Gasp!

Video of a Dog Licking a Cat

I don't think I've ever uploaded a video of our beagle licking our cat. Molly and Angela have a periodic love affair. It's mutual.

Win a free health book

Amber Smith from The Syracuse Post-Standard is holding a drawing to give a way a handful of health books. All you have to do is drop her an email. Further instructions are on her blog. Deadline is noon on May 20th, Eastern time I presume.

Ireland Deserves Sun but please wear sunscreen!

Here's a clever marketing campaign. Sandex Exterior Paint is developed a site called "Ireland Deserves Sun."

Evidently, Ireland has had two rainy summers in a row and people are tired of it. On Facebook, Ireland Deserves Sun has 2100 fans from all over the world.

Their blog is good. The man who runs it claims to be in management at Sandex. He's concerned that a bad summer will ruin business. He writes:
"Only an eejit would think about painting their exterior walls when it’s lashing. And we’re not allowed to target our advertising at eejits. No, the only thing that’ll save Sandex's bacon this year is a Summer packed with sun. Sandtex needs a good Summer. Feck it, this whole country deserves a good Summer."

Other musings include items like this:
"When I was a kid, I wasn’t allowed crayons cos I kept on eating them. Just as well then that we live in a country that suits a limited colour palette."

Although I am concerned that if Ireland got too much sun, its pale citizens will end up with massive sunburns, I still say, visit the site.

The Effect of Proposed Budget Cuts on the New York Public Library

A New York City librarian writes a sobering letter to Maud Newton's readers on the state of libraries in the city. I'm certain it's not the only city facing these kinds of cuts.

The letter includes links on how to support NYC libraries.

Brooklyn Vanguard
Save the Queens Library
Support Our Shelves (Brooklyn)
Support the NYPL

If you have a first-hand account of a library in trouble in your town, let me know. Email me at magentagreen2000 (at) yahoo.com or leave a comment.

Win a set of The Bloomsbury Group from Bloomsbury Publishing

Bloomsbury Publishing is offering readers a chance to win The Bloomsbury Group, which the publisher calls "a lost series of novels from the early 20th Century. To enter, all you need to do is complete a short survey. The catch? You also have to provide them with your email.

But hey, they need to contact you to give you the good news that you've won, right?

A Faster Book: Chesley B. Sullenberger III and the Miracle on the Hudson

An article in today's  New York Times describes the quick process for publishing a book about Capt. Chesley B. Sullenberger III's landing of US Airways Flight 1549. Farrar, Straus & Giroux expect a November release “Fly by Wire: The Truth About the Miracle on the Hudson,”  by William Langewiesche.

A quote from editor, Jonathan Galassi: “In the old days, it would be ideally a year from delivery of the manuscript to publication, but now I’m hoping we can do books in four months,” he said. 'Because today readers’ interest is intense and immediate — and sometimes it dissipates.'”

Good. A faster process will make books more relevant. Decades ago, (and I'm talking maybe 40 years), books were an intregal part of public discussion. These days, quickie books are usually a rehash of news reports. If these books/ebooks present something new, then this is an exciting development. Let's hope that the words 'quick' and 'quality' go hand-in-hand.

Have You Seen Brittanee Marie Drexel?

Brittanee Marie Drexel was last seen on April 25, 2009 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She was staying at the Bar Harbor Hotel at 1010 North Ocean Boulevard in the downtown area. She's about 5' tall, 103 pounds.

If you believe you've seen her, please contact the Myrtle Beach Police Department at 1-843-918-1300. More information about Brittanee can be found here.

Twitter Map of Swine (H1N1) Flu - Monitor Tweets

You can monitor what people are saying about the Swine Flu (H1N1 Flu) on Twitter by using this map. Be sure to look at it through Firefox or Safari or else it won't work. It was created by Alessio Signorini, PhD Candidate at the University of Iowa. Some tweets are informative, while others are pretty funny.

FEMA's story and coloring books for kids

USA Today reports that FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, pulled one of their coloring books for kids, "A Scary Thing Happened" from their website because it might traumatize kids. Specifically, the illustrations about 9/11 could upset children.

From USA Today:
"The cover, a child-like drawing, features the Twin Towers, with one tower already on fire and a plane approaching the other. A similar image is inside the book for children to color."

The Freeborn County Crisis Response Team told USA Today that the book provided a means to help children and adults communicate about disasters.

Not having seen FEMA's books for myself, I can't judge them. I would hope, however, that their  books concentrate on being prepared for disasters rather than focusing on fear.

You can download a book about twins who undergo a series of natural disasters, "Julia and Robbie:The Disaster Twins" off their site for free.

'Tribal Alphabet' has won the Stuart Brent Award for Outstanding Children's Literature

Nan Richardson's "Tribal Alphabet" has won "The Stuart Brent Award for Outstanding Children's Literature."

The Stuart Brent Children's Book Club gives this award to authors who "promote positive youth cross-cultural relationships through his or her writings."

The award comes with $1,000 prize money which is to be donated to a multi-cultural nonprofit of the writer's choice. Richardson chose to give the money to Cultural Survival.

For those who don't know, Stuart Brent ran a well-known independent Chicago bookstore for over 50 years. He wrote the book, "Seven Stairs," which was recommended to me by one of Gasp's readers. It's a fabulous account of the literary world circa the 50s and 60s, when he met such luminaries as Saul Bellow and Gore Vidal. I highly recommend it.  

Swine Flu 'probable' in Alabama

Update your maps. There are two 'probable' cases of swine flu in Madison, Alabama. 

J.R.R. Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings' to be digitized

Publishers are having a hard time getting literary estates to grant permission for digitalization of works, but the Associated Press reports that it might be getting easier. The Tolkien Estate finally gave the go-ahead for an e-book version of the 'Lord of the Rings.' trilogy. However, Tennessee Williams' estate refuses to grant an electronic licensing of his work.

Book Review: The King Rat and His Court by William Arthur Bruno

The King Rat and His Court: Lesson in Corporate Greed by William Arthur Bruno. Illustrated by Eduardo del Rio.

Booksurge Publishing. 252 pages. $15.00. Released March 19, 2009.

 

"Having observed management consultants for over three decades, what became apparent to me was the similarity of their playbooks. Indeed, I observed that their methods were borrowed from those used by corrupt regimes on prisoners, and even on their own people," writes William Arthur Bruno in his new book, "The King Rat and His Court: Lessons in Corporate Greed."

 

Through comparing the behavior of unethical business leaders to rats, Bruno describes troubled corporations. Once these rat nests are identified, readers can take steps to expose or avoid the beasts.

 

Bruno describes each pivotal position in an organization - from CEO to Human Resource Officers and Management Consultants. Each "rat" is a spoke in the wheel of a dysfunctional system. Through working together, corrupt management teams keep the King Rat - the CEO - in power. The King Rat takes as much as he can from the company and its employees before leaving. Whether he leaves willingly or is fired, the system is set up so that he will be well compensated for his non-performance.

 

This description might sound familiar, but Bruno also details the conduct of rat-like CEOs. "Employees outside of the Inner Court rarely see the King unless the event is highly programmed in advance by a member of the Court... Members of his Court have grand offices that surround the King, rather than being located in the departments they oversee."

 

To determine the degree of rat infestation in their place of employment, readers are invited to take the "Degree of Rat Infestation and Deviance" test in the Appendix. It consists of 50 questions about the behavior of senior management.

 

Many readers will feel startled when they recognize their place of employment in this book. People who have either been scapegoated or suffered because of these rats will feel relieved when they realize that they didn't cause the problems in the workplace. As Bruno writes, "If you thought that you would be promoted on merit, forget about it. You are needed to do the work. When your worth has been extracted, you will become expendable. In other words, your cheese will be moved." Rats usually get rid of good employees to make room for cronies.

 

Through interspersing facts about rat behavior throughout the book, Bruno makes the rodent comparison less of a gimmick. In fact, readers may be left wondering if there isn't something primal about unethical business behavior. Is it animal instinct that has made corporate leaders into rodents, or is there another sociological cause?

 

Before these questions are answers, the problem must be diagnosed. 'The King Rat' is an effective guidebook for employees who find themselves surrounded by rat-faced leaders.

Swine Flu 'fairly likely' in South Carolina & natural antivirals

The State reports that Swine Flu has most likely made it to South Carolina. Update your maps accordingly.

Also, if you would like to know about natural antivirals, The Health Gazette published an article in 2006 that you might want to consider.

Map of Swine Flu Pandemic

Completely off-topic, but if you are looking for a visual of where Swine Flu is breaking out, look no further than this Google Map.

I didn't create it, but it seems to be fairly up-to-date. This swine flu thing looks like it's worth keeping an eye on.

Pictures of the North Myrtle Beach Fire in South Carolina

I'm with my Mother this week in Myrtle Beach. We're on the other side of town, but it was hard to avoid the plumes of smoke coming from North Myrtle Beach. I took some pictures, but stayed far away from the area that's burning.

Last thing I heard, it will take several days to put the fire out. 

From the Myrtle Beach Mall near Barefoot Landing.

Again, near the Myrtle Beach Mall.

A view from Bypass 17.

Once more at the Myrtle Beach Mall.

More with Comic Writer Len Kody and Chicago: 1968

In Part Two, Len Kody discusses his work is Chicago: 1968, a weekly webcomic featured at Image/Shadowline. Jenny Frison andKurt Hathaway are also working with him on the project.

In Part One of my interview, Len talks about the art of comics, collaboration and Chicago: 1968. In Part Two, Len gave background on Chicago: 1968.

How did you Father react to your Grandfather's experiences?
That's a tough call.  My dad is more conservative than me.  But then, almost everyone to the right of Dennis Kucinich is more conservative than me.  He voted for Bush twice, then voted for Obama in '08.  And I'm certain he's got a few Clinton and Reagan votes in his closet, too.

My dad was no hippie.  Being the son of Chicago cop, he couldn't grow his hair any longer than a crew cut during his teenage years in the mid to late 60's, when long beards and flowing manes of seldom washed hair were all the rage in the counterculture.   Today, he has a mustache, if that just doesn't say it all.  But in '68 I hear he drove a yellow VW Beetle for a while, with a McCarthy flower stuck on the back.  Groovy.  Sounds like something I would have done.
 

Comic writer Len Kody on his latest project, 'Chicago: 1968'

In Part Two, Len Kody discusses his work is Chicago: 1968, a weekly webcomic featured at Image/Shadowline. Jenny Frison andKurt Hathaway are also working with him on the project.

In Part One of my interview, Len talks about the art of comics, collaboration and Chicago: 1968

Your Grandfather's experience at the '68 convention puts you in a unique position. How did that influence your decision to write this project? Did your Grandfather ever talk to you about his memories and feelings about the riots? 
My Grandfather was a storyteller.  That's for sure.  So my first exposure to the '68 convention was through his stories. 

My Grandfather's views on the entire peace movement of the 60's was tainted by his encounters with the protesters in '68.  Part of the Yippie code was to "freak out the squares" and to "shock the bourgeoisie."  Shock them they did.  My Grandfather, a man of simple, down-to-earth Midwestern values and a member of what Tom Brokaw called "the Greatest Generation," who were reared during the Great Depression and came of age in the thick of World War II, was deeply offended by the peace movement.

He passed in 2004.  Our last spirited discussions were about the Iraq War, which was just beginning in those days.  And that's when I first started typing the early drafts of what would eventually become "Chicago:1968."  At first I tried telling the story solely from the policemen's point-of-view.  But it slowly grew as I found it necessary to incorporate other perspectives into the narrative.   
 

Brooklyn Screenwriters/Directors: JT3 Artist Award Opportunity

A good friend has asked me to forward this announcement to you. If you live in Brooklyn, it sounds like a fabulous opportunity. Be sure to check it out their site for more information.

The Board of The Jesse Thompkins III Foundation for Young People in the Arts (JT3 Art) is pleased to announce they are now taking applications for the first JT3 Artist Awards to be given out this fall to aspiring screenwriter/directors. JT3 Art is seeking aspiring screenwriter/directors who demonstrate talent, passion, work ethic, and a deep-seated need to make art, but have room to grow and need this grant to help make that growth possible.  Applicants must be residents of Brooklyn, NY.  At least one $2,000 JT3 Artist Award, and one or more grants under $2,000 will be awarded.  The deadline for applications is June 22, 2009.  More information on the awards program can be found at www.jt3art.org.

The Foundation's History:
Jesse and Judith Thompkins launched The Jesse Thompkins III Foundation for Young People in the Arts (JT3 Art) in memory of their son, an aspiring screenwriter and film director, who died on August 3, 2008 in a traffic-related accident in Brooklyn, NY.  JT3 Art will invest in the development of emerging artists who best embody our namesake's tenacity in the pursuit of their artistic passion.

Art has the ability to revitalize and enrich world culture, yet emerging artists are often compelled to choose between advancing their artistic endeavors or supporting their basic needs.  Too many talented individuals have to give up on their dream before they have a chance to take flight.  We want to help change that.  Our goal is to assist these individuals so they can devote more attention to developing their artistic gifts.

Comic Writer Len Kody on collaboration, comics and 'Chicago: 1968'

Comic writer Len Kody creates content for movies, comic books, video games and other media. He created the Cisco Kid: Gunfire & Brimstone miniseries, published by Moonstone Books and Cisco Kid vs. Wyatt Earp.

His latest work is Chicago: 1968, a weekly webcomic featured at Image/Shadowline. Jenny Frison and Kurt Hathaway are also working with him on the project.

In part tne of my interview, Len talks about the art of comics, collaboration and Chicago: 1968.

What attracted you to comics? How did you decide that this is what you wanted to do with your life?
That's a really hard question to answer.  It's like trying to explain why I'm straight.

I believe that comics are linked to humankind's earliest forms of writing - cave paintings and hieroglyphics - in which visual symbols represented ideas.  The roman alphabet that most of the western world uses today represents sounds, which represent words, which represent ideas, so there's a greater distance between signifier and signified than there were in those ancient pictograms; we've sacrificed a purer, more visceral mode of written communication for the ease and precision of the standardized alphabet.

So, I think that everyone has an intrinsic attraction to comics, or to visual communication at the very least.  Certainly our culture has become more visual as the Internet has brought the means of producing and transmitting images to the masses.  Even before the age of the personal computer, the 1960's saw the proliferation of color television, which correlated with a change in the consciousness of those who grew up during that time - the "Baby Boomer" generation.  I don't suppose it's any coincidence that it was also during the 1960's when famous comics writer Stan Lee joined artists Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko to create the Marvel Universe of characters that spawned the summer blockbusters that've dominated the box office this entire decade.  At the same time, the 60's were the golden age of the underground comix movement when iconoclast cartoonists like R.Crumb and Spain Rodriguez were busily and brilliantly subverting every shred of American culture they could get their hands on.

Of course, I wasn't aware of any of this in the late summer of 1989.  I was 8 years-old and my mom had just bought me a copy of Marvel Tales #227 from the spinner rack at the local 7-Eleven - "When Iceman Attacks!"  As soon as my eyes hit those multi-colored, paneled pages, I decided, at that moment, that I wanted to be Spider-Man. 

A little later I set more realistic goals and decided that I wanted to spend my life making comics.       
 
  It is widely assumed that people who create comics are also artists. I see that you work alongside artists when creating different projects. What is that process like?
Writer-artist teams are actually pretty common in comics.  And almost all comics - regardless of whether they are created by a solo cartoonist, or by a small staff of editors, writers, pencilers, inkers, colorists and letterers - begin as a script.  As a comics writer, it's my job to write the comics script.

Comics scripts read a lot like hyper-detailed screenplays.  They are written in the present tense and they describe in very visual language everything an artist would need to know in order to draw the comic correctly, including descriptions of characters, settings, camera angles and action.  The action in comics is divided into pages, and those pages are further subdivided into panels.  So a comics script is basically a panel-by-panel description of the entire comic book. 

And the dialogue, too.  I also write the dialogue.

There's a certain magic to collaborating with an artist.  The first couple scripts are pretty verbose.  But once there's a trust and a unity of vision achieved, the cues are understood, and we start playing jazz and riffing off each other.  Collaboration is an alchemy where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.  I'm very pleased with the rhythm my "Chicago:1968" artist - Jenny Frison - and I have fallen into.  
 

  How do you select the artists you work with?
I've done work-for-hire gigs where the publisher plays matchmaker between the writer and artist.  Otherwise, creative teams are put together like garage bands.  You post some ads, you mingle in the community, then two or more people agree to some terms, pool their skills, and start rockin' out.

Jenny Frison originally responded to an ad I posted looking for a colorist.  But I really liked the pencil and ink line work she has up on her website.  So I asked her if she wanted to work on this "Chicago:1968" webcomic with me.  I'm glad she agreed.  
 
  Tell us about your "Chicago 1968" webcomic.
"Chicago:1968" is a weekly webcomic that dramatically presents the historical events of 1968 in Chicago.  It's a web-based "docu-graphic novel," to borrow a description from your own "Project 1968," Laura.  It's a tragedy in the classic sense. 

It begins in January, '68, with the birth of Yippie! and the Tet Offensive.  Jenny and I are currently approaching the halfway point, with the assassination of Martin Luther King in April, and Bobby Kennedy in June.  Things culminate at the Democratic National Convention and the theater/violence in the streets of Chicago.

The plot follows four different sets of characters, most of whom are real people, each with a unique perspective and experience in Chicago in 1968.  What I think I do differently than most who've approached the topic before is that I do my best to fairly represent all the sides of this political drama.  In addition to following the exploits of Abbie Hoffman and his Yippies, or the earnest, young intellectuals of the Students for a Democratic Society and the Mobilization to End the War in Vietnam, I also try to reach beyond the heretofore cardboard cutouts that've passed as characterization for the blue collar, working class Chicago Police, and Chicago's most iconic mayor, Hizzoner Richard J. Daley.

The tension that exists at the heart of the story is the tension that exists within my own soul.  I grew up in ethnic enclaves and savory neighborhoods of Chicago's bungalow belt.  And my grandfather and namesake, Capt. Leonard Kody of the Chicago Police, was actually on duty during the '68 DNC, standing in front of the Conrad Hilton Hotel when the shit hit the fan on national TV.  My own politics, however, lean pretty far left.  I opposed the invasion of Iraq just as much as I would have likely opposed the Vietnam War 40+ years ago.  With the additional benefit of being a generation or two removed from the bitter divisions of that time (I was born near the end of 1980), I think I'm in a unique position to judge the virtues and the vices of both the protesters and the police. 

My aim is not to lionize the New Left, who, while on the side of righteousness, only succeeded in alienating constituencies, rather than building them, which may or may not have been directly responsible for electing Richard Nixon.  And, let's face it, a lot of them came to Chicago looking for a fight.  Nor is it my aim to apologize for Daley and his police.  History has judged them correctly; the violence of Convention Week has been described as a "police riot," and that just about sums it up.  But I think most rational people of any political stripe would agree with my contention that the Chicago Police are decent, hard working, family men who only wanted what's best for their city and their country.  They are the working class with nothing to gain and everything to lose from an ill-conceived Southeast Asian campaign against communism.  And most of them were New Deal Democrats who, up until 1968, voted for the Donkey in every election of their lives.  So I think it's worthwhile exploring their often overlooked narrative, as well.

Because "Chicago:1968" is not propaganda.  It's a quest for truth.  And the truth, as they say, lies somewhere in between.  

Tomorrow: Part Two of my interview with Len Kody

Book Review: The Narcissism Epidemic by Jean M. Twenge and W. Keith Campbell

The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement by Jean M. Twenge, PhD. and W. Keith Campbell, PhD.
Free Press, 352 pages, $26.00. Scheduled to be released April 21, 2009.

"Every culture is shaped by its fundamental core beliefs, and in America today, there are few values more fiercely held than the importance of self-admiration," write Jean M. Twenge and W. Keith Campbell in their new book, "The Narcissism Epidemic." The authors provide a solid case that American culture is driven not only by greed, but primarily by love of self.

Television celebrates the bratty reality TV star. Plastic surgery has descended from the upper class to the average teenager, who wants to look like Hollywood stars. Pop singers brag about their awesomeness in songs. Telling people how hot you are is a cottage industry - just ask Paris Hilton.

Narcissism allows Americans  a sense of entitlement. In school, a 4.0 average isn't the same as in years past. Grade inflation now ensures that many students will not have their self-esteem damaged by their laziness. Helicopter parents ensure that their children will not suffer the effects of their irresponsibility. True accomplishment is devalued.

Narcissism also gives us a culture of meanness. "Even apart from the search for fame, narcissism is a significant risk factor for aggression and violent behavior ... However, narcissists are aggressive exactly because they love themselves so much and believe that their needs take precedence." The authors believe that the rise in school shootings is directly linked to the upswing in cultural and individual narcissism. If children rule over their parents in the home they must also have all of their demands met in other facets of society.

On the Internet, tirades against those who dare to disagree  are commonplace. "There is a stubborn insistence that 'my opinion matters,' yet, at the same time, the stubborn insistence that other people's opinions are wrong or irrelevant."  Anonymity allows narcissists to say what is truly on their minds, and what most readers will find is this: They believe you suck.

Americans have been under the mistaken belief that bullying is caused by people with low self-esteem. The authors provide ample evidence to the contrary; bullying is caused by people who honestly believe they are entitled and you are not. Narcissists already believe they are special, they don't need to be told. They deserve to have their "self-expressions" treasured because they wrote/composed/acted it.

Self-esteem has become the cure-all for everything that ails humanity. But not everyone suffers from low self-esteem. Telling children that they are special over and over again reinforces how different they are. The authors believe that differences are what drive people away from each other. Emphasizing similarities fosters empathy and compassion.

This is an important book, one that will change the way your perceive your country and your culture. One has to admire the authors, who are certain to face a terrible backlash from a culture that refuses to engage in introspection. People who haven't accomplished anything special don't deserve applause, but Twenge and Campbell deserve an ovation for giving Americans a wake-up call.

A free book from Joe Blumenstein

Joe Blumenstein's book, "Get Off Your A** and Do Something: The Baby Boomers Guide to Getting Fit an Staying Young" can now be downloaded off his site for free. I haven't read it, but maybe you'd like to check it out. According to the release, its an 86-page book that helps Boomers find ways to exercise without the use of fancy exercise equipment or gym memberships.

Judith Krug, founder of Banned Books Week, is dead

This Chicago Tribune reports the sad news that their reporter, Judith F. Krug, has died today. Before she worked at the Tribune, Krug founded Banned Books Week in 1982.

 

Read more about how she found to keep your local library free from censorship.

'Blood Water' by Joe Musso to receive a reading in NYC

Birmingham playwright Joe Musso asked me to announce his reading at the Epiphany Theater Company. So, if you are in the neighborhood, find a way to drop by. Here's the full announcement:

White Horse Theater Company's New Play Development Series will present a Second Staged Reading of BLOOD WATER, a new play by Joe Musso directed by Cyndy A. Marion

Featuring: Rod Sweitzer*, Andrea Maulella*, Roberto Larancuent, Cara Francis*, Alex Bilu, Dan Burkharth, and Heather Massie*
(* Members of Actors' Equity Association)

Saturday, May 16, 2009 at 7:30pm
The Epiphany Theater Company
154 Christopher Street, Suite 2B
New York, New York

FREE ADMISSION (very limited seating)
Please email: cymarion@whitehorsetheater.com for reservations
or call 212-592-3706

There will be a moderated discussion immediately following the reading.

This program has been made possible in part through the sponsorship of The Field and with funding provided by WHTC sponsors

The full script of BLOOD WATER is available for reading at
http://www.joemusso.com/images/4-8_BW_WEB.pdf

Amazon reclassifies gay & lesbian books

In case you haven't heard, a controversy broke out during the weekend over Amazon's reclassification of gay & lesbian books as "adult content" on their site. Since the issue took a life of its own at lightning speed, I'll recap what's happened thus far:

Books deemed "adult content" have no sales ranking which makes them ineligible for best-seller status. This means that an "adult" title might sell more than a "non-adult" title, but the public will never know. As well, the publisher and author of an "adult" book lose a valuable marketing opportunity. "Adult" titles can also be screened out of Amazon book search results.

The Advocate lists a number of books that have now earned the "adult" label, including "'Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin, 'Rubyfruit Jungle' by Rita Mae Brown and 'Stone Butch Blues' by Leslie Feinberg." Of course, books such as "American Psycho" have not been reclassified, despite their violent content. Others note that gay & lesbian-friendly books have been declassified - whether they were non-fiction or were only peripherally related to the subject in question - but books that protested gay & lesbianism remain ranked.

For example, author Minal Hajratwala notes that her book, "Leaving India" had several classifications, including gay & lesbian. That didn't stop Amazon from reclassifying her book "adult content" and stripping it of sales rankings.

Early Monday morning, Amazon released a statement to the press saying that "a glitch" caused the reclassification. They are currently working on the problem.

Really. A recent glitch?

Author/photographer Craig Seymour recounts his experiences with this issue, which he says has been going on since February. Read it.

Mitch Wagner from Information Week says "Clearly, there's something terribly wrong at Amazon, and gay-themed books are being unfairly given the "adult" label, where raunchier and more pernicious heterosexual books are spared. But it's premature to blame Amazon or boycott them. Let's hear what Amazon has to say before getting out the flaming torches and pitchforks."

We've already heard what Amazon has to say. It's a "glitch" which hardly excuses or explains anything. Amazon owes the public a more detailed explanation, other than the word "glitch." If people hadn't protested this issue, would it have ever been fixed? Doubtful.

This is not the first time people have accused Amazon of political bias. In 2006, the Independent ran an article which details accusations that Amazon was pro-life. The New York Times also picked up the story.

The reclassification of gay and lesbian books should concern all of us. It is censorship, plain and simple. If certain books aren't allowed to show up in search results, then people will be unable to buy them.

Clearly Amazon has more explaining to do.

More on books about baseball

I've received a fair number of responses to my question, "What's the big deal about baseball?" Some people told me that they loved baseball but hated baseball books. I also heard from people who agreed with me. Others said that they felt neutral about baseball, but hated other sports, such as basketball, ice hockey and skating. And a few hated me for posing the question.

The best response was from Dana A. Brand. He sent in three short essays from his book, "Mets Fan." With passion and humor, Mr. Brand explains the big deal about baseball.

An excerpt: "It is as if you are riding along on a wave, feeling the unknown future becoming the vivid present and then taking permanent form as the past.  In this way, watching baseball is like watching a movie or a play or reading a book.  What is different is that those who are creating what you watch do not know what is coming any more than you do.  The future is genuinely unknown and unknowable.  There isn't even the thuggish certainty that a much stronger team will defeat a much weaker team."

Wow, maybe those of us who thought we hated baseball should check it out again.

The reason I asked to begin with is that I'm open to having my mind changed about it. Mr. Brand's response has given me a glimpse of why people love baseball. It makes me want to read more, and I will. I just bought his book. 

Read a bit of what I read on his site.

Links to book sites

Danielle Dreger-Babbitt from the Seattle Books Examiner draws our attention to iLibrarian's 10 Websites for Book Lovers. Scroll through the list. The screencaps are very cool.

Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards

Writer's Digest is now accepting entries for their 17th Annual Writer's Digest International Self-Published Book Awards.

 

Anyone who has self-published a book between 2004 and 2009 is eligible. Revised and reprinted books published within this time period will also be accepted.

 

As usual, Writer's Digest offers a slew of different awards for this competition. You can register your entry online.

 

Deadline is May 1, 2009.

The disappearing library due date stamp

Washington Post's Metro Columnist John Kelly wrote a column protesting the end of the date-due stamp at his local library.

It's a funny article, but I had to keep double-checking the date on it. 2009, right? Because I honestly thought that the library date stamp had been retired a long time ago.

But evidently not... At least not in Montgomery County, Maryland. Again, I had to check the map. Montgomery County is in Maryland, right? It's not in a weird place, like Mississippi?

Upon further investigation, I discovered that the due date stamp was alive in well in all the wrong places. Only recently has the Milwaukee Public Library stopped using it.

The University of Washington ceased stamping in 2007.

The Bucks County library quit using date stamps a year ago, much to everyone's dismay.

A call to the Birmingham Public Library revealed that they stopped using it "seven or eight years ago," according to one librarian I spoke with.

I'm not sure what to make of all this, except that I'm pleased that for once, Alabama is not on the bottom of a list.

The New York Daily News book contest

The New York Daily News is running a book contest. The winner will receive a free copy of "Faith and Fear in Flushing: An Intense Personal History of the New York Mets." All you have to do is email them the correct answers to five questions.

And now here's my question: What's the big deal about baseball? Email me at magentagreen2000 (at) yahoo.com with an answer and you'll win my undying gratitude.

David Carnoy chooses self-publishing over a more traditional route

Author David Carnoy, executive editor at CNET.com, explains why he chose self-publishing over traditional publishing. And yes, when it came to his first novel, he had a choice. His literary agent explains: "If it's an excellent book, it's bound to find a readership, whether it's self-published or backed by a very large firm," says Silbersack. "In fact, there are numerous instances of traditional publishers looking to mine successfully published self-published books." I was part of a self-publishing list six years ago, and I remember reading how traditional publishers would make offers to successful self-publishers. It usually left the author with mixed feelings, especially if they started their own publishing company to get their book out there. If they allowed a traditional publisher to take over, would it be selling out? These days, with the economy in a tangle, self-publishing seems like a reasonable option. After all, the important thing is to get your book into the hands of readers. Does it really matter if you have corporate approval?

Better to be a lonely book nerd

A woman is hurt because she's been left out of the neighborhood book club, but then, she wouldn't have joined anyway. So how best to handle it? Ask them about it and if they end up inviting you, turn them down: "One way for you to feel better would also involve trapping the other members in a social Venus' flytrap. You would have to say, "I'm disappointed you haven't asked me to join your book club." The neighbor would then be forced to either explain their reasoning or ask you to join—or perhaps both. Then, you would decline." This is why I've never considered joining a book club. It's just way too complicated.

Violence at libraries

The New York Times discovers what we library nerds have always known: Crazy people lurk among book stacks.

As journalists Susan Saulny and Karen Ann Cullottais show us, the twist now is how the depressed and insane are taking their toll on librarians. People who are trained to manage information don't know how to counsel people on how to manage their emotional life. That's not their fault. Librarians aren't ministers or psychologists.

The scary part is the violence described in the article. "Though homelessness is not new to Arlington Heights, security at the library has been tightened since the stabbing. (The man was charged with attempted murder, and the victim survived.) Although such violence is unusual, a library patron, Judi Crawford, said the scene around the building still made her uncomfortable."

Homeless and/or scary people at the library is nothing new. I've had a number of icky incidences in a variety of libraries across America. These are, after all, public places. I've held my nose while passing strange and smelly men in the midtown branch of the New York Public Library. I've eyed several men nervously while they leered back at me at the Birmingham Public Library. I've never seen violence in any library I've visited, thank goodness.

I doubt this upswing in stressed out people is particular to libraries, but articles like this make it seem that way. It's good that librarians are getting help for their stress. I hope the rest of us have access to similar resources.

Jonathan Yardley's review of 'Flannery' by Brad Gooch

Jonathan Yardley from Birmingham's Black & White City Paper wrote a review of a new Flannery O'Connor biography. "Flannery" by Brad Gooch looks at O'Connor's very private life.

Yardley says that these bios don't sell well, but that doesn't matter. Now that I've read his review, I have to read the book.

And he picks a fabulous excerpt of the book to quote. Every writer should copy the following and tape it to the mirror. 

"She knew she was a great writer. She told me so many times. If I would have heard that from other people, I would have laughed up my sleeve, but not with her. We both agreed that she might never be recognized, but that wasn't the point. The point was to do what she thought she was meant to do."

Amen. Again, read the whole review.

Twittering dude Gary Vaynerchuk lands a book deal

Authors, step away from the knives... Courtesy of Gawker, we learn that Gary Vaynerchuk was recently signed to a $1 million, 10-book deal with HarperStudio. What did he do to earn such an honor? Why, good marketing and twittering of course.

Oh, and he doesn't read books.

An excerpt from the Wall Street Journal article on the matter:

"What both publisher and author are banking on, though, is that people will pony up for a piece of the brand that is Mr. Vaynerhcuk, much as they buy books from and about celebrities they think they already know from TV or movies."

I've long suspected that in order to make it in publishing, I'd need to become a porn star. Alas, I'll need to skinny up and quit reading those pesky books. 

CBS Cancels 'Guiding Light'

Daytime drama has been in trouble for a while now, so it's not surprising that CBS has cancelled "Guiding Light." After 72 years on television, life in Springfield will draw to a close on CBS.

People who know me  won't be surprised when I confess the following: I've been an intermittent viewer of these melodrama wonderlands. I can go years without seeing a single "Who's the Daddy?" storyline and then get sucked back in one fell swoop.

My love of soap drama, the campiness and narrative twists, transcends entertainment. In the back of my mind, I know that plenty of soap actors use daytime drama to pay for their stage work. I worked with a few of them back in my theatre days. They were thoroughly professional. There was nothing shameful about earning money saying a few words next to Erica Kane. Plenty of actors got their best breaks by being seen acting in the afternoon.

If you are tempted to shrug these developments off, remember that the world of entertainment is a spider web. The cancellation of Guiding Light means that New York stage actors will have a harder time finding day jobs. They can't all appear as the killer on "Law & Order."

Rumor is that the Guiding Light may be picked up by cable or the internet. If it goes the way of the net, it will be an exciting development. If it goes to cable... not so much. Either Guiding Light will pave the way as it did so many years ago when it switched from radio to television, or it will become another trashy cable show. Let's hope that the people who own the series make the right decision.

Comment Roundup

Over the past few weeks, people have commented all over the place on Gasp! In an attempt to centralize things, let's take a look at what people have had to say:

Julie Hemming Savage, author of "Women Making America" tells us that this self-published book will find its way into Books-A-Million. Congrats.

Sheena Troup called out Hershel Walker. She says she's your cousin from Mt. Vernon and would you kindly mind getting in touch with your family? They haven't seen you since the family reunion last year.

John Jung, author of "Southern Fried Rice" would like everyone to know that he recently published another book called "Chopsticks in the Land of Cotton: Lives of Mississippi Delta Chinese Grocers."  Be sure to check it out.

Confidential to Anonymous... Helen Keller jokes may be more popular than me, but they are also a hell of a lot more older. (The comment was deleted after a good laugh.)

If you are looking for a Netflix-kind of book service, Bookgoddess thinks you should check out Bookswim. Thanks for the tip. I like the clarity of their site. I'm tempted to try it.

Elizabeth Spreen asks me what Crisco tastes like. I don't think it had a distinctive taste. Smooth would probably be the best word. The most tasty inappropriate substance I ever ate was a moist type of dog food that they don't make anymore. I can't remember what it was called but it looked like ground beef. Not that it tasted fabulous - none of that stuff did. But when comparing things such as Crisco, Elmer's Glue, etc. dog food was the best.

And finally, I posed a question which will most likely never be answered. Here it is: What's the difference between Books-A-Million and Barnes & Noble? Send me an email or toss me a comment.

The West Highland Herald - A newspaper for small dogs

In a world where newspapers are declaring bankruptcy, at least small dogs will be able to read the West Highland Herald. Be sure to check out the little weiner dog posing in a hot dog roll.

Alyssa Milano's new book on baseball

Alyssa Milano's new book, "Safe at Home: Confessions of a Baseball Fanatic" is supposed to be a part memoir, part celebration of baseball.

An excerpt:
"My father in particular wanted nothing more than for me to enjoy the same egg creams that he had; but that Brooklyn, the Brooklyn of his past, had long since faded, passing into New York's history alongside Ebbets Field and the Polo Grounds."

Egg creams are good, baseball not so much. It bores me, and Milano's hot posing with a baseball jacket on the cover of that book won't convince me to read it either.

I'm not sure what it is about that sport that makes famous people write books about it. George Wills is a well-known fanatic. He, too, gives us a haught pose for the cover of his book, "Men at Work." Then there's Doris Kearns Goodwin's offering, "Wait Till  Next Year." At least she had the good sense not to pose for it.

Baseball is supposed to be an intelligent sport, but I've never understood what's so smart about it. Hitting a ball with a stick does not require an I.Q. I used to watch kids play stickball in the street when I lived in Brooklyn. Maybe that's a cliché, but it's true. And it's one more reason to hate baseball.

I liked Billy Martin because he was a jerk. Joe DiMaggio did plenty of things to keep my interest, but baseball, of course, was not one of them. George Steinbrenner is only fascinating when the back of his head appears on Seinfeld. And the rest of the current crop? Perhaps there should be a bulk discount on drug rehab.

Let's hope that Alyssa Milano forgoes the temptation to write a sequel. Instead, I'd love to see her write a book about battling otherworldly beings or maybe just plain ol' football. Is that too much to ask?

Imagicon this weekend in Birmingham

If you are going to Imagicon, the science fiction/fantasy convention in Birmingham this weekend, be sure to wear clothes. According to the Imagicon 2009 program, convention rules clearly state:

"Costumers please remember that no costume is NO costume, and there are public nudity laws in Alabama. Please wear appropriate costumes in the common areas."

I'm fairly certain I'll be there. The line-up, which includes authors, workshops, and screenings piques my interest. Their mighty cool line-up also includes discussions on "Common Sense Ghost-Hunting" and "Creating Villains." It also appears that there will be professional wrestling there as well, though I'm still trying to figure out if that's real or not. (The event, not professional wrestling.)

The event begins today and lasts through the weekend. It will be held at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC), 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. More information can be found on their website.

Booksfree.com rents books

Daniel Vasquez at the Sun-Sentinel gives readers a tip about Booksfree.com, a service that aims to be the literary equivalent to Netflix. His article gives great information about how the service works, along with rates.

I'm not sure what to make of the site, primarily because I'm having a hard time finding a list of books the service offers. Oh wait, it's right here.

Down the road, it could easily take off and become comparable to an internet library for people who don't like e-books.

Book Review: Priceless Memories by Bob Barker with Digby Diehl

Priceless Memories
by Bob Barker with Digby Diehl
Center Street, 256 pages, $24.99.
Scheduled to be released April 6, 2009.

The best celebrity autobiographies offer something more than cocktail stories. Famous people have access and privilege, enabling them to witness history in a unique way. A successful celeb memoir offers a window into the world, rather than just a recounting of one's life. Which is why "Priceless Memories" by Bob Barker with Digby Diehl, is a pleasant surprise. Not only does Barker write about his days on the TV game show, "The Price is Right," he also touches on broadcasting's golden age, animal rights, the end of World War II and American life in the '50s.

Rather than telling the story chronologically, Barker begins by recounting what he believes to be the most important moment in his career - a phone call from t.v. legend Ralph Edwards. The broadcasting giant needed a host for his show "Truth or Consequences" and Barker fit the bill. After a tedious audition process, he became host of the show. He recounts his relationship with Mark Goodwin, another powerhouse game show producer, along with how he began hosting "The Price Is Right."

These stories are to be expected, after all, Bob Barker was on television for fifty years. He has seen technology change, prices increase and legends pass away. As he notes about his audience, "Then, of course, we had the long hair during the hippie period. There were times I would point over to someone in the audience and say, 'What about this girl?' And a man would stand up, with his long hair, and say, 'What do you mean, girl?'"

The memoir contains a few surprises, such as Barker's childhood on a South Dakota. He is one-eighth Sioux and grew up on a Native American reservation. Both his mother and his former wife, Dorothy Jo, are spoken of in glowing terms. Dorothy Jo passed away in 1981 from inoperable lung cancer. Barker doesn't dwell on her death, but astute readers will sense his profound loss. He touches briefly on his "on-again off-again" girlfriend who shares his passion for animal rights.

His work in the animal rights movement extended beyond his admonition to 'have your pets spayed or neutered.' Barker got 'The Price is Right' to stop using fur or leather prizes. They also stopped featuring fishing equipment and aquariums. "Out of my respect for my beliefs and my vegetarianism, the staff stopped putting meat on the grills and barbecues that we gave away." He was less successful in getting the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants to stop using fur coats, so he quit those lucrative jobs. 

In the early-'80s, Barker and Mark Goodson decided to feature American-manufactured cars on 'The Price Is Right', rather than foreign imports. Despite corporate pressure, this practice continued for the duration of Barker's tenure.

Despite Internet reports to the contrary, Barker never gives readers the impression that he seriously considered roles in porn movies. As a funny aside, he tells readers that as a young man he went to meet a photographer for a modeling assignment. The photographer ended up being a porn director. Sensible readers will understand that these things happen all the time in the entertainment business, and there is no implication that it is anything more than a humorous story.

Indeed, it is Barker's humor and voice that readers will find most appealing. From the first sentence of the preface, "If you are fifty years old or younger, I have been on national television your entire life, and I would like to begin this book by telling you how I got there," you understand that this is Bob Barker talking. And he still worth listening to.

Alabama nonprofit foundations suffering

The Birmingham News gives front page coverage today to how Alabama nonprofit foundations are dealing with the recession. Some of the stats mid-way through the article will be of interest to those of you who need things quantified.

No arts organizations are mentioned, though you have to wonder what will happen if Alabama Power Foundation cuts a few million from their grant funding. Clearly this is something to keep an eye on.

The Clog's literary giveaway

The Clog, a clever name for Philadelphia City Paper's staff blog, is giving away books every day this week. Answer their literary trivia questions correctly for a chance to win.  

Is Michael Vick writing a book?

Kevin Allen, writing for the blog Sports Prose at the Chicago Sun-Times, discusses how Michael Vick may have written a book while serving time in prison.

Kat Von D to sign her book "High Voltage Tattoo" in Winter Park, Florida

I cannot tell a lie: I'm a fan gurl when it comes to Kat Von D. She's the tattoo chick on A&E's L.A. Ink. She's smart, sexy and a fabulous tattoo artist. If anyone could ever persuade me to ink my body, it would be her.

She'll be signing her new book, "High Voltage Tattoo" at Borders Books in Winter Park, Florida on Wednesday, March 4th from 1-4pm.  Borders is located at 600 N. Orlando Avenue in Winter Park.

I haven't read "High Voltage Tattoo" yet but reports of it indicate I should. It's a graphic book stylized like a goth journal. It traces her development as a tattoo artist, describing her methods and influences. And of course, there's the all-important ten page picture spread of Kat Von D.

The part that makes me the most curious is the celebrity section, which includes the usual suspects such as Nikki Sixx, Scott Ian and... David Letterman? Well, that requires an explanation.

Saving the publishing industry

In Philadelphia's The Bulletin, Andrea K. Hammer writes about the lack of creativity and grassroots organizing in the marketing of books.

"Through innovative partnerships and collaborative efforts, we can turn the heavy page of a faltering industry...."

Barnes & Noble and Borders also having financial difficulties

Books-A-Million wasn't the only one who took a dive. The Wall Street Journal reported that Barnes & Noble's net income dropped 29% during its fourth quarter last fiscal year. Unlike BAM, I've had a difficult time finding figures for their whole fiscal year.

Borders is having similar difficulties. This March 5th Bloomberg article details what the company has done in order to remain in business.

The big question is whether these bookstores are simply having the same problems everyone else is having or retail booksellers are in the same boat as newspapers. Is the problem an old business model, technology or bad economy?

'My Life in Tweets,' a published archive of Twitter updates

James Bridle's "My Life in Tweets," consists solely of the first two years of his Twitter updates. It is said to be the first book of its kind.

Books-A-Million drops in net income

Birmingham Business Journal reports that Books-A-Million's net income took a nose-dive, but their fourth quarter was not as bad as their third. Nearly thirty-five percent... Son of a biscuit, that's a significant drop.

 

For those who don't know, Books-A-Million is a whole lot like Barnes & Noble. They purport to be the third largest retail book chain in the country. They are mostly found in the southeast and Atlantic states. Their corporate office is located in Birmingham.

 

With the advent of devices like Kindle and booksellers closing, it makes me wonder if booksellers will become as extinct as record and CD stores.