl 🙂
Paranormal/Supernatural: This is a big genre at the moment. Vampires and werewolves are a hit with readers of all ages. So if it has fangs, claws, no reflection, rises from the dead, or wears a halo above its head – stick it here.
Mystery/Crime/Police Procedural/Detective: Firstly, if your opening page starts with your main character searching for her hair brush, not only does this NOT mean it's a mystery, but I will brain you. However, if your story revolves around an unsolved crime, murder, or anything else that needs both the protagonist and your reader together searching for clues and piecing the bits like a jigsaw, then you may call it a mystery.
Fantasy: Not to be confused with science fiction, this one can be set anywhere; Earth or some made up land where unicorns, fairies, elves and trolls make an appearance – along with a magical maze and a spellbinding witch. Fantasy is totally make-believe, thank God.
Science Fiction/Sci-Fi: Futuristic aliens, robots, the distant galaxy or downtown New York; if you can explain it, no matter how far-fetched, using science, then you have yourself a genre.
Romance: Two people meet, two people fall in love, tragedy strikes, two people break up. reader cries – but then two people get back together for a happy ending and reader goes to shops to buy another box of tissues.
Chick lit: Ever read Sophie Kinsella's Confessions of a Shopaholic or Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones Diary? How brilliant are those books? Aim at the female population to provide nothing more than humor, romance, and good old-fashioned girl power.
Action/Adventure: Similar to thriller/suspense for its car chases and fight scenes, this genre is usually aimed a the male race and often uses an expert of some kind: whether ex-military, police, bomb expert, or in Sly Stallone's case a mountain guide. Then the story will bung said hero in a jungle, dessert, or on top of a mountain. Sometime, though, if the hero is really lucky he'll stay in his own city.
Legal Thriller: A large part of the action takes place in a court room while we run through a did-she-didn't-she scenario. If you haven't ever read John Grisham, surely you've seen his movie The Firm? No? How about Judge Judy?
Commercial/Mainstream: These are of no specific genre but are whatever is trending in the 'moment'. They are, more often than not, plot driven and are expected by the publishing powers that be to make a ton of sales and wads of cash.
Literary: Unlike commercial novels, these tend to be more character driven. But that about ends the description. Even publishers cannot pin-point what makes a novel – literature: use of language, ability to address human conditions, it's 'truth', moral ambiguity…
Right, I think that about covers it. So now it's your turn. What genre do you write? Have you ever chosen the wrong genre? Do genre labels confuse you? Do you have a story where you are unsure of the genre? Let me know in the comments and together we'll crack it.
You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Linkedin


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Shields: Universal service could heal nation
The late Tom Pettit, who covered American politics so well for NBC News from John Kennedy in 1960 to Bill Clinton in 1992, was missed even more during this year's uninspiring presidential campaign. My personal favorite Tom Pettit professional moment was when he was interviewing Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz, who served in the Cabinets of both Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.
Secretary Butz, an unrelenting critic of the food stamps program then under his department, unloaded on the "greedy" exploiters of food stamps he and his people were chasing down. Pettit asked Butz if he knew anyone who had used food stamps. Butz spoke about how he was no stranger to supermarkets, that he accompanied his wife on the grocery shopping and that he had personally seen people at the checkout counter paying with food stamps.
Pettit pressed Butz: Did the secretary know anyone - personally - who depended upon food stamps to feed her children? After an extended silence, the obviously displeased agriculture secretary answered the question, "No." The only thing that followed was the close: "Tom Pettit, NBC News, Washington."
This anecdote reminds me why the military draft between 1940 and 1973 educated so many of us about what it meant to be an American and, more importantly, tells me why in the second decade of the 21st century the United States desperately needs every 18-year-old American to give two years of national service, military or civilian, to their country.
First, a personal note: At Parris Island, S.C., in Marine Corps boot camp, for the first time in my life I slept in the same quarters with African-Americans and took orders, as a matter of course, from African-Americans. In that boot camp platoon, there were six college graduates, four young men who, given the option by juvenile courts, had chosen to enlist rather than have the judge impose a sentence, and one of us, who proved to be both a gentle giant and a superb rifleman, who had never gone beyond the eighth grade.
We were mostly Catholics from the North or Baptists from the South. But we also included four Jewish Marines and even a couple of to-the-manor-born Episcopalians. After the longest 13 weeks of our lives, we all came to know that while our ancestors may have come to America at different times and in different ships, now we were all in the same boat - and that each of us was an American.
The draft - when three out of four male college graduates as well as high-school graduates served - guaranteed that Americans of all classes, all social strata and all areas of the country would shoulder the responsibility of defending their nation. And that in doing so they would rub shoulders with and - while sharing bunks, a weekend pass and, sometimes, even foxholes - get to know, and to depend upon, other Americans very different from themselves.
Which brings us back to a variation of Tom Pettit's great question of Earl Butz: Do you, Mr. Commentator, or do you, Madame Senator, personally know anyone whom your arguments or your votes have sent into combat? Have you attended the funeral of anyone whom you personally knew who was killed in Iraq or Afghanistan?
A "Support Our Troops" decal on your SUV or a flag pin in your lapel does not qualify. The American establishment - political, economic, academic and journalistic - has next to no personal stake in men and women who risk their life and limbs to defend the United States. Our military is increasingly integrated by race and increasingly segregated by class.
Tragically, most Americans today only know people exactly like themselves. Universal national service would introduce Americans to each other and to what it means to be a citizen.
• Mark Shields is a syndicated columnist whose work appears occasionally in the Athens Banner-Herald.


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Pop rock, Celebrity
1946 –
Who is Cher?
Cher is an American singer and actress. Recognized for having brought the sense of female autonomy and self-actualization into the entertainment industry, she is known for her distinctive contralto singing voice and for having worked in various areas of entertainment, as well as continuously reinventing both her music and image, which has led to her being nicknamed the Goddess of Pop.
Cher became prominent in 1965 as one-half of the folk rock husband–wife duo Sonny & Cher, who popularized a particular smooth sound that successfully competed with the dominant British Invasion and Motown sounds of the era. From 1965, she had established herself as a solo artist with successful singles such as "Bang Bang", "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves", "Half-Breed", and "Dark Lady", songs that deal with subjects rarely addressed in American popular music. Goldmine magazine's Phill Marder described her as the leader of an effort in the 1960s to "advance feminine rebellion in the rock world [and] the prototype of the female rock star, setting the standard for appearance [and] attitude". After the duo's drug-free lifestyle had lost its popular appeal in the United States owing to the drug culture of the 1960s, she returned to stardom in the 1970s as a television personality with her shows The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour and Cher, both of which attained immense popularity. She became a fashion trendsetter with her daring outfits. After Cher and Sonny divorced in 1975, Cher experimented with various musical styles, including disco and new wave, before becoming a successful live act in Las Vegas.
We need you!
Help us build the largest biographies collection on the web!
- Born
- May 20, 1946
El Centro
- Also known as
- Cleo
- Parents
- Siblings
- Spouses
- Sonny Bono
(1964/10/27 - 1975/06/26)
- Gregg Allman
(1975/06/30 - 1979/01/16)
- Sonny Bono
- Children
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- Armenians
- Nationality
- United States of America
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- Education
- Montclair College Preparatory School
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- El Centro
on July 23, 2013
Use the citation below to add to a bibliography:
"Cher." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2023. Web. 29 Mar. 2023. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/cher>.


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Ben Franklin Poster Art - Write Something or Do Something Motivational Art Print Red - 13x19"
Regular price
Sale price
Ben Franklin Poster Art - Red
"Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing" - Ben Franklin. This work of art includes the great Ben Franklin quote (modernized) in red on top of the Declaration of Independence in silver ink.
Need some motivation? Our handcrafted art prints are perfect for your home office, corporate office, college dorm rooms and more.
Add this to your work space today! Handcrafted using screen printing.
Declaration of Independence in background has distressed design.
Shop on Amazon: Ben Franklin Art Poster
Shop on Etsy: Ben Franklin Art Poster
Item is screen printed so every print is a bit unique due to the nature of screen printing.
All posters are shipped flat for easier framing. You can find hundreds of 13x19" frames through Amazon.com.
***Fits great using an 18x24" frame with matte.***


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On the first anniversary of Osama bin Laden's death, President Obama travels to Afghanistan to advance a 2014 withdrawal plan.
Filed under: Afghanistan • President Barack Obama
Anderson Cooper goes beyond the headlines to tell stories from many points of view, so you can make up your own mind about the news. Tune in weeknights at 8 and 10 ET on CNN.
Questions or comments? Send an email
Want to know more? Go behind the scenes with AC361°


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Today's News: Our Take - Former Miss Venezuela Monica Spear Killed
Former Miss Venezuela Monica Spear and her ex-husband, Henry Thomas Berry, were killed during a robbery in Caracas, Venezuela on Monday night, according to The Associated Press.
Spear, 29, and Berry, 39, were killed after their car broke down and they resisted the assailants. Their 5-year-old daughter was spared and is in stable condition after receiving medical attention for unspecified injuries, according to a statement from the prosecutor's office.
See the celebrities we lost last year
Spear, who was crowned Miss Venezuela in 2004, also starred on soap operas for Telemundo, including Pasion Prohibida.
Venezuela has one of the world's highest murder rates at 79 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2013.
View original Former Miss Venezuela Monica Spear Killed at TVGuide.com
Related Articles on TVGuide.com


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The game makers behind mega Facebook games Farmville, CityVille and Mafia Wars today filed papers with the Securities and Exchange Commission to take Zynga public in hopes of raising $1 billion.
The billion dollar price tag, though, could change once bankers determine the true value of shares and how many can be sold.
In an open letter to "potential Zynga shareholders", Zynga founder and CEO Mark Pincus outlined the 4-year-old company's future mission and invited those investors along for the ride.
"With this offering we are inviting you to join our mission," he wrote. "Invest with us because you believe in the potential for the world to play together. Evaluate us by how many of your friends and family play our games. Before you invest, we hope you will play our games. And, if you're part of the hundreds of millions who have already played our games, thank you. You're part of the future."
In their notice to the SEC, the company says they plan to use the money for the purpose of building up working capital, marketing and, most relevant to most of us, making more games. The shares the company manages to sell will be broken down into three classes.
This SEC filing is the first chance we've had to see the financials of the privately-held company. According to the filing, Zynga's profits jumped from $4.5 million in 2008 to $392.7 million last year.
In his open letter, Pincus said that his company's operating philosophies are key to its success.
Games should be accessible to everyone, anywhere, any time, he wrote. They should be social, free, data driven and, finally, good.
Moving forward, Pincus promises that the company will be making big investments in the back end that keep the company's many games functioning. That means more servers, data centers and a better infrastructure to cut down on the delay a gamer might see in getting to their favorite experience.
He also warned that a public Zynga will be a developer and publisher that doesn't worry about quarterly earnings and instead focuses on long term innovation and growth.
"At Zynga, we feel a personal connection to our games through our friends and family. I love that my brother in-law, who has five kids and no free time, religiously plays our game Words with Friends," Pincus wrote. "While I'm humbled by the size of the audience we enable to play today, we're just getting started. We're thinking every day how much more accessible, social and fun our games can get."
The key to Zynga's success, Pincus writes, is in the ability for play to become as much a part of the interenet's core as search, share and shop currently are.
"Play is one of life's big macros-it's an activity people love to do and do often," he wrote. "Zynga was founded on a deeply held passion for games that family and friends play together-connecting, collaborating, gifting, bragging, nurturing, admiring and sometimes just doing silly stuff together. Reality is, we all wish we had more time to play together."
How Zynga's Billions Stack Up Against EA, Nintendo and Other Gaming Giants
The people who make FarmVille, CityVille and Empires & Allies think their company's stock will be worth at least $1 billion when they go public. The New York Times thinks the company's value could go up to $20 billion. More »
Hate Farmville, CityVille and all of its billions of pestering, needy fans? There's a simple way to get rid of the company that makes those games: Kill Facebook. Buried in Zynga's mammoth digital registration filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which could lead to injecting a. More »


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Hello there! I am a very new user in the zbrushCentral so I am still trying to get my head around it to see how it works. Here I am posting a series of sketches that I recently worked on mainly using dynamesh as a starting point. feel free to share anything you like and critique my work in any way.
Faces of the world 02 *part of a series of sculptures
Richard Scarecrow
faun bust


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Browse by Journal Title
|Up a level
Group by: Creators | Item Type | Uncontrolled Keywords | No Grouping
Jump to: B
Number of items: 2.
Burke, L.M. (2008) Education and training consortia: leading the way for the new NHS. Journal Of Advanced Nursing, 31 (4). pp. 865-874. ISSN 1365-2648 (online) (doi:https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2648.2000.01363.x)
Burke, Linda M. (2003) Integration into higher education: key implementers' views on why nurse education moved into higher education. Journal Of Advanced Nursing, 42 (4). pp. 382-389. ISSN 1365-2648 (online) (doi:https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2648.2003.02630.x)


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Breakfast tacos with soft scrambled eggs, charred zucchini, and red bell pepper.
Seasoned eggs cooked low and slow in butter until just barely set and ultra-creamy, stuffed into a warm tortilla and topped with some charred zucchini slices and red pepper, served with a touch of cream, some crumbled cheese, sliced avocado, salsa, and lime wedges. It doesn't get much more basic than this.
Recipe Facts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small zucchini, split in half lengthwise, and cut into 1/4-inch slices (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 small red bell pepper, finely diced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup homemade or store-bought salsa verde
- 4 soft flour or corn tortillas, warm
- 1 avocado, sliced
- Queso cotija or feta cheese, sour cream or Mexican crema, and lime wedges for serving
Heat oil in a medium non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add zucchini and bell pepper, shake to get it in a single layer, and cook without moving until well charred on first side, about 3 minutes. Toss vegetables and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until well-charred on all sides, abut 3 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl. Set aside and wipe out skillet.
Melt butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat. Add eggs and cook, stirring constantly, until no longer watery but still moist, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper and transfer to a plate.
Spread salsa over each tortilla and divide eggs evenly between them. Top with charred zucchini and red peppers. Serve immediately with avocado, crumbled cotija or feta cheese, sour cream or Mexican crema, and lime wedges.


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|Oracle® Ultra Search Administrator's Guide
11g Release 1 (11.1)
Part Number B28330-01
|View PDF
The Oracle Ultra Search crawler is a pure Java application that runs in a Java Virtual Machine. A Java Virtual Machine uses the Java classpath to find classes during runtime. When Oracle Ultra Search is installed, the default crawler classpath is stored in the database. Whenever a new Oracle Ultra Search instance is created, this default classpath is copied and used as the crawler classpath for that specific instance.
Usually, you do not need to alter the crawler Java classpath. However, there are certain reasons for you to do so. One reason could be to replace the JavaMail reference implementation with a third party JavaMail implementation.
The crawler classpath is the classpath of a crawler that runs on the same host as the Oracle Ultra Search backend. However, Oracle Ultra Search enables remote crawlers to be run on other hosts for scalability.
Remote crawler activation uses Java remote method invocation (RMI) technology. As a result, the classpath setting of a remote crawler is inherited from the classpath settings of the RMI registry and RMI daemon.
See Also:"Using the Remote Crawler"
Log on to the host where the Oracle Ultra Search backend is installed. Locate the file
Using SQL*Plus, run the
sql script as the
WKSYS super-user or as a database user who has been granted the super-user privileges. (This script only updates the
CRAWLER_CONFIG_DEFAULT table. You also need to reconfigure your crawlers to get the
WK$CRAWLER_CONFIG table updated correctly.)
Specify whether you want to alter the default classpath or an instance-specific classpath, when prompted. Altering the default classpath causes all subsequently created instances to use that classpath. Existing instances are not modified.
Enter the Oracle Ultra Search instance name if you are attempting to modify an instance-specific classpath, when prompted. If you are modifying the default classpath, then you do not need enter anything here.
Specify whether you want to update the entire classpath or append to it, when prompted. Appending to a classpath adds entries to the beginning of it. Usually, earlier entries in the classpath override later entries in the case of duplicate classes.
Enter the new classpath if you are updating the entire classpath, when prompted. If you are appending one or more directories or library files to the classpath, then enter them separated by the classpath separator for the platform where the Oracle Ultra Search backend is installed (the colon on UNIX platforms, and the semicolon on Windows).
Log on to the remote crawler host where the Oracle Ultra Search middle tier is installed. On a UNIX computer, locate and open the file
$ORACLE_HOME/ultrasearch/tools/remotecrawler/scripts/unix/ define_env. On a Windows computer, locate and open the file
$ORACLE_HOME\ultrasearch\tools\remotecrawler\scripts\winnt\ define_env.
define_env file specifies all environment settings used by the RMI subsystem. To alter the classpath, use a text editor to modify the
APPLICATION_CLASSPATH variable.
Restart the RMI subsystem for these changes to take effect.
See Also:"Using the Remote Crawler" for more details on starting up the RMI subsystem


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Where 2014-15 Happens: Reason #26 We Love College BasketballPosted by rtmsf on October 20th, 2014
Here we go… headfirst into another season heralded by our 2014-15 edition of Thirty Reasons We Love College Basketball, our annual compendium of YouTube clips from the previous season completely guaranteed to make you wish games were starting tonight rather than 30 days from now. Over the next month you'll get one reason per day until we reach the new season on November 14. We've captured what we believe were the 30 most compelling moments from last season, some of which will bring back goosebumps and others of which will leave you shaking your head in astonishment. For all of this year's released posts, click here.
#26 – Where A Class Act Happens.
We also encourage you to re-visit the entire archive of this feature from the 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 preseasons.


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Editor's note: Watch Part 2 of Drew Griffin's special investigative report about Walid Shoebat Thursday on AC360° beginning at 10pm ET.
Rapid City, South Dakota (CNN) - Walid Shoebat had a blunt message for the roughly 300 South Dakota police officers and sheriff's deputies who gathered to hear him warn about the dangers of Islamic radicalism.
Terrorism and Islam are inseparable, he tells them. All U.S. mosques should be under scrutiny.
"All Islamic organizations in America should be the No. 1 enemy. All of them," he says.
It's a message Shoebat is selling based on his own background as a Palestinian-American convert to conservative Christianity. Born in the West Bank, the son of an American mother, he says he was a Palestinian Liberation Organization terrorist in his youth who helped firebomb an Israeli bank in Bethlehem and spent time in an Israeli jail.
That billing helps him land speaking engagements like a May event in Rapid City - a forum put on by the state Office of Homeland Security, which paid Shoebat $5,000 for the appearance. He's a darling on the church and university lecture circuit, with his speeches, books and video sales bringing in $500,000-plus in 2009, according to tax records.
"Being an ex-terrorist myself is to understand the mindset of a terrorist," Shoebat told CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360."
But CNN reporters in the United States, Israel and the Palestinian territories found no evidence that would support that biography. Neither Shoebat nor his business partner provided any proof of Shoebat's involvement in terrorism, despite repeated requests.
Back in his hometown of Beit Sahour, outside Bethlehem, relatives say they can't understand how Shoebat could turn so roundly on his family and his faith.
"I have never heard anything about Walid being a mujahedeen or a terrorist," said Daood Shoebat, who says he is Walid Shoebat's fourth cousin. "He claims this for his own personal reasons."FULL STORY
Post by: Drew Griffin, Kathleen Johnston
Filed under: 360° Radar • 360º Follow • Islam
To the AC 360 team in general and Mr. Cooper in particular:
Thank you very much for bringing Waleed Shoebat's story to the news ; please keep up the great work and always continue to be neutral when bringing news and debating issues, thank you again
Dear Anderson
Thank you for showing the world that people will lie and deceit for the sake of the mighty dollar.
I was very upsen when I first watched the report on the ex terrorist Mr. Shoebat, but then I was convinced that he is only doing it to cash in. It is one thing to convert to Christianity and that is his right to do so, but he should not be allowed to promote such hate for Islam. And to recite the Quran and misinterpret the quote he was reading.
Thank you for trying to discredit him. Just trying is good enough for me.
Thanks Anderson for lighting the true about this Walid Shoebat
What will it take for America to wake up to the Islam Holy war against us. Yes it smolders within our own borders and is a teapot waiting to boil. Our current laws open us up to a hornets nest in our near future. Why do all Americans have to suffer at TSA discretion. Will we become a "Police State" I hope America wakes up and we don't become one. If they don't like our current laws they are free to go back were they came from. Americans Stand up and be counted!
"But CNN reporters in the United States, Israel and the Palestinian territories found no evidence that would support that biography."
Who did you talk to? Shin Bet? Or some Palestinian terrorist who would never own Shoebat? You spoke to a "fourth cousin?" Really?? A family that is obliged to disown him. Lazy journalism.
Now Shoebat has been exposed, Homeland Security should ask for their money back and try him in court of law for stealing tax dollars by illegal means.
For Walid Shoebat to generalize about Muslims and Islam is rediculous. It is as bad as saying all black people are drug addicts and thieves and white people are rich. Just stupid. I am not Muslim but my husband is and he is the kindest, most loving and caring person I have ever met. He is as far from being a terrorist as you can get. I have also met a lot of his family in Ghana and they are so loving, welcoming and don't have an unkind bone in their bodies. It seems Mr. Shoebat is show boating to get his 15 minutes of fame. Shame on him.
you kinda missed the most critical part of this guy's story: he is spewing, at least misinformation about Islam and at worst hatred. why would HLS want to allow this guy to feed their workers suspicions with non-truths? Hmm.....
fact is, sadly, we dont know who to believe anymore.... everyone is pointing at everyone else in the terrorist blame game. Last paragraph up there says it all....
Anderson Cooper goes beyond the headlines to tell stories from many points of view, so you can make up your own mind about the news. Tune in weeknights at 8 and 10 ET on CNN.
Questions or comments? Send an email
Want to know more? Go behind the scenes with AC361°


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Whether you call it bad breath or halitosis, it's an unpleasant condition that's cause for embarrassment. If you're concerned about bad breath, see your dentist. Bad breath can be caused by a number of sources, and he or she can help identify the cause and determine the best treatment.
What causes bad breath?
If you're concerned about what's causing your bad breath, make an appointment to see your dentist. Regular checkups allow your dentist to detect any problems such as gum disease or dry mouth. Bad breath may be the sign of a medical disorder. If your dentist determines that your mouth is healthy, you may be referred to your primary care physician.
Maintaining good oral hygiene, eliminating gum disease and scheduling regular professional cleanings are essential to reducing bad breath. Brush twice a day and clean between your teeth daily with floss. Brush your tongue, too. If you wear dentures, be sure to remove them at night and clean them thoroughly before replacing them the next morning.
It's important to note that mouthwash will only mask the odor temporarily. Mouthwashes are generally cosmetic and do not have a long-lasting effect on bad breath. If you must constantly use a breath freshener to hide unpleasant mouth odor, see your dentist.
The leading provider of quality dentistry and personalized oral health services in Puyallup.


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You may already know all about YouTube. Founded a year ago, YouTube has become a prime online destination for streaming video entertainment. It has also become a prime destination for copyright infringement, as many of the videos uploaded are video captures of copyrighted material originally shown on television. This makes the copyright holders upset from time to time, and they start sending threatening letters. NBC demanded that YouTube stop hosting "Lazy Sunday," a rap video spoof done by Saturday Night Live's Chris Parnell and Andy Samberg. The clip originally aired in December, but it a was captured and uploaded to YouTube without NBC's authorization. It was an online hit.
Within the halls of the Temple of Web 2.0, YouTube is a victim. It has been argued that the people-powered nature of the site should lead copyright holders to realize YouTube's promotional potential. But as a company that's being built for acquisition (few, I doubt, believe otherwise), idealism isn't enough to convince deep pockets. What exactly is YouTube's business model? If Jason Calacanis is to be believed, YouTube isn't even a "real business," but a "silly, little business that anyone could setup in a week." It's built on piracy, he argues, and that's not a business model.
Without a doubt, the copyright infringement problem at YouTube is significant, and the company is trying to address it. This week they have announced a new "Premium Content Program" aimed at reducing the amount of pirated material on their site. The program creates a new level of membership that is required for users who wish to post video that are longer than 10 minutes in length.
"[I]f you've followed our blog postings or any of the press articles, you know we're constantly trying to balance the rights of copyright owners with the rights of our users," the company said in a statement. "We did some analysis of the videos in our system over 10 minutes in length, and we found the overwhelming majority of them were full length, copyrighted videos from tv shows and movies. However, we also recognize that there are legit content creators out there who may have videos over 10 mins, so we've created a Premium Content Program for those of you with professional-produced videos."
Clearly the hope is that the 10-minute limitation will result in most TV shows and other longer programs staying off of YouTube. Will the free-wheelin' copyright infringement come to a close? It's doubtful, because a 10 minute limitation doesn't really stop people from uploading unauthorized content. After all, Napoleon Dynamite is 82 minutes long, and YouTube is packed with ripped scenes and satires, a good portion of which are not examples of fair use. But now, YouTube is giving it the old college try. The popularity of the site doesn't hinge on the portion of its contents that derive from infringement, but a YouTube sans TV and movie clips is a different YouTube than some of its users are used to.