Re-thinking: Late Sen. Paul Wellstone's Iraq Predictions

WCCO has feature call Reality Check where they analyze political ads, but this time they've gone back to 2002:

[Sen. Paul] Wellstone was one of 23 senators to vote against the War in Iraq.

Three weeks before his death he predicted the invasion would bring more terrorism, civil war and instability. Paul Wellstone, on the floor of the U.S. Senate on Oct. 3, 2002 said, "There have been questions raised about the nature and urgency of Iraq's threat, our response to that threat."

That was then. Now we know Saddam Hussein did not have weapons of mass destruction -- that U.S. intelligence was faulty.

Wellstone also said, "The United States could send tens of thousands of U.S. troops to fight in Iraq, and in so doing we could risk countless lives of U.S. soldiers and innocent Iraqis."

To see the WCCO segment including clips of Sen. Paul Wellstone's speech during the debate leading up to the vote on whether to give President Bush the authorization he wanted regarding Iraq click here.

This issue was so divisive that his vote had the potential of costing him his re-election a month later. Tragically, he died in a plane crash just days before the 2002 November election.

Un-American As Apple Pie

This parody ad makes as much sense as many of the one subject attack ads which are actually broadcast on TV.

Re-thinking: Fences Making Happy Neighbors

AP

Jeff Reed offers outdoor dining on the Rio Grande at his restaurant, Pepe's on the River. But with the U.S. government planning to build 700 miles of fence along the Mexican border, he has to wonder: Will his restaurant soon be "Pepe's on the Fence"?

Downriver in Brownsville, where the jalapeno and lima bean fields run down to the water's edge, farmer Fermin Leal is wondering whether the government intends to cut through his crops, run irrigation pipes under the fence, or buy him out.

"Most of our land goes up to what's supposed to be the border, and yes, we need access to river water," Leal said.

It's easier for those far removed to decide what other people have to live with. It's easier to not see the price other citizens will pay for what many say is only an illusion of security.

Attack of The Unregulated CEOs

This ad attempts to show what the world will look like if the Democrats win more seats in Congress, but as I watched it I thought instead of deregulation, the removal of consumer protections and unethical collection agencies.

Enron before the crash multiplied by every corporation known to man. Then the feasting on the remaining assets of those harmed by corporate corruption.

Re-thinking: Listening To Political Ads

If you've ever wondered why listening to some political ads made you feel a certain way listen to Gary Groomes and Susan Fuller who are voiceover actors discuss their work on Minnesota Public Radio's In The Loop. They also demonstrate their skills in a way that will make you laugh.

Carnival For Book Writers #9

Welcome to the October 24, 2006 edition of carnival for book writers.

craft

In FLASHBACKS posted at Murder She Writes, we get a discussion about how to write a flashback that adds to the story instead of detracting from it.

literary agents

In Author Beware: Do Your Homework posted at Bookends LLC, we get a discussion of the problems that can be created when contacting multiple agents in the same agency at the same time.

In My query response time posted at Lit Soup, we get a discussion of one agent's process of receiving and reading queries.

In Agent Response Time posted at Bookends LLC, we get a discussion about what it means if an agent doesn't respond immediately and not to make any assumptions if you don't get a quick response.

In The Art of Requerying posted at Lit Soup, we get a discussion about what to do when you don't get a response to a query.

In Name Dropping posted at Pub Rants, we get a discussion of how using faked referrals will come back to haunt you.

In Using Referrals and Requests posted at Bookends LLC, we get a discussion about the common mistakes authors make when they have valid referrals or requests.

In Returning Manuscripts posted at Lit Soup, we get a discussion of the issues an agent can have when an author wants a manuscript returned.

In Why a Publishing House Kills a Novel posted at The Rejecter, we get a discussion about why a novel that gets purchased doesn't get the backing it should and how a literary agent can help in this situation.

marketing fiction

In Industry News Monday posted at The Knight Agency Blog, we get a discussion of book trailers, the new trend in marketing novels.

In Branding, and I’m not talking about that funny looking logo on a cow’s ass. posted at Murder She Writes, we get information on how authors can use branding to advance their careers.

In ELIZABETH UNCOVERS COVERS posted at Running With Quills, Elizabeth Lowell talks about her experience of having book covers which promised a different type of book and the impact that mismatch had on sales.

In Everything You wanted to Know About Women's Fiction But Were Afraid to Ask posted at Wylie Merrick Literary Agency, we get information about what makes a novel a work of women's fiction.

marketing non-fiction

In Darn That Tom Peters! posted at Passion, People and Principles, an author talks about what he learned and didn't learn from Tom Peters success.

whatever

In Virtual Book Tour Premiere: Mindy Klasky at the Astraldome posted at Author Chris Dolley's Page, SF author Chris Dolley interviews fantasy author Mindy Klasky about writing, her new book, and Mork.

In Interview with Stephanie Esterline - Teen Author of "This Girl's First Car" posted at Ask Pattywe get information on a teen author who found an unmet need.

In Staying on the Right Side of the Law posted at The Knight Agency Blog, we get a discussion about legal issues which writers need to know about to stay out of hot water.

In Victoria Strauss -- More Reasons Not to Use Automated Query Services posted at Writer Beware, we get information about services that say they will help authors find agents and/or editors.

That concludes this edition.

Submit your blog article to the next edition of carnival for book writers using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags: carnival for book writers blog carnival blogging writing literary agents books publishing

The PR of Military Action And Support

Whether you agree or disagree with the politics of this video, this is how a powerful country can be perceived when its leaders decide to launch a war preemptively or align our country with very dangerous people around the world.

It also highlights what can happen to a country's image when a powerful country focuses exclusively on self-interest.

Call For Nominations For Carnival For Book Writers

The deadline for submissions to the 9th edition is Saturday night at 11 pm.

If you've written or read a post related to the process of writing, publishing or marketing books which you think would be of interest to those who write books, please nominate it.

Posts that give first-hand insight into the process of writing a book and/or getting it published and sold are especially welcome. That includes interviews with industry professionals or information about changes in the industry.

The process is simple. All you have to do is go our carnival submission form and provide the permalink and fill in the rest of the form.

If you want to get a sense of what I'm looking for go to http://carnivalforbookwriters.blogspot.com and read previous editions, but please don't limit yourself to the subtopics and approaches that have been included in the past.

The 9th edition will be posted here on Oct. 24th.

Technorati tags: carnival for book writers blog carnival blogging writing literary agents books publishing

How To Move Tons With The Power of Leverage

If you ever wondered how Stonehenge could have been erected, check out this video.

Evolution of Marketed Beauty

Here's a beauty ad that's very effective at making it's point while being very respectful of women. The difference between the woman's face at the beginning and end represents more than corporate marketing, it reflects a push to look like we have it all together when the reality is much more ordinary.

We need to do more celebrating of the wonder of imperfect beauty and imperfect lives. Without the imperfections we become generic.

Re-thinking: Bush's Trust Me Strategy

Once you watch this Bush ad you may not change your mind about who you support, but it shows how Bush's strategy of answering hard questions with variations of "trust me" comes across to many who feel they are only hearing spin from this administration.

If You've Never Seen The Northern Lights Check This Out

For a very cool and natural light show, check out this aurora borealis. Even though the video is running at faster than real time, it's still gives you a sense of being there.

Objectivity For Sale

Washington Post

Five conservative nonprofit organizations, including one run by prominent Republican Grover Norquist, "appear to have perpetrated a fraud" on taxpayers by selling their clout to lobbyist Jack Abramoff, Senate investigators said in a report issued yesterday.

The report includes previously unreleased e-mails between the now-disgraced lobbyist and officers of the nonprofit groups, showing that Abramoff funneled money from his clients to the groups. In exchange, the groups, among other things, produced ostensibly independent newspaper op-ed columns or news releases that favored the clients' positions.

Unethical actions like this is why organizations which position themselves as politically independent should have to disclose who is giving them money and who they are giving money to. If the information is harder to hide, fewer people will feel the money obtained through wrongdoing is worth the risk of getting caught.

Because those intent on fraud will likely look for other ways to do what they want, the voters ability to overturn those in power has the power to short circuit the power grid needed to maintain corrupt systems.

Likewise any group that positions itself as a citizens group organization should have to disclose who their contributors are and where their contributors are based so a few individuals or corporations cannot mask themselves as something they are not. If the name of the organization does not reflect who actually controls the organization, that should be considered fraud.

Counterfeit Diabetes Supplies

AP

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government warned diabetics Friday to watch for counterfeit versions of test strips commonly used to monitor blood sugar levels. The test strips, for use in glucose monitors made by a Johnson & Johnson company, were distributed nationwide, the Food and Drug Administration said in a public alert.

It was one thing when designer handbags were counterfeited, but it's a much bigger issue when medical supplies are faked.

Re-thinking: Spinach And Cattle

AP

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The same strain of deadly bacteria that sickened dozens of people nationwide has been found at a cattle ranch in California's Salinas Valley within a mile of spinach fields, investigators said Thursday.

Investigators still can't be sure if the E. coli found in cow manure contaminated the fields, but said the find warrants further investigation.

This is good news because it gets many of us spinach lovers closer to being able to eat raw spinach again. I want my veggies and I want no side effects from eating those leafy greans.

Re-thinking: What's In A Name

NY Times

The leader of Americans for Honesty on Issues is Sue Walden, a close ally of Tom DeLay, the former House majority leader who left Congress amid questions on ethics and fund-raising. Ms. Walden has also raised money for President Bush and served as an adviser to Kenneth L. Lay, the former chief executive of Enron who died in July.

Yes, that's right the leader of Americans for Honesty on Issues advised someone who helped to wipe out thousands of people's life savings and who if he lived with would be in prison or heading there.

How about some honesty in the names of organizations attempting to influence voters? Wouldn't it be great to see an organization honest enough to call itself, "Rich People for the Exploitation of Voters Dumb Enough To Believe Our Slick Ads?"

Wouldn't it be even better for these groups to highlight the type of legislation they oppose and exactly why the oppose that legislation?

Candidate A voted to allow people we ripped off to sue us in state court. Possession is nine tenths of the law and we want to eliminate that last tenth.

Candidate B voted to help starving people. We believe in personal responsibility, not free rides-- except to the morgue. (Our streets must be kept clean.)

Carnival For Book Writers #8

Welcome to the Oct. 10, 2006 edition of the carnival for book writers.

editors

In Jayne Interviews a Real Live Editor About Paranormal Romance posted at Running With Quillswe get an interview with Cindy Hwang, Executive Editor at Berkley Publishing Group.

In whatever you do, don't lie to me posted at Et in Arcaedia, we get a discussion of the biggest way authors can undermine their chances for success.

literary agents

In I REALLY HATED WRITING QUERY LETTERS: posted at Storytellers Unplugged, we get a discussion on the importance of having and using connections when seeking an agent.

In BookEnds, LLC — A Literary Agency: Submissions and Rejections posted at Bookends LLC, we get a discussion about whether past rejections from an agent means that agent shouldn't be sent queries on subsequent manuscripts.

In Victoria Strauss -- Hill & Hill Literary Agency: A Scam Tale in Four Parts (Part 1), Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 posted at Writer Beware, we get details of one agency's practices.

In BookEnds, LLC — A Literary Agency: Requested Full posted at Bookends LLC, we get a discussion of what happens to a requested full between the time it arrives and the agent responds to the author.

In We Have A Contract Boilerplate? posted at Pub Rants, we get a discussion of agent boilerplate contracts that are used in place of the publishing house's boilerplate contract.

In BookEnds, LLC — A Literary Agency: Busy Agents and Their Obligations posted at Bookends LLC, we get a look at what agents are doing while we wait for them respond to our queries.

In Let's Try This One More Time... posted at Wylie Merrick Literary Agency, we get a discussion of the importance of reading an agent's website completely and understanding whether what you've written fits what they represent.

In Victoria Strauss -- MM Rides Again posted at Writer Beware, we get information on someone with a history of questionable practices.

marketing fiction

In Don't judge a book by its cover, nor by its blurb,... posted at Anonymous_x, we learn about an anthology of excerpts of 50,000-word novellas written by the 19 Singapore-based winners of the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) 2006 and see what cover and blurb were chosen for the anthology.

whatever

In Will You Blurb? posted at Pub Rants, we get a discussion of how to respond to requests for blurbs.

In Karma’s A Bitch…Well, it’s official. My former ... posted at Prosecutor Post-Script, we get a discussion of the ethics of using the real names of people characterized negatively in non-fiction.

In What I have learned since I sold. posted at Murder She Writes, we get insight into the experience of a newly published author.

In Blogs Around Town posted at Pub Rants, we get a list of blogs for book writers to explore.

That concludes this edition.

Submit your blog article to the next edition of carnival for book writers using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags: carnival for book writers blog carnival blogging writing literary agents books publishing

Re-thinking: Fingernails On A Chalkboard

CNN

BOSTON, Massachusetts (AP) -- The sound sets teeth on edge, makes skin crawl and sends a shiver down the spine. Just thinking about it gives some people the heebie-jeebies. But what is it about the sound of fingernails scratching a blackboard that elicits such a universal reaction?
Randolph Blake and two colleagues think they know -- the sound's frequency level. Their research has earned them an Ig Nobel, the annual award given at Harvard University by Annals of Improbable Research magazine for weird, wacky and sometimes worthless scientific research.

This sort of research may make us laugh, but it's often the offbeat research which links into advances that nobody would see as a joke. Also the process of examining the offbeat can teach us about the assumptions we make about the world around us.

Nominations Wanted for Carnival For Book Writers

The deadline for submissions to the 8th edition is Friday night at 11 pm.

If you've written or read a post related to the process of writing, publishing or marketing books which you think would be of interest to those who write books, please nominate it.

Posts that give first-hand insight into the process of writing a book and/or getting it published and sold are especially welcome. That includes interviews with industry professionals or information about changes in the industry.

The process is simple. All you have to do is go our carnival submission form and provide the permalink and fill in the rest of the form.

If you want to get a sense of what I'm looking for go to http://carnivalforbookwriters.blogspot.com and read previous editions, but please don't limit yourself to the subtopics and approaches that have been included in the past.

The 8th edition will be posted here on Oct. 9th.

Technorati tags: carnival for book writers blog carnival blogging writing literary agents books publishing

Re-thinking: Christian Charity

Washington Post

PHOENIX -- In 1999, Richard Kimsey and his wife, Susan, deposited $100,000 with a Phoenix-based Southern Baptist agency that promised to do the Lord's work. A few days later, the Kimseys' money had all but vanished. And when Richard Kimsey, a Southern Baptist pastor, spoke out against the foundation that had defrauded him, he received death threats, the words "white trash" were painted on his house, and half his congregation abandoned him.

"Money is not the issue," Susan Kimsey said. "This has been a black mark on Christianity as a whole."

So often in religion, be it Christian churchs or other groups, there's a backlash against questioning those associated with that religion. I now see this backlash as a red flag.

The moment someone tries to say questioning them equals questioning God, I assume they are hiding something very unGodly. It might be siphoning funds for personal gains or abusing power. Or it may be narcissism to the point that the person assumes they are God's perfect vessel and those who ask questions about money, policy or behavior are minions of the Enemy.

My suspicions may not be right, but those unanswered questions push not only me but many people away from the theology those secretists are promoting. The link has been made between religion and man, but religion gets lowered to man's level rather than the other way around.

So those who hide wrongdoing behind religion are harming not only the people who have been wronged, they are harming the very core of their religion.