MOSCOW (Reuters) - A senior Russian diplomat played down reports that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would hold joint talks on Saturday with a Syrian opposition leader and U.S. and United Nations officials in Munich on Saturday.
Syrian opposition sources said on Friday that Syrian National Coalition President Moaz Alkhatib would meet Lavrov, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi in the German city, which is hosting a security conference.
"As it stands today, there is no such meeting mentioned in the program of the Russian Foreign Minister," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said on Twitter.
"Media reports of a meeting in Munich in the format of Lavrov-Biden-Brahimi and Syrian opposition representative Alkhatib do not correspond with reality," he said.
Such a meeting, if it took place, would be the first between Lavrov and Alkhatib, who in December rejected a Russian invitation to come to Moscow for talks and called on Lavrov to apologize for what he said was Russia's intervention in Syria.
Alkhatib survived a challenge to his authority after saying he would be willing to talk to Syrian officials without President Bashar al-Assad stepping down first.
Russia says Assad's exit from power must not be a precondition for a negotiated settlement of the 22-month-old conflict that has killed more than 60,000 people.
(Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Steve Gutterman and Timothy Heritage)
Brian Stropolo lost his gig as an NFL replacement ref when Facebook pictures of him in Saints gear emerged just before he was supposed to officiate a Saints game.
But the pictures were far from a secret, and were even discovered by Ravens coach John Harbaugh during the preseason.
In a detailed and touching story by Jim Kleinpeter of the New Orleans Times-Picayune which centers on Stropolo?s personal struggle, Stropolo mentioned that Harbaugh brought up the pictures prior to a preseason game.
When he introduced himself to Harbaugh prior to their game against the Jaguars, Stropolo told him he had seen the photos after Googling his name.
?You?re a Saints fan,? Harbaugh said, as relayed by Stropolo.
?I said, ?I?m from New Orleans but I?m neutral. I?m from the NFL,?? Stropolo said, insisting he?d call the game fairly.
He said Harbaugh replied by saying: ?Oh no, I?m just messing with you.?
Stropolo also said he felt like he was hung out to dry by the NFL, after being part of the crew that officiated the opener, and was ranked highest in the preseason by the league.
?When we came off the field [NFL executive vice president for football operations] Ray Anderson was in the end zone high-fiving us with the biggest smile on his face,? Stropolo said. ?We walked in the locker room and Roger Goodell was standing there by himself and shook every one of our hands.
?He said, ?Guys let me tell you something, that was amazing. Y?all looked like the real deal. Y?all set the bar so high I hope the rest of the crews can come up to do what y?all did.? All of them [NFL officials] were smiling.?
The league?s reaction turned dramatically when the photos were revealed prior to the Saints-Panthers game he was supposed to call, but was removed the day of the game.
?Hi folks! January is blog-post re-play month here on the?30 Day Books?blog. Some of the posts are over 12 months old and some info may be a little outdated, but I?ve chosen those that I feel will still be useful and valuable. Enjoy!?
Are you shy? Consider yourself introverted?
What a great book! I loved this whole series as a kid.
This topic is particularly important to me because of my own story and experience. I?m a little hesitant (embarrassed) to share this with you, but hopefully it will resonate with some of you and my advice will be of use.
While I don?t exactly fall into the ?shy camp? in most areas of my life, when it came to launching my book in March 2011, something VERY strange happened. I got butterflies. I got weirdly uncomfortable when people asked about the book. For a long time I considered?using a pen name. I was SO shy about the whole thing.
I am more than happy to shout loud and proud about others? books ? including my husband?s which I?d just spent a year marketing loud and proud ? but when it came to raving about my own book I just wanted to curl up and hide!
I knew it was a good book, I knew there was a demand for it, I?d had very positive feedback from my critique partners and beta readers, but that didn?t seem to help me to feel okay with promoting myself. Honestly, I bet 50% of my friends didn?t even know I?d written a book for the first 6 months it was out there. It was a horrible experience for me and one that I could never have predicted.
So what was I worried about??Well, here?s a SHORT list of things off the top of my head:
- That people would judge me as a result of the book?s content (bridal beauty, health & staying stress-free). That I would look like a wedding-obsessed bimbo!
- Negative reviews
- That there was a lot of ?me? in the book, things I didn?t necessarily want friends and family to know about
- That people would judge me for self-publishing
- My writing.
?
My BIG Shift in Thinking ? The One thing that changes everything.
These worries, thankfully, didn?t last. Long enough to do some damage (the first 6 months) but short enough for me to turn it around. So what happened?
When researching some tips on public speaking for a talk I was scheduled to give, I read this piece of advice. It occurred to me that it applies to every situation in life ? including to authors promoting their books:
?
?Take the attention off yourself and focus on the gift you are giving other people.?
?
This was just the slap in the face I needed. The book wasn?t about me at all.
My book ? and yours ? is a gift! We wrote it for a reason, right? Because we thought that the story, message, delivery would resonate with someone. It would open their mind, teach them something, make them laugh, entertain them, take them away from their stressful life? or [insert your own reason here].
?
What?s YOUR reason?
Whatever your reasons for writing your book were ? and ?shy? authors I suggest that you sit down and write a list ? once you?ve cemented that reason, I?m telling you that it?s YOUR DUTY to get that book out there to as many people as possible. You?re doing someone else a favor with your book and writing.
My reason??I wrote the book because I wish I had it when I was getting married. I knew that I loved Brandon dearly but that didn?t prevent the fact that I was scared about tying the knot. As many brides who turn into bridezillas can attest, weddings are super stressful life events that can bring up a whole host of emotional issues and family drama. I wanted to put my experience on paper and let other brides know that those emotions are normal. Here is one email I got from a reader:
?
?Thank you SO much for writing this book. It really has altered my perspective and made me feel better about the stress and anxiety that I?m feeling. You were speaking to me in this book. A friend of mine sent me two other bride-to-be books but they?re just pages and pages of things to?worry?about, essentially, which frightens me off sitting down and reading them. I?ve a hard enough time dealing with anxiety as it is! Wow! Glowing Bride though, is perfect. Thank you again!?
Wasn?t I being kind of selfish worrying about how others viewed the book when it could have helped so many more? After a few emails like this I stopped caring about the potential negative reactions to the book and focused on the positive impact it had.
?
Give your book the chance it deserves?
You can?t just give birth to your book and then let it fend for itself! It needs a push and a?big?shove in the right direction? that is the direction of readers.
Here are my top 5 marketing tips for shy authors.
?
1. Change your shift in thinking.?
See above -?Focus on the book and it?s message.
ACTION STEP?- Go write down the reasons you wrote the book, what the message is, and how and why people will get value from it.
?
2. Take Advantage of the Internet
As Florida author?Bob Tarte said in this interview with Jane Friedman:
?For me the introvert-extrovert thing doesn?t apply a whole lot to online activity.?What?s more introverted than sitting alone in a room and typing with the shades down??
ACTION STEP ? Connect with readers all from behind the comfort of your computer in the following ways?
Get social on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus or Pinterest ? choose 2 and focus your efforts there.
Blog regularly (at least once a week)
Start an eNewsletter to your database of readers and send it out consistently. I harp on about building an email list because I really do think it?s one of your biggest assets. Even after you think you are done promoting your book ? you?ll want to be able to let your readers know when you publish your second, third (and thirtieth!)
?
3. Be helpful and generous with reviews and comments on blogs and forums.
I would actually argue that introverts have the advantage here since they are usually good listeners by nature. Offer up advice and answer questions, or leave thoughtful comments on blogposts and you?ll find that you?ll build your network easier than you could imagine. Sales come as a natural result.
ACTION STEP ? Subscribe to your favorite book and writing blogs or join a few forums where your readers hang out. Commit to spending 15-20 minutes each weekday morning commenting while you enjoy your first coffee or some breakfast.
?
4. Keep a file or list of achievements close by!
In some cases introversion is?a?result of low self-confidence. As someone who considers them self part-introvert, part-extrovert I know that from experience I feel most introverted when I?m feeling down on myself. With personal experience in mind, I know that focussing on how far I?ve come, as well as the ?positive feedback I?ve received (yup a little self-bragging) can certainly help me feel more outgoing and social. Print off your favorite review, email, or positive words from a reader or friend, and read it to remind yourself why you?re putting the book out there to people in the first place.
ACTION STEP ? Go print out your brags and put them in a drawer near your desk (or on your wall if you?re feeling proud!)
?
5. Separate yourself from your work and your identity from your book.
This is easier said than done, especially when we know that using ourselves as part of the ?brand? is so important in today?s publishing industry. But having a strong identity outside of your book and writing ? that is, reminding yourself of your skills and positive strengths elsewhere in your life ? will mean that the natural ups and downs of marketing your book won?t hit so hard and you?ll be more willing to take risks and put yourself out there.
ACTION STEP ? Write out a list of 5 things you consider yourself good at outside of writing. Ask friends and family to contribute if you are drawing a blank.
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How about you? Do you consider yourself shy or introverted? How has this affected your book marketing so far? I?d love to know what promotions you are comfortable with and what you avoid like the plague :). Leave a comment!
Laura Pepper Wu is the co-founder of 30 Day Books: a book studio. She has worked with a variety of authors to successfully promote their books, including many Amazon best-sellers. Laura is the author of wedding non-fiction guides and book marketing guides 77 Ways to Find New Readers for Your Self-Published Book and Fire Up Amazon!
Laura also runs Ladies Who Critique, a critique-partner finding site. When she's not working at the studio, you can find her walking her dog, "yoga-ing" or at a coffee shop in Seattle.
>>ho... it's the honey sweetness. i...i mean, you...love.
>>>let me finish tonight with this. sometimes 90% just isn't good enough. ask
mitch mcconnell
, the most powerful republican in the
u.s. senate
who, despite that lifetime approval rating from the
american conservative union
is now out of step with some kentuc kentuckyans on the right. a recent poll found twice as many people promising to vote against mcconnell. and obama and only 34% of republicans. mcconnell's supposed misstep, the positively audacious acts of helping to craft the
2008wall street
bail out and negotiating with vice president biden, an aversion to the fiscal cliff a few weeks ago. another gop senate seat could succumb to the purity effort. and, worse, instead of halting these self-inflicted wounds, many are changing the way
electoral votes
are tabulated. gop officials in pennsylvania, florida, michigan and ohio have considered abandoning the winner-take-all approach. the ramifications would be significant. if every
electoral vote
in the country were awarded by con
congressional district
,
mitt romney
would have won the
electoral college
276 to 262. if fl n, michigan,ohio, pennsylvania, wisconsin and virginia adopted the new system, obama's sizable margin would have been reduced by just 4. luckily, republican leaders are throwing
cold water
on those efforts. and i think they're doing their party a favor. it's crazy to tinker with the
electoral college
system while losing winnable senate seats to the fringe factor. and fixing that dynamic should be the
m r
party's priority. instead, mconnell might turn out who was dpeemed unak septemberble by a relatively small but passionate cadre of voters. or fighting for a system of more open primaries. that's "hardball" for
The Kansas Legislature is taking up a pair of bills aimed at limiting the power of unions, The Lawrence Journal-World reports.
HB 2023 would prevents the Kansas National Education Association from using voluntary paycheck donations for political activities, according to the Journal-World. That bill is ready for debate.
A bill introduced Tuesday, HB 2123, would limit the ability of public workers, police and firefighters to bargain for better pay or working conditions. The United Steelworkers of America and Working Kansas Alliance said the bill basically strips public workers of their bargaining rights.
After opening up sales in the US and Germany, Google has started selling its highly sought-after Nexus 4 smartphone in the UK, France and Spain [Update: not Australia] via?the Google Play Store.
According to?TechCrunch, Google is promising?shipping times as 1-2 weeks in each market.
As we?ve previously detailed,?LG, which Google partnered with to design and manufacture the device?has been blamed in the past for the shortage.?Dan Cobley, the Managing Director of Google?s UK division,?took to Google+ last month to explain the issues, going so far as to apologize for LG?s ?scarce and erratic? supply of the smartphone. He later called LG?s communication ?flawed?, and promised that the device was now being shipped for anyone who had originally received a three to five day delivery estimate.
When we first reviewed the Nexus 4 back in November 2012, we called the device both beautiful and powerful; we found it proof that Google Now is the future of Android.
If you?re interest is piqued, you can snag one for yourself here.
Jan. 31, 2013 ? Scientists in the joint research project "FUNgraphen" are pinning their hopes for new technologies on a particular form of carbon: They have developed new carbon macromolecules and molecular carbon composite materials with special properties. The molecules are derived from graphene, a substance that consists of individual layers of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb-like pattern. The process previously necessary to make use of this substance was complex and expensive and thus of little value for most plastics applications.
A research group at the Freiburg Materials Research Center (FMF) of the University of Freiburg led by the chemist Prof. Dr. Rolf M?lhaupt, managing director of the FMF, has now succeeded in combining graphene with polymers, making them fit for plastics applications, and preparing them for material optimization on a kilogram scale. The project "FUNgraphen," funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, is being coordinated at the FMF with support from an industrial advisory board. The other project partners besides the FMF are the University of Bayreuth, the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) in Berlin, and the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials in Freiburg.
In the FMF processes individual layers of carbon atoms, derived from natural graphite and also renewable carbon sources, are physically and chemically attached to polymers. The result is giant molecules of carbon, so-called macromolecules, which are less than a millionth of a millimeter thick but can achieve widths of more than a hundredth of a millimeter. The resulting carbon macromolecules and carbon polymer hybrid materials are light, durable, environmentally friendly, and electrically conductive. Moreover, they are resistant to heat, chemicals, and radiation and are impermeable to gas and liquids. "They have the potential to vastly improve resource and energy efficiency of plastics," says M?lhaupt.
In addition, the researchers dispersed several of these large carbon molecules in water, nontoxic solutions, and plastics to produce concentrated stable dispersions without requiring either binders or dispersing aids. These mixtures can be used to coat surfaces and print conductive carbon films as well as electrically conducting micro patterns. In this way, carbon can replace expensive transition metals like palladium or indium. "The applications range from printed electronics to printed catalysts with a pore design for the production of fine chemicals with simple catalyst recovery," says M?lhaupt. The printed conductive carbon layers are much more mechanically robust than printed indium tin oxide layers. The scientists at the FMF also succeeded in mechanically reinforcing plastics and rubber with carbon macromolecules and simultaneously making them electrically conductive, resistant to radiation, and more gas-tight. These substances are interesting candidates for application in antistatic and impermeable fuel tanks and fuel lines, casings that are shielded against electromagnetic interferences, and gas-tight automobile tires for reducing fuel consumption in transportation.
Examples from the project partners' research also show that carbon macromolecules are far more versatile than the carbon nanoparticles typically used today, thus opening up new potential for the development of sustainable materials and technologies. Prof. Dr. Volker Altst?dt from the "FUNgraphen" team at the University of Bayreuth was able to substantially reduce the cell sizes in foams by adding carbon macromolecules. This will allow the researchers to improve the thermal insulation properties of foams and develop new, highly efficient insulating material. The "FUNgraphen" group led by Dr. Bernhard Schartel at the BAM has succeeded in increasing the fire protection effect of halogen-free flame retardants by adding tiny admixtures of the new carbon macromolecules. A plastic equipped with this new material does not catch fire even after a flame has been applied to it several times -- unlike unprotected plastics, which become deformed at high temperatures and start to burn immediately when they come into contact with fire.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Albert-Ludwigs-Universit?t Freiburg.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
F. J. Toelle, M. Fabritius, R. M?lhaupt. Emulsifier-Free Graphene Dispersions with High Graphene Content for Printed Electronics and Freestanding Graphene Films. Advanced Functional Materials, (2012), 22(6), 1136-1144
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
