I was cleaning up the bathrooms in our home a few weekends ago, and started sorting through the pile of magazines on the floor for recycling.
"Wow," I thought to myself. "There's a whole lot of InTouch and Life & Style in this pile. No wonder Noah (my 9-year-old) was asking me the other day why Teresa was in prison." I used to try and hide the magazines under more respectable publications like House Beautiful and The Writer but I guess I've been getting sloppy lately.
Cover blurbs really are important. Part of me groans when the time comes to put cover blurbs on the parenting magazine I edit. After working for the magazine for three plus years, I sometimes struggle with new ways to come up with teasers for evergreen topics like "back to school," "summer fun," and "summer camps/birthday parties." But if I want readers to pick up our magazine, every word on the cover counts. Because let's face it, I'm not sure I would have picked up the April 6 issue of a certain gossip magazine if the headline "540 Days Without Daddy: Why Tom Has Stayed Away From Suri" hadn't screamed out at me.
Longer is not always better. I've been known to stress myself out when trying to come up with original content pertinent to our magazine. But when I flip through many magazines (and not just the celebrity ones) I find I enjoy the short "filler" pieces just as much as the in-depth articles. A few months ago I was reading a Facebook status from one of our local television news anchors, who often posts cute anecdotes about her kids. She had just picked up an Emmy, and I thought, "I should e-mail her and see if I can interview her for the magazine! I'll bet our readers would love it." I sent her a note that day, she responded immediately, and I sent her a few questions. We ran her interview with some snapshots of her kids and titled the short piece "Motherhood Musings." She was thrilled, our readers enjoyed it, and the whole thing took hardly any time at all. So as silly as the "Night at Home with a Celebrity" column can look at first glance, it's fun and entertaining for those of us who like to read about "lighter" topics from time to time.
Certain subjects can find a home in almost any magazine. Flipping through any one of my celebrity or women's magazines, I find multiple articles focusing on nutrition, books, movies, fashion and exercise. Looking over the latest editorial budget for our magazine, we've got an article planned on "How to Make a Salad Your Kids Will Eat," a picture book review, a column on maternity wear from our mommy fashion blogger, and a regular section on "Fit Fun," which announces local races and sporting events families and kids.
So the next time I'm stumped on article ideas, this means I can head to the grocery store for my celebrity gossip fix and writing research, right? Are you addicted to any specific types of magazines? Do you ever use them to get ideas for your own writing?
Renee Roberson is an award-winning writer and editor who once got to interview celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton, and believes that never would have happened if not for her hopeless addiction to celebrity gossip. She blogs about pop culture, writing, books, and everything else in between at Renee's Pages.
Anna was a really good character and she is trustworthy and thoughtful. She was always worried about her sister and brother. I thought a lot about journaling after reading Finding My Place: One Girl's Strength at Vicksburg. If my mom died at a young age and had us, I would write down all the stuff I usually talk to her about and I would be really sad. I think it must have been hard for Anna. She is really strong; I admire her.
This book really kept my interest and I enjoyed reading it. Sometimes it was happy and sometimes sad, I really enjoyed the ups and downs. If I could ask the author, Margo Dill, any questions at all, I Would ask how she picked the title and then I would tell her how pretty the cover is. I would definitely tell my friends they should read Finding My Place.
The civilian side of the war is shown from a young girl's viewpoint.
• Maggie Mae, Detective Extraordinaire: The Case of the Missing Cookies (Guardian Angel Publishing, August 2014): Picture book about a young girl who solves her grandma's missing cookies case by finding clues, interviewing suspects & setting a trap.
• Finding My Place: One Girl's Strength at Vicksburg (White Mane Kinds, October 2012): Middle-grade novel about a 13-year-old girl who survives with her family during the Siege of Vicksburg in 1863 (Mississippi).
• Caught Between Two Curses (Rocking Horse Publishing, March 2014): Young adult novel about 17-year-old Julie Nigelson who is caught between a deadly curse on her family and the curse on the Chicago Cubs.
Besides these books, I've also been published in magazines, newspapers and anthologies, and I continue to write a weekly review column for The News-Gazette in Champaign, IL. I also blog on Tuesdays at The Lit Ladies blog and about three times a month at The Muffin at WOW! Women On Writing.
I am also a writing teacher for WOW! Women On Writing, where I teach novel writing and writing for children. You can check out those classes here. If you are in the St. Louis/St. Charles, Missouri area, I teach adult education novel writing courses for St. Charles School District Adult Education, which you can check out here. (Click on WRITING, and these classes are listed under my married name, Balinski.) I've done numerous workshops and reading nights around Missouri and Illinois for students, teachers, writers and community groups. To find out more about my speaking, please click on the speaking link above.
Besides speaking and writing, I am also an editor with my own business, Editor 911. I do work for both businesses and individual authors, focusing on copy editing, copy writing, proofreading and ghost writing.
This all keeps me pretty busy, but I also enjoy being a mom, the Missouri SCBWI webmaster, and a member of a MOPS Steering Team in St. Louis. I love reading, walking, playing with my dog, touring around St. Louis with my family, eating out, going to the movies and playing outside.
Carmen just turned eight years old and lives on a dairy farm. She has over 200 animals on her farm. She has three siblings in her house: Andre (7), Breccan (1), and Delphine (2 months). Her parents are Mark and Crystal Otto. Carmen helps her mom with book and product reviews and you can find her blogging at Bring On Lemons (she would also like to add that the money her mom is paying her to write this book review will go directly into her savings account).
Tomorrow, I'm hosting one of our WOW! blog-touring authors and I hope you'll jump over and give a read to the post—it's good stuff!
But…um…I almost didn't sign on for this tour. You see, authors often have a handful of prepared posts for tours, and when I checked the author's available posts, I didn't see what I wanted. That is, I didn't see a post having anything to do with writing, and that's the topic (besides me) that I cover on my blog.
So I contacted the tour manager and asked if the author could provide something about his publisher, or something about his writing journey and helpful tips for my readers. Not a problem, said the tour manager. And by golly, the author wrote exactly what I wanted—and I was delighted. I'm sure my blog readers will be, too.
It seems easy enough, doesn't it, to give an editor or a publisher or even a lowly little blog host like me what they want? But you would be surprised how often writers push back, and in doing so, hurt their chances for success.
Take, for instance, a magazine that accepts personal essays. Imagine you are the editor and three different, well-written essays come across your desk.
*Strictly follow the submission guidelines provided.
*Be professional, friendly, and courteous.
There's a world full of skilled writers out there, but you can jump the line pretty easily. Just give the industry professionals what they want and watch your successes stack up!
I read a discussion on a forum about whether an editor needs to be a good writer. The conversation then moved into whether a writer needs to be a good editor.
As a writer and an editor and someone who teaches editing (and sometimes teaches writing), I thought about that discussion throughout this week. Even though I thought I'd write a different post, this is what stuck with me.
For the most part, I think that writing and editing are skills that must be practiced. In exercising those muscles, I'm not sure if that makes you good at either. But it does give you fluidity and confidence in those skills. Does the fluidity and confidence make me good? It may.
During times that I am more of an editor than writer, I find myself doubting my writing skills. When that happens, I pull out my journal and focus on writing more. The same is true for my editing. If I'm away from editing for too long, I find myself with a bumpy re-entry patch.
In my teaching, I find the more confident students are with a skill, the better they are with that skill. Although they may be exercising relatively new "muscles," the more these students practice, the better they become. The better they become, the more confident they are. They become good editors or writers.
And their passions grow from there.
What I don't see in discussions about whether someone is good at one thing or another is: What are their passions? Because I am a much better writer when I am focused on my writing, then I am more likely to feel that I am a good writer during those times. But I'm passionate about words and I'm passionate about communicating ideas.
When I'm editing, I balance my writer's feelings and am sensitive to how a writer will accept the changes I am suggesting. When I'm writing, I try to provide clean copy so that the editor down the line will focus on what I'm saying and not mechanics. In these ways, I believe a good writer and good editor can interweave.
I do think that good editors can be sensitive to writers, even without necessarily having a writer's sensibilities or a good writer. And some writers, who may edit, aren't always adept to the skills of a trained editor.
I started writing and studied it because I enjoy working with words. When I had an opportunity to learn to edit from one of my mentors, I took it. I love both of them and, hopefully, I'm at least decent (if not good!) at one or the other of them.
I know for a fact that I'm passionate about both.
Elizabeth King Humphrey, editor and writer, lives in coastal North Carolina. She's going to go indulge in her passions for a little while. See you soon!
Stalled brain syndrome, or SBS, will kill a writer's career. SBS occurs when a writer opens a new, blank document on her computer only to find her mind is just as blank as that new document. The harder she tries to think of a subject, a sentence, or even a single word, the more despair she feels. Instead of writing, she checks Facebook or watches YouTube cat videos. An opportunity to write, to publish, is wasted.
I had fallen victim to SBS too many times before I decided to fight back. I bought a dirt-cheap spiral notebook and divided it into two categories: Fiction and Non-Fiction. I wrote a story, article, or blog idea in one of those sections every day for the past year. At the end of 2014, I had created my own remedy for SBS, a notebook with 365 customized story ideas and prompts.
This is not a revolutionary idea. Throughout history, writers such as Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway, and Virginia Wolf have kept notebooks. But why not just Google "daily writing prompts" and find a website to provide inspiration? Although that works for many writers, my brain remains stalled until I find a prompt that is customized to my interests and experiences.
By investing less than two minutes every day to write in my notebook, I created my own muse. My notes weren't lengthy, just enough to let my imagination fly. For the fiction list, I jotted down snippets of conversation I'd heard in the grocery store, weird news I'd heard on the radio, and old wives' tales my hair stylist loves to share. Childhood memories, gardening issues, and insights from Bible readings filled my non-fiction section. I soon discovered that my writing prompts didn't stay locked in their respective sections, they jumped around and even multiplied. Many of the non-fiction prompts that I had planned to write as memoir pieces worked better as flash fiction or as scenes in my novel or both.
Beside many of my entries, I scribbled notations such as "blog" or "devotional" to make them easy to locate later. To an outsider, my notebook looks as messy as my desk (okay, not that messy) but that's the beauty of it: personalization.
Now that I have over 365 writing ideas, have I stopped? No way. This notebook has provided inspiration for far too many published stories and articles for me to kick the habit. John Steinbeck, another notebook user, said, "Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen." I respectfully disagree, Mr. Steinbeck. Pretty soon you'll have hundreds.
Stalled brain syndrome never stops stalking me. At least now when it threatens, I'm not a victim. I know how to fight back. When my mind goes blank, instead of opening Facebook, I open my notebook and scan its pages for writing ideas customized just for me. No more wasted opportunities to write. No more stalled brain.
Terry Cobb resides with her husband on a farm in north central Missouri where she writes short stories, devotionals, and novels. She also blogs about gardening, her other love and challenge, at www.whatsinyourgarden.wordpress.com.
I had always been a "yes" woman. You know, that woman who wants to make everyone happy, not ruffle any feathers, and above all, lend a helping hand.
You must be able to relate?
Well, at the beginning of this year, I decided it was time to become a "no" woman...unless the things or opportunities being asked of me were a "hell yes." That means that I had to almost jump up and down with excitement in order for someone to get a "yes" from me.
There were a few events that prompted me to change my mind from being a "yes" woman to a "hell yes"...or in other words, a mostly "no" woman.
Second, I realized that I was spending waaaayyyy more time with other people...great people like my friends and business colleagues, and not-so-much time with the most important person in my life: my husband.
Third, I wanted to ensure that I had time in my schedule to work on hobbies and crafts that I truly enjoy—like scrapbooking, calligraphy, reading, etc. Because of all the "yeses" I had been dishing out over the years, I didn't have time in my schedule for the activities that fueled my spirit.
Now, there was just one problem with becoming a "no" woman, after a lifetime of being a "yes" woman: I had to get over the feeling of letting others down and/or feeling guilty. This took courage! I actually set out to say "no" 14 days in a row to things that I didn't feel deserved my time.
Day 1: "No" to working on Fridays. In fact, I have declared 3 out of 4 of the Fridays each month as FunFridays. These are days that I go out exploring, get a massage, or just lay low and do things I love to do.
Day 2: When my husband complained about not having any laundry today, I lost it. You see, he had been stepping over the pile for 3 days—this is the part that made me upset. Today I told him that not only was I not doing that pile of laundry, as I was swamped with work and deadlines, but that he was now responsible for the laundry. The best news? The laundry is now dropped off at a laundry service where it is washed, dried, and folded. Bliss!
Day 3: I was asked today to be a guest on somebody's podcast show. Now, this happens often, and most times it is a "hell yes" but this particular individual hasn't produced an episode if over 2 years. This means there is no audience even listening anymore, and she wanted to "use me to bring her podcast back to life." Nope, that's a big fat no—my time is more valuable than that. I politely declined and told her to be in touch once she rebranded it and released a few new episodes.
Day 4: Today I fired a client. Now, this may sound funny to some of you, but when you work for yourself, you have to do this from time to time. It is never fun, nor easy. But this particular client was sucking the life out of me. She wasn't holding up her end of the deal in the writing coaching, and then was blaming me for lack of progress. I ain't got time nor energy for that!
Day 5: I had to say "no" to the 4th chocolate chip peanut butter cookie I wanted to stuff in my mouth today!
Day 6: An email arrived in my inbox today. Someone wanted me to free up space on my calendar to speak with her. The problem? She had stood me up two times prior. Saying no this time meant that I could protect my time in the future.
Day 7: I resigned today from a dysfunctional board I was sitting on today. When the volunteer commitments are more drama than fun, it's time for a change.
Day 8: I had to remind a client today that I don't work on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday on client work. This infuriated her—namely because she had waited until the last minute to submit work for my review. I politely reminded her of my standards and processes.
Day 9: I'm taking a break from social media today. I'm on overload mode.
Day 10: A new client was upset because I didn't take checks via mail for payment. I politely offered 3 alternative ways to pay me, all online. I thought for sure I had lost that sale, but taking checks is risky, and not how I operate! In the end, she figured out PayPal and made the payment!
Day 11: Today someone tried to "bargain-down" my copywriting prices. I told her that the prices on the site were non-negotiable. I have a business to run here! I lost that sale, but 2 more came in with people willing to pay the fair price.
Day 13: My friend called today and asked if I wanted to go grab a drink at the beer garden. I wasn't in a position to get up and go at the moment, and she was already there. I said "no" and felt strong for not feeling guilty about it!
Day 14: I submitted a talk for an education conference in Chicago. I got the word that it had been approved, but the organizers could only fit me in during lunch time. This meant that people would be walking in and out, because lunch wasn't provided, and they would be not fully engaged with the topic. I gave a response of "no" to the invitation, knowing that those 3 days spent in Brooklyn with my husband and cat, rather than in Chicago, would be more rewarding.
• Most people are perfectly fine with the "no." I was the one who had to get over the feelings of guilt and letting others down.
• Saying "no" allowed me more time for myself, my husband, and spontaneous things that popped up along the way!
• I became a happier person, because I wasn't stressed out and "booked to the max." I also wasn't trying to make everyone else happy, which in turn, made me a happier individual.
• I made more money in my business by saying "no" to clients who weren't a good fit, didn't see my value, or wouldn't follow my processes. This was a huge breakthrough for me!
• Every time I said "no," it got easier the next time. I wish I would have started this initiative a long time ago.
If you are feeling stressed, overcommitted, and worn down, I am going to encourage you to take a look at your schedule and, more importantly, how often you are saying "yes" to things out of obligation, guilt, or fear. Life is short, our time is precious, and I believe we should spend every moment doing things that light us up with passion, creativity, and love. Won't you join me on the journey from "no" to 'hell yes"?
Learn more about maintaining a healthy work/life balance, increasing your productivity, and making more money in M. Shannon Hernandez's upcoming course, Copywriting with Heart: Learn How to Jumpstart Your Copywriting Career, Write Authentic Marketing Messages, Craft Powerful Sales Pages…and More! starting April 30.
M. Shannon Hernandez is the founder of The Writing Whisperer, and her mission is to help heart-centered entrepreneurs and heart-centered authors find their brand voices, share their unique stories, gain more visibility, establish themselves as experts, and create authentic marketing messages, all through the use of smart content strategy and engaging copywriting. The Writing Whisperer was named one of Top 100 Websites for Writers by The Write Life in both 2014 and 2015. As a content strategist and copywriter, Shannon continues to educate and inspire others through her blog, guest blogs, and podcast appearances. In addition to business writing, Shannon writes passionately about heart-centered education reform, and is a regular contributor to the The Huffington Post. Shannon's memoir, Breaking the Silence, chronicles her exit out of public education, after 15 years, and provides readers an intimate view of her journey to business ownership, finding happiness, and reinvention.
So what do you do if your income is all over the place?
That's what I'm talking about today over at Mint.com in my article, How Freelancers Can Budget with a Feast-or-Famine Income. Check it out and cycle back!
To further expand on that idea, I'd like to share a sample budget that wasn't included in the article because I was way over word count.
Have you heard of the 50/20/30 rule? Well, this is a slight variation we'll call the 50/30/20 budget. The emphasis of this budget is paying down debt and putting money into your emergency and retirement funds.
Let's say in the past year you made: $5400, $300, $1700, $900, $3600, $6800, $300, $4100, $8000, $500, $3600, and $5900. Average all those numbers out to create a monthly budget of $3425, and remember to subtract taxes. In this case, the tax bracket would be 25%, so you'd subtract $856 each month, which comes to a monthly budget of $2569 per month.
Total: $1285, which is around 50% of your net pay.
Total: $770, which is around 30% of your net pay.
Total: $514, which is around 20% of your net pay.
Of course, your budget would vary. And yes, this budget is tighter than a frog's you-know-what, but the idea is to create enough of a cushion in your emergency fund to provide you with three to six months of income.
The rest of the article at Mint talks about streamlining your expenses and changing your business model, because the budget above is almost impossible to live on unless you have a roommate or significant other. I don't know about you, but where I live in Southern California, you can't find a rental for $700!
Okay, your turn. If you have any budgeting ideas for a feast-or-famine income, we'd love to hear them!
The Cruel Country is a beautifully written memoir about the illness and death of the author's mother. Author, Judith Ortiz Cofer writes even the most painful scenes with such eloquence you can't help but be drawn in. I am all too familiar with the loss of a parent, and I can say that Cofer does a fabulous job working through the many stages of grief as she helps the reader understand. What makes The Cruel Country unique is not only Cofer's perspective but in the way she ties in psychology, history, and poetry as well. I learned quite a bit while reading this well written memoir. Thank you to Cofer for braving her way into the land of bereavement and allowing readers to join her in such a personal journey. The Cruel Country is well written, well edited, and is a book I can definitely give five stars!
I've learned a lot about Puerto Rico, the culture, and the language. Cofer is a brilliant writer and teacher. I was somewhat fearful about becoming too submerged in Cofer's grief. I didn't want to finish reading Cruel Country and feel overwhelmingly sad. Thanks to Cofer's compelling writing, I closed the book feeling an overwhelming amount of gratitude. Cofer's bravery in sharing her journey can help those with similar experiences feel less isolated and lonely. Instead of feeling sad, I felt kindred and peaceful as I closed the cover on this lovely memoir.
"I am learning the alchemy of grief—how it must be carefully measured and doled out, inflicted—but I have not yet mastered this art," writes Judith Ortiz Cofer in The Cruel Country. This richly textured, deeply moving, lyrical memoir centers on Cofer's return to her native Puerto Rico after her mother has been diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer.
Cofer's work has always drawn strength from her life's contradictions and dualities, such as the necessities and demands of both English and Spanish, her travels between and within various mainland and island subcultures, and the challenges of being a Latina living in the U.S. South. Interlaced with these far-from-common tensions are dualities we all share: our lives as both sacred and profane, our negotiation of both child and adult roles, our desires to be the person who belongs and also the person who is different.
What we discover in The Cruel Country is how much Cofer has heretofore held back in her vivid and compelling writing. This journey to her mother's deathbed has released her to tell the truth within the truth. She arrives at her mother's bedside as a daughter overcome by grief, but she navigates this cruel country as a writer—an acute observer of detail, a relentless and insistent questioner.
Judith Ortiz Cofer was born in Hormigueros, a small town in Puerto Rico. When she was a young child her father's military career took the family to Paterson, New Jersey, but she often spent her childhood traveling back and forth between Puerto Rico and the U.S. At 15, her family moved again, this time to Augusta, Georgia, where she eventually earned a BA in English from Augusta College. She later earned an MA in English from Florida Atlantic University and did graduate work at Oxford University.
Although Ortiz Cofer is best known for her works of creative nonfiction, she began her writing career with poetry, which she feels "contains the essence of language." Her early chapbook Peregrina (1986) won the Riverstone International Chapbook Competition, and she has published various other collections of poetry since, including Terms of Survival (1987), Reaching for the Mainland (1995), and A Love Story Beginning in Spanish (2005).
Ortiz Cofer's work explores the rifts and gaps that arise between her split cultural heritages. Her early immersion in both Puerto Rican and American culture has shaped her multi-genre approach, which includes works of fiction, prose, poetry, and sometimes a combination of the three. Her work The Latin Deli, which was nominated for a Pulitzer-Prize, explores various genres, combining poetry, short fiction, and personal narrative. She is also an author of children's books.
In 2010, Ortiz Cofer was inducted into the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame. Her awards include grants from the Witter Bynner Foundation and the Georgia Council for the Arts, as well as fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts for poetry, the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, and the Florida Fine Arts Council.
Ortiz Cofer teaches at the University of Georgia as the Regents' and Franklin Professor of English and Creative Writing.
Blogging isn't an arena you can enter into lightly, hoping for the best. If you're blogging to be successful in your niche, it takes work. It takes dedication. It takes a plan.
Here are 4 power tips to help you move ahead of the crowd.
1. Know your audience and what they need.
One strategy to find out what your audience needs is to ask them in a survey or poll. You can also monitor your blog posts to see get the most views and clicks. It's those topics that your audience is interested in.
2. Know what your focus is.
If I posted an article on baking a cake, I'd confuse my audience and diminish my authority.
3. Take action steps to blog smart.
The first step here is to set up a blogging schedule that will work for you. In other words, a schedule that you'll be able to keep up with. Consistency matters.
You don't need to include every element within one post, but you should vary your posts. And, be sure your article is packed with quality information that has at least one 'actionable' tip.
While there are other power tips, these are the top four that you should include in your blogging strategy.
Join Karen Cioffi's upcoming online class, GET TRAFFIC TO YOUR WEBSITE WITH INBOUND MARKETING: Website Optimization, Blogging Smart, Email Marketing, and Social Media Marketing. Visit our classroom page for details and enrollment.
A couple weekends ago, I attended a leadership and strategic planning meeting for the Missouri Writers Guild, in honor of its 100-year anniversary. If you are unfamiliar with the MWG, it was founded in 1915 by Walter Williams who was the dean of the Journalism School at the University of Missouri Columbia at that time. Over the years, the organization has encompassed writers of fiction and nonfiction who are professional writers, however you want to define the term "professional."
One hundred years is a long time for any organization, which will surely have its ups and downs during its history, and MWG has had some of those. It seems in recent years, volunteers were few, and the work was plenty. Besides this, with all the changes in the publishing industry and the need for writers to connect with one another and improve their craft, the MWG has to realign its goals to the needs of its members and create a sense of passion and enthusiasm for writing, too.
1. People do still care about books and writing! When the market becomes saturated with authors and new books, it's hard to remember that each writer and each book makes a difference to someone. Even if you are not on the bestsellers list or receiving a movie contract, your book can still touch the lives of your readers. If you have a story in you, write it--no matter what happens with it. Big success is great, but so are the little ones!
2. It's important to take some time to look at what works and what doesn't for me. Just because my writing buddy can sit at the computer on a Sunday and churn out 5000 words doesn't mean I can. I have a beautiful four-year-old daughter and freelance work, so I have to fit in creative writing when I can. I shouldn't get down on myself because I have a self-publishing idea with a friend, but we haven't written a word of it yet. I am making goals and seeing what works for me, and what I need to change, so I shouldn't compare myself with anyone but myself.
3. Whatever makes me feel enthusiastic, stay with it! What project is calling to me at this time? The self-publishing one and another Maggie Mae picture book. I tried to force myself to work on a novel, which I do like, but it just wasn't flowing. It will eventually, and in the mean time, I need to stick with what is working.
Although the MWG conference wasn't a usual one with editors, agents, and workshops, it was still motivating--it was a group of writers, brainstorming together to make a strong, professional, and helpful organization for its members. And it showed me that I can do the same for my own career!
Margo L. Dill is the author of the picture book, Maggie Mae, Detective Extraordinaire: The Case of the Missing Cookies, to which she wants to write a sequel soon. To check out more about Margo and her two novels, please see her website at http://www.margodill.com or the novel writing classes she teaches for WOW! at http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/WOWclasses.html.
You've written the book. Your job is done. Time for the agents, editors and publishers to do their job. Oh, wishful thinking. Because the fact is, with the many changes in the publishing world the responsibility for editing (and by editing I mean revisions, grammatical fixes and checks for typos and formatting problems) is falling more heavily on the shoulders of writers. So what's a writer to do? Carolyn Howard-Johnson has compiled her plan of attack in the second edition of The Frugal Book Editor.
There are gremlins out there determined to keep your work from being published, your book from being promoted. They -- resolved to embarrass you before the gatekeepers who can turn the key to success for you -- lurk in your subconscious and the depths of your computer programs. Whether you are a new or experiences author, The Frugal Book Editor will help you present whistle-clean copy (whether it's a one-page cover letter or your entire manuscript) to those who have the power to say "Yea" or "Nay." It won several awards including a USA Book News award.
The Frugal Book Editor is available in paperback and as an ebook on Amazon.
Like most writers I dream of the editor who is going to take my manuscript, wave a magic wand and make it perfect. Too bad that mythical editor doesn't exist.
An edited manuscript has a better chance of being accepted by an agent or editor.
A professional editor will do a better job if you've already edited the manuscript. If obvious mistakes have been corrected, a professional editor can concentrate on more subtle (but still important) problems.
In addition to providing a refresher course on grammar concepts such as split infinitives, apostrophes, gerunds, The Frugal Book Editor also reintroduces you to the magic of computers. For instance, Howard-Johnson will explain the problem of excessive adverbs and then take you step by step through using the functions of your computer to bring adverbs to your attention so you can do a little editing. I learned about many tools my computer has that I never knew about. Her book is generously illustrated with funny examples as well as pet peeves and advice from professionals in the publishing world. Howard-Johnson also offers her readers extras: free information and advice she'll provide for the cost of an email and several appendices that gather lists of information, reference books and sources. Although this book is full of the nitpicky details writers like to avoid when in a creative frenzy, she manages to make the book fun with her humorous voice.
As you read this book the first time, you might feel you can never absorb everything you need to know (that's how I felt). But it is the type of book you will find yourself returning to again and again for writing projects of all lengths and genres. The Frugal Book Editor will earn a coveted spot on your shelf of reference books.
If you're reading this post, I'm sure you know that I use the term "book nerd" in the most loving way possible. I've recently started posting some of my observations on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag "booknerdproblems," and figured it might also make a fun topic for a blog post.
The book hangover. A few weekends ago, I desperately felt liked I needed a mental health break. Even though I had a zillion things to do around the house, I made the choice to download a book from one of my favorite authors, Elin Hilderbrand, that I hadn't read yet. I parked myself on the couch until I finished the book several hours later, and after my kids had wandered through the room a few times and even brought me a box of tissues at one point. The result was that I had what I like to call a "book hangover" for the next two days. It's a cross between a headache and eyestrain, and simply not being able to stop thinking about what you just read. It's awesome.
When you take a letter written by a fictional character personally. Have you ever read a letter in a novel or memoir that either takes your breath away or leaves you wide-eyed and clutching one hand over your chest? It's happened to me several times. One that stands out in my mind vividly is the letter Will writes to Lou at the end of "Me Before You" by Jojo Moyes. I won't give any spoilers if you haven't read the book, but wow.
When your TBR pile is taller than you, but you keep buying new/used books and checking them out from the library. Ah, yes. I know this one well. I have a slight problem with entering book giveaways (I swear I get a rush of adrenaline every time I come across a Rafflecopter form!) and I've been blessed with good luck. I have so many copies of books that haven't even been read on my bookshelves. I've never met a book section of a thrift store that I didn't love. Also--when authors find out you like to review books, they often reach out to you and offer you free copies in exchange for reviews. And who wants to turn down a free book?
You feel guilty if you watch a movie without first reading the book. I'm not sure why this is, but I feel dishonest if I make plans to see a movie without first reading the book. There have been so many cases where I didn't read a book when it first came out, only to break down and read it a few years later after the movie trailer had been released. I did this with John Green's The Fault in Our Stars, One Day by David Nicholls, and Kathryn Stockett's The Help, to name a few.
So now I'd love to hear about your own book nerd issues. Share in the comments below!
Friday Speak Out!: How to Handle "Writing Snags" Without Coming Unraveled!
It's the one certainty of the writing life. I recently got word that a major project with one of my biggest clients required a "change of directions," derailing my cash flow, my summer vacation, and the allocation of my time for the next four months.
Earlier this year, in another detour on the path to my well-laid-out plans, a client violated our contractual agreement by establishing his OWN payment schedule for services rendered; leaving me to be "creative" in how to meet my mortgage.
As a veteran freelance writer who has worked with a variety of clients worldwide, for over a decade, I've seen it all. And if you're in this industry long enough, it's very likely you will too.
Clients flake out on you. Your favorite editor changes magazines. Your book's big "debut" gets pushed back. Your computer gets infected with a virus and destroys important files for your next novel.
Word to the wise: you'll encounter many "snags" in your writing business. But, that doesn't mean you should become unraveled in the process. You can write a "happy ending" for your efforts, maintain your sanity, and go the distance.
Accordingly, I offer the following practices and principles to help you succeed.
1. Don't be bitter, be better.
When the client mentioned above failed to pay on time, I took matters into my own hands. Instead of begrudgingly accepting it, I built in a late charge for future payments.
The feast or famine cycle is a reality for most of us. Here's some food for thought: we shouldn't have to starve for the sake of our art. If for instance, you're a copywriter, moonlight. Consider blogging, or editing, or speaking, or teaching creative writing. The more income streams, the better. I earn extra cash by consulting and providing editorial calendars for busy bloggers and small businesses.
3. Adopt the Serenity Prayer.
Stay centered. Learn to accept the things you can't control, and have courage to change what you can. Feeling stressed and out of control can cause writer's block. And writer's block can block cash flow. Get my drift here?
Jennifer Brown Banks is a veteran freelance writer, relationship columnist, and award-winning blogger. In her spare time, she enjoys karaoke, cooking, and connecting with other creatives.
Visit her "Top 25" writing blog at Pen & Pro$per.
In 2008, Steve Goedeker, who runs an appliance retail company in the US, was trying to save his family's business and so, as a first step, he took it online. Profits soared, according to the New York Times story in which Goedeker was featured.
But then something more exciting happened. Goedeker decided to replace his Google ad spend with content marketing. According to the New York Times story, they hired two full-time writers and now spend between $100,000 and $150,000 a year on content marketing efforts.
Did you sniff the opportunity yet?
If not, the NYT story goes on to talk about Marcus Sheridan, owner of River Pools and Spas who published a post about how much it cost to install a fiberglass pool on their blog, and—pay attention to this bit—made $2.5 million in sales from just that one single article. Another business owner in the same Times story, attributes 1 to 3 percent of their business growth ($120,000 to $360,000) directly to content marketing.
Who does all this writing that content marketing requires? Freelance writers and more specifically, if industry chatter is to be believed, freelance journalists with years of experience covering these topics.
Because businesses expecting hundreds of thousands of dollars return for their content don't hire writers off oDesk to do the work, they hire writers with proven storytelling, publishing, and writing skills.
I introduced content marketing into my freelancing business last year. And when I did my yearly sums in December, I found—much to my amazement—that my income had doubled from the year before. This extra income was all from the content marketing work. Even better? I'd only spent 20% of my time doing it.
The work was the same. I was still writing news, profiles, and trend pieces, so why was content marketing paying more while my journalism income continued to stay stagnant?
And the answers to that question are why content marketing writing has become such an amazing opportunity for freelance journalists.
The revisions are almost non-existent. Both clients and agencies are eager to get the work out the door as soon as they can because they can't afford to create inefficiencies in their business. This means that if you submit publishable content right off the bat, you will never have to endure the four to five revisions that are typical of national (US) publications.
The client or agency ends up generating a lot of the ideas, which cuts down on my work time.
All these things ensure that not only am I paid more (I average $300 to $400 an hour on my content marketing assignments) but that the lack of endless revisions and follow-ups regarding payment mean that I'm enjoying much more job satisfaction and joy with my writing than I have in years.
More money, less aggravation, same work. That's why I think freelance journalists should consider content marketing.
Are You Already a Content Marketing Writer Without Realizing It?
Ever written a guest post for a blog that sells products (e-books, for instance)? An article for a non-profit organization that they sent out to their donors? Posted social media updates for a local restaurant chain? Written health stories for the online newsletter of a medical association?
You're a content marketing writer.
In fact, content marketing writing is so prevalent that it's very likely that you've done it as a freelancer without even realizing it. It often comes packaged as straightforward article writing, after all, so you'd have no reason to suspect otherwise. But if it's for a business, and the business has customers, it's content marketing. This blog post is content marketing and if you've ever written for The International Freelancer, you've done content marketing writing.
It will help you know when you're engaging in it so that you don't unintentionally or unknowingly cross any ethical lines that will hinder your journalism work or credibility.
How is Content Marketing Writing Different From Other Types of Writing?
All that said, there are pros and cons to everything and content marketing is no different.
We've discussed the pros. Now let's talk about some of the cons.
You can't be an investigative journalist if you're also doing content marketing writing. You can't take money from large banks to write their content and then publish articles in the New York Times about the banking crisis or offshore accounts facilitated by large banks. So yes, you will be shutting yourself off to certain kinds of work. You should be aware of this before you move forward.
Some editors—and they're increasingly rare—may not want to hire you as a journalist if you've done content marketing (consider that both The New York Times and TIME have content marketing arms.) This is usually also going to fall in the realm of investigative journalism, but it's worth being aware of all the same.
You're likely going to have two areas of specialty if you want to keep your content marketing and your journalism lives separate.
So, by this point, you probably know whether content marketing is a good fit for you or not.
If you think content marketing might be for you, you're in for a treat!
Mridu Khullar Relph, who's been published in NYT, Time, CNN, ABC News, The Independent, and other publications, and now runs The International Freelancer, found that her income doubled once she introduced content marketing into the mix. Now she's teaching other writers how to do the same. Check out her new course.


The University of Trieste offers a number of Bachelor's and Master's degrees entirely or partially taught in English, as well as many PhD international programmes that lead to an international career in companies and research institutions. Within these international programmes lectures, books and texts are provided in English.
For enrolment in a Bachelor's or Master's degree course visit the Admissions webpage.
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text:
Machine with Grease
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCBkSSkopqw
"And then I got a call from a friend who wanted to have a show of erotic art, and I didn't have any pieces. But
when she suggested to be in the show, this piece came to mind" [1]
The sculptures of Arthur Ganson are sometimes funny, sometimes smart, sometimes ingenious, sometimes philosophical, sometimes poetic and sometimes ironic. Most of the times it is a combination of all these mentioned above. I think Machine with Grease is a perfect example of his work. A nice combination of sex and a machine. As Ganson states:
"This is a happy machine, I'll tell you." [1]
But you can ask yourself; can machines be happy? Do machines have a hedonistic side? Are machines not just empty shells who wait for a command from above (the command from the human)? It happens a lot that artists give their machines a anthropomorphic touch. Think about Pamphleteer from the Institute for Applied Autonomy (IAA). They created a robot that distributed pamphlets.
'Studies have shown that people are more likely to accept literature from a robot than a human activist. Pamphleteer, aka Little Brother, is a propaganda robot which distributes subversive literature. Pamphleteer is designed to bypass the social conditioning that inhibits activists' ability to distribute propaganda by capitalizing on the aesthetics of cuteness. Pamphleteer is designed in the tradition of America science-fiction films and Japanese toy aesthetics.' [2]
So in short, we human beings accept more from a computer than from ourselves. What does this mean? Creating human-like objects is not something new. Think about the Greek myth of Pygmalion. He was a sculpture who felt in love with a statue he had created. He asked the Gods to make her come to life, which Aphrodite granted. But we also have the stories of Frankenstein and Der Golum. It seems that since the existence of mankind (or womankind) humans have been fascinated with creating the representation of themselves.[3] We want to be like God. We want to create our own replica. And because the use of mud and wood seems to be ineffective for this aim, we have focused ourselves on machinery. Technology.
But even though a robot may look like us, talk like us and behave like us, I don't thinks it will ever be like us. It is missing that one thing we don't really understand ourselves: a soul. No algorithm, how intelligent it may be, can cross that gap. Or can it?
[1] Arthur Ganson makes moving sculpture, inspirational talk on Ted
[2] Institute for Applied Autonomy, in Art and Electronic Media, p.159
[3] Edward A Shanken, "Hot to Bot: Pygmalion's Lust, the Maharal's Fear, and the Cyborg Future of Art" (2005)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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In 1839, the Virginia army Institute turned the nation�s first state-sponsored army university while the nation arsenal in Lexington, Virginia, followed an extra accountability offering a faculty schooling to a small staff of cadets. This humble scan grew to become the nation�s version for instructing the citizen-soldier.
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text:
Three Hopkins online master's programs among nation's best
Graduate programs in nursing and engineering recognized by U.S. News & World Report
JHU 11th in Best Global University rankings
University also ranks among the top 20 globally in 12 subject areas, according to 'U.S. News'
Johns Hopkins No. 12 in annual World University Rankings
Published Sept 11, 2019
'Times Higher Education' list ranks schools based on research reputation, knowledge transfer, and international outlook, among other indicators
Hopkins remains among top 10 in college rankings
Published Sept 9, 2019
'U.S. News & World Report' also recognizes JHU as one of the nation's top schools in terms of overall value, innovation, biomedical engineering, and economic and ethnic diversity
JHU jumps to No. 12 in WSJ/THE rankings
JHU makes the biggest move among top 25 schools in rankings published by 'The Wall Street Journal' and 'Times Higher Education'
Hopkins ranked among world's top universities
JHU comes in at No. 24 out of 1,000 school in the annual QS World University Rankings
Hopkins grad programs among nation's best
Public health, nursing, medicine, biomedical engineering maintain top positions in annual 'U.S. News' rankings of the Best Graduate Schools
Three Johns Hopkins online programs ranked among nation's best
Nursing graduate program ranked best in the country, two engineering programs among top 15
Johns Hopkins ranked No. 12 in the world
Publication also ranks JHU among top 20 globally in 10 different subject areas
Hopkins moves up to No. 12 in 'Times Higher Education' rankings
Publication compares global research institutions across performance indicators related to teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and international outlook


text:
Q: getsockname behaviour when name = null I have code in windows that calls to getsockname as following:
getsockname(*x,NULL,0)

the third parameter (namelen) is IN\Out parameter, and contains the size of the name buffer, in bytes. On return, the namelen parameter contains the actual size in bytes of the name parameter.
Now, my question is what will occure if the the name equals to null, and the namelen equals to zero?I saw taht in linux, if name is NULL, namelen is ignored, but the MSDN doesn't mention anything about this case..
The MSDN link is here
the IBM link for linux is here
thanks in advance

A: In your code, you have passed zero for the third parameter.
The third parameter cannot be null, according to the specification, it must be a pointer to an integer giving the length of the second parameter, and on output gives the actual size of the address. Passing zero does not mean that you are saying no storage has been allocated, it means you are saying you haven't passed the information nor anywhere to write the output value.
According to MSDN and Linux documentation, the function should return -1 and set errno to EFAULT ( or WSAGetLastError to WSAEFAULT on in windows sockets). This is defined as "Using the name and namelen parameters as specified would result in an attempt to access storage outside of the caller's address space."
However that's not part of the Posix specification, and I don't read that as requiring the function the check the addresses - just that it can.  In other words, in Posix at least, this is undefined behaviour. That means anything can happen.
In Linux, you say you have observed that the two parameters are ignored if null is passed. I suspect that your code isn't checking the return value, which will probably be -1 with errno set to EFAULT.
Posix functions don't throw exceptions. You should be checking the return code, possibly something like this:
int result = getsockname(*x,NULL,0);
if(result){
    /*Failed - handle here*/
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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CT State Community College Tuition Match Scholarship Program with Charter Oak State College Offers the Most Affordable Bachelor's Degree in Connecticut.
For Immediate Release: 18 November 2022
Photo from left to right: Charter Oak State College President Ed Klonoski and CT State President John Maduko, M.D., signed the agreement at CT State Community College's New Britain office on Nov. 15.
CT State Community College and Charter Oak State College announced a Community College Tuition Match Scholarship Agreement which will reduce the price of obtaining a bachelor's degree for those Connecticut community college students who transfer to Charter Oak, making it the most affordable option in Connecticut.
To apply for the scholarship, which goes into effect for the fall 2023 semester, the student must complete their associate degree, be in good academic standing with a GPA of at least 2.0, and enroll at Charter Oak State College within 12 months of completing an associate degree. The student's tuition at Charter Oak will match the community college tuition rate for that year.
"As a soon-to-be statewide community college, we pride ourselves on building upon the history of our 12 legacy community colleges across the state. Affordability, accessibility and quality education are all hallmarks of our mission and values, and we're focused on post-graduate success, specifically establishing upward economic mobility through initiatives such as this," said CT State President John Maduko, M.D. "The majority of our credit seeking students are in transfer degree programs, and transfer to equitable, accessible four-year programs impacts our students and graduates beyond college."
"This partnership creates one of the most affordable and flexible pathways toward earning a bachelor's degree in Connecticut," said Charter Oak State College President Ed Klonoski. "Our mission has always been to create avenues that provide flexible and convenient access to degrees that are both high in value and low in cost. "
"The agreement gives students who graduate from CT State an affordable choice to pursue a bachelor's degree in workforce relevant careers such as nursing, business, early childhood education, social work, public safety, health care and more," added Charter Oak Provost Dave Ferreira, Ed.D.
The tuition scholarship is good for five years. To maintain the scholarship, the student must enroll in a minimum of six Charter Oak credits in the fall and spring semesters, enabling the student to graduate in five years attending part-time. Students can take additional courses at the reduced rate and graduate earlier, take courses in the summer, or take additional courses they may need at one of the 12 Connecticut community colleges as long as they adhere to the scholarship requirements.
Eligible students should apply for financial aid, including Federal Pell Grants, to help cover the costs of their college expenses. They will be responsible for books, a technology fee, and any other course related expenses. Students will also need to meet Charter Oak State College's degree requirements for the bachelor's degree.
Spring and fall registration are in progress at Connecticut's 12 community colleges.
Students intending to apply to a Connecticut community college for the first time should start by applying online. Applications for the upcoming semesters – Winter 2022 and Spring 2023 – can be found at ct.edu/admission. Spring semester classes begin January 20. Free community college through PACT: Pledge to Advance Connecticut, is still available to graduates of Connecticut's high schools who have never attended college before. More information is available at ct.edu/pact.
About CT State
The 12 community colleges in Connecticut are merging in 2023 to become CT State Community College, one of the largest community colleges in the country and largest in New England, dedicated to quality, access and affordability. CT State students will be able to apply once and take classes at any campus. Locations include Asnuntuck (Enfield), Capital (Hartford), Gateway (New Haven and North Haven), Housatonic (Bridgeport), Manchester, Middlesex (Middletown & Meriden), Naugatuck Valley (Waterbury and Danbury), Northwestern (Winsted), Norwalk, Quinebaug Valley (Danielson and Willimantic), Three Rivers (Norwich), and Tunxis (Farmington). Find out more at www.ctstate.edu/becoming.
About Charter Oak State College
Charter Oak State College (www.CharterOak.edu) is Connecticut's public online college, offering associate and bachelor's degrees in high-demand fields including Health Information Management, Nursing, Criminal Justice, Early Childhood Education, Social Work and Business Administration. The College offers master's degrees in Health Informatics, Health Care Administration and Organizational Effectiveness and Leadership. Charter Oak is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education and governed by Connecticut's Board of Regents for Higher Education.
© CT State Community College


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text:
Bar Tab: Harry's Continental Kitchens
By Wade Tatangelo , Herald-Tribune
/ Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Harry Christensen, owner of Harry's Continental Kitchens, poses at the restaurant bar with The Secret Swizzle (left), from his Creative Libations menu, and a Pineapple-Pomegranate Martini. STAFF PHOTO/WADE TATANGELO
A culinary complex of single-story buildings nestled off Gulf of Mexico Drive on Longboat Key, Harry's Continental Kitchens has you covered. There is a corner store, a deli, a catering business and a restaurant. The restaurant is one of the most respected in the area.
We're here for happy hour.
Every day from 2 to 5 p.m., Harry's flagship establishment features a lengthy list of deals. I'm all about trying the $5 martini of the day. The $5 cocktail of the day will need to be imbibed, too. My amazing wife Kristin has expressed interest in a couple of the appetizers.
The Secret Swizzle (left) and Pineapple-Pomegranate STAFF PHOTO/WADE TATANGELO
After walking through the palm tree-lined patio covered with handsome tables for alfresco dining, we enter and take a seat at the intimate bar. It overlooks the dining room, featuring garden-party views of Florida foliage. Our server, Lynda Stevens, greets us with a genuine smile. Kristin and I feel as if we are at the beach home of a splendid host.
Dressed in a pair of Columbia shorts, one of the sportswear company's roll-up long sleeve shirts and a pair of canvas Dockers, I appear ready to go fishing. But I don't feel out of place at this fine-dining destination. The vibe of the place at 3 p.m. on Friday is completely laid-back, like one would hope for at a place located within a short walk of the beach. Sure, I would probably wear a pair of pants and a dressier shirt if we were here for dinner but something tells me that despite all of its accolades, the restaurant never allows itself to get too stuffy.
Sweet Potato Fries with spicy barbecue and curry-apricot dipping sauces. STAFF PHOTO/WADE TATANGELO
These are my thoughts as I sip my Swizzle, the $5 cocktail of the day. It's a tropical drink made with Gosling's Black Seal 80 Proof Bermuda Black Rum, a liquor that dates back to 1806. The Swizzle, like most of the drinks on the Creative Libations section of the menu, costs about 10 bucks during regular hours. It's pleasurably potent, tempered with just the right amount of fresh fruit juices to make it lively.
"It's a secret recipe from Bermuda," Lynda Stevens says with a smile.
Meanwhile, Kristin sips on the $5 martini of the day, a delicious concoction featuring pineapple-infused Skyy Vodka and Malibu Rum with a splash of pomegranate juice. You can see the pineapple pieces soaking in a vat of vodka and rum right behind the bar. I savor a chunk that probably has the alcohol content of a small shot. Kristin winces a little, and then smiles, while eating the booze-laced fruit.
"Oh, that had some kick, but it's real good," Kristin says.
Shrimp-Cargot STAFF PHOTO/WADE TATANGELO
We consult with Lynda and order a trio of items – Sweet Potato Fries ($6), Shrimp-Cargot ($12) and Spanish Tapas ($12) – off the starters section of a happy hour menu where everything looks tasty.
Before our food arrives, Harry Christensen greets us from behind the bar. He's kind and humble and the type of guy you would definitely enjoy chatting with over a nice bottle of something. Harry and his wife, Lynn, started the gourmet take-out kitchen in 1979. The restaurant opened in 1985. Their son, Hal, joined the team in 2000. I remark on the many aspects of their gastronomical compound, and Harry grins.
"We also have the smallest package liquor store in all of Florida," he says.
I didn't notice walking in but there, right by the entrance, are a few shelves of fine liquors.
Spanish Tapas/STAFF PHOTO/WADE TATANGELO
"Very convenient for some people," Harry says with a smile.
Our food arrives and it's as rewarding as we had expected – and our expectations were high. The tapas dish is a toasted bread treat consisting of brie and artichoke crostini; prosciutto and eggplant crostini; and bruschetta of tomato, basil, garlic and olive oil. The Shrimp-Cargot is seasoned with roasted garlic, spinach butter and plenty of fresh grated parmesan cheese melted on top. The Sweet Potato Fries are like wonderful slices of fresh pie made even more charming by spicy barbecue and curry-apricot sauce dipping options.
I'm impressed by the Prohibition era (and older) favorites on the drink menu, like the Manhattan, Side Car and Mojito. Contemporary faves, especially the Sinful Godiva Dark Chocolate Martini, sound appealing, too. But what really grabs my attention is Harry's Bacon Bloody Mary. It's made with bacon-infused Tito's Handmade Vodka and crispy bacon, then served with homemade pickled vegetables. Full, but craving this drink, I order it sans the vegetables. It's a glass of bacon glory that even my wife admires.
The LBK Sub from Harry's Continental Kitchens. COURTESY PHOTO
Before leaving, we do a little exploring.
Harry's corner store carries items ranging from standard groceries to cold beer; even beach and party supplies. At his deli across the street where we are parked, people grab ready-to-go meals, sandwiches, baked goods and bottles of wines sold at 20 percent discounts on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The catering business that operates here has made special events even more special for decades.
It's likely we'll be back to grab a gourmet sandwich or snack at the deli or corner store. Also, let's not forget, we have plenty to sample on that happy hour menu – those $5 cocktails and martinis change every day. And I definitely wouldn't mind paying full price for Harry's Bacon Bloody Mary done up with all the works; especially during a Sunday brunch, which just might ease into happy hour.
Harry's Continental Kitchens
525 St. Judes Drive, Longboat Key; 383-0777; harryskitchen.com.
Have a suggestion for a place to be featured in Bar Tab? Comment below, email to wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com or contact me on Twitter: @wtatangelo. To read past Bar Tab columns and slideshows visit the archive.
WADE TATANGELOis the editor of TICKET + and a contributor at TicketSarasota.com. He has been an entertainment editor, reporter, columnist and reviewer for more than a decade at publications nationwide. He is a Hershey, Pa., native who grew up in Tampa and graduated from the University of South Florida. Wade joined the Herald-Tribune in 2013 and writes the weekly Bar Tab column. He can be reached by email or call (941) 361-4955. Follow @wtatangelo
Last modified: June 24, 2014
Artist Origin Story: Jill Hoffman-Kowal


Florida's Big Bend is home to more than 2,000 nonprofit organizations, which constitute a critical part of the region's economy. According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS), nonprofits based in Leon, Franklin, Liberty, Madison, Wakulla, Jefferson, Taylor and Gadsden counties reported over $2.5 Billion in gross receipts in 2014. And, the sector continues to be a major regional employer, supporting over 11,500 employees throughout the 8-county area.
Despite the strength and value of the sector overall, many individual nonprofits–particularly small ones with annual revenues of less than $1M–face significant financial and operational challenges. Whilst the global recession created an increased need for nonprofit services, many agencies experienced decreased funding and were thus faced with the paradoxical challenge of doing more with less.
Recognizing the essential role that nonprofits play within the region, community leaders and representatives from the Community Foundation of North Florida, Council on Culture and Arts, United Partners for Human Services, United Way of the Big Bend and the North Florida Area Agency on Aging conceptualized a nonprofit resource center that would engage, centralize and disseminate the best practices of nonprofits across all sectors. The partner organizations embarked on a strategic planning process in 2010, and through the support of Tallahassee Community College, the Institute for Nonprofit Innovation and Excellence (INIE) officially launched in 2014. Since then, INIE's Board of Directors has focused on positioning INIE to play a central role in advocating for the sector and helping local nonprofits access the resources and training necessary to better fulfill their missions.


Thank you, Stacey! Have added you right back.
Yay! Family time at home is the bessst. Have an awesome trip, Jaime!
Thanks, Gianni! I can't believe a week has flown by already. I've tried to savour every single moment!
Thank you, Sophie! I hope you loved Target. I made my second trip there yesterday and left with an armful of stuff - AGAIN!
I know you'll be up in the air by now but really have a fantastic time and enjoy every second.


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Snow can't hold back the Holy Spirit as teens stirred up at Diocesan Youth Rally
Msgr. Stanley Deptula blesses palm branches held by Diocesan Youth Rally participants prior to the Mass closing the event at the Spalding Pastoral Center on March 24, the eve of Palm Sunday and the start of Holy Week. (The Catholic Post/Tom Dermody)
On the eve of Holy Week, in the middle of a spring snowstorm, the time was right for more than 100 Catholic teenagers from around the Diocese of Peoria to choose a life of greatness.
A spirited game of Name That Tune pitted boys against girls at the Diocesan Youth Rally. Here Hannah Legner of St. Mary Parish, Pontiac, is the first to tag emcee Amelia Misiak to give a correct song title and artist on behalf of the girls as keynote speaker Jackie Francois Angel plays guitar. (The Catholic Post/Tom Dermody)
"If you want to be a saint, you have to start right now living it," said Jackie Francois Angel, keynote speaker at the 2018 Diocesan Youth Rally. "I don't want you to settle for a life of mediocrity."
Moments later, as the rally participants held palm branches before processing into the chapel at the Spalding Pastoral Center for Mass, they heard a similar invitation.
"This is our week. This is our Holy Week," said Msgr. Stanley Deptula before blessing the palms. Unlike stories of yesteryear told by their grandparents, the accounts of Jesus' final days to be recounted in readings and liturgies in the coming days "are as real today as they ever were" and can change our lives, he said.
"Let us live, let us hear, let us remember our family story," said Msgr. Deptula, who is rector of St. Mary's Cathedral and pastor of St. Bernard and Sacred Heart parishes in Peoria.
"SPIRIT LEAD ME"
"Spirit Lead Me" was the theme for this year's youth rally, coordinated by the Diocesan Office of Evangelization and Faith Formation.
Participants in the 2018 Diocesan Youth Rally in Peoria on March 24 kneel before the Blessed Sacrament during a holy hour of eucharistic adoration. The lines were long for the sacrament of reconciliation which was also offered during the period of quiet prayer. (The Catholic Post/Tom Dermody)
Nearly 200 high school-aged students and adult chaperones had registered for the event, but heavy snow that developed throughout the day caused more than 50 from further distances to stay home, according to Karley Bates, programs coordinator. In addition, plans to process to St. Mary's Cathedral for the closing Mass were canceled. The Mass was moved to the TEC Chapel in the pastoral center.
The rally ended about two hours earlier than planned so that participants could travel home in the daylight.
"We pray that while outside it may be cold, that inside we might be burning with love for you," said Amelia Misiak, a youth minister from St. Mary Parish in Pontiac, in an opening prayer. Misiak, who also teaches junior high religion at the parish school, served as emcee for the day, which in addition to two keynote talks by Angel and the Mass included games, vocation talks, and a holy hour with opportunity for the sacrament of reconciliation.
"Seeing the kids line up for confession was awesome and then spend precious time in front of Jesus in the Eucharist was a powerful sight," Misiak later told The Catholic Post.
CHURCH ISN'T AFRAID OF QUESTIONS
Bringing abundant energy and passion for the Catholic faith was Angel, a Catholic singer, songwriter, and youth minister from Orange County, California, who asked the youth to consider her "their crazy older sister" in Christ.
Angel's two afternoon presentations were delivered rapid-fire, blending humor — her favorite Catholic pick-up line from a guy, for example, was "Girl, if I had a rosary bead for every time I thought of you, I'd have a glorious mystery" — with serious topics ranging from depression to addiction to recent school shootings.
Keynote speaker Jackie Francois Angel points to an image of Jesus on the cross and tells the teens at the Diocesan Youth Rally that "this is what real love is — in true love you're going to have to sacrifice" for the sake of others. (The Catholic Post/Tom Dermody)
"You should be more afraid of spiritual death than you should ever be of a school shooting," Angel said at one point. "God doesn't guarantee we're going to live until we're 90 years old."
Angel told the youths that neither God, nor the Catholic Church, are afraid of their questions.
"We can ask the tough questions" on topics such as abortion, contraception, or the need to confess sins to a priest, she said. The more questions Angel asked in her high school and college years, "the more I was like, 'Wow, this is so beautiful why the church teaches what it does."
In urging the teens to call on the Holy Spirit, Angel used the analogy of thick chocolate syrup poured into a glass of milk.
"You've got to stir it up," she said. "You've also got to stir up the gifts of the Holy Spirit within you" to be most effectively used by God.
LOVE REQUIRES SACRIFICE
Angel's second talk focused on dating and the vocation of marriage.
While young people might ask "how far can we go" with someone they are dating before it is a sin, Angel challenged them to consider different questions, including "How can I respect every guy or girl in my life?" and "How can I help lead you to heaven?"
She pointed to the image of Jesus on the cross on a screen behind her and told the teens "This is the definition of marriage, this is what real love is."
"In true love you're going to have to sacrifice," she said.
The group then separated for talks on vocations to the priesthood by Father Kyle Lucas, chaplain of Peoria Notre Dame High School, and vocations to the consecrated life by Sister Lucia, SCTJM.
Bates told The Catholic Post that while the snow held the numbers down, it didn't hold the Holy Spirit back.
"To me knowing that even one soul was impacted during this retreat was worth everything," said Bates. "You never know how God will work in the lives of others. It is up to us as disciples of Christ to provide opportunity to lead others to a personal relationship with Christ."
Amelia Misiak, Jackie Francois Angel, Karley Bates, Youth Rally