July hottest US month on record

July was the hottest month the continental US has seen since records began, federal scientists have said.

Last month, the average temperature was 77.6F (25.3C), hotter than the old record from July 1936, during a period of severe drought known in the US as the Dust Bowl.

The last 12 months were the warmest since modern records began in 1895.

It was also more than 3F warmer than the average temperature in July during the 20th Century.

Climate scientist Jake Crouch, from the National Climatic Data Center in North Carolina, attributed the phenomenon to both localised heat and drought, as well as global warming, according to the Associated Press.

"It's a pretty significant increase over the last record," Mr Crouch said. The current heat "is out and beyond those Dust Bowl years. We're rivalling and beating them consistently from month to month."

Drought-stricken corn crops

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Drought in US bakes cattle and crops

He added that the high night-time temperatures seen in 2012 set this year's heat apart from the Dust Bowl era.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has noted that its index for measuring extreme weather - and not simply heat - has surpassed its old record, set in 2011.

The US Extreme Climate Index, which reflects how much of the nation is experiencing extreme weather, is at 37% - above an average of 20%.

For the first seven months of the year the index was at 46%, trumping the old record set in 1934.

Meanwhile, the NOAA's drought monitor suggested that 63% of the lower 48 states was affected by drought, and would lead to the smallest corn yield in the last six years.

President Barack Obama has called on Congress to pass a farm bill that would provide assistance to livestock farmers who require disaster assistance, but currently have access to less insurance than crop farmers.

The US is the world's largest grower and exporter of corn and soybeans, and the heat and drought has prompted global concern over increasing food prices.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-19187115#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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Nuke plant chief after tsunami: 'This is serious'

FILE - In this March 15, 2011 file photo released by Tokyo Electric Power Co., smoke rises from the badly damaged Unit 3 reactor, left, next to the Unit 4 reactor covered by an outer wall at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex in Okuma, northeastern Japan. The emergency command center at Japan's stricken nuclear plant shook violently when hydrogen exploded at Unit 3 and the plant chief reacted by shouting, "This is serious, this is serious," reveal videos of the crisis as it happened last year. (AP Photo/Tokyo Electric Power Co., File)

FILE - In this March 15, 2011 file photo released by Tokyo Electric Power Co., smoke rises from the badly damaged Unit 3 reactor, left, next to the Unit 4 reactor covered by an outer wall at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex in Okuma, northeastern Japan. The emergency command center at Japan's stricken nuclear plant shook violently when hydrogen exploded at Unit 3 and the plant chief reacted by shouting, "This is serious, this is serious," reveal videos of the crisis as it happened last year. (AP Photo/Tokyo Electric Power Co., File)

(AP) ? The command center at Japan's stricken nuclear plant shook violently when hydrogen exploded at one reactor, and the plant chief shouted, "This is serious! This is serious!" videos taken during last year's crisis reveal.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. initially refused to release the footage, but the company is now under state control and was ordered to do so. The videos, seen Monday, are mainly of teleconferences between company headquarters in Tokyo and staff at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant after the March 11, 2011, tsunami critically damaged its reactors.

In the videos, then-plant chief Masao Yoshida can be heard complaining about phone calls to the prime minister's office not getting through and expressing frustration over interference from government nuclear safety officials whose technical advice didn't fit conditions at the stricken plant.

In footage taken around 11 a.m. on March 15, Yoshida screams to utility officials: "Headquarters! This is serious, this is serious! The No. 3 unit. I think this is a hydrogen explosion. We just had an explosion."

"I can't see anything from here because of heavy smoke."

In the background, officials can be heard shouting questions about radiation levels and other data. The massive earthquake and tsunami that hit northeast Japan knocked out the cooling systems that kept the reactors' nuclear material stable, causing a meltdown of the three reactors' cores, releasing large amounts of radiation.

As workers struggled to assess the situation, they fell behind media reports. A voice from an off-site emergency center says he saw the explosion on television news.

The structures housing three of the reactors suffered hydrogen explosions after gas filled the unvented buildings, and the blasts spewed radiation and delayed repair work. To try to halt the explosions, the videos show officials even considered dropping a hammer from a helicopter to make a hole in the ceiling, but they scrapped the idea because it was too dangerous.

The footage reveals communication problems between the plant and the government as well as workers' lack of knowledge of emergency procedures and delays in informing outsiders about the risks of leaking radiation.

Just after the Unit 3 explosion, plant officials and TEPCO executives discussed extensively whether to call it a hydrogen explosion. The videos also showed they failed to notify officials outside TEPCO and residents about the March 14 meltdown at another unit, No. 2, or even provide data crucial for evacuation.

"Are we providing a release on this?" TEPCO vice president Sakae Muto asks, while discussing the meltdown of Unit 2's reactor core. A plant worker says no, while another executive, Akio Komori, instructs workers to quickly conduct radiation monitoring because they might have to evacuate at some point.

To this, another TEPCO official replies that he does not know the evacuation procedures contained in an emergency manual: "Sorry, that's not in my head."

After the March 12 explosion at Unit 1, dozens of workers were highly exposed to radiation, and the videos reveal TEPCO officials debated how they could allow extra exposures without getting in trouble.

"They can go home and take a bath and open their pores" to wash off contamination, one official suggests. Days later, the government raised the maximum exposure levels to more than double the usual limit for emergency operation.

The Unit 2 reactor was the most critical in the first few days. "Radiation levels are extremely high," Yoshida said. "You don't understand because you're not here, but it's really a skin-tight situation. (The workers) can go in only a short while, and they have to rotate."

The 150 hours of footage were heavily edited, with workers' faces obscured and beeps masking voices and other sound. In addition, TEPCO made a 90-minute video of selected clips available for download.

On March 15, the videos show a visit by then-Prime Minister Naoto Kan to TEPCO's Tokyo office. Bursting in, Kan is seen rebuking officials and demanding they work harder, though the segment contains no sound. For 20 minutes operations at Fukushima Dai-ichi seem halted, with officials and workers, as well as TEPCO executives in Tokyo, sitting straight and quietly listening to him.

Shown from behind, Kan appears upset, frequently raising and lowering his arms. Government and parliamentary investigation reports have said that Kan, who thought TEPCO executives planned to fully withdraw workers and abandon the plant, demanded they "risk their lives" to get the plant under control.

Eventually a total of 71 workers remained, trying to avoid catastrophe.

The plant's reactors were declared stable in December, and many more workers are now toiling at the site, undertaking a cleanup that could take decades. More than 160 workers have exceeded radiation exposure limits that require they no longer work at the plant, but so far no one is known to have developed a radiation-induced illness.

Kan left office last year after being criticized for the government's failings during the disaster, which was the world's second-worst nuclear accident after Chernobyl.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-08-06-Japan-Nuclear/id-e3d7c3fb226d4edd9d4c0d669cbcf1fd

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Library News ? Blog Archive ? Trial extended again: Health and ...

August 8, 2012 ? 10:46 am
ACULibrary

Health & Society in Video is from Alexander Street Press, and this collection ?defines and explores today?s latest medical progress in health and wellness issues and their impact on society? with hundreds of premium documentaries, profiles, reports, and interviews?. There are 165 titles in this collection, covering topics such as ageing, bioethics and obesity.

We have extended our trial to Health & Society in Video until 31 August (was 6 July).

If you are studying or teaching around health issues and their impact on society, this may be a trial for you to check out. And if you do take a look, we would love your feedback (using the online form).

Tags: database trials

Source: http://blogs.acu.edu.au/library/2012/08/08/trial-extended-again-health-and-society-in-video/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=trial-extended-again-health-and-society-in-video

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Straightforward, Efficient Marketing For your House Business | Arty Apt

One in the keys into an effective household small business thought is advertising it as thoroughly as possible. There are several strategies to market place your home business thought, they usually do not need to break your financial institution.

One of your very first actions you ought to take together with your property company idea would be to make business enterprise cards and a professional letterhead. These are an cost-effective and effortless approach to remind other folks about the existence of one?s house enterprise notion.

Next, you are going to would like to community with as numerous men and women as possible. Begin to share your house business enterprise notion with friends and family, making certain they all have company cards to offer away to other individuals they?re in make contact with with. When advertising your home organization idea, having said that, tend not to stop with friends and family members, as this really is where quite a few make their initially mistake. Make sure to attempt to increase your community of prospective clients as a lot as possible, sharing your house small business notion with everyone you appear into get in touch with with. One excellent strategy to do this is to affix civic companies, visit trade displays, be concerned with mothers and fathers and committees at schools, and participate in every other variety of neighborhood involvement that may well help market your house business enterprise notion. Constantly have additional copies of the business enterprise card in case somebody is enthusiastic about your home small business concept, or there?s a good chance to clarify what it can be that you do.

A different rule of thumb will not be to tell individuals that it is really a property business enterprise idea. Many times the phrase ?work from home? can have unfavorable connotations, even though your home business enterprise notion could be an extremely severe enterprise. Most instances, it is actually ideal to stay as specialist as you possibly can by talking of your household small business idea on precisely the same degree as another company enterprise, and refraining from immediately mentioning where it is actually positioned.

Another low-cost and powerful way of promoting your house business enterprise thought is hanging flyers and organization cards on community bulletin boards for example in grocery shops, etc. Should you be on the lookout for these kinds of community bulletin boards, you will obtain them within a great deal of places, and they can be an excellent and simple method of spreading the news about your home organization notion.

Also, you could have the name, slogan and telephone number of your house company thought painted on the side of one?s automobile. This really is extremely easy advertising! If you are nervous about painting your automobile to promote your house organization idea, there is certainly also the option of a removable magnetic sign. Do be conscious that if you use these approaches to advertise your home business concept, you might need to create adjustments in your insurance coverage or your registry with all the Department of Motor Automobiles.

Sponsoring a contest with some variety of prize is an additional technique to easily and proficiently advertise your home company idea. If you function hard to make one of the most of everyday possibilities, you might come across that gaining the word out about your home small business thought is usually relatively easy and really very affordable.

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Source: http://artyapt.com/blog/straightforward-efficient-marketing-for-your-house-business/

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PFT: Seahawks, T.O. agree to deal

ed-werder-310x444

The battle lines were drawn early Monday. ?ESPN?s Ed Werder, Adam Schefter, and Chris Mortenson jointly reported that the NFL has offered to slice Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma?s suspension from 16 games to eight. ?The NFL denied the report, adamantly.

Werder addressed the situation during an appearance on ESPN?s NFL Live.

?As we reported, settlement discussions have taken place,? Werder said. ??Was there a formal offer?? Was there a hypothetical offer? ?I don?t think anybody can be quite sure exactly the form this took.? And while the NFL has vehemently denied the accuracy of the story at all, I can tell you that the other side ? the sources who provided this information to us last night ? have been equally adamant that we stand our ground, that the information is correct, that there have been settlement discussions, and that the NFL has offered to significantly lessen Jonathan Vilma?s suspension is he agrees to drop the defamation suit.?

That?s a fair and accurate response. ?And Werder maybe should have stopped right there. ?Because he thereafter opted to riff, and it made him seem more than a little defensive.

?Now, lawyers are obviously expert and make millions of dollars manipulating semantics so there?s no question some of that may be involved here,? Werder said, with a gratuitously inaccurate generalization that: ?(1) all lawyers are rich; and (2) all lawyers manipulate semantics. ?(Actually, only the rich ones do.) ??And as a reporter I can tell you that, you know, the Cowboys vehemently denied my Terrell Owens story a couple of years ago and insisted Jerry Jones did that he remain on the team, and three months later he was released, despite an enormous salary cap hit.?

First, the cap hit actually wasn?t enormous. ?Second, it appears that Jerry Jones possibly has purchased the spot next to Cowboy Chris?inside Werder?s head.

We don?t doubt the accuracy of the Werdscheftenson report. ?And we think that the dispute is a matter of semantics. ?No formal offer was made, but an eight-game reduction was (and still may be) available.

Still, Werder may have gone a bit too far in painting lawyers with a broad brush and then pointing to a three-year-old scoreboard.

(Photo credit: ?ESPNMediaZone.com)

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/06/report-owens-agrees-to-terms-with-seahawks/related/

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Credit Suisse is Best Buy banker and believer ... - Fortune Finance

FORTUNE --?Credit Suisse (CS) is advising Best Buy (BBY) founder Dick?Schulze on his proposed take-private acquisition of the electronics retailer. It also is one of the few banks whose senior retail research analyst doesn't think Best Buy is on its way to the liquidation scrap heap.

On July 31, Gary Balter published a research note titled Disagreeing with Consensus. ?He begins:

"The current consensus on Best Buy is that cash flow is on its way to zero, joining such illustrious retailers as Circuit City, CompUSA, Good Guys and many other consumer electronic chains. We disagree with that for a number of reasons and while we are not changing our rating, we like the idea that this 'mismanaged' chain trades at just over 2x cash flow, has over a 20% free cash flow yield and is universally hated by all the smart money.

Kind of interesting that Balter puts "mismanagement" in quotes, given that he then goes on to bash company executives for failing to develop a strong online presence, ignoring customer experience, being overpriced, failing to incentivize?most salespeople with commissions and maintaining overly-large store sizes. I guess we're supposed to pay more attention to the latter point:

Best Buy's revenue is still pretty good, despite being run by nincompoops. Imagine what could happen if competent people were in charge.

To that end, Balter approves of interim CEO?Stephen Gillett and also thinks the company is well positioned to benefit from changing Internet sales tax rules. He makes mention of rumors that?Schulze was mounting a buyout offer -- remember, this was from last week -- but only in the context of uncertainty (thus causing him to maintain Best Buy's "neutral" rating).

Yes, I know that there is supposed to be a firewall between banking and research. And I'm not arguing a violation here. Just an interesting juxtaposition.

Sign up for Dan's daily email newsletter on deals and deal-makers:?GetTermSheet.com

Source: http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2012/08/06/credit-suisse-is-best-buy-banker-and-believer/

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Best Buy bid shows leverage is back - The Term ... - Fortune Finance

High debt in proposed deal for electronics retailer

FORTUNE - Analysts' reaction to the bid to buy Best Buy (BBY) from the company's former chairman was this: Not going to happen. They said private equity investors would balk at the amount of debt Richard Schulze would need to raise to make the deal fly. "This would be a very hard deal to pull off," says Michael Pachter, who follows Best Buy for Wedbush Securities.

But if recent deals are any guide, Schulze's bid to take back the company he founded may have a better shot than some guess. The leverage well for private equity deals, which dried up in the financial crisis, appears to ready to draw from again.

In the second quarter, private equity firms used debt to pay for 64% of the average large company buyout deal, according to S&P Capital IQ. That's the highest that figure has been since the start of the financial crisis.

MORE: Best Buy's poor stock pop

And while that's down from where it was in 2005 and 2006, when debt averaged around 70%, some deals appear to be approaching pre-crisis levels. For example, private equity firms?Carlyle and BC Partners plan to finance their recent $3.5 billion purchase of the industrial divisions of United Technologies unit Hamilton Sundstrand with two-thirds debt, said one banker with knowledge of the deal.

One reason leverage is creeping up again is because debt remains cheap. Low interest rates have caused banks and investors to seek out higher yielding investments. That's made it easier for private equity firms to get financing at better prices. It has also opened the door for so-called covenant-lite deals in which banks lend money with few strings attached. Those types of loans now make up 21% of syndicated bank lending, up from just 5% two years ago.

This is, of course, good news for private equity firms looking to do deals and boost returns. For the banks, it could be a different story. And some worry that the rush to finance these deals could fuel a new private equity bubble, and debt crisis.

MORE: Companies are paying up for deals

For now, though, those fears seem overblown. That's because LBO prices are down 20% from 3 years ago. As a result, even with the higher debt, most deals still seem less risky than those being struck just a few years ago. The debt-to-ebitda ratio (a measure of leverage to a company's cashflow) of the average private equity deal in the first half of 2012 was 4.85. Back in 2007, leverage ratios were north of 6.

On Monday, Schulze said he was assembling a group that would pay $24 to $26 a share for Best Buy, or roughly $8.8 billion. As part of the deal, Schulze said he would contribute his stock, which is worth roughly $1 billion. Analysts said Schulze and other private equity investors are likely to invest another $2 billion. That leaves $5.8 billion to financed by debt, or nearly 66%, which is similar to the Hamilton Sunstrand deal.

The deal's leverage would be on top of the $1.7 billion in long-term debt that Best Buy already had on its books. Add that in and the deal has a debt-to-ebitda ratio of 3.2, which looks cheap. That, though, is based on Best Buy being able to maintain it's? cashflow, which appears to be shrinking. But at a time when banks are rushing to finance deals, it's not clear that concerns like that matter.

Source: http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2012/08/07/best-buy-leverage/

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'Great Gatsby' movie is pushed to summer 2013

'The Great Gatsby' ? the latest film version of the novel, directed by Baz Luhrmann ? had originally been slated for a Christmas Day 2012 release.

By Molly Driscoll,?Staff Writer / August 6, 2012

'The Great Gatsby' will star Leonardo DiCaprio (l.) as Jay Gatsby and Carey Mulligan (r.) as Daisy Buchanan.

L: Toru Hanai/Reuters R: Eric Gaillard/Reuters

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The Baz Luhrmann adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald?s classic novel ?The Great Gatsby? is moving its release date from Christmas of this year to sometime in the summer of 2013, according to its studio Warner Bros.

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?It truly brings Fitzgerald's American classic to life in a completely immersive, visually stunning and exciting way,? said Warner Bros. Pictures president of domestic distribution Dan Fellman in a statement. ?We think moviegoers of all ages are going to embrace it, and it makes sense to ensure this unique film reaches the largest audience possible.?

Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, the president of international distribution for Warner Bros. Pictures, said response from test screenings had been positive.

?We think 'The Great Gatsby' will be the perfect summer movie around the world," she said.

?Gatsby? is directed by ?Moulin Rouge!? director Baz Luhrmann and will star actor Leonardo DiCaprio as the titular character, ?Drive? actress Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan, and ?Spider-Man? actor Tobey Maguire as the story?s narrator Nick Carraway. It will be released in 3-D.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/IOXDlOB-C80/Great-Gatsby-movie-is-pushed-to-summer-2013

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Mental health careers - HEALTH, BEAUTY & FITNESS

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Source: http://curryrecipe-jp.net/health-2/mental-health-careers/

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Shadine M?nard of HIP Magazine: An Interview :: Kreyolicious.com


Sooner or later Shadine M?nard had to be part of something big?creatively-speaking. She grew up as the daughter of legendary novelist Evelyne Trouillot. Her uncle was the late and noted intellectual and anthropologist Michel Rolph-Trouillot. As a little girl, she wrote brilliant essays and poems. Says her sister Nad?ve M?nard, ?Shadine definitely expressed herself through writing from an early age. I can?t say that I knew she?d be drawn to the magazine business or publishing, but it was clear that she was passionate about many topics, especially Haiti, her family, music, and fashion.? In high school, M?nard wrote for the school?s newspaper, and teachers were constantly praising her creative writing skills. During her college years at Drexel University in Philly, professors were immensely impressed by M?nard?s gifts for the written word, and agreed that she should put her abundant gifts to professional use.

And then there was M?nard?s avid consuming of fashion and beauty magazines. Throughout her life, she loved leafing through the pages of Essence, Vogue, Glamour, Amina, and Vibe, and eventually got an editorial position at the latter magazine, as well as its sister publication Vibe Vixen. Becoming an integral part of the magazine world, and noticing the different niche publications that were tailored for particular groups by the industry made M?nard wonder why there wasn?t one for someone like her. Someone like her, as in a Haitian-American who was attuned to both cultures, one who had an innate need to stay close to her culture, but who was also interested in keeping in touch with the American side too, and beyond.

In 2008, after much planning, M?nard launched Haitian International Pulse magazine, abbreviated as HIP. The print publication was enthusiastically welcomed by the audience that it was intended for. A long-time beauty aficionado, M?nard didn?t just write articles on color palettes and hem lines. The Fashion Institute of Technology graduate also explored issues like the sugar cane field workers in the Dominican Republic, and wrote extensively about Haitian music, cinema, art, and social issues?all from a Haitian-American perspective.

These days, the publication is done in online format. But don?t think that its readers love it any less. For longtime HIP devoted readers like Mia Lopez, says M?nard?s work doesn?t go unappreciated. ?HIP stands out because it talks about a a variety of things,? affirms Lopez. ?From health to beauty, from music to entrepreneurs, HIP introduces a host of things to its readers. The blogs are personal, the interviews are in depth, the comments after a release also keeps you interested.? But more than the articles, is the community within HIP itself. Lopez adds: ?The typical Haitian website nowadays doesn?t focus on much more than gossip, it may have an article here and there but the main focus is always hearsay and gossip. HIP distinguishes [itself] from them from keeping it real but in a high standard.?

Besides being a magazine mogul, M?nard is an ardent champion of Haitian causes. Following the earthquake that hit Haiti in 2010, she was on the scene, on the grounds distributing much needed clothes and supplies to those in need.

Between working tirelessly on HIP?to keep it within the standards its devotees have come to expect, and balancing her life?M?nard agreed to answer some questions about her work.

Q & A

What is a typical day like for you as the creator of HIP?
Usually, I am up all night either writing or working at a Brooklyn bar. The nights I work, I get home between 4 and 5 A.M. I usually eat breakfast, catch up on emails then relax a bit before starting my morning workout. I usually end my workout by 9 P.M. the latest, shower and sleep before getting up to write, interview then continue on with my errands before heading back to work. On my days off I try to relax, but am constantly inspired by things and people around me that give me new ideas for HIP, which is why I always have a small notebook and pen on me.

Anything in your background and experiences that was useful in starting and managing HIP?
My past editorial positions for Vibe, Vibe Vixen and iStyle Magazine gave me inside knowledge on the behind-the-scene workings of a publication?product requests, production schedules, transcribing, editing, readership. Additionally, I believe that all past experiences and positions help us in some way. My merchandising manager position in retail, internship at FUBU, interpreter/translation work for non-profits?they all left a mark and a lesson.

What were some obstacles that you came across in starting as well as in running HIP?
In the beginning, when I was printing the premiere issue, it was hard to get advertisers. Fortunately there were a few private businesses and a Haitian woman who loves supporting new Haitian ventures that were in my corner. When it comes to running the webzine, the hardest part is doing it all on my own. I have a problem delegating and trusting others to help with my baby, but that will have to change at some point. It is also hard getting people to understand how a legit editorial magazine?whether it is online or in print?is run. They are always trying to barter for publicity or trying to tell me how to write an article?tone I should use, what I should say, etc. It is true that sometimes readers give me great tips and ideas on new stories, but part of what makes HIP different and consistent with my vision is that it doesn?t mainly focus on konpa or the most popular people in Haitian culture and gossip. HIP is about marrying Haitian and international cultures and shedding light on intelligent, interesting, enlightening and entertaining content. I think it?s important to keep that balance and also to make sure HIP?s integrity is not compromised by accepting money for features. Also, if you want to have ads on HIP please pay, we don?t barter?exceptions are rare and made for super supporters and loved ones. I find it offensive that people have no problem saying: ?I think your site is great and would love to advertise on there but I don?t want to pay?.

Are you influenced by anybody in particular?
My mother is my biggest influence. She decided earlier than most to quit her full-time stressful job in education and focus on her writing. Although she still teaches, she is now a successful writer and speaker. She is also a co-owner of an editing company that creates and contributes to publications for UNESCO and others. She is doing what she loves and making a living from it and loving it. The best thing about it is that it makes her happy and allows her to represent Haiti proudly.

Where do you see the magazine and publishing world heading?
I was sad to see such publications as Honey suffer from the downward spiral the magazine world went through a few years ago. Many niche publications could not and still cannot keep up with the print costs and demands in these hard times, yet they are needed by specific demographics. The publishing industry as a whole has been changing and not necessarily in a bad way. So many publications are now available in different formats and the challenges and competition has forced them to be more creative and tactical with content, such as the great changes implemented in Marie-Claire.

Any interview experience in your journalism career that especially stood out?
As an editorial assistant at Vibe I met and worked with Ciara, the model Jessica White and others, but I was in work mode and not fazed at all. Living and going out in NYC you meet so many people that it kind of seems normal. As far as interviewing, I just like getting into people?s heads and forget their title once I?m talking to them because you can?t get overwhelmed or star crazed and let that impact your work. In order to be professional and ask pointed questions, I have to stay unaffected. The only person I was in awe of and felt myself beaming every time she uttered one word was Gloria Steinem. ?Til this day I kick myself for not bringing a camera with me to the A Long Walk Home fundraiser that she hosted at her home. Speaking to her was like a dream. She is such a wise and powerful and caring human being. And if anyone doesn?t know who she is they should Google her [Laughter].

What are your thoughts on the current state of all the sectors of Haitian entertainment, be it music, movies, or other?
Oh goodness, do I have to answer this question? [Laughter] I?m really liking some of the rap Kreyol now. I guess it?s because I feel they are bringing something new. As far as movies go, I?m still scarred by the few I?ve seen. There are a few very talented people in the Haitian movie industry, but as a whole we need to do better. As far as konpa goes, I still have old hits like Zenglen?s An Nou Al?z cd, many of ZIN?s old hits and K-Dans?from the era where the CaRiMi guys were still part of it. There is something timeless about the konpas I grew up listening to or maybe it?s nostalgia talking. [Laughter] I do love some of the current konpas, but I get tired of listening to the same songs for over a year. I?d love it if production was sped up more.

Curious to know what your favorite all-time books, music pieces and movies are!
There are way too many to list. My favorite book of all time is Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. Other books that I can read over and over again and still get completely immersed in them are: La Gloire de Mon P?re (Marcel Pagnol), Le Ch?teau de ma M?re (Marcel Pagnol), Diary of Anne Frank, Little Women (Louisa M. Alcott), Rosalie L?Inf?me (Evelyne Trouillot) and For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf (Ntozake Shange). I am so sappy when it comes to movies. I can watch Dirty Dancing, Pretty Woman, Beaches, Pretty in Pink, Sleepless in Seattle over and over again. But my true pleasure when it comes to film is watching old movies on the Turner Classic Movie network: The Philadelphia Story, Some Like It Hot, Breakfast at Tiffany?s, My Fair Lady, Grand Hotel, Strangers on a Train, Take Me Out to the Ball Game, The Sound of Music and many more. As far as music, I listen to anything really. I don?t discriminate; if it sounds good to me I?m downloading it.

Readers and subscribers who have been with HIP from the very beginning are still hoping to get it in print again.
I actually love print magazines. I feel like there is no substitute for the feeling of holding a print magazine, flipping through it and going back to it during train rides, salon visits and bedtime readings. So I miss having HIP in print as well; unfortunately there?s no way I could financially afford to continue the print edition. I have been thinking of printing one special annual issue every year though. Just a thank you to the readers and a keepsake that they can have always each May to commemorate the first time it was printed.

It?s been said that every magazine editor has a novel lying around in their drawers. Is that the case with you?
Haha. I have to laugh at this question because many people ask me this as soon as they learn I?m a writer and are always perplexed when I assure them that I?ve never had plans to write a novel. Some, my mother in particular, think that I should. But it?s just a step I don?t feel I can take yet. Aside from editorials, writing has always been cathartic for me. I?ve just now started sharing my poetry publicly and feel that any novel would have so many huge chunks of my reality that I?m not ready to share that much of myself yet.

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Source: http://kreyolicious.com/shadine-menard-of-hip-magazine-an-interview/5670/

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