My Blog

Schism: History

John — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:04:00 GMT

I have been reworking my "Schism: Generations" graphic novel. Previously I wrote the story in a random fashion, much like you would right a novel. Each chapter varied in size. I decided to do a rewrite and fit each chapter into 32 pages (a single comic book issue). I have completed the refined script and story boards for the first issue, and I feel the story is much stronger now. There is a better scenes of setting, character and plot development. So What is this comic book all about? This comic book idea came to me back in 1992 when I moved from my home town of Libby, Montana to go to art school in Denver, Colorado. Living in the city and seeing homeless people on the streets was the original motivation for the “Amanda” character (originally “Lisa”). At that point in my life, I felt like every good intention I had turned into drama. I think you call that being in your 20s. So this idea sparked in my mind for a story about a homeless teen who had the power to heal people and do good by others. But for all the good she did, an equal amount of evil came from her actions. One example of that in the original script is a scene involving a homeless Native American named “Moccasin” who is deathly ill. Amanda stumbles upon him in the night and puts her hands on his head. A glow surrounds them both, and the Indian looks up in amazement. He is completely healthy. A few pages later in the story, Moccasin is gunned down in a drive by shooting. This is the structure of Amanda’s powers/ curse. She has a big heart and wants to save the world, but ends up causing more harm than good. I started writing this story much like you would write a novel. I did not care about how long each chapter was, I just wrote it. Now I am working on converting the story and each chapter into a comic book containing 32 pages. The original story was a total of 16 chapters, so this may turn into roughly 16 issues (32 pages each). The Evolution of a Story Over the years as I continue to flesh out my world and the message I want to communicate, several major changes in my story have altered its course. The setting has changed from “present day” downtown Denver in the summer to Denver after an apocalyptic catastrophe that has shattered the Earth, sending it into an eternal winter. With this devastation, all of the evil that was thought to be myth returns to plague what is left of humanity. Vampires (Shadows), Werewolves (Howlers) and Zombies (Creakers), along with many other unnatural creatures roam what is left of the planet. Changing the setting altered the direction of the story, and opened it up for new possibilities and a stronger, more emotional ending for the book. I no longer have drive by shootings and things of that nature involving my characters. The themes that I have tackled have increased immensely. I feel there is more depth to the characters and the plot with this final rewrite. I guess I am trying to relay in my story my core beliefs on how the world works (or could work) by plunging my characters into the worst of hardships and seeing how they overcome these challenges. Some of these themes involve religion, relationships, how we see our world, the environment, the hero’s quest, how we pass on our strengths and weaknesses to our children, addiction and abuse. Why is it titled “Schism: Generations”? The word schism is generally used to describe a church or religion that is divided. Buddhism has a story about a church that became split down the middle concerning their beliefs. Not being able agree on the argument or come to a compromise, the church split into two separate houses of worship. A similar story is told in the Christian Bible. That theme on a religious level is evaluated through the characters “The Lord”, “Befana” and “Saint Lucifer” (representing God and Christianity, the Goddess and Wicca, and the evil antagonist that causes a divide between the religions). I decided to break the word down further into something divided. A division. Amanda is divided by her power/ curse. She wants to help, knowing that if she does, it will cause more hurt. Also, there is a division and breaking in the relationships in the story involving multiple characters. I like to think of “Schism” as my brand, a title for many other stories to come (for example, “Schism: The Night Shelly Came Back” and “Schism: The Werewolf Diaries”). These stories will all take place in the same world that I have created for “Generations”, keeping the continuity in tact for the history and time line. The “Generations” tag represents the three main female characters in this story. Starting with Emily and pieces of her broken life, the story continues with her daughter Amanda. Later in the story, after tragedy strikes, the story moves forward with Amanda’s daughter Jen.

NEW NEWSLETTER

John — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 21:28:49 GMT

http://3otters.blogspot.com/ Our site now features a tribute section and language translation instructions at the bottom of the home page. Our tributes include Eric Zapala, Ralph Binder and Les Skramstad. I am also working on a Street Team section (more on that later) to help promote the site. 3 Otters is gearing up to launch a marketing campaign. So watch out! More newsletter at: http://3otters.blogspot.com/

Pumpin Seed ©2007

John — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 22:42:38 GMT

Emerging from the pumpkin seed A barren soul too dry to bleed The twisting turning sweaty need Producing nothing more than weed The bunny takes his final leap Above the slimy bugs that creep He prays his soul the Lords to keep And when he hits his final sleep From the bunnys’ body grows The grandest of all traveling shows The bugs that creep will eat his woes For this much now the bunny knows

One Year

John — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 05:54:11 GMT

Well, it's been a while since I blogged. I think my ramblings here represent me well- all over the map. My brain is so everywhere all of the time. I am back in Libby, Montana after visiting Chelsie (my girl) in Long Lake, Minnesota. I was there for a couple of days. I took a train and a break from everything. It was so good to see her again. While on the train I started to write this journal: Sept. 28, 2007 One Year. Spinning my wheels. Floating in a stagnate sea of motionless water. Waiting for the wind or a currant to move me forward. I can't wait any longer. I must find an oar and paddle my way out. I am on a train heading back to Libby, Montana. I have had a lot of time to think this past week. And I have been thinking about this past year. Deconstructing it. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. Last year at this time I was working at Whole Foods Market in Denver, Colorado. I had so many things going on, that I was not taking care of my needs. Work was demanding (but, Whole Foods is still the best company to work for!), my group of artistic friends always had small projects going on (one of which was a zombie movie), I was working with local musicians Melissa Ivey and the Gentlemen designing and updating their web site, CD covers, posters, flyers, video and more, I was working on my own web site that featured 30 other artists, online business selling paint brushes and writing a comic book and neglecting my girlfriend Chelsie. I was stretched thin and stressed out. Then my attention span went elsewhere. Some shiny object or the cow outside the train window that was face down in a pond and not moving. Can cows breath underwater? Anyways, I should finish this "Year Thought". Where was I? Oh yea, stressed out. But hey, who isn't? I'm not special. I'm just a guy. I miss Denver a lot. I spent 14 years there, making friends, growing and finding myself. But I missed my mountains and freedom from the masses. I'm in that strange place that where ever I go, I miss the last place. That's normal, though. My parents were ill and being from Libby, I feared the worse. Libby has more than it's share of illnesses (read my previous posts on Libby and asbestos). So I packed up and all of my friends and coworkers pitched in to help me move. I had a huge going away party at work, and then Chelsie threw me one at our apartment with all of my other friends. She was also getting ready to move to Minnesota to help her family out. But she didn't tell anyone. The party was for me, and once again I neglected her. And the way my mom talked on the phone, I thought they were both on their death bed. And when I got to Libby, I find that they are sick, but more than that, they are very unhappy. I moved back to help them, but they won't let me. They won't go to any doctors, they won't let me help around the house or anything. I can't cook or bring the wood in, because I do it wrong. I am in a very toxic environment, physically and mentally. So I sit in my room and I am nobody. And when I try to get my business going my dad hovers over me and says "when that doesn't work, you can get a job at the mine (in Troy, Montana). I am miserable. I now know why I moved to Denver. So here's my dilemma: I stay in Libby being depressed and unable to help my family and grow ill like them, move back to Denver after Whole Foods helped me move to Libby, or move to Minnesota with Chelsie and a fresh start. And if I leave Libby, I know something will happen to my parents to pull me back. I feel stuck. I love Libby, but I have never been free to be me here. I was me in Denver without my mountains. Minnesota was nice. Lots of lakes and trees, city and country. An art scene for me to jump into. I won't spread myself thin this time either. I need to focus on me. Quality Paintbrushes ( http://stores.ebay.com/Quality-Paint-Brushes-plus_ ), sBs ( http://www.swingbabyswing.com/ ) and Schism: Generations ( http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=153063312 ). That's my focus. It's strange. Even though this year has not gone how I would have liked it to, I took a time out to figure out what I need. I need to be creative again (I'm blocked here) and be with Chelsie. We have talked every day since I moved. We are closer now than ever, and she makes me happy. Good things are coming. The sun is going to shine...

e-mails

John — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 21:02:13 GMT

I have been so busy lately and I have not been communicating with anyone like I should. I was working at The Printing Press / Kootenai Valley Record (newspaper) here in Libby. It was a great oppertunity to be creative and get paid for it. But the job consumed all of my time and energy, usually with too much stress and negativity involved. So I got a job working at Rosauer’s Supermarket in the grocery department stocking shelves at 3 in the morning until 7 a.m. then finishing up my final two weeks at The Printing Press. Working two jobs sounds like fun, but really, it is not. I have many thing I want to do, and my last job left me with no energy for my stuff. My parents have good and bad days, and getting off of work at 11 a.m. will give me more time to spend with them also. My next goal is to get a place of my own (for my sanity) so I will have the space to work on the web site, comic book, eBay store and all of my other projects. My dreams have not changed. So I am alive and well and looking forward to the future. I will keep in touch more often now that I will have the time. To everyone recieving this e-mail- I miss you all and think of you often. Take care. John Bursell 09/06/07 I have an apple tree in my back yard. But I haven’t eaten any of the apples yet. First it was the deer that I did not want to scare off, living under the apple tree. Eating my apples. Watching them through my window as they got up on their back legs, standing up like a person would, pulling the fruit from the limbs of the tree. Those apples look tasty. But the deer have gone, and I have a bigger problem under my apple tree (200 pounds bigger!). A black bear has taken fondly to my apples. And when it stands up on it’s hind legs, the bear does not pull the apples down gently like the deer before it. The bear grabs a branch and shakes the whole tree until the apples leap in fear away from their home. I didn’t want any apples any ways... (check out my photos of the black bear)

June 2007 News Letter

John — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 01:54:53 GMT

Part 1: New Happenings On Swing Greetings everyone! It has been a very long month for me, but very rewarding at the same time. I have been getting a lot of e-mails that I haven’t had time to respond to. I have a new job at The Printing Press in Libby, Montana. They have just expanded the business to include a community news paper, which I also work on. The paper is the Kootenai Valley Record. I feel very productive and have been working hard to relearn the printing business. I became too comfortable working on websites, and... http://www.swingbabyswing.com/newsletter_june2007.html Part 2: Business and Marketing Quick Search Engine Tips Do you have trouble finding what you are looking for on the internet? Do you want to filter out some of the garbage and get right to the information you are looking for? Here are some techniques to help you out. First you need to understand what is behind a search engine, and how it works. Let’s use Google as an example to start with. Let’s say you are researching “Star Wars action figures” on Google. When you type these words in, you are only searching about half of the internet (when using Google, but other engines search even less). You will not have full access to the entire world wide web. The reason is a search engine dose not... http://www.swingbabyswing.com/newsletter_june2007.html Part 3: Letters From Libby 01.28.07 These problems are not just limited to Libby. We pollute our planet and harm the populations. Where ever there are people, we need to be mindful. We must keep each other in check. Our history is filled with one mans gain over the suffering of another. Maybe that’s just natural. That’s how animals survive. But do they usually kill their own? In normal situations, no. Nature is about balance. Animals live in their habitat and strike a harmony. But man is unique. We devour our surrounding resources then move to the next area. Greed is a powerful thing. When the twin towers fell on 9-11 in New York, asbestos from Libby, Montana filled the air. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) responded quickly, but all of the press was focussed... http://www.swingbabyswing.com/newsletter_june2007.html LaVonne Johnson in Denver CO just graduated from Theology school this weekend. Great job my dear friend! Well, until next month, take care my friends. John Bursell ______________________________________ If you would like to be removed from our mailing list, just let us know at: threeotters@earthlink.net _____________________________________________ "Unique products, services and free access to a vast selection of art galleries including multimedia, culinary, fashion and poetry from a number of talented artists." swingbabyswing http://www.swingbabyswing.com the sBs on line store http://www.cafepress.com/swingbabyswing "The man who trades freedom for security does not deserve nor will he ever receive either." -Benjamin Franklin © 2007 for 3 Otters Enterprises

Cheap Quaility Art Supplies!

John — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 23:46:57 GMT

Check out my online store for acrylics, paint brushes, canvas, paper, air brushes and more! http://stores.ebay.com/Quality-Paint-Brushes-plus_W0QQsspagenameZL2222QQtZkm

A Poem...

John — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 03:05:57 GMT

A TEAR DROP

John — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 03:00:53 GMT

John Bursell © 1999 The homeless on the street The hungry never eat The environment gone to hell Where will the otter dwell? The innocent persecuted My feelings are deluded The government is polluted The Black Man was uprooted What the hell are we doing? Is this worth pursuing? On this big ball of shit Just where do I fit? A tear drop from the sun Down to the last Indian The tax man and lawyer are the Devil Why can't we love and be civil? From gay bashing to child abuse For the Black Man with his head in the noose If the human race could leave the hate behind Then we might all shine What the hell are we doing? Is this worth pursuing? On this big ball of shit Just where do I fit? Reaching for the golden ring If I could do just one thing I'd put my love in your heart And break the hate apart

Letters From Libby

John — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 07:27:05 GMT

by John Bursell ©2006-2007 INTRODUCTION Living in Denver and being removed from the immediate problems in Libby Montana, I still have waves of anger and sadness. It will be intensified dwelling in the belly of the beast. I will document, to the best of my abilities, the story of the victims from a small town poisoned by asbestos. It will be a journal of feelings and fears, facts, stories and information on a small town in the mountains, sixty miles south of the Canadian boarder. Libby Montana is my home town. It is a place of fond memories and harsh lessons. Libby is nested in a valley surrounded by thick pine and towering mountains. It is a community of simple people with big hearts and battered lungs. The mine on Zonolite Mountain extracted vermiculite used in insulation. The vermiculite was laced with asbestos. The Zonolite mine started operations in 1924. The very same year a study by the British Medical Journal sited asbestos as a cause of death. The company knew in 1963 that tremolite (asbestos) was a contaminant. In 1969, workers from the mine were X-rayed with horrifying results. Tests that very same year showed that twenty four thousand pounds of dust a day were expelled from the large stack on the dry mill. The dust was twenty percent asbestos. This not only harmed the miners, but affected the entire valley. And nothing was done about it. The company withheld this information for the sake of profit. W.R. Grace, the owner of the operation, built a new mill in 1975. This doubled the mills production. Half a million pounds of asbestos a day were produced. Libby's miners and families have filed one hundred and seven civil actions against W.R. Grace since 1984. The mine finally closed in 1990, with the Environmental Protection Agency left to clean up the mess and witness first hand a beautifully wooded valley populated by the dying. Part 1- 200 CROSSES Tremolite- A type of asbestos fiber. It is the most aggressive and deadly form of asbestos. These tiny fibers, once inside the lung(s) causes inflammation, pleural thickening (hardening of the lungs), loss of lung function, fluid build up and slow suffocation. The fibers, when magnified, resemble shards of glass. These tiny fibers imbed themselves in the inner part of the lung, then slowly (over the course of years) work their way to the outer walls of the lungs. Once there, the chances of cancer increase. 8.05.06 The one thing I fear the most is here. I knew it was coming, I just did not know when. I am moving back to Libby Montana in mid-October 2006. My parents are both very ill, and I will be taking care of them. My home town is not doing too well, and I am needed. Denver has given me many things, and many friends whom I love very much. I will miss my adventures here in D-town (I’ve been here since 1992) but this is something I have to do. But on the up side, I will have a lot of computer time to finish all of the many projects I’ve started (and I will finish ALL of them). We will all march forward... That is what we do. 10.26.06 All of my comforting childhood memories are rushing back to me while stepping into my parents back yard. Fall is here, full of reds, yellows and orange. Trees loom above me like mighty giants. There is a peace here; a calm. My moving van is parked in my Dads shop. A tiny deer stops in the yard, surprised to see me. And then it is gone. I look up in the sky and see an eagle has nested on a telephone pole. If you have never seen an eagles nest, it is quite impressive. All of these sights and smells all around me makes me feel like this is heaven on Earth. Libby Montana, there is no better place. I walk into my Dad’s shop to unload my stuff from the moving van and a harsh reminder of why I moved from Denver to Libby slaps me in the face. I look up and down the interior of the shop and I see insulation hanging down in strips stamped with the Zonolite logo. 11.06.06 So far the past few days it has been raining here in Libby. Living in Denver for 14 years I almost forgot what rain was. But so far, everything is the same in Libby, except the people. Where did they all go? I am enjoying the quite. I think I am experiencing reverse culture shock. I am starting to get my internet endeavors rolling again. Everyone in town wants to come by and see my fancy computer and see how you do an e-mail. Ah, the simple life. The deer are outside my window again. The little ones like to chase each other and run in a big circle. "W.R. Grace is responsible for the tragedy that has become Libby. Grace has shown consistently that not only can they not be trusted, but their motivations are strictly related to their bottom line, which is greed." -Helen Bundrock Tribute My history Gentle wilderness Orange sunsets Moose in the back yard Logging trucks Waitress smiles While making my Chocolate milkshake Didn't even know you were there You took my breath away How you touched me wasn't fair What else can I say Playing in tall grass Imagination as vast As the blue sky Living between green and heaven My mother lies sick in bed Dizzy headache Wishes she was dead Sick of it all I will be an artist Like God Who created my home I will create worlds Logging trucks Waitress smiles While making my Chocolate milkshake 11.12.06 Today the power went out for about two hours. From Libby to Bonners Ferry, Idaho was a blackout. My parents were concerned about their friend Bonnie Rebo who lives down the road. She has to ware here oxygen to get by. It is run on electricity, so my parents gave here a quick call to check up on her. She had a few back up cans so she was fine. I wonder how many people sat in the dark and worried about how much longer they had to breath? I know and understand how fragile life can be. That is why I have always tried to be gentle and patient with everyone that I deal with. No matter how difficult someone may be, I always think to myself “You don’t know what this person is going through”. I now have two cousins, Brian and Caroline Henthorn who have passed away from lung failure. I have now out lived them both. What scares me is that they moved from Libby to Spokane Washington when we were young. My exposure time was a lot longer. The following poem I wrote before Caroline died. Kootenai Blues Cousin Four years older And so much bolder I looked up to him My aunt and uncle moved to Spokane And we were never close again Thirty four, then no more But his kindness Lingers in my memories And this song so many have sung Is tattooed inside his left lung Now his children lay down and cry Brian was not ready to die Red lights flashing His body thrashing A trip to the emergency room The disease will consume No air To suffocate Not fair Irraticate To his family His wife Janet Sons Scott and Jacob This loss I regret "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." Can you imagine a fate Of no air, to suffocate? "We really put it off to the side. It's the way this country was built. The politics of our society." -Aubrey Miller, Regional Public Health Officer for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Facts: More than 300 ore-processing plants shipped Zonolite products to millions of homes that originated from Libby Montana. The product Zonolite was vermiculite laced with tremolite. Vermiculite was found to be a useful item because it was fire proof and absorbed heat. When heated at 2,000 degrees it “popped” into a feather weight insulation. It was sold with a variety of uses. People put it in the walls of their homes, they applied it to the soil of their lawns and gardens. Children played in it. There were even recipes for breads and other items to market Zonolite to a broader customer base. But the vermiculite ore that was mined was not pure. It also contained tremolite. Tremolite- A type of asbestos fiber. It is the most aggressive and deadly form of asbestos. These tiny fibers, once inside the lung(s) causes inflammation, pleural thickening (hardening of the lungs), loss of lung function, fluid build up and slow suffocation. The fibers, when magnified, resemble shards of glass. These tiny fibers imbed themselves in the inner part of the lung, then slowly (over the course of years) work their way to the outer walls of the lungs. Once there, the chances of cancer increase. 11.16.06 Today I feel a little blue. Things can be hard sometimes. But that is why I am here. To take charge; to help. My parents had a rough day. My dad, Myron Bursell, Sr., is not what he used to be, and he gets frustrated. I’ve noticed today, besides his breathing, back pain and ear troubles, his thoughts are broken and wandering. He is having problems finishing simple things that he starts. My mom, Marry, is sick and tired, literally. This isn’t fun, but it is a part of the journey. Life isn’t always easy. My dad, or “Bud” as he’s known in these parts, was a logger as far back as I can remember. He retired two years ago. I think he still wishes he could be out there, doing something. I get the feeling that he has an inner sadness. He seems lost, and he thinks he’s in the way. The world is moving too fast around him. From the restaurant to the grocery store to home, people never let him finnish what he has to say. But I will. He has passion and heart, and seems more child like now than I ever remember him being. He is a good man. In Libby there is a nice lady who loves to go to Henry’s, a local restaurant, hand out home made cookies and talk to everybody. Even if she has never seen you before in her life, she will act like you are best friends. This is my mom. She has issues with any smells or fragrances that are perfumy or strong. They give her headaches. She becomes dizzy and ill. The biggest problem with this is no one understands it. Her mood will change in seconds if you are heavily perfumed and approach her. Light up a cigar or pipe and then see how nice she is. No one understands... But I do. I grew up with it. It taught me to be patient and understanding. I think she is allergic to her environment. So why are we still here? What really happened in Libby, Montana? Who was responsible and did they pay for it? Why isn’t the town united and all over the media with protests? Why would anybody else in America care about a small back woods town of just over two thousand people? These are questions I will be dissecting in this blog. This whole story is quite complex and layered. “Give me two dollars and a guilty verdict.” Crystal blue sky Creek water trickling by Walking the dusty dirt road Watching the forest unfold My home town, my first love Majestic mountains tower above In this place I feel secure I always thought it was pure A longing for leaving Bodies decay but still live Friendliness and smiles deceiving They have nothing left to give A sunny day, a simple way Beneath the trees Filled with disease Making money off the land Making money off the man Microscopic killer Raping nature The forest of pine Solid ground, clean water The air tastes fresh Deceiving And this song so many have sung Is tattooed inside my left lung I will not lay down and cry I am not ready to die Scarring of the lungs Biting our tongues Exposure will take decades to kill But this disease won't break our will Asbestos in the air To my people nothing’s fair A mining company making billions of dollars Like biting dogs without leash and collars Zonolite Mountain The life and death mountain Life for the thousands of people Earning a living at the mine Death, because of the way the operation ran People earning a death at the mine No one was given a sign Libby, population 2,700 We all die someday It just seems unfair That we from Libby Die faster Libby, population 0 "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." 12.03.06 An e-mail to my friend Steph Hey Steph. It was so good to talk to you on the phone tonight. I didn’t mean to close up on you when you asked how I was and if I was hiding anything about my health. I guess it seems uncomfortable talking about myself sometimes. I like to focus on the needs of others first. But I feel it was a good question; one that I should answer. I really stated to notice something wrong while working at Wild Oats in 2002. I walked to work everyday, even when I had a car. But while I was at Wild Oats, every morning on my walk I started having trouble breathing. At first I was short winded. I just though I was out of shape (but I really wasn’t). Then it would escalate to my body having bad gag reflexes. Because I was winded and having trouble breathing, and my suspicion of something foreign in my body that shouldn’t be there, my stomach would try to clear my air ways (which were not blocked) by making my throw up. Every morning on my walk to work (and even my days off) I would have to stop and throw up. Then I would shake it off, crank my head phones, and go about my business. Lately I haven’t had any problems, but if I become too active or stressed, I get sick. Dry heaving sucks. But this was all happening every day working at Wild Oats and then at Whole Foods Market from 2002 to 2006. 12.06.06 This morning was foggy and crisp. I was driving back to Libby from Kalisell (about 90 miles away) at 8 a.m. The trees and mountain tops were frosted white with a thick mist creeping across the highway. I almost came to a complete stop to avoid a road full of turkeys. Big ones. Being out in the middle of nowhere puts me in a meditative state. I pondered about a lot of things. And Libby was on my mind. I had an open discussion with myself in my head. Everyone in town looks unhealthy. Being in the eye of the storm, you may not see the tornado. 01.06.07 Things are going good here in Libby. It’s trying at times, but I have it better than most. My parents have good and bad days, but I am figuring out their patterns. Mostly the weather here has been cold and snowing/ raining. So I have been indoors most of the time. This has given me a chance to develop some projects I have put off for a very long time. I have started to work on my own business on the internet. I am enhancing a business and marketing plan to sell art supplies off of my web site. Mostly I will try to peddle paint brushes and related items. I am also rebuilding sBs ( www.swingbabyswing.com ) with a new look and featuring over 30 artists. I am going to update our CafePress.com online store for all the artists on the site. My comic book idea “Schism: Generations” is in its final rewrite and it feels good to jump back into that world again. I have been working on this idea since 1992 and it is time I start drawing up the final draft. Oh, I am also putting together an eBook entitled “What Art School Didn’t Teach You”. This will be sold in three parts off of sBs. I guess I have too many ideas bouncing around in my head. My motivation is all of my artistic friends that inspire me to push on. All I listen to anymore is Iron Maiden, Tori Amos and Denver’s Melissa Ivey and Joe Randolph. It keeps me chasing my dreams. Libby seems so dead. There is no one around anymore. But in a strange way it feels nice to be back. A good bulk of my friends are in Denver, with a healthy group of fellow artists in Portland. I miss them all, but my heart is here in a dying town. Libby has a crazy mess going on. It is hard to be in the middle of it. The company Grace has knowingly poisoned the people of this small town with asbestos from the mine they operated. It is amazing how many people here are on oxygen tanks. But corporate America can murder and get away with it if it makes big money. So the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) busts into town to test and clean up the place. And everyone who lives here complains that they are going to ruin all of the jobs and industries here. “Once the EPA sets up in a town, you can’t get them out”. Morons. Sorry, I have allot of love in my heart for people, but I don’t have to agree with them. They don’t want anything in the press so our tourism continues. But if you are dying, and you know who did it to you and it could have been prevented, how can you pretend it didn’t happen? Maybe I have had too much time to think lately. For More Information On Libby Montana: http://homepage.mac.com/mbpvideo/iMovieTheater7.html (QuickTime Video) http://www.scn.org/~bh162/asbestos_libby.html But on a plus side, I feel I am making a difference. My parents know that they do not have to do everything on their own. I am here to do what needs to be done. I can still make them laugh. That is all that matters. What You Get Is What You Give. I have been catching up on all the movies I’ve been missing. The holidays were so nice. I can’t remember the last Christmas I wasn’t cutting cheese, making coffee or slinging pizza and pasta for mobs of people who are better than me. I took it easy this year. I am on a quest in 2007. This will be my year for growth. Out of the darkness comes the light... 01.21.07 Well, it has been a while since I have wrote. So where am I at? I feel I am between worlds right now; not really in one or the other. It’s a strange place. I was accustomed to seeing hundreds of people every day in Denver. Now, on the days that I venture into town (Libby), I may see a handful of people. The past few months I have been dealing with my parents battling the company that installed our wood stove. Let’s back up for just a moment. Last summer it was a big to do in Libby because the EPA was trying to come up with ways of cleaning up the environment here in the Kootenai Valley. One item that went into effect was to make it mandatory that everyone here have a new, environmentally safe wood stove. Now these can cost thousands of dollars to purchase and install. Sure, our mine is gone, the mill packed up and left, tourism is way down because of our bad press (who wants to vacation in a poisoned forest)... Yeah, everyone here can afford a new stove. The funniest point to all of this is, the major polluters have packed it up, but the common man (or woman) will be fined if they burn from an older stove. How much damage can we do compared to what these large companies were allowed to do? So what happens when it is the law to own a new wood stove? I’ll tell you what. Everyone in town instantly becomes an expert and wants to sell you a wood stove. And everyone who has purchased one has done nothing but complain about them. Our stove was not installed properly. In fact, it was probably one of the first ones that this particular company tried to put in. Everyone selling was new at this. No one knew what they were doing. Our fan broke down the first month we used it. And the thing smokes up the house. My mom, being sensitive to smells became very ill after winter hit and we had to start burning to keep the house warm. And now I hear that the new stoves are not up to the level that was expected, and everyone may be forced to go electric for their heat. Now in Denver, this would not be a big deal, but in homes in Libby, Montana electric heat may have to be installed. My parents house has electric heaters, so they would only be out a couple thousand dollars for the stove they can’t use. But, in all fairness, it hasn’t come to that yet. And, at least people are trying to come up with solutions to make our little town a healthier place to live. Psalm 23 "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." So why are we still here? What really happened in Libby, Montana? Who was responsible and did they pay for it? Why isn’t the town united and all over the media with protests? Why would anybody else in America care about a small back woods town of just over two thousand people? These are questions I will be dissecting in this blog. This whole story is quite complex and layered. There is more to come, in Letters From Libby Part 2

Auction Notes

John — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 04:21:19 GMT

1) Setting up eBay Account/ Pay Pal Account 2) Buying an item 3) Selling an item 4) eBay store set-up 5) Consignment 6) Information Products 1) Setting up eBay Account/ Pay Pal Account Make sure your banking is all in order Yahoo!, Amazon and eBay are the top three auctions on line Make a list of things you want to purchase Make a list of things you want to sell Start the Auction Management service at www.vendio.com sends winning bidder notifications and invoices ability to bulk load auctions set launch dates ability to re-list auctions leave feedback print lables create sales reports inventory services/ management auction listing templates and launching online stores merchandising automated checkout service auction tracking payment tracking fulfillment tracking This service keeps you in constant contact with the customer and runs dozens to hundreds of auctions at a time. Print eBay rules and post them near your computer www.paypal.com ***Payments Register with Paypal.com get a PayPal Debit Card (from Master Card) Paypal offers buttons for your web site Tip: If you need more cash than the ATM will give you, go to the post office and buy a money order using your PayPal Debit card. Then cash it at the bank. 2) Buying an item Buy on Yahoo! and sell on eBay www.ebay.com auctions.shopping.yahoo.com/ Start buying to build your positive feedback to give more credibility as you start to sell Double check your bids! Don’t accidentally bid $999 when you wanted to bid $9.99. Bids can be removed or “retracted” for specific reasons only. Proxy Bids (Buying) This is the standard type of bid on eBay The highest amount that you are willing to bid on an item Example: seller lists an items opening bid at $10 You place your bid at $42 (you do not want to pay more than that- $42 is your top bid) When your bid is placed, you show up as highest bidder at $10 Your actual bid of $42 will be invisible to the rest of the world You still have the option to increase your $42 to a higher amount If someone bids, say $10.50, the screen will say “You have been outbid!” The highest bid will appear as $11 (that is you with your secret $42) If someone bids, say $25, the screen will say “You have been outbid!” The highest bid will appear as $26 (that is you with your secret $42) Current Price Bid Increment $0.01- $0.99 $0.05 $1.00- $4.99 $0.25 $5- $24.99 $0.50 $25- $99.99 $1.00 $100- $249.99 $2.50 $250- $499.99 $5.00 $500- $999.99 $10.00 $1000- $2499.99 $25.00 $2500- $4999.99 $50.00 $5000 and up $100.00 If someone decides to bid at $50, you will be knocked out of the auction When this happens, the new high bid will be $43 (the $50 high bid is hidden) The new high bidder will own that item unless someone bids $51 Sniping When the bidder (the Sniper) comes in at the last moment and places a high bid designed to out bid everyone Your watch list allows you to watch an auction that you want to bid on, but for fear of attracting more bidders, you do not want to place an early bid on If you are the last bidder, it dose not make you the high bidder When the auction is over, the seller should send an e-mail to the winning bidder (this should include payment instructions, total that includes shipping and handling costs, and an address to send the payment to). Pay for the item You receive item If everything is “as described” leave positive feedback The seller should leave positive feedback if you paid within a reasonable period of time and handled the transaction correctly A note on feedback/ e-mail communications: Your feedback rating is the most important thing. Even if you feel you are right in a dispute, refunding money/ returning an item to save your feedback is worth it. Be aware that e-mail communications can very easily be misinterpreted. Keep your cool and give excellent customer service. When the item is in your hands then leave a positive feedback- leave feedback first in good faith 3) Selling an item Buy on Yahoo! and sell on eBay www.ebay.com auctions.shopping.yahoo.com/ You make your money when you buy. This means buy at a low price, then sell higher. ***Research the going price for an item before you buy it. Do a “closed item” search for the going price of an item (so you know what to charge) Research which category the item sold best in Research what combination of photos seems to have worked best Research which key points in the description worked best *look at the seller’s use of pictures *how specific and clear were their item descriptions *did the listing sound friendly *did the seller have too many demands on the buyer Example: requesting payment only be made by money order or that the buyer pay within three days of the auction close *which seller had the better feedback rating *which seller’s listing was presented professionally *any free bonuses or additional items that increased the ending bid How to run a price check on eBay: Go to www.ebay.com Click on “search” Click on “Advanced Search” Type in the name and/or item/ key words Under “Refine your search” click on the box “Completed Items Only” How to run a price check on Yahoo! Auctions: Go to www.Yahoo.com Find link to “Auctions” (http://auctions.shopping.yahoo.com/) On left hand navigation bar, click “Advanced Search” Click “by Closed Auction” Type key word or name of item How to run a price check on Amazon.com Auctions: Go to the main auctions page at www.Amazon.com Click on “Advanced Search” Fill in form with your item name/ key word Click on “Show only: completed auctions” ***Power Selling Tip*** High demand items- start auction with low opening bid Lower demand items- research carefully with a possible reserve to protect your investment Multiple low demand items- only list one at a time and wait a couple of weeks between listings (avoid flooding the market with a product that has limited demand) Reserve- Avoid reserves if you can. Your bidders will get discouraged as they keep trying to bid enough to meet the (unknown) reserve amount. It’s best to disclose how much the reserve is in the item description. ***Photography- image size should be 450 pixels wide/ 7 inches wide at 72 dpi (dots per inch). Clear photos with plane background. ***Listing Your Items*** *Write your Title try to write it with a benefit as well as some descriptive key words keep in mind you have a limited number of words you can use Example: NEW! SONY MAVICA - CD400 EASY AUCTION PHOTOS! *Write your Description First, describe what the item is (even if it is repeating your Title) Tell something good about the item Write about flaws or negative things about item Continue to write positive, then negative End in a positive description Keep it honest!!! Selling words that pop! *Fantastic *Wonderful *Beautiful *Elaborate *High-end *Quality *Gorgeous *Powerful *Vintage *Dramatic Also use “you and me” terms to make the bidder feel as if this is their item Be sure to load your item descriptions with additional key words that might be used to search your items (Example- in a description for a dog dish, you might include a whole list of different dog breeds) Warning: only use those keywords that actually apply to your product, and ideally, use those keywords in a sentence within your item description. For example, in an auction for a Gucci handbag, you do not want to be guilty of putting in the keywords Prada, Chanel, etc... This will get your auction pulled because you are not selling an item by those companies. Research the hottest key words (these services can get pricey) http://www.auctionkeywords.com/ http://www.wordtracker.com/ ***Terms of Sale*** These are your policies for doing business -Shipping and handling charges -Different payment types you accept ***Payments*** Register with Paypal.com get a PayPal Debit Card (from Master Card) Tip: If you need more cash than the ATM will give you, go to the post office and buy a money order using your PayPal Debit card. Then cash it at the bank. Other forms of payment: *Personal Checks (be sure you allow time for the check to clear before you ship the item out- also let your buyers know that you will not ship item until their check clears) *Money Orders *Credit Cards through your own Merchant Account *Cash *Western Union online payment service www.AutionPayments.com allows a winning bidder to use their credit card to pay for a money order online and have it automatically mailed to the seller, with the appropriate reference to the auction item they won By accepting a wider variety of payments you appear to be user friendly and more professional -How soon you want to receive payment -How long you will hold merchandise if the customer pays with a personal check -Minimum positive feedback rating that a bidder must have (optional) -Make terms of sale as user friendly as possible Decide which way to list your item and best target your market: a) Straight Auction (Proxy Bids) b) Fixed Price Listings (Buy it now) Buyer can buy now and auction runs its full length (see Dutch Auction) c) Store Items d) Dutch Auction You can sell multiple items in the same auction List items by stating minimum bid and quantity A bidder will then specify bid amount and quantity All winning bidders pay same price (the lowest successful bid) If there are more bidders than items, the earliest successful bids get the items Higher bidders are first to get quantity of the item they wanted e) Best Offer This is for higher end products The seller/ buyer’s comments/ offer are visible to other potential buyers You have 48 hours to accept or decline an offer offer is revoked after this time f) Featured Plus auction This has a fee of $19.95 Allows you to list your item so it is featured at the top of the listings in your chosen category These get ten times the traffic of a non-featured listing This is a great way to list valuable items ***Power Selling Tip -Then turn your Featured Plus auction into a Beacon Ad! Every time you run a good number of auctions, say 20 or more, you should list your main auction as a Featured Plus Put a large print introduction to your item description that reads like this: If you like this item, you’ll LOVE the other fill in the blank that I have listed on eBay RIGHT NOW! Be sure to click on this link to see all my other listings of fill in the blank on eBay! (I will combine shipping costs on multiple purchases) Then create a link to your other auctions (see the next Power Selling Tip) Double check your opening bid, reserve price and “Buy it now” prices to make sure they are exactly what you want them to be. ***Power Selling Tip*** Cross-reference all of your auctions. Make sure that all of your auctions mentions all of the other auctions you have running at the same time. *Run an advanced search “by seller” by entering your eBay user I.D. in the advanced search box *A page will come up that shows all of the auctions currently being run by you (under your user i.d.) *Even if you have no current auctions running at the moment, copy the URL or web address link that is showing in your browser window and then paste it into your auction description with a sentence with a sentence that reads: “If you like this item, you should take a look at my other auctions running on eBay today! Click here to check them out! <a href=”web address“> <a href=” at the beginning and “> at the end of the address makes it a clickable link OR do not type in the HTML code but make sure the HTML listing form on eBay is turned on Choose auction’s start time and duration- a safe way to start is to run a 7 day auction starting on a Sunday evening and running until the following Sunday evening (at 7 PM Pacific Time/ 10 PM Atlantic time- Montana 8 PM/ Minnesota 9 PM) If you are unsure of an items ability to sell, place it in a 10 day auction If your item is in high demand, place it in a 3 to 5 day auction eBay has a 1 day auction for time sensitive items (concert tickets, food items, etc...) If you are merchandising to businesses or business owners start auctions on a week day during work hours (best on Wednesday or Thursday) e-mail past customers about your new auctions Launching Your Auctions You can launch your auctions manually or with an Auction Management service www.vendio.com Send a surprise bonus item to make customers happy ***Payments*** Register with Paypal.com get a PayPal Debit Card (from Master Card) Tip: If you need more cash than the ATM will give you, go to the post office and buy a money order using your PayPal Debit card. Then cash it at the bank. Other forms of payment: *Personal Checks (be sure you allow time for the check to clear before you ship the item out- also let your buyers know that you will not ship item until their check clears) *Money Orders *Credit Cards through your own Merchant Account *Cash By accepting a wider variety of payments you appear to be user friendly and more professional ***Packing and Shipping*** Use Priority Mail through the U.S. Postal Service- *boxes are free (Post Office will ship you free Priority Mail Boxes per order on www.USPS.com) *Tape is free *Shipping Labels are free *Usually cheaper to ship than other options *Get a P.O. Box and do everything right there- ship, get your mail, pick up personal checks and money orders Set up a table or two for assembly line packing: Set up your table in sections- Labels Boxes and bubble envelopes Bubble wrap and Styrofoam peanuts Other insulating/ wrapping material (anything going into main box) Shipping Tape Additional forms: Insurance slips, Customs forms for international packages, Delivery Conformation forms, Thank You letters, ads or fliers Be sure to make your shipping time efficient Bunch your shipping so that you can have a lot of items going out at the same time Auction Management services (www.vendio.com) can print labels, print invoices and leave feedback A note on feedback/ e-mail communications: Your feedback rating is the most important thing. Even if you feel you are right in a dispute, refunding money/ returning an item to save your feedback is worth it. Be aware that e-mail communications can very easily be misinterpreted. Keep your cool and give excellent customer service. When the payment is in your hands (or when the check has cleared) then leave a positive feedback- leave feedback first in good faith 4) eBay store set-up Use your Auction Management service to e-mail all of your customers to tell them about your merchandise on your web site (eBay, CafePress.com, etc.) Various Online Auction web sites have set up some kind of fixed price environment which is just like web sites that work like online stores On eBay you can set up a “mini gallery” in each of your auctions and actually offer additional items from your eBay Stores within each auction listing 5) Consignment Consignment is the process by which items are sold by someone, on behalf of another person. The Consignor is the person who would like to have their items sold for them. In this case, the items are being sold on eBay or other Internet Auctions. The Consignee is the person who is doing the selling for the Consignor. In the case of Internet Auctions, the Consignee is the Internet Auctions seller. The two people enter into a written agreement (contract) to have the Consignor’s items sold in Internet Auctions, for an greed upon fee or combination of fees. If you are doing business as the Consignee, and you are purchasing items and shipping them out yourself, it is wise to open a separate bank account for your business. This will make sure that your personal money is not shared with the money of your consignment sales. If the state you live in does consider consignment selling in Internet Auctions as an auctioneer activity, the state may ask that you apply for an auctioneer’s license in order to pursue your consignment business. Take time to call your local State office to find out if your state requires this license! Being properly licensed is an important part of running your business right! Trading Assistance (making a presentation to local businesses): Use the Consignment System --- How To Get Other People To Pay You To Sell Their Merchandise! as a guide page 9 - 12 Buying Wholesale means you are buying in volume and thus getting an established lower price on all products you are buying (requirements based around having a business established to sell the products to the public). Closeout merchandise (Liquidate) is merchandise that hasn’t successfully sold at retail stores. Drop Shipper is a wholesale company that allows you to market their products through your Online Actions before you actually purchase them. Then once you have a buyer, you collected the funds, pay the drop shipper and the difference is your profit. Then you give the drop shipper your buyer’s address so they can ship the item to the customer. *Establish an account with drop shipper *List an item from drop shipper on an auction site using that companies description and photos *Winning bidder pays you price plus shipping *You e-mail the order to the drop shipper along with customer’s name and address *Drop shipper sends product to customer *Drop shipper charges you the wholesale price plus shipping Questions to ask company before using them to drop ship: -Do they drop ship for online auctions? Do they ship right away or do you wait four weeks? -Do they charge setup fee? It is not necessary for you to pay an account set up fee -Do they require that you buy a minimum number of products? There is no reason to have a minimum order -Are they genuine Factory Authorized Wholesalers, or the actual manufacturer of the products? Deal only with the source and not the middle man -Do their products carry warranties? This will add more safety and security to your business -Do they ship internationally? If not, you need to add this note to your auctions -Do they give you tracking numbers and shipping quotes? Simply put the winning bidders address and zip code into the handy shipping quote form on the drop shipper’s site and you can quote actual UPS shipping costs for that item -How do they deal with product returns? Make sure they offer warranties! Possible Clients: http://www.worldwidemerchandise.com/ http://www.afipremierproducts.com/index.cfm http://www.vendio.com http://www.weddingflowersandmore.com/tulle-bolts.html http://www.displaycostume.com/store/home.php?cat=2 http://www.thousandsofbolts.com/ http://www.ehomefabric.com/cgi-bin/frontrunner.cgi?ri=0&rc=EHOM&rs=T&ro=T&os=GOOG_FBR 6) Information Products The benefits of having your own info-product/ eBook/ Informational report/ booklet based on your experiences/ CD Rom/ web site download: You make 100% profit on each information product you sell If your product is digital, it can be e-mailed to your customer at the end of your auction eBay is perfect to market your eBook to a niche market (because of their categories) *Fill a need or solve a problem in a fairly large marketplace *Must target an easy to reach market *Must have a unique twist or sizzle factor that conveys the powerful benefits of the product *Must be easy and inexpensive to produce *Must have marketing copy that really plays up its benefits to the buyer

plans for October

John — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 02:22:31 GMT

9.28.06 To all my friends out there, here are my plans for October. I’ve been getting a lot of questions concerning when I’m leaving and all of the details. So here they are: I will be moving from Denver Colorado to Libby Montana to help my parents who are very ill. October 13 is my last day at Whole Foods Market October 23 I leave Denver October 24 I will be in Billings Montana (I hope) October 26 I should be in Libby Montana John Bursell threeotters@qwest.net threeotters@earthlink.net ------------------------------ Snail Mail: 3148 US Hwy 2, South Libby Montana 59923 95 Clarkson St Apt 17 Denver Colorado 80218 “Unique products, services and free access to a vast selection of art galleries including multimedia, culinary, fashion and poetry from a number of talented artists.” swingbabyswing http://www.swingbabyswing.com the sBs on line store http://www.cafepress.com/swingbabyswing Submissions for swingbabyswing.com: for artwork or photography please save your files as .jpeg, .jpg or .png --------------------------------------------------------- “The man who trades freedom for security does not deserve nor will he ever receive either.“ Benjamin Franklin My Other Sites In Cyber Space-------------------------------------------- deviantART http://3otters.deviantart.com/ MySpace http://www.myspace.com/3otters Tribe.net http://people.tribe.net/d563fd38-64ba-41a4-a155-e72d8cac22c3 Blog Spot http://3otters.blogspot.com/ © 2006 for Three Otters Production

Goodbyes aren't forever

John — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 04:17:11 GMT

The ALL NEW Official sBs News Letter! VOLUME 7 August 5, 2006 by John Bursell ---------------------------------------------------- If you would like to be removed from our mailing list, just let us know at: threeotters@qwest.net Dear friends, The one thing I fear the most is here. I knew it was coming, I just did not know when. I am moving back to Libby Montana in mid-October 2006. My parents are both very ill, and I will be taking care of them. My home town is not doing too well, and I am needed. Denver has given me many things, and many friends whom I love very much. I will miss my adventures here in D-town (I’ve been here since 1992) but this is something I have to do. But on the up side, I will have a lot of computer time to finish all of the many projects I’ve started (and I will finish ALL of them). We will all march forward... That is what we do. From this point on the news letter will be divided into three sections. Part one will be all of the happenings, updates and improvements on swingbabyswing.com. Part two will be free information for artists and non-artists alike involving marketing and making money on line. The final section will be titled “Letters From Libby”. Part three will be a journal filled with facts and stories from a town where over 200 people thus far have died from asbestos poisoning, corporate greed and crooked politics. Part 1: Happenings on sBs Our site is ripe and ready to move forward. A new year is just around the corner and swingbabyswing.com is ready to grow. Because of the move I will be undertaking, there will be no new updates for August, September and October. The next two months I will be busy archiving all of the works and product ideas for the artists on sBs. So I will be planted in front of my scanner with notebook in hand. Look for our on line store to explode with unique and colorful products in 2007. Swing will also have a new look that will be easier to navigate and will include Spanish translations (thanks Chels C. James!) for all of our non-English friends and family. Many amazing projects and suprises will emerge in November. Galleries and/or products coming soon from: Joe Diaz/ Painting, Comics Joe Randolph/ Music Chelsie Kuntz/ Fashion, Interior Design, Poetry, Writing Tim Van Grinsven/ Drawings Tony Chimera/ Photography, Art Israel Bayer/ Poetry, Writing Sonya Swinson/ Local Charities, Poetry, Photography, Furniture Sara Dexter/ Poetry, Writing Brian Feist/ Film Editor, Writer, Music, Poetry John Bursell/ Lazy Tom Skelley/ Photography Angie Maron/ Artwork Joshua Cinelli/ Writing Michael/ Artwork Dak West/ Music, Artwork, Writing evil J/ Poetry, Tags, Artwork, Music Natasha Martinez/ Artwork, Poetry, Writing Serafin Martinez/ Artwork, Poetry Chels C. James/ Poetry, Writing, Artwork Noah West/ Poetry Graeme Clark-James/ Artwork, Music Pete Longtine/ Artwork James Herringer/ Culinary Part 2: Making Money And Modern Marketing This will be an exciting new feature to our newsletter. I have researched and gathered information from many different angles on making money on the internet. I will share with you how to build and market a web site, how to sell art and/or products on internet auctions, how to set up an on line store, affiliate programs, drop shipping, selling informational products (setting up e-books), marketing in general and a few words on Government Grants. This section will be packed with information and useful links so don’t hesitate to save this info to your hard drive or print it out for future reference. Part 3: Letters From Libby This section will be the harder of the three to write. Living in Denver and being removed from the immediate problems in Libby Montana, I still have waves of anger and sadness. It will be intensified dwelling in the belly of the beast. I will document, to the best of my abilities, the story of the victims from a small town poisoned by asbestos. It will be a journal of feelings and fears, facts, stories and information on a small town in the mountains, sixty miles south of the Canadian boarder. Hot Links Melissa Ivey http://www.melissaivey.com/ Bleeding Orchid Studio http://www.bleedingorchidstudio.com/ Artrsplosion http://www.artsplosion.com/ My New Info in October 2006: 3148 US Hwy 2, South Libby Montana 59923 threeotters@earthlink.net -this is NEW So it looks like I’ve got some packing and thinking to do... Well, until November, take care my friends. John Bursell threeotters@qwest.net For our Archived sBs News Letter- http://www.swingbabyswing.com/newsarchive.html ------------------------------ “Unique products, services and free access to a vast selection of art galleries including multimedia, culinary, fashion and poetry from a number of talented artists.” swingbabyswing http://www.swingbabyswing.com the sBs on line store http://www.cafepress.com/swingbabyswing Submissions for swingbabyswing.com: for artwork or photography please save your files as .jpeg, .jpg or .png --------------------------------------------------------- “The man who trades freedom for security does not deserve nor will he ever receive either.“ Benjamin Franklin My Other Sites In Cyber Space-------------------------------------------- deviantART http://3otters.deviantart.com/ MySpace http://www.myspace.com/3otters Tribe.net http://people.tribe.net/d563fd38-64ba-41a4-a155-e72d8cac22c3 Blog Spot http://3otters.blogspot.com/ © 2006 for Three Otters Production

The ALL NEW Official July sBs News Letter!

John — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 05:20:48 GMT

VOLUME 6 July 2006 by John Bursell ---------------------------------------------------- If you would like to be removed from our mailing list, just let us know at: threeotters@qwest.net 7.01.06 Greetings sBsers! Change is in the air. It’s time for something new, something exciting. In a few short months, you will see new galleries emerging out of swingbabyswing.com from a number of talented poets, artists, fashion designers, photographers, writers and dreamers. I am working on some amazing projects involving inspiring artists that encourage me push our site to new heights. If you have any ideas for us, please let me know. We are all open to trying new things, and would love to see our site grow beyond any rigid limitations. Let’s think out side of the box. Is there anything you would like to see on sBs? Are there any charities or community activities you would like to post? Back Of The House Welcome to our business section of the web site. Try to think of www.swingbabyswing.com as a physical building; a place of business. In this building we offer the viewing public art galleries, a service center (artists for hire), a store to purchase our products, a free art school, a room full of free items such as artwork, pictures, etc... well, I'm sure you are getting the idea. So this is the back of the house, our office space to store and share our information with each other. This section is not set up for our customers or people surfing the web. It is just for us, the artists of sBs. http://www.swingbabyswing.com/backofthehouse.html In The Back Of The House you will find the following information: For information on our online store and products For a check list of all items provided to you (or needed from you) For your copyright information For information on charities and contests For information on clip art and the art school For information on banner exchanges Cafe Press Info for products you can sell with your art on it! http://www.cafepress.com/cp/info/sell/ Contests In the months to come there will be a contest posted on our site. So keep your eyes peeled! We will be asking participants to submit work to be posted on swingbabyswing.com, and a first, second and third place winner will be awarded special prizes! It will be a t-shirt design competition, with the winning shirt being sold on our on line store. All profits from the shirt will go to charity. More details and rules to be posted in the months to come. If you have ideas for contests let us know. Make it fun! http://www.swingbabyswing.com/contests.html Blogs Blogs have become all the rage. It is an exciting time we live in. You do not have to be wealthy to voice your opinions or to publish your works. A great blog to check out is Israel Bayer’s at http://rocketpoetry.blogspot.com/ . Israel is also on swingbabyswing.com in the writers section. Another sBser that will soon have her own blog is Sara Dexter. I am looking forward to her postings, and I will keep you all informed on her progress. The Doja If you ever get a chance, visit this amazing art gallery, The Doja Art Lounge, at 770 Santa Fe Drive Denver Colorado 80204. http://www.thedoja.com/ Updates We have some new pages up and running for your viewing pleasure. Spanish translations on sBs are starting to come together with the help of Chels C. James. You won’t see every bit of English also posted in Spanish, but we want our site to be friendly and easily navigated by a broader audience. This is still a work in progress, but it is a step we are taking that I am very proud of. Our links page is updated (the last time was 2003). If there are any sites you would like to see included on this page, e-mail them to me and I will post them. Other page updates include: Michael’s art gallery http://www.swingbabyswing.com/michael.html Tim VanGrinsven’s art gallery http://www.swingbabyswing.com/timskbk.html Natasha’s art gallery http://www.swingbabyswing.com/natasha.html http://www.swingbabyswing.com/bodymodification.html http://www.swingbabyswing.com/audio.html Aids Walk by Wicked buGG_______________________________________ Hi Everyone! I think you might know that I have volunteered with for many years the great organization: CAP (Colorado AIDS Project). The Annual AIDS Walk is fast approaching! It is September 10th! This year is also the inaugural year for the AIDS RUN which is a certified run which can count towards your 5K's to qualify you for other races such as the Bolder Boulder! OKay, so please e-mail me back if you would like to sign up to take part in either the walk or the run or if you cannot do either or are out of town and just want to donate- e-mail me and we can get that arranged! ( Wickedbugg@gmail.com ) The Walk registration is FREE! The Run registration is $25 before Sept. 1st and after Sept. 1st it is $30 so register today!!! (links towards the bottom of this e-mail!!) ------------------------------------- AIDS Run Colorado benefits Colorado AIDS Project and more than 30 other outstanding AIDS service and education providers in Colorado. AIDS Run Colorado is a 5-kilometer (3.1 miles) fundraising race that begins and ends in Denver's beautiful Cheesman Park. ------------------------------------- AIDS Walk Colorado is the largest single-day AIDS fundraiser in the Rocky Mountain Region that benefits Colorado AIDS Project and more than 30 other outstanding AIDS service and education providers in Colorado. AIDS Walk Colorado is a 5-kilometer (3.1 miles) fundraising walkathon that begins and ends in Denver's beautiful Cheesman Park. Thanks in advance for your participation! YAY! ( Wickedbugg@gmail.com ) AIDS Walk Colorado http://aidswalkcolorado.org/ AIDS Run Colorado http://aidswalkcolorado.org/ Colorado AIDS Project http://coloradoaidsproject.org/ The AIDS Memorial Quilt http://www.aidsquilt.org/ Hot Links http://www.melissaivey.com/ http://www.bleedingorchidstudio.com/ http://www.artsplosion.com/ Well, until next month, take care my friends. Anyone have any recipes to post in the Culinary section? John Bursell threeotters@qwest.net ------------------------------ “Unique products, services and free access to a vast selection of art galleries including multimedia, culinary, fashion and poetry from a number of talented artists.” swingbabyswing http://www.swingbabyswing.com the sBs on line store http://www.cafepress.com/swingbabyswing Submissions for swingbabyswing.com: for artwork or photography please save your files as .jpeg, .jpg or .png --------------------------------------------------------- “The man who trades freedom for security does not deserve nor will he ever receive either.“ Benjamin Franklin My Other Sites In Cyber Space-------------------------------------------- deviantART http://3otters.deviantart.com/ MySpace http://www.myspace.com/3otters Tribe.net http://people.tribe.net/d563fd38-64ba-41a4-a155-e72d8cac22c3

The ALL NEW Official sBs News Letter!

John — Sun, 04 Jun 2006 17:49:48 GMT

VOLUME 5 June 2006 by John Bursell ---------------------------------------------------- If you would like to be removed from our mailing list, just let us know at: threeotters@qwest.net 6/04/06 Welcome! I’ve decided to take an all new approach to our news letter. This will now be about me, my life, my friends (you!) and the web site. It will be more like a journal, so to speak. What I’m up to, what I’m feeling and working on for the site, and what new items that are in the works from all of you, my talented friends, will be the focus of my writings and ramblings from this point forward. No more fillers like quotes, movie reviews and the like. It will be for us, about us. Viewers of swingbabyswing.com did not see any new updates for May. This was a crazy month for me. My car was stolen. Work has been busy. The bank shut my card off and I’ve been trying to fix that (nothing worse than having money but you can’t get it). I’ve been working on Melissa Ivey’s (Denver musician) posters, cds and web site. I’ve been going through some major life changes and dealing with being single again. Then last week the police called me at work, they found my car. It was out of gas, and that was all that was wrong with it. Now things are coming around again; looking up... On Mother’s Day I ventured to the Denver Zoo and took 99 digital photographs of all the amazing animals. This will become part of the FREE clip art and stock photography section of our site. The more variety we have to give away without copyright attachments, the more potential customers will visit our site again and again (and possibly start purchasing our merchandise). The comic book “Schism” is going though its fourth or fifth rewrite (I’m loosing track, but I’m having fun visiting my own little world...). The independent zombie comedy film “The Night Shelly Came Back” is in preproduction mode (once again) and I am determined to finish it this time. Am I spread too thin? I don’t think so! Melissa Ivey & The Gentlemen Melissa and the gang will have the third single release party at The Three Kings Tavern (60 South Broadway Denver Colorado 80209) June 9th at 9 p.m. for the song “Everywhere and Nowhere”. This is by far my favorite tune from these guys yet (and I love everything I’ve herd from them thus far). You have to go! You won’t regret it. http://www.melissaivey.com/ Sky Sundberg Well, I do not have enough time or space to do a proper write up on Sky. But I did include a link to an interview with more information about this amazing artist. If you ever get a chance, visit her art gallery, The Doja Art Lounge, at 770 Santa Fe Drive Denver Colorado 80204. She is involved in so many artistic endeavors, that it is hard not to be inspired by her. http://www.thedoja.com/ (Sky’s gallery) http://www.thedreamfish.com/ (her fashion, coming soon) http://www.lucidscheme.com/ (art, modeling and projects) This is a great interview with Sky: http://www.newvisionoflife.com/sundberg.html#top Goals For July 2006 I’ll be honest here. These were actually my May goals. But if life gives you set backs, brush the dust off and move forward again. Let’s see if I can make this happen. The first four galleries will be up and running with art, photography and products for sale on CafePress.com from Natasha Martinez, Michael, Dak West and Chels C. James. Check out these superstars: http://www.swingbabyswing.com/writersizzy.html http://www.swingbabyswing.com/writersjoshua.html Well, until next month, take care my friends. Anyone have any recipes to post in the Culinary section? John Bursell threeotters@qwest.net ------------------------------ “Unique products, services and free access to a vast selection of art galleries including multimedia, culinary, fashion and poetry from a number of talented artists.” http://www.swingbabyswing.com http://www.cafepress.com/swingbabyswing Submissions for swingbabyswing.com: for artwork or photography please save your files as .jpeg, .jpg or .png --------------------------------------------------------- “The man who trades freedom for security does not deserve nor will he ever receive either.“ Benjamin Franklin My Other Sites In Cyber Space-------------------------------------------- http://3otters.deviantart.com/ http://www.myspace.com/3otters http://people.tribe.net/d563fd38-64ba-41a4-a155-e72d8cac22c3

MY AUTOBIOGRAPHY

John — Sat, 20 May 2006 18:00:19 GMT

Saturday, May 20, 2006 Current mood: drained MY AUTOBIOGRAPHY Where did you take your profile picture? In the basement of my old house on Florida and Dahlia. What exactly are you wearing right now? Tee shirt and green pants. What makes you most happy? My computer, my time, my world. If you could go back in time and change something would you? No. Things happen the way they should for a reason. Ever had a near death experience? No. What's the name of the song that you're listening to? Before You Were Born, Toad The Wet Sprocket (iTunes on random) Name of celeb you would marry? I hate fancy people. Name someone(s) with the same birthday as you? Charlie Chaplin and Hitler (I think, Id have to look it up). Do you have a crush on someone? Oh yeah... Ever sang in front of a large audience? No. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celeb? Nope. Do you still watch kiddy movies or kiddie TV shows? Not really, but Im not against it. Are you comfortable with your height? Yes. Do you speak any other languages? No. What magazines do you read? Wizard (comic books) Has anyone you've been really close with passed away? Yes. Over 200 close friends and relatives in Libby Montana from asbestos related lung disease (thanks W.R. Grace, and thank you for suing the ones who spoke up). My room mate Paul from cancer. My friend Jeremy in art school died in a car crash. My friend Luke died in grade school from cancer. What's something that really annoys you? Big corporations and legal loop holes. Chapter 1: Middle name: Samuel Nickname(s): Q, Q Ball Current location: Denver Hair length: Ha Ha Ha! Shut up. Eye color: Brown Chapter 2: Do you live with your parents: No. Do you get along with your parents: Yes. Are your parents married/separated/divorced: Married and crazy. Siblings? : My brother Myron. What pets do you have: Fred the cactus. Chapter 3: Favorites Ice cream: Peanut Butter Cup. Season: Fall turning into Winter. Shampoo/conditioner: Not funny... I have not bought these items in over ten years. Name Brand: No thank you. Fight the power! Color: Green, like Montana. Chapter 4: Sing in the shower: No, thats were I write poetry. But I can never remember my masterpieces when I climb out. Write memos on your hand: Not my style. Call people back: They have to call me in order for me TO CALL THEM BACK! Believe in love: Yes! Sleep on a certain side of the bed: Left side. Wear glasses or contacts: Glasses. Have any bad habits: I space out a lot. I bite my finger nails. I leave the seat up. Chapter 5: Worn braces: No. Broken a bone: No. Had stitches? No. Taken painkillers: No. I am unbreakable... For real. Dont believe me... Bring it... Gone SCUBA diving: No. I have never seen the ocean, there for it does not exist. Been stung by a bee: Fuck yes! Many times. Slept with your contacts in overnight: n/a Been to overnight camp: Im from Montana, what do you think? Sworn in front of your parents: No. Had detention: It was call Saturday School (like in The Breakfast Club). And, yes, I did my time. Im all better now... Been called a bitch: Yes (dont tell anyone, its embarrassing). Chapter 6: The last Person to IM you? I am me, and you are you... wait, what was the question again? Person to call you? Chelsie, five times a day. Person you hugged: k8's mom (shes hot)! Person you tackled? Fred, my cactus. Actually I kind of tripped onto him sort of... I fall down a lot. Thing you touched? My paintings. Thing you drank: Mountain to the Dew, G! Thing you said: Jason, a checker at work said I was flirting with him. And I replied, "Yea, I have pretty low standards".

April sBs News Letter!

John — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 22:08:57 GMT

http://www.melissaivey.com The ALL NEW Official sBs News Letter! VOLUME 4 APRIL 2006 by John Bursell ---------------------------------------------------- 4/04/06 Lately I’ve been working with Denver musicians Melissa Ivey & the Gentlemen. We are putting together posters, singles, mini discs, a video package (edited by our very own Brian Feist) and a web site. That has kept me quite busy. If you have never heard Melissa and the boys, check them out. I am a huge fan and highly recommend them. Melissa Ivey & The Gentlemen Along with random mentions in The Hub, The Fort Collins Coloradoan, and The Detroit Free Press... Mz. Ivey managed to land three feature articles this month about her upcoming single release parties. Check out the buzz below from the provided article links. To get in on the action, e-mail your ticket requests for Melissa Ivey's single release concert series to TICKETS@GETINTRIGUED.COM . Check out a special preview of the first single "Lovers and Stars" on http://www.myspace.com/melissaivey for a few more days. FEATURES FOR MELISSA IVEY ON THE NET____________________ Colorado Springs Independent (Colorado Springs) http://www.csindy.com/csindy/2006-03-30/audiofile.html Marquee Magazine (Boulder) http://www.marqueemag.com/04_06/ivey.html Image Magazine (Denver metro area) http://www.imagemag.com SINGLE RELEASE DATES /TICKETS_______________________________ E-mail ticket requests to tickets@getintrigued.com All Shows are $10.00, but pre-purchased tickets will get a copy of EACH NEW SINGLE for FREEEEEEE!!!! Buy tickets for all 3 shows and get one free signed show poster as well!!! Can't make it to a release party? You can still support Melissa Ivey by downloading the songs at http://www.fansociety.com starting on April 22nd. "Lovers and Stars" release party APRIL 22nd at The D-Note (Arvada, CO) ***Come get your "belly dance" on at the cocktail reception and see studio footage from the recording sessions "Far Far Away" release party on MAY 12th at BENDER's TAVERN (Denver, CO) ***Punk Rock Ball with the Denver Roller Derby Girls; special prize giveaways, and awesome drink specials ***Lineup includes Vices I Admire; Cherry Bomb Suicide; Potcheen Folk Band and Step Short "Everywhere and Nowhere" release party on June 9th at THE THREE KINGS TAVERN (Denver, CO) ***Comedy music night with Josh Blue and other special guests Goals For May 2006 Let’s see if I can make this happen. The first four galleries will be up and running with art, photography and products for sale on CafePress.com from Natasha Martinez, Michael, Dak West and Chels C. James. Well, until next month, take care my friends. Anyone have any recipes to post in the Culinary section? John Bursell threeotters@qwest.net ------------------------------ “Unique products, services and free access to a vast selection of art galleries including multimedia, culinary, fashion and poetry from a number of talented artists.” http://www.swingbabyswing.com http://www.cafepress.com/swingbabyswing Submissions for swingbabyswing.com: for artwork or photography please save your files as .jpeg, .jpg or .png --------------------------------------------------------- “The man who trades freedom for security does not deserve nor will he ever receive either.“ Benjamin Franklin My Other Sites In Cyber Space-------------------------------------------- http://3otters.deviantart.com/ http://www.myspace.com/3otters http://people.tribe.net/d563fd38-64ba-41a4-a155-e72d8cac22c3

Libby Asbestos Timeline

John — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 06:44:37 GMT

1903 Orville and Wilbur Wright make the first manned, winged flight in Kittyhawk, North Carolina. 1913 Vermiculite Mountain in Libby, Montana discovered. 1913 Ford develops assembly line for auto manufacturing. 1923 Commercial mining operation begins at Libby. 1927 Airplanes used to "dust" insecticides on crops. 1928 Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin. 1938 40 hour work week established in the U.S. 1939 War breaks out in Europe beginning World War II. 1944 Montana State Board of Health reports that the dust at the plant is a "nuisance dust" and measurements are well below 50 mppcf for total dust, indicating "no dust hazard." 1945 The atomic bomb is used in combat for the first and last time to end World War II. 1950 Production reaches 150,000 tons per year by mine owner, Zonolite Company. 1953 Lung cancer attributed to cigarette smoking. 1956 Senior Scientist Byers at U.S. Department of Health informs Ben Wake of the Montana Health Department there is no reliable way of analyzing asbestos content. He estimates 10% of Libby ore is asbestos and recommends a 50 mppcf limit of total dust. He adds, "if the company will cooperate and actually attain dust control of this order, the asbestos and silicosis hazard would certainly be minimal." 1956 Oral vaccine developed by Albert Sabin against polio. 1959 Zonolite x-rays 130 mine employees, 48 come out abnormal. Results are sent to the employee's family doctor. 1960 American Heart Association issues a report attributing higher death rates among middle-aged men to heavy smoking of cigarettes. 1961 Montana State Board of Health survey shows extremely high and substantial concentration for ... asbestos dust. This is the first report to identify tremolite asbestos. 1962 Workers' union at Zonolite mine begins receiving Montana State Board of Health reports specifically addressing asbestos dust. 1963 Grace, unaware of the extent of hazards of mining and milling vermiculite, purchases Zonolite Company for just under $10 million dollars. 1963 Congress passes a law mandating equal pay to women. 1964 Direct contact between the workers' union and the State Board of Health regarding working conditions. The union requests help from the State Board of Health in making recommendations to management. Grace begins moving employees with breathing concerns to less dusty areas of the plants. Annual X-ray testing of Libby employees implemented by Grace. Results reported to each employee's family doctor. Montana Board of Health reports total dust concentrations at Libby plant between 8.0 and 52 mppcf. Includes "some good work has been made and that housekeeping has substantially improved over previous times. But, other engineering changes need to be implemented to further reduce the dust." Grace report mentions to reduce dust, purchase high load fans and oil roads, begin research to develop "wet" mill technology. 1965 Grace letter states disappointment in former mine owner Zonolite's slowness to react to recommendations from the State Board of Health. Grace makes it a priority to develop "wet" mill technology. Asbestosis is specifically added to Montana's list of diseases covered by the State's Occupational Disease Act. The workers' union was aware of andsupported the efforts to pass the bill in the Legislature. Grace communication states, "we don't know just what effects the dust in the dry mill has on individuals. We realize that the dust can be harmful and the only answer is control. This has been made plain to everybody at Libby and have insisted that every effort be made for the control of the dust." 1966 A 50-foot stack, more exhaust fans and cyclones installed to further reduce dust. 1967 Workers' union hires legal counsel and litigates first asbestosis claim filed against Grace under State's Occupational Disease Act. Montana State Board of Health reports, "our view of the operation of the plant and the dust samples taken in the dry mill during these two periods indicated that, in general, the dustiness in the dry mill had been reduced substantially from previous periods and that the systematic review by Mr. Vinion of the dust concentration showed a reduction over previous periods." 96% of all dust counts are within the State's imposed "safe" threshold, not requiring a respirator. However, respirators still required in most locations throughout the mill. 1967 Dr. Barnard performs world's first human heart transplant. 1968 It is determined that stronger filters in the cyclones will further reduce dust, Grace installs them. 1968 Apollo II lands the lunar module on the moon's surface. Neil Armstrong steps out on the moon. 1969 Grace begins the development of technology and plans for a replacement "wet" mill to reduce dust. 1972 U.S. Bureau of Mines report "work on alleviating the dust conditions was proceeding." Grace installed improvements include air filtered hoods for tractor loader, air filter systems on trucks, cabs and skipper's shack as well as new respirator sterilization center. "Wet" mill construction begins. 1973 Grace completes construction of the "wet" mill at Libby for $14 million dollars, over $4 million more than the purchase of the mine 10 years earlier. 1973 Petroleum products shortage coupled with Arab oil embargo forces cutbacks in America. Country starts rationing gasoline. 1974 New "wet" mill becomes operational. Airborne mill asbestos dust reduced to levels considered safe by government agencies, or several thousand times lower than when Grace purchased Zonolite in 1963. 1975 Greater than expected number of lung cancer deaths among Libby employees first observed. 1976 Increased emphasis on improvements in ventilation system and in work practices to reduce fiber exposure at the plant. 1976 The National Academy of Science reports that gasses from spray cans can cause damage to the atmosphere's ozone layer. 1977 Ban on hiring smokers. 1979 Ban on smoking on premises fully implemented. Union files and arbitrates grievance even after educational program describing substantial health risk when a smoker is exposed to asbestos dust. 1981 The first U.S. space shuttle "Columbia" successfully makes it's maiden voyage. 1982 Evidence grows that children living near traffic routes are affected more by lead poisoning. 1983 Grace files notice of the Toxic Substance Control Act reporting possible health effects from exposure to tremolite at Libby. Grace contacts McGill University to conduct study on Libby mine employee's health. Dr. McDonald of McGill University begins study. 1985 Draft of McGill report presented to Grace. Dr. McDonald presents study findings to Libby current and former employees who participated in the study. McGill report released at the Sixth International Symposium on Inhaled Particles in Cambridge, England. Levels of tremolite fiber exposure at Libby are 20 times lower than federal regulations require. Grace requires employees to wear removable coveralls to prevent dust from traveling with workers. 1989 80 nations adopt a declaration agreeing to stop producing, by 2000 AD, chlorofluorocarbons, which damage the world's ozone layer. 1990 Grace ceases operations in Libby, Montana. Reclamation work on mine sites begins. 1990 Nelson Mandela released after being imprisoned for 27 years. 1991 Chief Justice Rehnquist of the U.S. Supreme Court appoints an ad hoc committee regarding the thousands of court-filed asbestos illness claims. They respond, "a national solution is primarily in the hands of Congress. A new asbestos claim handling system will achieve many important public policy objectives." 1997 Untied States Supreme Court Justices Breyer, Ginzberg, Rehnquist and Souter again request national solution from Congress to handle thousands of asbestos claims. 1999 Under direction from the United States Supreme Court, American College of Chest Physicians, and others, thirty Senators, including Christopher Dodd, Joseph Lieverman, Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Conrad Burns and seventy-five Congressman including Tom DeLay, Richard Armey, Mac Thornberry and James Moran cosponsor the Fairness in Asbestos Compensation Act. This historical bipartisan bill: speeds the process of quick monetary compensation to asbestos victims for present and future conditions, is funded entirely by the defendants, reduces the high cost and time of litigation to the plaintiffs and defendants. Caps attorney fees allowing more compensation to reach the victims. Industry supports this effort in order to compensate victims quickly, fairly and to avoid lengthy, costly litigation. The American Trial Attorneys oppose the legislation. 2000 In January, Grace initiates sweeping three-part medical program to provide immediate medical coverage to any and all Libby residents diagnosed with asbestos related illness. The plan includes an annual donation of $250,000 to St. Johns Lutheran Hospital for independent testing, plus additional sums for the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment, staffing and technology.

The ALL NEW Official sBs News Letter!

John — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 00:13:41 GMT

VOLUME 3 MARCH 2006 by John Bursell ---------------------------------------------------- 3/13/06 Welcome! I’ve decided to take an all new approach to our news letter. This will now be about me, my life, my friends (you!) and the web site. It will be more like a journal, so to speak. What I’m up to, what I’m feeling and working on for the site, and what new items that are in the works from all of you, my talented friends, will be the focus of my writings and ramblings from this point forward. No more fillers like quotes, movie reviews and the like. It will be for us, about us. Writers! This is still fairly new news: The first thing I want to talk about is our writing section. Israel Bayer is recruiting writers from across the United States to have monthly columns here on sBs. Not only will we enjoy Israel’s Talking Jive Column http://www.swingbabyswing.com/writersizzy.html on the first of every month, but we now have Chicago’s very own Joshua Cinelli http://www.swingbabyswing.com/writersjoshua.html . So check them out. My People of sBs I just want to take a moment to showcase and thank all of my friends who are a part of this project known as sBs. I love you guys and I want to thank you for your patience. In the months to come you will see your galleries coming to life. I’ve been saying this for a while now, but it’s time to back it up with results. I’ve gone through some personal things lately and now it’s time for me to grow artistically. I can feel it in my bones. So shortly you will all be seeing your galleries appear as if by magic and I will be contacting you about the products you want to sell at our on line store. Here is a list of all the amazing artists on swingbabyswing.com: Joe Diaz/ Painting, Comics Joe Randolph/ Music Tim Van Grinsven/ Drawings Tony Chimera/ Photography, Art Israel Bayer/ Poetry, Writing, Marketing Sonya Swinson/ Local Charities, Poetry, Photography, Furniture Sara Dexter (Chelsea Clark James)/ Poetry, Writing Brian Feist/ Film Editor, Writer, Music, Poetry Randy Hirzel/ Poetry, Photography John Bursell/ Lazy Tom Skelley/ Photography Angie Maron/ Artwork Joshua Cinelli/ Writing Michael/ Artwork Dak West/ Music, Artwork, Writing Askimbo/ Music, Smoking evil J/ Poetry, Tags, Artwork, Music Melissa Ivey/ Music, Paintings ( http://www.melissaivey.com ) Natasha Martinez/ Artwork, Model, Poetry, Writing Serafin Martinez/ Artwork, Poetry Chelsie Kuntz/ Fashion, Interior Design, Poetry, Writing Chels C. James (Chelsea Clark James)/ Poetry, Writing, Artwork Noah West/ Poetry WickedSteve/ Web Design, Comics WickedbuGG/ Photography, Artwork, Tattoos, Charities Graeme Clark-James/ Artwork, Music Pete Longtine/ Artwork Sky Sunberg/ Model, Actress, Artwork JJ/ Director, Writer, Film Editor James Herringer/ Culinary Well, until next month, take care my friends. Anyone have any recipes to post in the Culinary section? John Bursell threeotters@qwest.net ------------------------------ “Unique products, services and free access to a vast selection of art galleries including multimedia, culinary, fashion and poetry from a number of talented artists.” http://www.swingbabyswing.com http://www.cafepress.com/swingbabyswing Submissions for swingbabyswing.com: for artwork or photography please save your files as .jpeg, .jpg or .png --------------------------------------------------------- “The man who trades freedom for security does not deserve nor will he ever receive either.“ Benjamin Franklin My Other Sites In Cyber Space-------------------------------------------- http://3otters.deviantart.com/ http://www.myspace.com/3otters http://people.tribe.net/d563fd38-64ba-41a4-a155-e72d8cac22c3

Changes

John — Mon, 20 Feb 2006 07:36:45 GMT

2.19.06 This is a very strange time in my life. I became comfortable. I thought everything would stay the same. Then came change. My girlfriend of three years moved out today. And I sit in this empty apartment, feeling... empty. I do not blame her though. I become driven at times, and I neglect everyone in my life. I am an artist. It seems as though I am not happy until I become completely miserable. Why can’t I let anyone in? Maybe I need this time to search, and find out what I need.

Libby, Montana

John — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 06:46:15 GMT

"W.R. Grace is responsible for the tragedy that has become Libby. Grace has shown consistently that not only can they not be trusted, but their motivations are strictly related to their bottom line, which is greed." -Helen Bundrock Libby Montana is my home town. It is a place of fond memories and harsh lessons. Libby is nested in a valley surrounded by thick pine and towering mountains. It is a community of simple people with big hearts and battered lungs. The mine on Zonolite Mountain extracted vermiculite used in insulation. The vermiculite was laced with asbestos. The Zonolite mine started operations in 1924. The very same year a study by the British Medical Journal sited asbestos as a cause of death. The company knew in 1963 that tremolite (asbestos) was a contaminant. In 1969, workers from the mine were X-rayed with horrifying results. One half of the workers that were employed in the mine for eleven to twenty years had some type of lung disease. Ninety two percent of the miners who were employed between twenty one to twenty five years were diseased. Tests that very same year showed that twenty four thousand pounds of dust a day were expelled from the large stack on the dry mill. The dust was twenty percent asbestos. This not only harmed the miners, but affected the entire valley. And nothing was done about it. The company withheld this information for the sake of profit. W.R. Grace, the owner of the operation, built a new mill in 1975. This doubled the mills production. Half a million pounds of asbestos a day were produced. Libby's miners and families have filed one hundred and seven civil actions against W.R. Grace since 1984. The mine finally closed in 1990, with the Environmental Protection Agency left to clean up the mess and witness first hand a beautifully wooded valley populated by the dying. Date: Thu, 23 Jan 2003 09:54:55 EST Subject: Ode to Libby Dear John: I was sad to read of the plight of your town and my heart is heavy with the thought of what awaits you, your family and friends in the future...fuck big business and thier bottom lines! To all those who have lost loved ones and those who continue to suffer and deal with this tragedy God Bless. "I assure you, this day you will be with me in paradise" --Jesus reassures the penitent thief upon their crucifixtion Jazzy82669 http://www.michaelbrownproductions.com/dust_to_dust.html http://homepage.mac.com/mbpvideo/iMovieTheater7.html http://www.highplainsfilms.org/fp_libby.html http://www.libby.org/ http://www.epa.gov/region8/superfund/libby/