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pirhana

Let me get this straight... Obama's health care plan will be written by a committee whose head says he doesn't understand it, passed by a Congress that hasn't read it and whose members will be exempt from it, signed by a president who smokes, funded by a treasury chief who did not pay his taxes, over seen by a surgeon who is obese, and financed by a country that is broke. Yeah...what could possibly go wrong?

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

  • Sep. 30th, 2009 at 9:24 AM
pirhana

Two years ago, my book was published by History Press.  I was soooo excited to be picked up by a 'traditional' publisher with many years in business. 

After much go around, I finally was told the first edition was 1500 books.

During the past two years, I found a few typos, and changes have occured.  Buildings have been painted different colors, owners have come forward with more interesting facts, etc.

I asked the Press if it would a) go to a 2nd edition; and b) I could make updates.

I was repeatedly told, that when about 2/3 of the inventory was sold, they would make the decision as to a 2nd edition.

As of late last spring, when I ordered more for my own stock, I was told they had not yet sold 1000.

Fast forward to about 3 weeks ago, when the amount available on Amazon started plummeting.  After two emails to History Press, about a week apart, wondering why Amazon had no more in stock, and the History Press page had it as a 'back order'; I finally got this 'answer'...

"Hi Merana,  

We are currently out of stock on that title and the print source we used for the initial printing has since gone out of business. We will try to find a printer that can do the work for a workable cost but the full color makes that search a difficult one.

 Thank you, "

HUH!!!!  Did they sell so many in less than 3 months they were caught unaware?  The few remaining on Amazon's new and used have actually sold a couple at HIGHER than the list price!!!
If the History Press waits too long, all the current vendors will have to be recontacted.  What kind of business marketing is this?

I am in limbo not knowing if they will be reprinted or not, and if not, being denied time to move on to another possible company, as the market moves on.


GRRRRRRRRRRR 

pirhana

Details of a revamped version of the Cybersecurity Act of 2009 show the Senate bill could give the president a "kill switch" on the Internet and allow him to shut out private networks from online access.

"In the original bill they empowered the president to essentially turn off the Internet in the case of a 'cyber-emergency,' which they didn't define," said Larry Clinton, president of the Internet Security Alliance, which represents the telecommunications industry."

The new legislation allows the president to "declare a cybersecurity emergency" relating to "non-governmental" computer networks and make a plan to respond to the danger, according to an excerpt published online -- a broad license that rights experts worry would give the president "amorphous powers" over private users.

"As soon as you're saying that the federal government is going to be exercising this kind of power over private networks, it's going to be a really big issue," Lee Tien, a senior staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, told CNET News.

Girl Scouts to Hurl Scouts

  • Jul. 24th, 2009 at 4:45 PM
pirhana

Be careful what you wish for in life...

Our daughter was a Girl Scout and, like most others, hated her uniform...but when she complained, most adults, aware of her desire to go into fashion design told her: "make one better and submit it".

Karma can bit you in the...
 Fast forward 10 years, she does wardrobe for movies, TV, Broadway...and recently, one of her designer friends asked her to come work on Drew Barrymore's directoral debut: "Whip It". The premise is small town teen revolts from momma's beauty pageant upbringing and joins roller derby.

And one of the teams are the "Hurl Scouts". 


www.foxsearchlight.com/flipbook/flipbook.php

Hurricane season

  • Jun. 6th, 2009 at 7:14 AM
hurricane2, nuts
Thankfully none out there yet, but when the first named storm happens, it will be called: Arthur. The posibilities on it's charactoristics are therefore huge...rambling, punch-drunk, hit and run Florida visits, easily lost....
*sigh*
rofl

Latest project

  • May. 5th, 2009 at 5:14 AM
gillyflowers
Several years ago, we lived in Kissimmee, FL.  One of our young neighbors was a young girl from Scotland. 

Since then, her family has moved back, and she is starting a country band.  Sweet vocals.  They are cutting there first studio single, and ASKED ME TO DESIGN THE COVER!!!!!

http://www.myspace.com/thegillyflowers

:D

The artwork so far looks like the icon you see here, and the really cool thing is, it is the first 100% computer created art I have done.  I usually do a sketch, scan it in, and go from there...

I hope we get to see them perform while we are over there this summer.




 

Taxes, tea parties, and pork

  • Apr. 15th, 2009 at 7:40 PM
pirhana

I posted a notice earlier about the tea party on several blogs. One comment challenged me to find any tax that had been increased.

*snicker*

In response, let me post this letter I found, sorry I can't give credit to to the one who wrote it other than adding their online handle:

"Dear IRS, I am sorry to inform you that I will not be able to pay taxes owed April 15, but all is not lost. I have paid these taxes: accounts receivable tax, building permit tax, CDL tax, cigarette tax, corporate income tax, dog license tax, federal income tax, unemployment tax, gasoline tax, hunting license tax, fishing license tax, waterfowl stamp tax, inheritance tax, inventory tax, liquor tax, luxury tax, Medicare tax, city, school and county property tax (up 33 percent last 4 years), real estate tax, social security tax, road usage tax, toll road tax, state and city sales tax, recreational vehicle tax, state franchise tax, state unemployment tax, telephone federal excise tax, telephone federal state and local surcharge tax, telephone minimum usage surcharge tax, telephone state and local tax, utility tax, vehicle license registration tax, capitol gains tax, lease severance tax, oil and gas assessment tax, Colorado property tax, Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, Oklahoma and New Mexico sales tax, and many more that I can't recall but I have run out of space and money. When you do not receive my check April 15, just know that it is an honest mistake. Please treat me the same way you treated Congressmen Charles Rangle, Chris Dodd, Barney Frank and ex-Congressman Tom Dashelle and, of course, your boss Timothy Geithner. No penalties and no interest.

Sincerely,

hifiman1"

To those who don't get this, the tea parties are a unification of all of us taxpayers who are sick off paying more and seeing money wasted on pork, bailouts, and out-of date taxes (did you know until last year, part of the taxes on your phone bill was for paying towards the Spanish-American War?????)

We are not necessarily Democrats or Republicans, we are just all people who are fed up with politics as played currently by BOTH sides.


Taxed Enough (and then some!!!) Already

  • Apr. 15th, 2009 at 3:29 PM
pirhana
So, we're off to a tea party tonight.....

HA

  • Mar. 28th, 2009 at 10:10 PM
pirhana
Dave and I saw our daughter's mug shot in "Duplicity".

I *blinked* and missed it :O

  • Mar. 23rd, 2009 at 9:19 AM
self, artist

What an amazing 10 days I have had.  Thank you to all my family and friends, sometimes it seem we don't say enough about life's good moments.

It started last weekend going to a Girl Scout Swap meet in NC with my best friend and her little Brownie grandaughter.  I sold a bunch of my Girl Scout related artwork (I did an official poster a few years back), prints, cards, some of my "Gates of Savannah" books, and gave a talk on how I made my life-sized Juliette Low sculpture.

Came back home in time to party for St. Patrick's Day, starting with breakfast at the Ladies (and I'm not talking Paula Deen here ;D).  Orange Blossoms for breakfast, yum yum. We love the 'interactive" parade, and walked the route to check out all the stunning ensembles.  It is a great day to be a natural redhead! (I am actually 1/8 Irish, hello to any Nicholsons out there!). Stopped by another friend's to top off the drinks, and ended the day with drinks, wings, and even more friends...Can life get any better than to spend a day surrounded by friends and just having a silly, fun time?

Friday, my husband whisked me off to Atlanta to see the Qin/Tut exhibits.  Awesome.

And then Sunday, two of my dear Savannah friends, Jami and Chris kidnapped me after a bit of antique shopping and took me to see Duplicity...where they saw my daughter in the movie, AND I MISSED IT!  It really is a good movie, just more of the old fashioned spy vs, spy, intrigue..no big crashes, chase scenes, just fun.  Oh, and if you see it, one of the things my daughter made is the dress Julia wears in Rome...

Ss, my husband and I will have to go to see it, him for the first time, and me to watch more carefully on the left side of the screen for the young woman in the pulled back hair with the black t-shirt...

Hope you all have wonderful friends and weeks of good times, too.

self, artist
Danielle did NOT get into the credits for the "Duplicity" movie, BUT

HER MUG SHOT IS ON THE SCREEN!!!!!!


Watch for it behind Julia Roberts about 1/2 way through...

July

  • Mar. 5th, 2009 at 11:36 AM
hurricane, florida
We have just had word that the plant Dave works in will be shut down for 5 weeks in July.  While this may actually work out to our benefit, I am very sorry for those it wont' and the ones that may be laid off soon.

Best wishes to all in this unsettled mess.

and thanks for all the fish

  • Feb. 22nd, 2009 at 6:50 PM
witch, merana, Molly Weasley, Harry Potter
I am back home I think, have had two hours of sleep, and up long enough to write this.

Nice to meet you all, maybe I'll be more coherent with more than 4 hours of sleep in the last 30 or so by morning.

Thought for our times

  • Feb. 11th, 2009 at 7:09 PM
vermin

“The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.”


-Thomas Jefferson

 

Savannah Book Festival

  • Feb. 3rd, 2009 at 10:29 AM
"Gates of Savannah" book, watercolors, art, paintings
I was in Florida for 3 weeks and came back to Savannah to find out next weekend is the book festival.  My publisher has a booth there, but they NEVER contacted me!

So I got hold of the press twinkie, and am now set-up for a 'signing' session from 2-4 on Saturday.  She says it is the first time they do this show and don't know what they have for space, nor what to expect...which seems to be business as usual with these people.

GRRRRRRRRR!

playing in the mud

  • Jan. 17th, 2009 at 10:00 AM
jugs
I stayed at home this week instead of heading to the apt. in hopes of making strides towards finishing up a long-term house project.  I have been slowly working on a ceramic mural installation over the hot tub on the back porch.  It is a triptych loosely inspired by an old Pacific airline's travel poster (ocean, palm trees, hibiscus, volcanoes, airplane... )

Anywho, I have long had the end two panels done and installed, along with the basins below each.  Problem is, the middle one is supposed to be a fountain when finished, and we finally ran the plumbing for it last weekend.

So I rolled out the slab, did all the sculpting, etc,  But it has been so long since I fired my kiln, I literally blew it...Actually, what I blew was 19 of the 100 pieces of the sculpture mural.  I used the wrong setting on the computerized panel, plus absentmindedness to acomplish this less than stellar move.

The good news, as of this morning, is my week was not a total waste.  15 of the pieces are an edge molding, so easily redone.  the last 4 should be ok, too.  All in all, I have hopes of being able to do a day's worth of replacement stuff rather than a weeks worth of redo.

*sigh*

I hate it when I am stupid.

Writer's Block: Under the Same Sign

  • Dec. 19th, 2008 at 9:58 PM
leia, incest, swingers, luke, star wars

Today is chockfull of celebrity birthdays—Brad Pitt, Keith Richards, Christina Aguilera, and more. What celebrities do you share your birthday with? Do you find any similarities between you and those who share your birthday?


View 500 Answers

Hmmm..I think my favorites are the President ot the CSA, and the guy who did the initial special effectsa cam on Star Wars, etal...oh, and who can resist sharing a birthday with the guy who came up with the "Gong Show"?!?!


Jefferson Davis born on June 3, 1808

Josephine Baker born on June 3, 1906

Paulette Goddard born on June 3, 1910

Lili St. Cyr born on June 3, 1918

Colleen Dewhurst born on June 3, 1924

Tony Curtis born on June 3, 1925

Allen Ginsberg born on June 3, 1926

Chuck Barris born on June 3, 1929

Curtis Mayfield born on June 3, 1942

Bill Paterson born on June 3, 1945

Michael Clarke born on June 3, 1946

John Dykstra born on June 3, 1947

Suzi Quatro born on June 3, 1950

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