Wise Women Won't Wait Any More
Saturday, December 28, 2019
Western Art: Horses We Have Horses
Please check out our western art prints available on our new You Tube Channel - Pine Tinder Press - Decorating with Art by J Chatham.
Many of her prints are available at www.artpal.com/PineTinderPress
We Have Seascapes and Landscapes and Cypress Trees and Blue Bonnets
Please subscribe to my You Tube Chnnel: Pine Tinder Press - Decorating with Art by J. Chatham
You Like Roses! We Have Roses! Featured on new YouTube Channel
Please subscribe to my YouTube channel: Pine Tinder Press - Decorating with Art by J Chatham
We Have Orchids
Please subscribe to my new YouTube Channel - Pine Tinder Press- Decorating with Art by Texas Artist J. Chatham
Sunday, December 22, 2019
Choosing Art which Coordinates with Your Decor
By Faith Chatham - Dec. 22, 2019
Most of us spend considerable time with paint chips and samples of wall paint when we are decorating. We get swatches of fabric when we are adding new upholstery pieces and samples of counter tops and floor covering. Then when it comes time to accessorize, to add vases and art, etc., some of us get lax.
It is possible when buying a high end piece of art to bring it home on approval. However, most of us do not invest in high dollar pieces of art. We can use the same care however, by selecting prints from designers who create with decorators in mind.
My 2020 Designer Collection was created with decorators in mind. I used to decorate furniture showrooms, design trade show displays and decorate model homes. Frequently I would find a piece of art that seems to fit the spot and discover that some of the tones or colors in the piece clashed or got drowned out by other pieces of furnishings in the decor. I decided to solve that by designing prints with images that come with various backgrounds.
An easy tool to use in helping you select the best background for a print is your smart phone or tablet. Open the video to the image you prefer and hold your phone up in the room where you are considering hanging the art. Hold it near the wall, the upholstered furniture, the floor covering. This helps you eliminate some backgrounds immediately. You can select those that appeal to you and narrow them down by going through the process again with only those backgrounds until you decide which is your favorite.
If considering a large print, you might want to order a small one for a few dollars before investing in the more expensive larger one. This can be helpful when you are designing from the ground up. It is also helpful for decorators to use with clients. Along with sketches of the room, paint chips, floor covering samples, upholstery and drapery swatches, a small sample of the proposed art can be included at a nominal cost. There are some clients who might enjoy framing a 5x7 of a print which will eventually become a large dominant focal point of their new office, home or redecorated room.
Large prints on canvas can run between $200 to $600 yet a 5x7 print is usually between $7 and $20 wholesale. Some artist will give you credit your print purchase as a discount on larger pieces. I produce 5x7 and 8x10 prints in-house. Larger sizes are sent to outside fabricators. Some of my designs are available from ArtPal.com. Wholesale pricing and decorator discounts are only available directly from the artist, not through ArtPal.
When working with artists, some will welcome receiving a jpg of the proposed room or setting where the piece of art is to be hung. They may have original pieces or designs which are not featured on their website or the print on demand art sites which will work in that setting. You may be surprised and thrilled at the response you get from an artist when you make a direct inquiry. I prefer receiving them by e-mail. This allows me to examine them without them becoming too big of an interruption when I am in the studio,, working with a client or writing.
When decorators are designing interiors for hotels and spec home for companies which have multiple subdivisions, some print designers will sell a license to portions of their portfolio of copyrighted work so that the client can select multiple copies of the same work for use in specific properties for a fee. The client can select their own fabricator or printer, pay them directly, have the artist order and transmit the design to the printer, and the client pay the printer directly. The artist gets a set fee for the license. The client can use the printer which they prefer without having the artist mark up each print with an artist or gallery profit margin. This is helpful when there are five or more of each print needed for various location.
Here are a couple of short videos which shows the backgrounds available with one of my more popular floral designer prints.
Most of us spend considerable time with paint chips and samples of wall paint when we are decorating. We get swatches of fabric when we are adding new upholstery pieces and samples of counter tops and floor covering. Then when it comes time to accessorize, to add vases and art, etc., some of us get lax.
It is possible when buying a high end piece of art to bring it home on approval. However, most of us do not invest in high dollar pieces of art. We can use the same care however, by selecting prints from designers who create with decorators in mind.
My 2020 Designer Collection was created with decorators in mind. I used to decorate furniture showrooms, design trade show displays and decorate model homes. Frequently I would find a piece of art that seems to fit the spot and discover that some of the tones or colors in the piece clashed or got drowned out by other pieces of furnishings in the decor. I decided to solve that by designing prints with images that come with various backgrounds.
An easy tool to use in helping you select the best background for a print is your smart phone or tablet. Open the video to the image you prefer and hold your phone up in the room where you are considering hanging the art. Hold it near the wall, the upholstered furniture, the floor covering. This helps you eliminate some backgrounds immediately. You can select those that appeal to you and narrow them down by going through the process again with only those backgrounds until you decide which is your favorite.
If considering a large print, you might want to order a small one for a few dollars before investing in the more expensive larger one. This can be helpful when you are designing from the ground up. It is also helpful for decorators to use with clients. Along with sketches of the room, paint chips, floor covering samples, upholstery and drapery swatches, a small sample of the proposed art can be included at a nominal cost. There are some clients who might enjoy framing a 5x7 of a print which will eventually become a large dominant focal point of their new office, home or redecorated room.
Large prints on canvas can run between $200 to $600 yet a 5x7 print is usually between $7 and $20 wholesale. Some artist will give you credit your print purchase as a discount on larger pieces. I produce 5x7 and 8x10 prints in-house. Larger sizes are sent to outside fabricators. Some of my designs are available from ArtPal.com. Wholesale pricing and decorator discounts are only available directly from the artist, not through ArtPal.
When working with artists, some will welcome receiving a jpg of the proposed room or setting where the piece of art is to be hung. They may have original pieces or designs which are not featured on their website or the print on demand art sites which will work in that setting. You may be surprised and thrilled at the response you get from an artist when you make a direct inquiry. I prefer receiving them by e-mail. This allows me to examine them without them becoming too big of an interruption when I am in the studio,, working with a client or writing.
When decorators are designing interiors for hotels and spec home for companies which have multiple subdivisions, some print designers will sell a license to portions of their portfolio of copyrighted work so that the client can select multiple copies of the same work for use in specific properties for a fee. The client can select their own fabricator or printer, pay them directly, have the artist order and transmit the design to the printer, and the client pay the printer directly. The artist gets a set fee for the license. The client can use the printer which they prefer without having the artist mark up each print with an artist or gallery profit margin. This is helpful when there are five or more of each print needed for various location.
Here are a couple of short videos which shows the backgrounds available with one of my more popular floral designer prints.
Last Minute Gift Suggestionby J Chatham
There are advantages to gifting an e-book to those you know enjoy reading. It is not necessary to have a kindle or e-book reader. There are free apps that allow you to read e-books on your tablet, smart phone or PC. I read on my tablet.
For mystery buffs, those with ties to East Texas, newspapers (especially the Longview News or Marshall News Messenger), Radio (KYKX and KLUE/KMHT). veterans, vintage motorcycle buff, folks from East Texas (especially Longview, Marshall or the Shreveport, La) area, BLUE, ILLICIT and UNSPOKEN should be an interesting light diversion.
There are no shipping charges for delivering an e-book.
Special Pre-Christmas sales reduces the price of many e-books to 99 cents or less than $2 making them great stocking stuffers!
Last Minute Gift Suggestion by J Chatham
There are advantages to gifting an e-book to those you know enjoy reading. It is not necessary to have a kindle or e-book reader. There are free apps that allow you to read e-books on your tablet, smart phone or PC. I read on my tablet.
For mystery buffs, those with ties to East Texas, newspapers (especially the Longview News or Marshall News Messenger), Radio (KYKX and KLUE/KMHT). veterans, vintage motorcycle buff, folks from East Texas (especially Longview, Marshall or the Shreveport, La) area, BLUE, ILLICIT and UNSPOKEN should be an interesting light diversion.
There are no shipping charges for delivering an e-book.
Special Pre-Christmas sales reduces the price of many e-books to 99 cents or less than $2 making them great stocking stuffers!
Saturday, December 21, 2019
J Chatham 2020 Decorator Print Collection
By Faith Chatham - Dec. 22, 2019
Most of us spend considerable time with paint chips and samples of wall paint when we are decorating. We get swatches of fabric when we are adding new upholstery pieces and samples of counter tops and floor covering. Then when it comes time to accessorize, to add vases and art, etc., some of us get lax.
It is possible when buying a high end piece of art to bring it home on approval. However, most of us do not invest in high dollar pieces of art. We can use the same care however, by selecting prints from designers who create with decorators in mind.
My 2020 Designer Collection was created with decorators in mind. I used to decorate furniture showrooms, design trade show displays and decorate model homes. Frequently I would find a piece of art that seems to fit the spot and discover that some of the tones or colors in the piece clashed or got drowned out by other pieces of furnishings in the decor. I decided to solve that by designing prints with images that come with various backgrounds.
An easy tool to use in helping you select the best background for a print is your smart phone or tablet. Open the video to the image you prefer and hold your phone up in the room where you are considering hanging the art. Hold it near the wall, the upholstered furniture, the floor covering. This helps you eliminate some backgrounds immediately. You can select those that appeal to you and narrow them down by going through the process again with only those backgrounds until you decide which is your favorite.
If considering a large print, you might want to order a small one for a few dollars before investing in the more expensive larger one. This can be helpful when you are designing from the ground up. It is also helpful for decorators to use with clients. Along with sketches of the room, paint chips, floor covering samples, upholstery and drapery swatches, a small sample of the proposed art can be included at a nominal cost. There are some clients who might enjoy framing a 5x7 of a print which will eventually become a large dominant focal point of their new office, home or redecorated room.
Large prints on canvas can run between $200 to $600 yet a 5x7 print is usually between $7 and $20 wholesale. Some artist will give you credit your print purchase as a discount on larger pieces. I produce 5x7 and 8x10 prints in-house. Larger sizes are sent to outside fabricators. Some of my designs are available from ArtPal.com. Wholesale pricing and decorator discounts are only available directly from the artist, not through ArtPal.
When working with artists, some will welcome receiving a jpg of the proposed room or setting where the piece of art is to be hung. They may have original pieces or designs which are not featured on their website or the print on demand art sites which will work in that setting. You may be surprised and thrilled at the response you get from an artist when you make a direct inquiry. I prefer receiving them by e-mail. This allows me to examine them without them becoming too big of an interruption when I am in the studio,, working with a client or writing.
When decorators are designing interiors for hotels and spec home for companies which have multiple subdivisions, some print designers will sell license their copyrighted work so that the client can select multiple copies of the same work for use in specific properties for a fee. The client can select their own fabricator or printer, pay them directly, have the artist order and transmit the design to the printer, and the client pay the printer directly. The artist gets a set fee for the license. The client can use the printer which they prefer without having the artist mark up each print with an artist or gallery profit margin. This is helpful when there are five or more of each print needed for various location.
Here is a video which shows the backgrounds available with one of my more popular floral designer prints.
Most of us spend considerable time with paint chips and samples of wall paint when we are decorating. We get swatches of fabric when we are adding new upholstery pieces and samples of counter tops and floor covering. Then when it comes time to accessorize, to add vases and art, etc., some of us get lax.
It is possible when buying a high end piece of art to bring it home on approval. However, most of us do not invest in high dollar pieces of art. We can use the same care however, by selecting prints from designers who create with decorators in mind.
My 2020 Designer Collection was created with decorators in mind. I used to decorate furniture showrooms, design trade show displays and decorate model homes. Frequently I would find a piece of art that seems to fit the spot and discover that some of the tones or colors in the piece clashed or got drowned out by other pieces of furnishings in the decor. I decided to solve that by designing prints with images that come with various backgrounds.
An easy tool to use in helping you select the best background for a print is your smart phone or tablet. Open the video to the image you prefer and hold your phone up in the room where you are considering hanging the art. Hold it near the wall, the upholstered furniture, the floor covering. This helps you eliminate some backgrounds immediately. You can select those that appeal to you and narrow them down by going through the process again with only those backgrounds until you decide which is your favorite.
If considering a large print, you might want to order a small one for a few dollars before investing in the more expensive larger one. This can be helpful when you are designing from the ground up. It is also helpful for decorators to use with clients. Along with sketches of the room, paint chips, floor covering samples, upholstery and drapery swatches, a small sample of the proposed art can be included at a nominal cost. There are some clients who might enjoy framing a 5x7 of a print which will eventually become a large dominant focal point of their new office, home or redecorated room.
Large prints on canvas can run between $200 to $600 yet a 5x7 print is usually between $7 and $20 wholesale. Some artist will give you credit your print purchase as a discount on larger pieces. I produce 5x7 and 8x10 prints in-house. Larger sizes are sent to outside fabricators. Some of my designs are available from ArtPal.com. Wholesale pricing and decorator discounts are only available directly from the artist, not through ArtPal.
When working with artists, some will welcome receiving a jpg of the proposed room or setting where the piece of art is to be hung. They may have original pieces or designs which are not featured on their website or the print on demand art sites which will work in that setting. You may be surprised and thrilled at the response you get from an artist when you make a direct inquiry. I prefer receiving them by e-mail. This allows me to examine them without them becoming too big of an interruption when I am in the studio,, working with a client or writing.
When decorators are designing interiors for hotels and spec home for companies which have multiple subdivisions, some print designers will sell license their copyrighted work so that the client can select multiple copies of the same work for use in specific properties for a fee. The client can select their own fabricator or printer, pay them directly, have the artist order and transmit the design to the printer, and the client pay the printer directly. The artist gets a set fee for the license. The client can use the printer which they prefer without having the artist mark up each print with an artist or gallery profit margin. This is helpful when there are five or more of each print needed for various location.
Here is a video which shows the backgrounds available with one of my more popular floral designer prints.
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Irrepressible - A Hidden History of Texas Women
By Faith Chatham - Austin, TX - Oct. 27, 2019
This past week I have juggled my time between writing, art and research. In the studio I have made progress on the art exhibition. Also, I have finally decided on the title: Irrepressible, a hidden history of Invincible Texas Women.
There will be 14 large pieces in the exhibition and a book including the portraits, some photos and an essay about each person or event in the artwork. I finally got the draft of the project prospectus written. In addition to spotlighting the contributions of these incredible women, hopefully, the exhibition will help raise money for some non-profit organizations which support women and girls and help us continue opening doors.
I have completed and framed the portrait of State Representative Senfronia Thompson. She has served in the Texas House for 28 years (2nd in seniority) and has cracked through the ceiling in the legislature for persons of color and women. The portrait of Governor Ann Richards is ready to frame. I have almost finished the sketch of State Representative Donna Howard. I have begun preliminary sketches of Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.
Most of the portraits are in black and white. A few pieces are in color. Currently I am working on a montage/collage highlighting suffragette Minnie Fisher Cunningham. The watercolor/pen and ink portrait of Minnie Cunningham is complete. The work also includes a sketch of 32 Texas women who were photographed together in Austin the day they first cast their vote in the Texas Democratic Primary in 1918. A copy of the Congratulatory Telegram from President Woodrow Wilson to Minnie Cunningham is included beside the news clipping when the judge ruled that the women’s vote in the primary was unconstitutional and ordered that their votes not be counted. This was a year before passage of the Constitutional Amendment granting women the right to vote.
Indefatigable and irrepressible describes Minnie Fisher Cunningham and the women who fought for the right to vote and to serve in elected office in Texas. Minnie served as the first secretary/treasurer of the national League of Women Voters. She was the first Texas woman to run for the U.S. Senate. Identifying incumbents in office who were hostile to women’s suffrage, Minnie and her associated vetted candidates and backed those who were favorable to women’s vote. Minnie promoted Bill Hobby over Gov. Ferguson and the women were largely responsible for electing Hobby Governor.
Minnie traveled, educated and recruited throughout Texas and the nation. Her influence reached from the earliest days of women’s suffrage in Texas to the 1960s. She helped finance the opening of the JFK/LBJ for President Headquarters in Texas by organizing a garage sale.
When women march in Texas for Women’s Rights, we are assuming the torch lit by women, many of them unnamed and forgotten, who wrote the book on persistence. They refused to accept defeat. When their triumphs were overturned by the courts, they used the setback to propel them forward, to change the incumbents, to rewrite the narrative, to persevere.
Saturday, October 5, 2019
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Review of Blue, Illicit and Unspoken
By Shirley McKellar, PhD
Ms. Chatham's second novel in the Graham Fergusson Adventure Series, DIVIDING LINE is available for pre-order.
I met Ms. Faith
Chatham about 10 years ago while running for U.S. Congress, District Three,
East Texas. I was immediately impressed, drawn to her tenacity and her
brilliant brain. I was even more impressed when I saw her words in print. I
loved her encouragement of women and young college students about the
importance of educating themselves both academically and politically. The richness of my
political life has been invigorating since my introduction to the Dynastical
History of this East Texas WIZ kid from Harrison County.
This amazing author
writes of East Texas and the newspaper as an insider. She is a 6th Generation
East Texan and her family are Texas Republic pioneer settlers.
She has spent over
twenty years in newspaper and her first job was writing for The Marshall
News Messenger before becoming an Ad Rep for The Longview
News Journal and opening her own independent advertising agency in
Longview.
“Public corruption
is not a victimless crime,” she states.
The book is inspired
by the authors’ experiences in business in Longview during the era when Sheriff
Tom Welch's crime organization was at its heights. As a young single
businesswoman, Ms. Faith noticed things that seemed a bit odd to her but, it
wasn’t until the death of Deputy Wayne Gill, like most citizens of Gregg
County, that parts of the crime story begin to unfold. Prior to that she
states, “I was oblivious to the depths of corruption in local government.” And,
because of what she saw and learned, she was further inspired to write her
book.
She confided her
fears and suspicions to the new newspaper publisher, Tom Meredith. She had no
evidence, but had seen enough and heard enough to realize that things were not
how they should be. The newspaper publisher had no local ties and had been the
publisher in Lufkin when that paper won a Pulitzer Prize for investigative
reporting on the death of a mentally challenged marine recruit during basic
training. He was a journalist she trusted to protect his source and have the
tools and resources and resolve to investigate. He contacted the Texas
Attorney General who worked with the Texas Rangers and the FBI.
Except for the
newspaper publisher, Ms. Faith did not discuss what she had seen, heard or
suspected until decades later. Now that the principals are deceased, she has
created fictional characters to share some of the experience of those she knew
in Longview in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Ms. Faith is a
highly effective writer and her work is a must read. It will keep you on the
edge of your seat until the last page. And, you will certainly want more.
Councilwoman Shirley J. McKellar, PhD
August
30, 2019, Tyler, Texas
BLUE, ILLICIT AND UNSPOKEN by Faith Chatham is available on Amazon.com in paperback ($19.95) or e-book ($5.99). This week Kindle Unlimited is featuring it as one of their READ FOR FREE Selections. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Faith+Chatham&ref=nb_sb_noss_2
Ms. Chatham's second novel in the Graham Fergusson Adventure Series, DIVIDING LINE is available for pre-order.
Monday, September 2, 2019
Sunday, May 5, 2019
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
USA trails behind 73 other nations in women in legislatures
By Faith Chatham - January 13, 2019
You have abdicated your citizenship rights and your responsibilities by saying you are fed up I don't want to be
you cannot make a difference.
By abdicating it you are getting what you deserve
You have the power. Don't go out there and just give your voted to someone because he is just a good Democrat or he is handsome or he talks nicely or something. Go and look at the record for the last 8 or 10 years and see if they have the commitment to the people. You get caught up. You get caught up in how the people supporting certain candidates come into your community and open up the storefront. You get caught up. You go along.
Every man, woman, individual who can vote has the right to cast their vote for the right to cast their vote for the individual who can guide this ship of state in the direction that it surely should be guided.
If I were not black, and if I were not a woman, if I were a white male I would get much more attention in terms of what I am doing at this moment in this nation at this hour.
To look at the position of this country in terms of espousal of egalatrian principals,
millions of dollars taxpayer money is going abroad or economic of financial assistance to prompt up the administrations of military dictorships who are who are oppressing and repressing their own citizens
What happens to these egalatarian principles when our dollar goes abroad
I would cut off every cent of your money, not my money, your money which is going to prompt up these dictatorships in these countries where their leaders are oppressing and repressing their own people.
The USA, after making more gains in representation by women than in the women than in the history of this nation, still trails behind 73 other nations in the world in the percent of women serving in Legislatures and Parliaments.
81% of the world's Parliaments /Legislatures were led by men in 2018. More than half of the countries of the world apply a gender minimum/quota for their legislative bodies.
In the USA the 116th Congress has 24% female in the house and 25% in the Senate.
Rawanda has 61%; Mexico has 48%; Cuba and Bolivia have 32%; France has 40%; Great Britain has 32%; Germany has 31%; USA has 24%
Research shows that on average a woman elected to the Legislature is more qualified (education and related experience) than the average male legislator because women seeking higher office are held to different standards than men. In the USA, our current Congress has fewer veterans than previously, but more of recently elected veterans who were elected are women.
There is a stark partisan difference in the roles of women in government. Historically, Democrats are more supportive of women and minorities serving in elected office.
Democratic women candidates are currently turning out higher numbers of votes in many key states and nationally than any of their male or female predecessors.It is difficult to change the perception that it requires a man to win the office.
Historically, women in Texas have rarely served in higher office. In the history of the state and during the years Texas was a Republic, only two women have served as Governor.
The first Black American elected to the Texas Senate (following Reconstruction) was Barbara Jordan. She was truly a trailblazer.
State Senator Jordan continued and won a seat in the US Congress:
At that time, there were ten Black Americans serving in the US Congress. The Hon. Congresswoman from NY, Shirley Chisholm ran for President. She cited the perception that only a white man could serve as President, or as head of University or in business as the reason she ran. She said:
"If I stood on my head, a lot of people wouldn't believe that I am serious. If you are serious, you do not sit back like a reluctant dragon and expect that somebody is going to give you the nomination. You get out and get to the American people, in the highways the by ways here look at me in terms of what I can do the prescribed roles that this nation has given to women and the prescribed roles that have been given to Blacks.This country needs the talents, the intellect, and the capabilities of human beings. There are brilliant women in this country and there are brilliant men. There are stupid women and there are stupid men. There is no psychological test yet which shows that one sex has the superiority of great cranial matter over the other sex.... I am no ordinary woman running out here for president. Before I even went to the United States Congress I knew I would have to be two, three or four times as good than many of the gentlemen in the Congress because of who I am. I am aware of double and triple standards so I make sure I fit the standards before I get out here...I am sick and tired of people not look at me in terms of my humanity and my capabilities.
,,, I don't have any money. One of the gentlemen out here said 'if Shirley Chisholm had any money, we'd have to scurry for cover. You know they w
Either we want change or we like the idea of taking about change. To bring about changed in this nation So many young people told me: Shirley you have a national voice You cannot make a difference in this nation you have to get out of the system and Give me a chance to try it this time. Come with me on the Chisholm Trail. Because if we want
If you have a hang up because I am black and you're a racist I can't change that. If you have a hang up, you're sexist because I'm a woman. I can't help that. My bones are so fixed. I can't go to Denmark and get an operation.
Where is this nation going to get ...
God help them if they are outdoors and the wind blows that speech away. They can't even talk. Unless you have loads of money you can't even They can move from one issue to another issues and have ten different positions in the same state. No wonder people do not trust the leaders of our nation because they do nothing but talk with forked tongues.
...He who pays the piper calls the tune. That is why people are distrusting our politicians because by the time they get to the White House, they have to take care of the i other interest first before they take care of the interests of the American people.And they don't hear us. It means that they really don't have to listen to you because you have not made politics important enough in your lives to begin start doing something about it on the local level, on the state level and pulling out some of those Congressmen who are constantly giving he authorizations and making the appropriations..
You have abdicated your citizenship rights and your responsibilities by saying you are fed up I don't want to be
you cannot make a difference.
By abdicating it you are getting what you deserve
You have the power. Don't go out there and just give your voted to someone because he is just a good Democrat or he is handsome or he talks nicely or something. Go and look at the record for the last 8 or 10 years and see if they have the commitment to the people. You get caught up. You get caught up in how the people supporting certain candidates come into your community and open up the storefront. You get caught up. You go along.
Every man, woman, individual who can vote has the right to cast their vote for the right to cast their vote for the individual who can guide this ship of state in the direction that it surely should be guided.
If I were not black, and if I were not a woman, if I were a white male I would get much more attention in terms of what I am doing at this moment in this nation at this hour.
To look at the position of this country in terms of espousal of egalatrian principals,
millions of dollars taxpayer money is going abroad or economic of financial assistance to prompt up the administrations of military dictorships who are who are oppressing and repressing their own citizens
What happens to these egalatarian principles when our dollar goes abroad
I would cut off every cent of your money, not my money, your money which is going to prompt up these dictatorships in these countries where their leaders are oppressing and repressing their own people.
Texas Legislature is addressing sexual assault and human trafficking
By Faith Chatham - March 31, 2018
Of all the bills I have read this year, the bill I most want to see passed
is SB SB 2384 by Sen Kirk Watson and Donna Howard's companion
HB 1590.
is SB SB 2384 by Sen Kirk Watson and Donna Howard's companion
HB 1590.
This legislation strengthens the framework of Office of Sexual Assault Survivors Assistance (under the Governor's Office of Criminal Justice). It stipulates that the Governor appoint a Director and the Director be allowed to hire staff.
Changes in the language of this bill clarifies the duties and responsibilities of the office in addressing the mission of preventing sexual assault, prosecuting and providing services to survivors through communication and coordination with all agencies dealing with sexual assault or survivors. This bill links law enforcement, social work, medical examiners, training, SAFE sites, prosecution and survivors resources together. It is intended to minimize some of the silos and dark holes which frustrate law enforcement, social workers, prosecutors, and survivors.
There are over 200 bills this session in both houses addressing sexual assault, rape, trafficking and harassment. This bill provides clarification of an agency which should be functioning as a clearing house for information and resources which could reduce the number of victims by improving services to survivors and prosecutors.
These bills are all part of a mosaic. I see them each as one of the tiles making up the whole with Senate Bill 2384 which improves the Office of Sexual Assault Survivors Services as the framework and foundation for the entire mission of reducing the number of victims and serving those who are survivors.
Instead of the Attorney General getting to select any "individual with knowledge of sexual assault" to establish the protocols for collecting and processing sexual assault evidence kits, it stipulates that the Attorney General consult with the Office of Sexual Assault Survivors Services.
This office is charged with collecting compiling and reporting data on sexual assault and survivors resources by council of government districts.
There are other important bills which address part of the mission such as:
There are other important bills which address part of the mission such as:
HB 152 (Minjarez) which addresses the collection storage and analysis of rape kit evidence and
HB 467 (Miller) Retention of records of sexual assault by hospital and
HB 3106 (Goldman) requires law enforcement to enter sexual assault data into the Texas Data Exchange System
HB 2339 (Meza) Relating to the entry into the Texas Crime Information Center of information concerning the release on bond of persons charged with committing a violent offense
Rep. Neave's HB 401 Creation of Texas Sexual Assault Evidentiary Council is a good idea. It could be part of the Office of Sexual Assault Survivors Services.
Several bills address correct data.
HB 2678 (Zwiener) Compilation and reports of statistics involving sexual assault victims who receive a forensic medical examination before reporting the assault to law enforcement.
HB 3106 (Goldman) requires law enforcement to enter sexual assault data into the Texas Data Exchange System.
In the Senate the major data collection/reporting bill is SB 587 (Watson) Relating to the collection and reporting of information relating to the investigation and prosecution of sexual assault offenses.
ll of these initiatives rely on funding. Senator Jane Nelsons SB 1 and the House HB 1 both provide increased funding for increases funding for Rape Crisis Centers, and $50 M to double Crime Lab to test rape kits, and more funding for forensic nurse examiners.
To read the text of these bills or to see where in the pipeline the bill is currently go to: https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/BillNumber.aspx
Note: This article only skims through the bills. There are other important bills which define sexual assault, decriminalize homosexual behavior, or address human trafficking or rape on college campuses or molestation of public school children. Passage of some of the bills will improve training in childhood trauma and sexual assault for teachers, school personnel and law enforcement. Other bills improve training for law enforcement and nurse examiners. Much of this work was begun in prior legislative session and continued during the months while the Legislature was not in session. Collectively, it is evident that members of the Texas House and Senate on both sides of the aisle are evaluating the problems and the process and seeking solutions to improve the process. They are mission oriented in seeking to reduce the number of victims (survivors) through services which improve law enforcement/prosecution of perpetrators and services which assist the survivors.
Thursday, February 7, 2019
David Whitley is a dismal failure as SOS of Texas.
By Faith Chatham - Feb. 7, 2019
The Texas Tribune reported: State Rep. Rafael Anchia ...wanted to know: Did Whitley know for sure that any of the (95K registered voters) on the list SOS David Whitley had turned over to the Attorney General had committed crimes by voting as noncitizens?
“No,” Whitley answered, according to Anchia.
“And I said, ‘Well, isn’t it the protocol that you investigate and, if you find facts, you turn it over to the AG?”
“I do not have an answer for that,” Whitley responded, according to Anchia’s recollection of the Monday meeting.
The Senate Nominations Committee meets today (Thursday, Feb. 7) at 9 a.m. in E2.106 to consider David Whitely's confirmation as SOS. Gov. Abbott appointed him in mid Dec. 2018 but he must be confirmed by the Senate.
The former Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor is in over his head. He has demonstrated that he falls painfully short in performing due diligence before making statements to the press, releasing data to counties and before turning people over to the Attorney General. We need a better candidate for SOS.
Thursday, January 31, 2019
Thursday, January 24, 2019
Thursday, January 17, 2019
Mitch McConnell hides from freshman Congresswomen
By Faith Chatham - Jan. 17, 2019
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell evaded four freshmen congresswomen who chased him around the Capitol Wednesday. Rep. Jahana Hayes of Connecticut, Lauren Underwood of Illinois, Katie Hill of California and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez pursued McConnell. They visited his Capitol office, cloakroom, went to the Senate floor and even rode the subway to a suite in another office building asking: "Where is Mitch? He's not in his office. He's not on the floor. We've looked in the cloak room."
“He seems to be running away from us,” said Rep. Ocasio-Cortez. They dropped off a letter signed by 38 freshmen members of Congress, calling on McConnell to call ending the shut-down to vote. Frustration that the House passed multiple bills to reopen the government and to allow 800,000 furloughed federal workers to be paid, but McConnell has refused to bring any of them to the Senate floor for a vote, the four women, who describe themselves as 'a former school teacher, nurse, a former non-profit worker. and most recently a bartender' stated that they are not part of the millionaire class. "Working people deserve to be paid."
“At this point, the only thing left is for us to make noise and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” Hill said after they dropped off a letter signed by 38 House freshmen to McConnell’s office asking him to call a vote.
Sunday, January 13, 2019
Saturday, January 12, 2019
Friday, January 11, 2019
Thursday, January 10, 2019
Monday, January 7, 2019
Explain to me again why we must have a man on the top of the ticket to win?
Lupe Valdez had a smaller war chest than any of the previous five Texas governor Democratic nominees, yet got more votes than the four previous male nominees and of Wendy Davis. Lupe also got the most votes in a primary featuring 6 men. She was only a few points shy of avoiding a run-off.
Hillary Clinton's campaign did not deploy a field team to Texas in 2016 until the last six weeks of he campaign, yet she got more votes than any previous Democratic Nominee on the ballot in Texas. More Texans voted for Hillary, a state where little advertising was spent, than in most of the battle ground states where the campaign invested heavily.
In 2018, in every Congressional District in Texas where there was a woman running in the Democratic Primary except 2, the woman won.
Women are running and women are winning. So explain to me again. Help me understand why it is necessary for a man to be on the top of the ticket in 2020 for Democrats to win?
Granted, 60% of Republican men have been reported to say that they do not want to see a woman elected President in their lifetime. That leaves 40% of the Republican men who do not seem to mind. And since all Democratic men and all Republican men combined make up less than 49% of the US Population, it seems to me that the 60% of women hating Republican men are definately in the minority.
I think what we need to do is to continue registering and getting progressives out to vote.
We need to continue changing the culture by changing women. We need to continue showing women that when we run, we do win. When we win, we do serve. When we serve, we improve things for us, for our families, for our communities, for our nation and the world.
Let's continue reminding people that:
And that Ann Richards ignored them when ...
Despite what they said to Sylvia Garcia and Veronica Escobar:
Lupe Valdez didn't see why she couldn't be sheriff when ..
They told Barbara Jordan:
When she considered running for Congress...
It's nothing new. Women have been hearing the same tired ole lines:
If you lose an election, the nay sayers get louder:
Hillary Clinton heard:
So that brings us back to where we began. Women are more than 51% of the US Population. We comprise 24% of the House and 25% of the Senate. In 2018, in Texas in all US Congressional Districts except two, women beat every man on the ballot. Similar number were reflected in returns in other states.
Democrats have a strong track-record of electing women and minorities to public office. Only 60% of the White male Republicans says they do not want to see a woman elected president in their lifetime.
For example, if Republicans have been getting 55% to 60% of the vote and half of them are men,
then only 27.5% to 30% of the voters are Republican men. Only 60% of the Republican men say they don't want to see a woman elected President in their lifetime -- so that is only 60% of 27.5% to 30% of the voters. That is far from being a majority. It is probable that a significant number of the remaining 40% of Republican men and of the Republican women are open to voting for a qualified woman. Democratic men have been voting for women for decades. Democratic women are running and helping other women win.
So, again, explain to me why it is so important to run a man at the top of the ticket?
Sunday, January 6, 2019
Fresh Zucchini Cornbread
By Faith Chatham - Jan. 6, 2019
1 pkg yellow corn bread mix
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk (Almond milk works fine)
1 zucchini squash sliced fine and diced
1/2 onion, diced
1/4 tsp of finely chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp of chopped cilantro
Mix together and bake in oiled pan for 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until brown
Serves 6.
Optional a small can of drained yellow corn and/or a half-cup of cheese can be blended in before baking.
1 pkg yellow corn bread mix
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk (Almond milk works fine)
1 zucchini squash sliced fine and diced
1/2 onion, diced
1/4 tsp of finely chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp of chopped cilantro
Mix together and bake in oiled pan for 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until brown
Serves 6.
Optional a small can of drained yellow corn and/or a half-cup of cheese can be blended in before baking.
Tuesday, January 1, 2019
Preparing for 2019
By Faith Chatham - January 1, 2019
It is 2019. What are the most important things to experience
and accomplish this year? What must be done to for each of us to individually
enjoy what we want to enjoy, and to accomplish what we want to accomplish?
For me, one thing on my to do list is cleaning the kitchen.
I let things slide when I'm involved in causes or projects. The exterminators
treated the apt. while I was in San Antonio. Everything is out of the cabinets.
I've been running the dishwasher continuously since getting home. Each load of
dishes placed in a recently cleaned cupboard shelf, each tray of silver
arranged, instead of hastily flung into a drawer, moves me closer toward being
ready to proceed with the new year. By the end of today, the kitchen and dining
area will be probably be in better shape than it will probably be any other
time in the coming year. Then I will move to bedroom closets. Hopefully within
a week this rare obsession with orderliness will spill over into the
studio.
I am not a tidy spic and span priority person. I live in creative, mental, research, literary, political and artistic worlds. When in those creative zones, I am oblivious to food, clocks, germs, clutter, sleep. So, whenever a rare spell of obsessive straightening and scrubbing overshadows me, I try to ride it as long, and as far, as it can be sustained, because it may be months before it enters my door again. The longer it remains outside, the harder it gets to find space to work inside.
This year there is lots of work to be done. I feel characters, images, causes, and projects pushing to get out.
There are relics here of people and causes I respect and value. I still have evidence of activism in Ready for Hillary and Hillary 2016 intermingled with 2018 buttons for Lupe, Kim, Terry, Gina, MJ, Vikki, Victoria, Shirley, Sheryl, Sylvia, Rhetta, Beverly, Ana Maria and others scattered about.
I am not a tidy spic and span priority person. I live in creative, mental, research, literary, political and artistic worlds. When in those creative zones, I am oblivious to food, clocks, germs, clutter, sleep. So, whenever a rare spell of obsessive straightening and scrubbing overshadows me, I try to ride it as long, and as far, as it can be sustained, because it may be months before it enters my door again. The longer it remains outside, the harder it gets to find space to work inside.
This year there is lots of work to be done. I feel characters, images, causes, and projects pushing to get out.
There are relics here of people and causes I respect and value. I still have evidence of activism in Ready for Hillary and Hillary 2016 intermingled with 2018 buttons for Lupe, Kim, Terry, Gina, MJ, Vikki, Victoria, Shirley, Sheryl, Sylvia, Rhetta, Beverly, Ana Maria and others scattered about.
It is nice to see that the phrases on cards and posters have
changed from messaging in 2014. Then we were trying to help Texans understand
how few Dems, minorities, veterans and women Texans sent to Congress. We need to acknowledge the scope of a problem before we can inspire enough people
to help change it. Now the messages are targeting getting specific Democrats,
specific women, specific veterans, specific minorities elected to office.
This year, despite the harm wrought by Donald Trump and his
enablers, we have victories to celebrate. On Jan. 3rd in DC over 100 women will
be seated in the US House when the new Congress is sworn in. I look forward to being in the gallery of the
Texas Capitol Jan 8th to see friends seated as newly elected Senators and State
Representatives. We've made progress. We have a long way to go. Now we have a
few more warriors in place to watch the backs of the ethical and brave
and to carry the torch in legislative relays.
I want 2019 to be more than just the year when we share our stories and say "Me Too!' I want it to be the year when those who enable or refuse to pursue and punish serial rapists are removed. This should be the year when instead of 1 out of 3 women and 1 out of 5 men being survivors, it becomes the year when the majority of perpetrators are stopped and prevented from every violating any boy or girl, man or woman every again. Instead of #METOO I want to see #ZeroTolerance.
I truly hope and pray that the Trump administration comes to a speedy, and abrupt end. We need to rid this nation, and our psyche, from the excesses, corruption and violation of that man and his henchmen and enablers. I hope both Trump and Pence are nothing more than a footnote by March of this year. We need to push the RESET button and begin anew. These are some of the things which are on my heart. They are goals and causes worth working for, worth enduring clutter and other inconveniences to accomplish jointly with others who care and sacrifice. Caring also means helping worthy people have the means to step forward to run for office and to win in 2020. Those of us who are older owe it to those who protected and nurtured us when we were young and to those who are younger and deserve to be nurtured and mentored.
I want 2019 to be more than just the year when we share our stories and say "Me Too!' I want it to be the year when those who enable or refuse to pursue and punish serial rapists are removed. This should be the year when instead of 1 out of 3 women and 1 out of 5 men being survivors, it becomes the year when the majority of perpetrators are stopped and prevented from every violating any boy or girl, man or woman every again. Instead of #METOO I want to see #ZeroTolerance.
I truly hope and pray that the Trump administration comes to a speedy, and abrupt end. We need to rid this nation, and our psyche, from the excesses, corruption and violation of that man and his henchmen and enablers. I hope both Trump and Pence are nothing more than a footnote by March of this year. We need to push the RESET button and begin anew. These are some of the things which are on my heart. They are goals and causes worth working for, worth enduring clutter and other inconveniences to accomplish jointly with others who care and sacrifice. Caring also means helping worthy people have the means to step forward to run for office and to win in 2020. Those of us who are older owe it to those who protected and nurtured us when we were young and to those who are younger and deserve to be nurtured and mentored.
This may be the year to write and publish your book
By Faith Chatham - January 1, 2019
Many of the people on this list will write and publish this
year. Some, even some who have previously used publishers, may decide to
self-publish. There is no longer a horrible stigma attached to self-publishing.
In some instances, it is the best route.
There are pitfalls which should be avoided. A good editor is
crucial. Marketing is essential. Actually writing, and getting the book
printed, is a milestone marking when the really hard work begins. It is also
when it is essential to sift through the vendors who tout how much they can
help you get your book read and promoted.
The fee may seem reasonable and affordable, but if the author is
required to pay to get the book reviewed, it is probably a scam. Avoid any
company which charges an author a fee to have a reviewer read and post a review
of the book It is not the author's responsibility (or role) to pay a reviewer. It
is the publications who pays the reviewer for content. It may be called a
"book promotion package" which "includes an independent
review" of your book. If you pay for it, the "independence"
becomes suspect. You paying for the review lessens the value of having your
book reviewed!
Now I am not referring to having someone read your unpublished
work to give you feedback to help you improve it before you publish it. That is
a legitimate part of the editing process and it is appropriate to pay for their
time.
A company charging an author to have their employee read and
review a published book so that company can post the review on their website,
or in their publication, is a different thing. DO NOT FALL for that. Even if
they have been in business doing this for years, it is still a shady practice.
The more authors they suck in and charge marketing/book review
fees, the more readers they need. Not everyone is qualified to write a credible
literary review.
Things to know:
Do their reviewers have literary or publishing backgrounds,
education, publishing resumes?
Do they have expertise evaluating books in your field? If they
do not know history, they are not qualified to evaluate a history book. You do
not want an artist evaluating a physics book or an engineer without art history
expertise reviewing an art book. Those who have only reviewed prose and have
read few poems should not be assigned to write reviews on volumes of poetry.
Once a review is published, it is too late. Bad reviews, even by
(or especially by) writers who are not qualified to review books in that
particular field, can do significant harm to potential book sales. Some books
deserve bad reviews. Some good books get bad reviews. Some reviews are simply
wrong. Avoid getting a WRONG review if you can. Do not pay someone who probably
is not qualified to review your book and risk paying for a WRONG review.
Publications have the right to pay writers/reviewers for content to
publish in their periodical or on their website. This is standard industry practice and is ethical. Authors have no control over the review or whose review is published. The publication has a responsibility to carefully vet their writers. The reputation of the publications rests on the quality and integrity of the work they publish.
There are some companies which resemble publications which publish independent reviews. RESEMBLE and INDEPENDENT are the key phrases. Some companies offer authors marketing promotion packages which include advertising space and a review of their book. To casual observers, these site may seem similar to more reputable literary review publications because they contain book reviews. The difference is WHO writes the reviews, the credentials of those who write the reviews and who pays for the content in the review. If the author pays for it, it is really advertising not an independent review. If you are paying for advertising you should have control over the message. Frequently, with these companies which offer marketing packages including book reviews, the author has little control over anything once they pay their fee. They are inviting a company to assign their book to someone who may or may not have any expertise in reviewing books of that genre. hey probably do not attract reviewers from the academic//publishing world. If they advertise for people to read and review their books and pay for the reviews with Amazon gift cards BEWARE. Credible book reviewers with credentials in publishing and academics rarely work for Amazon gift cards!
When a company offers to review your book for a fee which you (the author) pays them, BEWARE!
There are some companies which resemble publications which publish independent reviews. RESEMBLE and INDEPENDENT are the key phrases. Some companies offer authors marketing promotion packages which include advertising space and a review of their book. To casual observers, these site may seem similar to more reputable literary review publications because they contain book reviews. The difference is WHO writes the reviews, the credentials of those who write the reviews and who pays for the content in the review. If the author pays for it, it is really advertising not an independent review. If you are paying for advertising you should have control over the message. Frequently, with these companies which offer marketing packages including book reviews, the author has little control over anything once they pay their fee. They are inviting a company to assign their book to someone who may or may not have any expertise in reviewing books of that genre. hey probably do not attract reviewers from the academic//publishing world. If they advertise for people to read and review their books and pay for the reviews with Amazon gift cards BEWARE. Credible book reviewers with credentials in publishing and academics rarely work for Amazon gift cards!
When a company offers to review your book for a fee which you (the author) pays them, BEWARE!
So, what do you do? You want your book reviewed by someone who
is credible in your field. People who have THOSE kinds of credentials are
probably not going to write a review for a $20 Amazon gift card. They are not going to advertise to authors offering to review books for a fee. How do you find them? How do you get them to review your book?
Some people engage literary agents who have contacts with people who review and publish book reviews. Some people use publishing companies who have contacts with people who review and publish book reviews. Some authors have friends who know people qualified to review books in certain genre or fields. Some people know professors who need publishing credits who sometimes write book reviews and submit them to various literary journals and periodicals. They will not ask an author for a fee. They may welcome a copy of your book. You can query university literature department heads or faculty members. If they write a review it will be independent. Their academic reputation depends upon the reasonableness and validity of what they publish.
Some people engage literary agents who have contacts with people who review and publish book reviews. Some people use publishing companies who have contacts with people who review and publish book reviews. Some authors have friends who know people qualified to review books in certain genre or fields. Some people know professors who need publishing credits who sometimes write book reviews and submit them to various literary journals and periodicals. They will not ask an author for a fee. They may welcome a copy of your book. You can query university literature department heads or faculty members. If they write a review it will be independent. Their academic reputation depends upon the reasonableness and validity of what they publish.
There are other ways to get your book reviewed without paying for it.
Google "book review no fee". Invest in copies of your book and
postage to send to reputable literary reviewers / publication who publish truly
independent reviews. If you self-published send only to those publications
which review books which are self-published.
Marketing your book is not easy. It is time consuming and costs
money. You should decide how much of your time and money it is REASONABLE to
invest in promoting thus book.
Most writers prefer writing to promoting. Weigh how important
your current or "next" project is. It is hard to think out of the
marketing/promoting side of your brain while you are writing,
creating, or polishing a current literary project. This is why authors usually sell rights to their work to
publishing houses.
When selling rights, it is important to evaluate the publishers track record on promoting and marketing authors of your genre. Sometimes it is worthwhile to make less money per volume sold if your work is marketed and distributed by a company which gets it marketed and sold to many more people than you would without them. Weigh the benefit with the cost and do not discount the value of your time, especially if you have other projects you are working on or want or need to be working on.
When selling rights, it is important to evaluate the publishers track record on promoting and marketing authors of your genre. Sometimes it is worthwhile to make less money per volume sold if your work is marketed and distributed by a company which gets it marketed and sold to many more people than you would without them. Weigh the benefit with the cost and do not discount the value of your time, especially if you have other projects you are working on or want or need to be working on.
Evaluate how important it is to you to devote your resources to
promoting this particular book. Some books are more for family and friends or your current circle of peers. If
this particular book is more for yourself, your family and friends, then
self-publish and promote it to family, friends and within your circle of peers. There is no need to spend a lot on promotion Invest your time and
resources into your next project. That may be the book which has wider appeal and
should reach a broader audience. Write it, and develop a strategy to get that book out
there where it will truly be independently reviewed and marketed to that
broader audience.
Think about it. Is this book a learning experience, preparing you to write your great novel or definitive work of your career? Treat it accordingly. Don't underestimate it and don't try to make it more than it is. Know your worth. Create what you can. Release it. Give it the respect (meaning time and resources) it deserves. Don't give it too much or too little. Decide if you want to put your time into marketing and promoting it, if you prefer to pay someone else to do that for you, or if you simply want to move on to the next project.
Do not let one book or one literary project stall you from creating something better. Write it, polish it, release it and move on!
Think about it. Is this book a learning experience, preparing you to write your great novel or definitive work of your career? Treat it accordingly. Don't underestimate it and don't try to make it more than it is. Know your worth. Create what you can. Release it. Give it the respect (meaning time and resources) it deserves. Don't give it too much or too little. Decide if you want to put your time into marketing and promoting it, if you prefer to pay someone else to do that for you, or if you simply want to move on to the next project.
Do not let one book or one literary project stall you from creating something better. Write it, polish it, release it and move on!
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