“F” is for Flinging Computers Frisbee-like from the Window

   I live in a residential area in Brooklyn, New York. The area is quite unlike anything I expected to find when I decided to move to New York: instead of the expected skyscrapers I found myself facing mainly 2-story buildings; there are a few 3-story buildings and one 4-story building on my street, but they are apartments. Most buildings are one or two family homes. The best part of the area is…

This is the way my article on feral felines began. It was much further along than this, but my laptop, Cedric, decided to eliminate almost everything I had already written, hence, the desire to use him as a Frisbee. It is not the first time he has done this to me; it’s his favorite pastime and he does it very well. He has another little trick that he loves to do: Cedric LOVES to jump backward and forward and even off the screen. Sometimes the results can be hilarious, even though it means having to write everything at least three times before I finish. Geez!

Too well, in fact. The only reason I haven’t given in to my instincts to use him as a Frisbee is that he knows too much about me: who my friends are, what I like to write about, what books I like to read, what plans I have for the future. He contains my photographs, my music, my thoughts.He also knows who my clients are, how much they owe me, how much has and hasn’t been paid and my high scores in solitaire.

He also knows that I happen to have another laptop; I’ve mentioned it to him a number of times and he was there when I bought the other computer: my sister and I bought them together. But, he also knows that I need a monitor to be able to use Bud (my other computer) because Bud’s graphics went kaput after 4 years of steady use, including traveling from Italy to New York via England and Ireland, and then cross-country by bus to California and back to New York, and then to Washington State and back by bus. He worked hard, but there were times I felt like using him as a Frisbee, too.

I guess I’ll have to wait until I get another computer before I fling Cedric Frisbee-like from the window, but the lovely thought of being able to do it IS cathartic and relieves a lot of stress. I yearn for the day…

In the meantime, my feral felines will just have to wait for another blog entry for their 15 minutes in the sun.

“E” is for Economy (my occasional rant)

On July 27, 2011 Paolo von Schirach stated that “America is running now the serious risk of being pitied or laughed at by friends and foes alike. The once mighty Superpower cannot extricate itself from an economic and fiscal crisis that, however serious, is hardly terminal.” This was on the occasion when the US Congress was unwilling or unable (depending on the point of view) to pass a simple bill that would enable the Country to pay past obligations. They fidgeted, they fussed, they delayed and in the end, passed the bill. But in the interim, the United States’ credit rating was down-graded by two different agencies. It was a deliberate political move, intended to undermine presidential policy.

What I’m wondering about is: did those politicians realize that they weren’t just ruining the American economy, but also the economy of the entire world? It doesn’t really require the brain of a genius to realize that the economy of any country is dependent on the economy of other countries. To paraphrase John Donne, “No nation is an island unto itself.” The economy of each country is so intertwined with that of other countries that the decline of one country’s economy will inevitably result in the decline of the economy of each country that has any type of financial exchange with it.

Let me explain. Country A owes country B a certain amount of money; it’s not worried, because Countries C, D and E owe it a much larger sum, so it should have no problem paying off its debt to Country B. Country B also owes money to Country F, which in its turn owes money to Country G, and so on. Clear as mud, right? In a nutshell, everyone owes everyone else money. If one country is suddenly unable to meet its obligations with another country, this causes difficulties for that country to meet its financial obligations; in the end we have something that resembles a dominoes effect from one country to another.

Most countries are also lined through commercial trade. What happens if Country A’s credit rating has been downgraded, as happened to the US in 2011? Other countries are going to be a little less eager to accept the request of said country to buy merchandise on credit. They will want cash up-front; without this, Country A will be unable to obtain the desired merchandise, and at the same time, the other countries will also be out of luck, because they really need the sale so that they can buy other products that they need but can’t produce on their own.

And what is really bad is the effect in Country A’s own backyard. Country A needs new roads, new bridges, new hospitals, etc. They contracted the year before to have this work done, providing jobs, which produces a better economy. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough money in the till to pay for the work that has already been done, so what do you do?

The way I see it, there are three choices: raise taxes on EVERYONE, take money out of other coffers (which calls for austerity measures) or raise the debt ceiling. Raising the debt ceiling should be a temporary measure at best; it alleviates the immediate pressure but in the end simply adds on to the internal debt. Taking money from the coffers of other programs is a little like stealing from Peter to pay Paul. It puts a terrible pressure on the recipients of the funds that were taken, and leads to an increase in austerity; the experiences of countries such as Greece and Italy should teach us that austerity measures don’t work – they simply create resentment and unrest.

I my opinion, the best way is to exact taxes on everyone. It should be a reasonable tax that allows all of the people to enjoy enough the fruit of their work, not just a lucky few who actually enjoy the fruits of other people’s work. If people have more money in their pocket, they will spend it, which will increase the economy. People who don’t have money to spend on extras, won’t. It’s as simple as that. It seems to me that in a country that is supposed to be built on equality, there should be equality in all things, including taxation. And if everyone pays their fair share – some paying a heavy share with little gain and others paying a lighter share with a lot of gain is not quite fair – then the country’s economy will necessarily be improved. 35% of 20,000 (7,000) +15% of 3 million (450,000) =457,000 is much less than 20% of 20,000 (4,000) + 20% of 3 million (6,000,000)=6,004,000.

Okay, rant over. Thank you for “listening”. But I do think it’s fair that everyone that everyone pay their fair share to help in the economy of their country, whatever country it may be.   

 

Sources:

• http://schirachreport.com/index.php/2011/07/27/us-political-disunity-is-now-pathological-at-a-time-when-washington-needs-to-show-resolve-total-impasse-on-economic-and-fiscal-policies-a-divided-impotent-and-poorer-america-will-soon-become-irr/

“D” is for Dandelions

Yea! It’s finally spring and you’re on your way out to water the grass and enjoy the beautiful colors: grass green, new leaf green, white and pink, purple and blue, yellow and…YELLOW?! What are those little yellow flowers? Are they…naw! They can’t be… A closer look brings out an unhappy shriek: they are! Those nasty, yellow, DANDELIONS. Quick! get the trowel and dig them up before they spread. But wait! Are they really that dreadful? That lovely yellow makes such a pretty contrast to the green grass, and the entire plant can be used in a variety of ways.

I love dandelions. My parents always left a few for us children so that we could have the privilege of blowing the little seed parachutes, but when I grew up and moved to Italy, I discovered even better reasons to not completely dig up those pretty plants. They not only grow in the middle of fields there, but also grow in crevices between the rocks in walls. I remember walking through some cornfields in Switzerland one day in June; looking down I was amazed to see giant dandelion plants. My husband explained to me that the ones that were in the field were exactly the same as the much smaller ones that were found in most other places around the world.

I also discovered that its name came from the Italian name, Dente di Leone, which means lion’s tooth because of the jagged leaves that resemble teeth and the shaggy yellow flowers that resemble a mane surrounding a lion’s face. With a little bit of imagination, you can actually see how it got its name. Its official name is Taraxacum, and it is a member of the Asteraceae family. Like broccoli or Queen Anne’s Lace, it is composed of tiny flowers (florets) grouped together. There are a number of other plants that resemble the dandelion, including chicory, which is also known for its medicinal and culinary properties.

The most commonly used part of the dandelion is the plant itself, before the flowers have begun to appear. The plant can be boiled and used as greens; they need to be washed very carefully, because they do retain a certain amount of soil that needs to be removed before they can be eaten. They may also need to be parboiled for about 5 minutes because they can be extremely bitter. After the parboil, they should be boiled for at least another hour or until they are tender. After they have boiled, pour olive oil over them and add salt to taste. I recommend NOT using extra-virgin olive oil, because it tends to be bitter, and dandelion greens are already bitter enough on their own. In Italy, we would either eat it as described, or else we would sauté it slightly in a small amount of olive oil with crushed fresh garlic and a light sprinkling of pepperoncino. The latter method is also very tasty, as sautéing tends to minimize the bitterness. If you can handle the bitter, the uncooked leaves can also be used in salads; if not they can be parboiled for 5 minutes.

The heads can also be used in a variety of ways. One very interesting way is to take the buds – before they start to open – and preserve them under salt. These can be used in the same manner as capers. The open flowers can be as a garnish with steak or omelets or even in sandwiches. Just use your imagination. I even had a recipe (which, unfortunately, I never used) for making dandelion jelly. Perhaps the most famous use, at least in the United States, is for making dandelion wine.

Even the roots can be used. If roasted and ground, they make an excellent caffeine-free substitute for coffee; in my opinion the taste is much smoother and less bitter than real coffee. The root is also one of the main ingredients in root beer.

Dandelions are a rich source for many vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A,C, and K and calcium, potassium, iron and manganese. Because of their calcium and iron content, they are an excellent remedy for people who have low iron levels—the calcium allows them to absorb vitamin D, which is essential for the body’s ability to utilize the iron content. It is a perfect diuretic, also, because it replenishes the potassium that is normally eliminated by the body during diuresis. It also helps the body eliminate toxins that have built up during the winter.

And, to top it all off, leave it in your grass—because of the taproot’s ability to bring up important nutrients from deeper soil that short rooted plants – such as grass – cannot reach on their own, it actually aids these plants to grow better. It also gives off an important gas that enables fruit to reach maturation.

So, the next time you walk out the door, instead of screaming, “OH NO!” You can say “HURRAY!” when you see the sunny little faces of the dandelion plants.

 

“C” is for Cyprus and its Financial Downfall

Cyprus is the third-largest island in the Mediterranean, after Sicily and Sardinia, and is located near Turkey and Syria. The country has been under the rule of many countries during its existence, but became an independent nation in 1960, after 35 years as a British colony. Since then, internal strife between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots has been the order of the day, and had been a major factor in keeping Cyprus out of the EU. All attempts at reunification failed, and Greek Cyprus alone was allowed to enter into the EU. The leader of the pro-independence National Unity Party, Dervis Eroglu, won the presidential election of Northern Cyprus in 2010, while Dimitris Christofias has been president of Greek Cyprus since 2008.

Up until recently, Cyprus was considered an important offshore banking center. However, a recent financial crisis in the country has resulted in a definite down surge in its economy and the probable death of its status as a banking center.

The EU has established a “rescue plan” for Cyprus, which includes adding an additional tax on all bank deposits; although the exact percentage is still basically under discussion, most Cypriot nationals are less than enthused at having to pay this tax, claiming that the rate is too high for those with smaller deposits and too low for those in the higher deposit brackets. Regardless, it has been determined that the island must meet certain financial obligations in order to receive a “bail-out” from the EU; since it must obtain the quota in some manner, the tax must therefore be applied.

In the meantime, the Cyprian banks went on strike as a protest against the rigid measures that have been announced. The strike not only included closing its physical doors to all operations except ATM, but the strike was also extended to all financial transactions outside of Cyprus, including online and ATM services. This created serious problems for all account holders, both resident and non-resident. In fact, non-residents had absolutely o access at all to their funds, while internal ATM service was limited at best, with blocks-long lines.

This morning, 3 April 2013, the EU agreed to a 10 billion euro loan to Cyprus, under set conditions: Cyprus has agreed to apply the one-time tax on deposits over 100,000 euros, while those below that mark will be exempt. The Russian government has criticized the UE’s decision, calling them hypocritical and saying that the decision shows a distinct lack of values, especially in light of the UE’s statement about having lofty ideals. The decision could have political ramifications for the European Union itself.

The decision could possibly have a heavy negative impact on the banking industry  in the country, as it is predicted that many account holders will transfer their funds to banks in other offshore jurisdictions.

Was the bail-out a good move? Only time will tell, but it’s probable that while it may remove an immediate pressure from Cyprus’s internal financial crisis, the long-term results will be less than satisfactory for the banking industry in Cyprus, as people begin withdrawing their funds and transferring them to other, safer locations. As Russia’s statement indicates, there is already strife in the EU because of this action, and the word that is going about is that the euro itself has a bleaker outlook for the future.

 

Sources

• http://www.euractiv.com/euro-finance/russia-cyprus-bailout-shows-eu-l-news-518849
• http://news.yahoo.com/poll-euro-outlook-cut-again-botched-cyprus-bailout-170533274--business.html

He is Risen: Why Easter is Important to Me.

 Fifteen minutes later, Ross and Honey packed the kids into the car and headed off to Newport Beach for the church services. All four children walked demurely near their parents as they entered the church, which was beautifully decorated with pots of snow-white Easter lilies and bright yellow daffodils, just like the ones growing beside the McDonald’s driveway. After the Sunday School lessons, Honey accompanied Melody to the choir room, and then joined the others in the front row of the chapel. Groups of people, in brightly colored clothing that vied with the beautiful sun-brightened stained glass windows illuminating the chapel walls, streamed through the doors toward the welcoming pews. Waves of joyous organ music accompanied the festive throngs. Feelings of hope and thanksgiving hung on the air with comforting warmth. It was a day for celebrating the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The adult choir stood, divided, in the external aisles of the chapel, and began to sing the triumphal Easter hymn:

“Christ the Lord is ris’n today

Alleluia.

Sons of men and angels say

Alleluia.

Raise your joys and triumphs high

Alleluia.

Sing, ye heav’ns and earth reply,

Alleluia.”

It was so beautiful sitting between the two choirs as the voices echoed back and forth, and the triumph of the Lord rang in the congregation’s hearts. After the Pastor’s sermon, the children’s choir, seated behind the pastor, rose to sing, clutching battery lit candles in their hands. Melody was both excited and nervous at the same time and she fought to stand up straight as her knees wobbled and threatened to collapse from the emotion. She was singing in the choir for the first time, and it was wonderful, but what if she sang a wrong note there in front of everyone: she would die. But no, there was her family sitting there in the front row and she knew that everything would be alright. Mrs. Jarvis lifted her arms and began to lead the very young singers:

“When Israel was in Egypt’s land,

Let my people go.

Oppressed so bad they could not stand

Let my people go.

Go down, Moses, way down in Egypt’s land

Tell old Pharaoh, Let my people go.”

Melody’s heart began to slow down. She had done it; she had sung the right words in the right rhythm on the right notes. It was wonderful singing in a choir and the congregation’s reaction made her feel like she could fly like an angel. At the end of the last service, as she and the other fifteen boys and girls of the junior choir walked in double file down the center aisle of the chapel with their candles shining brightly, the pastor loosed a cloud of snow-white doves. Just as the young choir members were leaving the chapel to take off their choir robes, one of the doves left its circling companions and settled on Melody’s shoulder. She wasn’t surprised—lots of birds landed on Melody’s shoulder (though not those pesky mocking-birds)—but this bird just heightened her feeling of peace and joy. Wanting to share this feeling, she turned around to search for her family in the midst of the festive crowd. Suddenly, she felt a hand clasp her other shoulder. Turning around, she came face to face with Grammy Jenkins. “I see you’ve found a new friend, Mickey.”

The dove flew off to join his fellows as Melody and her grandmother hugged each other.

“Grammy, you came to hear me sing. What a neat song, huh? Where’s Grampa? Is he here? Are you coming to our house for lunch?”

“Oh, slow down; one question at a time. Yes, dear, the song was wonderful. Grampa is at work. You know the police have to work sometimes on holidays, unfortunately even on Easter. There are many more people here at Easter-time, you know. He’ll try to come later on, when he finishes his shift. Yes, I am coming to lunch and also to the Easter egg hunt. Then, if Grampa doesn’t make it in time, your Grandmother Mary will take me home.”

“Are you coming home with us in our car? Oh, please, Grammy. You can sit in back with me.”

“Yes, sweetheart, I’m coming in the car with you, but I think I’ll sit in the front seat next to your mommy and daddy. Shall we go find the others, now? I’ll bet that your Grandmother Mary is already waiting for us at the house. Take my hand and come along now, there’s a good girl.” (Old McDonald Had a Funny Farm, chap.1; copyright by Mary Purpari, 2009).

Most of the Christian world considers Christmas to be the most important holiday, but I place it in a very close second. Don’t get me wrong, here: I love Christmas, and if it were for me, Christmas – and especially the spirit it brings – could go on for 360 days a year. But, everyone has a birthday; only ONE PERSON was able to do what Jesus did for us. We couldn’t have done it for ourselves, let alone for the rest of humanity. John 3:16 says: “For God so loved the world that he gave his Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” “I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25 KJV).

Good Friday is the day in which the Savior fulfilled the scriptures and paid the price (atoned) for our sins. It started even before the Garden of Gethsemane. He knew that the time was drawing near—he had told his disciples, and especially his Apostles, on many occasions, but they didn’t really understand the importance of what was about to happen. They went to the Garden, and he asked them to watch and pray.

And when he went further into the Garden to pray for the strength to fulfill his calling (what he was about to undergo was not an easy task), his apostles fell asleep while waiting for him. He awakened them, and returned to his prayers. The agony he felt as he took upon himself the sins of EVERY person that has ever lived and will live in the future was so great that he sweated blood from every pore (Luke 22:24).

Can you imagine how great that pain must have been? And, it wasn’t a physical pain, but a spiritual pain; it was the pain of being dragged away from his Father by the weight of our sins. Of being so burdened by our sins that his Father left him. “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachtani… My God, My God why hast thou forsaken me?”(Mark 13:34). Shortly thereafter, he said, “It is finished: and he bowed his head and gave up the ghost” (John 19:30). This he did for those who believed in him and for those who would believe in the future.

His body was then laid in the tomb of a wealthy man, Joseph of Arimathea; guards were put by his grave to make sure that his disciples couldn’t come and take him away. We learn in 1 Peter 3:18-20 that while his body lay in the tomb, “he went and preached unto the spirits in prison.” He did this for those who had come before so that they, too, might have the chance to hear his Gospel and accept or reject it.

And on the morning of the first day of the week, Jesus arose from the dead, his spirit reunited with his physical body. This was the gift to all mankind, that they, too, would be able to once again to have their physical body. Job said, several centuries earlier, “I know that my Redeemer liveth… and though worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God” (Job 19:25-26). And Paul: “Oh Death, where is thy sting? Oh grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1Corinthians 15:55-57)

These are the reasons that Easter is so important to me, and this is why I, with Job, can say, “I know that my Redeemer liveth!”

 

Teaching to Love (or to hate) through example

I love children. They are absolutely the most wonderful people.

Yesterday morning, while I was sitting in the doctor’s office, awaiting my turn, the most beautiful little girl – she had to be about two at the most – stopped in front of me. Her mommy was ready to leave, but the little girl stood in front of me, entranced – by what, I’m not sure, perhaps she could tell how much I love children. Her mother called out to her several times so they could leave, but instead of going back to her mother, she edged closer to me. What could I do? Her mother wanted to go home, and I can’t say I blamed her, not one whit! I, myself, had already been there for two hours, and they were there before I got there.

So, I stood up and walked over to my new little friend; she was so tiny! I’m 5’5” tall, and this little girl only came up to my knees. I reached out my hand and, full of trust, my little friend took my proffered hand and we walked over to her mother. Once we arrived, she let go of my hand and reached out both arms to her mother, who immediately picked her up and hugged her. As they turned to go my friend waved good-bye. “Good-bye, sweetie,” I said waving back. “Good-bye, beautiful lady,” said her mother (I think the mother may have needed glasses). The sweet episode warmed me to the very core of my heart.

Children are so sweet, so trusting, so innocent and above all, so loving and forgiving. And they share these traits freely with everyone. They do not think that one person is less or more deserving of their love and trust than another until they have been taught – by the example of that person or others. Children learn quickly, especially during the first three years of their life, and will quickly adapt to what they are taught. This little girl’s mother was a very good example for her daughter. Everything about us was apparently very different and yet, to our way of thinking, the differences were completely unimportant.

Today, there is so much hatred and fear in our world – fear and hatred generated by people acting on the fear and hatred that they were taught by others.

For many years, I taught young children between the ages of 3 and 12 in church. One time the lesson involved comparing two children in the class. One of the children had light-colored skin, long, straight blond hair and blue eyes, and was very shy. The other had very dark skin, curly black hair, dark brown eyes and was very outgoing. One was taller than the other, and one was a boy and the other was a girl (a very scary difference, indeed, at that age). There were indeed a few differences, but we discovered that there were more similarities than differences: they both had two arms and hands, two legs and feet, two eyes, two ears, a nose and a mouth and most important, they both had a heart. They both loved their family and their friends.

And this is exactly the way it is throughout the world. True, no two of us are going to have exactly the same outward appearance (unless, of course, we are twins), but that is much less important than what is inside us. So, why is it that we adults, instead of looking inside to find the things that are common between us – the things that are important – search out the things that are different and, because they ARE different, we say that they are wrong, that they are bad and that we should stay away in order to avoid being ‘infected’ as though it were a disease to be different.

This attitude is so wrong. I know many people whose religion, or skin color, or nationality or total appearance or culture are totally different than mine. They come from all walks of life and education and even have political views that differ from mine. Does this mean that they are horrible and that I should avoid them at all costs? I certainly hope not, because then I would have very few friends and my life would be very boring indeed. We are all different, but we all have at least two things in common – we are all human beings and we all want to be happy.

Observe the children; combine their sweetness, their trust, their innocence, their love and forgiving hearts with knowledge and, with our example, teach them that these things are right, not wrong. Only by teaching the good things through our example can we eliminate the hatred and fear that are the true ‘disease’ that afflict our world today.

 

 

What to do in Case the Company that Published Your Book Goes out of Business

Sometime between October and December 19th of last year, one of the oldest Vanity Press publishing companies closed their doors. Just exactly when this happened is a very well-kept secret; all that is known is that the owner’s lawyers sent out a letter on December 19, 2012 to the “General, Unsecured Creditors of….”  The letter continued, expressing the company’s deepest regrets that its inventory was “in the hands of third-party distributors” and would not be enough to pay “creditor claims”. The letter concluded with: “We have been asked by management to express its sincere regret for the losses that creditors will sustain as a result of the failure of the business.”

This cold letter was received by the hundreds, if not thousands, of authors left in the lurch in the days immediately preceding Christmas. In fact, I, as well as several others, received mine on Christmas Eve.

I admit that my first reaction was of immediate horror. I had spent a lot of money to have my book published and it had recently been selling very well. To hear that I would NOT be receiving any royalties (which I had been counting on) and that I probably would not even get my books back, was quite an unpleasant thought, indeed; I screamed and threw the letter as far away from myself as possible (not very far, since I had neither scrumpled it up into a ball, nor had I made a paper airplane).

My housemate came quickly into the kitchen to find the source of the earthquake that had also broken his eardrums. I broke into angry, heartbroken sobs as I poured out the story of what was contained in the letter. The news left him as angry as I was, perhaps more so (if possible), but fortunately his reaction was to try and calm me down. This was, of course, a complete surprise. I had even written and published a rather whimsical short story based on not having received my royalties yet, two days after that the letter was sent. Little did I know that it would be somewhat prophetic.

The First Steps to Take

My first reaction is probably natural, and is exactly what the lawyers were going for. After I calmed down, however, I started thinking about how to go about regaining my books and publishing rights, as well as any royalties that might come my way. Of course, I already owned the copyright so that was no problem. So, I got in touch with a lawyer’s office, who directed me to a lawyer who dealt with authors’ rights. He told me that I should join an author’s guild. There are a number of guilds that offer support; which guild you choose will obviously depend on your needs and how much you are willing to spend for annual dues, but most do offer free legal assistance in addition to other perks. Be careful when searching, because not all offer the same services.

Often, authors in the same boat will unite in a private group on Facebook. If you hear of such a group, it’s a good idea to join it, but be sure to pay attention to those who join the group for reasons other than support; it may happen that some who are not actually part of the authors will join the group to further his/her own interests. Our group has grown daily, but no two of us have the same claims, which makes it difficult for us to get together in a class action suit, although the idea has been considered and several class action lawyers have been consulted.

The company’s lawyers have since sent out two more letters, one of which I have received; this letter invited us to request our publishing rights, but we had to agree to forego obtaining anything else, including books that had been paid for or royalties. Most of the authors, under legal advice, did not return the signed agreement. I haven’t received the other letter, although several others have said that it is a letter offering the books at a price of $0.50 handling fees + shipping fees for each book. Legal advice is also advisable here, especially if the number of books remaining is considerable.

Take a close look at your contract/ agreement. Then look again. It will give you a lot of information that you probably have forgotten. For instance, I had forgotten that the terms of the contract expired after two years, and that any time after that either party could terminate the agreement. I had also, unfortunately, forgotten that I could sue for breach of contract at any time if the company neglected to fulfill any part of the agreement, which they did in abundance.

In the end, I sent a termination letter – keeping in mind the terms of the agreement/ contract – and requested that all rights, royalties and books be returned to me within thirty days after receiving my letter. I sent it by first class certified mail with receipt; the date is drawing very near, and as there has of yet been no word, it is almost time to re-contact my lawyer.

Hopefully, everything can be settled outside of court; I will write about further steps as I meet up with them.