jlassen

t’s sale time again at Night Shade Books. We’ve got a few big titles coming in, and we need to clear space in a big way! So until midnight on Sunday, May 25th, we’re offering 50% off all in-stock and forthcoming Night Shade books. Use the coupon code 50NSB2008, and there is a four book minimum order.

Not only do we have some great books, including Harry Turtledove’s After the Downfall, Tim Lebbon’s Bar None, Jay Lake’s Madness of Flowers, Graham Joyce’s How to Make Friends with Demons, and Glen Cook’s An Empire Unacquainted with Defeat, coming in the next few months, but we’ve also added, for the first time, the infamous Night Shade Books Posse T-Shirts. These are printed on American Apparel sweat shop-free high quality shirts and Made in the U.S.A., and will feature a clever quote from a well-known genre personality (T-Shirts will be shipping on approximately June 15, 2008). We’ve also uncovered a handful of slip cases, for our Lord Dunsany and Manly Wade Wellman collections, that we’re making available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

And don’t forget our forthcoming anthologies: The Living Dead, Fast Ships, Black Sails, and Eclipse 2.

atrios

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/bRuz/~3/292442898/2008_05_11_archive.html

One email from Moveon to their full list can bring in between $100k to $1M for a candidate, with $1M being the very top end of the range. With one good email to his list, in a few months, Obama will probably be able to bring in $1-3M for a Senate candidate under attack or split that among several. 10-20% of the money going to Senate candidates this cycle might come from Barack Obama's internet operation. Stunning.

MyBarackObama.com is the cornerstone of the campaign, and it will have between 10-15 million opt-in members by election day. This group can be used for lobbying on legislation, GOTV, and donations. It's a cross between Moveon.org and the DNC, and with the White House, it can transform progressive politics and further amplify the power of the Presidency. As coordinated campaigns pick up, and the top of the ticket brings coattails, organizing power is going to further flow to the Obama campaign.

djinnthespazz

This is the first generation to have everything yet to also have had everything taken away. They went to school with no books, no gym, no school play, no school newspaper, no band, no clean toilets, no grass on the playground, no hope in the eyes of their teachers.

"Yet they created. They created art, music, textiles, and technology and made their world the world the world comes to."

Edicott Redux

kadath

About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward was a vampire. Second, there was part of him – and I didn't know how potent that part might be – that thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.

booksquare

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Booksquare/~3/251566641/

Today’s links of interest:

• Publishing: Books for Teens Are a Bright Spot
  OMG! Teens are reading. Stop press.
• Book Brahmins: Matthew Sharpe
  Funniest thing we’ve read all day, courtesy of Matthew Sharpe, author of "Jamestown".
• Help Me Write: Autobiographies : OUPblog
  Friday Fun!
• Book clubs: The final chapter?
  The direct sales model, in the form of clubs, may no longer work for the reading public. However, the direct sales model might be about to see new life.
• Sony Pictures gets Goosebumps
  And kids (plus more than a few adults) rejoice.
• Publishers rebuff Amazon
  In the UK, Amazon continues its streak of angering those who depend upon the giant for their profitability.
• How the Self-Published Debut Daemon Earned Serious Geek Cred
  Or, you too can succeed without support of the publishing establishment.
• The Future of Reading
  Ezra Klein looks at the future of books as a either/and sort of world, which, duh, yeah, what did you expect to happen?

smartbitches

http://www.smartbitchestrashybooks.com/index.php/weblog/habo-looking-for-ya-johnny-blue/

Bitchery reader Kathryn

I could use some Smart Bitch help trying to find a YA romance I read back when I was a teenager.  It was most likely published in the 1990’s or maybe late 1980’s.  The story involves cousins or a half-sisters (I can’t remember which) and for some reason one goes to live with the other’s family.  The one who is moving in is blonde and hawt and lets her boyfriend feel under her shirt, Sweet Valley-style.  The other cousin/sister is a shy brunette and fantasizes about some mysterious guy at her her school whom she secretly calls Johnny Blue or something like that.  Meanwhile, this sensitive football player named Greg secretly has a crush on Shy Girl, so blonde sister pretends to date him so he can get closer to Shy Girl. Why this is supposed to work, I have no idea. The story ends up with her going on a date with Greg, who turns out to be a dynamo kisser.  She also goes on a date with Johnny Blue, whom she ultimately rejects because he kisses like a cold fish.

I’m hoping the SB’s can help me with this one, because I’m drawing a complete blank!

Johnny Blue? BWAAHAHAHAH. 

makinglight

http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/010240.html

I've been meaning to write a post about Strokes and Head Injuries (sometime after the long-delayed Trauma And You, Part IV), and this isn't going to be it. It'll just be a few quick notes.

You have two basic causes for strokes. One is an occlusive stroke: A blood clot gets loose and blocks an artery in the brain. This is very similar to a heart attack, where a blood clot gets loose and blocks a coronary artery (or a pulmonary embolism, where a blood clot breaks loose and blocks one of the pulmonary arteries). The other is a hemorrhagic stroke, where a blood vessel bursts, causing bleeding into the brain, your classic apoplexy. This is similar (in some ways) to a ruptured aortic aneurysm.

When you have someone come down with signs and symptoms of stroke (and these vary depending on how big the stroke is and what part of the brain is affected), you have three hours from the time of onset of symptoms to the start of therapy if you're going to treat it with anything other than time.

So.

Here are the rock-bottom symptoms of stroke: Sudden onset weakness, particularly one-sided. Facial droop, particularly one-sided. Slurred speech, or aphasia, or suddenly using inappropriate words. Blurred vision, particularly one-sided. "The worst headache of my life."

What to do: Do not waste time. You don't have it. Note down the exact time the symptoms started. Call your friends from 9-1-1.

I'm sure you've seen those e-mails about How To Tell if Someone Is Having a Stroke. The three tests (arm drift, smile, repeat a phrase). That's called the Cincinnati Stroke Scale, and while it's a wonderful tool, and we use it ourselves, it isn't diagnostic (and lots of things that have stroke-like symptoms, that aren't strokes, are plenty serious all on their own).

What happens when the nice EMTs take the person away:

1) We give him oxygen, and establish an IV. We ask him (or you) all kinds of questions about his medical history, allergies, medications, and particularly what time it started. The clock is running.

2) Once at the ED, the emergency physician will order a no-contrast MRI, and at the same time run down the checklist for why not to give thrombolytics. This checklist is about three pages long ("Any recent surgeries? Any recent tooth extractions?") where any "yes" means the thrombolytic path is closed. The first item on the list is "Has it been more than three hours since the first symptoms?" If yes ... well. Make the patient comfortable and see how things go.

Now that MRI: The brain scan has to be normal. In the early stages of an occlusive stroke, there are no visible changes. Free blood in the brain shows up as a lighter area, and bleeding in the brain means we don't want to break up any clots. Dead tissue shows up as a darker area, and if the tissue has already died, well, no point in going on. Or you could see a tumor, and thrombolytics won't help with that.

3) If the MRI comes back normal, and the patient said "No" to all the questions on the checklist, then comes the big question: "This therapy could kill you. Do you want to go ahead with it?" Being put on thrombolytics is essentially the same as getting an instant case of hemophilia. If you can't answer the question because you can't talk (or can't hear or can't read), because of the stroke, better hope you have a Living Will that spells out what you want done, or have someone with a Power of Attorney for Healthcare standing by to answer for you.

4) If you say, "Yes" to going forward ... the first drops of thrombolytic have to hit your veins inside that three-hour window. That's why helicopters get involved. To get you to an MRI machine, to get you to a center where they have the guys who've done this more than once a year. Then, you have about a 70% chance of getting All Better.

Of course, if you have a hemorrhagic stroke, what you need is a neurosurgeon to tie off the bleeder and relieve pressure in your skull. Different ball game.

Then there are TIAs--Transient Ischemic Attacks. These are so-called "mini-strokes." The difference between them and a full-bore stroke is that the TIAs spontaneously resolve within twenty-four hours. Don't ignore them for that reason: They're a red flag that a major stroke will hit (60% chance) within twelve months.

So what I think is going on with Kennedy: The helicopter was to get him to a good MRI and a major hospital within that three-hour window. The fact that he's calling people on the phone and talking to them means that he's (probably) sitting somewhere watching thrombolytics drip into his veins, bored out of his gourd. Chance of recovery? About 70%.

For all of y'all: If you, or someone around you, have stroke-like symptoms, Don't Screw Around. Call 9-1-1.

As always, I am not a physician. I can neither diagnose nor prescribe. This post is presented for amusement purposes only, and is not medical advice for your particular situation or condition.

atrios

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/bRuz/~3/292403804/2008_05_11_archive.html

dailykos

http://feeds.dailykos.com/~r/dailykos/index/~3/292415891/177

A brief recap on the ongoing story of Ted Kennedy's hospitalization:

U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy was airlifted to a Boston hospital Saturday morning after falling ill at the Kennedy compound in Hyannisport, the Cape Cod Times reported.

He was first rushed to Cape Cod Hospital, and after being in the emergency room for two hours he was transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital, according to the Times.  [...]

Hyannis fire responded to the compound after a call was made around 8:30 a.m. It's unclear what Kennedy's medical condition is, but after he spent almost two hours in the emergency room a decision was made to transfer him to Mass General Hospital in Boston.

While it has been reported that Kennedy was suffering from "stroke-like symptoms," CNN's Ed Henry had some encouraging news when he reported that a Kennedy family source told him that Senator Kennedy himself made a phone call to cancel a luncheon nearly two hours after the initial 911 call. Sources also say that family members are "guardedly optimistic," which is good news.

A hospital spokesman will be coming out with an update on the Senator's condition soon.

Statements from the presidential campaign trail:

Barack Obama:  "I know a lot of you are interested in the situation with Senator Kennedy. I have been in contact with the family. Obviously they are in our thoughts and prayers – they I am sure will be releasing some sort of statement when they have a better assessment of what the situation is. You know, as I have said many times before, Ted Kennedy is a giant in American political history  –  he has done more for the health care of others than just about anybody in history and so we are going to be rooting for him and I insist on being optimistic about how it's going to turn out."

Hillary Clinton:  "My thoughts and prayers are with Ted Kennedy and his family today. We all wish him well and a quick recovery."

John McCain:  "I was very sorry to hear that Senator Kennedy has taken ill, and like millions of Americans, Cindy and I anxiously await word of his condition. Senator Kennedy's role in the U.S. Senate cannot be overstated. He is a legendary lawmaker, and I have the highest respect for him. When we have worked together, he has been a skillful, fair and generous partner. I consider it a great privilege to call him my friend. Cindy and I are praying for our friend, his wife, Vicki, and the Kennedy family."

Ed Henry now reporting that two family members told him they "expect the Senator to have a full recovery," and that he is doing much better.

Update:  The Associated Press is reporting that Senator Kennedy suffered a seizure.  Apparently seizures can be caused by any number of things, from a change in medication to a stroke, so we will continue to await an update from the hospital.  

the_archaeoblog

http://archaeoblog.blogspot.com/2008/05/archaeoblog-review-indian-jones.html

larbalestier

http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/?p=1166

. . . Is USians what know zero about cricket writing about it. Today’s example comes from the New York Times and concerns a novel that’s been written about the Staten Island cricket club¹ by one of the members, Joseph O’Neil. Here’s my favourite bit:

That Mr O’Neill in his other life happens to be a novelist is a matter of indifference to most of his teammates. They’re more interested in him as an accomplished batsman, a sure-handed fielder and a decent off-speed bowler.

Off-speed! Hahahahahahah! Perhaps they meant “off-spin“? Or has the Staten Island cricket club invented a whole new kind of bowling?

Made my day. Bless you, New York Times.

1. And apparently other things such as 9/11, family, politics, identity. That kind of stuff. Obviously, none of it as important as cricket.

sf_signal_fd

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Sfsignal/~3/292368183/006676.html

The CubeeCraft website features printable patterns for making paper figures built from cubes. The website's tag line is "Download. Print, Cut, Fold" and it's really that easy.

The website features a new character every week, but there already a large handful of characters at the ready:

• A Star Wars Stormtrooper


• The Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters


• The Rocketeer


• Dr. Zoidberg and Bender from Futurama


• The Adam West Batman.


• Iron Man


• Hellboy

atrios

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/bRuz/~3/292374533/2008_05_11_archive.html

dailykos

http://feeds.dailykos.com/~r/dailykos/index/~3/292346744/255

Updates will follow as information becomes available:

U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy was airlifted to a Boston hospital Saturday morning after falling ill at the Kennedy compound in Hyannisport, the Cape Cod Times reported.

He was first rushed to Cape Cod Hospital, and after being in the emergency room for two hours he was transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital, according to the Times.

It's unknown what the 76-year-old senator's medical condition is.

Update:  Hat tip to Kossack jazzmen8 for pointing us to the Cape Cod Times:

Hyannis fire responded to the compound after a call was made around 8:30 a.m. It's unclear what Kennedy's medical condition is, but after he spent almost two hours in the emergency room a decision was made to transfer him to Mass General Hospital in Boston.

Kennedy, 76, was placed on a stretcher and wheeled out to the MedFlight helicopter around 10:15 a.m. where it took off from Barnstable Municipal Airport.

CNN and MSNBC reporting it was due to possible stroke-like symptoms.

Update II:  According to the Boston Globe:

Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts has suffered a stroke in Hyannis Port and is being transported by helicopter to Massachusetts General Hospital, according to a leading poltical source.

Family members have been summoned to Boston, the source said.

Update III:  Official statement from the Senator's office:

Senator Kennedy went to Cape Cod Hospital this morning after feeling ill at his home. After discussion with his doctors in Boston, Senator Kennedy was sent to Massachusetts General Hospital for further examination.  He is currently under under evaluation and information will be released as it becomes available.

Update IV:  Some encouraging news:  On CNN, Ed Henry is reporting that a Kennedy source says that the Senator himself at about 10:30 a.m. called someone to say he couldn't host a luncheon. That would have been more than two hours after the originial 911 call.

dailykos

http://feeds.dailykos.com/~r/dailykos/index/~3/292346745/1591

Were my wife running for public office, you can be sure I'd make a donation to her campaign - if only to show my support and encouragement. It's the natural thing for a husband or wife to do, I think most people would agree.

What about the presidential candidates' spouses? The answer to that question is especially revealing in light of the charges of "elitism" directed so often against the least wealthy of the candidates, Barack Obama. I was not surprised to find, upon searching the FEC database, that Michelle Obama has given a modest donation to her husband's campaign (she gave $399 last year, to be precise).

Cindy McCain, however, has donated nothing to John's campaign through March of 2008 - not even once so far as FEC filings reveal. That fact reveals a good deal about the McCains.

Cindy McCain, who still refuses to release her tax returns, is operating at a whole different level than most of us. You may recall that the former CEO of Halliburton, Dick Cheney, had neglected for years to vote in Texas before he was nominated as a candidate for vice president in 2000. Like Cheney, Cindy McCain knows that her great personal wealth and business connections give her hidden ways to exercise political influence out of all proportion to what most ordinary citizens could ever hope to achieve. By comparison, the $2300 she'd be permitted by law to donate directly would be chicken feed in this family that owns eight houses. Cindy McCain just doesn't need to bother donating small sums to her husband's campaign.

For example as the NY Times revealed last month, Cindy McCain has donated the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of dollars to her husband's campaign by giving him her corporate jet to use at cut-rate prices.

Given Senator John McCain’s signature stance on campaign finance reform, it was not surprising that he backed legislation last year requiring presidential candidates to pay the actual cost of flying on corporate jets. The law, which requires campaigns to pay charter rates when using such jets rather than cheaper first-class fares, was intended to reduce the influence of lobbyists and create a level financial playing field.

But over a seven-month period beginning last summer, Mr. McCain’s cash-short campaign gave itself an advantage by using a corporate jet owned by a company headed by his wife, Cindy McCain, according to public records. For five of those months, the plane was used almost exclusively for campaign-related purposes, those records show.

Mr. McCain’s campaign paid a total of $241,149 for the use of that plane from last August through February, records show. That amount is approximately the cost of chartering a similar jet for a month or two, according to industry estimates.

The senator was able to fly so inexpensively because the law specifically exempts aircraft owned by a candidate or his family or by a privately held company they control.

Funny thing about that, it's McCain's own legislation that permits his wife to donate to his campaign the corporate jet service worth about $1 million. And according to the NY Times McCain continues to this day to use his wife's corporate jet. Clearly John McCain is unashamed to have had his hypocrisy on campaign-finance "reform" exposed so starkly. The McCains are well beyond the ordinary ethics that the rest of us bring to civic life.

That helps to explain why Cindy hasn't bothered to donate directly to her husband's campaign. Real elitism means never having to concern yourself about a few hundred bucks here or there.