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Filing an INFUSE® Bone Graft Lawsuit
Many have experienced aching, cramping, respiratory problems, and even uncontrollable bone growth after receiving INFUSE® bone grafts. If you or a loved one has experienced these issues, you may be entitled to substantial compensation. INFUSE® bone grafts were approved by the FDA for use in lower spinal fusion surgeries. False advertising and other factors lead to off-label uses of the product, resulting in severe injuries. Even when used for intended purposes, patients suffered negative side effects. The manufacturer, Medtronic, has been under fire from the FDA and even the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in recent years. Filing an INFUSE® bone graft lawsuit requires the legal guidance Roger "Rocky" Walton, in Arlington, TX, provides. Contact our office today to discuss taking legal action.
The Purpose of INFUSE® Bone Grafts
INFUSE® bone grafts were approved by the FDA in 2002 for spinal fusion procedures in the lower back. Two years later, its indications were expanded to include tibia repairs. In 2007, the FDA expanded on this further to include sinus augmentations in dental procedures. The bone grafts use synthetic bone materials, as well as cow collagen. The synthetic bone powder is dissolved in water, which the sponge then soaks up. The sponge is inserted into metallic cages, which are then placed between the bones in the spine to create improved stability. Over time, the bone material is released and the sponge dissolves.
False advertising and other factors lead to off-label uses of the product, resulting in severe injuries.
Adverse Effects Related to INFUSE® Bone Grafts
Unfortunately, there are a large number of catastrophic side effects associated with INFUSE® bone grafts. In fact, Medtronic is accused of paying off doctors and surgeons to hide these side effects. Patients who have received one of these bone grafts have reported side effects including:
Inflammatory reactions
Pain in the back and/or legs
Pain spreading from the spinal nerves
Dislodging of the implant
Male sterility and retrograde ejaculation
Bone degeneration
Formation of unwanted bone in the spine
Additionally, severe complications are also likely with off-label uses of the grafts. These include extreme swelling of the neck and throat, making it difficult to breathe or swallow. Patients required immediate respiratory support that may include intubation, medications, or a tracheotomy.
INFUSE® Bone Graft Lawsuit Settlements
Medtronic's promotion of off-label uses led to two whistleblower lawsuits and an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. Medtronic settled these suits in 2006 for $40 million. In 2012, Medtronic paid out an $85 million settlement to its shareholders for the reduced stock prices resulting from the DOJ's investigation.
Hundreds of injured patients have also begun filing claims against the manufacturer. While these cases have not been consolidated for multidistrict litigation (MDL), and a class action suit has not been filed, the expectation of additional lawsuits may lead to an MDL. Lawsuits against Medtronic allege the company manufactured a defective product, concealed dangerous side effects, falsely marketed the product as safe, among other offenses. Many patients are also seeking punitive damages against the company for its willful and intentional actions.
Partner with an Attorney
Medtronic has already faced several high-profile lawsuits for its actions, and will likely face many more. It is critical to work with an attorney who has experience in defective device litigation. Roger "Rocky" Walton can build a strong case to hold the manufacturer liable and fight for your right to compensation. With his help, you can recover damages for your medical expenses, physical and emotional trauma, loss of income, and compromised quality of life.
If you or a loved one has suffered a severe injury caused by an INFUSE® Bone Graft, contact our law firm to reserve your free consultation. Mr. Walton can review the details of your injury to determine if you have a case.
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The Law Firm of Roger "Rocky" Walton, P.C.
The Law Firm of Roger "Rocky" Walton, P.C., has been representing personal injury clients since 1987. He is proud to be affiliated with top legal organizations, including:
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If you are looking for legal representation from a top-rated lawyer in Arlington, call our law firm at (817) 429-4299 today! We serve clients in Grand Prairie, Fort Worth, and surrounding areas.
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In today's society, there's actually a question if technology now became a part of our daily life. Based to a recent study, about 58% adults now have their very own tablet, smartphone or perhaps an e-reader. With such statistics obtained, it actually makes it clearer that adults now adapts with the new and emerging technology.
Not only is technology helpful tools for students, they also can be an added teaching tool for educators. Some pre-K-12 teachers actually researched on how and what types of technology teachers are using in classrooms and also with their overall attitudes to technology. About three-quarters of teachers in fact expressed their positive opinions regarding educational technology and also have stated that technology could actually assist them in reinforcing and expanding content. For many years in teaching the same lesson plans, it can in fact be challenging to keep the students engaged and in showing enthusiasm when you present lessons. Through an interactive presentation tool, audio visual element, video clip and graphics are simple ways in helping students to actually engage in lessons and in keeping lessons fresh.
There in fact are a lot of students who are more stimulated and are also eager in learning if they are able to interact with a hands-on tool, which are different forms that educational technology could provide. Technology is considered to be the ultimate carrot for students. This would be something that they would really want to master. Through learning how to use it, it helps to enhance their self-esteem and then makes them excited in coming to school. With the use of classroom technology, it is going to allow students in taking great control on their education because tools like laptops and tablets are going to encourage an interactive and also hands-on learning.
Technology in school also helps children to prepare for the future. Due to this, it makes great sense to use technology inside the classroom. Over the years, technology is still on its constant evolution and this is going to still continue. The changes has to be parallel with the lesson plan of the teacher and with the learning techniques of classrooms and children. It is important that you note that expensive classroom technology solutions don't always result with effective learning and teaching. The simple solutions can possibly lead to the influential teaching, which is going to have an impact with learning.


Update, January 23, 5:42 p.m.
It's the end of an era for Gill's Ice Cream at the Original Farmers' Market. The iconic pink-and-white stall, which has been scooping ice cream the old fashioned way since 1937, will serve the last of their classic soft serve on February 2.
As a youngster, I tasted my very first chocolate swirl cone at Gill's. My mother watched my head explode with chocolate euphoria. According to owner Jody Gill, the Market has put pressure on the family-owned business to remodel, including an update to its facade and the removal of its retro decor. "Part of our charm is the original whimsical facade that my father, Bob Gill, created back in the late 1930s," Jody says. "It's just so sad that we can't keep our original store front. Unfortunately I have no choice other than to close." When reached for comment, the marketing department at the Farmers' Market confirmed that Gill's would be closing on February 2 and that it would be replaced with another old fashioned ice cream parlor.
I always thought it was so extraordinary that we still had this little touch of vintage Los Angeles that was so wonderfully unchanged after all these years. I am deeply saddened to say goodbye to the second-happiest place on earth. I'll miss their frozen dip bananas, sundaes on Sundays, and their cherry cokes with true cherry syrup.


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Title IV Compliance
Acquisitions & Due Diligence
McClintock Minute
Limited Penalty Reflief for 2016 Form 1098-T Filers
By | December 8, 2016
By Mike Rager, CPA
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Announcement 2016-17 on April 27, 2016, providing notice that the IRS will not impose penalties for reporting the amount billed rather than amount paid for qualified tuition and related expenses on Form 1098-T, Tuition Statement. This will only be available for the 2016 forms and will not provide relief for other penalties related to the forms.
Prior to the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015(PATH) passed in December 2015, educational institutions were permitted to report either amounts billed or amounts paid. The amounts billed option was eliminated by PATH, so going forward with the 2017 forms, educational institutions will need to report based on amounts paid.
Also, for guidance on potential correction or relief for other types of Form 1098-T filing problems, please see our prior Tax Article (We Forgot to File 1098-Ts – What Do We Do?) in the Winter 2016 issue of the McClintock Minute. Please feel free to reach out to us for assistance with any questions or issues you may have.
Schedule an appointment with one of our industry experts.
Stay on Top of Potential PPP Tax Concerns & Solutions
By Daniel R. Steinmeyer, MBA, CPA
This year's Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was a life preserver for many companies and for-profit organizations, as well as their employees, as the COVID-19 pandemic ramped up and businesses were forced to close. But there are some potential tax considerations for business owners and pass-through entities regarding the loan program...
Learn if You Qualify for a Coronavirus-Related Distribution
By Angela Evans
The coronavirus pandemic has caused many hardships throughout 2020, with health and the economic effects being felt by almost every family in the country. As a result, the government has issued many new aid-providing bills in this timeframe. The most significant of these to date is the CARES Act. While...
Newly Online Schools May Be Caught in a Nexus Web
By Lee Frank, MBA, CPA
Now that we are months since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, postsecondary education institutions have had ample time to adjust and adapt to a new reality. The work has not been easy and will remain a challenge, but to paraphrase a cliché we're hearing a lot this year, there...
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How many Tamil HD Channels are available in TataSky, Dish TV, Airtel etc?
What are the Telugu channels available in Tata Sky, Hathway and Airtel TV?
How many Hindi HD channels do exist in TataSky? What are the new Hindi channels added in Tata Sky?
Which DTH service in India is offering the highest number of HD TV Channels? Or Cable is better?
I stay in Delhi and I am planning to upgrade to HD services in India. I would like to know if any one has done the research on this and would be great if he/she can advise me on which digital-tv service provider to go with.
related to an answer for: How many Tamil HD Channels are available in TataSky, Dish TV, Airtel etc?
Dish-TV India has 50 High Definition (HD) Channels, available for Rs 200 per month.
TataSky has 100 HD Channels. See them here.
Airtel TV has roughly 50 HD Channels while they don't mention the exact number in their website.


How Do I Remove Unwanted Facial Hair?
Unwanted facial hair affects over 40% of women. The problem occurs mainly on the upper lip and chin and is more common following the menopause.
Our online pharmacy has introduced an effective and easy treatment to reduce the rate of growth of facial hair in women. Vaniqa cream for unwanted facial hairVaniqa cream blocks the enzyme which produces hair in the hair follicle. It should be used twice a day continuously for about two months, when visible improvement should be seen.
Vaniqa can be used at the same time as your usual hair removal regime of plucking or waxing, and is suitable for women aged 12 and over. It is effective for all hair and skin types, but should not be used, if you are pregnant or breast feeding.
It is the only and first prescription cream to be licensed by the FDA and over 500,000 women have used it todate. To obtain Vaniqa, which is prescription only, please follow this link for a free online consultation with our online doctor.


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La corrente di risacca (dallo spagnolo resaca), detta anche di riflusso o di ritorno, è un tipo di corrente marina molto pericolosa.

Si tratta di un intenso flusso d'acqua causato dal moto ondoso del mare, che si forma davanti alla spiaggia. L'accumulo d'acqua lungo la costa provoca un aumento di pressione, che deve essere compensato da un flusso di ritorno che si dirige dalla riva verso il largo ad elevata velocità, trascinando con sé tutto ciò che incontra.

Dove si formano

Tali correnti si creano prevalentemente negli specchi di mare davanti alle spiagge sabbiose, soprattutto quando sono delimitate da promontori rocciosi, formando spesso dei canaloni sul fondale che rendono ancora più pericoloso il loro manifestarsi.

Pericoli
Alcune volte, a causa della loro forza, si possono rivelare molto pericolose. Si viene risucchiati e trascinati senza tregua verso il largo. La loro elevata velocità, anche oltre 9 km/h, rende difficile mettersi in salvo anche ai nuotatori più esperti.

Come riconoscerle
Guardando la superficie dell'acqua si può intuire l'esistenza di una corrente diretta verso il largo: in quei punti la superficie dell'acqua è insolitamente liscia e ondulata; le onde inoltre sono come spezzate in presenza di una forte corrente di ritorno. Si può anche riconoscere la presenza di queste correnti guardando il profilo della spiaggia, che tenderà ad assumere la forma di una sequenza di insenature più o meno grandi a seconda della forza della mareggiata piuttosto che quella lineare tipica della bonaccia. I punti pericolosi, cioè quelli di risucchio, corrispondono ai confini tra un'insenatura e l'altra e sono da evitare durante il bagno o il nuoto.

Come mettersi in salvo
Nel caso in cui si finisse in una tale corrente, il metodo più corretto per difendersi è nuotare parallelamente alla costa, senza sprecare preziose energie cercando di raggiungere direttamente la riva, cercando quindi di uscire dal lato della testa. Contrastare una tale forte corrente è infatti estremamente lungo e faticoso, molto meglio uscirne lateralmente quanto prima.

Luoghi interessati
I luoghi in cui si manifestano queste correnti sono spesso noti e ben segnalati da cartelli di pericolo, anche se è sempre meglio non entrare in acqua quando il mare è molto agitato o quando è presente la bandiera rossa di pericolo di fare il bagno.

Note

Bibliografia

Filmografia
 Baywatch
 Baywatch in Australia

Voci correlate
 Bagnino di salvataggio
 Correnti costiere

Altri progetti

Collegamenti esterni

Mari
Ecosistemi
Soccorso marittimo

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text:
CES 2021 Awards
GeForce Now Review: Game Streaming Done (Mostly) Right
GeForce Now streams lots of games with beautiful graphics and solid frame rates for an affordable monthly fee, but it has room to improve.
By Marshall Honorof 09 October 2015
Excellent streaming quality
Lots of games
Requires pricey existing setup
Inconsistent selection
Today's best GeForce Now Review: Game Streaming Done (Mostly) Right deals
For more information visit their website
Ever since Netflix convinced the general population that owning media was out and streaming media was in, gamers have been wondering when they'd get a subscription-based service to call their own. GeForce Now ($8 per month) is one of the first serious contenders for the title, and while the program is still in its infancy, it speaks of a promising future for the technology. While the service still needs more titles and better streaming quality for certain games, it's definitely worth your attention, and possibly worth your hard-earned scratch.
How GeForce Now Works
GeForce Now is a streaming service that renders PC games in the cloud, then streams them to your Nvidia Shield tablet, Shield Portable or Shield TV. The $8 monthly fee lets you stream a rotating selection of about 50 games, although your first three months are free. You can also buy newer titles, like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Metro Last Light Redux, à la carte. Prices range up to $60 on these.
How We Tested
In order to evaluate the GeForce Now service, I tested it for about a week on an Nvidia Shield TV. I had access to all of the subscription games, as well as The Witcher 3, Resident Evil Revelations 2 and Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power. I didn't test every game on the system, but I played through a good selection of them for at least 15 minutes, and some for a few hours, in order to see how well the service ran in general.
First off, the interface is admirably straightforward. Players can see a list of their most recently played games, as well as featured à la carte games on one menu, and featured subscription titles on another one. You can scroll down a little farther to organize games by genre (Action, Racing, Role-Playing and so forth), or even browse curated collections, like all the Batman games or Lego games available on the service.
One of the reasons why Netflix, Hulu Plus and Amazon Prime Instant Video are so beloved in the streaming video scene are because they have fantastic selections. The selection on GeForce Now, by contrast, is either eclectic or haphazard, depending on how much you like what's on offer. Make no mistake: Numerically speaking, launching with almost 70 games is fantastic, but aside from two very notable series, it's not yet a viable replacement for a full library of PC or console games.
GeForce Now excels in offering games in the Batman: Arkham and Lego series. It has the vast majority of both, and they're all available with a subscription. Aside from those two, however, there are lots of incomplete series, including The Witcher, Saints Row, Trine, Devil May Cry, Resident Evil and The Walking Dead. If you want to play games just to kill time, GeForce Now has plenty; if you want to follow the stories or master the gameplay of your favorite series, you're probably still better off with a traditional console or PC, at least until the selection grows.
The most important question is whether GeForce Now can really stream games at full-HD resolution within seconds of buying them, as advertised, rather than waiting for tedious installations or downloads. The answer is a solid "yes," with only one notable exception. Whether a game streams at 30 or 60 frames per second, you'll be able to play it in full 1080p with very little buffering and only a few moments of lag or stuttering.
I tested a wide variety of games, but spent the most time with The Witcher 3, Lego Marvel Super Heroes, Trine 3 and Devil May Cry 4. The latter three titles ran phenomenally well. Each took between 10 and 15 seconds to load, and I observed them running in full-HD resolutions at the frame rates described. Blasting through New York City as a Lego version of Iron Man was as seamless as honing my gun-fu skills against demonic attackers in Devil May Cry's outrageous, fluid spectacle fights.
The Witcher 3, however, proved problematic. Every time I loaded the title up, I found it to be laggy and prone to screen tearing, stuttering, frame-skipping and generally running in such a way as to make it almost unplayable, especially during combat. This was particularly disappointing, as it should be one of the system's showcase titles: easily the newest and most technologically demanding game that GeForce Now currently has to offer.
It's worth noting that I was connected via Ethernet to a 40 Mbps connection and exceeded all recommended parameters for the GeForce Now service, and that The Witcher 3 was the only title that gave me any problems. I also used a router recommended by Nvidia for the GeForce Now Service: a Netgear W7000. However, I am not prepared to say that the problem was on the server side, as Nvidia did not believe that this was a common issue. If you choose to buy The Witcher 3 on GeForce Now, just be aware that it may not run as well as the service's other titles.
GeForce Now works very well (in general), doesn't cost very much and has a reasonable selection for a service that's just starting out. However, if it has a significant drawback, it's that it may not play nicely with your existing setup. To connect as Nvidia recommends, you need fast Internet, an Ethernet connection and a fancy router.
At present, GeForce Now works only on a Shield TV, Shield Portable or Shield Tablet. The first two cost at least $200, while the latter costs at least $300. It's cheaper than buying a traditional console or a gaming PC, but you also don't get access to the same number of games, or new games as soon as they launch.
Nvidia advises users that they need a 10 Mbps connection for bare minimum quality on GeForce Now. For reference, the average American broadband speed is 11.4 Mbps, so there are certainly many broadband connections that are slower than that. Nvidia also recommends different broadband speeds for better tiers of gaming: 20 Mbps for 720p at 60 fps, and 50 Mbps for 1080p at 60 fps.
Assuming you do have a speedy Internet connection, getting good streaming quality over Wi-Fi is highly dependent on your setup and proximity. If you want to run GeForce Now at peak efficiency, you'll need to hook your Shield device directly to a router (or a modem). If your entertainment center isn't within cable distance of your console, streaming games is probably going to be a distant second in terms of overall experience to downloading them.
MORE: Nvidia Shield Android TV Review — Powerful But Pricey
Finally, Nvidia lists a "Shield-Ready 5-GHz Wi-Fi router" as a requirement, not just a recommendation. These routers are on the expensive end of the spectrum, ranging from $100 all the way up to $300.
(For what it's worth, I did not have any trouble using a lower-end Netgear WNDR3400 router, but Nvidia recommended that I upgrade, as this might have been the cause of my Witcher 3 issues. As far as I can tell, it was not.)
Consider this test case: A Shield TV costs $200. A Comcast 75 Mbps plan costs $77 per month. (Comcast does not offer a 50 Mbps plan; other service providers may.) GeForce Now costs $8 per month. A D-Link DIR-890L router (Nvidia's recommended model) costs $310. If you are starting totally from scratch, a GeForce Now setup running at recommended parameters will cost $595. It's hardly a deal-breaker, especially compared to what a good gaming PC costs, but even with a Shield TV and a GeForce Now subscription, you may have to upgrade other tech to make them work at peak efficiency.
If you already have a Shield system, you should get a GeForce Now subscription. For the sheer volume of games you get, $8 per month is peanuts, and the vast majority of games run just as well as something you'd download. If you're just looking for something new to play as opposed to a specific game, the selection is good, and will only improve over time.
On the other hand, if you're looking to buy a Shield as your primary gaming system, I'm not yet convinced that it acts as a full replacement for a PlayStation 4, an Xbox One or a PC. There aren't many games available à la carte; there's a significant delay between a game's mainstream release and its GeForce Now release; and running games at full capacity can be both demanding and expensive.
On the whole, GeForce Now has had a very smooth launch and seems like a promising service that already does a lot right, but still has a lot of room to grow. As long as the service continues along its current path, its aim of being the Netflix of gaming definitely seems attainable.
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It sure has been a while since I have added to this blog. I truly blame my oldest son who, years ago, urged me to join Facebook. Sadly, I guess, Facebook "became" my blogging outlet, leaving a huge gap of time here on WordPress. Be that as it may, I felt it would be fitting to add a closing entry to this Connecticut chapter of Morning Star Meadows' existence.
Our life here for the past 20 plus years in Connecticut has been amazing! We arrived in 1996 with 2 children, a boy and a girl, living on less than an acre in an upscale development. We totally fit the mold for the American New England family!
However we soon began to diverge from the norm when we surpassed 3 children, and move with the 4th to nearly 3 acres. It was a bit more elbow room – a garden was started, and a wood stove added – but we were still missing something – still not countercultural enough! And for goodness sake – a dog and a cat just weren't enough for us!
Roy continually told the kids, "If I win the lottery, we'll buy a farm!" The lottery was never won, but the itch to farm and have sheep was desperately in need of scratching. A minimum of 3 acres was needed to have livestock in that town, and no one would sell us adjacent land. We started looking as numbers 5, 6 and 7 (the twins) and 8 arrived. If nothing else, we were running out of bedrooms!
This beautiful property was on our radar screen, but the price was originally too high. Miraculously, though, it eventually dropped into (the top of) our price range one day. We drove out to see it and fell in love with North Stonington and our beautiful street, Wyassup Rd. A lake within walking distance! A huge state forest in the back yard! And over 15 acres! When we first viewed the home, we truly believed it had been built for us.
Negotiations went on for a while, and we finally were able to sell our home and buy this glorious place! The hard work of clearing the land began. And finally, our first livestock arrived!
I absolutely LOVE looking back at photos of our earliest years of farming. I just can't believe how young the kids were (the children, not the goats!) At the time we had no idea what this would all turn into, but we dreamed, and we dreamed big!
Fences went up – small barns were built – chickens arrived – and then it was time to build THE barn! While our old neighbors in the upper market development where we first lived were putting in in-ground pools for their 2 kids, we were spending the money building a genuine post and beam barn that we figured would outlive all 10 of us!
You know the rest of the story – we built up a wonderful hobby farm here in North Stonington, raising our own food, providing our own fuel for heat, and raising sheep for wool. Our idea of making this a business turned into just enjoying what we had and learning from it, not intending to earn a livelihood in the process – but instead invaluable life lessons were learned by us all – way more valuable than dollars and cents.
I wouldn't trade a minute of our life here these past 8 plus years for any other family's situation. We have truly been blessed.
However these past few years here have also shown me clearly that nothing stays the same. For instance my fairly regular blogging here really took a nose dive when my father became very ill. As an only child, as well as being a mother, wife, and hobby farmer, writing took a back seat. I was traveling quite a bit to and from my hometown in Pennsylvania to be with my parents. Our farming, and especially our shepherding, also had to be scaled back. I knew that lambing season would be too much for us with me doing all of this traveling (I was getting to know the Amtrak conductors and Red Caps way too well!) Slowly our flock was dispersing to new and wonderful homes.
After my father's passing, and autumn was approaching, I was getting excited about breeding the sheep again, but Roy reminded me that things in his corporate world also were changing. Remember what I said – nothing stays the same. After 20 years in the company, dodging many bullets with restructuring, Roy felt that his job was more at risk than ever. More uncertainty – more reason to curtail our farming. We began to focus on the gardens, and I had more time to spin some yarn. We watched and waited.
In our free time we started to pull back on projects and dreams of our future here at our farm in Connecticut, realizing full well that our hopes of staying here into our golden years may not come to fruition. We now had an eagerness to head to Pennsylvania. Our oldest daughters were going there in the fall for nursing school, and we wanted to be close to my mother and them. We turned our efforts into erasing the wear and tear done by 8 years of farm living by a family of 10 in this beautiful farmhouse. After so many years of working hard to make this place "ours," we found ourselves working hard to make it someone else's. Nothing stays the same.
And so we come to 2017. Roy's job has been eliminated in a global restructuring of the company, and he has decided to take this opportunity to move on with our family to the next chapter of our life.
In a little over a week, Morning Star Meadows will be for sale. I write that with some sadness, but a sadness that is filled with much hope for the future of our family. We will need a lot of prayer and trust in God to get us through this time, but I know full well that He has a plan for us (just wish He'd let me in on some of the details!) Ultimately our home will sell and we will settle somewhere wonderful in southwestern Pennsylvania. Mom may have a house full of lively Kerlins for a time until God finds our new farm (or she kicks us out!), but we trust that He will come through for us if we turn all to His glory!
Nothing stays the same…but the best is yet to come!


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Straw men, shills, and killer robots
Indulge me, please, for digging into some rhetorical terminology. In particular, I want to try to sort out what we mean when we call something a "straw man."
Here's an example. Recently, psychologist/Harvard superstar Steven Pinker wrote an NYT op-ed, "Mind Over Mass Media," contesting the idea that new media/the internet hurts our intelligence or our attention spans, and specifically contesting trying to marshal neuroscience studies in support of these claims. Pinker writes:
Critics of new media sometimes use science itself to press their case, citing research that shows how "experience can change the brain." But cognitive neuroscientists roll their eyes at such talk. Yes, every time we learn a fact or skill the wiring of the brain changes; it's not as if the information is stored in the pancreas. But the existence of neural plasticity does not mean the brain is a blob of clay pounded into shape by experience.
Please note that nowhere does Pinker name these "critics of new media" or attribute this quote, "experience can change the brain." But also note that everyone and their cousin immediately seemed to know that Pinker was talking about Nicholas Carr, whose new book The Shallows was just reviewed by Jonah Lehrer, also in the NYT. Lehrer's review (which came first) is probably best characterized as a sharper version of Pinker's op-ed:
There is little doubt that the Internet is changing our brain. Everything changes our brain. What Carr neglects to mention, however, is that the preponderance of scientific evidence suggests that the Internet and related technologies are actually good for the mind. For instance, a comprehensive 2009 review of studies published on the cognitive effects of video games found that gaming led to significant improvements in performance on various cognitive tasks, from visual perception to sustained attention. This surprising result led the scientists to propose that even simple computer games like Tetris can lead to "marked increases in the speed of information processing." One particularly influential study, published in Nature in 2003, demonstrated that after just 10 days of playing Medal of Honor, a violent first-person shooter game, subjects showed dramatic increases in visual attention and memory.
Carr's argument also breaks down when it comes to idle Web surfing. A 2009 study by neuroscientists at the University of California, Los Angeles, found that performing Google searches led to increased activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, at least when compared with reading a "book-like text." Interestingly, this brain area underlies the precise talents, like selective attention and deliberate analysis, that Carr says have vanished in the age of the Internet. Google, in other words, isn't making us stupid — it's exercising the very mental muscles that make us smarter.
I also really liked this wry observation that Lehrer added on at his blog, The Frontal Cortex:
Much of Carr's argument revolves around neuroscience, as he argues that our neural plasticity means that we quickly become mirrors to our mediums; the brain is an information-processing machine that's shaped by the kind of information it processes. And so we get long discussions of Eric Kandel, aplysia and the malleability of brain cells. (Having work in the Kandel lab for several years, I'm a big fan of this research program. I just never expected the kinase enzymes of sea slugs to be applied to the internet.)
Now, at least in my Twitter feed, the response to Pinker's op-ed was positive, if a little backhanded. This is largely because Pinker largely seems to have picked this fight less to defend the value of the internet or even the concept of neuroplasticity than to throw some elbows at his favorite target, what he calls "blank slate" social theories that dispense with human nature. He wrote a contentious and much-contested book about it. He called it The Blank Slate. That's why he works that dig in about how "the existence of neural plasticity does not mean the brain is a blob of clay pounded into shape by experience." Pinker doesn't think we're clay at all; instead, we're largely formed.
So on Twitter we see a lot of begrudging support: "Pinker's latest op-ed is good. He doesn't elevate 20th C norms to faux-natural laws." And: "I liked Pinker's op-ed too, but 'habits of deep reflection… must be acquired in… universities'? Debunk, meet rebunk… After that coffin nail to the neuroplasticity meme, Pinker could have argued #Glee causes autism for all I care." And: "Surprised to see @sapinker spend so much of his op-ed attacking straw men ("critics say…"). Overall, persuasive though."
And this is where the idea of a "straw man" comes in. See, Pinker's got a reputation for attacking straw men, which is why The Blank Slate, which is mostly a long attack on a version of BF Skinner-style psychological behaviorism, comes off as an attack on postmodern philosophy and literary criticism and mainstream liberal politics and a whole slew of targets that get lumped together under a single umbrella, differences and complexities be damned.
(And yes, this is a straw man characterization of Pinker's book, probably unfairly so. Also, neither everyone nor the cousins of everyone knew Pinker was talking about Carr. But we all know what we know.)
However, on Twitter, this generated an exchange between longtime Snarkmarket friend Howard Weaver and I about the idea of a straw man. I wasn't sure whether Howard, author of that last quoted tweet, was using "straw men" just to criticize Pinker's choice not to call out Carr by name, or whether he thought Pinker had done what Pinker often seems to do in his more popular writing, arguing against a weaker or simpler version of what the other side actually thinks. That, at least, is a critically stronger sense of what's meant by straw men. (See, even straw men can have straw men!)
So it seems like there are (at least) four different kinds of rhetorical/logical fallacies that could be called "arguing against a straw man":
Avoiding dealing with an actual opponent by making them anonymous/impersonal, even if you get their point-of-view largely right;
Mischaracterizing an opponent's argument (even or especially if you name them), usually by substituting a weaker or more easily refuted version;
Assuming because you've shown this person to be at fault somewhere, that they're wrong everywhere — "Since we now know philosopher Martin Heidegger was a Nazi, how could anyone have ever qualified him for a bank loan?";
Cherry-picking your opponent, finding the weakest link, then tarring all opponents with the same brush. (Warning! Cliché/mixed metaphor overload!)
Clearly, you can mix-and-match; the most detestable version of a straw man invents an anonymous opponent, gives him easily-refuted opinions nobody actually holds, and then assumes that this holds true for everybody who'd disagree with you. And the best practice would seem to be:
Argue with the ideas of a real person (or people);
Pick the strongest possible version of that argument;
Characterize your opponent's (or opponents') beliefs honestly;
Concede points where they are, seem to be, or just might be right.
If you can win a reader over when you've done all this, then you've really written something.
There's even a perverse version of the straw man, which Paul Krugman calls an "anti-straw man," but I want to call "a killer robot." This is when you mischaracterize an opponent's point-of-view by actually making it stronger and more sensible than what they actually believe. Krugman's example comes from fiscal & monetary policy, in particular imagining justifications for someone's position on the budget that turns out to contradict their stated position on interest rates. Not only isn't this anyone's position, it couldn't be their position if their position was consistent at all. I agree with PK that this is a special and really interesting case.
Now, as Howard pointed out, there is another sense of "straw man," used to mean any kind of counterargument that's introduced by a writer with the intent of arguing against it later. You might not even straight-out refute it; it could be a trial balloon, or thought experiment, or just pitting opposites against each other as part of a range of positions. There's nothing necessarily fallacious about it, it's just a way of marking off an argument that you, as a writer, wouldn't want to endorse. (Sometimes this turns into weasely writing/journalism, too, but hey, again, it doesn't have to be.)
Teaching writing at Penn, we used a book that used the phrase "Straw Man" this way, and had a "Straw Man" exercise where you'd write a short essay that just had an introduction w/thesis, a counterargument (which we called a "straw man"), then a refutation of that counterargument. And then there was a "Straw Man Plus One" assignment, where you'd…
Never mind. The point is, we wound up talking about straw men a lot. And we'd always get confused, because sometimes "straw man" would mean the fallacy, sometimes it would mean the assignment, sometimes it would be the counterargument used in that (or any) assignment, sometimes it would be the paragraph containing the counterargument…
Oy. By 2009-10, confusion about this term had reached the point where two concessions were made. First, for the philosophers in the crowd who insisted on a strict, restrictive meaning of "straw man" as a fallacy, and who didn't want their students using fallacious "straw men" in their "Straw Man" assignments, they changed the name of the assignment to "Iron Man." Then, as part of a general move against using gendered language on the syllabus, it turned into "Iron Person." Meanwhile, the textbook we used still called the assignment "Straw Man," turning confusion abetted to confusion multiplied.
I probably confused things further by referring to the "iron person" assignment as either "the robot" — the idea being, again, that you build something that then is independent of you — or "the shill." This was fun, because I got to talk about how con men (and women) work. The idea of the shill is that they pretend to be independent, but they're really on the con man's side the entire time. The best shill sells what they do, so that you can't tell they're in on it. They're the ideal opponent, perfect as a picture. That got rid of any lingering confusion between the fallacy and the form.
Likewise, I believe that here and now we have sorted the range of potential meanings of "straw man," once and for all. And if you can prove that I'm wrong, well, then I'm just not going to listen to you.
June 11, 2010 / Uncategorized


You are here: Home / News / Jordan Friedman commits to Skidmore!
Jordan Friedman commits to Skidmore!
We are so happy to announce sharp shooter Jordan Friedman, Senior at Pascack Hills, has committed to Skidmore College. Jordan started training with Billy in the 9th grade to improve her point guard skills and since then she has become one of the premiere guards in Bergen County in addition to being a lethal 3 point shooter. She is also a Hoop Dreamz camp counselor and you can catch her at our summer camp before she goes off to help the Throroughbreds of Saratoga Springs NY. She has worked very hard and we are so proud of her. Way to go Jordy!


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Author Interview: Sybrina Durant
July 15, 2021 Wendy Van Camp	Leave a comment
Author Sybrina Durant is an author because she writes. She feels compelled to do so. She is also an entrepreneur because Indy publishing required it. I think she is a quick learner! Please welcome her to No Wasted Ink.
I am Sybrina Durant – unicorn author and entrepreneur. I also have a full time job at an engineering company where I describe my primary role as "bringing order to chaos". That's what document controllers do through gathering, organizing and cataloguing information.
Doing that for thirty plus years helped me understand the concept of doing the same things in my book related activities, whether it is researching, outlining my stories, or setting up my unicorn book and gift store. Yes, that's right. . . one of the ways I promote my book, Journey To Osm – The Blue Unicorn's Tale, is by promoting every unicorn book by every other author that I could find on the internet. Considering all of the age categories, that's well over one thousand books featuring unicorns!
I started trying to write science fiction and fantasy after I had read a couple of hundred science fiction and fantasy books – several of them novels featuring unicorns. By the time I was in my early 30's, the works of those other authors had so inspired me that I was sure I could come up with a tale of my own. I was particularly fascinated with the idea of unicorns with magical powers but I wanted mine to be different from all the others I'd read about. I decided mine would be metal-horned unicorns with magical powers based on the science of their particular metals. I got to work researching metals and finally came up with a group of unicorns whose hides and manes were derivatives of the colors the metals produced under different conditions such as heat. Nearly all of them were named for the name of their metal in other languages. Their magical powers were inspired by their names or properties of their metals.
A couple of examples are Style, the steel-horned unicorn, who is the tribe's magical "mane-do" stylist; and Tinam, the tin-horned unicorn, who can magically preserve food in tins of different shapes and sizes. In those two examples, Style is an Old English word for steel and Tinam is a Germanic word for tin.
I considered myself a writer when I didn't even really know what being a writer meant. I was pretty naïve in the beginning of my writing days. Now, even after writing several books and receiving lots of positive reviews, I'm still never completely happy with what I've written.
Luckily, beta readers and editors have saved the day for me many times. I recommend every potential author out there to utilize their services if serious about the idea of selling books to the public. Otherwise, be prepared for some cruel criticism.
Back to your question, I'm not sure I'll ever really consider myself successful as an author. There are so many amazing writers in the world who will never achieve financial success or worldwide recognition. That is a shame because a there are so many great stories being told. The struggle to get eyes on your book is intense as there are literally over five thousand books published and offered to the public for sale each and every day in the United States alone. If you write it, you have to be willing to market it, too. With all of the competition, most of us will have to learn to be content to work within our own little sphere of influence. That sphere will only have any hope of continuing to expand outward by your overwhelming commitment to marketing.
Can you share a little more about your current book with us?
Journey To Osm – The Blue Unicorn's Tale is the full length novel version of The Blue Unicorn's Journey To Osm, a middle grade picture book. In that one, each two page chapter is followed by a glorious double-spread illustration by Dasguptarts. That "chapter book" contains over 160 pages total. I was never happy with the text constraints of that version of the book so I expanded it to an 85,000 word clean-read YA novel.
The Blue Unicorn is one of twelve remaining members of the Tribe of the Metal Horn. It took a couple of centuries for Magh, the evil sorcerer of MarBryn, to slaughter hundreds of stranded space-faring unicorns who were visiting MarBryn. Why did Magh do it? To steal the unicorn's magic, of course. Why didn't the unicorns just travel away from the evil sorcerer? Well, you'll find the answer to that question in the book. Of the remaining twelve unicorns, only Blue was born with no metal and no magic. Strangely, it was prophesied that he would become the saviour of the tribe. With little to no hope left, it will be up to the plain blue unicorn to figure out how to fulfill the prophecy that promises he will take the metal-horned unicorns back to the safety of their home planet, Unimaise.
Yes, it is somewhat lyrical and a little whimsical with some silly comedic moments plus quite a bit of action, adventure and drama. I use a lot of word play. . .turning ordinary words into flights of fancy. My unicorns think and act like people. Readers, who are grounded in reality, will have to seriously suspend some of their beliefs when they learn of some of the things they are capable of.
How did you come up with the title of this book? I was always enamored with the Wizard of Oz. I wanted the word Osm to evoke flashes of fond memories in potential readers. On a side note, the word, Osm, is taken from a metal that many don't know about called Osmium. That shiny, bluish-white metal is the densest metal in the world – twice as dense as lead. It is also one of the rarest metals. It's not the most expensive but as of today it is valued at $1,645.00 for 1 troy ounce. That's right up there next to the price of gold!
First, that you can't always just a book by its cover. And last, don't let anything stop you from trying to achieve your goals. Keep consistently at it. You will find yourself learning and calling up new strengths every day. Never give up.
What authors have most influenced your writing? What about them do you find inspiring?
Piers Anthony's writings most influenced my desire to try to write a book. He wrote about magical unicorns and he is known as a master of "punmanship". I absolutely loved the way he took ordinary words and terms and flipped them into something completely different and unique. Here's one – Ladies: Are you looking for a new pair of shoes? Just pluck one from a Ladyslipper tree. His books contain thousands of examples of this type of word play. All the normal people in his novels were known as the Mundanes. Hmmm…I wonder if that's where JK Rowling came up with the idea of calling magicless people Muggles? She has publicly admitted to being influenced by lots of authors but he is not one that I could confirm. By the way, I call all of the actual people in my novel (those with magic and those without) Two-leggers. But I never call them people.
I hope you enjoy reading about the metal-horned unicorns from Unimaise. It took me thirty years to come up with a story that I wanted to actually share with others.
Sybrina Durant
Journey To Osm- The Blue Unicorn's Tale
Cover Artist: Dasguptarts
Publisher: Sybrina Publishing
Sybrina's Unicorn Book Store
Sybrina's Catalog
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Author Interview: Lee Garratt
June 17, 2021 Wendy Van Camp	1 Comment
I originally know Author Lee Garratt from speculative poetry, but he is also a novelist! When I asked him how he might describe himself as an author, he replied: "Regularly entertains delusions of grandeur." Please welcome him to No Wasted Ink.
Hi there. My name is Lee Garratt. I am 49 years old and, after rather a varied career history, I am currently teaching High School English in the English Midlands. I have a 10 year old son, Alfred.
As a serious thing after a marriage break up 7 years ago. I suddenly had more time to myself and I thought it was either now or never. Writing was always something I was going to do – it was time to either get busy or to drop that dream.
That's an interesting question. It is something of a sliding scale isn't it? When I first started writing I went to a local poetry club. There, the first thing I wanted to do was to write poems that would stand up against the others and get good feedback. Once I had achieved that, I set myself a goal of getting one of my poems or stories published. And when that happened, when I finally saw my name in print, it was, as every writer knows, a very exciting moment! Since then, I have been lucky enough to have more things published and even, more recently, whole books of my own.
Whether I consider myself a writer though, or 'just' a teacher who writes in the evenings is a moot point. I think, until I could quit the day job, I would feel a little bit of a fraud giving myself such a grand title! To be a writer, to actually be one, is really quite something.
Certainly. It is, I would say, a YA fantasy novella It is set in a land (a future Earth?) where society has, to a large extent, broken down. Culture only barely clings on in an almost mythical faraway place, SeaCity. The protagonist, Alfred, grows up in a dysfunctional, barely alive, settlement stranded in a dystopian waste. Events conspire to send Alfred on a dangerous journey to Seacity.
I think the genesis of it was just the image of a place; a barren wasteland where people barely cling on after some unspecified cataclysmic event. The place itself captured my imagination and I started from there.
Ooh. That's interesting. I think my 'natural' writing style is a kind of rational exposition similar to, in my mind at least, John Wyndham. I think it probably seems a little 'old fashioned' to some these days.
I play around with different voices though. I recently wrote a story in a more fevered Irvine Welsh kind of manner (or that was my intention). I've tried imitating a Stanislaw Lem voice (very difficult). It is fun to play around with these things.
The settling on a 'style' is an interesting thing actually. You read the vast majority of authors and they certainly do this. It's surprising actually, how many of them settle on a single 'voice'. Perhaps that is a good thing – perhaps most of us have one true authorial voice that, if we are lucky enough to discover, would be best advised to stick to. On the other hand, I sometimes wonder whether, given the sheer infinite amount of forms a story can take, many authors aren't just settling for safety?
It took a little while to get there actually. Indeed, I had another title in mind, 'Dirt', until very late in the day. When myself and the publisher decided on the cover image it was only then that I decided on 'Remains'.
I like the process on deciding on a title – when you hit on the right one it just fits somehow.
Hmm. I think I am a little obsessed with the randomness of life. And how often things, actually, aren't 'meant to be'. So, if there is a message, it is perhaps something of how the world is a big place that couldn't care less about you as an individual – even if you do happen to be a fictional character in a book!
Are experiences in this book based on someone you know, or events in
your own life?
I've not thought about that, Directly no. But the protagonist is called after my son so there might be something there.
Great question. I was something of a 'bum' in my 20s and 30s. So, for me, Jack London, Jack Kerouac, Mark Twain, Hemingway (and Tolkien too with his hobbits setting forth on journeys from the shire) have a lot to answer for!
As in all time, alive or dead?
I think I would probably choose Ursula K Le Guin. As well as being a truly wonderful writer of genius she always strikes me as a woman of wisdom and kindness. I love Hemingway but I'm not sure how good a mentor he would be. I imagine we might fall out after a big boozy night!
The first thing you write, try and make it incredibly, undeniably brilliant. You will then, in one fell swoop, have got yourself a publisher, an agent and lots of money, so can spend the rest of your life writing rather than having to bother yourself with all the boring stuff the rest of us have to.
Lee Garratt
Belper, Derbyshire, UK
Publisher: Dimensionfold Publishing
DIMENSIONFOLD
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Author Interview: Rae Knightly
May 6, 2021 Wendy Van Camp	Leave a comment
Author Rae Knightly is a science-fiction adventure author for teenagers and the young-at-heart. Please welcome her to No Wasted Ink.
My name is Rae Knightly and I live near Vancouver, on the West Coast of Canada, with my husband, two children and two grumpy cats. Before that, I lived in Mexico City, and before that, I lived in Belgium, and before that, I lived in Arizona, and before that… I think you get the idea. I love travelling and immersing myself in different cultures. In fact, I got a BA in translation (those who have read my books will get a chuckle out of this).
I've always been a writer at heart, but never had time to really do anything about it until 2018, when I lost my job. I already had a rough draft of Ben Archer and the Cosmic Fall (The Alien Skill Series, Book 1), so this turned out to be the perfect time to polish it up and publish it. That's when I decided to go full-time into writing, and I haven't looked back since.
2018 was a pivotal year for me. For the first time in my life, I managed to concentrate on a single project and write it from beginning to end. I felt very proud of that achievement because I had never managed to write a full story before. I had to wait until my forties to have enough time, a certain insight into my strengths and weaknesses, and a lot of patience, before I could attempt to become a writer.
I published the first book in The Alien Skill Series in 2018 (second edition in 2020). This is a science-fiction adventure story for middle-graders and teens, which talks about a twelve-year-old boy, Ben Archer, who witnesses the crash of alien spacecraft in his grandfather's field and is entrusted with an alien superpower. He goes on the run from government agents with the sole survivor of the crash: an alien man called Mesmo.
I believe that the friendship between Ben and Mesmo, as well as uncovering the reason why aliens came to Earth, have captivated readers of all ages and are the reasons for the series' success. I have now won multiple awards and have achieved bestseller status on Amazon in the US, UK, Canada and Australia.
Ben Archer and the Cosmic Fall is the first book in the series. The sixth and last book, Ben Archer and the Toreq Son, published in March 2021.
I am now working on my next series, The Lost Space Treasure, which I plan on publishing in 2022.
As mentioned above, I had plenty of story ideas but always struggled to focus on one of them. Ben Archer and the Cosmic Fall was supposed to be my 'practice novella' – a short and simple story. I wasn't even focusing too much on the story itself; all I wanted was to prove to myself that I could finish something short. But once I got into it, I became attached to the characters and the story kept growing. I guess you could say I grew with the story and was inspired to see how far I could go.
My mother tongue is French (I was born in Belgium), so I have a certain limit as to what/how I can write. Fortunately, I have enough English knowledge and vocabulary to tell a good story in an easily-accessible way.
Ben Archer and the Cosmic Fall is told from multiple points-of-view, which is quite unusual for middle-grade/teen books, but I believe it also the reason why readers of all ages have found a character to relate to.
I did a lot of research for the title, as well as the name of the main character. The original title was David Archer and the Chilliwack Fall, but then I discovered there already was a David Archer series and some smart readers pointed out that no-one would remember the name Chilliwack. I then changed the title to the Cosmic Fall to give it a science-fiction vibe.
The title of a book is important and is worth some thorough thought and research.
Under layers of adventure and excitement, there is indeed an important message in the series. Fortunately, readers have grasped that message and it reflects in their reviews: "A great environmental lesson for young adults." "Contains environmental yet important themes about our need to protect our planet." "An extremely timely message for today's readers."
In short, I hope to inspire young readers to take action to protect our environment.
The book is not based on experiences or people in my life. However, they are inspired by real events, short newspaper articles or videos I came across; such as water plumes jutting out of one of Saturn's moons, imprisoned whales freed off the coast of Russia, images of the Northern Lights in a magazine, major fires in the rainforests of Brazil…
What authors have most influenced your life? What about them do you
find inspiring?
I was an avid reader when I was a teenager, and most of my own writing reflects that. Some of my favourite science-fiction and fantasy authors were Susan Cooper (The Dark is Rising trilogy), Lois Duncan (A Stranger with my Face), Monica Hughes (Earthdark), Terry Brooks (The Shannara Trilogy), Paulo Coehlo (The Alchemist).
I loved their stories because they transported me into fantastical realms, away from reality. It was a thrilling feeling full of emotion and discovery. That is what I aim to do in my own writing.
Cristy Watson, my editor and author friend (Cutter Boy), has been a guiding light since the very beginning of my writing career. As a traditionally published author and teacher, she knew exactly how to gear the story towards my target readers. She has also brought a positive touch to my stories.
I ran a book cover contest on 99designs.com and received over eighty submissions! I picked five covers, then asked reader and writer Facebook groups to vote for their favourite one. The book cover designer Pintado came out a clear winner. This was an excellent marketing strategy for me because I knew I had a cover that was on target.
Writing, publishing and marketing your book can feel overwhelming at times. I suggest you don't look at the mountain. Rather, focus on what you can get done today. It doesn't have to be much, but you have to be constant. Also, forget about pleasing the crowds. What you have to do is find a group of target readers: those who will most enjoy your stories and rave about them.
Although my books are geared towards middle-graders and young adults, I welcome anyone to try them out. You can download a free novella by subscribing on my website: www.raeknightly.com .
This free novella is called The Great War of the Kins and is the point of origin of my two series: The Alien Skill and The Lost Space Treasure. I will also send you a monthly newsletter with news on upcoming releases, book cover reveals, ARC-reader opportunities, free books and more. Welcome to this fun and inclusive reading community!
Rae Knightly
Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada)
Ben Archer and the Cosmic Fall
Cover Artist: Pintado
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Author Interview: Chris J. Breedlove
October 23, 2019 Wendy Van Camp	2 Comments
I asked Author Chris Breedlove what his motto for being a writer was. He answered:
A Writer is…
A humble, receptive student and negotiator
But the heart that beats within his/her breast
Is a determined savage
Unfamiliar with surrender
Please welcome this savvy science fiction author to No Wasted Ink.
My name is Chris Harold Stevenson and I'm 67 years young. I go by the pen name Christy J. Breedlove for my YA books and stories. Yes, I changed gender entirely. That's another story.
My early writing accomplishment were multiple hits within a few years: In my first year of writing back in 1987, I wrote three SF short stories that were accepted by major slick magazines which qualified me for the Science Fiction Writers of America, and at the same time achieved a Finalist award in the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest. This recognition garnered me a top gun SF agent at the time, Richard Curtis Associates. My first novel went to John Badham (Director) and the producers, the Cohen Brothers. Only an option, but an extreme honor. The writer who beat me out of contention for a feature movie was Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park. My book was called Dinothon.
A year after that I published two best-selling non-fiction books and landed on radio, TV, in every library in the U.S. and in hundreds of newspapers.
I have been trying to catch that lightning in a bottle ever since. My YA dystopian novel, The Girl They Sold to the Moon won the grand prize in a publisher's YA novel writing contest, went to a small auction and got tagged for a film option. So, My latest release is Sceamcatcher: Web World, and it's showing some promise. I'm getting there, I hope!
I considered myself a writer when I published the two shorts in Amazing Stories magazine. I actually considered myself an author after my first non-fiction book was published and hit the media. It seems I had to have legitimate credits in order to claim such status.
I can give you the basic summary, or the extended blurb:
When seventeen-year-old Jory Pike cannot shake the hellish nightmares of her parent's deaths, she turns to an old family heirloom, a dream catcher. Even though she's half-blood Chippewa, Jory thinks old Native American lore is so yesterday, but she's willing to give it a try. However, the dream catcher has had its fill of nightmares from an ancient and violent past. After a sleepover party, and during one of Jory's most horrific dream episodes, the dream catcher implodes, sucking Jory and her three friends into its own world of trapped nightmares. They're in an alternate universe—locked inside of an insane web world filled with murders, beasts, and thieves. How can they find the center of the web where all good things are allowed to pass? Where is the light of salvation? Are they in hell?
It all started with a dream catcher. This iconic item, which is rightfully ingrained in Indian lore, is a dream symbol respected by the culture that created it. It is mystifying, an enigma that that prods the imagination. Legends about the dream catcher are passed down from multiple tribes. There are variations, but the one fact that can be agreed upon is that it is a nightmare entrapment device, designed to sift through evil thoughts and images and only allow pleasant and peaceful dreams to enter into the consciousness of the sleeper.
I wondered what would happen to a very ancient dream catcher that was topped off with dreams and nightmares. What if the nightmares became too sick or deathly? What if the web strings could not hold any more visions? Would the dream catcher melt, burst, vanish, implode? I reasoned that something would have to give if too much evil was allowed to congregate inside of its structure. I found nothing on the Internet that offered a solution to this problem—I might have missed a relevant story, but nothing stood out to me. Stephen King had a story called Dream Catcher, but I found nothing in it that was similar to what I had in mind. So I took it upon myself to answer such a burning question. Like too much death on a battlefield could inundate the immediate location with lost and angry spirits, so could a dream catcher hold no more of its fill of sheer terror without morphing into something else, or opening up a lost and forbidden existence. What would it be like to be caught up in another world inside the webs of a dream catcher, and how would you get out? What would this world look like? How could it be navigated? What was the source of the exit, and what was inside of it that threatened your existence? Screamcatcher: Web World, the first in the series, was my answer. I can only hope that I have done it justice.
I'm a fruit salad of other known writer's influences. Oh, like what I consider stylists: Poul Anderson, Virgin Planet, Peter Benchley, The Island and Jaws, Joseph Wambaugh, The Onion Field and Black Marble, Michael Crichton, Jurassic Park, Alan Dean Foster, Icerigger trilogy, and some Stephen King. Anne Rice impresses with just about anything she has written. I think it's the humor and irony that attracts me the most–and it's all character-related
After I had the idea/premise for the book, having researched similar works, if any, I found that I had something very unique. It dawned on me to name the book Screamcatcher since it was a play on words and it sounded impactful. Again, I researched that word and only found that it was used in a short story about a kid having a tooth extraction. I knew then that I was home free. I was continuously complimented by all of the publishers and editors who saw the title. It's the first book in the series, and I have sub-titles for the other two as well, which are sold and just about ready for editing.
I'm not very heavy-handed when it comes to delivering messages in my books. I want to avoid any preaching at all costs. I do include the basic/standard survival, loyalty, courage and persistence themes in my young characters, as well as emotional growth and cooperation. I did hide, or rather include, a very deep and subtle message in the story that I think most will gloss over or not recognize altogether. And that is my belief that sometimes the nice guy finishes first and gets the gal. I wanted something that swerved away from the controlling, domineering alpha male that is so often seen in other works of YA and romance. I wanted a slow burn sweet romance that was touching. Quite a few reviewers recognized this message and I got kudos for it. That was a RELIEF.
The main character Jorlene (Jory) is named after my sister. Although she does not resemble the FMC physically, she does so in an emotional sense. Her boyfriend, Choice Daniels, is named after my great-nephew. All of my books contain the names of my extended family members. And there are parts of them that show through in the personalities of the fictional characters.
Other than those stylists mentioned above, I had direct contact with members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Alan Dean Foster, Richard Curtis, Robert Bloch, Bob Heinlein, Clive Barker, and others. From their Youtube instruction videos and articles, JK Rowling, Anne Rice, and Stephen King have inspired me tremendously with their no-nonsense attitude about hammering those keys in spite of depression, lack of motivation or pure laziness.
That honor would go to Poul Anderson who wrote back to me habitually and gave me guidance in the industry when I needed it the most. He took out his valuable time to befriend me and answer so many questions. Can you tell I'm a dinosaur yet?
Carlone Andrus of Melange Books, Fire & Ice YA division rendered the cover after reading the book. I had a different idea in mind, but she absolutely nailed it. The compliments have never stopped coming. Most of the plot is revealed on the cover but you would have to search very hard to put it all together.
Watch your spending on ads–they can be grossly ineffective. Use social media and generously interact with fellow writers and readers. Don't abuse FB and Twitter solely for the purpose of "Buy My Book." Join writing groups and learn from the pros. Ask politely for reviews–don't pressure, harass or intimidate. Be creative. Target your genre readers. Offer incentives and freebies. Craft a newsletter and send it out bi-monthly. Don't take critiques as personal attacks–learn from honest opinions. Don't despair. Never give up. Revenge query. I run a writer's advocate blog and I pull no punches.
If you think that you've had it tough, I recommend you watch Magic Beyond Words, the life story of Joanne Kathleen Rowling. Books just don't happen. They are nurtured and raised from infancy, just like a budding writer is. This business might quit you, but you cannot quit the business. Stay active and attentively writing.
Chris J. Breedlove
Sylvania, Alabama
Screamcatcher: Web World
Cover Artist: Caroline Andrus
Publisher: Melange Books, LLC
author interviewbooksscience fictionwriterswritingYA
Author Interview: Kevin Riley
August 28, 2019 Wendy Van Camp	Leave a comment
Author Kevin Riley is a writer with too many hobbies who resides in Sidney, Ohio with his wife. Please welcome him to No Wasted Ink.
Hello! I am Kevin Riley, a 40-year-old writer and freelance designer from Ohio where I live with my wife. I have three adult kids and recently welcomed grandbabies #3 and #4. When I'm not writing or designing I'm usually woodworking and/or building something, from guitars to furniture, I love to keep busy. I also operate the Keyboard Monkeys blog (https://keyboardmonkeys.blog/ ).
I first started writing when I accepted a new position an hour's drive from my house. I had a lot of time to fill during those two hours of commuting. I used the time to start thinking about a main character and soon other characters started joining him. After a while, they just all started interacting in my head, so eventually, I had to tell their story.
I secretly considered myself a writer after I finished my first novel (The Dark Genesis of Daniel James) but I still didn't feel right calling myself a writer to others until I'd finished by 3rd book (The Consciousness Puzzle). But even then, my career as a designer really started to get busy and I considered myself a designer first and a writer second. Last year I left the company I'd worked for since I was 19 and started freelance designing and writing. I still spend a bit more time designing than writing but my passion has definitely shifted to where I feel I am equally a writer and designer.
My current work-in-progress is actually my favorite (isn't it always?). The title is "My Life As Death" and the premise is basically:
On the eve of his senior year, almost-eighteen-year-old Nathaniel (Nate to his friends) gets into a drunken accident, totaling his car and ending his life, or so he thought. In the darkness of death, a face appears and offers him a deal; agree to become a Grim Reaper (yes, there's more than one Grim Reaper), send a select number of well-deserving souls to the afterlife and he will get to finish out the life he was meant to live. Fail to reap all of them and Nate will forever be a servant of death.
Now Nate's not a homicidal maniac; to the contrary, he actually doesn't like the idea of having to kill anyone, but he's guaranteed to only have to reap the truly evil, the murderers, rapists and child molesters. How could anyone have a problem with getting rid of those people? Right? Upon touching the guilty party, Nate will even see their evil deeds and know the punishment is deserved. Then he just has to decide how they'll die. But not everything is as simple as it seems, especially when everyone has secrets.
The title My Life As Death actually came to me first while mowing one day, immediately followed by the idea and an image of a teenage grim reaper. I loved the question of how a teenager would handle being responsible for dealing with death. I mean, high school is tough enough without being an angel of death. How would he handle the added responsibility? What would happen with his friends if they find out?
My writing style has gently evolved with experience. Dark Genesis and My Life as Death are young adult books and 23 Hours and The Consciousness Puzzle are more Adult Action/Adventure so my style probably changes a little between them, but I think the best way to describe my writing style is "fast-paced". I like to read shorter, action-packed books and I think my writing reflects this preference.
The phrase just popped into my head one day while mowing. I always listen to music while mowing and I'm sure it was triggered by a song but unfortunately, I couldn't tell you which one.
This book really seems to hit on many themes such as friendship, responsibilities, redemption as well as others, but I think the overall message is personal strength and accountability. Nate is tasked with a horrible responsibility and doesn't always make the right decisions, but he keeps going.
Are experiences in this book based on someone you know or events in your own life?
This book, more than any other, draws on a lot of my own teenage experiences and feelings, besides the whole "Angel of Death" part. There are some of the deep friendships like you develop in those years, as well as the teacher/parent/authority-figure conflicts. There's also the whole idea of figuring out who you are and where you fit in this world, it's just complicated by the fact that he has a unique obligation to send people on to the after-life.
I grew up going to the library all the time, and probably read every "Hardy Boys" book published before I turned 14 or 15, so I'd have to say Edward Stratemeyer and the collection of writers known as Franklin W. Dixon probably had the most influence on me becoming a writer. I think both JK Rowling and Dean Koontz, especially his earlier stuff, really pushed me to explore deeper possibilities with character development in storytelling because of the complexity and flaws of their characters.
If I were to choose one writer as a mentor, I think it would have to be Dean Koontz because of his diversity and how prolific he is as a writer.
As a designer by trade, I have designed all my book covers. While it's a different application than what I was used to in my day job I loved the unique challenge, though I'm also probably my own worst customer.
"Just Write". My first attempt at writing a novel stopped after 15,000 words when I realized that the story wasn't any good. But the characters were good, and my second attempt with them went much better and became my first novel. If I can do it, anyone can; it just takes time, practice and persistence.
To my readers, I would probably say – I'd love to know what you think of any of my books. I appreciate anyone who takes time to tweet at me, email me, or especially to leave a review, even the less than flattering ones. I don't mind criticism at all, that's how we grow as people and as writers, though I welcome positive feedback as well.
Sidney, Ohio
The Consciousness Puzzle
fantasykevin rileyYAYoung Adult


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text:
Chromosome counts and karyotype reports from Fimbristylis (Cyperaceae) in Thailand
Wilailux Zumstein Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahasarakham University, Mahasarakham 44150, Thailand.
Kamolhathai Wangwasit Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahasarakham University, Mahasarakham 44150, Thailand.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.20531/tfb.2019.47.2.01
Keywords: Chromosome number, Cyperaceae, Fimbristylis, Karyotype
The somatic chromosome numbers and karyotype of Thai Fimbristylis species were determined from root tips. The chromosome counts and karyotype formulae are 2n=20 (16m+4sm) for F. argentea, 2n=26 (2M+10m+14sm) for F. dichotoma, 2n=4 (2m+2sm) for F. pubisquama, 2n=10 (6m+4sm) for F. insignis, 2n=10 (8m+2sm) for F. eragrostis, F. fusca, F. littoralis, F. ovata and F. umbellaris, and 2n=10 (4m+6sm) for F. thomsonii. Chromosome numbers of F. eragrostis, F. fusca, F. insignis, F. pubisquama and F. thomsonii are newly reported. The present study determined several karyotype asymmetry values. In addition, correlation between the karyotype asymmetry values were shown in this study. The dispersion diagram was found based on A1 and A2. The Stebbins categories of Fimbristylis investigated taxa were 3A, 4A and 4B.
Bir, S.S., Cheema, P. & Sidhu, M.K. (1992). Chromosomal analysis of Fimbristylis Vahl in Punjab, North West India. Proceedings of the Indian National Science Academy B 58: 63–70.
Bir, S.S., Sidhu, M. & Kamra, S. (1986). Karyotypic studies on certain members of Cyperaceae from Punjab, North West India. Cytologia 51: 95–106.
Govaerts, R., Jimenez-Mejias, P., Koopman, J., Simpson, D., Goetghebeur, P., Wilson. K., Egorova, T. & Bruhl, J. (2019). World checklist of Cyperaceae. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://wcsp.science.kew.org/Retrieved 7 May 2019.
Greilhuber, J. & Speta, F. (1976). C-banded karyotypes in the Scilla hohenackeri group, S. persica and Puschkinia (Liliaceae). Plant Systematics and Evolution 126: 149–188.
Hoshino, T., Rajbhandari, K. & Ohba, H. (2000). Cytological studies of eleven species of Cyperaceae collected from Central Nepal. Cytologia 65: 219–224.
Hsu, C.C. (1972). Preliminary chromosome studies on the vascular plants of Taiwan (V): Cytotaxonomy on some monocotyledons. Taiwania 17(1): 48–65.
Huziwara, Y. (1962). Karyotype analysis in some genera of Compositae. VIII. Further studies on the chromosome of Aster. American Journal of Botany 49: 116–119.
Lavania, U.C. & Srivastava, S. (1992). A simple parameter of dispersion index that serves as a adjunct to karyotype asymmetry. Journal of Biosciences 17: 179–182.
Levan, A., Fredga, K. & Sandberg, A.A. (1964). Nomenclature for centromeric position on chromosomes. Hereditas 52: 201–220.
Maxwell, J.F. (2002). Fimbristylis alata E.G. Camus (Cyperaceae): a new record for Thailand. Natural History Bulletin of Siam Society 50(1): 115–116.
Nijalingappa, B.H.M. (1975a). Cytological studies in Fimbristylis (Cyperaceae). Cytologia 40: 177–183.
________. (1975b). Diploid and tetraploid chromosome races in Fimbristylis ovata (Cyperaceae). Cytologia 40: 557–560.
________. (1977). Autotetraploidy in Fimbristylis falcata (Vahl) Kunth (Cyperaceae). Proceedings of the Indian Academy of Science 85: 21–24.
Paszko, B. (2006). A critical review and a new proposal of karyotype asymmetry indices. Plant Systematics and Evolution 258: 39–48.
Rath, S.P. & Patnaik, S.N. (1974). Cytology studies in Cyperaceae with special reference to its taxonomy I. Cytologia 39: 341–352.
________. (1977). A note on the cytology of Fimbristylis umbellaris (Lamk.) Vahl. The Botanical Magazine 90: 79–81.
Roalson, E.H. (2008). A synopsis of chromosome number variation in the Cyperaceae. The Botanical Review 74: 209–393.
Saensouk, S. & Saensouk, P. (2018). New record of chromosomal features for nine species Cyperaceae from Thailand. The Nucleus 61: 121–128.
Saha, P., Sarkar, D., Kundu, A., Majumder, S., Datta, S.K. & Datta, K. (2014). Karyotype analysis and chromosomal evolution in Asian species of Corchorus (Malvaceae s. l.). Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 61: 1173–1188.
Sanyal, B. & Sharma, A. (1972). Cytological studies in Indian Cyperaceae. I. Tribe Scirpeae. Cytologia 37: 13–32.
Sharma, A.K. & Bal, A.K. (1956). A cytological investigation of some members of the family Cyperaceae. Phyton 6: 1–22.
Simpson, D.A. & Koyama, T. (1998). Cyperaceae. In: T. Santisuk & K. Larsen (eds). Flora of Thailand. 6(4): 247–485. Dimond Printing, Bangkok.
Stebbins, G.L. (1971). Chromosomal evolution in higher plants. Edward Arnold, London.
Subramanian, D. (1988). Cytotaxonomical studies in south Indian Cyperaceae I. Species from the plains. Cytologia 53: 67–72.
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Venora, G., Blangiforti, S., Castiglione, M.R., Pignone, D., Losavio, F. & Cremonini, R. (2002). Chromatin organisation and computer aided karyotyping to Triticum durum Desf. cv. Timilia. Caryologia 55: 91–98.
Wangwasit, K., Wangwasit, K. & Chantaranothai, P. (2012). Fimbristylis pubisquama (Cyperaceae), a new record for the Flora of Thailand. Thai Forest Bulletin (Botany) 40: 141–143.
Wangwasit, K., Muasya, A.M., Chantaranothai, P. & Simpson, D.A. (2017). Taxonomy and phylogenetic position of Fimbristylis fusiformis, a new species of Cyperaceae from Thailand. Blumea 62: 47–52.
Yano, O. & Hoshino, T. (2006a). Cytological studies of aneuploidy in Eleocharis kamtschatica (Cyperaceae). Cytologia 71: 141–147.
________. (2006b). Phylogenetic relationships and chromosomal evolution of Japanese Fimbristylis (Cyperaceae) using nrDNA, ITS and ETS 1f sequence data. Acta Phytotaxonomica et Geobotanica 57: 205–217.
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PDF ( 1MB )
Zumstein, W., & Wangwasit, K. (2019). Chromosome counts and karyotype reports from Fimbristylis (Cyperaceae) in Thailand. Thai Forest Bulletin (Botany), 47(2), 123-132. https://doi.org/10.20531/tfb.2019.47.2.01
Copyright (c) 2019 Forest Herbarium


text:
package com.navercorp.pinpoint.plugin.vertx.interceptor;

import com.navercorp.pinpoint.bootstrap.async.AsyncTraceIdAccessor;
import com.navercorp.pinpoint.bootstrap.context.AsyncTraceId;
import com.navercorp.pinpoint.bootstrap.context.MethodDescriptor;
import com.navercorp.pinpoint.bootstrap.context.SpanEventRecorder;
import com.navercorp.pinpoint.bootstrap.context.Trace;
import com.navercorp.pinpoint.bootstrap.context.TraceContext;
import com.navercorp.pinpoint.bootstrap.interceptor.AroundInterceptor;
import com.navercorp.pinpoint.bootstrap.logging.PLogger;
import com.navercorp.pinpoint.bootstrap.logging.PLoggerFactory;
import com.navercorp.pinpoint.plugin.vertx.VertxConstants;

/**
 * @author jaehong.kim
 */
public class VertxImplExecuteBlockingInterceptor implements AroundInterceptor {
    private final PLogger logger = PLoggerFactory.getLogger(this.getClass());
    private final boolean isDebug = logger.isDebugEnabled();

    private TraceContext traceContext;
    private MethodDescriptor descriptor;

    public VertxImplExecuteBlockingInterceptor(final TraceContext traceContext, final MethodDescriptor methodDescriptor) {
        this.traceContext = traceContext;
        this.descriptor = methodDescriptor;
    }

    @Override
    public void before(Object target, Object[] args) {
        if (isDebug) {
            logger.beforeInterceptor(target, args);
        }

        Trace trace = traceContext.currentTraceObject();
        if (trace == null) {
            return;
        }

        final SpanEventRecorder recorder = trace.traceBlockBegin();
        if (validate(args, 0) || validate(args, 2)) {
            // make asynchronous trace-id
            final AsyncTraceId asyncTraceId = trace.getAsyncTraceId();
            recorder.recordNextAsyncId(asyncTraceId.getAsyncId());

            if (validate(args, 0)) {
                // args 0 'io.vertx.core.Handler'
                ((AsyncTraceIdAccessor) args[0])._$PINPOINT$_setAsyncTraceId(asyncTraceId);
            }

            if (validate(args, 2)) {
                // args 2 'io.vertx.core.Handler'
                ((AsyncTraceIdAccessor) args[2])._$PINPOINT$_setAsyncTraceId(asyncTraceId);
            }
            if (isDebug) {
                logger.debug("Set asyncTraceId metadata {}", asyncTraceId);
            }
        }
    }

    private boolean validate(final Object[] args, final int argPosition) {
        if (args == null || args.length < 3) {
            if (isDebug) {
                logger.debug("Invalid args object. args={}.", args);
            }
            return false;
        }

        if (!(args[argPosition] instanceof AsyncTraceIdAccessor)) {
            if (isDebug) {
                logger.debug("Invalid args[{}] object. Need metadata accessor({}).", argPosition, AsyncTraceIdAccessor.class.getName());
            }
            return false;
        }

        return true;
    }

    @Override
    public void after(Object target, Object[] args, Object result, Throwable throwable) {
        if (isDebug) {
            logger.afterInterceptor(target, args, result, throwable);
        }

        Trace trace = traceContext.currentTraceObject();
        if (trace == null) {
            return;
        }

        try {
            final SpanEventRecorder recorder = trace.currentSpanEventRecorder();
            recorder.recordApi(this.descriptor);
            recorder.recordServiceType(VertxConstants.VERTX_INTERNAL);
            recorder.recordException(throwable);
        } finally {
            trace.traceBlockEnd();
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
«Веселозавр Рекс» () — компьютерный анимационный короткометражный фильм 2012 года, режиссёра Марка Уолша. Он был показан в кинотеатрах вместе с «В поисках Немо 3D». «Веселозавр Рекс» является третьей короткометражкой в серии «Toy Story Toons», основанной на персонажах из «Истории игрушек». Это одна из последних ролей Дона Риклса в роли Мистера Картофельной головы, до его смерти в 2017 году, а также озвучивания в «Истории игрушек и ужасов!», «Истории игрушек, забытой временем» и «Истории игрушек 4».

Сюжет
Игрушки развлекаются надуванием мыльных пузырей. Прибежавший Рекс мешает им, протыкает громадный пузырь, который они надули, и сбивает часть игрушек своим хвостом. Мистер Картофельная голова обзывает Рекса Вредомонстром, большинство остальных подхватывают дразнилку. Рексу становится обидно. Мама зовёт Бонни купаться, все игрушки разбегаются, и Бонни берёт в ванную замешкавшегося Рекса. Купание быстро заканчивается, Рекс остаётся в ванной комнате и знакомится с новыми игрушками, представляясь Веселозавром Рексом.

Игрушки жалуются, что большую часть времени проводят очень тоскливо, так как не могут включить для себя воду, потому что у них нет рук. Рекс, вообще-то являющийся приверженцем порядка, вспоминает, как его дразнили, и решает открыть для них кран. Начинается весёлая пенная вечеринка. Тем временем Базз, который не одобрял насмешки над Рексом, хоть и пострадал больше всех от его неуклюжести, обеспокоен долгим отсутствием друга. Во главе остальных игрушек он идёт к двери ванной, чтобы спросить, все ли в порядке.

Неожиданно дверь распахивается от мощного потока воды, вылившегося из переполненной ванной. Дом затоплен, маме Бонни приходится вызывать ремонтную службу. Пока недовольные друзья Рекса сушатся, его самого зовут во двор, где скучают игрушки из надувного бассейна, чтобы он и у них устроил веселье.

Роли озвучивали

 Том Хэнкс
 Тим Аллен
 Джоан Кьюсак
 Дон Риклс
 Эстель Харрис
 Уоллес Шон
 Джон Раценбергер
 Нед Битти
 Майкл Китон
 Джоди Бенсон
 Джесс Харнелл — второстепенные персонажи

Музыка
Электронный художник BT написал музыку для короткометражки. Он сказал в интервью: «Сейчас я нахожусь в центре, забирая мультфильм для Pixar. Это короткий вариант для "Истории игрушек" и мне не разрешено рассказывать всю историю, но в буквальном смысле это как "История игрушек", и я тоже не шучу). Например, игрушки проникают во все эти махинации, и это похоже на стук клубной музыки, эта вещь. истерический путь, все смеются так сильно, когда видят это. Мне очень интересно работать с этими парнями».

Поэт-песенник коротким названием «Partysaurus Overflow», выпущенный BT и Au5, был выпущен как цифровая загрузка 19 ноября 2012 года в iTunes и Amazon.

Премьера
Премьера «Веселозавра Рекса» состоялась с 3D версией «В поисках Немо» 14 сентября 2012 года. 8 октября 2012 года на Disney Channel была доступна телевизионная премьера, и она была доступна для просмотра в Интернете через сайт Диснея 10 октября 2012 года. По состоянию на октябрь 2012 года короткометражка также доступна на iTunes, Amazon и YouTube. Короткометражка дебютировала на домашнем просмотре в качестве специальной функции на выпуске 3D версии «Корпорации монстров», которая была выпущена 19 февраля 2013 года. Она также включена в «Историю игрушек и ужасов!», выпущенной 19 августа 2014 года.

Приём
Короткометражка была хорошо принята. Бен Кендрик, из «:en:The Christian Science Monitor», сказал, что «Веселозавр Рекс» — это «самая приятно прямая франшиза на сегодняшний день».

Примечания

Ссылки

Мультфильмы США 2012 года
История игрушек
Короткометражные мультфильмы Pixar