Publishers Lunch Deluxe
Meanwhile, Lunch has obtained (that’s journalistic code for pretending you did a lot of hard work after someone dropped some documents on you) multiple documents asserted by the source to have been prepared by the principals representing author McCafferty. One section carefully cites over 40 passages from McCafferty’s two books accompanied by what are asserted as “duplicate passages in Viswanathan’s novel.” Another section cites 29 numbered comparisons (often a subset of those cited above) of “alleged infringing passage(s).” Presumably this is where today’s NYT piece gets its contention that “there are at least 29 passages that are strikingly similar,” but they don’t source their accusation. Many of the passages cited have similar (and in a few cases identical) page numbers as well, indicating that the “unconscious… similarities” often occurred at similar points in the respective books.
An additional section asserts an extensive overview of “identical scenes, plot points, and characters” shared between the books in question. It alleges: “After an initial, nearly original, 30-page set-up in Viswanathan’s novel, many of the primary plot points, characters, and settings in Viswanathan’s novel directly copy McCafferty’s work. Every major character in Viswanathan’s novel… is clearly modeled after a character from Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings. Both novels are written in the first person, each narrated by a witty, high school honor student who lives in New Jersey, whose primary desire is to get into a specific Ivy League college (Columbia/Harvard).” [and more and more...]
Good reporting by Michael Cader who absolutely puts to shame the flimsy coverage of this story in other outlets.
Chron.com | Airlines ponder standing-room ’seats’
The airlines have come up with a new answer to an old question: How many passengers can be squeezed into economy class?
A lot more, it turns out, especially if an idea still in the early stage should catch on: standing-room-only “seats.”
Airbus has been quietly pitching the standing-room-only option to Asian carriers, though none has agreed to it yet.
Let’s put more eggs in the basket!
Digital Spy – Showbiz – Snoop Dogg working on first novel
Snoop Dogg is working on his debut novel, which is due to be published this October.
The rap star will release Love Don’t Live Here No More as the first of a series telling the story of a man’s foray into the world of hip-hop.
Kathleen Schmidt, director of publicity for Atria Books, explained: “Snoop, by nature of what he does, is a storyteller. Books speak more to a female audience than his music, so these novels give him an opportunity to show, particularly to his female fans, another side.”
Equity Loan Bad Credit (n.): a bad idea.
If you are looking for a home equity loan and you have bad credit, think again! You are probably about to do something very stupid. There may be a very few circumstances where it is smart to apply for an equity loan with bad credit, like, say, a meteor is about to hit you and the only way you can avoid it is by adding to the mortgage on your house, but for almost everyone else, you are probably much wiser off paying down your home equity and working patiently to repair your bad credit.
In case you don’t remember, a home equity loan is secured by the equity in your home. That means that if you happen to fall into bad credit habits again, you lose your home.
That is the worst consequence of taking out a equity loan with bad credit.
You automatically get some pretty bad consequences because of your bad credit. Specifically, you are going to have to pay outlandish interest rates and the payment terms are likely to be much less forgiving. One slip, and you have more bad credit and even less (or absolutely no) home equity.
Don’t go there.
According to Symbiotic, this bad boy normally generates between $30 and $40 per click.
Tomorrow’s high-paying Google AdSense keyword brought to you by Nimble Books. This article free for reuse as long as you link back. (c) 2006 W. Frederick Zimmerman.
AAA Insurance Michigan: notably paternalistic “auto club” which awards itself a lot of “As” but gets a “B” from this customer.
According to my buddies at Symbiotic, AAA Insurance Michigan hangs around $5.00 click. AAA Michigan’s insurance offerings are familiar in my circles. My late mother-in-law worked for the notably paternalistic company for 20 years. Her workplace at AAA Michigan was a refuge for her from her increasingly abusive alcoholic husband. Not enough of a refuge, though; she died at 53. I can’t help but feel vaguely disappointed that AAA Michigan, like so many other firms, was, in the end, silent and unaware of its employees’ personal tragedy. These “employee assistance programs” are a good start, but somehow I feel that something is missing in the whole scheme of employment in our country when you can work somewhere that
I myself have been a AAA Michigan insurance purchaser ever since I learned to drive (at 25, but that’s a story for another day). I’ve almost always gotten my AAA Michigan insurance through a group purchase plan at the University of Michigan Credit Union. In theory, this entitles me to a discount … in practice, when I’ve comparison-shopped, the discount has never seemed that great.
AAA Michigan’s insurance claim services have usually been pretty efficient. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad experience with a AAA Michigan insurance claims adjuster. I’ve filed maybe four or five claims in my 20 years, and they’ve always responded quickly and paid what I thought I was due.
AAA Michigan has an advertising campaign running right now for its road-side service. The gist of it is:
- moderately dangerous crisis described (your daughter wants to buy a new car)
- AAA Michigan comes to the rescue (for example, by offering insurance)
- stirring music allowing you to congratulate yourself on your smarts in being a AAA Michigan insurance or road-side service customer
Somehow, the AAA Michigan ad campaign fails to impress. It is just a bit too smug and smarmy. It would be so much more effective if it was a little more common-sensical and understated.
That’s all I have to say for now … stay tuned for tomorrow’s high-paying Google AdSense Word of the Day!
(c) W. Frederick Zimmerman 2006. Free for reuse as long as a link back is provided to Nimble Books.
Sales for the last 90 days on my UNAUTHORIZED HARRY POTTER BOOK 7 NEWS: HALF-BLOOD PRINCE ANALYSIS AND SPECULATION.
Portsmouth Herald Local News: Dan Brown speaks: Best-selling Rye Beach author enthralls Music Hall audience
Dan Brown speaks: Best-selling Rye Beach author enthralls Music Hall audience
Good description of his 2 hour speech to a local audience.
Wow — I just learned there is a Windows XP PowerToy from Microsoft called TweakUI that lets you prevent apps from “stealing focus,” i.e. jumping to the top of screen no matter what you are doing in another window. This is a huge productivity gain for me! I hate the way XP allows apps to steal focus by default.
Lincoln Tribune – Speaker Jim Black’s Plea Bargain – Opinion – News
Some Democrats not inclined to dismiss the allegations as exaggerated are nevertheless fearful of pressing for Black to go now. They don’t see how Democrats can be competitive in House races this fall without the benefit of the speaker’s leadership and fundraising prowess. They wonder where Black’s existing campaign funds would go after an ouster. Also, they fear what could happen to their own political futures if they go public and Black keeps his post. As the fantasy author George R.R. Martin famously put it, when you play the game of thrones, you win or you die.
Nice to see GRRM entering the vernacular!
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