Benay Enterprises, Inc.

Anonymous Hacking continues

2011-12-28T10:28:00.000-08:00

The holiday week saw the resurgence ofthe online vigilante group Anonymous. Their latest operation, OperationLulzxmas, sought the attacks on major firms such as strategic intelligencecompany Stratfor, Mastercard and government websites around the world. Operatives within the group called the Christmasweekend release of data pertaining to customers of security firm Stratfor oneof the biggest actions the group has ever accomplished. The goals according theAnonymous spokesman Berrett Brown is to reveal major players that have “conspiredagainst Wikileaks and other activist groups.”

The second is to use the credit cardinformation gathered from its top executives and use it to donate funds tocharities. “We steal from the rich & give to thepoor, taking from the 1% and giving to the 99% and giving Santa Claus a break,”as one hacker described it when interviewed on the mission of #Lulzxmas. Membersof the internet community would ask what they would like for Christmas and withfunds generated from the hack many of them received what they asked for informs of “iPads mostly but also iPhones. We gave away PS3′s VPS Servers & giftcards, just to name a few.”

The attack onStratfor is only the latest in a continuous set of hacks targeting supportersof what Anonymous calls “colossal attackers on freedom and the flow of information.”As the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and National Defense Authorization Act(NDAA) passed through Congress and Senate, activists opposing the legislationshave embarked in similar operations to expose congressman and corporatesponsors that supported the bills. Thenext step according to one hacker is Operation #FireSale, which is set totarget “everything to do with the media. We’re goingto take over and hijack T.V. and radio shows, hack media and news websites.”

So are theseguys Santa Clause or the Grinch? You’ll have to be the judge.

Online Profiles Need Scheduling, Too

2011-12-14T06:09:00.001-08:00

At one point or another we have all bowed down to the socialnetworking sites, becoming slaves of this online community. The virtual personawe muster up, whether our profiles are personal or business oriented, seems tobe so significant in our world today. We know the precautions one must takewhen posting content online, but have you ever thought about how othersperceive how often you post?

According to the article Howto Create a Social Media Marketing Schedule written by John D. Levy for Entrepreneur Magazine online edition,November 11^th, “your commitment to social networking should beconsistent, compelling and informative.” Creating a social networking presenceis important no matter how small or large your business is. You have to findyour balance; neglecting your online profiles can be hurtful to your business,yet being a “social media maniac isn’t the right persona either.”

How do we maintain a balance? Developing a social networkingschedule that doesn’t run into your personal or business life makes your onlineand offline worlds more organized. The article suggests to “Choose a scheduleand stay the course for at least six months. As you find success, you canslowly grow your social networking persona.”

Some examples of how to become more balances are given. Weeklyor on weekends build Twitter lists, scan Linkedin for discussions and updates,add new content to Facebook and keep an eye open for new social networkingvenues. Throughout the week schedule out what days you will tweet, when youwill join various conversations, when to blog and update your website.

These tips will help you maintain a healthy online presenceas well as a healthy time management plan. To read How to Create a Social Media Marketing Schedule, please visit http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/220678.

Big Business the Angels for the Small Guys

2011-12-07T09:48:00.001-08:00

As capital and investments start shrinking for smallbusinesses in these economic hardships, a glimmer of hope has appeared forsmall businesses looking to grow. Angel investors are not as commonplace as wewould like them to be, but if you and your company have what it takes you canbe seeing major growth and experience in the future. With uncertain andtentative bank financing, big companies have become an alternative to small andmid-sized companies looking for venture funding. Angel groups usually invest inonly 1%-10% of those who applied.

Small companies on the prowl for extra cash may benefit fromthe deep pockets large companies possess. According to a recent study, morethan 800 companies cash balance have quadrupled since 2001. Those deep pocketscan help growth companies find weary investors with renewed liquidity.

“If the large corporates make more acquisitions and createmore exits, they may get people more excited about investing again” -Jeffry Sohl Center for Venture Research

Large companies looking to speed up their growth are lookingto sink their money into companies that can help them do so. With the new partnershipestablished, investors and small and medium CFO’s can become closely involvedwith the business. The experience gained from these partnerships will not onlybenefit the CFO in regards to management but would also progress the company innew ventures.

“In the past, theykind of stood back and did not take board seats or an active role. Now theywant to be integral part of helping that company grow to the next level.” – Mark Hessen, President of National VentureCapital Association

So what’s the moral of the story? With some creativity and persistencehigh growth companies can find ways to acquire much needed capital frominvestors both large and small. To do this successfully, CFO’s should researchwhat investment groups are looking for and sweep them off their feet once yourmeeting is penned in. Good Luck!

Crime Reviews

2011-12-06T09:15:00.001-08:00

Two bookspublished by Soho Press were mentioned in the New York Times Book Review for the Sunday, December 4^thedition. The review titled, Favorite Crime written by Marilyn Stasioshowcases Soho’s Stagestruck by Peter Lovesey and The Boy in theSuitcase by Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis.

In the review, Stagestruckwas recommended for someone who has a “hankering for a civilized Britishdetective story.” The Boy in the Suitcase was classified under theparagraph titled, “Favorite Mystery with a Social Conscience.” Stasio gives abrief description of the book: “The criminal mistreatment of children is [in]the focus of the Danish thriller, which follows the efforts of a nurse toidentify the 3-year-old boy she rescues at the Copenhagen train station.”

For moreinformation about our client, Soho Press, please visit their website at http://www.sohopress.com/.

Russia’s Big Book Award

2011-11-30T11:20:00.001-08:00

With a top prize of 3 million rubles, Russia’s Big BookAwards is one of the largest literary awards second only to the Nobel Prize. Thisyear’s top winner was Mikhail Shishkin, who won first place with his novel Letter-Book. Letter-Book, or Pismovnikin Russian, bids a unique plot in which the story unfolds through letterswritten by two star-crossed lovers. The novel blurs the past and the presentwhile the lovers seek to reconnect.

Vladimir Sorokin author of The Blizzard was awarded second place. The Blizzardarchives the travels and thoughts of a doctor rushing to treat peoplesuffering from Bolivian hemorrhagic fever, a zombifying disease, while drivingthrough a horrendous Russian blizzard.

Third place wasawarded to Dmitrii Bykov for his work the Sorcerer’s Apprentice. The story is set in Leningrad,revolving around the tales of Russia’s last Freemasons in the 1920’s. TheSorcerer’s Apprentice mixes history with magical realism in Russia’sgrim past.

Big Book also honored Peter Mayer of Overlook Press (and clientof Benay Enterprise) for his contribution in promoting Russian literature andtranslating Russian works into English.

So a big congratulations to this year’s winners and ofcourse Peter Mayer’s amazing dedication and contribution to literature worldwide.

Brooklyn Film & Arts Festival is Right Around the Corner

2011-11-30T11:11:00.001-08:00

The Brooklyn Film & Arts Festival is the first originalBrooklyn-focused film and arts program. The gathering presents programs thatilluminate the abundant, diverse cultural history of Brooklyn. Since the firstscreening of Brooklyn films in 2007, the Brooklyn Film & Arts Festival haspresented Brooklyn-focused programs in screenings at the Brooklyn HistoricalSociety and Long Island University.

This year, the Brooklyn Film & Arts Festival is beingheld in St. Francis College Friday, December 16^th. The evening willbe focused on the Brooklyn non-fiction literature program, with readings byfive finalists for the Brooklyn Non-Fiction Prize with discussions with eachwriter following their readings. The winner of the 2011 Brooklyn Non-FictionPrize will be announced at this event.

Following the readings, Brooklyn focused films will bescreened to include: Under the RollerCoaster Directed by Lila Place, HotBagels directed by Nick Manning and ConeyIsland Winter directed by Doug Webb. After the screening, the public willhave the opportunity to discuss the films with the directors.

The Brooklyn Film& Arts Festival will be open to the public so all are welcomed!

Get ‘Em, Keep ‘Em

2011-11-30T10:56:00.001-08:00

Acquiring your biggest account is difficult enough, butmaintaining a great relationship with that customer may be even tougher.Luckily there are a few tips to not only keep the relationship you have withyour biggest customer, but to also keep them happy. In the article 5 Ways to Keep Your Biggest Customer,written by Geoffrey James for Inc.com November 8, 2011, tips to conserve yourcustomer relationships are simple:

First you must differentiate yourself. Be unique and offer “musthaves” the customer can’t find anywhere else. This makes the customer need yourservices and want to do business with you. Follow up with providing expertise.Share some knowledge and services that can be strategic in helping the customerfulfill their goals. Your customer will appreciate the extra effort, which willmost likely assist in the creation of a valuable and ongoing relationshipbetween you and the customer.

Don’t forget to create a high replacement cost—afterthe sale is made. This will help prevent the customer from replacing yourfirm’s products and services with any competitors. Next, really know theaccount. Become familiar with the workings of the customer account in order to bea part of their strategic planning. And lastly, generate reverse credibility.In short, a smaller company can help create a market reputation for a largerfirm by helping the larger business gain credibility in a new market. Thisgenerates a strategic relationship between the small and large companies.

These are just some of the ways Benay Enterprises has beenable to uphold great relationships with our clients. No matter how you run yourbusiness, remember there is always room for improvement.

Akashic: The Beast Master

2011-11-23T09:57:00.001-08:00

It’s a battle for Earths very existence, as an alien race ofreligious extremists plans to ritualistically annihilation our planet. The onlyman aware of this imminent threat is an untouchable media baron by the name ofMilan Marlowe.

Earth’s only move is to fend off the invaders according totheir holy law and issue The Challenge of the Heretic—a winner-take-allgladiator battle for our right to exist. In order to find Earth’s champion, Marlowe launches Beast Wars, a televised interspecies competition intended to selectEarth’s
strongest champion. On a remote island, sharks, tigers, bears, and gorillassquare off to an excited crowed.

Enter Bruno-bolo, a single father, blue’s belter, andalligator wrestler from the swamps of the Everglades. Overwhelmed by personaldemons, corporatized killer sharks, Yeats-quoting pit fighters, and loomingalien slayers, Bruno will rise as our distressed planet’s final hope.

New York Times reviews The Boy in The Suitcase

2011-11-23T09:55:00.001-08:00

The Boy in the Suitcase received a favorable book review in the New York Times Book Review highlightingthe books success here in the United States. The novel was written by two womenabout the criminal and inhumane mistreatment of women and children. Compassionatelytold from the female perspective, Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis havewritten an exemplary novel where each character has a story to tell but none ofthem are pretty.

The book deals withthe repercussions of an alarming discovery. An old friend of Nina’s reentersher life with instructions on how to find a particular suitcase and a plea forher to protect its contents, but inside the suitcase is a nearly deadthree-year-old boy. Nina’s attempts to unravel the mysteries surrounding thechild lead her down a dangerous path. Cara Black, bestselling author of Murderin the Marais, says the novel is"…stunning. Hooked me from the beginning. Immigrants, the Danishbourgeoisie, and the criminal underworld collide in a moving, fast-pacedthriller with psychological depth." Now that an English translation isbeing published, a whole new international audience can enjoy this excitingstory.

The Fight Against Censorship

2011-11-18T08:58:00.001-08:00

Introduced to the House of Representatives by Texas Congressman LamarSmith. It is being called the “great firewall of America.” SOPA or the StopOnline Piracy Act is intended to drive-out copyright-infringing websites. Thebill would allow the Attorney general to come up with a blacklist of websitesthat they see as engaging in infringing activity to be blocked by internetservice providers, search engines, advertising networks and payment site all withouta court hearing or trial. SOPA would also remove the safe harbor provisions ofthe Digital Millennium Copyright Act and require social websites that host usercontent such as: YouTube, Tumblr and Facebook to be held responsible forensuring the blockade of user posted infringement materials. Sponsors and advocates proclaim SOPA isneeded to help U.S. law enforcement and copyright holders fight online trafficin copyrighted intellectual property and ensuing revenue and job losses. SOPAwas introduced to help the entertainment industry combat online piracyestimated to cost $200 billion annually but has been met with fierceopposition.

Opponentscall the bill pure censorship and that it will “break the internet”, cost jobsand that it will threaten whistleblowers and other free speech provided by theinternet. Along with everyday internet users and internet communities such as 4Chanand Reddit the nine giants of the Internet: Google, eBay, AOL, Facebook, Yahoo,Zynga, LinkedIn, Mozilla and Twitter have placed full-page ads in the New YorkTimes, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and the Washington Times as part oftheir efforts to fight back against SOPA. The blatant infringement ofinternet anonymity goes against the institutions that have been in place inthis country since its existence. Democracy and the Constitution protect therights of We the People and should beprotected by every citizen. Fight internet censorship.

To learn more about Democracy and the constitution read: Democracy For Beginners and US Constitution For Beginners

The secret...Book Clubs

2011-11-16T11:08:00.001-08:00

The opportunity to meet your dedicated and even potentialfan base cannot go undone for published authors. In comes the book club. Thesemeetings are the best opportunity to stimulate discussion about your workthrough social networking, online and public communities and other outlets.“Not only does our group of about a dozen buy the selected book,” one book clubmember acknowledges, “but when we connect to the authors directly, we tend toread everything they put out next, even if we don’t do it as a group.”

Authors benefit with direct sales when attending thesemeetings. One author sold 30 copies of his first two novels to members and tookhome orders for 50 more copies. Though the financial aspect is rewarding, thecreative critiques are also empowering to an author. Blunt questions directedto the author force the author to evaluate where the author is and how they cangrow in order to make the next novel more appealing to a potential fan base. “Thesales spike is minimal even if members buy future books,” an author notes, “butthe interaction is invaluable. You’re building your brand and reader base.”

Along with other benefits book clubs can provide, authorscite opportunities to get members to post reviews on websites such as Amazon andBarns & Nobles and use them to promote forthcoming titles. All in all bookclubs are an excellent way to self-promote your titles and get in touch withyour fan base to better your artistic literature. “I usually come home feelinglike a rock star” one author recalls the benefits are there. Go and reap themyoung authors!

Slash-Burn-Soho

2011-11-16T09:44:00.001-08:00

Dr. Siri, Laos’s national coroner, wason the verge of retirement before he was dragged into one last job for the Laogovernment: supervising an excavation for the remains of a U.S. fighter pilotwho went down in the remote northern Lao jungle ten years earlier. This was ahigh profile project that involved both U.S and Lao politicians, scientist andexcavators. After on member of the search team was found dead, it set off achain of mysterious murders. As thebodies start piling up, Dr. Siri realizes there is more to this search than adead Airman.

Follow Soho through the jungles ofLaos with this new gripping installment of the Dr. Siri mysteries.

Murder at the Laterne Rouge

2011-11-16T09:43:00.001-08:00

After the disappearance of her long-timefriend Meizi and the discovery of a dead shrink-wrapped body with her photo, AimeeLeduc can’t figure out how the murder is connected to Meizi’s disappearance. Themysterious dead body was sitting on a discovery that has France’s secretservice keeping tabs on him now are following Aimée. A missing friend, botchedaffairs of the heart, dirty policemen, the French secret service, secrets and amurderer on the loose, Soho has done it again.

On-the-go Payroll

2011-11-04T08:34:00.000-07:00

Did you everwant to have anytime access to human resources? Now you can with the ADP MobileSolutions app. This mobile app allows employees of ADP’s U.S. clients to checktheir HR, benefits and payroll information whenever and wherever they want.Users are able to clock in, clock out and create time sheets. The app alsoallows access to company news as well as staff directory information.

The ADPMobile Solutions app is available for the iPhone and iPad. Browser access isavailable with Android and Blackberry mobile devices. To find out moreinformation about how the ADP Mobile Solutions can assist you with your HRon-the-go needs, go to http://www.adp.com/mobilesolutions/.

Misfit Monroe

2011-11-04T08:29:00.001-07:00

Adam Braver takes us through one of the last weekends ofMarilyn Monroe’s life. The story is comprised of interconnected narrativesbeginning with the demise of her career in the famous Cal/Neva Lodge. It was aweekend that would end tragically for her. Ten days later she would be founddead. This novel defies typical narrative writing. Mr. Braver takes this solemnday in theatrical history and makes it personal.

Moby Dick Resurrected

2011-11-04T08:27:00.001-07:00

Moby Dick in Pictures byMatt Kish has set out to be an instant classic. The assortment of drawings notonly appeals to all tastes and ages but breathes in a fresh new life to aclassic novel. Moby Dick in Pictures took eighteen months to produce using variousstyles of artwork. With pages torn from old literature, ball point pens,crayons, markers, paint, ink and watercolor, Mr. Kish has created a masterpiecethat would do the legacy of Herman Melville proud.

A trailer for the novel can be found in the Tin HousePublishing’s blog.

Seriously....Just.... Go to Sleep.....Seriously

2011-10-28T11:04:00.001-07:00

As the sequel to theadult friendly phenomenon Go the F**k to Sleep, your children can nowjoin in the fun with Seriously, Just Go to Sleep. This kid’s friendlyalternative allows children and parents to joke with one another aboutone of the most stressful parts of a parent's life, getting his or her child tosleep. Seriously, Just Go to Sleepaccording to Akashic will have “the biggest initial release we’ve everhad. It will likely be tens of thousands of copies with a big promotional push.”The book will have similar rhymes and drawings to the original but with addedvisual appeal to kids. Congrats Akashic to your continual success!

FIFA and Soho...Can it get any better?

2011-10-19T08:55:00.000-07:00

It’s the eve of the FIFA World Cup in the host countryBrazil. All of the public and politicians in Brazil, from the President on down,have their seats set on the finale between Brazil and their arch-rivalArgentina. Brazil is laying their hopesfor victory on their star player Tico “The Artist” Santos along with theBrazilian Eleven. But then, three weeks before the game Tico’s mother iskidnapped. The star is distressed; the public outraged and the politicians are revoltedand the case is put on Chief Inspector Mario Silva to return her safely.

Follow Soho through the streets of Brazil in this suspensefulchapter of the Chief inspector Mario Silva saga.

Mr. Kill : The Seventh Chapter of Soho’s Longest Running Crime Series

2011-10-19T08:26:00.001-07:00

Thestory unravels as a young Korean mother fell victim to a brutal rape in a trainfrom Pusan to Seoul. This tragic event sparked an anti-American rage as someeyewitnesses indicated that the culprit was most likely a U.S. Service member. AsSergeants George Sueno and Ernie Bascom are called in to investigate the rapistdisappears. The trail starts getting cold, but with help of legendary Koreaninvestigator “Mr. Kill,” the investigators embark in a frantic search throughthe Demilitarized zone and all along the peninsula to the Yellow Sea.

Take a Detour With Soho Through The Italian Back-Roads

2011-10-19T08:25:00.002-07:00

The date is 1938 and the Third Reich has commenced operationSonderprojekte, which is collectingall the great art of Europe and storing them in Nazi Germany. Assigned to themission is a young twenty-six year old named Ernst Vogler. With him are twinItalian brothers who have been hired to escort Vogler and his precious cargo tothe border. But things start to go wrongimmediately. The twins have other priorities in mind- a crazed adventure of wildromances and criminal side jobs that’ll take them in a detour through theItalian back roads. Read what Times Literature declares “Epic in scale... excels as a portrait of a country at a painful moment in its evolution.”And the New York Times Book Reviewcalls “An impressive and richly atmospheric debut.”

Mystery, Murder, Espionage and Soho

2011-10-19T08:25:00.000-07:00

Set in London in the baking summer of 1922. A terrorist ringis targeting high ranked government officials and members of the royal family. Asthis occurs, a young traumatized Russian woman turns herself in to the Britishconsulate in Russia. She begs to be sent to family members in England to berescued from her mystifying tragic past. But is she a victim? Or a spy on a secret mission? The Blood Royal is a story of mystery, murder and espionage.

Stolen Souls: A Gripping New Tale from Soho Crime

2011-10-19T08:24:00.000-07:00

The story sets inas financially strapped girls in Eastern Europe are loomed by an educated, kindhearted group of men with offers of jobs in Northern Ireland. The jobs would help them support theirfamilies back home and get out of debt. But instead of the well-paying officejobs they ended in brothels.

This is the accountof one of those girls, a single-minded lady who creates mayhem for her captors. Follow Soho Crime in a gripping tale ofviolence, rebellion and compassion.

London Calling: Follow Soho’s book as it examines the British ruling elite

2011-10-19T08:22:00.000-07:00

Its general elections time in London and someone is targetingformer members of the highly elite Merrion Club. The society is centered onyouthful and ambitious members that are addicted to excess and power. First onthe murderers list is the cold-blooded Edgar Carlton, who will not stand whilehis position to be Prime Minister is threatened.

Inspector John Carlyne of London’s Metropolitan Police is assignedto the case. After finding a body in a luxurious London hotel, hisinvestigation leads him through the dangerous underworld of the British rulingelite. It’s a race against time for inspector Carlyne to find the killer beforeCarlton takes matters into his own hands.

Break through the boundaries with Akashic Books

2011-10-12T10:02:00.000-07:00

Picking up from her previous novel Anna-In-Between, Elizabeth Nunez’s Boundaries is the tale of coping with the changing world. AnnaSinclair has just returned to Manhattan from her tranquil island of Trinidadwhere a career minded staff has been at work. Their sexual-oriented marketingtactics undermine Anna’s pure artistic work. Not to be deterred, she accepts amanuscript by an unknown author, in her mind a true artist. Her editor in chiefhowever, has a different plan. The marketing team devised a raunchy cover, despiteAnna’s complaints; the editor in chief justified it by saying “I read thebottom line Anna, that’s all.” Follow Anna’s boundaries between mother anddaughter, husband and wife, homeland and adopted country with Akashic Booksnewest novel.

Welcome Akashic Books!

2011-09-23T12:04:00.001-07:00

Benay is honored to welcome our newest client, Akashic Books. Akashic is an independent publisher ofliterary fiction and political nonfiction dedicated to amplifying the voice ofauthors being ignored by larger media companies. Their recent release, Go the F**k to Sleep, has hit the New York Times, Wall StreetJournal, Publishers Weekly and IndieBoundbestseller lists. The audio book isnarrated by none other than Samuel L. Jackson, the F-word artist of our time.

Akashic’s catalog satisfies a wide range of readers withtitles from criminal fiction like TheCocaine Chronicles, by Gary Phillips and Jervey Tervalo, and The Plot Against Hip Hop, by NelsonGeorge, to truly novel non-fiction, including the latest political cartoon andcommentary release by Mr. Fish, GO FISH:How to Win Contempt and Influence People. These are published side-by-side with the ambitious Noir series, a collection of crime stories by genre-writinggeniuses and literary fiction greats with volumes creeping from thesunset-shadowed alleys of San Francisco to sweltering Haiti nights.

Akashic likely gets its rock star attitude and bold stridestoward success from its Editor in Chief, Johnny Temple. Temple plays bass for the band Girls AgainstBoys (styled GVSB). Among his otherduties, Temple finds time to organize the popular Brooklyn Book Festival.

With a diverse, competent staff, fresh andfearless authors, and one foot firmly planted in success, Akashic is poised tobecome a growing, maverick force in the publishing world.

A Gripping and compelling novel, SOHO’s Sand Queen brings the Iraq War to your living room.

2011-09-21T11:21:00.000-07:00

Sand Queenbringsthe perspective of female veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom into light.Nineteen year old Kate Brady, a Specialist in the United States Army, isassigned to guard an American prison in the deserts of Iraq. There she meets an Iraqi local named NaemaJassim whose father and brother are detained in the prison. They soon becomefriends who promised to help each other through these difficult times. But asthe war rages their relationship begins to strain. Kate’s difficult tasks ofbeing a female soldier in Iraq and Naema being a female civilian in Iraq, bothstruggle to survive the constant dangers of everyday life.

Drafted from real life accounts of female soldiers and Iraqicivilians, Sand Queen is hailed onshedding light of the horrendous impact of the Iraq war on women both, soldiersand civilians.

A Mortal Terror: Another great installment in Soho’s Billy Boyle series.

2011-09-21T11:20:00.000-07:00

Billy Boyle is a Boston police officer turned United States Army lieutenant who is sent to the European theatre assigned as General Eisenhower's personal investigator. The mystery unravels as two bodies are found in Caserta, Italy days before the invasion of Anzio. The bodies belonged to Lt. Norman Landry and Cpt. Max Galante who were found with a distinct clue: the Lieutenant, holding the ten of hearts; the Captain, the jack of hearts. The message seems to be clear. If the murder isn't detained, the higher ranks will be next. Follow the fast paced thriller that the New York Times called " A spirited wartime storytelling" and Lee Child of Gone Tomorrow claimed "An instant classic."

Gaming the Workplace

2011-09-16T13:35:00.001-07:00

Henry Albrecht wrote an enlightening entry for SmartBlogtoday about the potential of ‘gamification’ in the workplace. Titled “The Game of Corporate Wellness: Failing,Winning and Gloating”, Albrecht’s article gives employers several tips on waysthey can engage their employees that far suprass the effectiveness of competingcompany wellness programs.

Tailoring the interactive experience to the specific culturalenvironment is very important, according to Albrecht, who says, “A game thatworks for active employees of globally dispersed high-tech companies may bevery different from one that works for single one-location hospitals.”

It’s also important to start small and take baby stepstoward initiating your corporate ‘game’. Simple rewards and increasing levels of involvement are useful indrawing in employees who likely won’t want or feel free to engage in thegame. “If you demand too much early on,you’ll overwhelm participants with too much too fast,” warns Albrecht. But by switching the focus from tellingemployees what to do, to letting employees decide how best to achieve a setgoal, creativity and effectiveness can be nurtured to new heights.

Luminarium Provoking More Thought In the NYT

2011-09-06T10:48:00.001-07:00

Soho’s Luminariumhas received yet another insightful and positive review in Sunday’s New York Times from Christopher R. Beha. Beha calls Alex Shakar’s novel compelling,comparing it at times to the films Inceptionand The Matrix. Shakar’s novel is already complicated byalternate realities, artificially induced religious experiences and disembodiedfamily members. To this, Beha’s articlebrings the ideas of William James and his opinions, contrary to many who seereligious experiences as symptoms of brain trauma or dysfunction and then dismiss the concepts as pastmistakes of no value.

Beha seems to find those demanding concepts at odds with thenovel’s attempt to entertain at times, but concludes that while there is quitea lot going on within the story, Shakar’s talented writing holds the booktogether. Clearly, there is a lot tolearn from Luminarium, which is asfull of entertainment as it is of revelations.

Point Praises We Did Porn

2011-08-31T13:07:00.000-07:00

This week, Zak Smith’s novel, We Did Porn, received another glowing review by John Lingan of The Point titled “Salvation for Civilians: Porn as a Way of Life.”

Lingan observes, “Given the tenor of contemporary conversation about pornography, the book is refreshingly unrepentant; never for a second does Smith even entertain the notion that having sex on camera constitutes a degrading step down for an ostensibly healthy citizen like him. This is not a memoir of frightened conversions or brushes with rock bottom. Smith regrets nothing, and takes to the new work with clearheaded and self-aware anxiousness.”

In his book, We Did Porn, Smith chronicles his life transition from the New York art scene to the Los Angeles adult film industry—from a world of grandstanding and pretention to a world with more straightforward and genuine human interactions. “…In the art field, you talk about, like, a Werner Herzog movie, and people pretend they’re interested in it to seem smart. But if you’re with some porn chick talking about a Werner Herzog movie, it’s because she got really excited about a Werner Herzog movie. Otherwise, she doesn’t have to … there’s no reason to do that in porn. It won’t help.”

We Did Porn is a great go-to book on alt culture, and in Lingan’s article, he writes, “Smith’s publishers explicitly compare We Did Porn to Hell’s Angels and The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, and in conversation Smith refers to himself as “an interpreter,” someone who describes a subculture for the benefit of outsiders who almost surely won’t see it for themselves.

This September from Tin House: Get “Hooked”

2011-08-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

Fans ofbooks like The Secret Diary of a CallGirl can look forward to next month’s release of Tin House’s Hooked by John Franc. It was mentionedin an article on Bookfinds.comon the current trend of stories about the scandalous, secretive world ofbrothels and call girls, seen everywhere from Jennifer Love Hewitt’s The Client List, a Lifetime movie nowbeing made into a TV show, to the Showtime series based on the popular Secret Diary of a Call Girl, to bookslike Hooked. A Library Journal review says “Franc has created an interesting and provocative thoughtexperiment . . . The questions the novel poses about men and relationships areas compelling as they are disturbing. Potentially great conversation fodder forbook clubs; recommended for fans of the edgy read.” Hooked promises to offer an intriguing look at a taboo lifestyle.

Don't give up on Plan B yet!

2011-08-17T09:16:00.000-07:00

There was an article in this Sunday’s New York Times titled, “Maybe It’s Time For Plan C” and notsurprisingly, found that one of the major hang ups of pursuing a dream job isthe clerical work. While most people imagine that running their dream business willinvolve only days filled with self-gratifying work and creative passion, at theend of the day there is still the paperwork to do that goes into making aworking business.

The article tells the personal stories of several people whowere laid off from or quit their current career jobs and decided to take the opportunityto start their own businesses, only to find that there was more work involvedthan initially planned. One man, Charan Sachar, left his career as a softwareengineer to devote himself full-time to his online store, Creative With Clay,where he sells his own stoneware pieces. It sounds ideal, but there is a downside: “Now, instead of spending his free timeabsorbed in visions of clay, he spends as much as 70 percent of his day onadministration… That leaves little time to enjoy the hobby he loves.” If onlythere was a way for Charan to hire out some of his administrative work so hecould spend more time doing what he loves. Lucky for him and others like him,there are companies out there that do provide such services.

Hiring companies such as Benay Enterprises, provides youwith someone else to take care of all your tedious bookkeeping tasks and financialresponsibilities so you can spend your time doing what you love and growingyour business. The article concludes that, “… Everyone interviewed said thatdespite the unforeseen bumps, they would not trade their new lives for theirold jobs.” It’s obvious that peoplewould rather do what they love even if it involves way more work and less paythan their previous jobs, but I guarantee that they would like their jobs evenmore if they didn’t have to do all the business management tasks. Benay offersthe services of an entire business staff without having to hire an entire businessstaff. Being your own boss is hard enough; why not find a way to make your joba little easier?

Plotto: The Master Book of All Plots. A book for both the recreational and the occasional plotter!

2011-08-02T09:32:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, TinHouse, to great success, released their reprinting of The Hour: A Cocktail Manifesto by Bernard DeVoto, originallypublished in the 1950’s. The book became a cult classic among cocktailenthusiasts, but became increasingly rare to find over the decades. In 2010, TinHouse brought new life into a book that would have been lost to obscurity andtime. It seems the publishing company has found another gem from the past: Plotto: The Master Book of All Plots, by theprolific pulp writer William Wallace Cook. Cook himself banged out countless stories tothe tune of 66,000 words a week back in the height of pulp writing. The manclearly had a knack for creating plots and in 1928 he published his methods ina book called Plotto. While Cookpassed away in 1933 in the town inMarshall, Michigan, I am sure he would have been happy knowing that hismasterpiece how-to story writing book has made it through the decades.

Plotto is a guidedesigned for writing that operates on Cook’s theory that: Purpose,opposed by obstacle, yields conflict. The book is set up into sections: TheMaster plot, The Conflict Situations, and Character Combinations. The book is alittle too complex in its set up to fully explain here, but choosing options from each of the threesections will help the writer to create a full-fledged story—almost like achoose-your-own-adventure book that instead makes you write what happens whenyou flip to page 46 instead of 12.

Tin House is due to release Plotto in November of this year with an introduction by the writerPaul Collins. This book arrives just in time for all of you out thereparticipating in NaNoWriMo (NationalNovel Writing Month). This book would surely be an asset to marathon novelistseverywhere. To those of you not writing until your brains melt out of your earsthis November— this book is still a unique book to have in your collection. Ifyou suffer from writer’s block, I can assure that this book will offer a cure.

Equity Insurance: The Way out of the Housing Crisis?

2011-08-01T13:14:00.000-07:00

For the last few years, people have been searching for waysto fix the U.S.’s major economic problems. In a recent article in the Wilmington News Journal, Delaware’s formerchief deputy attorney general Charles Brandt proposes a new plan to reinvigoratethe struggling housing market.

The housing crisis began when large numbers of buyersdefaulted on their loans, which led to banks foreclosing and the market fillingwith cheap houses. The prices kept falling, so no one wanted to risk buying ahouse if the price might immediately drop again. Lack of consumer confidence became a majorissue. Brandt’s idea for a solution is the creation of Government EquityInsurance to encourage qualified buyers to purchase new homes. This programwould need to be run by the government, either implemented by Congress or anystate legislature, since these days private equity insurance doesn’t inspire asmuch consumer confidence after recent failures like AIG. Brandt likens GEI tothe FDIC, which allows bank depositors to feel confident that their money issafe.

Under this plan, houses would still be appraised for fairmarket value at the time of purchase, and the buyer would pay that amount andown the house for five years. Then for the next twenty years, the buyer wouldreceive a tax credit or refund to cover the difference in price if he sells thehouse for a lower fair market value than what he originally paid for it, minusthe estimated cost of any necessary repairs. The program would be a temporarymeasure, probably lasting for no more than two years, though it could easily beextended or even repealed after a year if for some reason it doesn’t work out.

As Brandt sees it, GEI is a win-win program. Eventually,home prices will go up as demand matches supply, employment will rise, and thestates that provide GEI will benefit if homebuyers from nearby states decide totake advantage of the insurance and move there. And as Brandt says, the mostimportant factor is that “no GEI policy will ever have to pay out one thin dimein claims, because GEI's existence will put wind in the sails of the housingmarket.”

Charles Brandt is the author of I Heard You Paint Houses (Steerforth Press), which is set to bemade into a Martin Scorsese movie starring Robert DeNiro.

Granta’s The Sisters Brothers Makes Booker Prize Longlist

2011-07-29T07:06:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Patrick deWitt and Granta! DeWitt’s second novel, The Sisters Brothers, is one of thirteen books on the longlist for the Man Booker Prize. Set during the California Gold Rush, The Sisters Brothers puts a new spin on traditional Westerns while paying tribute to the classics that came before. In this darkly humorous novel, Eli and Charlie Sisters are a pair of hit-men brothers tracking down a prospector they’ve been hired to kill, until Eli starts to have some serious doubts about his murderous lifestyle.

The shortlist for this prestigious British award will be announced on September 6, when the contenders will be narrowed down to six books.

Now in English from Soho Crime: The First in a Thrilling Danish Series

2011-07-28T08:05:00.000-07:00

Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis’s crime fiction novels about Red Cross nurse Nina Borg are already quite popular in Denmark, but this November the first in the series, The Boy in the Suitcase, will finally be published in English by Soho Crime. Scandinavian Books included The Boy in the Suitcase in an article on some of the region’s best new crime fiction, calling it “outstanding” and “a great mystery by two interesting writers.”

The book deals with the repercussions of an alarming discovery. An old friend of Nina’s reenters her life with instructions on how to find a particular suitcase and a plea for her to protect its contents, but inside the suitcase is a nearly dead three-year-old boy. Nina’s attempts to unravel the mysteries surrounding the child lead her down a dangerous path. Cara Black, bestselling author of Murder in the Marais, says the novel is "…stunning. Hooked me from the beginning. Immigrants, the Danish bourgeoisie, and the criminal underworld collide in a moving, fast-paced thriller with psychological depth." Now that an English translation is being published, a whole new international audience can enjoy this exciting story.

From Meme to Movie Theaters, Disinfo's Latest Documentary

2011-07-27T12:13:00.000-07:00

Jimmy McMillan is best known for representing the Rent is Too Damn High party. His outbursts (mainly bellowing reiterations of his party’s name) have featured in hundreds of videos online, reaching viral status on sites like Youtube and Funny or Die. There remains more to Mr. McMillan’s story than a profane tagline, however, and two film makers have recently finished a documentary that peers into McMillian’s life, his history leading up to the net-famous 2010 gubernatorial debate, and how the overnight popularity has affected his life.

Director Aaron Fisher-Cohen, other film-makers on the project, and McMillan himself will be in attendance tomorrow night at the Rerun Theater in Brooklyn for the film’s sneak preview. The movie, aptly titled Damn!, will be available August 16^thas a DVD or download from The Disinformation Company. Between McMillian’s current escapades and his eclectic history as a stripping, soul-singing black belt Vietnam veteran, Damn! promises not to disappoint.