text:
Christina James, crime novelist
Crime fiction to bring out the detective in you!
About Christina James
The D.I. Yates crime thrillers
Fair of Face
An interview with Christina James about Almost Love
http://blog.saltpublishing.com/2013/05/13/elaine-aldred-interviews-christina-james-about-her-second-novel-almost-love/
An intervew with Christina James
http://strangealliances.wordpress.com/
Almost Love
Blogging experiences
Bookselling and publishing
Crime novel themes
Film / tv programme reviews
Landscape and the seasons
Media-linked
Personal experiences
Rooted in Dishonour
Sausage Hall
From her floating home in Rotterdam, @vallypee could not be a firmer supporter of DI Yates and of many other books… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 4 days ago
#FF @LisetteBrodey! twitter.com/LisetteBrodey/… 4 days ago
One of my two most loyal supporters here, @LisetteBrodey never fails in her consistent goodwill towards other autho… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 4 days ago
Join us if you can! @jamesrgclarke @saltpublishing @BradfordLitFest twitter.com/jamesrgclarke/… 1 week ago
Salt authors celebrate twenty years of @saltpublishing! bradfordlitfest.co.uk/event/salt-fic… @BradfordLitFest 1 week ago
Follow @cajameswriter
Christina James is on Facebook
Follow Christina James via email
Of Melbourne and meeting people…
And so to Taipei…
The perfect Gentleman Jack launch!
A shared Salt publication day!
Having my cake… and eating it!
Murder comes to Pontefract again, baa gum.
The Pontefract Fleece Force
Saturday November 5th was a cold, squally day, a fitting atmosphere for Bonfire Night. I was probably feeling the cold more than most, having just returned from some time away on business, first in Quito and then in Charleston, South Carolina (more about both on these pages very soon). The temperature in each of these places was around twenty-five degrees.
I was in Pontefract, a historic Yorkshire town, scene of gruesome murders during the Wars of the Roses and, almost two centuries later, in the English Civil War. Pontefract library is a light and airy building with lots of glass and invitingly-arranged bookshelves that fan out from the centre as well as lining the walls. I'd been very kindly invited by Alison Cassels, the Officer for Reading at Wakefield Library Services, with whom I have several times participated in crime fiction events in West Yorkshire; she had asked me to speak about Rooted in Dishonour, which will be published on 15th November, read one of the chapters and then host a more general literary event, which included asking the audience to name their favourite novels and take part in a short 'whodunnit' play written by Ann Cleeves.
It was a long time since I'd last visited Pontefract Library and I enjoyed going back. A small flock of helmeted sheep occupied the 'Fleece Station' and busied itself with a murder scene just outside. The corpse had been already removed, having first been outlined by Eweno Hugh, the soco. I noted the chalked heels and deduced that the victim had been female. I heard that DI Tup, who had been protecting some productive grass from persecution by local thieves, would soon be on the case. I felt quite at home. Furthermore, as the Ann Cleeves playlet was set in Shetland, refreshments included shortbread and Tunnock's teacakes, a treat that I've rarely seen since I worked in Scotland some twenty years ago.
The audience consisted of about twenty-five people, a few of whom I'd already met at events in Wakefield in previous years. They were truly one of the liveliest, most receptive audiences I've ever encountered. They gave Rooted in Dishonour a wonderful debut and asked so many questions that the event lasted two hours, instead of the hour that had been scheduled. If anyone who came on Saturday is reading this, I'd like to thank you very much indeed.
Huge thanks also to Alison, Lynne, Liz and Lynne and their colleagues, who made me feel as welcome and special as they always do.
Rooted in Dishonour's launch event will take place at Bookmark in Spalding on Tuesday 15th November, the publication date; I'll be signing books in the afternoon and talking about the novel and giving readings in the evening. More details may be found at http://bookmarkspalding.co.uk/. On Saturday 19th November, I'm signing copies of the novel from 11 am – 2 pm at Walker's Bookshop in Stamford (http://www.walkersbookshops.co.uk/) and on Saturday 26th November, starting at 12.30 pm, I have a signing session at Heffer's Bookshop in Cambridge (http://bookshop.blackwell.co.uk/stores/heffers), as part of the Cambridge Literary Festival.
With Alison Cassels
I'm also hoping to be able to spend rather more time blogging and catching up with many good friends on the social networks; they have been very, very kind to me on Twitter and Facebook whilst I have been caught up in work. Many sincere thanks to them all.
November 7th, 2016 11 Comments	About writing, Bookselling and publishing, Crime novel themes, Locations, Rooted in Dishonour, Social networking	Christina James
What I'd like, knitted up and sorted, once and for all…
I made the cardigan in the photograph for a small friend of mine and I have to admit I am quite proud of it. The small friend is a she who likes owls (the multi-shaded wool is called 'Owl' by its suppliers) and I found the owl buttons online. I was even more delighted when they arrived and I discovered that they'd come from an online retailer based at Gedney, a small village close to my native Spalding.
This particular little girl owns very few clothes in pink. Her mother, whilst objective enough to include some pink in her daughter's wardrobe, is determined not to turn her into a 'princess' and, in any case, I had other ideas for this project (pink not having been a very popular colour for girls during my own childhood, I should never have considered this colour as a must for any daughter of mine, had I had one); I like owls myself and have noticed that they tend not to shine brightly pink as they silently flit between the trees at dusk. And, if you follow me on Twitter, you'll know that my chosen header picture there hasn't a trace of pink in it. When looking for other garments with which to indulge the small friend, my worst expectations were quickly confirmed by what I found, that many are not only pink, but pink in a very sexist way. I've discovered (but not been tempted to buy) pink tops printed with patterns of cupcakes and hearts, pale pink coats adorned with dark pink bows and little pink socks with lacy ruffled tops. Most retailers of children's clothing stock their racks with boy-girl equivalents and I've found that the boy equivalents are almost always much more interesting and, generally, much less narrowly stereotyped by colour. For example, at Monsoon, I found some beautiful long-sleeved T-shirts in green and gold, decorated respectively with wild animals on a prairie and a train packed with animal passengers. Some of the motifs were appliquéd or embroidered, making the fabric fascinating for a small girl already interested in all things tactile. I bought them for her: there was nothing overtly masculine about them and they were much more fun than the horizon-narrowing pink-iced buns on a darker pink ground topped with scarlet glacé cherries. Her mum has also bought beautiful boys' clothes for her which look as good on her as on any boy. Based on my limited recent experience as a shopper for infants, I'm astonished that the racks of sickly pink fairy-frocks sell: I had fondly assumed that at least some of the clear message thinking women (and men!) have been sending for so many years now to the producers and buyers of children's goods would have got through; I'd have expected to see the 'pretty-in-pink' clothes bunched in limp, unconsidered crowds during the sales. But in all the shops where I browsed, the pink princess outfits seemed to be disappearing like hot cakes – or cupcakes!
What I especially don't understand is the logic behind dressing little girls in clothes like these. In the past, girls wore skirts and boys wore trousers or shorts (I belong to the first generation of girls to have made a big push first to be allowed to wear trousers and later to have them accepted as smart workwear), but there were few other concessions to gender except whether buttons were placed on the left or the right of the garment (a confusing convention that thankfully seems largely to have died out). Girls and boys wore the same styles and colours in coats, jumpers, cardigans, shirts, vests and socks. Only swimwear and footwear were different, and then not always: small girls often wore the same (hideously uncomfortable when wet) knitted swimming trunks as boys and stout lace-up shoes in the winter or bar-sandals in the summer were fairly universal. Granted, colours were often drab (browns, greens and greys didn't show the dirt, swatches of cloth and hanks of wool were often left over from the making of adult garments) and choosing 'unisex' clothes may partly have been inspired by the domestic economics of hand-me-downs. I acknowledge there was also quite a lot to put up with before the advent of man-made materials and truly waterproof clothes. Most children had only one school coat and often had to wear it damp on the day following a downpour. All but the wealthiest grew heartily sick of their clothes before they grew out of them: two school skirts, two jumpers and two or three shirts, plus a dress 'for best', was the norm and, although I didn't think of it then, this must have meant mothers, and sometimes fathers (not all fathers ensconced themselves behind their newspapers when they returned home) were engaged in a constant round of washing and ironing. I'm not trying to hark back to some kind of golden age.
But still, as far as our clothing went, girls and boys were pretty much equal. I certainly never wore anything that suggested that my future would be focused on baking cup-cakes and wearing lipstick (though I happen to enjoy both), nor did my brother's clothes indicate that he was destined to be a footballer, astronaut or mechanic. I make these points tongue-in-cheek, but underlying them is a very serious principle indeed: that of achieving true equality between the sexes and removing the glass ceiling once and for all. How are the women and men of the future going to be inspired to exercise a completely free choice, electing to become engineers or hairdressers, electricians or fashion designers, bus drivers or nurses – or indeed, bakers or make-up artists – because they've thought about it and this is what they want to be, if at the age of a few months they have already been placed in a gender pigeon-hole created by parents in cahoots with clothing manufacturers?
I began by saying that I'm proud of the owl cardigan. It's been a long time since I knitted a garment and, though the pattern was simple, I enjoyed making it and felt a sense of achievement when it was finished – especially as its owner seems to like it. It's a unisex cardigan, suitable equally for a girl or a boy, and could equally have been made by a man or a woman. One of the people who taught me to knit was my stepfather, a burly fifteen-stone builder with hands as big as soup tureens. Boys – and girls – and parents – take note.
May 8th, 2015 12 Comments	Comment, Media-linked, Personal experiences, Social networking	Christina James
Saying 'thank you' to @jennyoldhouse and @JennyBurnley1, two lovely Jennies!
This summer, events and commitments have seemed to conspire to restrict the time I had become used to spending on blog posts and engaging with others on the social media, by which I really mean Twitter, because, try as I might to be active with it, I can't feel very comfortable with the lumbering mode of global communication that Facebook always proves to be to me. Even Twitter has found me out as a tweeting dilettante, never spending long at all up there amongst the flocks in the branches, but flitting in and out in sharp bursts like a swallow. So, first, may I apologise to loyal friends who must think me at best unreliable and, at worst, not a friend to them at all. Some of you (you know who you are) have put up with my scant regard for relationship consistency with huge patience and unstinting support in my absences, for which, please do accept huge thanks for keeping this bird in flight.
In the context of all this, I should like to make as public a declaration of thanks as this blog permits to a wonderful pair of Jennies, who, separately and at different times, could almost be assumed to have been acting in collusion to make me feel good about myself and about my novels. They have joined a wonderful group of reviewers of the first two DI Yates books who have taken much trouble both to read them and then to provide splendidly constructive and insightful commentary upon them. The DI Yates page on this site quotes them verbatim, which is my best way of saying 'thank you'. However, Jenny Lloyd, who has reviewed both books, and Jenny Burnley, who has just reviewed Almost Love, have yet to find their comments transferred here (I've been remiss about this and I'll be rectifying it shortly!) and I'm thus giving them a post to themselves by way of appreciation.
Both Jennies have been absolutely consistent in their celebration of other writers' and bloggers' work, mine included, and I'd like them to know just how much I value such selfless enthusiasm for writing about and spreading what they read, which helps so many people on the networks. I'd also like to say how much I enjoy their work, too. Thankfully, their qualities are shared by many of my virtual friends and acquaintances; they do epitomise the best of good social media practice, which means that they are always a pleasure to talk to.
I imagine that readers of this post will readily understand how I feel upon reading such reviews as these two, not just because they are so positive, but because their insights are so very thoughtful. Here they are:
Jenny Lloyd, on In the Family:
While laid up with an injury, the days can seem interminably long. What I needed was a book that would take my mind off the pain in my knee and the stultifying boredom that comes from sitting in one place for too long. I'd just finished reading The Luminaries (an 800 plus page book I would never have got round to tackling if I hadn't been laid up). Then my daughter found the lost charger for my Kindle while looking for something else (as always happens). Browsing through some of the titles, I came across In the Family by Christina James, a book I'd bought some time ago, immediately following my reading of the author's other book, Almost Love.
There is always a risk, after reading a really good book by an author, that one's expectations will be disappointed by the next one. So it was with fingers crossed that I began In the Family, hoping I would enjoy it as much as Almost Love. I needn't have worried, though. If anything, I enjoyed this one more.
In the Family has all the ingredients which one expects from a crime-thriller but it is the author's skill which takes these ingredients and turns them into a crime-story bristling with mystery and suspense, written with intelligence and deep psychological insights. And the characters! Some of this family's characters you would not want to meet, let alone be related to, but the author portrays them so well I now feel I have met them all and they linger in my memory still. Essentially, I felt the central theme of this story explored how damaged people can result in damaged families with devastating consequences for any children involved.
The gist of the story; a skeleton is found buried alongside a road and Inspector Tim Yates is called in to investigate. The remains are that of a young woman, Kathryn Sheppard, who disappeared thirty years before. As Tim and his team unravel what happened to Kathryn, the Atkins family's past comes back to haunt them.
I devoured this book in two days; not because I had little else to do but because I honestly couldn't stop reading it. My measure of a good read is: how much I don't want to stop reading to go and do something else; how much I relish picking it up again; and how much I don't want it to end. In the Family scored top marks on all counts.
I feel I must thank Mrs James for the thoroughly enjoyable two days I spent captivated by her story. The Luminaries may have won the Booker Prize last year, but for me In the Family was the better read. Mrs James has a third novel coming soon; I will be first in the queue to buy!
Jenny Burnley, on Almost Love:
This excellent crime thriller weaves a complex story around the main characters of Detective Inspector Tim Yates and Alex Tarrant, following the inexplicable disappearance of Dame Claudia, a celebrated archaeologist with a mysterious past. In a weak, alcohol-fuelled moment, Alex, married to the boring, but dependable Tom, allows herself to be seduced by the dastardly Edmund, a dangerous, unlikeable character. This adulterous liaison is central to the story, which moves along at a cracking pace. The reader is drawn along deeper into the story, demanding to know the all-important answer to 'whodunit' and how. This quest required reading late into the night to unravel the mystery and see what happened next. Suspects abound in Almost Love and there is plenty of action, tension and suspense, with many clever twists and turns. The characters are exceptionally well-drawn, with close attention paid to human foibles and weaknesses. As the story unfolds, a dramatic late twist leaves the reader breathlessly awaiting the next D.I. Yates novel.
Thank you, Jenny and Jenny. You have jointly 'made my summer' and I know that your good offices as discriminating reviewers benefit many authors and make them feel very good about what they do. Thank you, too, to all those other wonderful reviewers and readers who have supported my books so far.
September 21st, 2014 6 Comments	Almost Love, Book reviews, Comment, In the Family, Social networking	Christina James
Liverpool, making virtual a reality, with panache…
Yesterday I was privileged to attend the Writing on the Wall (WoW) literary festival in Liverpool. It was held in Liverpool's wonderful new (it opened to the public just over a year ago) central library, which has been expertly refurbished so that it combines the best of the old, classically-built library exterior with a stunning, light-filled new building, the atrium of which is awe-inspiring in its use of space and light.
Liverpool Central Library, atrium and skylight dome
Yesterday's event was superlatively well organised by Abi Inglis, a recent graduate of Liverpool John Moores University, who runs her own online magazine (Heroine) for women and has been helping with or running literary events in the city for several years. Madeline Heneghan was the overall festival director and Mike Morris the operations director.
Abi Inglis, Wowfest organiser
Abi Inglis and Mike Morris, completely confident of the impact of Writing on the Wall!
Festival Director Madeline Heneghan opens Wowfest
I was doubly grateful to Abi, because, as well as inviting me to talk at the festival about how to get published, she also gave me a short slot to read the opening chapter of my next DI Yates novel, Sausage Hall, which will be published on 17th November. This was Sausage Hall's first public outing, and marks the start of a series of events that Salt and I are planning both in the lead-up to the publication date and immediately afterwards.
Giving 'Sausage Hall' its first outing
Even better, Abi devoted a large part of yesterday afternoon to Salt and Salt authors. Mike Morris, himself a published playwright, interviewed Jon Gale, a young Liverpudlian author whom he obviously admires greatly and whose novella Albion was recently published by Salt as part of the Modern Dreams series.
Jon Gale in animated response to Mike Morris' questions
Mike then chaired a panel session of four Modern Dreams authors: Jon Gale, Denny Brown, Michelle Flatley and Jones Jones. This was one of the best panel sessions I've ever seen conducted at a literary festival. Mike elicited comments from each of the authors with great skill, giving them each an equal opportunity to talk, and they were all courteous, articulate and extremely interested in each other's work. It was a proud day for Salt!
Mike Morris and the Salt Publishing 'Modern Dreams' panel
Mike in fine form, drawing out the best from the panel members
Knowing that I was going to meet them, I read each of these authors' novellas before the event, and was hugely impressed by them (Denny Brown's is called Devil on your Back,
Denny Brown
Michelle Flatley's Precious Metal,
Michelle Flatley
and Jones Jones' Marg).
Jones Jones
They all had an interesting story to tell about their journeys towards being published by Salt: Denny Brown, a mother of five, was the victim of an abusive marriage; Michelle Flatley is an artist who teaches refugees; Jones Jones is a journalist who has recently felt the compelling need to write fiction; Jon Gale has struggled for several years to find a publisher since leaving university. I recommend all their novellas: they're ideal for commutes or train journeys, or simply for rainy evenings at home – I'm certain you'll find that the time spent reading them will be more entertaining than watching TV. All are available as e-books from a variety of channel providers, including Amazon, which has just launched a promotion for the whole Modern Dreams series.
A privilege to sit at the feet of so much talent
I was sponsored to talk about 'How to get Published' by PrintonDemandWorldWide, whose new venture, The Great British Bookshop, provides authors with an alternative to Amazon if they want to self-publish but need help with sales channels.
'How to get published', talk sponsored by PrintonDemandWorldWide
PODWW gave me some notebooks, pens and guidelines for authors to distribute at the festival, which proved to be extremely popular.
I can't conclude this post without mentioning what a wonderful public audience the city of Liverpool produced for this event.
Snapshot view of an ever-changing but ever-attentive and supportive Liverpudlian audience
It was one of the most diverse audiences I've met at a literary festival: families brought their children; there were many teenagers and young adults; quite a few senior citizens and some people with disabilities took advantage of the easy access to the library to join in the festival fun. All listened keenly, welcomed the authors enthusiastically and asked great questions. The main festival arena was packed at all times and the ante-rooms, where authors' surgeries and DVD presentations about apps took place, were also always full. An inflatable 'pod', another of Abi's brainwaves, which offered a range of activities for children, was also very popular – and frequented by children of all ages!
Well done, the festival team and the city of Liverpool, for an absolutely stunning event.
Framed by Wowfest!
Footnote: If you're organising a literary event this autumn and would like me to give a reading from Sausage Hall and explain how I came to write it, please let me know. Salt is also offering a limited number of reading copies and there will be a competition later in the autumn to help to promote it. More details will appear here and on the Salt website.
The Liverpool Central Library roof terrace and skylight dome
One of the views from the roof terrace
July 20th, 2014 6 Comments	About writing, Bookselling and publishing, Comment, Locations, Personal experiences, Sausage Hall, Social networking	Christina James
Christina James, happily hopping from one blog to another… #Mondayblogs
I have Jenny Lloyd to thank for nominating me for The Writing Process 'blog hop'. (Why do I dislike this term? I've never liked the ugly sound of 'blog' and 'hop' has unfortunate 'bunny' associations – as if I've been given fluffy ears and a scut to bounce around in – hah!) Jenny is renowned as the author of Leap the Wild Water, a widely-acclaimed historical novel focusing upon the sufferings of women and the harsh conflicts and unbearable tensions between self and society in rural Wales two hundred years ago; she's getting close to releasing a sequel to it, The Calling of the Raven, and is already working on the third book. Thanks, Jenny, for this opportunity to join The Writing Process and best wishes for The Raven! (Do visit her blog at http://jennylloydwriter.wordpress.com/, which for me has wonderfully sensitive insights into her homeland, its people and its history… wiv pitchers!)
So, here I go, with a bounce:
What am I working on?
I'm just writing the concluding chapters to Sausage Hall, the third DI Yates novel. Like the first two novels in the Yates series, it is set mostly in Lincolnshire, though some of the action also takes place in Norfolk. Sausage Hall is the name that the locals give the house that is called Laurieston in the novel. It is situated in the village of Sutterton and based on an actual house, which really was nicknamed Sausage Hall, because it had been built by a butcher who'd gone bankrupt in the 1850s. My grandmother, having worked in domestic service all of her life, moved when she was sixty to Sutterton, which is about ten miles from Spalding and seven miles from Boston, to become companion to a very old lady who lived there. The old lady had been the wife of a gentleman farmer who was twenty years her senior, so he must have been born in the mid-nineteenth century. The house was frozen in a time warp. It was packed with quaint furnishings, but the most astounding thing about it (though as a child I just accepted it as normal) was that the walls were decorated with many sepia photographs of the old lady's husband when he'd been on safari in Africa as a young man. These photographs must have been taken in the 1870s or 1880s and in many of them he was accompanied by several black women wearing very little except strings of beads. It has long been my intention to write about what I think might have happened in this house. When I began researching the period and the district, my plot was given a considerable boost when I discovered that someone very famous had lived nearby in the late nineteenth century. That person appears in the novel, too. The book is set in the present, but the characters and their actions are considerably influenced by what went on at Sausage Hall more than a century ago.
How does my work differ from others in this genre?
As is well-known (especially by those who organise creative writing courses!), the genre of crime fiction is usually divided into several sub-genres. I'm only interested in a few of these: primarily the psychological crime novel, with a slighter nod to the 'woman at risk' variant. Except tangentially – for I do try to get the facts right about policing, the law and the justice system – I'm not what is known as a 'procedural' crime writer. I don't plod through all of the police action step by step, leaving no 'i' undotted or 't' uncrossed. Nor do I seek to hold my readers' attention or shock them with descriptions of excessive violence or bloody massacres. I don't write action thrillers or spy novels. Conversely, I'm not a creator of what has been called 'cosy' crime: the type of novel that those of a nervous disposition can happily read in bed at night when in the house on their own. I like to think that, through careful characterisation and as much psychological insight as I can command, my novels explore some pretty gritty truths and moral dilemmas. I also try to flip the crime-writing conventions on their head in various ways: for example, I tend not to tie up all the loose ends (life's just not like that) and, flying in the face of the notion of catharsis, I don't always make it absolutely clear who the perpetrator is. I've been told by several reviewers that I've broken new ground in the crime genre, but I try not to stretch this too far. For example, I don't think it works to try to mix genres and combine crime with Science Fiction or Fantasy – a few authors might be able to pull it off, but they'd have to be very skilful indeed. More prosaically, although my novels are set in the present, the town of Spalding in which most of the action in the Yates series occurs is the Spalding of my childhood, not the town as it is today. This gives me the advantage of being able to write about a finite, unchanging place that only I have access to, because it is locked in my memory (with all that that implies).
Why do I write what I do?
I'm not wedded always to being exclusively a crime writer. I've written novels and short stories which would certainly be pigeon-holed in the 'literary fiction' bracket by most publishers. However, although the quality of my writing was praised when I tried to publish some of these (others have not been and never will be shown to anyone!), I repeatedly received feedback that I needed to tighten up on the plot and make my work more accessible generally. I therefore decided to try writing crime fiction, because it requires a tight and carefully-constructed plot and the action itself keeps the novel moving on nicely. The constraints of the genre provide an excellent way of creating and maintaining self-discipline in the writing. I have to weed out the 'purple passages' when revising if I realise that they don't contribute to the plot. Once I have a sound plot, I'm also less likely to get stuck or suffer from 'writer's block' than when writing literary fiction. However, although I'm very happy writing crime fiction and shall continue to do so, I do have other plans in the pipeline as well.
How does my writing process work?
Following on from what I've said in the paragraph above, plot is very important in crime fiction. Once I have an idea for a novel, I work painstakingly on the plot, often during my long annual holiday in France, until I am satisfied that I can make it work. I will usually also draft a half-page outline for each chapter. I don't always stick exactly to my original plot afterwards, but, if I change it, I make sure that the changes don't create inconsistencies elsewhere in the novel. I don't start out by conducting the research. Although I do research the background to my books thoroughly, I tend to do this as I go along. This works better for me than conducting the research at the outset, because, like most writers, I am easily seduced by reading. It's very easy to spend several days on what you might like virtuously to term 'research' when what you're actually doing is enjoying yourself by feeding a curiosity that far exceeds the requirements of the novel! I'm a firm believer in writing every day if possible, though I don't set myself huge word targets. I'm satisfied with 1,000 words a day or a little more. I revise constantly – the first revision usually takes place on the same day as the original writing, and I'll often revise it the next day before I start writing again. Thereafter, I revise in groups of chapters – every time I've completed, say, the next eight or ten chapters, I'll revise this group as a single 'chunk' of writing. Often I do this on long train journeys. Finally, I revise the whole book all the way through, sometimes more than once, keeping a sharp look-out for inconsistencies and other solecisms and sharpening up the text. Then I hand the MS over to my husband for checking. He is an even fiercer critic of my work than I am and, as well as weeding out inconsistencies, will scrutinise the grammar, punctuation and syntax. Although I don't always agree with his suggested revisions, his contribution is invaluable.
'Ere, Valerie, your turn! Have some fluffy ears and a white fluffy tail and go hopping! I nominate Val Poore @vallypee for this excitement. She's both a teacher of English for business and academic purposes and a historic bargee… sorry, she owns a historic live-aboard barge in Rotterdam and has turned her rich experiences in England, South Africa and The Netherlands into both funny and serious stories, both autobiographical and fictional. One, The Skipper's Child, recently won the Wishing Shelf Silver Award. Respek! You'll find her faring along the European canal system or simply soaking up the atmosphere of Oude Haven, here: http://wateryways.blogspot.co.uk/
Oh, as for blog-hopping, I don't know quite how it happened, but Jenny's nomination for today coincided with Bodicia's very kind guest blog opportunity here. I had to use a bit of the same material for this post on my site, so I hope you will forgive me for that.
May 5th, 2014 13 Comments	About writing, Blogging experiences, Crime novel themes, Personal experiences, Sausage Hall, Social networking	Christina James
The writer and her blog: Dr Lucy Robinson
Dr Lucy Robinson, from the University of Sussex website
I've been in Brighton for most of this week, attending the academic bookselling and publishing conference for which I've been organising the speaker programme for the past fourteen years. I shall eventually write about the whole of this conference, but in a different forum and for a different audience: I don't think that a detailed account of the present hot topics in academic publishing would greatly appeal to most of the readers of this blog! However, I do think – and hope – that you'll be interested in the following account of the comments made by Dr Lucy Robinson, lecturer in Modern History at the University of Sussex and published historian, during a fascinating panel session for authors that took place on the first day of the conference.
Lucy said that there was sometimes a tension between writing her blog and writing her book (she has already published a book with Manchester University Press and is currently working on another). Sometimes, she almost feels that there is a competition going on between them and wonders which is the right way to go: should she focus more on the book or concentrate on the blog? But she also said that a smart author could create a 'virtuous circle' in which the blog could feed creatively into the book.
She said that she disseminates her research via a number of social networks, but at the same time wants to publish her history of the 1980s in a conventional publishing format. She explained that the challenges facing a contemporary historian are different from those that a historian of, say, the early modern period has to address. For the latter, the main difficulty lies in getting his or her hands on the small amount of material that now survives. Lucy's challenge is that her material is 'everywhere' and that it is important to tell a version of everyone's story, down to, for example, the cakes that people in the '80s made or ate. The format that she uses is therefore to a large extent the product of the particular time that she writes about. To organise the material in a conventional book with the same effectiveness that the digital format allows is difficult. Nevertheless, she wants to see her work in both formats.
One of her reasons for this is that, although she values the internet as a medium, she also loves books. Another is that, for an academic, getting a book published by a recognised publisher is an 'esteem marker'. Academic careers depend upon producing 'globally significant research in academic form.' The object is to influence others – fellow academics, researchers, students – to do or think something differently as a result of the research. This goal of impact cannot be achieved unless the research has been published in a traditional, authenticated format. This does not mean that she does not value the blog, however. She said that "the blog helps you to keep up-to-date. It allows you to change your mind. It is little. It is safe. I can best describe it as a way of being ecological with your work: then you can write it up in your book afterwards to give the work authority."
She added that writers are now on a journey and it is a tricky one. Social networking enables a sort of autobiographical build-up of identity. Parallel to this is the other persona of the academic writing the book, 'saying clever stuff and selling it to people.' She repeated that there is a tension there. One of the audience asked her why the print output of her work was so important to her. She replied that she simply wanted to write a book called 'The History of the 1980s'.
I found this really interesting, because I think that fiction writers often experience the same kind of dichotomy. We, too, value both formats; most of us also seek validation via the printed word. We understand the value of reaching our readers online, via social networking and blogs, and we don't begrudge the time and effort spent producing work for them to consume free of charge, work that we hope that they will enjoy. There can be few greater rewards for a writer than to gain a following of loyal online readers who are under no compulsion to read our work but nevertheless return to it time and again because they appreciate it. At the same time, most of us also want to write more formally and there can be few writers who don't mind whether or not they are paid for their formal creative output. Payment is itself a kind of validation. I said this to Lucy over a cup of tea after her presentation and also mentioned that, for me, there was the further dilemma of not having the energy – or, sometimes, merely the 'bandwidth' – to write both blog and book and do the day job as well. She agreed, and said that, although for the conference she had distilled her experiences as an academic writer, many of the things of which she spoke had come from the world of fiction writing originally. Academic writers had picked up on some of the digital initiatives that fiction writers had developed and adapted them to their own writing.
Food for thought, and fascinating, I hope you'll agree. Lucy's blog may be found here. I hope that perhaps she will become an occasional visitor to this blog now. I'd also welcome comments from other writers who would like to join this debate.
March 15th, 2014 6 Comments	About writing, Blogging experiences, Comment, Interviews, Personal experiences, Social networking	Christina James
Turning the eye upon our selfies…
I was struck by the appearance in Monday's The Times of the Jan Van Eyck 'Arnolfini Portrait', a painting I have always found fascinating for its depiction of a wealthy merchant and his wife. The detail to be explored in this marvellous creation of character and setting has not only human but also symbolic value, suggestive of the real existence, aspirations and lifestyle of this couple in their Bruges home. It cries out: 'Here we are! We are rich and wonderful people! Look at us!' The most intriguing aspect for me is the reflection in the convex mirror on the wall behind the couple, depicting two figures, one of whom is commonly assumed to be Van Eyck himself. Velázquez later did much the same thing in 'Las Meninas', showing himself as painter of the scene. It's a clever way of putting your personal stamp on your work. As well as that, Van Eyck painted boldly on the wall (in the style, popular at the time, of a maxim or moral text): 'Johannes de eyck fuit hic 1434' or 'Jan Van Eyck was here 1434'. I've always found it pleasantly ironic that the painter should have muscled in on the proud self-declaration of the Arnolfini couple, in a kind of portrait-bombing that elbows aside the intended subject.
My mind jumped quickly to the concept of self, as presented by 'Kilroy was here' and graffiti tags: 'Notice me – I'm everywhere – I can get into the most unlikely and bizarre places… because I'm wonderful!' That too seems pretty ironic to me, as I feel that shouting out about myself or my achievements is de trop and immodest; creating a 'Christina James' brand and promoting my writing here on the social media, I confess, does make me feel uncomfortable, even though I accept the need for it in the current bookselling market and therefore join in. However, I know how I feel about those who simply churn out plugs for their books without any engagement with others – it's so much spam. Van Eyck's skill sold itself and I suppose all writers and artists and craftspeople hope that the quality of their handiwork will do the same and that people will notice; in the meantime, they give it what they consider a helpful push. Shakespeare definitely, with his choice of the word 'powerful' in Sonnet 55, knew the value of his own words in outlasting even the hardest stone ('Not marble, nor the gilded monuments of princes, shall outlive this powerful rhyme.') and was clearly right to say so: his sonnet certainly seems to be standing the test of time. So… we turn the words and polish them, with 'perhaps' floating in our heads… and promote them.
Which in turn leads me to the 'selfie', a bizarre bi-product of the technological society in which we live. We have a 'smart' phone (there's a misnomer) which we can turn upon ourselves with no skill or effort whatsoever and take our own picture. Why? Narcissus fell in love with his reflected image, because Nemesis, having noticed his overweening pride in himself, led him to the pool in which he saw himself and he couldn't drag himself away from the image in its surface; he therefore died, his hubris preventing him from seeing reality. Messrs Obama and Cameron, perhaps flattered by the photographic attentions of the personable Danish PM, fell into much the same trap, losing their sense of reality in the process. Not only did they use no art in the creation of the resulting silly picture, but also failed to use even the most basic commonsense, and Mrs Obama and the rest of the world clearly eyed them with the sharp vision of objectivity. Oh dear. The 'selfie' doesn't work very well as a self-promotional tool.
I didn't set out to be moralistic, but this is beginning to feel that way. We care about what we create and care about how others view it; there is 'self' in that! I have been privileged to receive positive reviews about Almost Love from writers whose own work I value and enjoy and I'm therefore sharply aware of how important it is to celebrate what I find successful and admirable in what others do; there is joy to be had in reviewing books that stand scrutiny. I'm also very much aware of how selflessly many of the people with whom I interact on the social networks behave; they deserve to feel proud of themselves for making someone else's day. I'm glad, too, that the social media allow all of us to find our way to what we like; we'd miss out on some gems if their creators were utterly selfless!
February 4th, 2014 12 Comments	Almost Love, Bookselling and publishing, Comment, Media-linked, Personal experiences, Social networking	Christina James
Easy Michigan
Moving back home
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A novel set on the Camino de Santiago
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For my main blog about my barge, books and travels, go to http://vallypee.blogspot.com
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Jenny Lloyd, Welsh author of the Megan Jones trilogy; social history, genealogy, Welsh social history, travel tales from Wales.
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I'm Chris Hill - my latest novel The Pick-Up Artist is published by Magic Oxygen.
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Sharing experiences of writing
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The story of a writer who didn't like to disturb.
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Classic Entertainment & Sports, Inc. (CES) has signed undefeated cruiserweight phenom Aaron Williams (12-0-1, 8 KOs) to an exclusive promotional contract, CES president Jimmy Burchfield announced.
Williams, 21, is a nine-time U.S. amateur champion, highlighted by gold medals in the 2003 U.S. National PAL Championships as a heavyweight and International Junior Olympics.
Williams, trained by former world light heavyweight champion Eddie Mustapha Muhammad, is co-managed by Pat Doljanin and Albert Falcon.
"All reports from members of Team CES - Matt Godfrey, Jason Estrada and Peter Manfredo, Sr. - were that Aaron Williams is a very talented fighter, based on a lot of their experiences in the amateurs. Everyone on Team CES welcomes Aaron. With his age and talent, he is championship material, the kind of fighter we want on our team.
"We always look for a fighter with championship potential, of course, but we also want marketable fighters who handle themselves well in and out of the ring. Aaron Williams is that kind of fighter and I'm delighted we've signed him."
Cleveland-native Williams, now fighting out of Las Vegas, is scheduled to make his CES debut in the co-feature on the May 11th "The Pride Is Back" card at Twin River Event Center in Lincoln, Rhode Island.
Williams describes himself as a boxer-puncher who loves to throw body shots and lacks only professional ring experience. "I've known Jimmy Burchfield for three years," Aaron spoke about signing with CES. "He took a liking to me but I didn't want to sign with a promoter back then.
"When I became friends with (CES fighter) Joey Spina, after he signed with my co-managers, I got friendly again with Jimmy. We always liked each other and I'm very happy to sign with CES.
"CES is going to push me, get me a lot of exposure, and take me to another level through fights I need. My short-term goal is to stay busy. Someday, though, I plan to win a world title as a cruiserweight or heavyweight."
Doljanin's relationship with Burchfield, through Spina, opened the door to Williams' signing with CES. "Jimmy's track record speaks for itself," Pat explained. "Look what he's done for Vinny Paz, Scott Pemberton, Joey Spina, Peter Manfredo, Jr., Ray Oliveira, Gary Balletto and so many others.
"From working with Joey, I saw how Jimmy handles his fighters, and how his operation works. Jimmy runs a top notch, world-class boxing company. It's a good partnership.
"Aaron is a student of the game and a gym rat. At the Top Rank gym in Las Vegas where he trains, he's around all top boxing people like the Mayweathers. Aaron soaks-up everything.
"His former trainer, Jessie Reid, had too many commitments and now Aaron's trained by Eddie, who also trains Joey. They're (Eddie and Aaron) both Muslims and now it's like a father-son relationship. Aaron also has one of the best strength-and-conditioning coaches in boxing, Axel Merullo."
Williams' most notable victories to date have been against Zach Page (11-7 by six-round decision), who has a win against former world champion Lou Del Valle, and Charles Davis (17-11-1 by sixth-round decision), whose victims over the years include former world title-holder King Arthur Williams and 18-1-1 Javier Mora.
CES' growing stable also includes No. 3 world rated cruiserweight contender Matt "Too Smooth" Godfrey (15-0, 9 KOs), NABF, NABA, USNBC & WBC Continental Americas champion: USNBC and IBF Intercontinental super middleweight title-holder Joey "KO Kid" Spina (19-1-1, 14 KOs), 2004 U.S. Olympian and heavyweight prospect Jason "Big Six" Estrada (8-1, 1KO).
World-rated welterweight Ossie Duran (21-5-1, 9 KOs), WBC Youth super featherweight champion Matt "Sharp Shooter" Remillard (11-0, 7 KOs), and three-time world champion and reigning IWBF lightweight belt holder Jaime "The Hurricane" Clampitt (17-4-1, 7 KOs).
For more information about CES call 401. 724.2253 or go to www.cesboxing.com.


text:
Step by Step Guide to Buying a Property
Selling? Why Use Us?
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Why Use Us to Let Your Property
Step by Step Guide to Letting Your Property
Student Lettings
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About Simple Estates
CARBON MONOXIDE AND SMOKE DETECTORS REQUIREMENTS FROM 1st OCTOBER 2015
ntroduction
From the 1st October 2015 regulations require both smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms to be installed in rented residential accommodation. Changes are also made to the licence requirements in relation to houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), such as shared houses and bedsits which require a licence and also in relation to properties which are subject to selective licensing. The Regulations apply both to houses and flats. Failure to comply can lead to a civil penalty being imposed of up to £5,000.
These provisions only apply in England; not Wales.
The requirements are imposed on the immediate landlord. There is an exemption for providers of social housing. A tenancy includes a licence to occupy a residential premises and it also extends to subletting for these purposes.
In the case of a licensed HMO or where there is a selective licensing it is the responsibility of the licence holder to ensure that mandatory conditions imposed in relation to the installation of alarms are complied with.
The premises affected
These duties apply to residential premises which means premises all or part of which comprise a dwelling. Thus, it will apply to a flat over a shop. If the property is a licensed HMO or subject to selective licensing there are mandatory conditions imposed on licences.
The premises must be let under a specified tenancy or a licence. This is a tenancy or licence of residential premises which grants one or more persons the right to occupy premises as their only or main residence. Rent or a licence fee must be payable.
There are various exemptions:-
A tenancy under which the occupier shares any accommodation with the landlord or a member of the landlord's family. There must be a sharing of an amenity which includes a toilet, personal washing facilities, a kitchen or a living room but excludes any reference to storage or access.
A tenancy which is a long lease or which grants a right of occupation of the premises, i.e. for more than 21 years.
Student halls of residence.
Accommodation relating to health care provision
Requirement for Smoke alarms
During any period beginning on or after 1st October 2015 while the premises are occupied under a tenancy (or licence) the landlord must ensure that a smoke alarm is equipped on each storey of the premises on which there is a room used wholly or partly as living accommodation. A living room will include a lounge dining room and kitchen as well as a bathroom or toilet. It also includes a hall or landing. This means that a smoke alarm must be provided in working order on each storey. Since the regulation relates to each storey in the premises this suggests that a separate alarm is not needed on a half landing as these would not be regarded as individually being a storey. As regards individual flats located on one floor then there will have to be at least one alarm within the flat itself or alternatively are provided outside the flat on the same floor of the building, i.e. a communal alarm.
Likewise, for flats comprising more than one storey there will need to be a smoke alarm on each floor.
It is the location of an alarm which sounds which is crucial; not the positioning of detectors.
The Regulations do not stipulate what kind of alarm is required. Ideally it should be a hard wired alarm system. It can, however, be a single standalone alarm. Landlords are recommended by the RLA to fit ten year long life tamper proof alarms, otherwise there is a problem of batteries being taken out and not being replaced.
Likewise, during any period beginning on or after 1st October 2015 when the premises are occupied under a tenancy or a licence a carbon monoxide alarm must be provided by the landlord in any room in premises which is used wholly or partly as living accommodation which contains a solid fuel burning combustion appliance. This applies to any kind of wood burning stove or an open coal fire. It will also extend to equipment such as a solid fuel Aga in the kitchen. This is already a requirement with new installations of solid fuel burning combustion appliances as under Building Regulations there is a requirement to install a carbon monoxide alarm. This is now extended to any existing appliances already in place before Building Regulations imposed this requirement or where building regulations are not observed.
The landlord is specifically required to carry out a check to ensure that smoke alarms or carbon monoxide alarms installed to comply with the Regulations are in proper working order on the day a tenancy begins where it is a new tenancy. A new tenancy is a tenancy granted on or after 1st October 2015.
For these purposes a new tenancy does not include a tenancy which was granted where the original agreement was entered into before 1st October 2015; nor does it include a periodic statutory tenancy which arises when a fixed term shorthold tenancy ends. It does not apply to a tenancy which starts at the end of an earlier tenancy where the landlord and tenant are the same as under the earlier tenancy and the premises are the same (or substantially the same) as those under the earlier tenancy. Therefore this express requirement to check does not apply to the renewal of a tenancy for the same premises by the same landlord to the same tenant. This should not be confused with the requirement to install detectors and alarms which applies to tenancies in existence before October 1st 2015.
In our view, landlords should not be under a false sense of security because of this provision. Our reading of the regulation is that there is an ongoing obligation to ensure that any smoke alarm or carbon monoxide alarm installed to meet these requirements is in working order. Alarms should therefore be checked periodically to see that they are working properly. There is no reason why this responsibility should not be placed on the tenant and the government guidance does suggest the tenant check monthly. However, the landlord will then have to make sure that the tenant does actually carry out the checks. If challenged, a landlord could have to show that a proper system has been put in place to check alarms regularly.
Placement of Alarms
The regulations do not tell landlords where to place the alarms, instead the guidance suggests the landlord follow the manufacturer's instructions which will typically be at head height between 1-3 meters away from the solid fuel burning source for carbon monoxide alarms and in a circulation point for smoke detectors.
HMOs and Selectively licensed properties
As from 1st October 2015 new licence conditions will be included requiring the provision of smoke alarms and fire detectors. In the case of HMO licences they already contain provisions for alarms in any case. The regulations themselves are not applicable in this kind of accommodation.
The local authority is responsible for enforcement.
A local authority must serve a remedial notice within 21 days where they have reason to believe that the landlord is in breach of any of these duties relating to smoke alarms or carbon monoxide alarms. A remedial notice must specify the action to be taken within 28 days of the date of the service of the notice. It allows the landlord 28 days to make representations against the notice.
The landlord must then take the required action within the period allowed. There is an excuse for a landlord for non-compliance with the notice if the landlord can show that he has taken reasonable steps to comply with the duty, but the landlord is not required to take legal proceedings. This could cover a situation where the tenant refuses access to allow the work to be done.
If the landlord fails to take action then the local authority must, if it has the necessary consent to do so, arrange for the work required to be undertaken within 28 days of consent being obtained if consent of the occupier of the premises is required. Therefore if a local authority is also refused access by the tenant it cannot take the necessary steps itself.
If the landlord is in breach the local authority may require the landlord to pay a penalty charge up to a maximum of £5,000. It has discretion whether or not to impose this charge. If it intends to impose a charge it must serve a penalty charge notice within six weeks from when it is first satisfied that a breach has occurred. A right to make representations against the penalty notice is given and the local authority may reduce the charge for prompt payment.
If the local authority upholds a penalty charge notice there is a right to appeal for the landlord to the First Tier Tribunal. The Grounds of Appeal are:-
Local authority has made an error of fact or law
The amount of penalty charge is unreasonable
The decision to impose a penalty is unreasonable for any other reason
Payment of the penalty is suspended pending any appeal.
Local authority penalty policy
Each local authority must publish a statement of principles which will be followed in determining the amount of any penalty charge. This statement will be taken into account in deciding on an individual penalty for a particular case.
The government published some guidance based on the draft regulations a which is available here which is designed to cover the most frequent questions for landlords.
article taken from
https://www.rla.org.uk/landlord/guides/carbon-monoxide-requirements.shtml
Make sure you comply with the Deregulation Act 2015
Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Bill: The Factsheet
Quick GuideLandlord's Gas Safety Certificate
When is the best time to sell my Home?
Considering and accepting an offer
Prepare your home for a viewing
Prepare your home for sale
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We found the service and friendly support from Simple Estate Agents to be of the highest standard. We have bought and sold before but Simple Estate were by far the best agent we have ever used....
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From start to finish, the process was very smooth. Our agent was always available to speak to and arranged meetings at a time that worked for us. All the paperwork was dealt with professionally and in...
This estate agents provided brilliant service from beginning til the end with purchasing a property. They were helpful and will use them again for any future property purchases and rentals.
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Evans Tank and Services offers a unique approach to business. We blend over 100 years of experience with hardwork and state of the art technology to produce a product that meets our customers' needs. There is no substitute for education, experience, hardwork, and dedication. We follow my dad's advice "character and hardwork will take you where talent alone only dreams of going."
Our project management begins with listening to our customer. We work within the needs and budget range of our customers. We can also help establish the range of cost for a particular project.


One of the services that they can offer you is testing and certification. It is their responsibility to make sure that electrical installation in any structure is safe. You have to make sure that the testing will be done by a qualified electrician. They will also be checking for any sign of deterioration of your electrical components. It is them that will make sure that all of these components will be following standards.
Another service that an electrician will be doing is light installation. You need to make sure that once you will be installing light to let an electrician do it for you. Whenever it is the right lighting installation that will be done then it is you that will have a well-lit property. They are also the ones that can help you with your interior lighting designs. It is also them that can have you in what to sue for better energy savings. It is also with outdoor lighting that they can provide their services. Once you have the right lighting then it is also the one that improves security. It is you that can have the best lighting option since they have the right experience to do it. They will be doing careful planning before any installation and testing it afterward.
An electrician is also the one that can help you with security system installation. A security system that will match your property is what they will be designing. It is the system that they will install that will match the requirements that and budget that you have.


text:
Q: Prioritize click polyline instead of marker google maps Android I have an app in which lines are drawn and above these I have a marker that shows the information of the line.

*

*The lines are clickable

*I'm using Bitmap, Paint and Canvas to draw the marker.

Code for draw the lines
Polyline polyline = googleMap.addPolyline(line.getPolylineOptions());
polyline.setTag(linea);
polyline.setClickable(clickeable);
polyline.setZIndex(1.0f);

Code for draw markers
Bitmap.Config conf = Bitmap.Config.ARGB_8888;
Bitmap bmp = Bitmap.createBitmap(150, 30, conf);

Paint paint = new Paint();
paint.setAntiAlias(true);
paint.setColor(Color.BLACK);
paint.setTypeface(Typeface.create(Typeface.DEFAULT, Typeface.BOLD));
paint.setStyle(Paint.Style.FILL_AND_STROKE);
paint.setTextSize(18);

Canvas canvas = new Canvas(bmp);
canvas.drawText(text, 15, 15, paint);

canvas.save();

Marker m = googleMap.addMarker(new MarkerOptions()
        .position(latLng)
        .zIndex(-1.0f)
        .icon(BitmapDescriptorFactory.fromBitmap(bmp))
);

I need that when clicking on the line click on this and not on the marker.
I have tried with Z-Index but it does not work.
Please help.

A: I did not find a way to prioritize the line instead of the marker.
See https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/android-api/marker?hl=es-419#click-index

Markers are effectively considered to be in a separate z-index group compared to other overlays or shapes (polylines, polygons, circles, and/or ground overlays), regardless of the z-index of the other overlays. If multiple markers, overlays or shapes are overlaid on top of each other, the click event is cycled through the cluster of markers first, then triggered for other clickable overlays or shapes, based on their z-index values.

Instead I call the same method in:
onMarkerClick ()

And
OnPolylineClickListener ()

The same functionality is used when clicking on the line or the marker of this.

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text:
Chanelle Isis is a New York City-based writer who works with multiple publications to deliver updated and exclusive coverage on mainly the beauty, entertainment and fashion industries. Chanelle uses her work as a writer to express herself. As she writes about fashion, beauty and entertainment, she hopes that women take her content and transform themselves into the woman they want to become. Chanelle has written for various media outlets, blogs and websites. Alongside her creative outlets, she has worked in the human resources departments of multiple non-profit organizations serving multiple underserved communities. Her credentials include a BA from the State University of New York at Oswego in Public Relations with a concentration in Journalism and Creative Writing. In addition, Chanelle is a social media expert having managed accounts for multiple organizations, brands and influencers.
Read all of Chanelle's articles with this publication


text:
campaign finance, Deborah Cox, Ken Pon, Mia Ousley, Mike Katz, progressives, Rob Bonta, san leandro, san leandro city council, SLD1
Hat in Hand, Katz-Lacabe's Council Campaign is Politically Couch-Surfing
Date: October 31, 2014Author: Steven Tavares 3 Comments
San Leandro District 1 candidates Deborah Cox and Mike Katz-Lacabe, at a forum last August, differ in many ways, including the amount of campaign contributions they have received this election cycle.
PHOTO/Steven Tavares
SAN LEANDRO | CITY COUNCIL | San Leandro City Council candidate Mike Katz-Lacabe is a two-term school board member and one of the city's most noted progressives. And, in no way, is he a fringe candidate. So, why hasn't he been able to attract fundraising to his campaign this fall?
Katz-Lacabe is featured prominently in a mailer
paid for by another council candidate.
In the past, Katz-Lacabe has eschewed campaign contributions, but that was during two somewhat easy school board races. This year's District 1 campaign, however, is far more competitive and big money rests with his main challenger, Human Services Commissioner Deborah Cox.
Cox has raised more than $44,500 this year, according to the most recent campaign finance reports ending Oct. 18. She maintains nearly $19,000 in reserves for the stretch run to Nov. 4. The flow of cash has helped Cox engage voters with numerous mailers and lawn signs all over the city.
But, she is not the only candidate in District 1 race, excluding Katz-Lacabe, that is doing well financially. Former school board member Ken Pon raised nearly $13,000 this year, according to finance reports, in addition, to the $5,000 personal loan to his campaign. Pon has $6,761 cash on hand, through Oct. 18. Former Oakland school board member David Anderson, Sr. reported nearly $7,000 this year, including a $5,000 personal loan.
Katz-Lacabe, meanwhile, has not raised enough money to even trigger a campaign finance disclosure report. But, that hasn't stopped him from getting his name out through other means, like piggy-backing on the campaign flyers of a political ally in another council race.
The other side of this small leaflet features
District 5 candidate Mia Ousley.
Last month, it was reported Katz-Lacabe was handing out two-sided leaflets to parents in front of some San Leandro schools. One side featured Katz-Lacabe and the other–with a similar design–extolled the campaign virtues of District 5 City Council Candidate Mia Ousley.
Furthermore, in recent weeks, a mailer sent to voters and paid for by Ousley's campaign, again featured both candidates, but this time with subtle advocacy for Katz-Lacabe's resume on the San Leandro school board.
"Mia has been my greatest ally in safeguarding civil liberties, promoting transparency and accountability in City Hall, and fighting against the long-term retention of surveillance data by law enforcement agencies," the mailer quotes Katz-Lacabe. Incidentally, each issues also represents Katz-Lacabe's campaign platform.
While it is clear Katz-Lacabe is cash poor, or, at minimum, able to stay under the $1,000 campaign with a bit of creativity, Ousley has been able to pull her own weight. The first-time candidate raised, $11,000 this year and reported $2,757 cash on hand, according to the most recent finance reports ending Oct. 18.
However, the nexus between Katz-Lacabe and Ousley in different council races and some donors are interesting. For instance, outgoing Mayor Stephen Cassidy appears on the Ousley mailer, along with Katz-Lacabe. Cassidy, Katz-Lacabe and Ousley have long been both personal and political friends. But, two weeks ago, Cassidy's re-election campaign donated $125 to Cox, Katz-Lacabe's opponent.
In addition, even though Katz-Lacabe would appear to be the most liberal candidate in the race, Alameda County Democrats, thought otherwise and made no endorsement in the race. The signal from the party was heard. On Oct. 16, the campaign of Assemblymember Rob Bonta, who represents San Leandro, added $1,000 to Cox's treasury.
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3 thoughts on "Hat in Hand, Katz-Lacabe's Council Campaign is Politically Couch-Surfing"
Cox is certainly the favorite, but Ken Pon or Katz could upset her.
Karma kicks butt. What you sow-you reap. What you give-you get.
Katz and the one term loser Mayor Cassidy both told lies about good people and used dumb people to their dirty work. Just love that now they are on the receiving end. What goes around comes around.
It is amusing that his campaign is run on other people shouldering the burden for him, much the way he and his family show up at events he and his wife are hyper critical of yet take free goodies and food. I think this should speak volumes to the type of person he and his ilk are, they want the free ride. Let other people do the work and he'll ride the coat tails.


text:
Regulars / Friday Mixtape
Friday Mixtape: Mahaneela's mix of songs that have soundtracked her career
Words by Lucy Bourton, Friday 25 January 2019
This week's Friday Mixtape comes from creative polymath, Mahaneela. When not photographing bands or filming their music videos, Mahaneela also manages musicians too, dipping her toes in all the roles the music industry has to offer.
However, in an industry that is often full of egos, Mahaneela offers an alternative approach, a personality filled with pure joy that puts collaboration first. As a result, her long list of projects sees her paving out a path we're certainly following her down.
Below, Mahaneela talks us through her choices track by track as well as the songs that fill her very busy working days.
It's Nice That: Why have you picked these songs, what do they remind you of or make you feel?
Mahaneela: Does It Get Easier – Denai Moore: I added this song because Denai is a good friend of mine and she's the reason I started directing music videos. The video to this track was my first ever music video, so it's always got a special place in my heart!
Put You On – Amber Mark ft Dram: This song reminds me of New York and one of my favourite shoots ever. The energy was so high on set when I shot the visual for this, it's one of my favourite memories so far of my career! We had such a blast shooting it.
Another Lover – VanJess: I love VanJess' album Silk Canvas, so it was amazing to shoot a visual for this track which was produced by one of my favourite artists Kaytranada. The whole shoot was full of feminine energy and we shot it just down the road from my house too, so whenever I listen to this track it reminds me that.
Ultimaybe – Benja 1010SL: I love this track so much and this whole project. Benja is a good friend of mine and I'm just in awe of how he pulls in so many references to create such a complete, unique sound. This song makes me feel like I'm invincible, I can play it back to back and not get tired of it!
Nobody – Miraa May: This is the song for the most recent promo I worked on. It reminds me of family, because the video itself features many of my family and friends, so it was a really personal project for me. It was also the first time I ever shot on Super 8 and I thoroughly enjoyed learning the process from start to finish, so this song brings up all of those memories.
Consensual Seduction – Mick Jenkins ft Corinne Bailey Rae: I love this song!! And I was lucky enough to shoot a visual for this out in Jamaica (coming soon, watch this space!). This track was already a favourite of mine before having the chance to work on the music video, but now it reminds me of being back in Jamaica (it was my first time in nine years) and the camaraderie I had with our local crew there. This visual was pure vibes on set!
Tell Them – James Blake, Moses Sumney, Metro Boomin: I absolutely love this track and in fact, James Blake's whole new album is incredible. I've been playing it on repeat recently while I work. I had the opportunity to meet and spend time with Moses Sumney on my recent trip to Ghana, and he truly is an amazing musician (and person)!
Make it out Alive – Nao ft Sir: I love Nao's album Saturn, and I just shot her recently for Trench Magazine. She's so bubbly, beautiful, and such a great representation of amazing British music. I hope I get the chance to work with her again!
On The Low– Burna Boy: I LOVE BURNA BOY. No other reason for this one, haha! I just came back from a trip to Ghana and I saw him perform there. He's someone I would love to work with in the future.
Treasure – Sampha: Sampha will always be one of my favourite artists. I've been lucky enough to work with him many times now, and I actually got the chance to shoot him rehearsing this song with Kamasi Washington, Kelsey Lu, Robert Glasper and Serpentwithfeet. It was so amazing to watch, sometimes I really have to pinch myself!
INT: When or where should this mixtape be listened to?
Mahaneela: This mixtape should be listened to if you're working or on the go!
INT: Are there certain albums you listen to during the different parts of your creative process?
Mahaneela: At the moment I have been listening to James Blake non stop. But no, not specifically. I just either listen to the track I'm working on for hours on repeat, or I listen to whatever I like that's current or old.
INT: You additionally work with musicians as well as your more creative work, what is it about the industry that interests you?
Mahaneela: Yeah, I love music. And a lot of my work involves musicians – to be honest, almost all! I like that the industry is constantly changing and I think I also like that it needs a lot of work because that makes me passionate about changing it.
INT: What records did you listen to when you were a teenager?
Mahaneela: Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Destiny's Child, Christina Aguilera, Ashanti, Chris Brown… those six were basically on rotation when I was younger. But, you're so fickle at that age, and as a teen, I went through this "emo phase" and listened to non stop Paramore, Panic at the Disco, Bullet For My Valentine etc.
Some true classics though of my teenhood are Foolish by Ashanti, I Write Sins Not Tragedies by Panic at the Disco and Smash Mouth's All Star. I think those three really highlight the kind of music I was into at the time haha.
INT: If a feature film about your life was to be made, what song would be on the trailer and why?
I can picture it being really epic and dramatic, with that kind of cheesy voice over on the top (think every DVD from the 2000s). I'd probably have Addicted by Truth Hurts playing on the trailer!
www.mahaneela.com
Regulars / Friday Mixtape Friday Mixtape: illustrator pals Jan Buchczik and Timo Lenzen on their studio tunes
This week's Friday Mixtape comes from not just one It's Nice That illustration favourite, but two! While at After School Club in Offenbach during the summer of last year, we had a beer with resident illustrators Jan Buchczik and Timo Lenzen who told us about their love of music, often listening together in their shared studio.
Lucy Bourton — 18 January 2019
Regulars / Friday Mixtape Friday Mixtape: Anthony Naples takes us from the party to the after party
New York based producer and DJ Anthony Naples has been an It's Nice That favourite ever since we first heard the effervescent Mad Disrespect on some sweaty dancefloor somewhere back in 2012. We were hooked from that half-remembered moment on.
Josh Baines — 14 December 2018
Regulars / Friday Mixtape Friday Mixtape: Benedikt Luft's mix of tunes from his teenage years
Frankfurt-based illustrator and designer Benedikt Luft has been a long time friend of us here at It's Nice That. Writing about his practice over the years, it wasn't until we went to Eike König's After School Club in Benedikt's home during the summer that he ended up telling us about his love for music. He might have even been dragged into singing a karaoke rendition of The Smiths Bigmouth Strikes Again to an audience of attendees, who then cleared the room, with us too… sorry Eike and everyone who witnessed that.
Lucy Bourton — 07 December 2018
Regulars / Friday Mixtape Friday Mixtape: Australian designer Bradley Pinkerton's welcomes the summer
Sitting at a desk the other side of the globe, but as it turns out listening to the same records as us, Melbourne-based graphic designer Bradley Pinkerton has created this week's Friday Mixtape.
Lucy Bourton — 23 November 2018
Regulars / Friday Mixtape Friday Mixtape: Vanessa Carlton and Godflesh combine thanks to The Beautiful Meme
A few weeks back, London-based creative agency The Beautiful Meme got in contact asking if its team could make us a Friday Mixtape. We said yes and expected the usual pumped-up, deck-building bangers focused mixtape we often hear – and love – from graphic design-leaning studios. The Beautiful Meme's mixtape instead begins with Shakira's timeless hit Wherever, Whenever, ends with Kylie's Can't Get You Out of My Head, and Vanessa Carlton's A Thousand Miles makes a surprise appearance too.
Regulars / Friday Mixtape Friday Mixtape: photographer Molly Matalon's mix for wandering around New York in fall
When LA-based photographer Molly Matalon is commissioned to take a photograph of a band, the final images are guaranteed to catch your eye. Firstly, you'll recognise the shots as distinctively Molly's thanks to her particular eye for light-filled compositions. Then you'll slowly start to decipher who the musician is, even if you've listened to them hundreds of times. Molly's got a way with photographing people, you see. She picks up on personalities and extenuates them, whether it's in the way Lana Del Ray is posed sitting on a staircase or the way Starcrawler's Arrow de Wilde is holding a chicken, we even saw it in Molly's ability to work with Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh.


text:
Leiostyla relevata es una especie de molusco gasterópodo de la familia Pupillidae en el orden de los Stylommatophora.

Distribución geográfica
Es endémica de Madeira.

Estado de conservación
Se encuentra amenazada de extinción por la pérdida de su hábitat natural.

Referencias

 (en Inglés) Mollusc Specialist Group 2000.  Leiostyla relevata.   2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Leiostyla
Fauna endémica de Madeira

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Dr. Patricia Lindquist, MD is an internal medicine specialist in Wilmington, MA and has been practicing for 39 years. She graduated from University Of Washington School Of Medicine in 1980 and specializes in internal medicine.
How was your experience with Dr. Lindquist?


Trent overcame a 4-0 deficit to beat Brock 7-6 and advance to Sunday's championship game.
It took a comeback for the ages, but the Trent Excalibur pulled out a thrilling 7-6 win over the Brock Badgers to reach the Baggataway Cup championship game for the first time Saturday.
With both defences and goalies playing exceptionally well, goals were at a premium throughout the game. Brock found some holes to go on a run with three goals in 2:34 of the first quarter and finished 20 minutes of play with a 4-0 lead. The lead could have been even more but Trent goalie Kyle Holton made back to back saves on shots from right on top of the crease just before the quarter expired.
The Excalibur began to gain more of the territorial edge in the second quarter and outshot the Badgers, but Alex Guiney was sharp in net for Brock and Trent was held off the score sheet for another 12:25. Finally, midfielder Dan Michel fired a bouncer from outside that snuck through to get Trent on the board.
That turned out to be the only goal of the quarter. Perhaps the best chance for another marker in the frame came in the final seconds, when Brock had another wide open look on top of the crease but Holton—who would be named the player of the game for Trent—made another sensational save.
Two and a half minutes into the second half, Brandon Staal was coming out from behind the net and executed a creative shovel pass to Nick Rybka, who tucked it home to extend Brock's lead to 5-1. Jeff Fernandes replied for Trent but Staal set up Connor Ham for another goal to restore the Badger's four-goal advantage.
With five and a half minutes to play, Trent got one back. Nick Karam was circling from low up towards the slot when he saw an opening. Using a jab step to quickly reverse course, he made a shovel pass very similar to Staal's earlier play. Cole McWilliams received the pass just above the goal line and flicked a shot in to make it 6-3 after three quarters of play.
It's difficult to say how much effect having to play a quarterfinal Friday night has on a team playing the semifinals on Saturday, but Brock—who beat Ottawa in the quarters—didn't appear to have as much energy in the fourth quarter as did Trent, who were CUFLA East's top seed entering the weekend and had Friday off.
Michel got the Trent comeback underway with a similar shot from a similar spot to his first goal, bouncing one home 1:07 into the quarter.
Garrett Eddy has been Trent's most dangerous creator of scoring chances for a couple of years now, but he had been held in check by the Badgers' tenacious defence, earning just one assist. Just under five minutes into the fourth, though, he used his quick feet dodging in from the wing to create an opening and ripped home a high shot. Brock still led 6-5, but body language on the Trent bench was entirely positive while Badgers' players looked shocked and tired.
Brock kept battling on defence, though, and held Trent off the scoreboard for almost 10 minutes. The Badgers offence wasn't faring so well. The Excalibur, led by a standout performance from Ethan Schott, held Brock scoreless through the final 29:27 and allowed only two goals in the final 68:13 of the game.
Travis Szabolcs got a step on his defender and muscled his way towards the net then bounced a shot through the legs of Guiney to tie the game with 5:38 left.
Freshman Cam Garlin led Trent with 28 goals this season but had been frustrated by the Badgers' defence Saturday. He and the rest of the Excalibur won't remember much about the first 58 minutes of his game, though. What they'll remember is that he slipped into a sliver of open space in the slot and got off a quick release to put home the winning goal with 1:59 to play, eventually securing Trent's first appearance in the CUFLA finals.
The game was far from over at that point, though. Brock pushed for an equalizer. Trent was effective in holding them off and looked to be in a great situation when Holton made a save and controlled the ball with less than a minute to play. But Holton made perhaps his only mistake of the day when he tried to force a pass to the far sideline near centre field. It sailed over the head of a long pole reaching up for it and out of bounds, giving possession back to Brock.
Things again looked good for Trent when Schott stripped the ball from a Brock attack behind the net and was poised to scoop it up. Stunningly, Schott was called for interference on the play. Even worse from the Excalibur's perspective was that, despite the ball still being in play and no Trent player having touched it, play was blown dead. So instead of having their full defensive complement on the field to defend, Trent was down one player and Brock had time to set up their power play.
Trent may have gotten a break when Brock missed a shot a few seconds later. Badger Connor Ham appeared to have the edge in the race to the goal line to earn possession. He stopped running before Holton did, clearly thinking the play was over. Trent was awarded the ball, though.
Brock put plenty of pressure on, but?eventually defender Cole Murduff picked the ball off the ground with five seconds remaining and flung it high in the air and far down the field. It bounced with about one second to play and by the time it returned to Earth again Excalibur reserves were streaming onto the field to celebrate the win.
It was a tremendous game: exciting, hard-fought and intense. Both teams are brash and loud, and the tone for the semifinal was established by a pregame incident that saw some pushing and shoving and a hard slash delivered by a Brock long pole to a Trent player's leg after a disagreement about a ball that went over the centre line and wasn't returned.
In the game itself, though, both teams for the most part showed impressive discipline and composure. Both made mistakes, but both put on an excellent display to produce one of the best field lacrosse games you'll see. ?