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Death of Anton by Alan Melville
by Shiny New Books	| Posted on July 15, 2015 December 12, 2020
Having really loved Alan Melville's Quick Curtain, it didn't take much to convince me that I wanted to try another of his detective novels, also published in the British Library Crime Classics series with a very splendid cover.
The cover is a clue to the setting of the novel: it takes place in and around a travelling circus. The opening paragraph sets the scene:
The circus came to town.
It arrived, not with any of the majesty and excitement which herald the arrival of a small circus in a small town, but with all the modern efficiency for which Joseph Carey's World-Famous Circus and Menagerie was famous. There was no triumphal procession through the streets of the town to delight the youngsters, give a brief preview of the circus's delights, and act as a powerful piece of publicity; instead, the two special trains which pulled Carey's Circus around Britain during the summer months rolled more or less smoothly into the station between eleven and twelve o'clock on that hot July night.
The circus characters tread a line between stereotype and the reverse. Joseph Carey is the friendly demagogue, ruling the circus with an iron fist, but also a kind smile and benevolent air. There is a pair of trapeze artists, married, who live a tempestuous life outside the ring. There is a clown who spends his life outside the circus in a sombre suit, and (more sombrely) there are those who mostly stand and point, building up the crowd, who are no longer young or beautiful enough to be star attractions.
And then there is Anton, the loinclothed man on the posters who gets Bengal tigers to jump through hoops of fire, and the like. Melville paints fun portraits of the tigers, as closely as any of the human characters. Some grew up in this environment, and are unthinkingly obedient; Peter is the most stubborn tiger, threatening to rebel at any moment.
It will come as no surprise, given the title, that… Anton dies.
Coincidentally, Detective Inspector Minto of Scotland Yard is in town, and leaps into action. Though the characters don't cross over, there are a lot of tonal similarities with Quick Curtain – which I, for one, was overjoyed by. Melville brings the same light touch, the witty repartee, and the sarcastic outlook in his detective hero. Though Minto doesn't have anybody to spar off in the way that the father and son team worked in Quick Curtain, there are still plenty of opportunities for his dryness to work its wonders.
So, the writing is delicious. The plot? It's always of more importance in a detective novel than elsewhere, and here… well, it's not very clever. There are a few convoluted moments, but nothing that could be considered a twist. Indeed, I thought I was being led to a rather ingenious explanation, but the solution turned out to be significantly more mundane than I'd thought. As always (I find) the spectre of Agatha Christie makes the plots of other writers appear lacklustre.
But it really doesn't matter. Melville has what Christie, even at her finest, didn't quite have – a really deft light, comic touch and an insouciance that makes reading his novels a complete delight.
Simon is one of the Shiny New Books editors and has never been to the circus.
Alan Melville, Death of Anton (London, British Library, 2015), 978-0712357883, paperback, 288pp.
BUY via affiliate links: Bookshop.org or Blackwell's.
Fiction ReprintAuthor: Melville A Classic Crime Reviewer: Thomas S
A Wreath of Roses by Elizabeth Taylor
Stone Mattress by Margaret Atwood
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Puzzles, constraints and cryptograms: An Oulipo beginner's primer


To master price action, to give yourself a solid edge in the markets, there are two things you need to master.
Chart patterns have been a staple of trading for the last 100 years or so because they reflect low-risk trade setups within the price action themselves. Still, they are poorly understood by beginners and often become a source of frustration, especially when trying to master some of the more esoteric price patterns like iron butterflies, Fibonacci extensions, Elliott wave theory, Gartley, and so forth.
To be fully understood, there are two things that you must understand about chart patterns that are fundamental: first, they reflect the psychology of the market, and second, there are two basic forms of price action that must be fully understood in order to use chart patterns effectively.
All price patterns reflect the psychology of the market overall, but more important, the traders who are actively trading the particular trading instrument that is forming it. The battle for control of the direction of the price action's trend is conducted daily between both the buyers and sellers, but oftentimes, that battle is an internal one shared collectively within those traders. Each trader brings his or her individual hopes, desires, and aspirations to the market, and when they are in jeopardy, they fear the results. Likewise, when those hopes look as though they could be realized, euphoria and excitement begin to snowball, then greed.
Fear and greed are reflected in the price action in the two most basic forms: contraction and expansion.
All patterns, to a degree, are forms of price contraction that result when the dominant trend stalls, settling into a trading range. Rising triangles, double bottoms, triple bottoms, head & shoulders, and all the other patterns are symptomatic of price contraction. It is within these chart patterns that the battle for control of the stock takes place as traders compete with each other and their own emotions for control of the trend.
Expansion in price action is where one side has wrestled control from the other competing side, moving the price action firmly in a given direction. This type of price action is marked by price gaps in the direction of the primary trend, strong close in the upper range of the price bars in the direction of the trend, and price bars that have expanded price range two or three times their normal trading range in the direction of the trend as well.
By scanning the market for trends that are in place, you can start to identify periods of price contraction where a stock's trend has stopped making higher highs and higher lows in a bullish trend, and lower lows and lower highs in a bearish trend. It is in these points of hesitation where the trend has slowed that a chart pattern can emerge for a low-risk setup.
Simple indicators, like Bollinger bands (Figure 1), can help because they are an indicator of price volatility that is set by two bands, upper and lower, that are predicated on a stock's price volatility. They act as a visual reference where if the two bands begin to close and point inward reveal points of contraction within the stock's price action.
FIGURE 1: OPEN IN BOLLINGER BANDS. Opentable Inc. traded in a very narrow range with the Bollinger bands closing inward revealing a contracted price range. On August 4, 2010, OPEN exploded through its upper band, expanding its price range upward into a new bullish move.
When price explodes from these contracted points trading through one of these outer bands, it reveals that either the buyers or sellers have regained control of the trend and can help you time your entry into the move and ride the momentum.
The best training for spotting chart patterns is to spend time looking at charts while looking for trends that under expansion and marking periods of contraction in the price action. By training yourself this way, you train your cerebral cortex, the part of the brain that is responsible for visual identification, to easily identify profitable entries in the market as it will more quickly spot chart patterns and give you a solid edge in attaining your own hopes, desires, and aspirations in your trading.


I borrowed the Vij's cookbook from my friend last week and when I saw this recipe it caught my attention instantly. Vij's is one of Vancouver's best restaurants, they serve intensely rich and imaginative Indian Fusion. I used the curry almost exactly as it was – except for two changes, I used more yogurt and I omitted the asafoetida required since I couldn't find any without going on a bit of a trek. Serve with this cucumber raita and rice or naan.
As to the herb I am using – I am actually using two as per the title but the bulk is in cilantro, I actually had enough mint still alive in my window box to avoid buying mint which is always a bit of a victory. But back to Cilantro, coriander itself is key in Indian cuisine as it is a part of garam masala in the form of the seeds. We all know how important garam masala is, and how every family's recipe can be different. According to wikipedia coriander seeds are also frequently roasted and eaten as a snack in India. Mental note to attempt to do that later.
Mix cilantro leaves and stems, mint leaves, jalapenos, and ginger in a food processor. Add 1C water and puree until smooth. Set aside.
1. Heat oil in a heavy shallow pot on med heat for 1 min. Add cumin and coriander seeds and allow them to sizzle for about 30 seconds.
2. Add garlic and saute for about 3 minutes or until golden brown, Stir in salt.
3. Turn off the heat and after 2-3 minutes stir in 1 cup yogourt. Add chicken thighs and stir well. Turn the heat to medium and cover and cook for about 25 minutes, stirring regularly. (If you have the time, let it cook a little longer, then the chicken should just fall off the bone.) Remove curry from the heat and cool for about 20 minutes.
4. Transfer chicken to a mixing bowl. Wearing latex gloves peel chicken meat off the bones. The size of the chicken pieces doesn't matter but do not shred them. Discard bones and stir chicken back into curry.
5. Stir in mint-cilantro chutney and the other cup of yogourt, About 15 mins before serving bring curry to a boil on medium heat. Turn down the heat to a summer cook, uncovered for about 10 minutes or until chicken is ell mixed.


Having developed powers far beyond those of mortal men and imbued with a strong moral compass, Clark takes up the fight for truth and justice as Superman. Although he is based in the big city of Metropolis, Superman is a global hero — righting wrongs worldwide. He is arguably the greatest and most powerful hero in the DC Universe.
Each figure is packaged in a deluxe, fifth-panel window box featuring character-specific artwork and a protective slipcover. Designed for collector convenience, the packaging allows for both maximum protection as well as ease of removal for display.
When most people hear Superman they think of the 80's movies and Christopher Reeves. I tend to think about my classic Kenner Super Powers figure I owned as a kid. This version of Mezco's Superman really reminds of that Super Powers version from head to toe. He may have some flaws, but he still has that classic look and feel. Let's find out if Mezco's Superman was worth the wait.
This is a figure we waited a very long time to get, but was it worth it in the end? I really like the figure. Despite it being a little short it has that overall Superman look I was hoping for. I like his primary face sculpt a lot, and his overall suit is pretty classic. If you get your chance to get this figure I wouldn't pass it up. I mean he is Superman afterall! He will look really nice with the rest of your Mezco collection.
Be sure to check out our full review and pictures at the link below!
All the hallmarks of the One:12 Collective are in full effect in this Superman figure. Top notch poseability, great accessories, and the most iconic Superman costume all equal a figure that fans should take a serious look at adding to their collections.
IT'S HERE! IT'S HERE! IT'S HERE! It's new One:12 day at MUReview!! Today, we get our hands on the figure we have waited the whole year for. Classic Superman!!!! This old chum has gone through a few minor tweaks and costume changes since we first saw him, heck, even since we first pre-ordered him. Now that he's finally in our hands, what do we think about him? Well…it's a good thing you asked, and a better thing you are here, because I'm gonna tell you!
The full review of the Man of Steel is right here.
Mezco, you made my Superman wishes come true!
Fantastic mixture of fabric and plastic. I did have a manufacturing issue with mine that Mezco took care of with incredibly fast and with ease. Check out my full review here.


One of our favourite ways to spend a summer evening is sitting around a campfire. There's just something so friendly about roasting your dinner over the flames, trading stories in the circle of light... and then there's the s'mores!
Inspired by flames, this abstract kirigami design is a nod to those summer nights gathered around the fire.
To create your own campfire-inspired kirigami, use the template below and the 6-point folding pattern.
Happy crafting! Hope there's a friendly campfire in your weekend plans.


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Get cooking with our Melbourne Aprons. They bring spice to any summer BBQ, with eye-catching designs that are sure to earn you a compliment. Great for working in the garden or grilling a T-bone, our novelty aprons are personalized with designs ranging from food themes to funny sayings.
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Our challenge is to identify from the Livery future leaders of the Company including those who may eventually become Wardens and Master. We interview nominees and make recommendations to Court which makes the final decision. Membership of this committee is decided by Court.


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Archive for the 'General' Category
Detroit at Nashville (4/2/11)
Sunday, April 3rd, 2011
The Red Wings were on the road this afternoon to play the Predators in Nashville. Jimmy Howard was back from injury so he was the starting goalie for the Wings. The Predators started Pekka Rinne. Datsyuk, Kronwall and Miller were all out of the lineup today for Detroit.
After the 10 to 3 beating the Blues handed the Wings the other night at the Joe, the Red Wings had something to prove here this afternoon. And prove it, they did. They played very well today. They were aggressive, played good, tight defense and they generated a lot of scoring chances without giving up much. They were also playing tough. Bertuzzi got into a fight with O'Brien not even five minutes into the game. It was a one sided fight with Bertuzzi landing all of the punches and taking O'Brien down to the ice.
There were some questionable calls in this game starting with what looked like the first goal of the game being waved off and Holmstrom being sent to the penalty box for goalie interference. On the replay it was very difficult to see how Holmstrom interfered with Rinne at all. To the contrary, Rinne shoved Holmstrom in the back of the head. Holmstrom was just standing there at the top of the crease. You could argue that Rinne wasn't able to come out as far as he wanted to challenge the shooter but there's no way they can claim that Holmstrom initiated any contact. Instead of the Wings being up one to nothing, the Predators got a power play. While Holmstrom was in the box, Abdelkader was called for boarding so the Wings were down two men for a short time. When Holmstrom came out of the box he had to stay on the ice to help with the penalty kill, which he isn't used to doing. He accidentally shot the puck over the glass while trying to clear it. That gave the Predators a long 5 on 3. With one minute left in the period, Ryan Suter scored a power play goal giving the Predators the lead which is how the period ended.
Early in the second period Erat scored a power play goal and then Kostitsyn scored less than a minute later making it three to nothing Predators. It was starting to look pretty dire for the Red Wings even though they were still playing well; they just weren't getting good results. Then Kindl fired a long shot that beat Rinne and put the Wings on the board. Shortly after that Bertuzzi and O'Brien fought again with essentially the same outcome as the fight in the first period. Bertuzzi landed several punches to the back of O'Brien's head and then took him down to the ice. It was great to see Bertuzzi step up like that and the team appreciated it. It really seemed to get them fired up. They started playing even harder. They were first to every loose puck and didn't give the Predators anything. Just a few seconds after the fighting majors, Abdelkader scored with a tip in to bring the Red Wings to within a goal of tying it up. The Red Wings pressured like crazy but the period ended without another goal.
In the third period Abdelkader scored the game tying goal. He was playing like a man possessed. It was the best game of the season so far for Justin Abdelkader. He was all over the ice and just doing it all. The Wings generated a ton of scoring chances and were throwing everything at the net but they didn't score again in the third period and regulation timed ended with a tie. At the Red Wings' end Jimmy Howard made some incredible saves to preserve the tie.
The Red Wings continued playing with great intensity in the overtime period. With about two minutes left in the overtime Rafalski fired a shot from the point and Cleary tipped it into the net for the game winner.
It was a fantastic game for the Wings today. They really bounced back after the big loss the other night and they had to come back from a three to nothing deficit to do it. They really showed a lot of character on the ice today. Abdelkader was excellent. Cleary also had a great game. They were the first two stars of the game. You also have to credit Bertuzzi for getting the team riled up and Howard for keeping them in the game with some very timely saves.
This win clinched a playoff spot for the Red Wings for the 20th consecutive season and also gave them 100 points for the 11th straight season. Next up for the Wings is Minnesota at the Joe tomorrow afternoon. Minnesota also played today, losing at home to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The final few days before the start of the regular season have brought us a few last minute roster changes for the Red Wings.
The Wings ended up having to leave Ritola unprotected and he was claimed on waivers by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Maltby and Meech were both assigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins after they cleared waivers. Maltby is reportedly considering retirement.
Those moves bring the roster count to 23 so they're ready to go. It's a much different team this year compared to last year. I'm excited about the new lineup. There's some great young players that are just coming into their own but still a nice assortment of veterans to continue in the mentor role.
Tags: Detroit, NHL, Red Wings, Red Wings Blog
Posted in General, News, Players | No Comments »
The long summer is over and the new season is almost upon us. There have been some big changes to the Red Wings during the offseason that I'm sure most of you are already familiar with but I'll quickly recap some of them since I've been taking it easy all summer and not updating the blog.
The biggest change is the departure of Steve Yzerman. He left his front office position this summer to join the Tampa Bay Lightning as general manager. It's a great move for him and I can't wait to see the impact he has on The Bolts. I happen to live in the Tampa Bay area and drive past the St. Pete Times Forum, Yzerman's new office, everyday on my way to work. He's already made some excellent acquisitions for the team's roster. The Lightning have new owners, a new GM, a new coach and a lot of new players. This should be fun to watch! Let's wish Stevie Y. all the best right up until the Wings play the Bolts in the finals.
The Red Wings signed a one year deal with U.S. hockey legend Mike Modano during the summer. That's a huge win for the Wings and it works out great for Modano as well since he wanted to move back to his home state of Michigan. His impact will be felt immediately.
Another feather in Ken Holland's cap is the return of Jiri Hudler. I'm really excited to watch him play this season. I love his energy and his scoring touch around the net. So far this preseason he's been playing on a line with Modano and Cleary. I can't wait to watch them play together this season. If Babcock keeps that line together they could do great things.
Some of our old favorite Grand Rapids Griffins will likely get full time roster spots this season while Kirk Maltby is fighting to make the team. It's very possible that he might not be a Red Wing this year. He has a one year, two way contract so if he doesn't crack the roster he'll be playing for the Griffins and could always be called up if needed.
In other Red Wings related news, Chris Chelios officially retired from play during the off season. He will be returning to the Red Wings organization with a front office position as Assistant to Hockey Operations. It's great to see him back with the Wings!
Draper will start the season recovering from a groin injury. Hopefully, it won't be a problem but at least this is the best time of year for that to happen.
I'm really excited about the team this year. They look great on paper. The addition of Modano and Hudler should be a big boost to the offense.
The Red Wings' first game is this Friday, October 8th at 7:00pm at the Joe against the Ducks. Let's go Red Wings!
Red Wings Ready To Rock
The playoffs get underway for the Red Wings tonight in Phoenix. This should be a great matchup. Phoenix is going to be tough. On paper the Wings should have them but the games aren't played on paper and the Coyotes have a lot of heart, not to mention their skill.
This year it's the Red Wings that are entering the playoffs on a winning streak with a hot young goalie who seems poised to play spoiler to the higher seeded teams. That's a switch for the Wings who are almost always one of the top seeded teams.
Tonight's game is in Phoenix so it has the 10:00 start for us folks in the Eastern Time zone. It's going to be tough waking up for work tomorrow but I wouldn't miss it!
….and one more thing, LET'S GO RED WINGS!
Tags: Coyotes, Detroit, Detroit Red Wings, NHL, Phoenix, Phoenix Coyotes, playoffs, Red Wings, Red Wings Blog, Round One
Posted in General, News | No Comments »
FanPulse Released for the iPhone
A new iPhone app called FanPulse has just been released and I think you're going to like it. It allows sports fans to connect with each other and keep up with their favorite teams.
Check out the list of features:
FanPulse is best way to follow your favorite teams and to talk to your friends before, during and after the game.
Check-in to games to chat and trash-talk with friends who are also watching – it's like being at the game together!
Can't watch a game? Get scores and breaking news sent straight to your iPhone.
An app that delivers not just scores, but unique commentary from this blog!
You will find redwingsblog.com posts on FanPulse if you add the Red Wings as one of your favorite teams.
If you have an iPhone you should download FanPulse and check it out as soon as possible. The first 2,000 downloads will be entered into a raffle to win one of twenty $50 iTunes gift cards.
You can find FanPulse here: FanPulse. Check it out!
Tags: App, Detroit, Detroit Red Wings, FanPulse, iPhone, Red Wings, Red Wings Blog
Detroit at Dallas (12/19/09)
This afternoon's opponent for the Wings was the Dallas Stars who played host to Detroit and were just two points behind the Red Wings in the standings. The starting goaltenders were Jimmy Howard and Marty Turco.
Well, my wishful thinking didn't help after the last game. Henrik Zetterberg has a partial shoulder separation and will miss two to four weeks. There was a spot of good news though as Helm returned to the lineup today.
The Stars got off to a good start in this game. They had an early power play and had a lot of good shots in a short period of time. Jimmy Howard was great though and made a few world class saves.
Then Brad May fought with his favorite dance partner Krys Barch. It was a pretty long fight. They were throwing punches until they were both completely out of gas. You couldn't say either one was the winner but they both seemed to enjoy it.
Later in the first period Datsyuk got the puck and played it ahead to Bertuzzi who was charging to the net. It was almost out of reach so he leaned for forward and just chipped it at the net. It bounced off Turco to the middle of the crease and Holmstrom came in and shoved it into the net. The Wings had the early lead one to nothing.
After Dallas' initial flurry, Detroit was the better team. They ended up outshooting the Stars eleven to seven by the end of the period and quality chances were seven to three Detroit.
Early in the second period Detroit had a bit of a defensive breakdown and the Stars scored. Both defensemen were on the same side of the ice and Ribeiro passed it across to Skrastins on the other side who one-timed it in. It was a bang bang play. Howard didn't have much of a chance.
Later in the second period Richards took the puck up the wing. He passed it to Neal in the slot. Along the way the puck hit Rafalski, then hit Neal's skate and stick, then it hit Bertuzzi's skate and deflected into the net. It was another goal that Howard didn't have a chance of stopping. There wasn't even a shot on goal. It just bounced around and finally went it. It was a fluky goal but it put the Stars up two to one.
A few minutes later Bertuzzi threw the puck toward the net with Datsyuk between him and the goal. Datsyuk touched it slightly but it didn't look like the puck changed direction at all. The puck went right through Turco's legs and the Wings tied it up.
Then just a little over a minute later the Stars were pressuring. Skrastins shot from the point and it hit Brad Stuart. Howard lost track of the puck and it bounced the opposite way that he though it did. By the time he found it again it was too late. Neal shot it into the mostly open net as Howard dove for it. The Stars were back up by a goal.
With about a minute left in the second period Miller did a nice job to take the puck away and keep it in the zone. Datsyuk ended up working it behind the net. He sent it back to Bertuzzi in the slot who ripped it with Miller in front. I don't think Miller touched it but it got through and into the net to tie the game at three.
The stats were even more lopsided after two periods. The Wings were outshooting the Stars 24 to 14, and out-chancing them 14 to 8.
Early in the third period Skrastins released a shot that was nothing special but it seemed to surprise Howard. I think it might have hit the stick of Doug Janik who was right in front of the net. The puck came up and went in the top corner so the Stars had the lead again.
The score held until the end of the game. The Red Wings ended up losing a game in which I felt they played very well. They made a few mistakes but for the most part they looked great.
Datsyuk and Bertuzzi were very good and Helm was just incredible. It's such a joy to watch him play. I'm glad he's back.
This 3-4 loss brings us to:
Tags: Dallas, Detroit, NHL, Red Wings, Red Wings Blog, Stars
2009 NHL Awards
Nearly a week after the heartbreak of losing the Stanley Cup, some of the Red Wings and the NHL elite gathered in Las Vegas for the NHL Awards. The Finals are still a fresh and bitter pill but it was time to leave that in the past and honor some great players.
Pavel Datsyuk won the Selke and the Lady Byng. It's nice to see him recognized for his great play. He was also nominated for the Hart Trophy but that went to Ovechkin.
Zetterberg wasn't nominated for a single award which is real shame.
For the first time in a long time Nick Lidstrom did NOT win the Norris trophy. Zdeno Chara won it this year.
Ex-Red Wings assistant coach Todd McClellan did not win the Jack Adams Award. That went to Claude Julien.
The least cool part of the night was when former Oiler Glenn Anderson said, "…I thought I was down the street at the Russian Awards." Apparently, he was referring to Datsyuk and Ovechkin. I don't think he really thought that one through. They were supposed to be honoring the winners not roasting them. The comment did not get much of a laugh and it made for a bit of an awkward moment.
All in all though, it was a pretty good night. It would have been nice if they'd had a rock band instead of Chaka Khan, but I guess they were trying to class it up a little this year.
Congratulations to Pavel Datsyuk on bringing home two nice pieces of hardware this year!
Tags: Datsyuk, Lidstrom, NHL Awards, Zetterberg
Sponsor My Playoff Beard For Charity!
The Beard Is Back! I know times are tough right now but if anybody wants to donate to a worthy cause how about sponsoring my playoff beard at beardathon.com?
The money goes to the Detroit Red Wings Foundation, which supports the development of inner city youth hockey, the fight against cancer, a wide array of children's health, educational and recreational activities and other needs of the community through the sport of hockey.
Tags: Beard-a-thon, Charity, Detroit, Playoff Beard, Red Wings, Red Wings Blog, Red Wings Foundation, The Beard Is Back
Here Come The Ducks
Can you feel the excitement? Round two starts tonight on Versus and I can't wait!
This could turn out to be the best matchup of the playoffs. I expect the Ducks will be all that the Wings can handle. The way they knocked off the Sharks with apparent ease is extremely scary.
Round one proved that there is no issue with the Red Wings will to win. They'll be up for this game. Babcock said that they have not taken two days off in a row during their time off so they've been skating at least every other day. They should be sharp and well-rested.
The Detroit media continues to hound Osgood about whether or not he's up to the challenge. I wish they would leave him alone. He is confident and rightfully so, but it seems like the media's goal is to make him doubt himself. Whose side are they on, anyway? I guess he'll have to prove himself AGAIN. What will it take for people to admit that he's one of the best goalies of all time?
Anyway, I can't wait for the game to start. We have about an hour and a half to wait. Let's go Red Wings!!!
Tags: Anaheim, Detroit, Ducks, NHL, playoffs, Red Wings, Red Wings Blog, Semifinals, Stanley Cup, Western Conference
Here Comes Round 1
The playoffs start tonight for the Red Wings, less than two hours from now. I can't wait to see how the Wings look when they're actually playing a game that matters. You really can't gauge how good they are by the way they ended the season, but tonight we'll know.
Draper will be out for the game because of a mysterious injury. There were rumors during the week that Cleary would also be out after taking a hit in practice. The latest is that he WILL be able to play. Hossa should be back as well.
Hopefully, Mason will show some nerves early on in the game and we'll get an early lead. Once he gets passed the jitters he will likely be a rock.
You can find the game on Versus starting 7:00 PM.
Good luck to the Red Wings tonight!
Tags: 2009, NHL, playoffs, Red Wings, Red Wings Blog, Stanley Cup

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Wild Earth : Africa | Ep.01 - Families Of Giants.
Welp! Time to go on a safari! In the first episode of Wild Earth : Africa we look at lots of dung and the lovely things that live in it. Aren't you excited already?
Wild Earth : Africa | Ep.02 - Big And Tall.
Trailer for Wild Earth for Windows PC. Developed by Super X Studios. http://www.superxstudios.com/projects/wild-earth.
Official trailer for Wild Earth African Safari for the Nintendo Wii. Developed by Super X Studios. http://www.superxstudios.com/projects/wild-earth.
The Wiiviewer reviews Wild Earth: African Safari for the Wii.
Wild Earth : Africa | Ep.06 - 4x4 Adventure.
Wild Earth : Africa | Ep.05 - Lion's Pride.
Wild Earth : Africa | Ep.07 - Flight Of The Vulture.
French trailer for the video game Wild Earth by Super X Studios.
Wild Earth : Africa | Ep.03 - Helicopter Ride.


Announcements of new Heffernan shows (thank you, Phantasmaphile!) are always a good excuse for me to go for a dive in the endless pool of her archived works - and realise that Booty (see image above and below) remains my favourite series to date.
And although I'm not entirely sure which of her flora-and-fauntastical self-portraits will be on show at the Infinite Work in Progress solo show, the well-chosen title and the fact that there's over 20 works on display both suggest that the probability that you'll get to see something from the Booty series is mathematically speaking relatively high.
I know I normally tend to post free exhibitions here but yes, I would still say that it's worth the $12 (OUCH, Y THOUGH?!) admission fee.
3 comments to " Julie Heffernan's "Infinite Work in Progress" at Oklahoma City Museum of Art "
Is this a new post I cant remember if it was here last time i was, if so I guess that means youre back from your hiatus, Im glad, this is definately one of the most interesting blogs on the net.
Welcome back, your public has missed you.


Abby has had a passion for hair long before she started her career. In 2014, she attended the Aveda Fredric's Institute in Cincinnati Ohio and began working in a salon shortly after graduating. In July 2017 she moved to Denver excited for a new start. She specializes in coloring, balayage and Brazilian Blowouts as well as mens and womens haircuts. To Abby, there is no better reward than making guests feel confident and beautiful when they leave the salon.


LIMA, Peru — For a sense of the frustrating tenor of climate negotiations underway here, which aim to agree on a clear outline of a new international climate-protecting agreement, consider this: One of the two draft documents being thrashed out had, by Wednesday morning, with just three days of a fortnight of talks remaining, ballooned into an unworkable 52-page opus.
And not a single paragraph within the latest iteration of that 52-page draft had been agreed upon by the troop of international climate negotiators.
The 52-page draft is due to be pared down and agreed upon by the end of this week, helping to form the basis for a pact to be formalized during talks in Paris in a year. Next year's agreement will detail steps that countries agree upon to slow down climate change, with the ultimate goal of limiting global warming to less than 2°C, or 3.6°F.
Negotiating teams led by high-level government officials are huddling behind closed doors in giant tents on a Peruvian military base in an effort to slim down the drafts and to agree on alternative options. Talks began last week and high-level negotiations began Tuesday.
So far, though, negotiating teams have mostly been adding new options and digging in on their preferred alternatives. Some paragraphs in one document currently include as many as 11 options to be chosen from.
"Countries are expanding, not shrinking the options," said Jake Schmidt, a Natural Resources Defense Council official involved with the talks.
The ballooning text is a manifestation of what has become normal practice during annual climate negotiations, with nations posturing for days before finding some middle ground just as the talks wrap up.
"This, believe it or not, is typical at this stage," Robert Stavins, a Harvard University environmental economist, and a veteran of the climate talks, said.
To hurry the talks along, the main negotiating body, known in negotiator lingo as the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform, or ADP, has split into two to focus on different issues.
A main point of difference between negotiating teams is whether the main text of the climate agreement should cover climate adaptation, financial support for developing countries and also pollution-reducing measures — or whether it should focus solely, or heavily, on efforts to reduce greenhouse gas pollution.
Significant division also persists between the European Union and the U.S. around whether national commitments to reduce their pollution levels should be legally binding under international law.
The latest version of the drafts are not publicly available, but their hulking stature were described and discussed during a press conference in Lima on Wednesday held by European officials.
Correction: This story initially discussed just one of two drafts being negotiated, and it included misinformation about the contents of one of those drafts.


Logging hardware (knobs, choker bells, spiral ferrules, etc.) are classified by the size of knob that will seat in the receiving pocket. It is important to use same type hardware and knobs throughout entire logging system to ensure all choker knobs seat properly.


text:
Q: MvcHtmlString.Create() method does not return Html encoded string I must be missing something here, because this doc
says, MvcHtmlString.Create("someStringHere") returns html encoded string, but if i have something like MvcHtmlString.Create("
myHeading
") it still shows up as myHeading (as heading) and not as encoded text <h1>myHeading</h1>
Then what is meant by the statement

MvcHtmlString.Create(String)
  Creates an HTML-encoded string using the specified text value.

I am not able to understand, would be grateful if somebody could explain what does the doc mean and what's the difference between the encoding they are trying to refer to vs html encoding.
Thanks in advance!

A: I agree that the documentation seems misleading for MvcHtmlString.
However, MvcHtmlString is intended to be used when you don't want a string to be HTML encoded. The default behaviour of razor is to encode the output.
The Html string that you pass to it should already be encoded to ensure that it is outputted without additional encoding.
So assuming the following HTML helper:
public static class HtmlHelper
{
    public static string GetHtmlString(this System.Web.Mvc.HtmlHelper htmlHelper)
    {
        return "
myHeading
";
    }

    public static MvcHtmlString GetMvcHtmlString(this System.Web.Mvc.HtmlHelper htmlHelper)
    {
        return MvcHtmlString.Create("
myHeading
");
    }
}

With the Razor view:
@Html.GetHtmlString()
@Html.GetMvcHtmlString()

The output would be:
<h1>myHeading</h1&gt
myHeading

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Teams hitting home stretch entering April
Published 11:44 am Tuesday, April 5, 2022
By Carey Reeder | Staff Writer
The following are the baseball and softball schedules for each Chilton County area team for the week of April 6-April 13.
Chilton County High School Baseball
April 7: vs. Calera at 6:30 p.m.
April 9: vs. Marbury at 11:00 a.m.
April 12: vs. Helena at 5 p.m.
Chilton County High School Softball
April 6: @ Pelham at 4:30 p.m.
April 7: vs. Helena at 4:30 p.m.
April 11: @ Prattville at 6 p.m.
Jemison High School Baseball
April 7: vs. Marbury (doubleheader) at 5 p.m.
April 9: @ Montevallo at 1 p.m.
April 12: vs. Holtville at 7 p.m.
Jemison High School Softball
April 7: @ Maplesville at 4:30 p.m.
April 11: vs. Marbury at 6 p.m.
April 12: vs. Isabella at 6 p.m.
Thorsby High School Baseball
April 9: vs. Sylacauga at 3 p.m.
April 11: @ Hale County (doubleheader) at 4:30 p.m.
Thorsby High School Softball
April 11: vs. Midfield (doubleheader) at 1 p.m.
Isabella High School Baseball
April 9: @ Indian Springs at 2 p.m.
April 12: vs. Marion (doubleheader) at 4 p.m.
Isabella High School Softball
April 6: vs. Midfield (doubleheader) at 1:30 p.m.
April 11: @ Verbena at 4:30 p.m.
April 12: @ Jemison at 6 p.m.
Maplesville High School Baseball
April 6: vs. Notasulga at 3 p.m.
April 12: vs. Billingsley at 4:30 p.m.
Maplesville High School Softball
April 7: vs. Jemison at 4:30 p.m.
April 8: vs. Montevallo at 5 p.m.
Billingsley High School Baseball
April 8: @ Verbena (doubleheader) at 2:30 p.m.
April 11: @ Loachapoka at 4:30 p.m.
April 12: @ Maplesville at 4:30 p.m.
Billingsley High School Softball
April 7: vs. Dallas County at 4:30 p.m.
Verbena High School Baseball
April 8: vs. Billingsley (doubleheader) at 2:30 p.m.
April 11: @ Notasulga at 4:30 p.m.
Verbena High School Softball
April 6: vs. Central of Coosa County at 4 p.m.
April 8: @ Vincent at 5 p.m.
April 11: vs. Isabellaat 4:30 p.m.
April 12: @ Loachapoka (doubleheader) at 4 p.m.
Clanton City Clerk completes professional certification


The redbreast sunfish gets its name from—wait for it—its red breast. They prefer rocky or vegetated pools, and are a popular pan-fish amongst anglers. They're also a popular fish amongst hobbyists who keep aquariums. We can dig that, and when we're not catching fish, we like looking at them, especially when they're pretty. Redbreast sunfish can be caught using live bait or anything that moves, such as a light spinning tackle. They taste good, make good pets, and look good. What more can you want? You want one on a T-shirt? We got you covered.
Another popular sunfish amongst children and early anglers, the Redbreast Sunfish can be found almost anywhere in North America. Whether you love them as panfish, baitfish or simply to have some fun fly-fishing, these sunnies are always willing to take the bait. This fishing T-shirt is great for all those sunfish fans.


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'Every Day: An Anti-Gun Violence Comics Anthology' raises awareness through Kickstarter...
John Seven - 04/09/2019 12:00 pm
Every Day: An Anti-Gun Violence Comics Anthology has entered its final week of fundraising on Kickstarter. This anthology from Comicker Press was conceived in...
GRAPHIC NOVEL CLUB: Langridge & Ferrier on Building Worlds and Bringing...
Alexander Lu - 12/21/2018 12:00 pm
the CRIMINY creators share their comic inspirations in the latest Kids Graphic Novel Club!
INTERVIEW: How A Twitter Exchange Led to Langridge and Ferrier's CRIMINY
Joe Grunenwald - 09/27/2018 10:30 am
The creators of the all-ages graphic novel discuss the story's inception and inspirations.
EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW: Pirates and Peril in Ryan Ferrier and Roger Langridge's...
Joe Grunenwald - 08/24/2018 12:00 pm
The all-ages graphic novel is in comic shops in September.
Langridge and Ferrier Go On The Run with CRIMINY
Joe Grunenwald - 04/11/2018 6:15 pm
All-ages adventure and absurdity call in the latest original graphic novel from Dark Horse.
A year of free comics: Roger Langridge explores bad poetry ...
Heidi MacDonald - 02/02/2017 6:00 pm
Although this feature is devoted to free comics, the site Zco.mx inhabits a bit of a grey area. Although there dozens and dozens of free comics...
Interview: Roger Langridge on the handmade aesthetic of Betty Boop
Beat Staff - 08/23/2016 5:00 am
Roger Langridge's work has often worn its influences on its proverbial sleeve. In comics like Fred the Clown and The Muppet Show and Popeye, he's shown an affinity for early 20th Century culture, vaudeville, and silent comedy. It should come as no surprise that he was approached to write a new Betty Boop miniseries which launches from Dynamite in October. Along with Gisele Lagace, Langridge brings the character into the 21st Century , and he talks about the kiniseries and the three other books of his that are coming out in the next few months.
2015 Harvey Award Nominations led by Boom!/Archaia and Valiant
Heidi MacDonald - 07/14/2015 12:00 pm
The nominees for this year's Harvey Awards, as voted on by industry professionals, have just been announced and as usual they are a a surprising...
Exciting new comics site launches: Zco.mx, with Lasky, Langridge and dozens...
Heidi MacDonald - 04/29/2015 10:00 am
There are scores of great webcomics to read from indie cartoonists on these internets. There are also tons of great mini comics on sale from cartoonists at CAFs. But what if you can't get to a CAF or want a more curated portal to help you find good stuff? Zco.mx (pronounced zee·com·ics) is a new site that offers a curated list of cartoonists with selected digital offerings, all available to read for free -- but you are also encouraged to make a donation. Comics are downloadable as CBZ files via torrents or DC. I'm not super crazy about that format, but the reader on the site itself works very smoothly, and I don't have any room on my iPad anyway.
Thought Bubble 2013: The Pretty Much Almost Full Report
Steve Morris - 11/27/2013 6:00 am
So Thought Bubble 2013 has come and gone, a massive celebration of British - and foreign - comics talent, lead by the mighty Lisa...
Marvel to collect Roger Langridge's Muppets Series in Omnibus
Steve Morris - 08/23/2013 12:24 pm
Roger Langridge - my personal choice for the next Batman - will see his run on 'The Muppets' collected into a Marvel omnibus next...
Review: Roger Langridge's The Fez #1
Unveiled at 2D Festival last weekend, Roger Langridge's 'The Fez' mini-comic has been made available online for a pound. Featuring an invisible hero with...


I described a recent concert as "new music," prompting the inevitable question, "So what is new music?" Technically, new music would be music that has been recently written or created. Music of the 21st century versus earlier eras. Music in its nascent premiere state. More often the term is applied to music that defies classification as jazz, classical, bluegrass, what have you, and specifically to music based in experimental forms and formats. One could easily argue that "free jazz" or "free improvisation" is always "new music." Pick your definition. Whatever it is, there's been a lot of it around town lately in diverse contexts, from community theater stages to music school auditoriums to renovated industrial sites, in forms and instrumentation as diverse as the venues. And while it would be a stretch to include it all under even the broadest "jazz" label, it all contains at least one element critical to jazz—the element of surprise. That surprise might be as small as a sudden change in dynamics or rhythm or as overwhelming as a human voice soaring over remotely activated electronic thunderclaps. Or a Norwegian cattle call inserted in a country jig. Consider some of the music heard over the past few days in the Twin Cities.
St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Chamber Music Series (March 26, Capri Theater). This season the SPCO is providing a series of free concerts in the heart of the Minneapolis northside. This performance included six works for no more than five musicians, ranging from solo marimba and duo trumpet fanfares to wind quintet, with the oldest composition written in the late 1940s and the newest from the late 90s. So how is this "new music" when it's all been around for more than a decade? For an audience largely accustomed to more traditional classical works in a theater known for swing and blues productions, likely this concert marked a number of firsts—probably the first solo marimba performance, probably the first duos for violin/marimba and violin/djembe; probably the first Stravinksy fanfare. Certainly the marimba/djembe and Stravinksy fanfare were firsts for me, and I get around. That element of surprise came through in the instrumentation alone, as well as in the single and collaborative voicings.
New to the SPCO, principal timpanist Michael Israelievitch delivered the melodic centerpiece, a six-movement work by Jacob Druckman for solo marimba, aptly titled "Reflections on the Nature of Water." Through his choice of various mallets, Israelivitch's "reflections" varied in nuance just as water, in droplets, cascades or tumult, creates divergent images and sounds. Irving Fine's "Partita for Wind Quintet" was a fascinating menagerie of harmony via flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and French horn. Ruggero Allifranchini joined Israelievitch on Michael Colgrass's "Hammer and Bow" (Fantasy for Violin and Marimba), and the duo finished the evening with Israelivitch moving to djembe for a reading of Chriastian Woehr's "Djembach." Here Baroque concepts collided playfully with African percussive abstractions. Each half of the program was introduced by a fanfare for two trumpets, first a variant on 17th century welcomes written by SPCO harpsichordist Layton James, and second the very modern sounds from Stravinsky, actually written some 30 years before James's. It's new programming and the level of applause suggests there's a welcoming audience.
"Life, Love, Questions and Cows" (Songs by Judi Donaghy), Live at Five at McNally Smith College (March 29). Of course compositions performed for the first time are "new music." Although she has written songs in the past, vocalist Judi Donaghy has mostly performed others' works in her spare time while running the voice department at McNally Smith. The college's Live at Five series offered her an opportunity to return to songwriting, yielding a college all-star show with Judi in the role of composer, singer, producer, and arranger. The music ran a stylistic gamut from blues and Latin to hymn and hip-hop to swing and cattle call. Yes, cattle call. One of Judi's McNally colleagues, Peggy Larson, has studied folk music from here to Oslo, adding Norwegian cattle calling to her repertoire. So naturally Judi had to include a swinging back country jig in the playlist, giving Larson a chance to show off an elastic voice as likely to bring attention from Garrison Keillor as from any wandering livestock. But it was perhaps the new hymn written for pianist/vocalist Lori Dokken that lingered longest in the ear. As Judi said in introducing the song, Lori can sell the lyrics, the feelings, like no one else. We can hope that the success of this production will spur Judi to more songwriting. And maybe more performing as well?
House of Mirrors IV – Experimental Improvisation/Interactive Sound Installation from Ann Millikan (Hamm's Brewery, March 29). For me it was a double header night, one demonstrating that "new music" goes in many directions. The first three installments of Ann Millikan's House of Mirrors passed me by, somehow. Funded in party via the McKnight Composers Fellowship Program, eclectic composer Millikan created a multi-part "installation" that "focuses on the internal experience of the performer…where the performer is surrounded by sound and stimulus both internally and externally… Various materials are given to stimulate improvisation: the score, resonant surfaces which are excited by using modified speakers, and 'sound boxes' that are manipulated with the feet." Think of it as music in four dimensions. The earlier installations were based on music composed for single musicians, and included bits of narration about the history of the surrounding Swede Hollow community, which for years was anchored by the Hamms' Brewery, now a collection of artists' studio spaces.
For House of Mirrors IV, Millikan brought together six musicians who had been the individual foci of previous segments, now functioning as two trios. It's not your usual music space. Aside from the open ductwork, the "stage" was set up with various stations of apparatus, as easily identified as a huge bass drum to hanging gongs to odd Rube Goldberg contraptions. Ann explained that by placing modified microphones around these props, new sounds could be created as the musicians passed by. Her "sound boxes" were filled with empty plastic CD cases, ripe for crackling additions when tossed about by passing feet. With the stage set, the first trio entered—vocalist Maria Jette, violinist Kathryn Bennett and bass clarinetist Pat O'Keefe. For the next 25 minutes or so, the musicians wandered around the stage, engaging the microphones as collaborators atop their own sound creations, prompted minimally by the composer's suggestions. After an intermission, the second, all brass trio provided a structurally similar, sonically very different, equally spontaneous and interactive work, with trumpeter Geoffrey West Senn, tenor saxophonist Scott Fultz and tubist Stefan Kac. This second act was more percussive, darker, more dangerous, a perfect soundtrack to a sci fi or horror film. Even the overhead vent system seemed to blow on and off as if intentionally joining the fray.
I lamented recently about the dismally small turnout (9) for a concert of new experimental music. House of Mirrors IV drew at least 50 to a far more remote venue. Maybe some were there because it was in fact based in their community. The man seated beside me confessed that he came hoping to learn more about Swede Hollow. He was a retired worker at the brewery and was curious about the use of the space. He was not expecting new music or free improvisation or gerry-rigged microphones. But he listened through both sets and admitted that he even liked some of it.
That's what's fun about new music. It's new. It's filled with surprise. And you might like some of it.


Was the query running or waiting for a resource?
Why was the query polling on the network?
Why was latency high on the leaf?
What else was using the disk?
This topic illustrates how to use the workload profiling views in the information_schema database to diagnose a performance problem.
An update query against a rowstore table is unexpectedly slow, and we'd like to understand why.
To answer this question, we compare the cluster-wide CPU usage associated with the query against cluster-wide wait times. mv_activities reports these in a single row. To find the correct row, we join mv_activities with mv_queries so that we may search by query text.
The query mostly waited. Over the interval of time described by mv_activities, the query spent only 60ms running, compared to 900ms waiting for disk operations to complete and 900ms waiting for network messages.
network_time_ms may indicate a network issue, but it also includes time the aggregator spent waiting for a response from leaves.
To decide whether we have an actual network issue, we use mv_activities_extended to drill down into the per-partition usage associated with the query across the entire cluster. We again join with mv_queries to find the correct rows. We also join with mv_nodes to describe the nodes on which tasks ran.
The 900ms network_time_ms we saw in mv_activities was accumulated on the MA node, and closely matches the latency of processing the query on the sole relevant leaf partition.
We can deduce that network_time_ms was high because the MA genuinely needed to wait for the leaf to finish processing the query.
In the previous query, we saw 900ms log_flush_time_ms. The leaf spent its time waiting for transaction logs to be flushed to disk.
Note that we saw zero disk_time_ms in mv_activities_extended, and that mv_activities doesn't have a log_flush_time_ms column. This is because disk_time_ms in mv_activities is split into disk_time_ms and log_flush_time_ms in mv_activities_extended.
We can drill down further, to illustrate the system-wide profiling potential of mv_activities_extended.
LogFlusher tasks on partition 0 spent as much time waiting for disk writes to complete as our query tasks spent waiting for transaction log flushes to be acknowledged.
We can now build a detailed theory of what happened. Query latency was high because the queried MA spent most of its time waiting for a leaf node to finish processing the query on partition 0. This leaf node, in turn, was delayed waiting for a transaction log flusher thread to complete disk writes.
Ultimately, the query was waiting for disk.
We extract disk usage figures from mv_activities_extended, again joining with mv_queries for descriptive query text.
The disk was dominated by work done on behalf of a columnstore insert query in the columnstore_db database.