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The Greeks of Beaubien Street by Suzanne Jenkins
By Mystery Reads Curator 1 Comment
Nestled below the skyline of Detroit you'll find Greektown, a few short blocks of colorful bliss, warm people and Greek food. In spite of growing up immersed in the safety of her family and their rich culture, Jill Zannos doesn't fit in. A Detroit homicide detective, she manages to keep one foot planted firmly in the traditions started by her grandparents, while the other navigates the most devastated neighborhoods in the city she can't help but love. She is a no nonsense workaholic with no girlfriends, an odd boyfriend who refuses to grow up, and an uncanny intuition, inherited from her mystic grandmother, that acts as her secret weapon to crime solving success. Her story winds around tales of her family and their secret laden history, while she investigates the most despicable murder of her career.
Jill's father, Gus still lives above the family grocery store. She goes there for breakfast each day, the familiar surroundings and loving attention of her gentle, doting father are in contrast to the awful details of her job. The family meal following her cousin's wife's funeral is the setting for a revelation that changes the way Jill and the rest of the family respond to each other from then on.
While the family drama unfolds, Jill and her partner, Albert Wong investigates the murder and torture of Gretchen Parker, a young girl from Dearborn whose naked body was found on the streets of Detroit.
After the case is solved, Jill decides to take a weekend trip to the family vacation house on Lake Michigan where a series of events change the direction of her life.
The Greeks of Beaubien Street is a modern tale of a family grounded in old world, sometimes archaic, tradition, as they seek acceptance in American society. They could be any nationality, but they are Greek.
The series continues with The Princess of Greektown, Christmas in Greektown and A Greektown Wedding.
Targeted Age Group:: Adult
In the preface of his wonderful book, My Detroit, Growing up Greek and American in Motor City (Pella Publishing Company, NY, NY, 2006), author Dan Georgakas writes, "…the Greeks who emigrated to America thought their citizenship would change, but not their basic culture. Somehow they would remain Greek, and their children's children…." I remember, as a young girl, being enthralled with anything that even hinted of Greek. My immediate family was Americanized. But, my grandmother, who I called Bunny, only spoke Greek to her father, my Papou, and to her sisters when my mother and the other non-Greek relatives were present. Bunny worked at keeping the family together. She bought a large, ancient farmhouse in Saugatuck, Michigan and spent a year getting it ready for the extended family to enjoy. We drove in from Dearborn on Friday night and relatives from all over Michigan and the Chicago area would converge. Before the farmhouse existed, I would accompany my grandmother and her friend, Shirley, to spend the weekends with my Papou. He was a well-known poet in his time. The memories of those years are powerfully influential and can still overwhelm my senses; my husband and I moved from New Jersey to live here after our children were grown and I feel close to my Papou as I write in my office, overlooking the woods of West Michigan.
While other Greek families worshiped together, our family ate. I remember my Aunt Zoola making the most phenomenal lamb roasts. The peeled potatoes were baked right in the juices of the lamb and had a leathery exterior, with a fluffy interior. We still talk about how wonderful they were. My father cooked Greek food on the weekends. The times I went with him to the Eastern Market for supplies are moments I hold precious. There was nothing more delicious than my dad's Greek salad with fresh baked bread from Greektown. After Bunny died, most of our relatives moved to California. The older he got, the more my dad tried to revive some of the traditions that connected the family with our Greek roots. On occasion, Greek friends would come to the house. With these visits, I think it became even more important for him to hang on to some of the Greek ways. For our family, since we didn't go to the Orthodox Church, that meant Greek food and Greektown. All of the recipes you'll find in the book are those I learned by watching my parents.
The Greeks of Beaubien Street is a work of fiction. I wanted the family to be more Greek than ours was, so I had to embellish what I knew from growing up in our acclimated home. I realized, just as I was writing this preface, that many situations in the book are the polar opposite of those of my family. Yiayia Eleni in this story is critical and stern. My grandmother was so loving and kind. Although she was known to chase an errant child around the neighborhood with a switch, she never struck me. One of the last things my own mother said to me the day before she died was that I reminded her of Bunny, something I will treasure forever. However, like Jill, I have a "special needs" sibling. In our youth, we referred to her as "mentally retarded", a term which is now distasteful to most. My parents were pioneers during that time; they brought her home from the hospital and she was mainstreamed into our community. Now in her late fifties, people from the old neighborhood still remember her and ask how she is. My Greek relatives loved her and showered her with affection. The shame and secretiveness embedded in my characters' responses is foreign to us, thankfully.
I have not been to Dearborn or Detroit in over thirty years. The Detroit in the story is a conglomeration of the city of my childhood (when our mothers felt it was safe for twelve year-olds to take the bus in for shopping) and post-riot Detroit. Although I mention the riots and some of the desecration of the city, I do so only to keep a semblance of contemporary verisimilitude, not to malign.
My memories of Greektown are sketchy, so I relied on aunts and uncles to fill me in on some of the trivia, like the story of the parrot who spoke Greek. My aunt remembers the parrot vividly from visits to Greektown with her father in the late 1940's. Dan Georgakas also mentions the parrot. For a firsthand view of Greektown, I highly recommend his book. Everything else is a product of my imagination.
How Did You Come up With Your Characters?
I have so many in my head, the trick is to keep from having too many! In The Greeks of Beaubien Street, characters are a conglomeration of people i knew growing up, true characters I've met through my lifetime.
Book Sample
THE GREEKS OF BEAUBIEN STREET
Suzanne Jenkins
Detective Jill Zannos stood in a darkened corner of the morgue at Detroit City Hospital, waiting for the autopsy of her latest homicide case to begin. She took a notebook out of her shoulder bag and read the facts as they presented themselves, starting with the early morning call she'd received from the precinct. When her cell rang, she had been sound asleep next to the body of her lover. She reached across the giant, snoring Alex in order to get the phone.
"Let it ring," he grumbled.
"I can't. I'm on call at seven; it's probably work," she said as she climbed over him to get her cell phone out of the charger. "Zannos," she answered.
"Jill, it's Jan Grant," the police dispatcher said. "You have a body en route to DCH."
"Okay, on my way," Jill mumbled. She hung up the phone and curled her body against Alex's side. "You better get up too, before Wasserman calls." Sam Wasserman was the medical examiner at Detroit City Hospital.
"He can get started with the night shift." Alex didn't officially start work until eight.
"Well, you can't stay here so you'd better get up," she repeated. It was a sore point with Alex; she wouldn't give him a key or let him stay in her house alone and the dialogue had been a recurring one in their relationship for many years. "It's a matter of privacy," she told him. "What if my dad wants to come by to work on the plumbing? If you're here, it'll cause all kinds of problems." Her dad wouldn't understand. At just fifty-eight, he was old-country Greek in spite of having been born in Detroit. Unmarried women didn't have overnight male guests, let alone live-ins, no matter how old they were. "No, I'm sorry; get up." She smacked his arm. "If I have to get up, you have to too. It's not fair, sleeping in without me." She rolled back to her side of the bed. Alex sat up on his side and scratched his head. He loved her and respected her relationship with her father, but he was also lazy and liked to stay in bed until the last possible minute.
"I'm up; I'm up," he grumbled. "I'll make coffee. Just for the record, your father would never leave that store of his in the middle of the day. You'd better find another excuse."
"You're probably right," Jill said absently as she got her clothes together, thinking about what was waiting for her. Alex pulled on the sweatpants he had let drop to the floor the previous night. "C'mon, Fred, let's go out," he said to their English bulldog, the closest thing to a child either one of them would have as long as they were together. Fred got up and stretched—first his hind legs with his head in the air, then his front legs with his rump up. By the time the two of them went into the hall and down the stairs, Jill was already in the shower.
Jill walked to her car looking up between skyscrapers. The sun was just starting to come up to the east over the Detroit River, the silhouette of the low buildings of Windsor inky against the turquoise sky. The two-story buildings of Greektown with their brick facades were nestled at the foot of the glass skyscrapers of Jefferson. Detroit was a city of contrasts. She stayed alert as she unlocked the door to her cruiser. Although this neighborhood was safe, it only took one desperate person looking for money to ruin your day. She drove to the hospital under bright streetlights casting an eerie glow. Autopsies were Jill's least favorite part of being a homicide detective, but she liked going to the hospital. The details she'd need to begin investigating a death would originate there.
The city's dead came to the morgue for their final examination. Considered the gold standard of hospital morgues in its prime, now the only thing Detroit City Hospital spoke of was decay and unfortunate neglect. Since the riots of 1967, the neighborhood steadily declined to its present, nearly derelict state. Although the mayor and city officials did all they could to protect the one place citizens were guaranteed equal access to health care, for the last few years money was so tight that cuts reached every department, including the morgue. Even so, it was an equalizer; if you were murdered in Detroit, you got the best autopsy available. If the family of the victim could be located immediately, the autopsy wouldn't start until after the body was viewed. Because of the backlog of bodies in the coolers, this unlucky victim couldn't wait. It was either now or two days from now, and by then it might be too late to gather crucial information.
While Jill waited, she noticed a strong dead-mouse smell coming from the closet behind her; the pine-scented cleaner generously used to scour all the metal surfaces in the morgue couldn't hide it. She used her powers of discipline not to comment about the stench while the autopsy got underway. The smell brought back a memory from her childhood in Greektown. She was five years old and could tell before she stepped over the threshold of the family apartment that her grandmother was cooking lambs' heads. The heads smelled differently than other lamb meat. All family meal preparation took place in the store below the apartment, but since lambs' heads were a delicacy just for the family, they were baked upstairs. Jill balked immediately, turning to her mother.
"I'm not going in there," she complained.
"Get moving, little one, before I call for your grandmother," her mother warned.
"It smells! Gigi's got heads in there!" But Christina Zannos pushed her daughter through the door.
"Well, they can't hurt you, so get moving," she said, once again amused and annoyed that her child was smart for her age but as stubborn as a mule. Jill reluctantly allowed the push, but fled for her room. The vision of the heads propped up on a baking pan with their long snouts and eyeballs intact scared the hell out of her. That a dead-mouse smell in the morgue would evoke the memory of the severed lamb head brought a giggle up into her throat that she fought by concentrating like mad, writing every single thing about the present scene in the morgue.
Alex enjoyed seeing her like this, focused and jotting down notes in a small leather-bound book as the pathologist, Dr. Wasserman, recited his findings. Although a protective mask wasn't necessary unless you were standing at the table, Jill always wore one as a barrier between her nose and mouth and the morgue. She was very sensitive to smells, and dead bodies smelled bad. This one was no exception; the smell of the body blending with the dead-mouse smell.
The stench was a contradiction. The body lying on the metal table was of a petite, young female who had a beautiful face, a muscular, athletic body, and neatly brushed thick, blond hair. Someone had taken the time to wash her body off too. She was reported missing on Friday by her mother and father, and now it was Monday morning. A group of young boys looking for trouble found her in an alley off of Grand River and Cass shortly after midnight. Sometime between the missing persons report Friday and late last night she'd been murdered.
When Jill Zannos became a detective in the Detroit Police Department's homicide division, she discovered she had an intense respect for the dead. Once, after walking in on an autopsy where a group of morgue workers were making snide comments about the victim's body, she exploded, causing a scene but acting as an advocate for the respectful treatment of the decedent. Ever since her arrival, DCH had the reputation of being the most compassionate place to die in the county.
This victim was found nude. The medical examiner collected the foreign matter from her body to be examined later, hoping it would help determine the location of the actual murder. Fingerprints were taken. Once everything was collected from the outside of the body, an external visual exam was done by the medical examiner.
"Help me turn her over, Alex," Dr. Wasserman asked his assistant. Against his will, Alex had given up and went into work early with Jill. He helped Wasserman roll the victim to her side.
"Whoa!" Alex said.
"Yeah, right," Wasserman said. "It's the bullet exit. Come here, Jill." The detective moved closer to the table. The victim's back had a large, six-inch cavity blown out between her shoulder blades. "Good lord!" Jill gasped. No matter how many times she saw the gore of murder, it would always momentarily stun her. "Where's her back?"
"Not only her back, but the contents of her chest, including part of her heart."
He reached around the victim's front and pointed to a tiny spot between her breasts. "See this pinprick? It's the bullet entrance." The woman had bled to death, the bullet transecting her ascending aorta. Death had been swift, but other things were done to her before the end, torturous and excruciating.
"Any ideas yet what kind of gun it was?" Jill asked.
"Based on her wound, possibly a .40 Smith & Wesson," Sam said. "It was something powerful."
"Did you already wash her off?" Jill asked. "There's no blood on her." It was a contradiction: the gaping wound without any blood on her skin.
"Not yet," Alex said. "Someone got to that before us."
They returned the victim to her back. Dr. Wasserman bent her left leg up to do a cursory vaginal exam and swab for DNA. Once the external exam was complete, they would move internally, starting by cutting her chest open and removing her organs. It was at that juncture that Jill would escape. Blood, organs, saws, and the noise they made were not her jurisdiction.
"I'm leaving," she announced. "Call me if you find anything, okay?" Her cell phone rang. She pulled off her mask and mumbled something into her cell, writing in her notebook.
"She's been ID'd. Gretchen Parker," she said, "from Dearborn. Twenty-six years old. Wonder what she was doing in the city?"
"Hang around for a minute, will you Jill?" Dr. Wasserman asked. Jill replied that she would be in the cafeteria getting coffee. The two often spent time talking about a homicide right after the autopsy; it solidified the facts in their minds.
It was still early in the morning; she would need a lot of coffee to get through the day. Jill walked to the elevator and pushed the up button. She never started obsessing about a homicide until after the autopsy. The scene investigators' report would make the murder come alive for her, even if the murder itself took place at a different location. She would imagine the scene as it was upon discovery. A group of young boys found this victim. She closed her eyes for a second, visualizing them as they found the naked body of a beautiful, young girl. Were they shocked? Titillated? It would be her responsibility to question the boys. Remembering her dad, she got her phone out again as she stepped off the elevator.
"Papa?" she said when Gus Zannos answered the phone. "I'm going to be late for breakfast this morning." She listened to him speaking, his voice raised, excited. "Yes, it's mine alright," she answered. "I'll tell you about it when I get there." Her father had heard about the discovered body on the morning news. She said good-bye and hung up. She had breakfast with her dad every morning at the family grocery store in Greektown, just five minutes from the precinct. But right now she would get coffee from the hospital cafeteria, find a secluded place to wait for Sam Wasserman, and look over her notes from the autopsy.
A strange jittery feeling was beginning in Jill's body, starting in her abdomen and spreading through her chest and neck. She knew when she tried to talk, her lips would quiver. It was her standard reaction at the beginning of a new case. Someone had met the end of their life at the brutal hand of another. It was her job to find out who committed the murder and, just as importantly as far as she was concerned, why. She'd make sure the prosecutors had all the evidence they needed to put the guilty away as long as possible. Michigan had abolished the death penalty in 1846, and Jill was happy that killing defendants was not the part of the equation she had to work with.
Standing on the coffee line, she did isometric exercises so she wouldn't explode with anticipation. She'd tighten her ass muscles alternately with her thighs and if she wasn't careful, she'd look like she was jogging in place while waiting for her turn at the cash register. If she were outside she could do a cartwheel if she wanted, but here she exercised self-control. Around the hospital, she was referred to as "the strange one." Employees saw the dark-haired detective walking from the morgue, often talking to herself or, worse, paused in the middle of the hallway with her eyes closed. Best not give them any more ammo. Her hands were shaking as she tried to stuff her notebook into her shoulder bag; she steadied them by holding her elbows in close to her body. The cardboard coffee cups were stacked precariously next to the pot and one wrong move would send them scattering all over the place. It had happened before. Fortunately, she was able to get her coffee and sit down before anything catastrophic took place.
Excitement about a case grew gradually for Jill. When the first call came, her curiosity was merely piqued. The dispatcher said "a body" was waiting for her. Nothing more was offered. Not the race, sex, or location. There were early facts about a case that qualified it as a homicide. If a missing-person report was filed with the police department and a dead body fitting the description was found, it was deemed something for the homicide detectives until proven otherwise. If there were obvious indicators of a murder, such as visible bullet or knife wounds or signs of a beating, strangulation, or dismemberment, the homicide division got involved. It was an assumption that could be made without repercussions.
It wasn't until the scene was visited that the events surrounding the murder would come totally alive for her. She sometimes visualized the crime taking place, the murderer standing over the body, either with his hands around the throat of the victim or wielding a knife, stabbing repeatedly. She often saw the make of the gun if it was a shooting. If the victim was raped, the man in her vision would begin to unzip, but she would shake it away before he could reach into his pants. Then there would be a period of anxiety that Jill would either fight with meditation and exercise, or succumb to with nausea and insomnia.
Despite the anxiety they produced, her visualizations often guided her toward solving the homicide cases she was assigned to. Her boss asked confidingly that if she had any "ideas" about other cases to please speak up. She used caution, however, looking at her ability to visualize the details of a murder as a gift and not exploiting it; she'd pretend when he asked that she didn't know what he was talking about. She never admitted to anyone out loud that she consulted her psychic intuition to solve cases. Despite her discretion, however, she was still viewed with suspicion by some of her colleagues. One let it be known that he thought she must have an in with organized crime in order to have successfully closed all the cases she had. Her partner said they were secretly in awe of her and jealous of him for having landed a partner who had such amazing crime-solving skills.
The department recently acquired a panoramic 3-D camera that would give the team a detailed record of the area where the body was discovered. Rather than relying on memory or notes, all an officer had to do was pull a videotape out of the file and get a renewed sense of the crime scene. Although Jill would memorize the video, there was nothing like being the first on the scene. Unfortunately, she was not with the team who first saw this body and investigated the area. Their department was too busy to allow the luxury of a start-to-finish investigation; they often overlapped cases so the few detectives available could sleep occasionally. She had to settle for the scan and the report, which she would view as soon as she got back to the precinct. And, although it wasn't necessary, she would go to the location where the body was found later in the morning.
Finally, Sam Wasserman arrived with a tray holding two large coffees and a plate of chocolate-covered doughnuts. Alex would finish up the autopsy.
"Thanks for waiting, Jill." Sam sat down and offered her a doughnut. She took one without hesitating. "She'd had intercourse," he began. "Or maybe I should reword that. She'd had something shoved into her vagina. There wasn't any semen as far as I could tell; the microscopic report may show differently. But she had a large tear in the posterior introitus." He crammed half a doughnut into his mouth. "Something bothers me about her besides the obvious. I can't put my finger on it. She didn't have one scratch on her, not one mark, outside of the bullet hole. And then this enormous laceration of her vagina. There was no blood present; she, or someone else, cleaned it up. It appeared like a recent injury, maybe yesterday, but it definitely happened several hours before her death. The edges of the wound were already beginning to granulate." He looked thoughtful, finishing his doughnut and taking a drink of coffee.
"So, she wasn't dead when it was done to her." Jill's anger rising to the surface, increasing at the notion that someone would torture this young woman in such a brutal way, which only deepened her determination to find Gretchen Parker's killer. Wasserman could see the transformation and stifled the impulse to comment. Jill's eyes narrowed, her jaw set. He proceeded gently.
"No. And that isn't all. She was a virgin; remnants of her hymen were present. So, she wasn't a career girl, unless it was her first day. She also had someone else's pubic hair on her back and the back of her legs, like she'd been on a dirty bathroom floor; washed off carefully, but placed on the dirty ground. It makes no sense. We'll get a profile from it, but I don't know about this." Wasserman looked at her intently, concerned. "Are you getting anything yet?" They'd worked together for so many years that he was one of the few people who knew she often got a "feeling" about a case that would later result in an arrest.
"Nothing yet, outside of the disgust you'd expect. Maybe after I see the scan," Jill said. Wasserman looked out into the cafeteria, pushing his chair back and standing up.
"I better get back. I've got a backlog. The report should be dictated by this afternoon," he said.
"Thanks, Sam." Jill got up too.
"It's such a waste," he said, putting his tray on a shelf and taking his second cup of coffee with him.
"Twenty-six years old," Jill said. They got to the elevator and Jill said good-bye to Wasserman. The fact that someone would brutalize Gretchen Parker, but then take the time to comb her hair and bathe her, would fester in the recesses of her mind.
She'd go see her father before she went to the precinct. It would make things better for a few minutes. They would sit in the back of the grocery and drink the strong coffee he made for her. It took her less than five minutes to get there from the hospital. Greektown was in the middle of everything. When she pulled into the alley behind the store, he was waiting for her at the back door. He watched her get out of her unmarked cruiser and she could see the smile slowly spread across his face. She'd been an officer for almost fifteen years, a detective for ten, yet he reacted as though he had just found out whenever he saw her in that car. He was so proud of her. Anyone who would listen heard the story of his cop daughter. But she worried for her dad. It wasn't always a popular thing to have someone so close to you in the police force.
Jill had been raised in Greektown. Most Greeks lived in the suburbs of Grosse Pointe and Saint Clair Shores except for Jill's family and one other family, the Nickopoloses. The Nickopolos family owned a gun store down the street from Gus' Greek Grocery. Frank and Estelle Nickopolos, their son, little Frank, and Frank Senior's mother, Dido, lived above the shop, just like the Zannos family did. Dido was blind and looked like a gnome. She stood about four feet six inches tall and was just as wide, and wore black shirtwaist dresses that strained across her ample bosom, with a black babushka on her head, a caricature of Greek womanhood. Frank placed a stool for her outside of the main door and Dido sat on the stool all day, spitting at people as she sensed them passing by her, shaking her cane in their direction. Only serious gun shoppers dared to cross the threshold of the store because it meant being attacked by Dido. Once inside, they then had to tolerate the screaming voice of the family's parrot who spoke only Greek. He was actually reciting Scriptures, but it sounded like the worst vileness. In spite of, or maybe because of it, Dido's presence and that of the bird made life more difficult for Jill when she was a small girl. Those people and their damn bird were also Greeks and therefore clumped together. She never felt accepted, even by her own people. Going to school in Corktown didn't help. Originally populated by the Irish who fled their homeland during the potato famine, now it was a mixed community of Germans, Arabs, and Mexicans. In late summer, Jill and her mother would walk the few blocks to the Woodward Avenue J.L. Hudson store to buy clothes for the new school year. Her classmates wore clothes from Sears and other discount stores, but her mother wanted something better for her daughter. Jill could still see the pretty dresses, patent-leather shoes, frilly slips, and underpants her mother bought her. She'd have everything delivered. Jill remembered the confused look of the deliveryman when he pulled up in front of the grocery store, their apartment right above it. She saw him thinking, How did these gypsies afford all this merchandise from Hudson's? She might be the best-dressed little girl in her elementary school class, but she was still a Greek. Her parents spoke a foreign language, their food was different, and she looked different from the children she went to school with in Corktown.
The adult Jill continued to feel like an outsider. Alex argued that this was because she was a snob who thought most people weren't smart enough for her to waste her time with. She was keeping her distance from them, not the other way around.
"Oh, go to hell," she said. "If I were a snob, why would I be with you?" He laughed at her, their teasing and bickering often a prelude to lovemaking.
"Good point," he agreed, wrapping his arms around her.
Gus Zannos had the coffee made and a slice of fresh, crusty bread with olive oil and tomato awaiting, Jill's standard breakfast. The period of time she would spend here with her father was a good segue from the autopsy to seeing the crime scene video.
"So tell your father about this new murder." Gus got to the point. He lived vicariously through his daughter. He often had good advice for her, too. "Already they have the details on the news. So quick!"
"Yeah, it's typical to broadcast a few facts, like the body being found after her parents filed a missing persons report over the weekend." She took a bite of bread, the thin crust snapping to expose the fluffy white interior, without regrets. She was thin and a few extra carbs would be okay. "She was from Dearborn. Did they say that?"
"Yes, they did. Why would a beautiful girl from Dearborn end up in an alley downtown? Stay home with your family where you belong!" He tapped the table with his finger for emphasis. Jill laughed. She lived six blocks from her father. "Do you have any ideas yet who could have done such a thing?" She shook her head 'no,' her mouth full of bread.
"Not yet Papa, not yet. I haven't even seen the crime scene video." He was fascinated by her work, and their brief visit energized him. She pushed her plate away.
"Okay, I'm stuffed. And I need to get to work before I fall asleep. Can I take your cup?" She asked the same question every morning, standing up and holding out the white china mug to him. She took one to work daily, filled with coffee her father ground and brewed especially for her.
"Of course," he said, going behind the deli counter to pack her lunch. He put fresh romaine lettuce, feta cheese, kalamata olives, a hard-boiled egg, fresh tomato, and two anchovies into a plastic container. He stuck the container into a brown paper bag and added a slice of the same bread she had for breakfast and a small container of his homemade, fragrant salad dressing, garlic-free for a work day. At the end of the week, she would return the five white china mugs, and the following Monday the scenario would repeat itself. He walked her to the cruiser and held her coffee cup while she got in with her lunch bag.
"Come by after work and get your dinner, Manari mou. Stuffed peppers tonight." She reached up and with her hand through the window opening, patted his cheek.
"Okay, Papa, see you tonight!" Gus stood and watched Jill as she sped away, kicking up a little gravel for effect. Arriving at the precinct minutes later, heads turned and noses sniffing the air, teasing her, jealous that her father packed a lunch every day.
"Zannos, how many times do we have to tell you that it's no fair? Bring some for everyone or leave your damn food at home!" the chorus of voices from the bull pen said.
"It's just a salad! Gus is waiting for you to come for lunch." I must smell like my dad's cooking, she thought to herself. But they were only teasing her, aware due to her transparency that she'd be a self-conscious target. She wound her way through the crowded desks to her own little piece of real estate. Her desk was pushed up against that of Albert Wong, who was deep into a heated telephone conversation. Jill put her lunch in a small refrigerator behind their area. Next to it was a large green board that had a chart drawn in chalk, listing the active cases and the detectives assigned to them. At the end of the list, because it was the latest addition, was the name Gretchen Parker with Jill and Albert's names written next to it. Jill looked and let it sink in. She would never grow tired of seeing her name listed under the word Detective. She went back to her desk just as Albert was hanging up.
"Sorry. My bank is having trouble keeping track of my money," Albert said. He rummaged around on his desk. "Okay, here it is: video and scan. Any revelations at the autopsy?" She sat down facing him.
"Just facts," Jill said as she dug through her purse. Reading from her notes, she related what the post revealed. "She was moved post-mortem; there's no blood evidence on the sidewalk. Cause of death was exsanguination. Her back was blown out. She had a large laceration of the vagina, but no semen. Sam doesn't think she was a working girl because she may have been a virgin until whatever it was was shoved up her vagina. Or it was her first night on the job. Someone was mad as hell at Gretchen Parker, but they took the time to comb her hair and bathe her." She took the package from him and stood up. The video and scan were wrapped in a tevdek envelope. They felt cold in her hands, but alive. They would be her introduction to the hell that Gretchen Parker's life ended in. She walked out to the hall and up two flights of stairs to a private room where she could watch alone. She put the video in first. An officer started shooting the video immediately upon entering the site, even before the crime scene tape was placed.
The film was slightly grainy because of the darkness. It had been early, just after midnight. The light on the camera was barely bright enough. The city didn't have the money to employ a professional photographer with lights or to replace the infrared camera that was 'misplaced,' but Jill didn't mind. She could see what she needed to see along with the scan. The scene was wide at first. She could just make out the body in the distance. Gretchen was lying on her back, nude. One arm was thrown over her body, the other at her side at an odd angle. She had obviously been thrown there on the ground. Her thighs were together, but legs sprawled from the knees down. Even in the dark, you could tell she was beautiful. Her hair stood around her head like a halo. As the focus came in closer, Jill saw more. Gretchen Parker had small, youthful breasts, not augmented. If she had been a professional she might have had large implants. Her crotch was shaved, but that didn't mean anything anymore. It was getting harder and harder to make generalizations based on personal hygiene. As the camera got closer, Jill could see that Gretchen's eyes were open. Her mouth was open in a silent scream, her chin mashed down on her chest. Unnatural. The camera swept the area, but it was difficult to see much detail. Then the film went to daylight. The body had been removed, but the area was undisturbed. Jill was grateful for the additional footage.
Even in the daylight, it was a gruesome looking alleyway. Cracked concrete was covered in a thick layer of broken glass. It had the look of the sort of abandonment that many parts of the city were slowly adopting. A large hotel and several restaurants backed up to the alley. There was a plot of grass with an Ailanthus tree growing through a crack near where the body laid, at the entrance to a blind alley with no exit. Whoever killed Gretchen had driven slowly by and thrown her out of the car. The camera swept a higher view; the windows of the buildings surrounding the alley came into the shot. She didn't notice anything suspicious there. The video played a loop and the scene with the body played again. Jill could feel the way the air must have felt on Gretchen's skin. She sensed the surprise the young woman experienced as she watched someone pull a gun out and fire at her. The impact of the bullet, the caliber large enough to have blown her heart apart and taken most of her back with it, must have thrown her back several feet.
Jill's heart was beating faster. She could feel it racing, irregular. She would watch the scan, too because she had to, but she already knew what happened to Gretchen Parker. She was no working girl. Someone she knew well did this to her. And although she wouldn't document her thoughts, Jill felt the remorse and sadness of the murderer. Of course, she would have to work the case step by step, but now they wouldn't have to waste precious time on unnecessary investigative work. She turned the video off and, in the darkness of the screening room, closed her eyes and said, "Thank you, God."
In a former life, I was a registered nurse who worked in the Operating Room for many years. Prior to nursing school, I was an OR technician. I did my training at Marygrove College, and the clinical experiences we had took place in the Detroit Medical Center. I remember going to a mandatory autopsy in the morgue at Detroit General. All I can say is wow! I was so relieved; the only thing going on the day I was scheduled to observe was a brain dissection. After working in the OR for over thirty three years, I can't stand the sight of blood.
I've been married to my high school sweetheart for forty-six years. We have two children and seven grandchildren and many four legged family members. We divide our time between the west Michigan lakeshore, the Brandywine River Valley, and the mountains of north San Diego county, traveling in an RV because of the dog. I usually have a computer on my lap.
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Suzanne Jenkins says
Thank you so much! A wonderful way to get my book out there:-)
Filed Under: Bargain Books Under $3, Crime Fiction Tagged With: Downs syndrome, Greektown Detroit, Marriage and infidelity, murder mystery series, Mystery and detective, mystery series, police procedural, romance and mystery, Suzanne Jenkins, women's crime fiction
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Waupaca County authorities have now released the identity of the man killed in a weekend crash in the Town of Farmington. 22 year old Alexander P. Severin of Waupaca died of injuries suffered in the rollover early Saturday morning. Sheriff's deputies say Severin was ejected during the rollover, which occurred just after 2:30 in the morning. It is the 2nd traffic fatality in Waupaca County in 2016.


text:
A kinnór (héber כִּנּוֹר) a lírák családjába tartozó, az ókori közel-keleten elterjedt húros hangszer. Neve a héber Bibliában gyakran előfordul, a magyar biblia-fordításokban legtöbbször "hárfa", "lant", "citera", néhol "hegedű". Az ószövetségi Dávid király "hárfája" valójában kinnór. A Bibliában gyakran szerepel együtt a nével nevű pengetős hangszerrel.

Neve
A kinnór szó hangszernévként már a Kr. e. 3. évezred közepétől, bibliai előfordulását jóval megelőzve megtalálható az ókori közel-keleten héber, hurri, ugariti, óarámi (כִּנָּרָא kinnárá), föníciai, valamint – sémi jövevényszóként – egyiptomi (kn-3n-3ur) írott forrásokban. A későbbi sémi nyelvekben – az etióp kivételével – szintén szerepel, származékai pedig indoeurópai nyelvekben, a hettitában, szanszkritban, ógörögben is jelen vannak. Úgy tűnik, egy ismeretlen eredetű, földrajzi és nyelvi határokon átívelő kulturális fogalomról van szó.

A kinnór az Ószövetségben a hangszerek között hangsúlyos szerepet tölt be, neve 42-szer szerepel a Szentírásban. Mibenlétére, felépítésére ugyanakkor alig van utalás, így hangszertani besorolása, a korabeli hangszer-ikonográfiával való egybevetése nem könnyű.

Már a héber Biblia Kr. e. 300 körül készült görög fordítása, a Septuaginta is bizonytalan a kinnór hangszernév tolmácsolásában, leggyakrabban a kithara, kinüra, ritkábban a pszaltérion, organon szavaknak felelteti meg, míg az 5. század elején készült latin nyelvű Vulgata a cithara, lyra, psalterium, organum kifejezéseket használja. A kithara, lyra szavak az ókorban járomlantokat jelöltek, olyan hangszereket, melyeknek nagyjából azonos hosszúságú húrjai egy hangszertestből kiindulva a testből kinyúló két kart összekötő keresztrúdhoz futnak, és amelyeket legtöbbször pengetővel, pléktronnal szólaltatnak meg. A pszaltérion ezzel szemben a mai hárfára hasonlító, jellemzően kézzel, ujjakkal pengetett hangszerek gyűjtőfogalma, melyek húrjai a hangolásuknak megfelelően fokozatosan változó hosszúságúak, így az egész hangszer háromszöghöz közeli formájú.

Leírása
A mai hangszertudomány a kinnórt – régészeti bizonyítékok alapján – egyértelműen a járomlantokhoz, a lírafélékhez sorolja, egyszerűen azért, mert a Kánaánt, az ókori Izraelt, Palesztinát felölelő területeken talált régészeti leleteken alig-alig fordul elő a líraféléken kívül más húros hangszer ábrázolása. Napjainkban több, mint 30 ilyen líraábrázolás ismert a Kr. e. 2. évezred elejétől a Kr. u. 3. századig terjedő időszakból, ezeket a tudósok négy fő típusba sorolják:

 nagy, aszimmetrikus lírák széttartó karokkal, tégla alakú hangszertesttel;
 kisebb, szimmetrikus lírák lekerekített vagy tégla alakú testtel;
 aszimmetrikus lírák párhuzamos karokkal, tégla alakú testtel;
 szimmetrikus lírák a test oldalából kiinduló, szarvszerű karokkal, lekerekített testtel.

Sémi, nomád néphez kapcsolódó líraábrázolás található még a Beni Haszáni sírok egyikének falfestményén kb. Kr. e. 1900-ból, az Ókori egyiptomi Középbirodalom idejéből; egy Kr. e. 700 körül készült ninivei asszír domborművön pedig, amely Szín-ahhé-eríba lákisi hódítását ábrázolja (Lákis ostroma), három júdeai fogoly kezében látható aszimmetrikus formájú líra.

A kinnór mindezek alapján nagyjából a görög kitharához hasonlítható dobozlíra lehetett. Építési anyagáról annyi tudható meg a Bibliából, hogy Salamon idejében egy bizonyos értékes almug faanyagot importáltak Libanonból, amit többek között kinnór készítésére is felhasználtak. Iosephus Flavius egy elektrum nevű anyagot jelöl meg a kinnór (és a nével) anyagaként, ez ebben az esetben egy arany–ezüst ötvözetet jelent, és inkább e hangszerek burkoló, díszítő vagy szerkezeti részeit alkothatta.

Az ábrázolások alapján nem lehet biztonsággal megállapítani a kinnór húrjainak számát, erre vonatkozó írott források pedig csak Biblia utáni időkből maradtak fenn. Iosephus Flavius (1. század) szerint ez tíz, Jeromos egyházatya (4–5. század) szerint hat, a Babilóniai Talmud szerint hét. A Jeruzsálemi Talmud mindössze annyit árul el, hogy a kinnór kevesebb húrral van felszerelve, mint a nével, és ezzel más források is egyetértenek. A húrok juhbélből készültek, a Misna szerint a kinnórnál a vékonybelekből, nem a vastagokból, mint a nével esetében.

Használata
Az ábrázolásokon a kinnórt a testhez szorítva legtöbbször ferdén vagy vízszintes helyzetben tartják, az aszimmetrikus formájú hangszerek esetén a hosszabbik kar, tehát valószínűleg a mélyebb hangok vannak felül, a zenészhez közelebb. Általában plektrummal szólaltatták meg, de esetenként ujjakkal is pengethették, például mikor Dávid Sault nyugtatta lírajátékával. Ének kíséretére használták egymagában vagy más hangszerekkel, elsősorban a névellel együtt. Az Ótestamentum szerint templomi hangszerként való alkalmazását Dávid király vezette be (1Krón 15:16).

Az Ószövetségi írások alapján elmondható, hogy a kinnórt meglepően sokféle alkalomkor használták. Időrendben első előfordulásakor a zenészek mesterségének szimbólumaként jelenik meg (Ter 4:21). Szerepet kap a világi ünnepségeken, lakomákon (Ter 31:27; Iz 24:8; 5:12) szomorúság és gyász idején (Jób 30:31), Isten dicséretekor és a frigyláda szállításakor, Jeruzsálem kőfalának felszentelésekor (2Sal 6:5; 1Krón 15:16; Zsolt 43:4; 98:5; 149:3; 150:3; Neh 12:27). Ugyanakkor az "elfeledett parázna nő", sőt a gonoszok is pengetik (Iz 23:16; Jób 21:12), de hangja megkönnyebbülést hoz a betegnek (1Sám 16:16; 16:23), próféták extázisát festi alá (1Sám 10:5). Ézsaiás próféta apokalipszisében a "kinnór vidámságának" megszűnése a végítéletet jelzi (Iz 24:8), "Babilon folyóvizeinél" az elnémult, fára akasztott kinnór a számkivetettség, a honvágy szimbóluma (Zsolt 137:2).

Jegyzetek

Források
 Joachim Braun, Douglas W Stott: Music in ancient Israel/Palestine, B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2002.  –  (korlátozott online hozzáférés)
 G. Johannes Botterweck, Helmer Ringgren, Heinz-Josef Fabry: Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1995.  –  (korlátozott online hozzáférés)
 Geoffrey W. Bromiley: The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1988.  –  (korlátozott online hozzáférés)
 Marinus Jan Hendrikus van Schaik: The harp in the Middle Ages: the symbolism of a musical instrument, Rodopi, 1992.  –  (korlátozott online hozzáférés)

További információk
 (zsidó zene címszó) online elérés
 Naftali Kraus írása a Biblia zenéjéről
 Pávich Zsuzsanna: Az ének és zene szerepe az Ószövetség népének életében és az istentiszteletben

Pengetős hangszerek
Ókori zene
Bibliai hangszerek

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
6 deaths since Feb 25: spike in avalanches in the Cascade Mountains
Originally published March 4, 2018 at 6:12 pm Updated March 5, 2018 at 2:06 pm
Three avalanches during a seven-day span in the Cascade Mountains killed five people from Western Washington. The sixth person was killed Sunday in an avalanche in the Methow Valley.
Mike Rosenberg
The state of Washington averages five avalanche deaths every two years.
This year, there have been six avalanche deaths here in just over a week.
Those recent avalanches claimed the lives of snowmobilers and snowshoers who were out adventuring in the central Cascade Mountains, in both King and Kittitas counties, where heavy snow, rain and wide temperature swings have made for unstable snow conditions. A skier was killed Sunday in the Methow Valley in Okanogan County.

The six people who died all were involved in activities known to cause avalanches in the past.
Two teenagers from Bellevue, boys ages 17 and 18, were buried in an avalanche while snowshoeing in the backcountry near the Alpental-Snow Lake area, said King County sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Ryan Abbott. The pair vanished Feb. 25 amid heavy snowfall in an area with a high avalanche danger. Both had avalanche beacons and appeared to be properly equipped. They were identified as Niko Suokko, 18, and Declan Ervin, 17.
The same day, in the backcountry near Stampede Pass in Kittitas County, a group of five snowmobilers had stopped to eat lunch beneath a slope when a ridge above them let go, burying three of them totally and partially burying the other two. Joseph Simenstad, 32, of Issaquah, died from his injuries.
Then, on Saturday, two snowmobilers died and two others were injured when an avalanche swept down a slope near Esmeralda Peak in Kittitas County.
The Kittitas County Sheriff's Office said crews responded to an avalanche report in the area before noon Saturday and found the four victims with the help of other snowmobilers in the area.
Deputies said 27-year-old Zach Roundtree, of Bonney Lake, and 41-year-old James Larson, of Buckley, were killed in the avalanche. Larson was a police officer in Bonney Lake, according to officials. Two other men were injured in the snowslide, the sheriff said.
Authorities on Monday were trying to recover the body of a skier killed Sunday in an avalanche in the Methow Valley.
Okanogan County Sheriff Frank Rogers said four skiers were caught in the slide Sunday afternoon. The other three were able to locate the fourth using his avalanche beacon, but they couldn't recover his body.
Search and rescue teams tried to get to the area Sunday but extreme avalanche danger held them back. Rogers said Monday that the dangerous conditions also prevented teams from going in on foot Monday, but that they would try to reach the body by helicopter.
The Northwest Avalanche Center said the avalanche danger up and down the Cascade range remains high.
Kittitas County Undersheriff Clay Myers, whose deputies have recovered three bodies in seven days, questioned whether the risks are justified, considering the danger. The forecasts say the threat is at a level where human-triggered avalanches are considered "likely."
People who insist on trekking into the backcountry need to be aware of the risks, he said.
"Just Google 'Avalanche Danger,'" Myers said in a news release. That search should lead to the Northwest Avalanche Center website, whose forecasters have nothing but dire news right now.
"You may be able to trigger Persistent Slab avalanches in the upper snowpack on sun-exposed slopes (generally southerly aspects) greater than 35 degrees," the center says. "To reduce your risk of being caught, avoid steep, open, sunny slopes, and large avalanche paths."
"Despite the continued slow stabilizing trend, specific terrain still has the potential to produce large and destructive avalanches," the avalanche center said in a forecast Saturday night for the western slopes and both Stevens and Snoqualmie passes. The danger was forecast to continue through at least Monday.
About 90 percent of fatal avalanches are triggered by humans, according to the National Weather Service. They usually occur on slopes steeper than 30 degrees. Unstable snow, signs of recent avalanches, heavy recent precipitation, windblown snow and significant warming are all red flags for heightened avalanche risk. A "whumping" sound is also a telltale sign.
Mountaineers are encouraged to carry a transreceiver so they can be found if covered by snow, a shovel to dig other people out and a probe to locate others covered in snow.
The snowpack across the state is above normal, according to the National Weather Service.
Avalanche deaths remain infrequent. There were 12 across the country this past year, including four in Washington state, according to figures compiled by the Northwest Avalanche Center. Going back three decades, the state averages 2.6 avalanche deaths each year.
Washington was also home to the deadliest avalanche in U.S. history, which happened 108 years ago this week.
The "white horror," as The Seattle Times called it, knocked two trains off the track and killed 96 people just west of Stevens Pass.
Information from The Associated Press is included in this story.
Mike Rosenberg: mrosenberg@seattletimes.com or 206-464-2266; on Twitter @ByRosenberg.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
City of David archaeologists say 2,000-year-old central Jerusalem market found
A rare Second Temple measuring table was recently discovered in the City of David, and it is causing archaeologists to identify an ancient Jerusalem square as the city's 2,000-year-old central market, according to Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologist Ari Levy.
In conversation with The Times of Israel on Monday, Levy said the stone table would have belonged to the market's manager, or agoranomos, who was in charge of the weights and measures of commodities traded in the shuk.
The measuring table was found in a broad paved central square still undergoing excavation, alongside dozens of stone measurement weights. The sum of the parts has led the IAA archaeologists to conclude that this area of the Stepped Street, a paved 2,000-year-old pilgrims' path that connects the Siloam Pool with the Temple Mount, would have served as ancient Jerusalem's main market.
"The volume standard table we've found, as well as the stone weights discovered nearby, support the theory that this was the site of vast trade activity, and perhaps this may indicate the existence of a market," said Levy in a press release.
Today, the path is five meters (16 feet) under ground. Archaeologists and historians call the road that is being excavated under an East Jerusalem Arab neighborhood the "Stepped Street." In more popular parlance it is called the "Pilgrims' Path" or the "Pilgrimage Road." In total, the path stretches some 600 meters long and is eight meters wide. Both sides of the street were lined with shops that were likely two stories high, said Levy during a recent visit there.
It was built starting in 20 CE by the Romans and completed under the governance of Pontius Pilate in about 30 CE. A recent study of 100 coins collected under pavement at the site appears to confirm this dating.
But the Romans, in destroying Jerusalem in 70 CE, covered up all their hard work just 40 years later. For the past decade, Jerusalem archaeologists have been excavating the dirt and debris that cover the near-mint condition Roman paving stones. Along the way, they've uncovered untold artifacts, such as this measuring table.
Only two other such measuring tables have been discovered in Israel: One in the 1970s in the Old City of Jerusalem's Jewish Quarter by Dr. Nahman Avigad, and the second during excavations in Shuafat in northern Jerusalem in 2007 under Dr. Rahel Bar-Natan. However, contemporary measuring tables are found in city centers throughout the Roman Empire that used the same system of measures for the volume of the liquids — likely olive oil or wine — as the one found in the City of David find, said Levy.
The fact that the measuring table is made of stone has nothing to do with Temple purity, said archaeologist Levy. Asked who this market manager would have been — Roman or Jewish — Levy laughed and said, "Until we find his identification card, we can't know."
The role of the market manager or agoranomos (the Greek agora connotes a central public space), well documented in antiquity, arrived in the Land of Israel during the Hellenistic period. It is mentioned in the Book of Maccabees, according to an Encyclopedia.com entry: "In Jerusalem, the controversy between Onias, the high priest, and Simeon in regard to the office of the agoranomia was one of the causes of the civil war in the early 70s of the second century b.c.e." Roman Jewish historian Josephus also makes reference to the office — and the Jerusalem square where he would have sat.
In the Talmud it is described that whereas in Jerusalem prior to the fall of the Second Temple in 70 CE, the market manager would have only been in charge of weights and measures, the office in Babylon expanded to assigning the value of the foodstuffs.
The location of the measuring table and the additional finds of weights in the still partially covered square suggest to the archaeologists that the large paved open area, found in the middle of the path leading to the Temple Mount, served as "the focal point of trade and commerce," according to an IAA press release announcing the find.
Preliminary research into the table is being conducted by archaeologist Prof. Ronny Reich, an expert in ancient Jerusalem who was among the first to find portions of the sewer system which led to the discovery of the Pilgrims' Path.
Describing the piece of the stone table top, Reich said in the press release, "We see two of the deep cavities remain, each with a drain at its bottom. The drain at the bottom could be plugged with a finger, filled with a liquid of some type, and once the finger was removed, the liquid could be drained into a container, therefore determining the volume of the container, using the measurement table as a uniform guideline. This way, traders could calibrate their measuring instruments using a uniform standard."
The dozens of weights discovered in the town square and the surrounding area were made from flat stones of different weights and sizes. Reich said some 90 percent of weights of this type come from excavations of Second Temple period sites in Jerusalem and are a uniquely Jerusalem weight class.
According to Levy, the accompanying stone measure weights are typical to the period in Jerusalem. "The fact that there were city-specific weights at the site indicates the unique features of the economy and trade in Jerusalem during the Second Temple period, possibly due to the influence of the Temple itself," he said in the press release.
The City of David's underground Stepped Street is still being excavated, in two shifts a day, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and will not be fully open to the public for several years, said Levy.
Read more: The Times of Israel


text:
Q: Как заменить mysqli_fetch_assoc() в PDO? Вывожу сессию, а она пуста, мне кажется дела в $check_user->fetchAll(), так как я не знаю как в PDO заменить mysqli_fetch_assoc()
$check_user = $connection->prepare("SELECT * FROM `users` WHERE `login` =:login AND `password` =:password ");
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        $user = $check_user->fetchAll();

        $_SESSION['user'] = [
            "id" => $user['id'],
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        ];

        $response = [
            "status" => true,
            "session" =>$_SESSION['user']
        ];

        echo json_encode($response);

    } else {

        $response = [
            "status" => false,
            "message" => 'Не верный логин или пароль'
        ];

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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Developers will receive 100% revenue from March 4, 2013 – September 3, 2013, 90% revenue share from September 4, 2013 – March 3, 2014, 80% revenue share from March 4, 2014 – March 3, 2015, and after March 4, 2015 on Samsung Apps, developers will receive 70% revenue share.
But Mr. Rubin also said Samsung could become a threat if it gains more ground among mobile-device makers that use Android, the person said. Mr. Rubin said Google's recent acquisition of Motorola Mobility, which makes Android-based smartphones and tablets, served as a kind of insurance policy against a manufacturer such as Samsung gaining too much power over Android, the person said.
Several people familiar with the relationship between the companies said Google fears that Samsung will demand a greater share of the online-advertising revenue that Google generates from its Web-search engine.
Samsung in the past has received more than 10% of such revenue, one of the people said. Samsung has signaled to Google that it might want more, especially as Google begins to produce more revenue from apps such as Google Maps and YouTube, another person familiar with the matter said.


text:
Q: Draw circle on touch with own class I want to place red circles where I touch an image and have a class that listens to the touch and sends the coordinates to an other class:
public class Report extends Fragment {
private Context activity;
private Point point = new Point();
private DrawingCrl imgCircle = new DrawingCrl();

@Override
public View onCreateView(LayoutInflater inflater, ViewGroup container,
        Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    View rootView = inflater.inflate(R.layout.report, container,
            false);
    activity = this.getActivity();

            //Where I'm doing the touching and respond to that:
    final View touchView = rootView.findViewById(R.id.ImageC);
    touchView.setOnTouchListener(new View.OnTouchListener() {

        @Override
        public boolean onTouch(View v, MotionEvent event) {
            point.x = Float.valueOf(event.getX());
            point.y = Float.valueOf(event.getY());
                            touchView = imgCircle.DrawCircle(Point point);
            return true;
        }
    });

    return rootView;

    public class Point {
        float x;
        float y;
}

}
When I call the DrawCircle I want the class DrawingCrl to do just that, draw a circle for me on the point I send to the method:
public class DrawingCrl {
private Bitmap mBitmap;
private Paint paint;
    private Canvas canvas = new Canvas();

public void DrawCircle(Point point) {
    mBitmap = Bitmap.createBitmap(400, 800, Bitmap.Config.ARGB_8888);
    paint = new Paint();
    paint.setColor(Color.RED);
    paint.setStyle(Style.FILL);
    canvas.drawCircle(point.x, point.y, 50, paint);
}
}

I have read both getting X and Y coordinates and drawing circle and Draw Circle on touch but don't get how to do the drawing of the circle.
I'm pretty new to android so sorry my many noob failures. I hope you can help me get this working! Thanks! :)

A: Okay, here's how I would do it but I'm going to change your code a bit.
First I would change your DrawingCrl class to just store location (and possibly Paint object but this would probably fit better as a static shared by all DrawingCrls) like this:
public class DrawingCrl {
    public Point myLoc;
    public Paint paint;

    public void DrawCircle(Point point) {
        paint = new Paint();
        paint.setColor(Color.RED);
        paint.setStyle(Style.FILL);
        myLoc = point;
    }
}

Save a Vector of DrawingCrl objects created in your Activity and create new ones in the onTouch event handler.
This goes in the Report class:
java.util.Vector<DrawingCrl> myCircles = new java.util.Vector<DrawingCrl>();

Then in 'onTouch' create a new circle object and save it:
  @Override
  public boolean onTouch(View v, MotionEvent event) {
        point.x = Float.valueOf(event.getX());
        point.y = Float.valueOf(event.getY());

        // create a new Circle here and save it
        DrawingCrl c = new DrawingCrl(point);
        myCircles.add(c);
        return true;
    }

Then I would override the 'onDraw' method of your View 'touchView'.
The 'onDraw' will give you the Canvas to draw to, so don't create your own like you are doing in your DrawingDMG class right now.
@Override
protected void onDraw(Canvas c)
{
  for (DrawingCrl c : myCircles)
  {
    c.drawCircle(c.myLoc.x, c.myLoc.y, 50, c.paint);
  }
}


text:
Q: The background color in each todo-section does not cover the entire row when the checkbox is selected. The color doesn't reach behind the checkbox The background color in each todo-section does not cover the entire row when the checkbox is selected. The background color does not reach behind the checkbox. This is one of the todo-sections in my html from the form. It's one of 13 set up the exact same way. Please click the [enter image description here] link above for a visual of what I'm trying to convey.
Below is the associated CSS. The issue that I'm having is that when the box is checked, the line strikes through the text like it's supposed to and the associated color appears in the background as well. However, the color isn't reaching behind the checkbox. Screenshot provided above in link.

.todo-section [type=checkbox]:checked+label {
  text-decoration: line-through;
  background-color: #D7B99E;
}

.todo-section {
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: row;
  border-bottom: 1px solid #000000;
}
<form>

    <input type="checkbox" id="todo1" name="todo1" value="ID"> Please bring picture ID and insurance card on the day of your
    procedure.

</form>

A: There is no way to select a parent in CSS, however, there's still some "magic" to achieve this if you work with the positioning of the elements.

.todo-section [type=checkbox]:checked+label {
  text-decoration: line-through;
  background-color: #D7B99E;
}

input {
  position: absolute;
  z-index: 10;
}

label {
  width: 100%;
  position: absolute;
  top: 0;
  left: 0;
  text-indent: 30px;
  z-index: 1;
}

.todo-section {
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: row;
  border-bottom: 1px solid #000000;
  position: relative;
  height: 20px;
}
<form>

    <input type="checkbox" id="todo1" name="todo1" value="ID"> Please bring picture ID and insurance card on the day of your
      procedure.

</form>

A: While support is lacking currently, in the future, the :has() pseudo-class does what you want.
In this case, it will target the entire .todo-section, rather than just the label as the original selector did.
Note that version 105+ of Chrome supports the selector, and I would expect other Chromium-based browsers to follow suit soon as well. In fact, my copy of Microsoft Edge (Version 103.0.1264.77 (Official build) (64-bit)) renders the following snippet correctly, even though technically it shouldn't be able to...

.todo-section:has([type=checkbox]:checked) {
  text-decoration: line-through;
  background-color: #D7B99E;
}

.todo-section {
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: row;
  border-bottom: 1px solid #000000;
}
<form>

    <input type="checkbox" id="todo1" name="todo1" value="ID"> Please bring picture ID and insurance card on the day of your
    procedure.

</form>

A: You may also use grid and set both elements inside the same cell (alike absolute but in the flow), padding and  margin can be used to align elements and keep their content away from each others.
here is an example:

.todo-section [type=checkbox]:checked+label {
  text-decoration: line-through;
  background-color: #D7B99E;
}

.todo-section {
  border-bottom: 1px solid #000000;
}

/* grid layout VS absolute */
/* base needed */
.todo-section {
  display: grid;
}

.todo-section>* {
  grid-row: 1;
  grid-column: 1
}

/*demo makeup */

.todo-section {
  margin:1em 5em;
  background:#bee
}

input {
  margin: auto;
  margin-inline-start: 0.5em;  /* will follow the document direction */
  position: relative;  /*To keep it on top
  or use
  transform:scale(1) ;
  or any transform value that is set to defaut */
  }

label {
  padding-inline-start: 2em;  /* will follow the document direction */
}
<form>

    <input type="checkbox" id="todo1" name="todo1" value="ID">
     Please bring picture ID and insurance card on the day of your
    procedure.

    <input type="checkbox" id="todo2" name="todo1" value="ID">
     Please bring picture ID and insurance card on the day of your
    procedure.

</form>


text:
Understanding Data
Roper Center's Kohut Fellowship Now Accepting Applications
Andrew Kohut Fellowship Program in Public Opinion & Survey Research The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research is now accepting applications for…
...in Announcements
2016 National Election Day Polls Available
The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research and Edison Research are proud to announce that the 2016 and 2018 National Election Pool (NEP) primary and…
...in Featured Data
Warren J. Mitofsky Public Opinion Graduate Fellowship Now Accepting Applications
The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research is now accepting applications for the 2020 Warren J. Mitofsky Graduate Fellowship Program in Public Opinion…
New Data Provider: Colorado College State of the Rockies Project
We are excited to welcome The Colorado College State of the Rockies Project as a new Roper Center data provider. The State of the Rockies Project explores…
...in Issue Briefs
THE (IL)LEGITIMATE HEGEMON
Attitudes toward the U.S. in West Germany By Nina Obermeier Analyzing attitudes toward the U.S. in West Germany during the Cold War provides insight…
Roper Center for Public Opinion Research Supports Small Independent News Outlets During 2020 Election Year
Small independent news organizations will have free access to the Center's archive through November of 2020. Between now and the 2020 election, the Roper…
Pumpkin Painting Potluck
The Roper Center's 2nd Annual Pumpkin Painting Potluck was a huge success, with some gorgeous creations. The Eye of Sauron made an appearance, as did…
...in About Events
Roper Center Gets a Visit from Dr. Raymond Fink
In August the Roper Center was honored with a visit from Raymond Fink, a Cornell alumnus (Ph.D., 1956) and a pioneer in survey research. Fink worked at…
...in About People
Fifty Years Since Stonewall: The Change in Public Opinion
Polls measuring that change have increased in frequency and broadened in scope, shifting focus as new debates came to the forefront of public discussion,…
2019 Mitofsky Award Winner Announced
The Board of Directors of the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research at Cornell University is pleased to announce that Patricia Moy, Christy Cressey…
...in Awards and Fellowships, Announcements
Roper Center to Archive Non-Probability Polls, Other Methods
New acquisitions policy part of larger effort to increase transparency in polling research Ithaca, NY (May 2, 2019) The Board of Directors of the…
Recent Publications Using Roper Data
Interested in seeing some of the research being performed using Roper archive data? This page pulls together a broad spectrum of our member's recent…
National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse 1971 Poll
In response to the growing prevalence of marijuana use in youth culture in the U.S., President Richard Nixon appointed the National Commission on…
Call For Nominations for the 2019 Warren J. Mitofsky Award
Call for Nominations: The 2019 Warren J. Mitofsky Award for Excellence in Public Opinion Research An annual award of The Roper Center for Public…
Every Second: The Impact of the Incarceration Crisis on America's Families
Major New Criminal Justice Survey Archived The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research at Cornell University is excited to archive survey data behind a…
Andrew Kohut Fellowship Accepting Applications
The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research is now accepting applications for the 2019 Andrew Kohut Fellowship Program in Public Opinion & Survey…
...in About People, Awards and Fellowships
Apartheid-Era South African Survey Series
South Africa in the 1980s was a country on the verge of transition. Under increasing pressure from international and domestic opponents of the apartheid…
The Louis Harris & Associates Violence Survey
The year 1968 was a particularly brutal year for political tensions, popular agitation, and violence. The dramatic events of that year included…
Assassination Nation: Public Responses to King and Kennedy in 1968
In 1968, even more so than in most years, the news was bleak – the carnage in Vietnam, race riots, violence in the streets at the Democratic National…
US-Russia Survey: A Cross-Country Poll
In December 2017, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs in partnership with the Yuri Levada Analytical Center released the 2017 US-Russia Survey, a cross-…


The Lord's name is to be praised.
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?
Like a joyful mother of children.
In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the Chebar canal, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. On the fifth day of the month (it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin), the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the Chebar canal, and the hand of the Lord was upon him there.
As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness round it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal. And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had a human likeness, but each had four faces, and each of them had four wings. Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf's foot. And they sparkled like burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. And the four had their faces and their wings thus: their wings touched one another. Each one of them went straight forward, without turning as they went. As for the likeness of their faces, each had a human face. The four had the face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four had the face of an eagle. Such were their faces. And their wings were spread out above. Each creature had two wings, each of which touched the wing of another, while two covered their bodies. And each went straight forward. Wherever the spirit would go, they went, without turning as they went. As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches moving to and fro among the living creatures. And the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. And the living creatures darted to and fro, like the appearance of a flash of lightning.
For the challenges faced and the obstacles overcome.


Here come those discounts again from all of America's patriotic merchants. Whether it's free coffee, a breakfast, admission to a theme park, a good night sleep at a hotel or a free haircut this year's Veteran discounts offer something for everyone.
Are all these merchants really patriotic or could this just be good business through making an annual discount gesture to the 23,000,000 Veterans in America?
In fairness, for many merchants both of those goals are compatible and many major companies like Home Depot offer year round discounts and many other non-commercial community programs for Veterans. Discounts seem to come from everywhere. Veterans can even get a $25 coupon for completing a personalized and confidential behavior survey from VetsPrevail where Veterans earn rewards for helping each other to discover issues and overcome their challenges with PTSD.
Within the franchise industry it hasn't escaped Franchisors that offering discounts to Veterans is very good for business. At VetFran, an initiative of the International Franchise Association, over 700 of their franchise members compete for Veterans attention and the VetFran discount deals they list are even star rated for value and vetted for viability. Even though VetFran offers valuable opportunities, the Franchisors still wouldn't make their offers without a very good prospect of getting their upfront discount (which might be viewed as their investment) back from the Veteran franchisee over the life of the franchise. Of course the discount can hopefully be a win/win.
Ask your own franchise consultant what cash discount they can provide on your franchise idea?
Any reputable consultant will spend hours with a Veteran, asking questions and listening to your needs and goals, before ever recommending a franchise. Any consultant who starts mentioning companies after a few minutes of conversation is simply trying to steer the Veteran to an opportunity that probably benefits the consultant without considering what really benefits the Veteran.
Nevertheless, even reputable consultants have a limited number of pre-screened opportunities. And if the Veteran isn't interested in one of those "pre-screened" opportunities, how can he/she really know if they are truly getting unbiased advice. Of course that same consultant can adapt to other potential choices and whatever is most important to the Veteran looking for a franchise. But at the end of the day, the consultant will typically recommend a franchise they represent and that pays that consultant a fee. So often franchise consultants will say their services are "free". Maybe Veterans should ask their franchise consultant if they will share a percentage of their "free" fee from your selected franchisor. Ask if they will guarantee the greatest possible rebate on your transaction. Or maybe Veterans should ask if the consultant will continue to represent them and even provide a 100% discount on the consultant's fee if the Veteran eventually chooses an opportunity that is not one on their list.
We believe there will be many new disruptive "discount" ideas for Veterans coming from franchise consultants in 2017. In the spirit of Veterans Day "discounts", all Veterans should have a conversation with their franchise consultants about possible discounts and fee rebates long before they go into the discovery process on any franchise opportunity.
*Keep in mind that most businesses require proof of military service and not all franchise locations participate in their national chain's Veterans Day programs — be sure contact your nearest establishment to make sure they are participating.


Finest quality Blue Sky Lanterns. Our traditional Blue Chinese flying lanterns come ready assembled making them easy to light and launch with no messing around. Sky Lanterns are made from biodegradable non-flammable paper.


text:
Search in titles only Search in RAN - Game Reviews only
Ransom of the Seven Ships
RAN - Game Reviews
What I *Really* Thought: RAN Edition
.................................................. .......MyCatTilly Presents,
The Ransom
Seven Ships
I know it's a long review, but trust me, I already cut a lot. I'm a black belt in rambling.
One of Nancy's best buddies, Bess Marvin, won a contest for a beach resort vacation and she's invited you and her cousin George Fayne to come along. Nancy had to arrive a day late due to previous engagements, but once she lands on the island, she quickly learns that things have gone very wrong. George is panicking as she explains that Bess was kidnapped and that there is no one else on the tiny island, with no way to contact the police. The kidnappers have left instructions to find a long forgotten pirate treasure in exchange for Bess's safe return. But as Nancy discovers that someone has been keeping a close eye one her, she wonders if that really is all they want? Its up to you as Nancy Drew, with help from longtime pal George, to save your friend before its too late.
Pirates, kidnapping, stranded on an island? How could you go wrong? Well I'm not sure how, but HER managed to mess it up. RAN seriously lacks in suspense and fun. Its basically a puzzle game, loosely strung together with a plot. Like HAU, it sounds so good on paper - it's the execution that ruined it.
the plot itself gets 4/10
We'll get to third person in a minute. Oh, trust me, we will.
The almost rare parts of a game that are still seen through Nancy eyes, are a mixed bag. Some sections, like inside the resort look really great. Others look down right terrible, like they were cut and paste from pictures in a magazine. And the water, oh the water….by far the worst graphics I've seen from any company in a very long time. Water isn't opaque, and it sure doesn't move like that. There really is no excuse. This is game 20, and games as far back as SSH look nicer than some of the areas in RAN. Even VEN had realistic water.
Ok, third person. So much of this game is in third person. A ridiculous amount. Driving? Third person. Sailing? Third person. Diving? Third person. Rock climbing, certain puzzles, and more are third person. With so many people complaining about the overhead views, why isn't HER listening? It adds absolutely nothing to the games, and I have yet to hear anyone say that they prefer it. IMHO It all boils down to money. Its cheaper to create a 2D image that you drag a little 2D car around, than it would be to animate the surroundings as you drive behind the wheel. Its faster to create a 2D image too, and after all, time is money. I understand that its a business but I, and I believe a majority of the fans, don't agree with the changes.
No rating.
You start off with a number of different small areas to explore. The resort lobby, two beaches, some ruins, bat caves, and an abandoned primate research facility. Each section is so small and separated by some form of tedious 3rd person travel (usually driving) that its hard to get a grasp of a real environment for the game. Its more like there is no setting in RAN, just locations. I'm not sure I'm making much sense, but that's really how I feel.
Setting gets an…erm, uh…2/10?
So in the game you find a book of puzzles left behind by a captain, that will lead you to the crystal skull…uh I mean, the treasure. Really though, haven't we seen this concept many times before? Someone in the past has something valuable, but they don't want anyone else to have it. Of course they don't want it to be lost and forgotten forever either, so they write out a book full of puzzles and clues (that are rather farfetched and over the top) that will help to find where they hid it. I get that its an easy way to explain why we have to do all these puzzles, but its been done.
Anyway, there are some creative and cool puzzles in RAN but the problem is, thats all it's got. Puzzles. One puzzle after another. No snooping, no sleuthing just puzzles. And arcade-ish type games thanks to third person. Oh, and monkey games. Yes, you play games with monkeys.
Puzzles earned a 4.5/10 Would've gotten a higher score if there weren't so darn many of them.
At the start of the game, it's just you and George. With a little exploration, you'll come across a mysterious man named Johnny Rolle (who I changed my mind about several times during the game) There's very little character interaction and, of course, no phone friends. You barely even talk to George! Personally I love to question the suspects and chat with phone friends (particularly if they have their own minor storyline) and was disappointed by this. Obviously, the whole point was that you're stranded on an island but perhaps they could've thrown in another character or at least allow you to talk more with the ones that were already there.
As far as playing as George, it feels a little pointless. Unlike past games, you only have two or so times where you need to switch, and if you switch to George at any other time, there's virtually nothing to do.
If you thought HAU's ending was surprising, buckle your seat belt, hold on to your hat, keep your arms and legs inside the ride vehicle, and be prepared to have your jaw fall off at RAN's ending. The gameplay itself is 'bleh' and not exciting at all. It's the culprit(s) that's the shocker. I really disliked the choice because there were absolutely no clues or anything pointing in that direction, it was just completely out of nowhere. There are some other reasons why I really disliked it, but I couldn't say them without completely ruining it for those that haven't finished.
I will say that, if I was new to ND games, I probably would've been more than a little ticked off.
RAN, like HAU, was so full of potential but it tuned out to be just one big fail. Besides a few cool puzzles, I didn't enjoy a thing about this game and that's really sad for me. I'm just sort of left with this feeling that I want my twenty bucks back. My least favorite game of the series.
It lacks that Nancy Drew vibe that we all know and love and…I'll stop rambling now. I've certainly said enough :P
There isn't a single ND game that I wouldn't recommend…..except this, at least if your new to the series. If you end up not enjoying this game, don't let that stop you from trying others in the series. There is a ton of variety.
Last edited by MyCatTilly; July 25, 2009, 06:27 PM.
TrueDrewFan20
Great review! I totally agree with you.
Ned Nickerson
AKA: "Locket Boy"
nancy super fan
Great review! to tell you how much I disliked this game, I toke it back to the store were i got it, and i wish i had never played this game! to tell you the truth I liked HAU.
CHECK OUT MY RAN REVIEW!!!!
SIGN MY PETITIONS IF YOU DARE!!!!!!
PETITION FOR THE RIVER HIGHTS VANDLE
NANCY's FLING
THE CLUE IN THE OLD ALBUM PETITON!!!!
PETITION 4 HARDY BOYS PC GAME BY HER!!!
Mystery Of The Fire Dragon
♥♥♥Joe hardy! ♥♥♥
Joe is my man of course!
He is funny,sweet and loves
cheesburgers!
maddiemoo
I agree! Especially about the part about George. The only thing you could do was ***edited***
Spoilers are not allowed on the review boards.
Last edited by catsandbooks; September 5, 2009, 04:21 PM.
Being "normal" is TOTALLY over-rated
•♥ Maddiemoo ♥•
What Would Their HER Username be?
Singer: Carrie Underwood
it's nice to know that other people feel the same way. I truly disliked RAN and I've just never felt that way about an ND game before.
Were_AllMadHere
I was upset that they exposed George and Bess's identity, and the fact that they did it for such a trivial couple of tasks that she actually did. frankly, she was useless!
.......¸·´ ¯ `+.
......(....*·-·´...........¸·´¨¯¨`+.
..She Returned to a place abandoned long ago
.........`+,¸ __ ¸,+´.............THEN VANISHED WITHOUT A TRACE!
.............................ي.... It's up to you as Nancy Drew to save her from
.......................T H E .. G H O S T .. O F .. T H O R N T O N .. H A L L
i know what you mean! HER really let us down when they made this game. just hope the other one is better.
Lady_Mystery
I was one of those people who were dead set against HeR showing bess or george to the point I didnt even want to play the game. Finally I did when it came out to stores and I agree with everything you said. This game was by far the worst game ive ever played (and ive played for 8 years) what made things worse was seeing how badly Bess and George were created. George was no help and Bess gave me a nightmare (I am not kidding she scared me). I loved your review reps. and I agree I wouldnt recomend this to anyone unless you collect the games. I put this in my drawer to never see daylight again.
Ive Completed all the nancy drew games.
Waiting on: Trail of the Twister
Dibbs on the potatoes!-Matt Simmons-The Haunting of Castle Malloy !
Been playing nancy drew for eight years and still not tired of it!!!
I know the proper use for the words There,They're and Their also Too and To
I am proud to be an Atheist
R.I.P MJ. The King of Pop!
Saw Blue October in Concert! Totaly and compeltly amazing band!
mrskim
I saw the trailer.. not impressed. Definitely 3rd person for diving, sailing.. played the demo.. another 3rd person driving..
Checked other websites.. makes me even not wanting to buy this game.
Better save my money for the next game and if it still doesn't deliver, I will really say bye-bye to HER and find another game.
,´¯`·..´´·,,´¯`·._.´©GirlD
Master Sleuth
Bravo. Magnificent review! At the risk of sounding like my grandparents, I've been around for quite a while and have seen many reviews. Many of them were flashy and colorful and carefully written, but I have found that it is the simple and straight-forward reviews that hit the nail on the head. And yours absolutely has. Cheers!
For Girls Who Aren't Afraid of a Mouse.
nancylovestogo
Great review! Couldn't have said it better myself.
Am I the only one who was really disappointed by George's character? George is supposed to be spunky and witty and tough. This game made her scared and timid and basically useless. She assisted Nancy very little and offered virtually no ideas. Having her in the game was sort of pointless.
Bess and George were far funnier, more clever, and more helpful as phone friends. They seemed so flat and useless in this game. Lazy character development on HER's part.
Great review! I was really mad about ***edited***
Spoilers are not allowed on the review board.
elpana
Well done! You said everything I felt about this game. Too bad that the majority of players are unhappy. I hope this sends a message about what we want in a game. After all, most of us have been playing the games for a few years at least and it appears enjoy the older games much better. That's when the investigating, snooping, collecting of clues and questioning suspects was the hallmark of a Nancy Drew game. Good for you. You said everything clearly and to the point. I, for one, appreciate you taking the time to comment.
Some of my favorites:
Danger on Deception Island
Secret of Shadow Ranch
Curse of Blackmoor Manor
Treasure in the Royal Tower
Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon
The White Wolf of Icicle Creek
Legend of the Crystal Skull
The Phantom of Venice
Warnings at Waverly Acadamy
Shadow at the Water's Edge
The Captive Curse
Ghost of Thornton Hall
The Silent Spy
Barbatruc
I really agree with your review, except that I didn't think HAU was so bad (at least you had people to talk to) and my #1 most horrible worst game is still DAN. *shudder*
That being said, you're right, the idea was good but badly developed. As for the culprit, ***edited***
I think you hit the nail on the head with the money issue. It is so much faster and cheaper to create 2D settings, and only two characters to interact with. I really miss having many people to interrogate, waiting for them to leave and snoop around their space, having clues, following red herrings... *sigh* I'll think I'll re-install one of the old ones and play that.
I like nonsense it wakes up the brain cells. ~ Dr Seuss
lovesnd
I love your review! It was everything that I was thinking. I just finished the game and although the ending was shocking I was still dissapointed because like you said there were no clues. I have played all the games and will continue to buy and play them just because of my curiosity and addiction, but this by far was the worst game. A game is not putting a bunch of puzzles together for you to solve. Nancy drew is supposed to be about mysteries - snooping, questioning suspects, and a few puzzles here and there. I've been seeing people complain about the last couple of games and they don't seem to be doing anything about it, it seems to get worse! The last thing that bugged me (unless it was just my game) was that you only had a square of screen, the rest was black, like watching a wide screen movie. If this how the game was intended to be I absolutely hated it. I don't see what the reason for it is and if we're playing a game we should be able to play it using the whole screen.
*SCK* *STFD* *MHM* *TRT**FIN**SSH**DOG**CAR* *DDI**SHA* *CUR**CLK* *TRN* *DAN* *CRE**ICE**CRY* *VEN* *HAU**RAN* *WAC* *TOT* *SAW* *CAP* *ASH* *TMB*
Currently playing: The Deadly Device
You make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream <3
lovesnd <3


Center for DNA Nanotechnology (CDNA), Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Langelandsgade 140, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
Parallels are often drawn between the construction of molecular structures and building toy models in LEGO bricks. This analogy is particularly suitable for the method reported by Ke et al. on page 1177 of this issue (1). The authors describe the construction of arbitrary and discrete three-dimensional (3D) DNA structures by self-assembly of single-stranded DNA "bricks." The method opens a new route to complex self-assembled (3D) nanostructures that may serve as addressable templates for placing guest molecules with high precision, with possible applications in biophysics, medicine, and nanoelectronics.
DNA "bricks" consisting of short sequences of single-stranded DNA self-assemble into a wide variety of shapes.


How to act correctly when you are proposed marriage?
Before this I wrote the articles Dating and successful marriage and How to propose marriage to a girl?. The last post was addressed especially to boys. This article has practical advice for girls, how to act correctly when the day comes and they are proposed marriage. This I have taught my daughter and if you are a girl, you can profit from this advice. If you are a parent, I invite you to read this article and then to advise your daughter in regard to this, because it is our responsability as parents to teach our children wisdom for life. So, how to act when you are proposed marriage?
1.Accept the first invitation. In the article Dating and successful Marriage I have showed the reasons why it is not good to go on dates before marriage. Though, when a wise and an upright man invites to talk particularly to you, don't reject his invitation. It is possible that you are invited on this date to be proposed marriage. Even if you presuppose this and you already know that the answer is negative, don't reject his invitation. This will show lack of respect from you. Something important: on this date you can be invited at a restaurant, café, etc. and not at his home or at another place that can bring you a bad reputation if you go there.
2.Reject the second invitation. If you have been invited on this date and you haven't been proposed marriage, don't accept another invitation from this man. I know someone who invites a girl for many years, once a year to go somewhere in the city, to go for a walk, or to have a meal together, but till today he hasn't decided to propose her marriage. It is wise for this girl not to accept any invitation from this man. If he didn't propose marriage to you, that means that he wants just to date with you, to spend time together, but this is neither correct nor good. Reject to see such a man.
3.Be ready for the offer. If you have been invited for the first time, expect to be proposed marriage. It is good to think when you are still at home how you will act and what answer you will give.
5.If the answer is "NO", be very attentive and wise when you say this. I know a Christian guy who had a timid character. He was in love with a girl, called her to have a meal at a restaurant, met her with flowers and when he proposed marriage to her, she answered:" How did you dare think that I could marry one like you?" The answer that she has given, showed the value of her character and made the boy feel bad and cheap. Don't ever do this. If you have to say him "no", it is better to thank firstly the man who proposes marriage to you because he has seen such a value in you, that he is decided to enter the covenant of marriage. Tell him nicely that you don't have for him the feelings that a girl needs to have to answer "Yes", that you respect him and his proposal, but the answer is "No". This will make you a good reputation and will help him to go quicklier over this answer. I think you realize that such an answer hurts any man's heart who is in such a situation. In this way, you will show respect to him and will help him to go quicklier and highly over this.
6.If you don't have the liberty to give any answer, ask for time to think. Ask as much time as you need. If it will be tried to put pressure on you, or if the boy refuses to wait for the answer, I think it is clear that you had to say "NO" from the beginning.
May God bless you with wisdom and distinction to accept only when you will be proposed marriage by a righteous man.