The 4th

Happy Independence Day from Paperback Writer



". . . the genius of the United States is not best or most in its executives or legislatures, nor in its ambassadors or authors, or colleges or churches or parlors, nor even in its newspapers or inventors — but always most in the common people, south, north, west, east, in all its States, through all its mighty amplitude." -- Walt Whitman, Preface, 1855, to First Issue of Leaves of Grass

Photo credit: © Elementalimaging | Dreamstime.com

In Memory

On Memorial Day, we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their country. Today I'd like to remember the 177 service men and women from my home state of Florida who lost their lives while serving in Iraq:

Agami, Daniel J. Private 1st Class 21-June-2007
Anderson, Michael C. Petty Officer 2nd Class 02-May-2004
Aviles, Andrew Julian Lance Corporal 07-Apr-2003
Baez, Roberto C. Private 1st Class 03-Oct-2005
Blair, Robert E. Specialist 25-May-2006
Blaney, Christopher T. Private 1st Class 29-Sep-2006
Bobb, Brandon K. Private 1st Class 17-Jul-2007
Boles, Dennis J. Sergeant 24-Oct-2004
Bowling, Theodore A. Corporal 11-Nov-2004
Brangman, David J. Private 1st Class 13-Feb-2005
Britt, Sandy R. Staff Sergeant 21-Aug-2007
Brown, Joshua D. Private 1st Class 03-Jun-2007
Buesing, Brian Rory Lance Corporal 23-Mar-2003
Burke, Timothy Specialist 04-Oct-2006
Burnett, Jason K. Lance Corporal 11-May-2006
Burress, Richard B. Specialist 19-Jan-2008
Calderon-Ascencio, Roland E. Private 1st Class 12-Apr-2006
Camacho, Anamarie Sannicolas Seaman 22-Oct-2007
Cann, Adam Leigh Sergeant 05-Jan-2006
Cashe, Alwyn C. "Al" Sergeant 1st Class 08-Nov-2005
Chaires, Daniel B. Private 1st Class 25-Oct-2006
Clark, Michael J. Staff Sergeant 20-Jul-2004
Clay, Daniel J. Staff Sergeant 01-Dec-2005
Clifton, Karen N. Specialist 21-Jun-2007
Cobb, Christopher R. Private 1st Class 06-Apr-2004
Conde Jr., Kenneth Sergeant 01-Jul-2004
Creighton-Weldon, Michael Russell Private 1st Class 29-Mar-2003
Cummings, Branden C. Private 1st Class 14-Feb-2007
Davis, Daryl A. Specialist 29-Nov-2004
Davis, Wilbert Staff Sergeant 03-Apr-2003
Deem, Michael S. Specialist 24-Feb-2005
Delgado, Marc A. Private 1st Class 24-Nov-2005
Dickinson, Joshua W. Lance Corporal 12-Dec-2004
Dixon, Donnie D. Staff Sergeant 29-Sep-2007
Dossett, Trace W. Petty Officer 2nd Class 02-May-2004
Dougherty, Scott Eugene Lance Corporal 06-Jul-2004
Dwelley, Jason B. Petty Officer 2nd Class 30-Apr-2004
Ellenburg, Kevin J. Private 1st Class 01-Nov-2006
Estep, James E. Staff Sergeant 15-Nov-2005
Ewing, Jeremy Ricardo Private 1st Class 29-Apr-2004
Felsberg, Paul M. 2nd Lieutenant 13-Oct-2004
Ferrero, Marius L. Private 1st Class 18-Nov-2007
Flanagan, Dennis J. Sergeant 20-Jan-2006
Fribley, David Keith Lance Corporal 23-Mar-2003
Gallagher, Patrick J. Lance Corporal 02-Apr-2006
Gallardo, Denis J. Sergeant 22-Nov-2005
Garcia, Javier J. Sergeant 05-Apr-2005
Gibson, Derek A. Private 1st Class 04-Apr-2007
Gifford, Alan Nye 1st Sergeant 16-Sep-2005
Gil, Carlos J. Sergeant 18-Feb-2005
Gilmore, Joseph A. Specialist 19-May-2007
Ginther, Ronald A. Petty Officer 3rd Class 02-May-2004
Gonzales Cordova, Ramon E. Staff Sergeant 08-Aug-2005
Gonzalez, Armando Ariel Corporal 14-Apr-2003
Grater, Cody C. Private 1st Class 29-Jul-2007
Hanson Jr., Charles A. Lance Corporal 28-Nov-2004
Hartman Jr., John L. Staff Sergeant 30-Nov-2006
Hartman, Jonathan N. Sergeant 17-Apr-2004
Hawkins, Gene A. Sergeant 12-Oct-2006
Henry, Chassan S. Private 1st Class 25-Feb-2005
Heringes, David A. Sergeant 1st Class 24-Aug-2007
Holmes Ordóñez, Terry Corporal 10-Jul-2004
Huerta-Cruz, Arturo Specialist 14-Apr-2008
Hughes, Jeremiah C. Specialist 09-Apr-2008
Jackson, Kyle E. Chief Warrant Officer 2 13-Jan-2006
Jacobson, Elizabeth Nicole Airman 1st Class 28-Sep-2005
Jairala, Alfred H. Private 1st Class 31-Jul-2007
Jankowski, Charles A. Not reported yet 28-Mar-2008
Jenkins, Robert B. Petty Officer 2nd Class 02-May-2004
Jimenez II, Romulo J. Corporal 10-Nov-2004
Johnson, Leon M. Sergeant 10-Oct-2005
Jonaus, Jude R. Staff Sergeant 06-Sep-2005
Jones Jr., Raymond Edison Staff Sergeant 09-Apr-2004
Jones, Charles S. Chief Warrant Officer 28-Jan-2005
Jordan, Alexander Corporal 10-Sep-2006
Kenny, Christopher J. 1st Lieutenant 03-May-2004
Koutroubas, Jason B. Specialist 14-Oct-2007
Lake, Chad W. Sergeant 13-Feb-2005
Landry III, Joseph N. Specialist 18-Sep-2007
Laramore, Tracy L. Specialist 17-Mar-2004
Lopez III, Manuel Corporal 12-Apr-2005
Lord, Richard M. Sergeant 18-Aug-2004
Luckey, Bryan C. Sergeant 29-Jun-2006
Mahdee, Marcus Lance Corporal 09-May-2005
Manuel, Ian D. Chief Warrant Officer 08-Jan-2004
Mardis Jr., Paul C. Staff Sergeant 15-Jul-2004
Martinez, Oscar A. Private 1st Class 12-Oct-2004
Martinez, Rene Lance Corporal 24-Sep-2006
Mastrapa, Arthur S. (Stacey) Sergeant 16-Jun-2004
Mathes, Marcus C. Sergeant 28-Apr-2008
Mayorga, Pablo V. Corporal 15-Apr-2006
McCall, Daniel L. Sergeant 30-Oct-2007
McCormick, Clinton T. Private 27-Dec-2006
Mchugh, Scott R. Petty Officer 2nd Class 02-May-2004
McNeill, Phillip D. Sergeant 20-Jan-2007
McRill, Robert Richard Petty Officer 1st Class 06-Jul-2007
Mele, John Sergeant 14-Sep-2007
Messer, Christopher P. Sergeant 27-Dec-2006
Miller, Marco L. Sergeant 05-Dec-2006
Miller, Patrick J. Private 1st Class 29-Mar-2008
Mills, Lea R. Sergeant 28-Apr-2006
Missildine, Jody W. Private 08-Apr-2006
Mitchell, Keman L. Sergeant 26-May-2003
Negron, Julio E. Sergeant 28-Feb-2005
Neiberger, Christopher T. Specialist 06-Aug-2007
Niedermeier, Louis E. Private 1st Class 01-Jun-2005
North, Christopher M. Private 1st Class 21-Apr-2007
Orr, Cody J. Private 1st Class 17-Jan-2004
Osbourne, Pamela G. Sergeant 11-Oct-2004
Osmolski, John C. Sergeant 05-Feb-2008
Phillips, James R. Lance Corporal 23-Dec-2004
Polo, Joe Sergeant 29-Mar-2007
Poole Jr., Christopher L. Corporal 06-Sep-2007
Quinn, Michael B. Staff Sergeant 27-May-2003
Randle Jr., Edmond Lee Sergeant 17-Jan-2004
Rapicault, Patrick Marc M. Captain 15-Nov-2004
Rechenmacher, William J. Corporal 18-Jan-2007
Rivero, John Travis Corporal 17-Apr-2003
Riviere, Christopher T. Private 1st Class 26-Sep-2006
Roberts, Robert D. Corporal 22-Nov-2003
Rogers, Alan G. Major 27-Jan-2008
Rogers, Nicholas K. Specialist 22-Oct-2006
Rojas, Kenny D. Private 1st Class 29-Oct-2005
Roman-Cruz, Alexis Specialist 16-Nov-2005
Rosa Jr., Alexander Specialist 25-May-2007
Rosenberg, Mark E. Major 08-Apr-2008
Rossi, Jonathan M. Private 1st Class 01-Jul-2007
Rowe, Michael D. Sergeant 28-Mar-2006
Rubado, Charles R. 2nd Lieutenant 29-Aug-2005
Saintvil, Gael Lance Corporal 26-Jan-2005
Sanchez, Junior Cedeno Private 1st Class 28-May-2007
Sapp, Brandon R. Private 1st Class 15-Aug-2004
Schmidt, Justin B. Specialist 29-Apr-2004
Schrage, Dustin H. Corporal 06-May-2004
Seamans, Timothy J. Private 1st Class 18-Aug-2005
Segura, Juan E. Lance Corporal 09-Nov-2004
Shanaberger III, Wentz Jerome Henry Staff Sergeant 24-Mar-2004
Shelton, Jimmy Lee Corporal 03-Dec-2005
Silva, Marco A. Staff Sergeant 13-Mar-2006
Sims, Charles M. Private 1st Class 03-Oct-2003
Smith, Antoine D. Lance Corporal 15-Nov-2004
Smith, Kevin J. 1st Lieutenant 08-Dec-2005
Smith, Paul Ray Sergeant 1st Class 04-Apr-2003
Snyder, Adam P. Captain 05-Dec-2007
Sorensen, Ryan J. Lance Corporal 06-Nov-2005
Souffront, Luis A. Petty Officer 1st Class 07-Feb-2008
Spears, Jonathan R. Lance Corporal 23-Oct-2005
Suarez-Gonzalez, Roger A. Private 1st Class 04-Dec-2006
Surber, Robert A. Sergeant 03-Jun-2007
Tharp, Sean D. Private 1st Class 28-Mar-2006
Thorsen, Brandon T. Private 1st Class 15-Sep-2007
Tipton, John E. Captain 02-May-2004
Tutten, Bryan J. Sergeant 25-Dec-2007
Valentine III, Donald E. Specialist 18-Sep-2007
Vilorio, Franklin R. Sergeant 06-Sep-2005
Wade, Patrick L. Chief Petty Officer 17-Jul-2007
Walden, Brett Eugene Sergeant 1st Class 05-Aug-2005
Walker, Antwan L. "Twan" Sergeant 18-May-2005
Waruinge, Kevin G. Lance Corporal 03-Aug-2005
Washington, Javares J. Staff Sergeant 14-Feb-2008
Watkins, Joshua C. Corporal 21-Oct-2006
Weaver, Aaron A. Chief Warrant Officer 08-Jan-2004
Weiner, Timothy R. Technical Sergeant 07-Jan-2007
Wershow, Jeffrey M. Specialist 06-Jul-2003
Williams IV, Arthur C. Sergeant 08-Dec-2004
Williams, Christian B. Sergeant 29-Jul-2006
Wilson, Robert J. Staff Sergeant 26-Jan-2008
Wilt, Nicholas Lance Corporal 03-Sep-2004
Winston, Peter E. Lieutenant Colonel 13-Nov-2006
Wise, Robert A. Specialist 12-Nov-2003
Wolfer, Stuart A. Major 06-Apr-2008
Wood, William W. Colonel 27-Oct-2005
Woodall, Julian M. Corporal 22-May-2007
Woodall, Peter Sergeant 27-Apr-2007
Woodliff, Michael R. Sergeant 02-Mar-2004
Woods, Julian Petty Officer 3rd Class 10-Nov-2004
Zook, Ian T. Corporal 12-Oct-2004

To the families, friends and loved ones of these fallen soldiers, and the many others whom we've lost to this war, I send my love and prayers.

For the Moms

(Photo credit © Hallgerd | Dreamstime.com)

Bunny Day!

The kids are out of school for the holidays, so I'm taking off a few days to help them dye eggs, make baskets and otherwise wreck the kitchen. Tom will be around to moderate comments and put out any fires, and I'll be back on Tuesday to post the names of the winners of the Take the Fall giveaway. In the meantime, have a great weekend.

(photo credit: © Pryzmat | Dreamstime.com)

Snowy Six

On the sixth day before Christmas, PBW found for me:

Six No-Shovel Snow Things

1.

2. Free Snow Scene Screensaver "fills your screen with large snowflakes. High resolution, high quality winter snow scene images. You will either want to get out of the snow or in the snow after seeing this one." (OS: Windows 95-XP - works best with 800 X 600 screen resolution.)

3. For the Javanuts out there, check out this online tutorial on how to mix water and snow applets.

4. Jacquie Lawson's animated holiday e-card, The Snow Dog (still the best e-card ever.)

5. Play Arcadetown.com's free Snow Boarder XS online game or Shockwave.com's free Snowman Salvage online game.

6. Pepsi will donate up to $50,000.00 to America's Second Harvest -- The Nation's Food Bank Network -- to help fight hunger this holiday season; all you have to do is register with Pepsi World (free) and create a virtual snow globe.

Nine Helps

On the ninth day before Christmas, PBW found for me:

Nine Holiday Helpers

1. God Bless Us, Everyone -- if you're feeling Scroogish, you might try reading Project Gutenberg's free download of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

2. FaLaLaLaLa -- Christmas Caroler is a free Christmas carols e-book with printable song sheets, links to sheet music for each song and midi files.

3. Festive Food -- Get delicious holiday recipes, hints and more over at AllRecipes.com's Christmas Collection page.

4. Listen & Help the Hungry -- GenerousPour.com offers a free mp3 Christmas song download by Dean Martin, Nat King Cole or Corinne Bailey Rae (registration required, but each song downloaded generates $1 to fight hunger.)

5. Get Crafty -- if you're into handmade gifts, find something to make for everyone on your list over at Craftown.com's free Christmas craft projects page.

6. Got yarn? -- Craftown also has a nice page of free Christmas crochet patterns, many with photos.

7. Choose Your Romantic Christmas Adventure -- (and write new chapters) with PersonalizedLetter.com's online interactive Christmas romance (fun idea, actually.)

8. Sing to Me -- The HolidaySpot.com has a free collection of Hanukkah music for download.

9. Free Reads -- Tonto Press UK has a free 92 page e-book of Christmas short stories by a number of their authors; to download in .pdf format click here (I thought this was an excellent way for a publisher to give something to the readers that's free and showcases new talent.)

Wishing You

Happy Labor Day

No Monday 10 this week, folks. I'm going to spend Labor Day reorganizing part of my workspace by moving files, building wall shelves and rearranging some book cases (this is the PBW equivalent of bliss.)

If you're interested in doing something similar, Cottage Living has a nice piece on how editor Jessica Thuston made a few changes to brighten up her home office. For those of you who are looking for ideas on how to tidy up more efficiently, RealSimple.com has a great page here packed with everyday cleaning tips.

Have a great Labor Day.

Independence Day

Happy birthday, America.

For the Moms

Now that FTP is working....

A Modest Proposal

For Preventing Unemployed Novel Writers From Being A Burden, and For Making Them Beneficial to The Publishing

By Jon Athan-Swift

It is beyond melancholy for those of us who conduct publishing business on the internet to be bombarded with web sites, blogs, and MySpace.com pages written by beggars of the unpublished or unemployed novel-writer persuasion. Having written three, four, or six book proposals, all soundly rejected, they still importune every editor, agent or critic with queries. These failures, instead of being able to work for their honest livelihood, are forced to employ all their time begging consideration for their unpublishable manuscripts, until they are reduced to soliciting PayPal donations or are forced to sell them for a buck advance to PublishAmerica.

I think it is agreed by all parties that this prodigious number of unwanted manuscripts and utterly worthless writers is in the present deplorable state of Publishing a very great additional grievance; and, therefore, whoever could find out a fair, cheap, and easy method of making these writers better serve our society, would deserve so well of those of us who actually should be in print as to have his statue set up for a preserver of Publishing (and after reading this should you deem that to be me, you may contact my personal assistant for an appointment with a suitable sculptor.)

The number of souls in these dire straits being usually reckoned one million and a half, of these I calculate there may be about two hundred thousand who have lucrative daily employment or reluctant but ample support of a long-suffering spouse. I again subtract fifty thousand for those who will give up on their own or do away with themselves in suitably tragic fashion within the year. There only remains one million, two hundred fifty thousand to be rid of. We can neither employ them nor do they wish to earn an honest living, so I consulted with my friends as to what should be done with them.

I have been assured by a very knowing American reviewer of my acquaintance in New York that an unemployed writer is a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee or a ragout. Then, too, the unemployed writer's diet allows for the accumulation of very little body fat, which will require some caution with preparation and basting but should result in minimal cholesterol content. A fully dressed writer will make two dozen dishes worthy as an entertainment for friends; and when the family dines alone, the fore or hind quarter will make a reasonable dish, and seasoned with a little pepper or salt will be very good boiled on the fourth day, especially in winter.

Editors who are more thrifty (as I must confess the times require) may flay the writer carcass; the skin of which artificially dressed and cured will make admirable substitutes for traditional hardcover bindings (with the added bonus of getting the PETA people off our backs about using leather), and cut into strips splendid bookmarks ready for embossing. Several editors of my acquaintance are in need of new upholstery for their office furnishings and would be delighted to have the buttery-soft hide of a writer cushioning their nether regions. As you know writer blood, properly reduced and thickened, will readily serve as ink for the red or maroon parts of illustrations or those passages in Bibles when Our Savior actually speaks. I do recommend buying the writers alive, and dressing them hot from the knife, as we do roasting pigs.

Finally, after the flesh and skin has been stripped and used, the very bones of the unemployed writer (thin and pitted by starvation as they may be) at very little cost may be transported to the nearest Top-Flite plant, where they will be bleached, ground up and added to the polymers used to make golf balls. Certainly attached to this will be the pleasure and satisfaction we can expect to feel each time we tee off and drive the last bit of a wannabe down the fairway.

Some persons of a desponding spirit would wish to be more charitable to the vast number of unemployed writers, and will take offense at my suggestions. But I am not the least concerned about their ire, because it is very well known that these wretches are every day dying and rotting by cold and famine, and filth and vermin, as fast as can be reasonably expected. Those we can help along more quickly to the inevitable end will only bless us for relieving their misery. We should also nip in the bud any hopes of public school children before they become literate enough to be a nuisance; thus the industry and ourselves are happily delivered from the evils to come, and our beloved sons and daughters will never again have to change their names to avoid claims by these scum of unfair favoritism, or rub elbows with them at industry conferences.

As to myself, having been wearied out for many years with offering vain, idle, visionary thoughts, and at length utterly despairing of success, I fortunately fell upon this proposal, which, as it is wholly new, so it hath something solid and real, of no expense and little trouble to us. Indeed, I expect the golf ball aspect to greatly improve my own game.

Happy Valentine's Day

One day in the desert a bedouin
looked up and saw a mirage shimmering
ahead. Not water, but the splendor
of a dazzling girl.

In the thirsty, burning desert
among dry thorns, under a shadowless sun
he tried to reach her but instead
of that marvelous love he found death.

In his immaterial, immortal sleep
he still saw the splendor of that girl shimmering ahead, an eternal mirage.
And in his endless dream he began to walk looking for her.

--The Mirage, Avetik Isahakian (1904)

Welcome 2007

Wishing You