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Join Now

Veteran's Day Bonanza

Sponsor a Hero America

I will HIRE EVERY US Soldier who is unemployed paying them

$1,500.00 Per week teaching them how to find their own Niche markets On the internet starting up successful BUSINESSES online making money.

All members will have access to the same training as you’ll be on my TEAM When you decide to take back your life from corporate America. Anyone can do it!

When we have 1 Million Members Standing up For America I can Hire 10,000 US Soldiers giving them a Job paying them to teach them how to start a Profitable business.

I’m looking for 100 million Members so we can Hire 1 Million Unemployed US Soldiers so we can all SAVE AMERICA together!

Grand OPENing Gift for you America!

The First Member and Last Member of any set of One Million

WINS $ 1 Million Bucks ! Guaranteed

If there is Not a full set of one million people there will be No advertising and No Cash Prizes will get Paid out concerning the First set of 1 Million Members.

Concerning Subsequent sets of 1 Million Members even if the set of 1 million sequential memberships that you are a Part of is Not a Full set of 1 Million people you will still be able to participate in all Cash Prizes except for the Guaranteed $1 Million Cash Prize for being the First person to Join in your set of one million members as you will get Paid when the one Millionth Member joins within your sequential set of one million members, and the 1 Millionth member will get paid their $1,000,000.oo as well Guaranteed.

"Your Opinions"

Is ONE of 3 Blog Categories Where Your Voice to the Politicians, Wall Street, And Corporate America and anyone else where Americans demonstrating and Protesting could be put in danger with Law Enforcement Authorities. This is To keep you safe expressing yourself getting all the right people to hear your voices through Print Newspaper advertising unless you actually enjoy getting arrested. This will also show you up as being respectable citizens in a time of Terrorist threats against us, and You by Demonstrating and Protesting are Drawing down our Law enforcement resources against the terrorist threat.

You can write Letters in all 3 Categories to Demonstrate your Wishes for Change By putting in your vote for the Best Written and explained material for your cause. With every recurring Monthly Membership fee of $100.00 you will get Voting rights and you’ll be able to create new Dialogues to get voted on in order to be Published in Print Media of Major Newspapers throughout America and the Rest of the World for everyone to read as FULL PAGE ADS informing America about your cause in a understandable unified voice Advertising, and there will be No Refunds, because the funds will be spent on Cash Prizes and Advertising.

There will be One Full page ad Printed every week, every Sunday in every Category for everyone to Read While they’re relaxing and not during the Week when everyone is busy.

The First Place Winner who wins with the Most Votes Gets their written material Printed as a AD in Major Newspapers in AMERICA as well as INTERNATIONALLY will get the following Cash Prizes in every Category for the first 3 weeks of every month.

There is a Monthly Grand Prize of $25,000.oo it doesn’t matter when you join during any part the month. The Grand Prize takes place the 4th WEEK f every Month.

THE FOLLOWING are Weekly Cash Prizes for the first 3 weeks of any Month, First place, Second PLace, THird Place, and Fourth PLace position in all 3 categories according to total VOTE Tally.

1. $10,000.oo
2. $5,000.oo
3. $2,500.oo
4. $1,000.oo From 4th Position to the 10th Place Position everyone WINS $1,000.oo EACH Just for giving it their BEST!

The 4th week of every month there will be Grand Prize Cash Prizes in all 3 Categories and they are as follows........

Monthly GRAND Prize winnings in all 3 categories.

1. $25,000.oo
2. $10,000.oo
3. $5,000.oo
4. $2,500.oo and everyone til the 10 place position wins $2,500.00 in every Category for giving it their BEST.

Anyone can Join anytime during any Month to compete for the Monthly Grand Prize.

The Disclaimer is that for any one person to win a cash Prize and to have their material Win as a First Prize in order to get printed in any Newspaper there needs to be a minimum of ONE million members. ALL SALES ARE FINAL.

Sponsor a Veteran America!

Anti-Terrorist Messaging Center

"Jihad Against Terrorists"

The following is how your membership fees will be used to Help America and the world FIGHT Today's Islamic Fundamentalist TERRORISTS, the following Blog Posts WILL BE PRINTED IN MAJOR NEWSPAPERS, Radio Stations as well as TV Shows on major networks around the world getting in the TERRORISTS face Stopping their RECRUITMENT of NEW Jihadists as well as helping our troops and getting AMERICA BACK TO WORK BY TEACHING THEM HOW TO START THEIR VERY OWN PROFITABLE INTERNET BUSINESSES, which will be available to all hired Troops and members of

Notice: Every Member is advised when they Join to try and change the WORLD through REBELtv.US to make sure that you remain anonymous by not using any Login name that is in any way affiliated with you when using this web site.

You are also advised to create anonymous Facebook Pages and Twitter pages associated with you that is Separate from any accounts that you may already have with them in order to use this web site in a safe manner to remain anonymous as the danger reasons are obvious in order to stay safe.

You are also advised to create Yahoo, or Aol, or Gmail email accounts for your New Facebook and Twitter accounts other than the email account that you may already have and use personally. Again This advise is for everyone's Safety. WAS created to get everyone involved in the FIGHT against
Islamic Fundamentalist TERRORISTS in a POSITIVE manner and to accomplish
this CASH PRIZES are available for winners with QUALITY POSTS against today's TERRORISTS and you can win $1,000,000.oo Monthly through YOUR BLOGS in our "Terrorist Messaging Center”. The first 2 Members who Win First Place in all 3 Categories WIN $1,000,000.oo Each Guaranteed.

"Your Views"

"Tell The Truth America"

This is Where Americans Tell The World The TRUTH about America and her People this way No one will be able to feed LIES to those that do not know anything about us, brain washing them against us for No REASONS at all.

9/11 Will Never Happen again my Friends, and we all need to get involved to change the world!

ROLL the Dice Baby!

THERE IS ONE $1,000,000.00 CASH PRIZE WINNER for every set of 1 million members. WINNERS will be determined at the roll of the dice according to membership sign up position from being the first member to sign up to the last signed up membership position. The roll of the DICE will be live online for all to view and anything that's rolled between two dice with a total over 9 is equal to zero, any Snake Eyes equals 1, and a pair equals that number that's rolled such as 2 sixes is a six, and the 2 dice will be rolled once for every digit within the total number of digits in the web site's total membership giving everyone an equal opportunity to WIN $1,000,000.00 CASH PAID in USD.

If your membership sign up position is rolled with the DICE you win the cash PRIZE, but in order to win any cash PRIZE you need to have POSTED content on any one of the 3 BLOGs that is NOT VULGAR or hateful otherwise you will lose your cash prize by DEFAULT.

Cash Prize winners will only be considered if there is any creative material to considerfor a CASH Prize for any Roll The Dice contest, and if there is not any material, then the winner will be picked by the Roll of the Dice once again with consideration of membership position, and I am doing this to give back to the membership community even if they have zero votes, but they need to have something POSTED on any one blog or in all 3 of the blogs available to be considered for a CASH PRIZE.

AS CASH....PRIZES WILL BE PAID OUT FROM THE MEMBERSHIP FEES TO ANYONE THAT HAD CONTRIBUTED TO ANY OF THE BLOGS OR ALL 3 BLOGS. If you have nothing posted and your membership position is rolled with the dice then you DO NOT win a CASH PRIZE and lose the CASH PRIZE by DEFAULT and we will roll the DICE for a REPLACEMENT winner. If you have any vulgar or hateful content posted, again you will lose by default and a replacement CASH winner will be found.

Note: The Numbers of sets of One million members determines how many times the Dice get rolled every Month. If there are 100 Million Members, then the Dice get rolled 100 X every Month giving away $1,000,000.00 USD to 100 individuals. You can be a Multiple Winner as well Winning Every Month, or winning Multiple times in the same month depending on the roll if you're LUCKY enough. When there are 100 Million Members everyone has 100 equal chances to win that Million $ Prize at the Roll of the Dice every Month.

You should also know that when there are 100 Million members there will be 100 First Place winners, 100 Second Place Winners, 100 Third Place Winners, and 100 Fourth Place WINNERS in every category. You will get paid your CASH PRIZE, but you need to have something posted as NO Posts get No VOTES!

With the creative work that you contribute to the cause in any blog category and the voting process you can win CASH PRIZES by the means described above as you NEED TO HAVE SOMETHING POSTED TO WIN ANY CASH PRIZE IN ANY CATEGORY. NO POSTS EQUAL, NO CASH PRIZE WINNER.

I am doing it this way to get everyone involved in this fight against our TERRORISTS, and I've taken into consideration the fact that people may not have any votes, but everyone will get involved just for the opportunity to win the cash prizes every week, every month, and every QUARTER, and Bi annually and Yearly CASH PRIZE which can equal 100 MILLION US DOLLARS.

The Talk Show is where anyone can be Larry king, or BARBARA WALTERS for an hour or half an hour. Get a Few friends and have your scripted talk show for the Terrorists to watch what your take on things are! You do this at your own RISK, because you will be showing your face on the talk show and you won't be anonymous anymore. The Talk Show is for people who don't care about being anonymous because they are NOT AFRAID of the terrorists and probably can handle themselves if it came to being attacked. I will be PERSONALLY picking individuals to Host their own Talk Show at My discretion so make sure you have quality material my friends or you will not get the chance to to host your own internet Talk Show.

EVERYONE is anonymous and if anyone chooses NOT be be anonymous they are advised that they do it at their own risk and will not be responsible for any repercussions that may result from being a member of unless it was due to the negligence and indiscretions of that may have caused those repercussions as can guarantee you that your information will NEVER BE SOLD TO ANYONE ONE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION FOR ANY REASON WHAT SO EVER.

MULTIPLE MONTHLY $1,000,000.oo USD CASH WINNERS and Guide lines as how to WIN IT...........

If anyone gets first place in all 3 BLOG categories with the most VOTES they win
$1,000,000.00 automatically, But limited to one for every set of one million members every month. IF there are NO WINNERS, then at the roll of
the DICE there will be 1 ONE MILLION US DOLLAR WINNER according to Membership number as in placement from being the first person to become a member of to being the last member as in their numerical position with regards to consecutive membership enrollment, and winners will be decided by using the roll of the dice as described above. There will also be one more $1 Million USD winner picked at RANDOM.

There will be 2 $1 Million Roll of the Dice WINNERS for EVERY Set of 1 million people which includes the 1 person from every set of 1 million members who gets First place in all 3 categories. 2 Million Dollar Winners every Month for every set of ONE Million members.

If there are 2 Million members then one person will win $1,000,000.oo USD by getting first place in all 3 blog categories, and the other 1 individual will win at the roll of the DICE, and if NO ONE gets First place in all three categories for any set of one million members in any month, then the Million dollar winners will be picked with the roll of the DICE or by any other means at the discretion of

1 person wins by getting FIRST PLACE by having the most votes in ALL 3 BLOG categories, and 1 more person will win with the roll of the dice as described above every month.

NOTE; To win any Million $ CASH PRIZE you need to have content POSTED on any one of the 3 BLOGGING categories. I am doing this to give back to the membership community for getting involved in this anti TERRORIST PROJECT giving everyone an equal opportunity to win CASH for QUALITY CONTENT in any contest.

There will NOT BE multiple cash Prize winners by the same person with the same
blog content, but the same person can win multiple cash prizes in any month.
New content needs to be created to be a multi CASH PRIZE winner.

In any case when a new CASH winner needs to be chosen due to disqualification due to Vulgar or hateful content, or no content at all then it will be done by either using DICE, or other means deemed feasible and fair by such as at random.

Again if their is Vulgarity or hateful content that you POST, or if you don't post
anything at all then you will lose your cash PRIZE by DEFAULT and another winner will be found to REPLACE you as a winner for any TYPE of CASH PRIZE WINNINGS on the web site of RESERVES the right to use other methods to chose Cash WINNERS at random NOT using the DICE method at any time. NO POSTS equal NO CASH WINNER at all times so make an effort to get a something constructive in our terrorists face!

The First and Last Person who joins will be $1,000,000.oo CASH prize Winners Automatically of any full set of 1 Million members.

Quarterly Cash Prize Contest

3 month consecutive membership is where members compete for a quarterly
“GRAND PRIZE” of a $2,000,000.00 Prize for every set of One million members, and you are eligible for this Quarterly CASH PRIZE with a 3 month membership in any quarter during the course of the year.

Six Month Cash Contest

Every six month consecutive membership qualifies for the $5 million
Competition called the “Millennium Prize”, and a six month consecutive
membership is required to qualify for this prize.

The Yearly prize called The

Maximillion Grand Prize of $1 Billion

You need to be a member for a FULL YEAR 365 DAYS to be eligible for
this MaxiMillion Prize.

If there are a billion members, winner gets $1 per membership which is a $1 Billion MaxiMillion GRAND PRIZE. You need to be a member for 1 year to win except for NEW YEARS 2011 as the YEARLY PRIZE will be available to all NEW MEMBERS For THE GRAND OPENING OF

ONLY PUBLISHED BLOGS OF ANY TYPE that are used to advertise WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC TO VIEW on as all other works will be PRIVATE only for the eyes of's members to view as we don't need to let on to the terrorists as to any game plan we may have going on at any one moment.

Because our TROOPS and their family's are having a difficult time when they come back home From the FRONT LINES $10.00 from every MONTHLY membership fee will be given to charities that HELP our TROOPS so that they can get better from their trauma when they come home.

It will go to the Following Charities that SUPPORT OUR TROOPS

  8. Fisher House Foundation
  13. NYPD/FDNY Widowers Endowment fund

When we get 100 Million Americans to JOIN then those CHARITIES THAT SUPPORT OUR TROOPS will be sharing $1 Billion with one another every MONTH.

Just because I had this idea and created this business it doesn't give me the right not to inform you as to where the money is going and for that reason alone I will be sending every member a Monthly Statement saying exactly where the money has gone every Month.

America we're in this fight together and I've created this business because of an IDEA I had which I believe will work in STOPPING ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALIST TERRORISTS, and I want to help America and it's charities to help all of us pull ourselves out of these hard times we are experiencing today. WE need to PUT AMERICA BACK TO WORK PEOPLE.

The First person and THE LAST PERSON in all full sets of 1 million members that
JOINS automaticaly WIN $1,000,000.00 USD and all cash Prizes of any type are Paid out upon a membership of 1 million members minimum.

Portions of every monthly membership fee will be going to the following American Charities every month........

8. Wednesday's Child
20. Oprah's Angel Network

35. The Little Baby Face Foundation

36.  The Alexa Foundation

To Change The WORLD Click below

TAX Notice:

All Non US Resident Cash Prize Winners will need to comply with Tax Law guidelines as specified by the IRS which will be explained in detail when you win the Cash Prize. will be looking for individuals who are LEGAL Naturalized Americans for the Purposes of Hiring them to do the same thing that You and I are doing with this web site, but they will be doing it for their own Homeland and their own people making life better for their people in their own homelands in order to keep conditions from arising that can bring about events like 9/11 as if we don't help them then Nothing will change just as it hasn't changed in Croatia even after the Brutal Balkan War as it's still the same crap as before when it was Yugoslavia, and History does repeat itself if conditions don't change my friends it just finds another way to do it.

I will ONLY be Considering Members OF for this position as I want every Muslim American to Join as a Member distinguishing themselves from their and our Terrorists. Otherwise why did you come here if you don't want to be an American because this is an AMERICAN web site and the world is going to know exactly who we are My friends and I want you included.

Do You Hear me NOW?

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Rating: 1.0/10 (1 vote cast)
VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: -1 (from 1 vote)
Join Now, 1.0 out of 10 based on 1 rating


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Archives by Day

September 2015

Full Spectrum Warrior

Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox
Genre: Action
Publisher: THQ

About Judy

As WP's senior editor, I edit review and preview articles, attempt to keep up with the frantic pace of Rainier's news posts, and keep our reviewers on deadline, which is akin to herding cats. When I have a moment to myself and don't have my nose in a book, I like to play action/RPG, adventure and platforming games.

'Full Spectrum Warrior' (PS2) - Screens

by Judy on Dec. 8, 2004 @ 5:23 p.m. PST

Receiving wide critical acclaim, Full Spectrum Warrior is an original, tactical-action military game that enables players to experience the gritty realism and intensity of urban combat. To accomplish its unique level of authenticity, the game incorporates some of the most sophisticated A.I. ever achieved in a video game.

As a Squad Leader, players command and coordinate the actions of two infantry fire teams maneuvering through an urban warzone. An intuitive control system allows players to lead eight soldiers in a real-time struggle to outthink, outmaneuver and outgun the enemy through 13 levels of intense combat.

"Even though FSW was first developed only for the Xbox and PC, we were eager to see what could be done with this amazing game on the PS2," said Josh Resnick, president of Pandemic Studios. "Mass Media has really stepped up and done an incredible job translating the experience of FSW to another great platform and has offered a remarkable demonstration of what can be accomplished with PlayStation 2 technology."

"Full Spectrum Warrior is a pioneer of today's trend of developing authentic military games based on genuine military doctrine and advanced A.I.," said David Todd, president and CEO of Mass Media. "We're very proud to be associated with the brand and have an opportunity to bring this truly innovative and immersive game play to the PlayStation 2."

Based on a light infantry-training simulator designed by Pandemic Studios for the U.S. Army as a tool to reinforce Army combat doctrine and squad tactics among troops*, Full Spectrum Warrior combines squad-based combat and real-time tactical-action.

Related articles, Click here!

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Archives by Day

September 2015

About Rainier

PC gamer, WorthPlaying EIC, globe-trotting couch potato, patriot, '80s headbanger, movie watcher, music lover, foodie and man in black -- squirrel!

Hilton Garden Inn Trains Employees on PSP

by Rainier on Sept. 29, 2008 @ 2:07 a.m. PDT

Hilton Garden Inn is the world’s first hotel brand to offer an intensive, interactive employee training program designed and created specifically for use on the PSP.

Hilton Garden Inn, the award-winning mid-priced hotel brand with locations throughout North America and Europe, will establish itself as the hospitality leader in employee training thanks to its use of an interactive game-based technology training called Ultimate Team Play, representing their ongoing commitment to understanding the special needs of their guests.

The result is a benchmark in interactive training in the hospitality industry created especially for Hilton Garden Inn by Virtual Heroes, Inc -- a graphically-intense, 3-D, first-person video game built featuring an immersive player experience. In addition to providing employees with one of the most realistic guest simulation experiences in the industry, Hilton Garden Inn will use the new program to aggressively recruit next-generation team members grounded in technology, the Internet, entertainment and video games.

“We’re thrilled to take our game-based employee training program to a whole new level, or, in this case, a whole new gaming platform that is also portable, to create some of the most advanced, realistic and interactive training anywhere,” said Adrian Kurre, senior vice president – brand management for Hilton Garden Inn, who credits David Kervella, head of Hilton Garden Inn training, for spearheading the enhanced program. “Ultimate Team Play is part of our ongoing commitment to making employee training compelling and relevant, which are our two most important criteria for ensuring long-term customer service success.”

The overall goal of the new program, titled HGI Ultimate Team Play for PSP®, is to show hotel team members how their actions have an impact on the hotel and on the guest's mood, which in turn drives the brand’s Satisfaction and Loyalty Tracking (SALT) scores higher or lower. The game puts team members in a 3-D, graphically-intensive virtual Hilton Garden Inn hotel where they must respond to a number of different guest-related requests by a specific deadline. The appropriateness, level and speed of their response directly affect the simulated guest’s satisfaction as well as the hotel’s SALT scores.

SALT is the real-world survey tool used by Hilton Garden Inn to measure and track guest loyalty, satisfaction and overall experience at a particular hotel, as well as guest thoughts on the brand in general. Surveys are sent via e-mail to guests who have recently stayed at a hotel and the results of the surveys generate the SALT scores. Each survey asks the guest to rank their satisfaction on a variety of amenities and aspects of their stay.

The initial interactive training game has already been beta-tested in select Hilton Garden Inn locations in which team members have played the role of a front desk service agent. The full interactive game version is set to launch at all Hilton Garden Inn locations in January 2009 and will include positions in housekeeping, food and beverage, engineering/maintenance as well as front desk.

Now, when Hilton Garden Inn team members are caught playing with a PSP system on the job, they are met with smiles and words of encouragement.

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Archives by Day

September 2015

PlayStation 3

Platform(s): PlayStation 3
Genre: Hardware
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Sony Computer Entertainment
Release Date: Nov. 17, 2006 (US), March 23, 2007 (EU)

About Rainier

PC gamer, WorthPlaying EIC, globe-trotting couch potato, patriot, '80s headbanger, movie watcher, music lover, foodie and man in black -- squirrel!

Sony Rolls Out Revamped PlayStation Store

by Rainier on Oct. 17, 2012 @ 5:00 p.m. PDT

At the heart of PS3 is the Cell Broadband Engine, one of the most advanced computer processors in the world, that enables massive floating point calculation, and Blu-ray Disc (BD) drive, providing a High Definition (1080p) next-generation gaming and movie experience in the home, as well as up to 50 GB of data capacity.

The new store offers a completely redesigned, rich user interface, with easy search and powerful content discovery through the integrated global catalog of more than 20,000 pieces of game-related content including downloadable games, add-ons and themes and over 100,000 videos and TV shows.

With the vast amount of content now available in the PlayStation Store, the redesign delivers easier navigation, improved discovery and integrates game, video and applications like never before. Product pages also deliver in-depth information about purchases, giving users valuable content information, while providing a rich visual experience similar to the advanced high-definition games only found on PS3.

The new PlayStation Store is available today in Europe on all PlayStation Network connected PS3s, and will be available in the United States, Canada, Brazil and Mexico on October 23, 2012.

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Being bionic feels a lot like stoned

I neglected to tell you that the night we went to the ER, Otto and I couldn’t stop laughing. I mean, really, what can you do?

“How did you hurt your hand, ma’am?”

“I was making apple crisp.”

The questioner would do a double-take, and then we’d burst out into fresh giggles. Also Otto kept me entertained while we waited with great suggestions like, “Sooo… wanna play Rock, Paper, Scissors?” (We later decided to change it to Rock, Paper, Scissors, Crisp, but then deemed it too dangerous to play. Cue further giggling.)

Eventually they wrapped me up and sent me home with an orthopedist referral. And lucky me, I just happened to have an appointment for a physical the next morning, anyway, so they told me to give the paperwork to my doc and have them get me an appointment.

Meanwhile, I was lucky to even make it to the doctor in one piece, because I ended up sleeping only about an hour that first night. It turns out that broken bones HURT.

Anyway, you may remember that I called for this appointment back in August because my hair was falling out, among other things and so when my doctor finished grilling me about my hand, she turned to my bloodwork and said, “Well, we did find one problem.” I then quipped that Dr. Google told me it was either my thyroid or I was dying, and she laughed and said it’s just my thyroid. So she gave me a prescription for Synthroid and I should be restored to my normal Yeti-like self in a few months. We then also discussed how all narcotics make me barf, so she gave me a prescription for a non-narcotic pain killer, and then her assistant got me an orthopedist appointment for that afternoon. They are very efficient there; I kind of wanted to ask them to do my taxes.

The orthopedist was also efficient, but we don’t like him as much, because when I asked him if I get to pick a color for my cast he said, “Oh, you’re not getting a cast.” He then whipped out my x-rays and started making with the Very Many Words, which—near as I could decipher—boiled down to, “Yeah, you really fucked your hand up.”

See, I had seen the x-ray at the ER, and I’d seen the break. Granted, I’m no doctor, but it looked pretty straightforward to me. See?

Turns out, though, that “spiral fracture” isn’t just a reference to the torsion that causes it, but to the resultant break, itself. That little chip of bone in the above picture was only the beginning… here’s the whole fracture:

(OUCH.) So after explaining all of that, the doc unwrapped my hand and had me move a little, and said something about how my last two fingers are crossing now because of the angle of the break, and without surgery I would suffer “permanent deformity.” Hey, that didn’t sound so good! As this all sunk in, I asked how soon I could have the surgery, “How about tomorrow morning?” he said, with just a tad too much glee.

So that’s how it came to pass that I busted my hand on an apple on Sunday night, and by noon on Tuesday I’d become The Bionic Woman:

(Here we understand “bionic” to mean “proud owner of a steel plate, eight screws, and a LOT of painkillers.”)

Anyway, it still hurts a lot (go figure) so I am spending a lot of time sleeping and generally lying around whining. I am a JOY, I tell you. I keep expecting to feel better, stronger, and faster than before, but mostly I just feel like crap. Maybe next week when I get my cast I’ll start feeling more superhero-y.

98 Responses to “Being bionic feels a lot like stoned”

  1. 1
    Janet October 17, 2012 at 8:38 am #

    Oh my goodness! I’m guessing at this point you just have to laugh and say of COURSE this happened. Sending lots of healing vibes your way (and resisting an urge to make any jokes about that apple not keeping the doctor away….)

  2. 2
    deva October 17, 2012 at 8:41 am #

    Oh my goodness! I hope you heal quickly! My fiance was hit by a car as a teenager so he has all of that and more – just in his elbow and left leg! He said recovery from it wasnt’ fun. I hope you get a quick recovery and full mobility back as quickly as possible!

  3. 3
    Andrea October 17, 2012 at 8:42 am #

    When you do get your cast, please make someone put Wonder Woman’s logo on it. I can’t think of anyone who deserves it more than you!
    PS, hope you’re feeling better soon!
    PPS, Your doctors sound amazing. My brother broke his leg several years ago on a Saturday. The ER put him in this ice water circulation thingy and sent him home to wait until he coud get in with an orthopedist. He was stuck at home like that with his leg on life support for a week. Insanity!!

  4. 4
    Megan October 17, 2012 at 8:43 am #

    Wow! Well, if you’re going to do something, do it with STYLE. And, I guess, really really REALLY thoroughly.

    Shame about the narcotics. (I can’t have them either as it turns out they make me, well, sort of die I suppose.) I mean it seems totally unfair that you can’t be bionic AND a narcotic fiend.

  5. 5
    Therese October 17, 2012 at 8:43 am #

    Wow! Can 2012 do any more to you? Better knock on wood after that remark…

  6. 6
    Emily October 17, 2012 at 8:45 am #

    Hope you heal quickly!

    Maybe now is the time to see if the Dragon Naturally Speaking software folks want you to demo their product on your wildly popular blogs?

  7. 7
    Katherine October 17, 2012 at 8:47 am #

    Is that steel plate and screws permanent? And if so, is it going to make things fun anytime you go through a metal detector? Because that would just be bonus fun!

    I hope that you can sleep a lot and feel better soon. Healing takes a lot of energy and chocolate. I hope you got your prescription for plenty of chocolate!

  8. 8
    Angela October 17, 2012 at 8:48 am #

    Just keep laughing through this…laughter keeps ulcers from forming! ;)

  9. 9
    Little Bird October 17, 2012 at 8:50 am #

    Seriously, I could send you some bubble wrap!

  10. 10
    Navhelowife October 17, 2012 at 8:52 am #

    Oh! I am so sorry you’re going through this. The only good thing about not being on narcotic painkillers is that then you don’t have to wean off of them.
    Meanwhile, sending you prayers and comforting thoughts.

  11. 11
    Elizabeth October 17, 2012 at 8:54 am #

    Glad you were able to laugh. Continue laughing– releases endorphins which will help with the pain. (Someone remind of this Friday when I get home from my own surgery!)

  12. 12
    Mama Bear October 17, 2012 at 8:54 am #

    Sorry about your hand, but what I focused on was the low thyroid. Mir, you will feel so much better when your meds get your thyroid back up to normal!! I’ve been on Synthroid for years, and what a change after first getting diagnosed. (Please be careful not to let them switch you from generic to name brand, name brand to generic, etc. Stay on one and keep it with that brand, otherwise the crazies ensue again!) Despite all the chaos of 2012 making you want to curl up in a ball and sleep, low thyroid did that to you as well! Now maybe it will be easier to get through those days. Hooray!
    Hope your hand heals quickly!

  13. 13
    Theresa October 17, 2012 at 8:55 am #

    Whoa! and OUCH! Hang in there.

    BTW, did you type that whole post one handed??? I’m impressed.

  14. 14
    Karen October 17, 2012 at 8:56 am #

    Oh my stars. Will you now always set the airport metal detectors off?? LOL

  15. 15
    Bob October 17, 2012 at 8:57 am #

    must be good painkillers – you typed this long post and I didn’t hear your expletives at all.

    good luck with airport security from now on.

  16. 16
    Mir October 17, 2012 at 8:57 am #

    I did type this one-handed! Very slowly.

    Will ask about setting off metal detectors at my follow-up appt.

  17. 17
    GetSheila October 17, 2012 at 9:02 am #

    What’s next, a tsunami in Georgia? You’re making me paranoid for you and your family. Seriously, GET TO HIGH GROUND. Seriously seriously, hope you’re all hairy and pain-free soonest.

  18. 18
    Barbara October 17, 2012 at 9:03 am #

    Too bad it’s not your middle finger, you could then flip 2012 a bionic bird.

    Or maybe you just invented a faster, more powerful swear gesture! Yes! That’s it! That finger is now your own Bionic Bird!

    Use it wisely.

  19. 19
    Kim October 17, 2012 at 9:06 am #

    Oy. Have plans for the spiral apple corkscrew and the crisping of the apples this afternoon. Maybe I should call my insurance company first.
    Feel better.

  20. 20
    Jen October 17, 2012 at 9:06 am #

    Ok, just a little puke-y seeing those pictures, but I have to ask…

    How was the apple crisp? ;)

    Go rest. Train Licorice to give foot rubs.

  21. 21
    Javamom October 17, 2012 at 9:07 am #

    So how did you manage to type all this? That;s pretty good for a bionic woman :)

    Hope you feel better soon.

  22. 22
    Tenessa October 17, 2012 at 9:08 am #

    Only 2 and a half more months. Just sayin’.

  23. 23
    matinyoupi October 17, 2012 at 9:09 am #

    I bet you can’t wait to bury 2012? There are still two months to go, though… What’s in store for the next two months?
    You know, we would still read your blog even if you didn’t have traumatic news at each post.

    Thyroiditis… I told you so… In a few weeks’ time, you’ll see the difference that little daily pill can do to your mood (and hair). That’s one you won’t forget to take.

  24. 24
    Diane October 17, 2012 at 9:14 am #

    Really, all you can do is laugh (especially when you react unfavorably to the things that would put you in la-la land for the duration). You now have an official super-hero weapon: “Stand down, perverter of justice, or I will poke you with my bionic Finger-izer”.

    Or something like that.

  25. 25
    elz October 17, 2012 at 9:15 am #

    I have a bionic jaw, if that makes you feel any better. I plan on eating all the apple pies now, just to show ’em that they can’t mess with my friend! Good luck with your recovery.

  26. 26
    ememby October 17, 2012 at 9:19 am #

    I apologize because I had to laugh at this post, in a what-are-the-odds sort of way. But also, seriously? So sorry. That is quite impressive hardware you have there. Here’s to quick healing in every way. And you might want to stick to blueberry buckles from now on.

  27. 27
    {sue} October 17, 2012 at 9:19 am #

    Oh my, Mir. I’m glad it’s all done and you can begin healing. And also, I’m going to tell you to make sure that your PCP checks your thyroid annually for nodules, because I have recently learned the hard way what happens when they don’t. And most people have no other thyroid issues once they start meds, but I’m guessing you just might be a little higher risk than other people :-) (Not to worry, just prevention!)

  28. 28
    Nancy R October 17, 2012 at 9:25 am #

    My Father-in-law has bionic knees- he has a credit card-like image of the x-rays for use during metal detector rendezvous.

    Feel better soon!

  29. 29
    Ali October 17, 2012 at 9:25 am #

    Two years ago, I had 3 stitches on my fingers following an apple corer incident. Conclusion: You can turn apples into pie but not without a fight.

  30. 30
    Lori N October 17, 2012 at 9:25 am #

    Yeah, spiral fracture = surgery, as my Mom found out 2 years ago.

    How about we sign a virtual cast for you? You can pick the color & we’ll decorate it. My signature will have an apple instead of a dot over my “i”

    Heal fast! — Lori

  31. 31
    AlisonC October 17, 2012 at 9:25 am #

    I was wondering about metal detectors too.
    On the plus side it might distract the TSA from your large containers of hair gel if your hand is setting off alarms at the airport!

    I hope that your thyroid medication helps you feel much better and that the pain eases up soon.

    PS Can I put in a vote for a pink cast??

  32. 32
    Jean October 17, 2012 at 9:28 am #

    Wow, that seriously looks like it hurts! Feel better soon, Mir…..

  33. 33
    Schmutzie October 17, 2012 at 9:30 am #

    Yikes, but cool internal finger jewellery!

  34. 34
    bonuela October 17, 2012 at 9:32 am #

    1. i have been on synthroid since high school and while it will fix you right up, don’t be shocked if when your hair starts growing back you get it in some bonus places. (don’t ask, just wax)

    2. my dad broke his leg while cleaning his ears, and q-tips are even more innocuous than apples.

  35. 35
    Kristine N October 17, 2012 at 9:32 am #

    OUCH!!! Geesh Mir let’s hope that nothing else is coming your way for 2012….

    I love the idea that somehow they get a superwoman decal on your cast. It should have a really long flying cape that is billowing in the winds…. Nothing can defeat you!!!

  36. 36
    Summer October 17, 2012 at 9:38 am #

    If you have to injure yourself, you might as well make it funny, right? I got a lot of laughs for the sword injury that had me on crutches for a month (a belly-dancer’s weighted sword was dropped on my foot) and my husband got to spend a humorous evening in the ER with a catfish stuck in his leg.

    I bet you will never say “easy as pie” ever again.

    Wishing you quick healing and lots of good crap to watch on TV in the meantime.

  37. 37
    Brigid October 17, 2012 at 9:43 am #

    You’re pretty. You’re pony is on the way. It has mad typing skills. That is all.

  38. 38
    Erika Jurney October 17, 2012 at 9:43 am #

    Your plastic bubble is in the mail.

  39. 39
    Jamie October 17, 2012 at 9:48 am #

    I love #18 Barbara’s thoughts! And Summer’s “easy as pie.” Ditto what all have said – quick healing, little pain, happy pills!

  40. 40
    Anne October 17, 2012 at 9:58 am #

    I call my synthroid my happy pills. What a difference it has made. No more nodding off in the middle of the day, no more depression! It will only take a few days to notice the difference but it may take a year to find the right dosage. My life is dramatically better. Good luck.

  41. 41
    Tricia October 17, 2012 at 10:08 am #

    Oh man, Mir. That’s one impressive looking finger. So sorry you broke yourself making apple crisp. Hopefully the synthroid and pain killers will kick in and you’ll feel great soon. And just so you know you’re in good company: I stepped off a single step in our garage once and ended up breaking four bones in my foot, tearing two ligaments, and landing myself in a foot boot for 12 weeks, plus six months of physical therapy. And now my foot twinges every time it’s going to rain. Hope your bionic finger helps you predict something better than the weather!

  42. 42
    Chuck October 17, 2012 at 10:11 am #

    Glad to hear the surgery went well – hope the recovery goes equally well!

  43. 43
    Crisanne October 17, 2012 at 10:11 am #

    Hugs, Mir.

  44. 44
    Vane October 17, 2012 at 10:14 am #

    Oh Mir so sorry about your hand!! Hope you feel better soon.

    If I may spoil the fun about the metal detectors, I have several steel plates and tiny screws in my face an larger ones on my anckle and I’ve never “beeped” when going through airport security. I, however, would ask if it is possible to remove them after a while … they are not fun during winter time :(

    My prayers are still with your family, big hugs to you all.

  45. 45
    s October 17, 2012 at 10:32 am #

    what? nothing to sign? ok, instead of a cast, for now you could just get a tshirt done up with that super cool xray with the spirally pin in there and tell folks to sign that!

  46. 46
    Kelly October 17, 2012 at 10:34 am #

    I think at this point you do just have to giggle uncontrollably and eat lots of ice cream. Stay away from apples. I hear bananas are nice & safe. I think Otto should hide all knives and you are only allowed to use toddler tools in the kitchen. :)

  47. 47
    birchsprite October 17, 2012 at 10:35 am #

    Lots of choccy cake and wine!

  48. 48
    karen October 17, 2012 at 10:48 am #

    Oh wow… I thought the same thing when I saw the break…Ah, pretty clean, maybe just press it back together, tape it up, cast, done! ….

    HOly cow, is that bionic material – forever-? My cousin had fractured his wrist really bad.. they put screws and plate in and he was supposed to live with it… after about four months he couldn’t tolerate it at all and they had to remove it, but he’s doing just fine now a year later. It hurts on rainy days a little.

  49. 49
    Beth R October 17, 2012 at 10:48 am #

    Oh, Mir! Sending hugs and lots of good thoughts your way. Keep laughing!

  50. 50
    Issa October 17, 2012 at 10:54 am #

    OWIE! Gah. At least you have a funny story to tell??

    2013 owes you big time. Because 2012 has been a real shithead.

  51. 51
    Sharon October 17, 2012 at 11:05 am #

    Oh. My. God. That’s what I keep saying over and over. There are no words. Sending a [gentle] hug to you ~

  52. 52
    Sheila October 17, 2012 at 11:31 am #

    All I can think of while looking at that last X-ray is “Excalibur, the finest sword that there was, which sliced through iron as through wood.”

    ‘Bout sums it up, doesn’t it? Feel better, Mighty Mir, for you are forged in fire, divinely appointed Queen of Apple Crisp.

  53. 53
    Jennifer B October 17, 2012 at 11:39 am #

    First time commenter, but…a couple years ago I had compound fractures of both bones in my right wrist. $50,000, two plates, 13 screws and 3 wires later I do not set off metal detectors. After all that I was a little disappointed. Hope all heals well!

  54. 54
    Mandy October 17, 2012 at 11:53 am #

    MIr-fans and -followers, I think it’s time for Bionic Hand Lemonade! (Or, Apple Crisp Lemonade, if you prefer).

    I second the idea of a Wonder Woman cast – or tattoo, although personally I’m frightened of getting one.

    Hugs and healing vibes from Indiana, Mir!

  55. 55
    Michele October 17, 2012 at 11:56 am #

    OMG That makes me hurt and squirm just looking at it! I may have to go console myself with chocolate on your behalf. I do hope you feel better soon. And don’t worry, you shouldn’t set off any metal detectors at the airport. Apparently you need an implant as large as a hip for them to get a read off of it. My MIL has a shoulder replacement and not even a blip when she goes through, so you can wipe that worry off the list. :)

  56. 56
    cheyenna October 17, 2012 at 11:56 am #

    Oh, Mir…. All you can do is laugh. And try to get lots of rest. Hugs

  57. 57
    Amy October 17, 2012 at 12:04 pm #

    Awesome x-rays. Glad they got you fixes up so quickly. Hope you feel better soon.

  58. 58
    Amy October 17, 2012 at 12:05 pm #

  59. 59
    Sherri October 17, 2012 at 12:26 pm #

    Sleep, sleep, sleep…. your body needs to heal itself and you’ve been running on fumes for so long. I hope the pain is better today.

  60. 60
    Aimee October 17, 2012 at 12:44 pm #

    Here’s what I think: ONLY a bionic superhero could come through a year like you’ve had and still be able to write eloquently about it and crack up about it in the ER. This is just your body catching on to that fact. So CONGRATS on your bionicism.

  61. 61
    Anna October 17, 2012 at 12:52 pm #

    Very nicely done. (Oy.)

  62. 62
    Frank October 17, 2012 at 1:17 pm #

    Even though technically it was the “Man”, I feel the need to make a Six Million Dollar joke somewhere in here… Disclaimer: I didnt check all the comments to see if someone beat me to it. On a related note, you havent got the bill yet, have you?
    Deformity sounds bad…. but maybe it would have allowed you to flip off undesirables in plain sight and not be obvious about it… Must look at the positives! Although making a fist and shaking it menacingly at people might be a part of your PT… again, Bonus!
    Kidding aside, get better soon. until then we can deal with short snippets of posts, or you dictating to Otto while he types….

  63. 63
    Karen R October 17, 2012 at 1:29 pm #

    At least you can still look forward to a pretty cast…. I hope you fell better soon.

  64. 64
    Leah October 17, 2012 at 1:39 pm #

    I hope you are healed quickly. Its been a heck of a year hasn’t it! Glad you are still finding the humor in all that life is throwing towards you.

  65. 65
    Kate October 17, 2012 at 1:41 pm #

    Holy f-ing schiz! That is all I can come up with!!!

  66. 66
    Nancy October 17, 2012 at 1:49 pm #

    My eyes bugged out a little bit when I saw your x-rays.

    Feel better soon!

  67. 67
    suburbancorrespondent October 17, 2012 at 2:23 pm #

    I hope you’re feeling better soon. And stay away from those apples, you crazy woman, you!

  68. 68
    Shelly in Austin October 17, 2012 at 2:31 pm #

    You’re pretty!

  69. 69
    Amy-Go October 17, 2012 at 2:41 pm #

    *facepalm* That is all.

  70. 70
    Angela October 17, 2012 at 3:37 pm #

    You poor, poor baby! What a bizarre incident!

  71. 71
    Rocky Mountain Woman October 17, 2012 at 3:47 pm #

    One of my coworkers broke his hand trying to catch a fly ball at a ball park and he ended up having surgery also…

  72. 72
    Varda (SquashedMom) October 17, 2012 at 4:01 pm #

    Heal fast babe, heal fast. Also you can’t get any more MRIs as you now have metal inside your body. I am right there with you on the narcotic/barf connection. Sucks. Hope the alternative painkillers are doing their job so you get some rest. Will NOT facetiously ask “What next?” because I don’t want to tempt the fates to throw anything more at you.

  73. 73
    My Kids Mom October 17, 2012 at 4:07 pm #

    Well, you needed a little superhuman strength, so let this be it. Believe in the metal plate! (And don’t let a screw come loose or Otto will have a field day)

  74. 74
    Jeanie October 17, 2012 at 4:30 pm #

    That sounds dreadful. Hope the pain goes away very soon.

  75. 75
    Keene October 17, 2012 at 4:50 pm #

    I’m so sorry. Broken bones do hurt a lot. Cue my 12 yo boy who busted 2 fingers on August 1st, and then 10 days after getting that cast off…. broke his wrist, same hand. Anyway, count on round the clock meds for at least a week.

    I am a big believer though, that women generally do get sick (or injured), when they have been taking so much care of others, that their whole system finally crashes and thus forces them to get on the couch and stay there for a nice long time. Wish we could all come bring soup and silly movies to watch with you. Find the most comfy jammies/blankets and make a nest and stay there and be waited. There is much more that needs healing, other than your bone. Sending waves of love.

  76. 76
    Another Dawn October 17, 2012 at 5:00 pm #

    Well, I hope you’re not going to use this as an excuse not to blog. >:

    Seriously, that looks very ouchy. I’m no radiologist and even I could see that was bad.

    Can’t get any MRIs once you’re bionic, huh?

    *contemplates breaking finger bone just for that very purpose*

    I should think going through security at the airport just got more interesting, too.

    Hope it stops hurting soon! Can I sign your cast?

  77. 77
    Ali October 17, 2012 at 5:58 pm #

    Wait – will this hamper your Draw Something skills? Or maybe you get handicap points? :) Heal soon!

  78. 78
    Kristi S October 17, 2012 at 6:22 pm #

    Wow…feel better Mir!

  79. 79
    Ellen October 17, 2012 at 9:21 pm #

    Ouch! I had a spiral fracture of my femur at age two. I actually can remember it. I was not supposed to be able to walk, but I can. One leg is slightly shorter, but I’m fine. The pain is seared into my memory, so I know you must bein agony. Still, despite your sucky year, i like how your writing stays on point and enjoyable to read. When does your book come out? You know there must be one.

  80. 80
    Christa October 17, 2012 at 10:15 pm #

    O.M.G. You should totally kick 2012’s ass with your bionic hand. Wow.

  81. 81
    Christine October 17, 2012 at 11:56 pm #

    I have this old family photo stuck to our fridge–it shows a well-dressed family of the late 19th or early 20th century standing quite calmly and unabashedly in front of an actual, literal train wreck. If I get a chance, I’ll scan it for you and you can caption it “2012” and stick it to your fridge! (I would just send you my copy, but this week has been slightly trying for us, too… though thankfully not on your scale. Which is NOT an invitation to the universe, okay universe?)

  82. 82
    Chris October 18, 2012 at 8:09 am #

    Well that is impressive and I am troubled by the after x-ray on a few dimensions. Anyone for an early new year?

  83. 83
    dad October 18, 2012 at 8:55 am #

    I’ll bet that you still type faster then I do, even (1) drugged, (2) holding a wine glass,and (3) using only one hand.

    It’s time for you to get one of those voice recognition software packages so you can just dictate and the computer will arrange for typing.

  84. 84
    Joanne October 18, 2012 at 9:07 am #

    Draw a picture of your pins and plate into the DrawWithFriends thingy for Chckie! She’ll never guess what it is!

  85. 85
    Rachel October 18, 2012 at 9:23 am #

    Ouch! Healing thoughts for you from ND. Glad they found something that will help with your other issues, too, instead fo just saying “yeh, you’re fine, quit whining”. =)

  86. 86
    Genevieve October 18, 2012 at 10:04 am #

    Mir, I think you need some of these stickers to decorate your cast with (once you get it):

    You can direct Monkey to draw your Draw Something pix till you’re healed.
    I wish you quick healing, lots of funny/silly movies to watch (laughter=endorphins=healing, so Readers’ Digest had the right idea), and rest.

    And three cheers for Synthroid. (two small caveats — don’t take magnesium supplements as they inhibit absorption of thyroid hormone, and don’t take your Synthroid close to the time you have calcium as it temporarily inhibits absorption – I take my Synthroid at night so I don’t have to wait in the morning between taking it and eating cereal.) Having your thyroid levels adjusted makes so many things better.

  87. 87
    JennyA October 18, 2012 at 11:09 am #

    Wow, that’s one of those things that really makes you want to just live in a giant inflatable bubble and not move very much. What are the odds!? Hope you feel better soon. I broke my little finger once and that was shockingly painful, all stabby and shardy — I can’t imagine what a bigger finger would feel like or, I dunno, a whole limb or something.

  88. 88
    Nancy October 18, 2012 at 12:36 pm #

    I once broke my finger cleaning the kitchen counter (jammed it on the edge). Most everyone said ‘ so don’t do that anymore’. I wouldn’t say don’t make apple crisp anymore ‘cuz that would mean no appley goodness for your family. Hope you heal fast!

  89. 89
    liz October 18, 2012 at 1:34 pm #

    I’ll just add, “YIKES!!”

    And send you hugs and kisses and chocolate.

  90. 90
    Carrie On October 18, 2012 at 7:23 pm #

    When it comes time to welcome 2013 into this world, you can thoroughly enjoy the b****slap you will deliver to 2012 to bid it adieu, because now it is going to hurt like a sonofab****. That’s how you can focus on the positive!

  91. 91
    Eileen October 19, 2012 at 9:15 am #

    Mir that is crazy. I missed this post so I had to go back and see what Chickie was using as a desktop now. I can see why it is pretty awesome, in an “Oh My God That Must Hurt.” kind of way.

  92. 92
    magpiemusing October 19, 2012 at 9:22 am #

    now i understand the chickadee’s desire to use that as a screensaver. it is rather cool. although, OUCH.

  93. 93
    Rita October 19, 2012 at 9:35 am #

    You know, It’s too bad that it wasn’t your middle finger. Then you’d really be able to show 2012 what you think about it. Not that I’m glad you broke your hand on apple crisp, I’m not. I can just imagine it though… Here 2012, I hurt my finger….. look! (I really hope this is coming across as I intend it, snarky yet supportive!)

  94. 94
    Victoria October 19, 2012 at 12:33 pm #

    It can happen that I’ll purchase an item in one store, enter another and the item will set off the anti-theft device. I wonder if you will get to mystify store personel from now on? ;)

  95. 95
    Cele October 19, 2012 at 10:13 pm #

    So what color are you getting…. rock, sissors, paper, crisp… next you’ll get a terrorist rating… or a personal plastic bubble

  96. 96
    Nelson's Mama October 20, 2012 at 8:13 pm #

    I had to have my first shoulder surgery because I was doing broom tricks (it’s hard to explain) after consuming too many martinis :)

    Hope you hand heals soon! xxooo

  97. 97
    Teri October 22, 2012 at 9:49 am #

    My son broke his arm a couple of years ago (he was 6) when he fell from the neighbor’s backyard playset thingy and we also did the ER trip with the follow-up ortho appointment. All that to say: he got a RED cast. At the time, he lived and BREATHED Spiderman, so I got out my trusty black Sharpie and sat him in front of the tv (for distraction) and went to spinnin’ webs! I drew webs all OVER that red cast and, if I say so myself, it ROCKED!!
    He was the envy of the playground. I offered to set up a table in the Dr’s office to decorate kid’s casts, but he was kind of a turd and kind of looked at me like I had three heads. Whatever.
    Hoping for healing bionic bones soon!

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The Love Goddess on Rescuing a Recession-Ravaged Man

Editor’s Note: Who is the wisest of them all? Who is more dedicated to your pleasure than anyone on earth? Who can help you when you’re going online for the first time to find love; or when your lover’s children hate you; or when you want to strangle your husband? Why, the Love Goddess, of course. She promises nothing less than celestial wisdom, heavenly sex, divine dating. Read on …

In the New York Times health section recently, psychiatrist Richard A. Friedman writes that his male patients have appeared far more emotionally devastated by the nation’s staggering financial downturns than his women patients. It’s not that women don’t get upset about job and money losses, he adds, but when it hits them, they don’t feel like losers the way men do. “… Do men rely disproportionately more on their work for their self-esteem than women do?” he asks. “Or are they just more vulnerable to the inevitable narcissistic injury that comes with performing poorly or losing one’s job?”

Now, you know I’ve been around a long, long time. And I’m seeing something happening to men that’s even more pernicious, more wounding, than either reliance on work or narcissistic injury; it’s a loss from another dark moment in our cultural past, roughly 200 years ago.

It was at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution that this sad goddess watched men and women, accustomed to working together in society side by side, be hurled, suddenly, into separate spheres — men into the workplace, and women into the home. I watched as writers and pundits went wild idealizing this new arrangement by praising this new male ideal of the ambitious, tough, successful provider fighting alone in the brutal workplace; and his feminine counterpart, the selfless model of meek, devoted, domesticity.

To fit the ideal, a man’s head was to be filled exclusively with thoughts of work; a woman’s with home. The ideal man had no emotions; the ideal women, no worldly ambition. If a man failed to fit this rigid ideal, he failed as a man. And if a woman failed to be a loving, selfless “angel in the house,” she was not a woman but a useless, unfeminine thing. But it was fake, this characterological division of labor, and soon, men’s sacrifice of their relational, emotional selves took its toll, as did women’s sacrifice of their talent and self-concern. The stereotypes of the time showed the resulting damage: the wan, frail, Victorian woman languishing with mood tonics and the vapors, and the distanced, authoritarian husband who couldn’t relate to his family.

OK, so the old system has crumbled. But old cultural values live on within us — just as family messages from our childhoods do. Even as women flood the workforce, it’s attachment issues they talk most about, and suffer from, when they become depressed. Men don’t — they talk about the opposite: detachment issues.

My sense is that if we look closely at the double meaning of this word “loser,” we can feel the burden of idealization our financially devastated men carry from the past. First, they feel they’ve flunked the ideal to which they’ve been held for so long. But worse, I think, is the loss — the poignant, incalculable loss, of those crucial parts of themselves that were severed from them when men were asked to play Provider and nothing BUT Provider.

What kind of New Year’s resolutions will benefit a lover who may have lost his shirt, and his self-regard? Your recognition of and undying appreciation for those parts of him the workforce never embraced but that you do: The nurturant, kind, good, generous man inside the bereft, devastated provider. As serious as his diminished bank account is — and I do not for a moment underestimate it, for him or for you — see if you can vow to see past those losses to the other ones he’s experiencing, the ones that make him feel like a “loser,” the ones that suggest that he is nothing but his job; nothing but his wallet. Help him reclaim the winner you know he is.

May you all have a New Year’s Day rich in real, true love.

Like all savvy goddesses, the Love Goddess has her own blog, which you can visit by clicking here.

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Home » WWE News » Sheamus Calls Out “Interwebbers” and “Dirt Sheet Heroes”, Comments On Reports He’s HHH’s “Work-Out Buddy”

Sheamus has taken issue with “Interwebbers & Dirt Sheet Heroes” on his Twitter page following recent reports of a backstage altercation involving himself and Sin Cara. Below is what he had to say:

  • Shawn OB

    You’re nutty.

  • The cow says moo.

    alright we get Sheamus your Irish!, whoop de do who cares!

  • TheFizPop

    I have never paid to watch a wwe show, but i’d certainly pay to watch Ryback and Sheamus slaughter the keyboard warrior section of the iwc. Personally i’d love to see some psycho fan track them down and end them, but got more chance of a Cena heel turn

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The bi-monthly luncheon/meeting of the Crestwood Industrial Park Association was held at the Wright Township Municipal Building.  John Levitsky of PP&L introduced Frank Kilyanek of H.T. Lyons, Inc., as the guest speaker.  John Glushefski, Luzerne County Engineer from the Road and Bridge Department also spoke to the group.

Pictured standing from left are: John Levitski, Richard Knupp, John Piccotti, John Glushefski, Don Holtzman, Frank Rinkevich, and Frank Kilyaner.  Seated from left are: Daniel Frascella, Jeff McGeehin, Ralph Caropreso, Rob Hollands, and Rick Burman.

                school25.jpg (19461 bytes)

Government Day at Wyoming Valley Mall

The dedication of 89-1

Dedication of 89-1

From left are Supervisor Dan Frascella, former Supervisor Jack Robshaw, Chief Joseph M. Jacob, Supervisor Lou Welebob, and Supervisor Don Zampetti

2001 Government Day

GOVDAY2.JPG (70616 bytes)    GOVDAY~1.JPG (497897 bytes)


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In the old days, books went out of print shortly after it stopped being profitable for the publisher to print new runs. My understanding is that good contracts had clauses that caused the rights to the book to revert to the author once it had been out of print for a certain length of time.

Nowadays, e-books seem to be a standard part of contracts. E-books essentially put all the publisher's costs up-front, and make it very inexpensive to keep the electronic version of a book in print indefinitely.

Does this allow publishers to keep books "in print" forever and prevent the rights from reverting to the author, even when the book isn't selling? Is it common for modern contracts to include language that allows the rights to revert if sales drop below a certain threshold?

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5 Answers 5

up vote 4 down vote accepted

Definition of terms is always crucial. As Ralph Gallagher says, books go out of print when the contract is ended. That point may be defined differently with different authors and publishers, perhaps 'one print run' or 'when sales drop to less than X dollars per annum' or even 'until there's been no interest for one full year'. I believe an author I know of received a ten-year term in her contract, and when it was up she renegotiated for some other deal with an omnibus edition of several works. I'll have to see if I can dig up the details.

This question though is Exhibit A on why you need an agent when dealing with a publisher. An agent will be able to advise you on this and will negotiate an effective ending date of the contract in the age of e-books. A good agent will protect your interests (and your profits) from publishers who will claim (correctly, as it happens) that nothing is out of print and try to hang on to rights forever.

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Books go out of print when the contract runs up an either the author or the publisher doesn't opt to renew it. Books don't get pulled just because they're not making the sales, but if the books aren't making the sales, the contract most likely won't be renewed. Contracts can last anywhere from 2-7 years or longer, depending on negotiations.

When a contract runs out, there are two options. It can either be renewed, or it can end. If it ends, all rights revert back to the author and the publisher has to stop selling all books. They are allowed to sell off any remaining print books, but they're not allowed to print any more. Ebook sales stop immediately.

If for some reason an author is unhappy with their publisher and wants their rights back, it is possible to cancel a contract earlier if the publisher is agreeable. But, if the publisher is making money off the books, they're most likely not going to agree unless the author has a lot of pull or they're on very good terms. That means the author is stuck with them until the contract expires. Publishers don't own the rights to books indefinitely.

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Doesn't sound like any of the book contracts I've seen. What major publishers do this? –  Dori Jan 12 '11 at 9:36
All book contracts should have some kind of expiration date on them. You /never/ sign a contract that gives them neverending rights. It's written in my contract as "This Agreement shall be for a minimum initial period of three (3) years from the actual date of publication, with automatic monthly renewal after the initial three (3) year period." With a section after it for how to terminate the contract. –  Ralph Gallagher Jan 12 '11 at 19:00

I've never seen an expiration date on a tech book contract.

For instance, here are the O'Reilly standard book contract terms:

You grant us the exclusive right to print, publish, distribute, and sell copies of the book, and works derived from the book, in printed form and in electronic media such as CD-ROM, and to license others to do so, for the duration of the copyright in the book, in all languages, throughout the world. Your name will appear on the title page of the book as its author, but we'll obtain copyright for the book in our name.

Most of the contracts I've signed say my rights will revert back to me when the book goes out of print. And just like you mention above: between ebooks and POD, publishers now say that nothing's ever out of print, so rights never revert.

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When does the contract expire though? That's when the books will go out of print. Or did you sign a never ending contract? –  Ralph Gallagher Jan 12 '11 at 18:52
I find it interesting that you bring up O'Reilly here, as they have a reputation for being extremely flexible with authors. I've even seen them publish books that are also available under a Creative Commons license. –  HedgeMage Jan 12 '11 at 23:10
@Ralph - as I said: "I've never seen an expiration date on a tech book contract." Ever. Really. Books don't go out of print because the contract lapses; rather, the contract lapses when they go out of print. Books go out of print when it's no longer commercially viable to reprint them—so when the reprint cost goes down to zero, they never officially go out of print. –  Dori Jan 13 '11 at 0:10
@Hedge - Actually, I brought up the O'Reilly contract for a number of reasons: the contract is publicly available, I've written for them, and they've got a high rep in their field. As I mentioned above, that's their "standard" book contract; speaking from experience, yes, they will modify it if the author can make a strong case why it should change. –  Dori Jan 13 '11 at 0:13
@Ralph Keep in mind that most fiction is still equally relevant two years later, and great fiction is still relevant two hundred years later. Technology changes fast. Apart from The Cathedral and the Bazaar and The Art of Computer Programming, I can't think of a computer book that held relevance over a matter of decades. (For example, The Definitive Guide To Drupal 7 will have limited popularity once Drupal 8 comes out, and be totally irrelevant after Drupal 7 hits end-of-life.) –  HedgeMage Jan 13 '11 at 1:53

On the contacts that I've signed (granted, they were for short stories in anthologies), rights reverted to me after a specific period of time (one year, five years, etc).

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The contract says what the contract says. I've had some shown to me that were amazingly bad; all rights in perpetuity, all media. Nowadays, if you die, your heirs can break one of those.

A lot of editors will show you a default contract in their favor -- and change terms instantly as soon as they know you caught'em.

If you're concerned, write in a reversion clause, but remember with technical books especially the lifetime of a book is relatively short. If it reverts after 5 years, it may not make any difference.

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I am writing a story in the 3rd person and i would like to switch the narrator for one of the main characters half way through so that the reader can read how he perceives the story. does anybody have any suggestions on how this can be done without confusing the reader (about who the narrator is)?

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Stephen King did it in Christine. See what he did and learn from that. –  Lauren Ipsum Jun 6 '11 at 11:16
To see this done well, I suggest reading Tom Robbins' Another Roadside Attraction, which starts with an omniscient narrator who at a point in the book actually becomes the first-person narrator, actually made flesh as a character in the book. It is a kind of god-the-father/god-the-son parallel, and very funny in context. A great use of voice and POV shift. –  Robusto Jun 6 '11 at 14:18

3 Answers 3

up vote 3 down vote accepted

Some options to consider:

  • As Shan suggests, try linking the previous chapter/segment that's written in the third person to the one that's in the first person.
  • If switching to the first person is something you want to do regularly, establish a switch in viewpoint early on, so that the reader knows that you plan on doing this switch on occasion. By establishing this convention early, it makes it much easier for the reader to follow the story, especially if the first person narration is always from one particular character.
  • If you are only going to switch narration to first person this once (and then switch back to third person), then I would say you should question whether or not it's actually necessary to use this switch. Changes in narration should have fairly strong justifications for doing so, so you should ask what you achieve from the switch, and whether or not you could achieve the same from the style you've been using. If you're doing third-person semi-omniscient narration, then there is no reason why you cannot show how that character perceives the story by sticking with that narration style, rather than switching to first person.

  • Another option you could try is to use some trait/feature of the character to immediately indicate who is speaking in the first person. For example, maybe you showed that the character has a wooden leg, and so you could open the first-person narration with the character saying something like, "My wooden leg was chafing horribly." Or maybe he suffers from hay-fever, so you could have him moaning about that ... use anything that is unique to that particular character that the reader should already know.
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I'm not quite sure why you think a switch is necessary. Or exactly what kind of switch you're proposing. The title of your question mentions switching from 3rd to 1st, but then the text of your question is more about POV characters, and you can have different POV characters without switching from third to first.

Given that you're mentioning a narrator as if there's an independent voice, I assume that most of the story is written in omniscient third? It's quite possible to 'zoom in' from omniscient to close third (see the Harry Potter stories for an example of someone doing this quite effectively), and you can zoom in to different characters at different times. If you want to make it clear that you're zooming in on someone new, I think the best way to do that is to zoom back out for a little omniscient narration, and then zoom in on your new target.

A VERY rough example:

Jane carefully returned the goblet to the table. There was obviously more going on here than she was aware of, and she didn't want to take any chances until she had it all figured out. [close third POV, zoomed on Jane]

She wasn't the only one looking for more information, although her intentions were certainly more innocent than those of others. While Jane was handling antiques and old ladies, her nemesis was still dealing with Banshees and Necromancers. [omniscient third - and also, total drivel!]

"Get the corpses into the boxes, now!" Dorfman was not a patient man, and one more iteration of the idea that the dead were in no hurry was going to be enough to make him start adding new corpses to the waiting pile. [close third POV, zoomed on Dorfman]

This example is a bit heavy-handed (the modern equivalent of 'meanwhile, back at the ranch'), but hopefully it gives you the idea, and as I said, you can find more subtle examples in Harry Potter and elsewhere.

Is this what you're asking, though? It's a way to switch POV characters, but it doesn't switch to first person. I just don't think it's generally necessary to make that sort of change...

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I assume you want to move from 3rd to 1st person. Is this correct?

You could have an incident in the 3rd person, like the hero goes to a bank to check his balance and later meet his girlfriend Suzy. Briefly have the hero making plans about this in the 3rd person:

"He was thinking of going to the bank, so he could withdraw some money to take his girlfriend out to that fancy 5 star hotel."

Then you could switch to 1st person in the next chapter:

"I walked into the bank. It wasnt too busy, which was great, as it meant I could spend more time with Suzy later"

This way the reader will know you are talking about the same character, you have just moved from 3rd to 1st person.

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I have been mulling over the plot and characters for an elaborate fantasy work for a number of years now. The longer I mull things over, the more possessed I am that this story is worth telling. The problem arises when I actually sit down to write it: as a lifelong fan of fantasy, when I write my story on paper, it seems generic. Contrived, almost. The plot and characters I am totally in love with, but when I write it, I think, "Oh, this is worse than Paolini." It just feels... fake. What can I do to avoid generic writing? I would appreciate concrete methods that work, not just opinions or abstract advice.

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Not entirely a concrete method - but an excellent and elucidating analysis of the problem. Your good taste is why your work disappoints you (Ira Glass, via Jim Van Pelt). I think this is one of the best answers you'll find. –  Standback Feb 23 '12 at 6:37
@Standback you should post as an answer –  Toby Allen Feb 23 '12 at 16:42
@TobyAllen : What, and miss out my chance to inch towards a Pundit badge? :P No, seriously - I usually don't post a link as an answer. I also don't feel the quote serves as a complete answer to this question. –  Standback Feb 23 '12 at 17:05
@Standback +1 Wow. That's an awesome quote. Thanks. :) –  Gabe Willard Feb 23 '12 at 20:02
'Imaginary gardens with real toads in them'--this line from marriane Moore's a goood departure point. I don't care if you have elves, or, (shudder) unicorns, or zombie pirates--you must make rules for the world they live in, and make it, as 'twere, a lived-in world. –  user3332 Feb 28 '12 at 20:05

5 Answers 5

up vote 15 down vote accepted

What has worked for me in the past is to simply concentrate on telling the story. I'm assuming you are on your first draft and have yet to complete even that. In that case, you need to spend less time analyzing and more time telling your story. If you spend too much time reviewing as you write, you'll end up with a case of paralysis by analysis.

Sometimes what causes a writer to start reviewing their work prematurely is a lack of focus or direction. If you don't already have an outline or at least a timeline of events, then maybe you should concentrate on that. The main idea is to just let the words flow, no matter how contrived they may seem. You will have plenty of time to go back and edit for style later.

Another consideration is to stop comparing your own words to what you have read in other fantasy novels. More importantly, I would recommend refraining from reading any fantasy at all while you are writing. I have found that reading a fantasy novel by another author proves to be very distracting when trying to write my own. There isn't necessarily anything wrong with copying another writers style, so don't assume that your readers will be critical of it.

Lastly, make sure you have at least a couple of good beta readers who will give you honest feedback. Let them help you to decide if your content is too contrived or too generic. It is very easy for us as writers to be overly critical of our own work. We end up spending so much time trying to refine the story that we never end up completing it.

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If everything you write is sounding like overused tropes and clichés, it may be that you're simply showing your influences. And when you see your writing, all you're seeing are those influences. Hence, it feels less substantial to you.

What, exactly is "bland, generic fantasy" to you? I suggest you define what it is you're trying to avoid. Make a list if you're so inclined, or just get it straight in your mind what you want to sound different from. You could then go ahead and write, specifically avoiding these areas. While this could push you into writing about new and interesting things, it could also be difficult restriction to deal with. What if there's very little left after this process?

All writers have influences. With some, it's more obvious than with others. However, the only cure to this is, unfortunately, to keep writing. Don't stop just because something seems familiar or fake, just note it for future revision. With a little talent and time, your influences will blend into a style that is yours. It won't happen quickly, or without some hard work, but have some faith that it will happen.

You ask for specific methods: Since becoming aware of your influences and stylistic leanings will only help matters, getting some critiques of your work with that in mind may help. However, volume is your friend: Get those pages written. Don't stop if they suck, just keep going. You won't learn from the experience if you don't. Some specific working regimens, if you don't have them, may also be of help here.

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On the first draft: you won't. First drafts are almost invariably clunkers.

But your first draft is not meant to shine. Your first draft is meant to get the story onto paper and out of your head where it's been languishing for years.

Once it's on paper, then you can edit, revise, polish, and get an editor/editors to scrub out the bland and generic.

But you can't do that until it's written. So give yourself permission to be bland. Give yourself permission to be generic. I promise it's okay. You will be able to fix it later.

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Dan Wells says he always laughs/cringes at Brandon Sanderson's early drafts. A good writer is mostly a good reviser. –  MGOwen Mar 1 '12 at 22:35

One kind of off the wall solution I've used in the past to make fantasy/sci-fi feel less generic is choosing another style of writing (genre fiction or otherwise) and trying very consciously to emulate it while I write. If you're writing fantasy, maybe read nothing but noir fiction while you're writing and try to absorb the syntax/diction of that genre into your own work (assuming, of course, that that tone is still appropriate to the story you're trying to tell). For example, I'm giving a kind of 19th century 'literature' novel feel to a sci-fi piece I'm working on. Analyze the unique qualities of writing in other genres, and experiment with applying them to your work. There are plenty of books and essays out there that discuss the building blocks of genre fiction if you're interested.

While you're at it, think about qualities of the writing that separate really good fantasy from cookie-cutter fantasy for you, maybe make a list of the things that set it apart to help you isolate what you do want to emulate.

Laster makes a good point too, about remembering to get down and dirty no matter how fantastic your world is--people will still have aching feet, streets will still be dirty, people will still annoy each other even if there are archmages running around. Try to include the mundane day-to-day things and follow through with the non-obvious consequences of your fantasy-novums. The unexpected inconveniences that come with being a mage or a snake man go a long way towards drawing the reader into their lives.

Don't be afraid to be weird, make strange similes and word choices, and even be cliche as long as it's still absorbing for you. As other people have pointed out, this is a first draft. Try and be daring now and critical later. Write what you want to read without thinking about other people's work except as inspiration.

Hope it was helpful, good luck!

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Further to Steven Drennons answer, make sure you get people to read it who know and understand the same sorts of influences that you have. This means that a) they are more likely to be your target audience and so will give you a critique based on those you are writing for and b) if you are writing badly, or generically, they will probably pick this up and tell you.

To an extent, fantasy works best when it draws on the many other fantasy influences - it fits into the world better. At the same time, you have to draw something new from this as well, but wearly on, you should be setting the scene, defining what part of the fantasy genre you are using, so it will be moderately generic - that is a good thing at that stage.

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Friday, September 21, 2007

The next big blog thing?

Scroll down to the bottom of the lefthand sidebar of Writer Way and you'll see BlogRush in action. I've enrolled WriterWay in the "writing" category of BlogRush, so that Writer Way posts now appear as teasers on other blogs in that category.

The idea behind BlogRush is to accomplish two things at once: To provide blog readers with links to blogs on the same topic, and the drive more reader traffic to participating blogs.

It will be interested to watch the effect on traffic to this blog. My prediction that BlogRush will increase traffic for a while, but then BlogRush will be hacked by the SEO "garbage blogs" and, as a result, readers will lose interest, and then legitimate blogs will lose interest. Of course, if the people who run BlogRush are smart, and have resources, they'll attempt to police the system to prevent abuse.

To paraphrase George Jones, "the rush is on."

  1. FYI, I found your website through blogrush via your, Tell me a Story post.

    So far, it's working on driving traffic so far.


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Jun 2, 2014
Originally published on June 2, 2014 5:50 pm

Most states have embarked on a significant expansion of preschool programs, but a new report says they appear to be missing the kids who need these programs most: low-income, immigrant children.


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Alpha NEX-6 Camera Body
Who says you can't have it all? The NEX-6 features a wish list of features and still fits in your pocket. And it's fast, too. Make quick changes with a handy DSLR-like dial. Focus and track fast-moving subjects with the speed and accuracy of phase and contrast detection. It even shoots 16.1MP photos at a blistering up to 10fps. It's the end of compromise as we know it.

16.1 MP APS-C size HD image sensor

The same sensor format that Sony builds into the full-sized α DSLRs. With 13 times the area of the typical point-and-shoot image sensor, APS-C makes the difference between “snapshots” and “photographs,” delivering an exceptional combination of high resolution, high sensitivity and gorgeous, blurred backgrounds.

Fast Hybrid AF

Sony’s advanced Fast Hybrid AF combines two technologies for outstanding performance: Phase detection AF for quick response that is ideal when tracking fast-moving subjects and contrast-detection AF for added precision. A perfect match that delivers optimal Auto Focus for fast, precise focusing in any scene

XGA Tru-Finder OLED

There’s never been anything quite like the Tru-Finder OLED electronic viewfinder. For size, speed and brightness even after sunset, this is a gem. This eye-level, through-the-lens, viewfinder begins with 2359K dots for amazing resolution and high contrast ratio for incredible depth. OLED reduces motion blur to a bare minimum. You can also see the results of camera adjustments in real time with superb color and detail.

Wi-Fi® Sharing

Wi-Fi® capability – a first for Alpha-series – lets users transfer photos directly to smartphones and tablets with the PlayMemories Mobile app. Wi-Fi capability allows for sharing, viewing and saving photos for expanded photo-shooting enjoyment. Photos can be easily transferred to smartphones and tablets, viewed on large screen TVs or saved to PC’s.12

Advanced Control Dial

Mode control dial and Quick Navi assure quick and intuitive operation comparable to DSLR cameras Control dial, Fn (function) button and touch screen (including touch shutter function) combine to greatly facilitate operation and speed getting the shot.

PlayMemories Camera Apps

Supports PlayMemories Camera Apps, the world’s first application download service that lets users install new camera functions as needed.11

New Multi-Interface Shoe

Unlike conventional cameras, the NEX-6 features a newly developed Multi-Interface Shoe that dramatically expands compatibility with Handycam® accessories, thus raising the potential for photo/movie shooting.

Built-in GN6 Pop-up Flash2

A built-in Guide Number 6 flash is located on top of the camera.2 It is ideal for shooting in dimly lit settings and can be used as a fill flash when shooting in bright sunshine or to produce catch lights in portraits. The flash combines with ultra-high ISO 2500 and a large APS-C HD CMOS sensor for stunningly beautiful low-light photos.

Picture Effect mode

There are 11 picture effects modes to choose from: Posterization (Color, B/W), Pop Color, Retro Photo, Partial Color (Red, Green, Blue, Yellow), Soft High-key, High Contrast Monochrome, Toy Camera (Normal, Cool, Warm, Green, Magenta), Soft Focus, HDR Painting, Rich-tone Monochrome, and Miniature. Each is unique and each gives you a new and exciting way to make your images and videos pop.

Photo Creativity interface

The Photo Creativity interface enables you to easily enjoy the creative expression of SLR-quality digital imaging without the complicated settings. Changes can be easily made using the control dial with results seen in real time on the LCD. Settings include; Background Defocus, Brightness, Color, Vividness and most Picture Effects.

Auto Portrait Framing

Simply photograph a person and Auto Portrait Framing will save an additional, optimally framed image in portrait or landscape orientation. Combining Face Detection and By Pixel Super Resolution technologies with rule of thirds, Auto Portrait Framing provides beautifully composed and appealingly balanced full resolution portraits.

Clear Image Zoom

Utilizing Sony’s exclusive By Pixel Super Resolution Technology, Clear Image Zoom increases the effective focal length of your lens up to 2x by digitally magnifying the center of your image with nearly imperceptible degradation. It virtually doubles the effective focal length of whatever lens you’re using providing greater shooting flexibility.

Convenient USB charging

Easily recharge the camera via USB charging. Simply connect the bundled USB cable and recharge the battery without removing it from the camera, either via AC outlet or PC connection.

Full HD Movies1 at 60p/60i/24p

Capture HD Movies in your choice of super-smooth 60p, standard 60i or cinematic 24p, all at Full HD 1920x1080 resolution.1 AVCHD codec delivers stunning picture quality. MP4 codec offers smaller files for easier upload to the web.

Auto HDR built into camera

High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography captures more scene contrast than a single exposure can handle by combining the best highlight detail from one shot and the best shadow detail from another for one incredible shot. Until recently, you needed a computer and editing software. Sony builds HDR in. Handles severe backlighting and other high-contrast scenes. Captures in a split second. (Recommended for still subjects.)

6-image layering

The camera leverages the large, APS-C image sensor and captures six images in a fraction of a second. The camera then combines the data from the 6 different images up to ISO 25600 to create a single image. This method is used to control blur in Anti-Motion Blur mode or to get cleaner, sharper nighttime pictures in Hand-held Twilight mode.

Sweep Panorama Technology

Capture expansive landscapes automatically. Press the shutter, sweep vertically or horizontally. The camera does the rest, continuously shooting images and stitching them together. Up to 23 MP image size. Up to 202 degrees maximum sweep angle (16mm focal length).

Anti Motion Blur mode

Corrects for subject movement to capture amazingly clean and sharp images in low light. The camera leverages the large, APS-C image sensor and captures six images in a fraction of a second. Combining the data from all six creates a single image that minimizes subject blur.

Intelligent Auto Focus

Pre-focuses as you compose the shot, further reducing focusing time to a bare minimum.

Peaking AF display

The Peaking AF display makes precise manual focusing much easier by highlighting the edges that are in focus in your choice of three colors (white, red, or yellow). This is especially helpful during macro or portrait photography where your focal plane can make or break your shot.


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Do you know your learning style? The focus of the WSCC Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) "SLATED for Success" is to increase student learning and engagement through faculty and student recognition of diverse student learning styles and incorporation of multiple modalities of teaching methods in an effort to engage students more fully in their educational environment, thus increasing student learning. To learn your style, go to the website below and take the test. It is painless and will help you succeed!

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How does knowing your learning style help you make better grades? Call the Student Success Center to make an appointment to discuss strategies on applying your learning style to your classes. The Student Success Center is located in Room 259 of the College Center. The phone number is 423-318-2337.


text:
Blumenthal pushes new bill to support veterans

HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH)– Word of mismanagement at VA hospitals has led to the resignation of that agency’s top official and calls for an overhaul of the system.

Monday, Connecticut’s senior senator is calling for details of the audits done at VA facilities in our state.

“I am writing to the Acting Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs,” said Sen. Richard Blumental, (D) Connecticut.

Blumenthal VA

That letter demands the acting secretary make the results of an audit of  216 veterans medical facilities available to everyone.

“The American public has a right to know what the results were on specific locations – medical facilities and hospitals around the country,” said Blumental.

Because of the growing scandal involving secret waiting lists for medical care for veterans in Phoenix and because of the problems patients and employees at Connecticut VA medical centers recently told the News8 Investigators about, but does this federal audit include any Connecticut facilities?

“We don’t know. There were 216 facilities audited. My hope is Connecticut’s facilities were among them,” said Blumental.

Even if the information about the VA system is made public, there are still plenty of problems with the VA system. Senator Blumenthal is backing legislation that’s about to come out that tried to fix that by giving the Secretary for Veterans Affairs more power, especially when it comes to hiring and firing.

Senator Blumenthal says to turn around the VA, more doctors and staff need to be hired, and administrators need the ability to fire those aren’t cutting it. In the meantime, there are other ways to help vets in need.

“Procedures to allow more veterans to seek private care at private facilities outside the Veterans Administration so as to eliminate some of the delays,” said Blumental.

Blumenthal says he’ll introduce that legislation in the Senate later this week.

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