Sep 20 2011
Tuesday Midday Links: Redheads Are No Longer in Demand Says World Sperm Bank
Updated with some deals that might go away in a week:
- Halfway to the Grave with Bonus Material: A Night Huntress Novel for $1.99
- Cassie Palmer Series: Touch the Dark, Claimed by Shadow, Embrace the Night and Curse the Dawn in one bundle for $7.51
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Kindle lending is being tested by readers in the Seattle, Washington area. The Kindle Support page has been updated. You will only be able to use WiFi to access the library from your Kindle device:
Note: Public library books require an active Wi-Fi connection for wireless delivery to a Kindle device. Library books will not be delivered via your Kindle’s 3G connection. If trying to send to a Kindle device and do not have an active Wi-Fi connection, you may instead choose to load your library book via USB. Both Mac and Windows users can manage Kindle content through a USB connection.
Even when a book’s lending period expires, you will still keep all your notes and highlights:
What happens to my notes and highlights after a loan expires?
You can always access their notes and highlights through kindle.amazon.com, even after a book expires. And if you check a book out again, or purchase it from Amazon.com all of you notes and highlights will appear in the book as before the loan expired.
The library feature will be available for all apps:
What Kindle devices can I read public library books on?
You can read borrowed Kindle books on any generation Kindle device or all free Kindle apps, as well as in your web browser with Kindle Cloud Reader. Public library books require an active Wi-Fi connection for wireless delivery to a Kindle device.
Library books will not be delivered via your Kindle’s 3G connection. If trying to send to a Kindle device and do not have an active Wi-Fi connection, you may instead choose to load your library book via USB.
Via MobileRead by way of Nate the Great.
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Berkley Executive Editor, Cindy Hwang, and author Meljean Brook, are engaging in an author/editor chat at Goodreads. They are answering questions about Brook’s Guardian and Steampunk series. There are ARCs of Heart of Steel to be had. They are answering questions about publishing in general. I thought the questions and answers about how much the editor contributed to the overall story were very interesting.
One of the things I always try to remember is that these characters are not MY characters–they’re the author’s characters, so I usually try to give my authors enough room and support so they can be the characters the authors envisioned. Sometimes, I do have issues or concerns about the direction a character is going in–if I see the issues in the proposal stage, I’ll point them out there. If I see a problem in the manuscript, I’ll talk it with the author. Ultimately, though, I won’t force an author to make changes if it’s something she feels strongly about, since it’s her name on the cover
Hwang, among other things, commented that novellas can birth entire series such as the Eileen Wilks’ Lupi series:
This is the case with Eileen Wilks’ Lupi series–it was originally a novella in the anthology LOVER BEWARE. I loved the world and characters in her story so much, I encouraged her to develop a series from it. I’ve also used novellas to introduce new authors to readers–this is what I did with Meljean. Her first published work was a novella that was a prequel and introduction to the Guardian universe in the anthology HOTSPELL.
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Someone brought TheDroidLibrary.com to my attention and I just want to give you all a warning about this. The Droid Library sells itself as a subscription service where, for $60, you can download millions of books. They proclaim to have partnerships with major publishers and show books on the site like The Help, Twilight, and even Harry Potter. The major publishers are engaged in Agency pricing which means it has to offer the same price on books everywhere. Further, Harry Potter isn’t even released, legally, in digital form. You can read more about this company here at Gear Diary. All I can say is buyer beware.
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Amazon doesn’t sound like a very good employer. High unemployment rates are being taken advantage of by using only contract/temporary workers and running through them like a playboy and his playmates:
During summer heat waves, Amazon arranged to have paramedics parked in ambulances outside, ready to treat any workers who dehydrated or suffered other forms of heat stress. Those who couldn’t quickly cool off and return to work were sent home or taken out in stretchers and wheelchairs and transported to area hospitals. And new applicants were ready to begin work at any time.
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And while redhead women are the holy grail for some men in romance books, in the real world, the demand for redheads is low according to the world’s biggest sperm bank.
The world’s largest sperm bank is telling redheads to keep their semen.
Demand for ginger-haired donors is so low that Cryos International says they needn’t bother donating.
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Seanan McGuire argues that print equals accessibility of knowledge for the poor and that the move toward digital books will increase the digital divide.
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In a situation where truth is stranger than fiction, German news reported a teen boy having emerged from the woods suffering from amnesia.
A mysterious young fellow named Ray, around 17-years-old, walked out of a German forest last week and told authorities he and his dad, who had just died, had been living in the wild for about five years. But that’s all Ray remembers about his life.
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Sep 20, 2011 @ 12:21:42
The redhead thing makes sense just because the child will stand out more as not being biologically related to the mother (or father) if he has noticeably red hair.
Sep 20, 2011 @ 12:42:03
I can’t see where the Amazon warehouse is terribly different from the sewing factor where my mother worked in Appalachia– except it’s not likely the jobs will be shipped overseas. I’m disgusted that we haven’t got any further in the past 30 years when it comes to protecting workers. We probably have actually backslid.
Sep 20, 2011 @ 13:12:00
I wonder if the same is true for red-headed egg donors.
Sep 20, 2011 @ 13:14:49
I found the original story in the FAZ; interestingly, the English ‘translation’ added ‘psychologically sound’ where the originally only talked about his physical condition being ok.
Sep 20, 2011 @ 13:34:08
Amazon takes this demotivational poster seriously. Too bad they won’t end up with a finished product like the Great Wall of China.
Sep 20, 2011 @ 13:45:48
Oh how sad! As I redhead I think there are not enough of us! I am not sure about the whole not looking like a biological child thing. I am the biological child of two dark haired parents (in fact the red hair came pretty much out of nowhere) and no one ever thought twice (or maybe they were too nice to ask!). At least it is easier being a redhaired girl. Those poor ginger boys really have trouble!
Sep 20, 2011 @ 14:24:20
I loathe Amazon more and more everyday.
Sep 20, 2011 @ 14:24:26
How strange about the red headed sperm donors. My Son has red hair and people (strangers often comment on it) seem to love it.
Sep 20, 2011 @ 14:25:59
It’s too bad that redheads are being rejected because of biological sameness, if that’s indeed the reason. Neither I, my brother, or my cousin are redheads, although both my mom and my aunt were. I think this means that any of us could have a redheaded child and it would not be obvious to the casual observer where the red came from. Personally, I love red hair and I only wish I’d inherited my mom’s hair color (as well as her waves, but that’s a whole different issue LOL).
Sep 20, 2011 @ 14:36:59
I’m interested in seeing how well the public library Kindle test works for patrons. Thanks for the update.
Sep 20, 2011 @ 15:12:04
Can’t wait to try the kindle library program.
Sep 20, 2011 @ 16:11:59
I thought that the sperm donor’s physical characteristics were usually matched to the female. If this is the case it could be extrapolated that redheaded women are able to choose more fertile partners!!!
Sep 20, 2011 @ 18:36:58
I owned a staffing agency in Texas and Tennessee for 11 years. So many plants have no air conditioning. SO MANY. This is NOT uncommon even in Texas. Now, Amazon can afford air and should have it. That makes them cheap. But temp staffing does not. It makes them smart. MANY employers do this because if they don’t and they need people at one part of the month more than another, and they lay them off, their unemployment rate would go up so high they could no longer afford to operate. Temps are not a way to abuse employees. They are a way to make sure full time workers keep their full time jobs and get pay increases. The extent that a higher unemployment rate could impact a company is extreme if the payroll number is high enough. That said, I hated plants with no air and didn’t like to staff there.It’s hard on employees but unfortunately in many plants there isn’t any air. It’s very common in small and mid-sized manufacturers trying to stay competitive against big guys like Amazon that are squeezing their margins. A big company like Amazon should have air. Also an EMS vehicle nearby isn’t that uncommon either. Many plants have medics and medical staff on location. There is an obligation to keep people safe. But again — in Amazon’s case — they can afford air. They are just being cheap. In most cases I defend an employer trying to stay profitable to stay in biz, but those plants without air are miserable. I would take tours and sweat just walking the plant.
Sep 20, 2011 @ 20:33:34
That’s a shame about the sperm bank rejecting red haired donors. I’m not a redhead, but I love gingers and think redheaded men are gorgeous.
Sep 21, 2011 @ 02:19:09
Most of the stories like Ray turn out to be bogus. I sat next to a guy in high school for months who conned local authorities with a tale of international abduction and such. Eventually turned out to be a mid twenties son of a midwest preacher. In and out of jail. I can’t think of one of these that has turned out true, actually. (Although they may exist.)
Sep 21, 2011 @ 07:05:29
@meoskop: I thought at once of Kaspar Hauser who caught the popular imagination with his appearance on the streets of Nuremberg in the early 19th century claiming to have been raised without ever seeing another human being. Lots of effort went into either supporting or debunking his story– including 21st century DNA testing.
Sep 21, 2011 @ 11:12:53
Minneapolis is also testing Kindle library lending. I’m a nook user and noticed the new Kindle links this morning. Looks like the links redirect users to Amazon for check out which I’m sure means Amazon will be keep close track of library usage by their Kindle owners.
Sep 21, 2011 @ 11:55:05
No more redheads?
I’m buying stock in Clairol. Stat.
Sep 22, 2011 @ 14:47:18
When interviewed on Danish TV a representative of Cryos explained, that the only people who asked for redheaded donors are the women who either have partners who are redheaded, og single women who have a thing for gingers. And apparently Irish women. Nordic types weren’t much in demand either – the most popular type is dark hair and dark eyes.