Dead Tree Books, eBook

Goodreads changes reviewer policy, irks members

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Goodreads’ has drawn a line (a read line?) in the sand regarding reviewer policies.  The new policy includes deleting “content focused on author behavior” rather than on actually reviewing the book.

From the website:

Since our inception, Goodreads has lived by a few simple principles with our reviews. You can see our full policy in our review guidelines, but at a high level, we believe:

1. Reviews should be about the book. If you think a book is a masterpiece, tell people why. If you hated the book, say so. If it had potential but fell short, share your perspective.

2. Members are not permitted to harass or threaten other people. We have always dealt with this promptly when it has been brought to our attention.

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National Parks

150 Years of Yosemite – focus on the Yosemite Museum

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

The Yosemite Museum was completed in 1925, and opened to the public on May 29, 1926. Architect Herbert Maier designed the building in a very specific “National Park Service Rustic Style,” which became the standard throughout all national parks throughout the United States.

The Yosemite Museum was the first building constructed specifically as a museum for the national park system.

From the NPS website:

“…The National Park Service Rustic Style became a cornerstone of the National Park Service’s belief that buildings should blend in with their natural surroundings and that natural settings could influence architecture. Indigenous building material, such as native rocks, logs, and shakes (wood shingles), were utilized for all visible exterior parts. The architectural philosophy was that “(rustic style) gives the feeling of having been executed by pioneer craftsmen with limited hand tools. It thus achieves sympathy with natural surroundings and with the past.” The Yosemite Museum is exemplary of rustic style. It was constructed in the heart of an emerging village center, in which all buildings were to have a unified architectural theme. Museum architect Herbert Maier described the relationship between the Museum and its natural surroundings by saying, “The elevation of the museum stresses the horizontal—that seemed the logic of the situation…to attempt altitudinal impressiveness here in a building would have meant entering into a competition with the cliffs.” Maier went on to design many structures that are considered exemplary rustic style. In 1933, Maier was hired by the National Park Service as the regional director for the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) work in state parks. In this capacity, Maier helped develop guidebooks to assist state park designers in using rustic design principles. These books were widely distributed and influenced design of park structures nationwide at a time when hundreds of new parks were developed with CCC labor…”

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General Aviation

Cessna announces order for 79 172 Skyhawks

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

In the largest puchase deal in the history of the company, Cessna Aircraft announced at Moscow’s JetExpo 2013 that Russian flight training group ViraZH has placed an order for 79 Cessna 172 Skyhawk aircraft.

This will give the Moscow-based ViraZH, the largest Skyhawk air wing in operation in the world, with 90 172s on the flight line. The company plans to use the Skyhawks, along with 11 172s purchased in 2011, for training purposes at flight schools throughout western Russia. The order is part of a multi-year agreement between Cessna and ViraZH. All 79 aircraft set to be delivered by the third quarter of 2014.

“We are delighted to have a strong relationship with ViraZH and are proud they have selected the Cessna 172 Skyhawk to be their training platform,” said Kriya Shortt, Cessna senior vice president of Sales.

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Activities, Gear Reviews

REI ends the ‘forever return’ policy

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

And it’s about damned time!

When I first began to become the rugged outdoorsman that I’ve become (along about the time they cancelled Miami Vice and ABC aired the Moonlighting episode that jumped the shark (Season 3, Episode 14, “I Am Curious… Maddie” … if your show is built on sexual tension between co-stars NEVER LET THEM SLEEP TOGETHER!)), I discovered REI.  It wasn’t the most convenient store, with none being located close to me, but it was HUGE and it had everything I could ever need.  Which, at the time, was mostly hiking shoes.

An interloper shoed up in the way of Adventure 16 over that was close to me in Newport so I started giving them all of my money, but then REI moved to an even bigger store in Tustin, and scared A16 back to San Diego.

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Dead Tree Books, eBook

CALL FOR ENTRIES: Shelf Unbound Writing Competition

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

SHELF UNBOUND WRITING COMPETITION FOR BEST INDEPENDENTLY PUBLISHED BOOK, SPONSORED BY HALF PRICE BOOKS

Shelf Unbound book review magazine announces the Shelf Unbound Writing Competition for Best Independently Published Book sponsored by Half Price Books. Any independently published book in any genre is eligible for entry. Entry fee is $30 per book. The winning entry will be selected by the editors of Shelf Unbound magazine.

“Independently Published” books include self-published books (such as those published through CreateSpace, Lulu.com, iUniverse, etc.) and/or books published through small presses releasing less than five titles per year. Books entered in last year’s competition are eligible for re-submission in this year’s competition. There is no limit to the number of books an individual can enter; each book is a separate entry.

The official rules for the competition can be found at here.

To submit an entry, email a PDF or Word Doc of your entire book, including the cover, toMargaret@shelfmediagroup.com, subject line Contest Entry (or mail a physical copy of your book to: Shelf Media Group, PO Box 852321, Richardson, Texas 75085-2321), and send a check for $30 made out to Shelf Media Group to Margaret Brown, Shelf Media Group, PO Box 852321, Richardson, Texas 75085-2321, or pay via PayPal (click on this link and select “Competition Entry Fee”). All entries received (and entry fee paid) will be considered.

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