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JMFrey
November 1, 2021 JM Frey JMFrey, Narrative, Words for Writers, Writing
JM FreyGUEST POST: The Best Meta Fiction About Books 11.01.2021
I was interviewed by the kind and extremely articulate Oliver Brakenbury of the "So… I'm Writing A Novel" podcast, and you can listen to the whole episode here!
(From Spotify)
Oliver has a long, highly informative chat with author, actor, and voice actor J.M. Frey about her experiences as a writer, including what happens when your book grows to around the 200K word mark, self-publishing, the challenges of author exhaustion (incl. frank discussion of how the economics of publishing deals have evolved), when she received her first piece of fan art based on her work, and more! Jess is terribly knowledgeable, and we strongly recommend you check out her site not only for all the great advice it contains, but also to study how Jess presents herself online.
October 18, 2021 JM Frey Agent, Fanfiction, Interview, JMFrey, Words for Writers, Writing
JM FreyINTERVIEW: "So… I'm Writing a Novel" 10.18.2021
http://jmfrey.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Copy-of-LLI-Cover-Reveal-Insta-Size-1.mp4
It's Cover Reveal time! Lips Like Ice is getting a reprint, and a new BEAUTIFUL cover. (I say 'beautiful' a lot in this video, but it IS!)
Available September 1st, 2021 through online retailers. Keep an eye on my Erotica Books page for updated links as they become available.
August 19, 2021 JM Frey JMFrey, Lips Like Ice, Peggy Barnett
JM FreyCOVER REVEAL – "Lips Like Ice" 08.19.2021
There's been a lot of chatter on social media these last few weeks, recycling that trashy, self-aggrandizing, tired old "hot take" that reading and writing fanfiction is somehow bad for you as a writer.
Before we go any further, let me give a clear and definitive answer to this take:
No, reading and writing fanfiction will not make you and does not make you a bad reader or writer.
Why? Here's the TL;DR version:
Reading and Writing, any kind of reading and writing, will make you a better reader and writer. And it's enjoyable, to boot.
Fanfiction has been around as long as Original Fiction, so we'd know if there was any negative impact by now (spoiler alert: there isn't.)
Practice is Practice, so matter what medium you get that practice in.
Comprehending and writing fanfiction is harder than writing original fiction because you have to hold the Source Media Text in your head at the same time as you're reading/writing a different story. It improves your understanding of storytelling.
No hobby, no matter what it is, so long as it doesn't harm anyone else or yourself, is bad. And that goes double for if you decide to keep it a hobby. Not every fanfic writer wants to write original fiction, and that's just fine. Not every hobby has to be monetized.
Okay. But what do they mean by "fanfiction"?
"Fanfiction is fictional writing written by fans, commonly of an existing work of fiction. The author uses copyrighted characters, settings, or other intellectual properties from the original creator as a basis for their writing."– Wikipedia
Basically – it's when you take elements (setting, characters, major themes or ideas) of a Media Text (a novel, a movie, a podcast, a comic, etc.) and create a different story with those elements. You can write a missing scene, or an extended episode, or a whole new adventure for the characters of the Media Text. You can even crossover or fuse multiple Media Texts, or specific elements, to create a whole new understanding of the characters or their worlds.
Similar to fanfic, you can also create fanart, fancomics, or fansongs ("filk"), fancostumes ("cosplay"), and fanfilms. These are called Fanworks or Fancrafts.
Fanfiction is usually posted to online forums, journals, blogs, or story archives and shared for free among the public. Before the advent of the internet, fanfiction was often printed or typed, and hand-copied using photocopiers or ditto machines, and distributed for free (or for a small administration fee to cover materials) among fans at conventions, or through mail-order booklets ("zines").
Fanfiction has existed pretty much since the beginning of storytelling (A Thousand and One Nights, Robin Hood, and King Arthur all have different elements attributed to them by different authors retelling, twisting, adding to, or changing the stories; there's no single-origin author of those tales.)
There are billions on billions of fanfics out there in the world—and while a majority of them are romance stories, there are also adventures, comedies, dramas, thrillers, stories based on case files, stories about the emotional connection between characters when one is hurt and the other must care for them, historical retellings, etc. There are also stories for every age range and taste, though be sure to take heed of the tags, trigger warnings, and age range warnings as your browse the archives and digital libraries.
As a reader, it's your responsibility to curate your experience online.
So why are people so afraid or derisive of fanfic?
People who are hard on fanfic say that…
Well of course it sucks! As it's a low-stakes and easy way to try out creative writing for the first time, the majority of fanfiction is overwhelmingly written by new and young writers. Everything you do when you first try it sucks a little bit. I'm sure no figure skater was able to immediately land perfect triple axels ten minutes after they strap on the skates for the first time in their lives. No knitter has ever made a flawlessly perfect jumper on their first try. No mathematician has ever broken the code to send a rocket into space after having just been taught elementary-school multiplication. So why on earth do people think that new writers don't need to practice? I can promise you that Lin-Manuel Miranda's first rap was probably pretty shaky.
It's lazy or it's cheating.
Listen, anyone who tells you that writing anything is lazy clearly has not sat down and tried to write anything. Writing is tedious. It is It takes hours, and hours, and hours to get anything on the page, and then once it's on the page you have to go back and edit it. UGH. There is nothing about being a writer—even a fanfic writer—that is lazy.
And anyone who tells you that trying to tell a fresh, new story within the limits and confines of a pre-existing world and have it make sense is cheating, then they have no freaking clue how hard it is to be creative with that kind of limitation placed on you. It's harder when you have a set of rules you need to follow. What you do come up with is often extremely interesting and creative because of those limitations, not in spite of them.
The argument that using pre-made characters, settings, tropes, and worlds to make up a new story is cheating is also complete bunk. Do those same people also expect hockey players to whittle and plane themselves a whole new hockey stick from scratch before each game? No, of course not. And yeah, a baker can grow all their own wheat, grind the flour, raise the chickens and cows so they can get eggs and milk, distill the vanilla, etc. Or a baker can buy a box mix. Either way, you get a cake at the end of the process. Whether you write fanfic or original fiction, you still get a story at the end of the process.
It makes you a worse
* annoying buzzer noise * Practicing anything does not make you worse at it. And reading stories that are not edited, expertly crafted, or "high art" will also not indoctrinate you into being a bad writer. If anything, figuring out why you don't like a specific story, trope, or writing style is actually a great way to learn what kind of writer you want to be, and to learn different methods of constructing sentences, creating images, and telling tales. Or you know, just how much spelling and grammar matter.
It's not highbrow or thoughtful enough.
Sometimes stories are allowed to be just comfort food. Not every book or story you read has to be haute cuisine or boringly nutritious. You are allowed to read stories because they're exciting, or swoony, or funny, or just because you like Anyone who says differently is a snob and worth ignoring. (Besides, fun silly stories can also be packed with meaning and lessons—I mean, hello, Terry Prachett, anyone?)
It makes you waste all your time on writing that can't be monetized.
No time is wasted if you spend it doing something that brings you joy. Not every hobby needs to be a money-maker and not everyone wants to be a professional writer. You are allowed to write, and read, fanfic just for the fun of it.
It's theft.
According to Fair Use Law, it's not. As long as the fanfic writer (or artist, cosplayer, etc.) is not making money on their creation that directly impacts or cuts into the original creator's profit, or is not repackaging/plagiarizing the original Media Text and profiting off it's resale, then Fan Works are completely legal. So there.
How, exactly, does fanfic make you a better writer?
teaches you to finish what you start.
The joy of being able to share your fic, either as you're writing it, or afterward, is a big motivating factor for a lot of people. They finish because they get immediate feedback on it from their readers and followers. Lots of people have ideas for books, but how many of them do you know have actually sat down and written the whole thing?
Fanfic is also low-stakes; there's nothing riding on whether you finish something or not, so you have to inspire yourself to get there without the outside (potentially negative) motivation of deadline or a failing grade if you don't get the story finished. You end up learning how to motivate yourself.
Fanfic has no rules, so you write as much or as little as you want, stop wherever you think is a good place to end the story, write it out of order, or go back and write as many sequels or prequels as you like. Again, it's totally low-stakes and is meant to be for fun, so you can noodle around with what it means to write a "whole" story and "complete" it, which teaches you how you like to write, and how you like to find your way to the finish line.
teaches you story structure.
Before you can sit down and write a story based on one of your favorite Media Texts, you're likely to spend a lot of time consuming that text passively, or studying it actively. Either way, you're absorbing how and why Media Text structures the stories it tells, and are learning how to structure your own from that.
Once you're comfortable with the story structure the Media Text you're working in is told, you'll probably start experimenting with different ways stories can be told, and find the versions you like to work with best.
teaches you how to write characters consistently.
Fanfic is really hard because not only do you have to write your fave characters in a way that moves the story along, but they have to be recognizable as those fave characters.
This means you have to figure out their body language, verbal and physical tics, their motivations and they way the handle a crisis (fight, flight, or fawn?), and then make up the details you may need for your story that you may never see on screen/the page, like how they take their eggs or what their fave shampoo is, based on what you already know about them. That takes some top-notch detective work and character understanding to pull off.
Once you know how to do that, just making up a whole person yourself for original fiction is a breeze.
Teaches you how to hear and mimic a character/narrator voice.
You have to pay close attention to how an actor speaks, or how a character's speech patterns, dialect, work choice, etc. is reflected on the page in order to be consistent in your story.
And all of this, in turn, teaches you how to build one for yourself.
I have a whole series of articles here about building a narrative voice, if you want to read more on constructing an original voice for your narrator.
Teaches you how to create or recreate a setting.
Again, like achieving character consistency, or mimicking a character or narrative voice, it takes work and paying attention in order to re-create a setting, time period, or geographical region in a fanfic—and if you're taking your characters somewhere new, your readers will expect that setting to be equally rich as the one the Media Text is based in.
Which, again, teaches you how to then go and build an original one for yourself.
teaches how to take critique.
Professional writing is not a solitary pursuit. In fact, most writing is not entirely the work of an author alone. Like professional authors work with editors, critique partners, and proofreaders, some fanfiction writers will sometimes work with beta-readers or editors as well. This are friends or fanfic colleagues who offer to read your fanfic and point out plot, character, consistency, or story structure errors, or who offer to correct spelling and grammar errors. This is a great way to practice working with editors if you decide to pursue a professional career, and also a great way to make friends and strengthen your community and skill set if you don't.
Many fanfic sites offer readers the opportunity to leave a comment on a fic, rather like a reviewer can leave a review on GoodReads or Amazon, or any other online store or blog, for a novel they've read. Sometimes these comments/reviews are 5 star and enthusiastic! Sometimes they are… not. The exact opposite in fact. As you get comments on your fanfic, and learn to ignore the ones that are just mean rather than usefully critical, you gain the Very Important Skill of learning to resist firing back at bad comments or reviews, while enjoying the good ones. It also teaches you how to ignore drama or haters.
Teaches you how to exist within a like-minded community.
While the actual writing part of writing is solitary and sometimes tedious, nothing is ever published into a vacuum, whether it be fanfiction or original. Besides your editing/critique/beta reader group, you will also likely develop friendships, a support network, and mutuals. It's always great to uplift, support, cheer on, and celebrate one another's accomplishments and victories, whether the writing is fanfic or original.
Teaches you that it's okay to write about things important to you, or your own identity.
You can change a characters ethnicity, cultural background, sexuality, religion, or disabilities to match yours, and talk about your lived life through the megaphone of that character. Or, you can insert original characters based on you, your desires, and experiences.
Once you're comfortable writing in your #ownvoice in fanfic, you can approach it in original fiction, if you like.
See my article titled Your Voice Is Valid for more on this.
What if I want to be a professional writer?
Notice how I didn't say "real writer". Any writer who writes any kind of story is a 'real' writer. I mean, pinch yourself—you're real, right? The difference is actually between being an "amateur" writer (a hobbyist who does not write for pay), and a "professional" (who is paid for their writing). Just because you only play shinny on the street with your friends, or in a house league on the weekends, it's doesn't mean you're not still as much of a hockey player as someone who plays in the NHL.
Writing fanfiction before or at the same time as writing original fiction that you intend to sell is a great way to learn, or practice, everything I've mentioned above. If you read it widely, it will also expose you to different story telling styles, voices, and tropes than your reading of published fiction.
Can I sell my fanfic?
For fanfiction to remain under the umbrella of Fair Use Law, you cannot profit off your fanfiction. There's some grey-area wiggle room around things like charging a small amount for a 'zine or a PDF to cover administrative costs, but zero wiggleability around, say, selfpublishing your fanfic and charging heaps for it.
Can I "file off the serial numbers"?
"Filing of the series numbers" is when you take a fanfic you've written and essentially pull it apart, remove everything that's clearly someone else's Media Text, and reassembling the story so that it's pretty much a completely original piece of creative writing.
Yes, you can sell these, provided your filing is rigorous enough that you aren't likely to be dinged for plagiarism. It's widely known that Cassandra Claire's Shadowhunters was once Harry Potter fanfic, and that Fifty Shades of Gray was once Twilight But did you know that my Triptych started life as an idea for a Stargate Atlantis fic? There's lots of stories out there that were once full fics, or the idea for the novel was originally conceived for a fandom, but written as original instead.
So long as you're careful to really rework the text so that it's not just a find-name-replace-name rewrite, you should be fine.
Be aware, though, that the agents and editors you might pitch this novel to know how to Google. They may discover that this is a filed-off story, and depending on their backgrounds and biases, might be concerned about it. There's no need to inform them of the novel's origin straight off in your pitch/query letter, but you may want to have a frank discussion with them about it after it's been signed so they can help you make sure that any lingering copywrited concepts or characters are thoroughly changed before publication.
Should you take down the original fic-version of the novel while you're querying/shopping it? Well, that's up to you, and whether you're comfortable with an editor/agent potentially finding it.
Should I be ashamed of my fic, or take it down, or pretend I never wrote fic?
What? Why? No! I mean, I have hidden some of my most immature work, but I've left pretty much my whole catalogue of fanfic online and I don't deny that I was/am a ficcer. Why? Because it's a great repository of free stories that people can read before they buy one of my books, so they can get a taste of how and what I write. Also, you will be in good company. Lots and lots of writers who are published now-a-days started in fandom, including:
Claudia Gray
Meg Cabot.
Naomi Novik.
Neil Gaiman.
Lev Grossman.
E. Hinton.
The Bronte Sisters
Marjorie M. Liu
and of course, J.M. Frey
How fanfic can harm.
Like with anything else, there are ways that reading and writing fanfiction can actually harm you, or others, but it has nothing to do with the reading or writing of fanfiction in and of itself.
Some creators may prefer that you don't (and may or may not follow up with legal action).
Anne Rice famously went after fanficcers in the 90s who wrote fanfic of her work, handing out Cease & Desist notices like confetti.
99% of creators don't care. Those who do will generally have a notice on their websites or social media politely asking fancreators to refrain. Mostly this is due to their general discomfort over the idea of anyone else getting to play in their worlds. The best thing to do is respect that request, and find a different fandom to write in.
Flamewars and fandom fights leading to bullying and doxing.
Regrettably, just like any other community filled with people who have different favorites, opinions, and preferences, there will inevitably be clashes. It's up to you to decide how to react to negative interactions, and how to model positive ones.
Don't forget, you curate your online experience, so don't be afraid of that block button.
Also, don't be the jerk who goes after people for liking different aspects of the fandom. Everyone is entitled to interact and like a Media Text their own way. "Don't yuck my yum," as they say.
Trying to make money on other people's IP/Media Text (law suits, etc.)
It doesn't belong to you, so don't try to make money on it.
There's a grey area here in terms of selling prints/plushies/jewelry/etc. and there's no hard line about where one copyright owner will draw the line, and another won't. Warner Bros. owns the film rights for both Harry Potter and Hunger Games, but I've seen Harry Potter-themed bars spring up while fans wanting to make Hunger Game fanfilms have been shut down. A friend of mine sells hand-made fandom-inspired items at cons—there is no rhyme or reason to what she gets told to stop making and what she's left alone on.
Best thing to do if you're told to stop is just so stop, move on, and find a different fandom to be active in.
Writing Real Person Fanfic ("RPF") can be considered a violation of consent.
This article sums it up pretty well, but basically… if you decide to write RPF, be aware that they person you are writing about is a real person, with real thoughts, and emotions, and they may feel violated by RPF. If you decide to write it, never send it to the people it's about, and always clearly tag it so other can choose to engage with it, or avoid it.
Also be aware that it could ruin their love for what they do. For example: the friendships between the members of 1Direciton became strained and the band eventually disintegrated because people wouldn't stop sending band members smutty stories or art of them having sex with one another, and it made them too uncomfortable to continue in the band.
Showing/sharing fanfic & fanart outside of its intended context. Fanworks are for fans, and there are definitely issues if…
It's shown to celebrities/actors/creators.
Shoving your fantasies onto the people who create or portray your fave characters is rude, and wrong, and also kinda gross. If they seek it out themselves, that's one thing, but the same way you wouldn't throw it at a complete stranger, don't throw it at them. You may love the characters these people play, but they are not their characters, and they are not your friends.
It may also really weird them out and ruin their love for what they do.
it's shown to writers working on the series.
There was a famous case where a fanficcer sent a story to a novelist, and the novelist was accused of plagiarism by the ficcer when their next novel in the series resembled the plot of that fanfic. There was a whole court case and everything.
Because of this, writers of TV shows, books, etc. don't want to (and often times, legally can't) read your fanfic. They don't want to get accidentally inspired by what you've written, or worse, have to throw out something because it resembles your fic too closely. Just let them write their stories the way they want, and if they choose to seek out fic, they will.
it's mocked by celebrities.
I'm not letting Alan Carr and Graham Norton off the hook. If it's super rude and gross to shove fanworks at actors/writers/creators when you're a creator, then it's doubly rude for anyone to take a story or art made for a specific audience (the fans), by a specific community (the fans), lift it out of it's context, and invite the public to mock it while also shoving it at the actor/celebrity in a place where they are literally cornered and can't leave (i.e. the chat-show sofa). Man, it really steams me up when they do that. It's rude and it's tone-deaf, and it's not
And most of the time they do it, they don't even ask the artist or writer for permission, first, which is just…. Uuuuugggghhhh. It may be fanfic, but it was still created by someone, and you should always ask permission before publicly sharing something created by someone else.
If someone tells you that reading or writing fanfic is bad for you as a creator, tell them to get bent.
Famous Fanfic
Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda
Wicked by Gregory Maguire
Wicked: the Musical by Stephen Schwartz
The Phantom of Manhattan by Fredrick Forsyth
A Study in Emerald by Neil Gaiman
Sherlock by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat
The Dracula Tape, by Fred Saberhaugen
Paradise Lost, John Milton
Inferno, by Dante
The Aeneid, by Virgil
Ulysses, by James Joyce
Romeo & Juliet, by William Shakespeare
The Once and Future King by T.H. White
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, by Mark Twain
The Three Musketeers, by Alexandre Dumas
Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, by Seth Grahame-Smith
Phantom, a novel of his life by Susan Kaye
…and so many more.
Find more WORDS FOR WRITERS articles here.
January 27, 2021 JM Frey fan art, Fanfiction, JMFrey, Uncategorized, Words for Writers, Writing
JM FreyWORDS FOR WRITERS: The Value of Fanfiction 01.27.2021


"How you gonna get it back in there?
Oh gosh, I'm dying laughing!
And neither of us even know what's so funny!!! hahahah!!!
At that age everything holds an adventure. Even when you have no idea what it is…. Thanks Kat for the prompt.
Yes it does! I'm glad you enjoyed the prompt!
Mmm, one wonders what it is.
Perfect. Reminds me of a story told to me of my finding some "balloons" in Mum and Dad's bedroom cabinet and trying to blow one up!
I couldn't decide on the object so I thought leaving it up to the reader was the way to go. Thanks Peter.


Is the QE2 pining for home?
Home/Cruise Destinations, Cruise News, Cruise Ships/Is the QE2 pining for home?
The distinctive red funnel of the liner Queen Elizabeth 2 still stands proudly – if a little incongruously – in Dubai's Port Rashid. It rose through the mist and dust as I arrived at the port last Monday, although much of the ship was concealed behind huge heaps of stone and rubble on the quayside.
It was almost as if Nakheel, who bought the ship for $50 million, and had ambitious plans to spend millions more converting it into a luxury hotel, had grown ashamed of the vessel and their ownership of it.
As Rob Lightbody, of The QE2 Story internet forum, has reminded me, it is 800 days since QE2 arrived in Dubai after an emotional final voyage from Southampton.
And if his latest report is correct, it might only be by good fortune that the ship is still afloat in the harbour.
A violent sandstorm ripped through Dubai last Friday and it is believed QE2's mooring ropes gave way under the strain. Tugs were brought in to pin her to the berth until they could be secured again.
According to Rob, those fans of the ship who believe she demonstrated her reluctance to leave her former home port of by running aground on The Brambles on entering Southampton Water for the last time in November 2008, now see the latest events as proof that she is anxious to leave Dubai.
Whatever is the case, I'm hoping for fairer weather when I sail into Dubai on Sunday so I can grab some pictures of the old dear – if she's still there.
Great to see you're still keeping us in the loop with QE2 news John!
It's time this magnificent ship was saved! QE2 can not be allowed to end up as the SS United States for the next 40 years!! The time to save QE2 is now!
QE2 was going to be used for last years Football World Cup on SA, won't it be great if she was used for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, then after used as a permanent floating hotel on the Thames.


Enjoy elegance and sophistication with the Floor & Bath mat from Oceanstar Design Collection. Its versatile design allows you to be creative in placing it either in your bathroom, near spa and pool, indoor or outdoor. Made with 100% natural bamboo. The Oceanstar Floor & Bath mat is a perfect addition to your home or as an admirable gift to your loved ones. Decorative items are not included. Caution: Always use caution when stepping on the bamboo mat to avoid fall or slip. The design being made of bamboo makes this mat a stylish accessory you can use anywhere you wish to. It's elevated design will allow the water to evaporate. Get one for your home now!


text:
Marilyn Monroe photos sell for over $300K at auction
Updated December 05, 2011 at 11:38 AM EST
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Copyrights and images from Marilyn Monroe's first photo shoot sold for $352,000 at an auction that included items from Lady Gaga and John Lennon.
Julien's Auctions spokeswoman Caroline Galloway tells The Associated Press on Sunday that the Monroe photos — taken in 1946 when she was still Norma Jeane Dougherty — were the highlight of the Beverly Hills auction known as "Icons & Idols"
The photos come with negatives and the rare right to sell and distribute them. A judge in September ruled they must be auctioned to settle debts of photographer Joseph Jasgur.
A Lady Gaga dress sold for $31,250, and the prop gun used in her video for "Born This Way" went for $7,680.
A 1969 caricature John Lennon drew of himself and Yoko Ono went for $90,000.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


In the insurance industry it is often said that "in the absence of information, an underwriter's mind is filled with negative thought." As we approach 2018, there is a lot of very negative thought swirling in the minds of health insurance underwriters in light of the continuing uncertainty generated by Congress' inability to coalesce around any seemingly workable solution on healthcare.
For several months, clarion calls have gone out from industry observers regarding the importance of swift action by Congress to stabilize the insurance markets, particularly the individual health insurance segment.
Now, with insurance carrier filing deadlines having come and gone with no clarity out of Washington D.C., the cost of inaction is becoming known as Georgia's four remaining individual health insurance underwriters have filed 2018 premium increase requests with Georgia Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens ranging from a low of 12.4% from Ambetter Peach State Insurance to a high of 40.6% from Blue Cross Blue Shield. Alliant Health Plans and Kaiser Permanente round out the middle of the pack with 18.6% and 25% increases, respectively.
While news of such large increases in premiums may strike you as exceedingly bad news if you are unfortunate enough to have to purchase individual health coverage, Georgia is actually fortunate to even have four providers in the market.
Although dozens of Georgia counties will join the more than 1,200 counties in the United States projected to have only one insurance provider option, as long as Blue Cross Blue Shield stays in the market, Georgia will at least have one coverage option in every county.
While it admittedly seems odd to propose that having only one provider is cause for thanksgiving, 47 counties in the United States as of now have no carriers committed to offer individual health insurance coverage in 2018.
In the event that Congress elects to take action on healthcare in the coming weeks or months, it is now unlikely that any such action will yield meaningful results for 2018. As a result, it will be up to Insurance Commissioners in various states to try to convince insurance carriers reticent to participate in the markets to pony up for another year and/or to soften their proposed rate increases.
While rate increases make for bad headlines, the increasing number of counties with no coverage options make for even worse headlines.
As such, don't expect to see a lot of pressure from Insurance Commissioners to push rates down as they will be sighing a breath of relief to even have carriers willing to offer coverage. Regardless, carrier defection from key insurance markets will continue to accelerate so expect to see action out of Congress in the coming months, one way or the other.
The Republican caucus will have to decide if they would like to move forward with their current proposed plan to scale back the current structure known as "Obamacare." If the Republican majorities in the House and the Senate cannot agree to an approach, expect to see a more liberal leaning solution emerge as the Republican leadership writes off the more conservative holdouts to the legislation and has to move to the left to get something passed.
In any event, absent a solution that generates insurance carrier interest in continued participation in the individual markets, we will find ourselves with even less carriers with even higher prices in 2019.
If there is a silver lining in all of this it would be for all of you who have access to employer provided group health insurance.
While your rates are still rising, the group insurance market is, by comparison, very healthy compared to the individual market case in point being that carriers such as Humana, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna and Cigna have chosen to place their bets there while Blue Cross Blue Shield and Kaiser absorb body blows in the individual market.
So, if you are fortunate enough to have access to employer provided coverage, keep this article in mind when it comes time for your benefits open enrollment and you hear that your premiums are going up a little. Even though your coverage will cost more than you would like, it might make you feel better to recall that your brethren stuck in the individual market would love to have access to the coverage you are being offered.


There are some scary statistics out there for married couples... I don't even want to actual put them here as they seem to change all the time. But it's pretty safe to say that being a virtuous wife is not exactly a popular career option (can I even make that statement without people having opinions?). And as a result of so many marriages crumbling and ending it seems that there are numberless books out there telling women to be strong and independent and ready to stand on their own.
For those wives who are looking for a little encouragement to strive to be good women and virtuous wives Darlene Schacht has just put out a great book for you! Schacht, the creator of the Time Warp-Wife blog, has released a wonderful little book to support women as they strive to live a life that will honor their husbands and families. The Virtuous Life of a Christ-Centered Wife is a wonderful addition to all Christian wives' bookshelves.
The Virtuous Life of a Christ-Centered Wife is formated into 18 sections which allow you to study one virtue a week if you so desire. Of course you could do one virtue a day and be done in 18 days... or read the book straight through.
I really enjoyed this book because I love reading Schacht's style of writing. She writes in a way that reveals her personal life as an explanation for her thoughts. As she shares her experiences and thoughts she weaves scripture right in to her thoughts, which help to bring true encouragement through her words. She is able to bring up touchy topics this way that some people are simply unable to discuss without hurting feelings and stepping on toes.
I also really enjoyed the fact that each virtue ended with a guided SOAP study, which I had not seen in other studies. The freedom in SOAP studies allow for the simple exercise to impact the reader greatly. It is the perfect way to add substance to an already jam-packed book.
As I got an early pdf release of the book, I'm hoping I also got a copy that wasn't edited to completion, as again I found myself distracted by typos and grammatical errors. As this is a personal issue I have with books, I know many people are not distracted by them, as errors come with the territory of writing, and trust me I understand that!
Also most of the scriptures in the book are from the King James Version of the Bible, and for me personally, I have a hard time pulling real information from the KJV. Again I am guessing this is because of editing and copyright, and I shouldn't be so picky. But can I just say, you know it's a good book when my only complaints are minor editing and publishing issues and not actual material?
Honestly, if you are a wife who is trying to find the encouragement to keep working daily on being the best wife, mom, woman you can be, this is a great book to pick up. Yes you can spend weeks in this little book, or read it through in no time depending on what you want to get out of it. But either way, as long as you read it, you will get something out of it!
The best part of this particular book is that Schacht understands that to be a virtuous woman in today's society is not exactly what is popular. And yet it is what so many women see themselves becoming as we stare at ourselves in the mirror on our wedding day. She writes extremely down to earth and is brutally honest which allows the reader to truly digest her points and take the steps necessary to work towards being a virtuous woman. Yes, there is no hiding the fact that in order to become a virtuous woman, you must work at it!
I really did enjoy this book, I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had the actual paperback in my hands and could write in the margins my thoughts.
I would recommend this book for any married women - newly married, or married for decades. This is a great tool to bring real encouragement into your walk as a married woman and could easily be read over and over as the years pass.
I am so honored that Darlene has agree to allow me to give away 3, yes THREE, copies of this marvelous book. Honestly, even if you don't win this book (and you should try to win it!) consider adding this to your must have list!
**I did receive a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review, there was no other compensation given. All opinions are 100% my own.


A heist story set on a moon colony, by the author of The Martian. Plenty of smart-alecky humor, and an entertaining way to learn some science about gravity, vacuums, and explosives. There is also a surprising amount of economics content, ranging from private currency to rent-seeking to spontaneous order. Might be good supplemental reading for an undergrad-level econ or physics course.
An inside history of the New Horizons mission, which sent a satellite past Pluto. Stern is the Principle Investigator (head honcho) for the mission, and Grinspoon assisted with PR as well as some of the mission science. The photographs are beautiful, the science is awe-inspiring, and the amount of work the team put in is admirable.
I was especially struck by the amount of politicking, bureaucratic infighting, turf wars among contractors, and backroom-dealing that went into the mission, delayed it for years, and almost killed it altogether. I found a similar theme in Steve Squyres' book about the Spirit and Opportunity Mars rovers (Squyres was the PI for that mission).
Public choice theorists will find a vindication of Gordon Tullock's The Organization of Inquiry, which is an economics-based analysis of how scientists behave.


Why Plan Oil Tank Detection In Coquitlam In Advance?
Those who are selling or renovating homes in the Coquitlam area will know how important it is to arrange oil tank detection. Without proving that there is no oil tank on the grounds of your property, you will be unable to sell it. It is also wise to arrange this service before you begin renovations that could make it more difficult to remove an oil tank down the line if one is found.
Today we are not going to explain the importance of oil tank detection in Coquitlam, but instead why you should avail of it in a timely manner. Getting your oil tank detection in Coquitlam early can save you a lot of hassle in the near or distance future.
Oil tank detection in Coquitlam might be the only action you need to take, but on the other hand it may be the first step. If during the oil tank detection in Coquitlam an oil tank is discovered, a date will need to be arranged to move it. We will try our best to come up with a day that works well for you, but this may not be straight away. And while our oil tank removal process creates minimal mess, you may need time to arrange to move cars in driveways and have somebody there to open gates. Having your oil tank detection in Coquitlam carried out early will allow you time to arrange these details.
Once you put your house on the market you are sure to have people interested in it. After all, property in the Metro Vancouver region is highly in demand. A property in Coquitlam can only be sold once there is a certificate stating that there is no oil tank on it. When you leave oil tank detection in Coquitlam until the last minute, you might be passing up the opportunity for a quick sale. Impress potential buyers looking to purchase a home in the Coquitlam area with your oil-tank free certificate and you could be handing over the papers to your property a lot sooner than expected.
Call West Coast Tank Recovery today to arrange a date for oil tank detection in Coquitlam. The sooner you do it, the sooner you can enjoy the benefits of it.


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Save 20% with our Early Registration Discount for each person who registers and provides full payment 45 days prior to the workshop.
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If after making payment you are unable to attend the seminar for any reason, you can send a substitute in your place without penalty. Cancellation of a confirmed registration may be made up to 10 days prior to the seminar without penalty. Cancellation after that date is subject to a 30% penalty. The remainder of the fee will be refunded.


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One of the surest ways to decimate your neighborhood or city center is to replace its organic hodgepodge of smaller historic buildings with a uniform block of newer, larger, more monotonous structures. At least that's the major conclusion of an important study published by the National Trust for Historic Preservation around 15 May 2014.
The study, Older, Smaller, Better: Measuring How the Character of Buildings and Blocks Influences Urban Vitality, details many interesting findings in its 115-page publication. This post highlights three of the report's more curious conclusions. But first, some background on the study is necessary.
The Older, Smaller, Better project examined all existing structures (not just the old or historic) in Washington, D.C., Seattle, and San Francisco. By dividing each city into a grid of 200-meter squares (to allow "apples to apples" comparisons with other cities), "the research team empirically documented the age, diversity of age, and size of buildings and statistically assessed the relationships between these characteristics and 40 economic, social, cultural, and environmental performance metrics." The maps produced by this study are fascinating to look at, so be sure to at least check those out if you get a chance.
It was difficult to choose just three findings to analyze because they are all noteworthy, but here are my picks.
This finding surprised me because I sometimes hear preservation professionals discussing how challenging it can be to get young people engaged in their cause. And, to be frank, this assertion (or at least its phrasing) may be a bit of an overstatement.
The study's conclusion that "young people love old buildings" is based on the observation that "the median age of residents in areas with a mix of small, old and new buildings is lower than in areas with larger, predominantly new buildings." In other words, young people in the subject cities prefer to live in neighborhoods with more historic buildings rather than areas with larger, newer buildings.
As the study notes, it is entirely possible (and probable) that young people prefer to live in older neighborhoods not because they love old buildings but because these areas offer lower rent or better access to amenities. So while historic neighborhoods do seem to appeal to young people, it might be a stretch to imply that young people love old buildings for their intrinsic value instead of other external factors.
The gist of this finding is that areas with more historic buildings are a haven for small businesses. These areas "have a significantly higher proportion of non-chain restaurants and retailers" and they "host a significantly higher proportion of jobs in small businesses." This makes a lot of sense and is not at all surprising—when was the last time you saw a chain restaurant or national retailer on your town square? But it is good to have the data to backup this intuitive principle.
So rather than bending over backwards to let that big box retailer build their mega warehouse on the outskirts of town, try offering more incentives to rejuvenate your historic neighborhoods and city centers. The small businesses attracted by historic buildings keep more investment in the local community and will never be outsourced.
I love this intriguing and enigmatic phraseology: "hidden density." It really conjures up images of treasure maps and secret passages a la Indiana Jones. In essence, the study found that the buildings in historic neighborhoods are used much more efficiently than large, new buildings.
In particular, historic areas "have greater population density and more businesses per commercial square foot." Perhaps even more significant, these historic areas "also have significantly more jobs per commercial square foot." This underscores my previous point—investing in the preservation of historic buildings is a much better investment than new construction.
Although many local governments have killed neighborhoods and city centers in the name of "urban renewal," it is (almost) never too late to reverse course. Small, old buildings are not just quaint features of a city's downtown—they are the backbone of the city's economy. Now that you're informed, it is up to you to educate your peers and your elected officials. Go hug an old building!
This entry was posted in Preservation Planning, Preservation Policy, State and Local Preservation Law on June 20, 2014 by catank.


Building a new home is exciting and a huge investment. You want to make sure that you are doing everything you can to protect it; but are you thinking about gutters? Most people do not think about gutters until there is a problem. Not having a properly installed gutter system can eventually damage your home and blindside you with costly issues and repairs.
Newly built homes are at a greater risk if they do not have gutters installed. When a new home is built the soil is not fully stabilized and can shift or erode, possibly causing issues with the home foundation and landscaping. Landscaping can be washed away leaving unsightly patches in your yard. If water makes it way to your basement it could potentially wreck the interior such as the walls and flooring.
Without gutters and downspouts properly draining water away from the home you may also notice spots of standing water. Standing water not only erodes sidewalks, cement patios and driveways, it can bring nuisances to your yard.. Mosquitoes. Standing water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes and will attract swarms of them.
Are you planning on building a new home? Or currently building? Do not forget to put gutters on your home before it is too late and your stuck paying costly repairs from the damage!
Call LeafGuard today for your free quote.
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Dance on the Côte d'Azur.
Discussion of Les Ballets de Monte Carlo at the Sadler's Wells Theatre, London, May 2-6, 1995 and the Nice Opéra Ballet at the Nice Opera House, 1995.
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text:
Roberts Newcomb and Stanek
By Myshkin, June 20, 2007 in Literature
Just You Shut Your Mouth
Location:Long Beach, CA
The two Roberts are pretty bash-worthy. A quick rundown:
Robert Newcomb:
The author of The Fifth Sorceress and it's sequels. As far as I can tell the premise of these novels is that women are evil and given a modicum of power they will murder and rape everyone the come across. The only people capable of standing up to these women are devastatingly handsome "Pure-Blooded" men. Oh, and apparently in Newcomb's world if a woman is raped by another woman she automatically becomes an evil lesbian. Sexism and racism aside, these novels are pure cliched crap written by a man whose skill is on par with that of Tairy Goodkind. In fact, the Yearded One apparently inspired Newcomb to write in the first place.
Robert Stanek:
Where to start? This is the author of the self published Ruin Mist Chronicles. He is probably most famous for writting and posting glowing reviews of his own works under fake names. If you see any good reviews for his works you can pretty much be assured that he wrote them himself. He is also pretty famous for being a lieing douche bag. He claims that his novels are number one best sellers, but never provides any evidence to support this. He also claims to have won the Distinguished Flying Cross in the first Iraq war, but upon further review I was unable to find his name amongst those who had won that distinction. In one of his funniest lies he claims to have met author Brian Jacques, but if you take a close look at the picture it becomes saddly apparent that this is also a lie. Robert Stanek is also notorious for threatening to sue his detractors.
As you can plainly see, these two authors are more than worthy of our scorn. Has anybody out there actually read anything by these guys? If you have your input is greatly desired.
ultraman7k
I tried reading Newcomb's Fifth Sorceress after borrowing it from the library a few years ago....read 50 pages and put it down, never to be read again.
I vaguely recall something about a whiny prince or something throwing knives at one point or another...
The Wolf Maid
Climbing up the Alps
The 'inspired by Goodkind' should tell all you need to know about Newcombe. Really.
Maid Sansa
Location:Eurocommieville
Incidentally, does anyone still have the link to the "Robert Newcomb fan page" that a boarder from the old board used to have in his sig? It was some hilarious Newcomb bashing.
Winterfella
Caution: Slow Reader Ahead, Delays Probable
Location:Hershey, PA
Wow, that picture of Stanek with Brian Jacques explains a lot. It looks like Stanek is adopting an army of third world children to post all of those reviews. Or maybe he just adopts them so he'll have a captive audience to read his books.
Seriously, how much more pathetic can you get than standing in line and getting your picture taken with an author, then trying to make it look like it was a mutual get together of two successful writers.
That is one sad, sad man.
Ser Warpechowski
Lol, that is what happened? Lame and sad picture indeed.
Anyway, if you like Goodkind, you have to be pretty lame yourself.
Deornoth
crapauthors.com is a great place to see truly dire authors get trashed; Stanek, GP Taylor and some guy called Sean Wright get a bashing...
Location:Dallas, Tx.
I thought everyone knew that Newcum is a fine upstanding, Yeard.
Bazzlebane
Stanek does other creepy things like trying to pass off his books as educational and building packets of "teaching materials" to accompany his Ruin Mist series. He uses that to pitch mass book purchases to schools. Essentially he's trying to game the system and rip off public schools that aren't savvy to his little web of lies.
J.G.Thomas
Location:Manchester, UK
Don't even get me started on GP Taylor...how his dire novel Shadowmancer got picked up by a major publisher is just beyond belief, and what is even worse was the fact that he signed a contract for several more (equally dire books) worth several million dollars...
One thing that makes me laugh about GP Taylor is the biography in some of his books - "GP Taylor has spent his life searching for the hidden mysteries of the universe. He lives in a graveyard."
He is a vicar so it's hardly surprising he lives in a graveyard.
The other thing that made me laugh about him was when he mentioned himself in the same sentence as Philip Pullman (arrogant enough) and then went on to say rather smugly "we're [taking fantasy] in a different direction."
As for Stanek...his various escapades have been ridiculed all over the web. He once got his "lawyer" to send a threatening email (an email!?) to someone (I forget who) who was slagging him off. The email was totally unconvincing given that it came from a hotmail account (how many lawyers would send an official email from a hotmail account?!). Furthermore, after some investigation it later transpired that, after checking with the 'lawyer's' law school, that he didn't actually exist. As if we didn't know that from the beginning.
Newcomb I can't comment on, having never had the misfortune to read his work. If his books are as bad as the photo of himself on his official website, then I'm glad I've managed to steer clear.
A wilding
A Stranger Here Myself
It was Ansible that Stanek theatened. A quick google will get you the story, which is well worth knowing.
Edit: I guess I should make that "someone who purported to represent Stanek threatened".
rado907
Someone should post excerpts of the writings of these guys, so that we can fully appreciate their quality.
Red Templar
Always sleepy. Mostly.
Location:Ohio
And also see here for the Stanek/David Langford contreversy. Apparently, Langford commented in one of his colums about Stanek's practice of submitting rave reviews for his own material under different names. Then Stanek's "lawyer" sent a letter threatening legal action. Quite sad, really.
There have also been some interesting Stanek related Wikipedia wars.
For example see here here on Wikipedia - Editing the Wikipedia "literacy" entry!
Talk about no shame. That's classic.
I Drink Coffee and Know Things
Location:World of Disney
But, but, Stanek has won the hearts and minds of the National Fantasy and Horror Club of Bulgaria!!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/AC4GBJRCYEZ26
"The National fantasy & Horror Club of Bulgaria was created in October 1999 by Bulgarian fantasy-fans, writers and publishers. Now it's an influential and popular society and it gives a valuable feedback about fantasy to it's fans. "
Guess which book this group reviewed first on amazon US and UK?
Take a closer look at the picture. You'll notice that Stanek has no legs. He didn't even take the time to stand in line to get his picture with Jacques, he just photoshoped himself in there. Pathetic indeed.
Zap Rowsdower
Change in which I can believe.
Location:Beyond the Grave
Question: Is it scarier that Stanek pretends that he has legions of fans out there who are willing to write rave reviews for his books or that Terry Goodkind actually does have legions of fans who are willing to write rave reviews for his books?
Wow. I must admit, Stanek's efforts in shameless, misplaced self-promotion are almost admirable, if you admire dementia and obsession.
As a large, fantasy-orientated message board dedicated to an author Stanek has repeatedly compared himself to (GRRM), I'm surprised "RobertStanekFan#1" hasn't registered to provide us with great, positive reviews of Stanek's work and links to his book sales on Amazon.
Stanek takes self-promotion to a whole new level...no, universe. Man, that's way beyond enthusiasm. His methods are in the bleeding edge of egocentricity and obession. (wait, what did I just say? Nevermind)
We should have quotes to mock.
Go To Topic Listing Literature


Oh, boy. So a while back there was a rumor that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West were going to name their baby North—a name I think is kind of cool, in a middle-name capacity at least. But paired with the last name West, it felt like a bit of a joke.
But for the little baby of Kim and Kanye, it's no longer a joke. Because that is indeed what her parents opted to name her. No middle name to temper it (or for her to use if she decides she doesn't want that ridiculousness as her name). And the nickname they're using with it is Nori. As in the seaweed used for sushi.
I once knew of a man named Hap—his last name was Hazard. No joke. I guess that people who name their kids things like Hap Hazard, North West and other goofy choices have a more lighthearted view of naming their kids, and don't expect that their kids need a name that has a bit more gravitas. You probably can figure that Hap Hazard and North (or even Nori!) West may not be President someday—along with Moxie Crimefighter Jillette. Though then again, who knows?
What do you think of their baby name choice? Goofy or cool? And would you have given North West a middle name? Perhaps Easton?


We are adventurous eaters, nothing too crazy, but we do like to try foods from lots of different ethnic backgrounds. Thai is a great one, because of the variety of food choices. I always told people that I didn't like curry, but come to find out, it is not that I don't like curry, I just didn't like the ONE curry dish I tried years ago. This is a great recipe to try if you are just getting your feet wet on trying NEW things. It's spicy, but NOT tongue numbing, and you can adjust the amount of curry paste you add. Give it a try and if you do, send me a comment!
In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, sauté the onions in the vegetable oil until soft about 10 minutes.
Add the garlic and the curry paste and cook for two minutes.
Add the chicken and stir fry for two minutes.
Add the coconut milk and incorporate the curry paste into the milk.
Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar.
Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer until the chicken is cooked through about 10 minutes.
Add the zucchini and allow to simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
Serve in a bowl with cooked rice on the side. Place sambal (chili paste) on the table for those who like extra heat!
I use Maesri brand curry paste and Chaokoh brand coconut milk, they can be found at most international food stores.
This is a cornbread dressing recipe that I got out of a school cookbook. I added a few of my own touches, but it is fairly easy to make and has great flavor.
In a Dutch oven, sauté onions, and celery over medium heat in the butter until soft, about 10 minutes.
Add sausage and chop it up while it cooks for 10 minutes.
Add the green onions, Creole seasoning, and sage and cook for 3 minutes.
Cook for 10 minutes and continue scrapping.
Remove the dressing from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
Place the dressing in a casserole dish or baking pan.
When you are ready to serve, bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Make the cornbread the day before you make the dressing.
You need a really sturdy spoon to stir this dressing. It gets thick as it cooks, but it's important to keep it moving.
I have served this at a pot-luck dinner and skipped the baking step. I put it in a crockpot and kept it warm for hours. It still tastes great.


An intervention is where the family and / or friends of an individual take action to persuade that person to enter treatment. This is used where the individual is unwilling to get help or refuses to see that they have a problem and how it is affecting their loved ones.
It is important to understand that the circumstances of each family are very different and therefore such interventions will vary. What works for one family may not work for another. It is important to find an interventionist with whom the family members feel comfortable and can discuss how the process will work for them.
Life Works consults with a number of trained and qualified interventionists who can help a family and friends confront their loved ones mental health problem.
For further details of how Life Works can help with an intervention, please call 0800 081 0700 or click here to complete a short enquiry form.
During the intervention, the individual being supported is invited to join their friends and family, who will already be seated. The interventionist's role is to lead and control the meeting.
Each family member or friend will have written letters to the individual and each person reads their letter to the individual. Typically, the letters will share how much the individual means to that person, the effect of the individual's behaviour on that person and a description of how they want their relationship to work in the future. Each person will ask the individual to accept help now. They will also share that arrangements have been set up so that the individual can get treatment immediately after the intervention – if they will agree to this.
The intervention is conducted from a position of love, respect and support. However, the message is firm and there is no room for negotiation or debate. All those present want the individual to accept help now. Ideally, at this point, the individual will agree to entering treatment and the interventionist then calls the treatment centre to confirm the arrangements that have been set up. Someone from the group will then take the individual directly to the treatment centre immediately after the intervention meeting.
After the intervention day, friends and family members will begin putting their plans for taking care of themselves into practice.
Friends and family members usually choose an intervention when they have tried everything else and have not been able to persuade the individual to get help. Where individuals are unwilling to admit they have a problem, or to see the effects of their addictive or compulsive behaviours, an intervention can be an effective way to persuade them to accept help and enter treatment.
Interventions are effective for a number of reasons. Enlisting the help of a professional interventionist means that the meeting can be controlled, stay on track, and prevent deviating from the purpose of the intervention. Involving several friends and family members, rather than just one other person, can be a much more powerful way to convey the message to the individual. Additionally, the participation of people who are all very important to the individual makes it more difficult for the message to be ignored. The powerful nature of this experience can temporarily disturb the individual's destructive thinking long enough to hear a firm but loving message and agree to receive the necessary help they require.
Who can help me with arranging an intervention?
We can help you find a professional interventionist. Interventions can be a difficult, challenging and often emotional experience for all those who attend. It is therefore essential that the family enlist the help of a dedicated professional who can effectively facilitate the session with sensitivity, respect and clarity. It is not advisable to conduct an intervention without the involvement of a professional interventionist.
Life Works provides first rate support and guidance with regards to an intervention. To discuss how we can help you, please call 0800 081 0700 or click here to complete a short enquiry form.


Detecting dangerous blood clots, which can cause life-threatening conditions such as strokes and heart attacks, leading causes of death for men and women in the U.S., has been a coveted and elusive goal. But scientists are now reporting progress in the form of a simple urine test. Their study, in which they demonstrated that the test works using laboratory mice, appears in the journalACS Nano.
Sangeeta N. Bhatia and colleagues, including lead author and Ph.D. candidate Kevin Lin and postdoctoral fellow Gabriel Kwong, point out that blood clots — clumps of platelets and fibrin proteins — can threaten to choke off blood flow and lead to a wide range of serious and sometimes fatal conditions including atherosclerosis and stroke. Usually, blood clots are a good thing. They form a plug that stops the bleeding after an injury. But sometimes, a clot forms when it really isn't needed, such as when a person sits too long on a long-distance flight and develops "deep-vein thrombosis." In that case, a clot forms in the leg, blocking blood flow and causing leg pain. But it also can dislodge and move throughout the body to the heart or even the brain, which is life-threatening. Diagnosing a blood clot, or thrombosis, is tricky, however, and current clinical tests aren't always reliable. Bhatia's team wanted to develop a simple and more reliable way to test for these obstructive blood clots.
They describe development and testing of "synthetic biomarkers" — lab-made materials for detecting what is going on in the body. They added small pieces of proteins called peptides onto nanomaterials that are similar to those already approved and used in the clinic. They injected the tiny nanomaterials into mice, which are stand-ins for humans. The peptides got chopped up if a blood clot was actively forming in the mice, and those peptide fragments were detected in a simple urine test. "Our results demonstrate that synthetic biomarkers can be engineered to sense vascular diseases remotely from the urine and may allow applications in point-of-care diagnostics," the researchers state.
April 10, 2019 - Tip Sheet: Strategies for an HIV cure; early detection for lung cancer disease; and a look at blood clots and cancer NewswiseBelow are summaries of recent Fred Hutch research, with links for additional background and media contacts.
April 11, 2019 - AHRQ Awards Physician $1.1M Grant for Clinical Decision Support EHRIntelligence.comA Northwell Health physician won a $1.1 million grant to develop and test clinical decision support systems.
April 1, 2019 - A new wearable device may detect cancer with more precision Medical News TodayResearchers are developing and testing a wearable device that can detect the presence of cancer cells in the bloodstream with greater accuracy.
April 18, 2019 - This man invented a spell-checker for prescriptions, and it's saving lives From the GrapevineDr. Gidi Stein's MedAware software eliminates errors and is now in use in the United States and Israel.


What is the weight on the M&H 185/50R 18 front runners?
These tires weight approximately 17lbs each.
The overall section width of 6 1/2" is listed here under "specifications", as well as all other relevant dimensions.
Yes, the listed load rating is correct for this tire! It is the true load rating.


In a career that has taken him from the Swedish underground to Madison Square Gardens and the UK charts alike, his Midas like touch has seen Axel Hedfors rise as an idol of modern house music.
His national identity has been a heavy hallmark in terms of his global success. Alongside long serving peers and childhood friends Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso, Swedish House Mafia has stamped out the animosity once associated with popular Dance music, setting a new precedent with such chart-topping endeavors as 'Save the World' and 'Don't You Worry Child' and momentous live landmarks at Madison Square Garden, Milton Keynes Bowl and Main stage Ultra, Miami. Their legendary farewell tour 'One Last Tour' racked up a landmark run of 53 shows across 36 cities for the enigmatic trio. Ax has had a busy summer touring Europe's most vibrant festival, Summerburst, Tomorrowlands, and Nova era to name a few. The end of August saw Axwell headlining his biggest ever solo show for Where's the Party?, a 10,0000 capacity venue in his home town of Stockholm.
Ibiza 2013 saw Axwell move into a new era, bringing a new concept and brand to the white Isle, 'Departures'. Along with fellow Swede and band member Sebastian Ingrosso, Departures set off a weekly party at the Ushuaia Hotel. Boasting sold out shows and an array of hot line ups it has been the success story of the season. Departures is not just a party, but, to quote "People tied together by love, by freedom, by adventure, by happiness, by the beat of the drum, where the native tongue is the body language of dancing together. "The future of the brand looks bright; it encompasses not only Axwell's talent and passion for his music but his beliefs and love for his fans.
With countless IDs dating back to 2007 Axwell has little intention of resting on those iconic laurels just yet. Driven by the belief that every release should matter, his Axtone Records imprint continues to lead with quality and consistency, balancing his own musical tastes alongside some of the freshest talents on offer. Ax already has many landmark hits under his belt, 'Feel The Vibe, 'Wonderful World' and the accidental crossover anthem 'I Found U' were all track synonymous of his earlier years. This year has seen a flurry of new music with collaborations with Sick Individuals on 'I Am' that is set to be huge, 'Tokyo By Night' with Hook N Sling and a remix with NO_ID on Mutiny's 'Feel the Pressure'. Now is the time he can once again concentrate on his solo career, for Axwell these songs are all crafted with love from the heart.


The Jokhang Temple is the holiest temple in Tibet, housing the life-size image of Buddha Jowa Sakyamuni. The outstanding architecture style and devoted pilgrimage are the best highlights of this 1300-year-old monastery.
Not being the largest or the oldest Tibetan monastery, but Jokhang Temple is the most revered and intensely spiritual sacred monastery in Tibet because of its important role in the development of Buddhism in Tibet. More importantly, the Jokhang Temple houses the one of a kind treasure of world Buddhism - the life-size image of 12-year-old Jowa Sakyamuni which has become the most revered idol in whole Tibetan region. At the same time, the Jokhang Temple is more than 1,300 years old now while some other famous monasteries, such as Drepung Monastery, Tashilhunpo Monastery, Ganden Monastery are only around 600 years old. As the spiritual center of Tibetan Buddhism, constant swarms of pilgrims from different parts of Tibet come to Jokhang, and prostrate outside the temple to the Buddha.
In 2000, the Jokhang was included in the UNESCO World Heritage sites as an extension to the Potala Palace.
There is a saying that "Jokhang Temple created Lhasa". The present name Lhasa is evolved from the original name of Jokhang Temple – Rasa. In addition, the Jokhang Temple is one of the earliest building of Lhasa city.
To create good neighborhood relationship with Nepal and Tang Empire, the king of Tubo Kingdom Songtsan Gampo firstly married Tritsun Princess from Nepal, and then got another wife who is known as Wencheng Princess of Tang Dynasty. Both two princesses brought a life-size image of Buddha to Tubo as dowries. The image of 8-year-old Buddha, now kept in Ramoche Monastery, belonged to the princess of Nepal, while the image of 12-year-old Buddha was brought to Tubo by the princess of Tang, and now is kept in Jokhang Temple.
The construction of Jokhang Temple was originally launched by the great king Songtsan Gampo of Tubo Kingdom, and completed in 652. It is said that thousands of goats (Ra in ancient Tibetan) were driven to carries earth (Sa in ancient Tibetan) for the construction. This was how the first name Rasa originated. Since the construction, many Buddhists came to worship Buddha in the Jokhang Temple. During that period, the local religion Bon was the dominated belief in Tibet. But the influence of Tibetan Buddhism became stronger and stronger.
The development of Tibetan Buddhism was not smooth. The biggest enemy was the local traditional Bon religion which had a lot of followers among the noble and rulers. During the reign of King Tresang Detsan (757-797), the powerful minister Marshang Zongbayi was a devoted follower of Bon religion. He objected to the Buddhism, and ordered to destroy Buddhist temples. The Jokhang Temple wasn't spared by the followers of Bon. To protect from the destruction, the image of Sakyamuni Buddha was buried under the ground of Jokhang Temple. The Anti-Buddhism activities didn't end until the early 10th century. And the temple unfortunately had been the horse stables for long time.
The famous Bengal Buddhist master Atisha made a great contribution to the spreading of Buddhism in Tibet. He taught Buddhism in Jokhang Temple in 1049.
The Jokhang Temple became more and more famous as the development of Buddhism in Tibet. Around the 14th century, there used to be a statement that the image of 12-year-old Buddha in Jokhang Temple was originally housed in the Bodh Gaya Temple in India as the Vajrasana, which made Jokhang more and more revered. So followers also called Jokhang Temple as the "Vajrasana of Tibet".
In 1409, the Buddhist master and founder of Gelug Sect of Buddhism (Yellow Hat) taught Buddhism, and created an influential prayer assembly which is still held annually in Jokhang Temple.
Though there are many sects of Tibetan Buddhism, such as Gelug, Sakya, Kagyu, etc, the Jokhang Temple is their corporate holy temple.
The structure of Jokhang Temple was designed according to the Mandala, the famous model of ideal universe in Buddhism theories. Having gone through more than 13 centuries, it embodies the historical changes and the development of Buddhism in Tibet. The architecture styles of Tibetan, Chinese, Nepal and India mix together in a temple.
The Jokhang Temple, covering an area of 25000 square meters (6.2 acres), is much smaller compared to Drepung and Sera Monastery. The temple sits on the eastern Barkhor Street, facing the west. In front of the entrance is a closed house which is full of butter lamp. Enter the entrance, through a path of which has wall paintings describing the ancient outlook of Potala, and the scene of building the Jokhang Temple. Travelers will then get to ground yard which is used as stage for Buddhist ceremonies. A long corridor of Buddhism paintings surrounds the yard. From the yard, travelers can climb steps, via the second floor to the stage of Golden Roof from which one can get full view of Potala Palace.
Explore deeper into the monastery, travelers will get to the main hall which was built nearly 1400 years ago. Two huge statues are placed at both sides of Hall. The left statue is the master Padmasambhava, the founder of Vajrayana of Tibet. The right statue is the Future Buddha. Visiting by the clockwise, the first chapel serves the Tsongkhapa and his 8 students two of which were the first Dalai Lama and first Panche Lama. A small white pagoda sits at the corner of west and north. At the south of hall, there are chapels for the Medicine Guru Buddha, and a chapel for the master of Kagyu sect – Milarepa. The statue of Guanyin Boddhisattva is also worshipped in a small chapel. On the eastern hall houses the founder of Jokhang Temple - Songtsan Gampo and his two wives Tritsun and Wencheng.
The image of Sakyamuni Buddha, brought to Tibet by Wencheng Prince, is the most important relic of Jokhang Temple which is also the main reason why the temple attract hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to worship. It is made of gilded bronze, 1.5 meters in height, and represents the Buddha when he was 12 years old as prince. It is said that only three life-size images was made under the instruction of wet nurse of Sakyamuni Buddha. From the statue one can imagine the real appearance of Buddha. The Buddha wears a bejeweled crown, and dress superb and luxury clothes.
Jokhang Temple is located on the Barkhor Street, central of the old town which still keeps the traditional Tibetan architectural style. While not very far from the west is the newly developed new city urban with modern buildings. The Jokhang Temple area is perfect place for walking and exploring local Tibetan culture. Many sites are within walking distance from Jokhang Temple, including Potala Palace, Ramoche Temple, etc.
The Barkhor Street is a many-side-square region enclosing the Jokhang Temple. For pilgrims, it is a sacred Kora path to circumambulate the Jokhang Temple which usually takes about 30 minutes to walk around. While for tourists, it is a good place to explore local culture, and buy local articles. The entrance of Jokhang is located on the western street.
Summer and autumn (May to October) are best seasons to travel in Lhasa when is warm, neither too hot nor cold. If you come in the spring (February to April), you have chance to witness many interesting festivals, including the Tibetan New Year.
Jokhang Temple is a religious site, so travelers should dress modestly, behave with good manner. Don't talk too loud, don't smoke inside the temple. If you want to take photos of monks or pilgrims, you'd better get permission first. And photography is forbidden in the chapels.