The Games @ PI staff will be cracking out Space Cowboy's award winning Splendor on Wednesday, 4th May 2016. Never played Splendor before? The Games @ PI staff will be on hand to walk you through the game.
We'll also be handing out a limited edition promo tile to each participant, so come down to Games @ PI and play this award winning game with our friendly staff.
In Splendor, take on the role of a Renaissance merchant and purchase the most profitable mines, the most efficient means of transportation and the most illustrious jewelry shops in order to acquire more prestige than your opponents. The more prestigious you are, the more likely you are to allure a noble – whose visit will only gain you even more prestige.
The most prestigious jeweler at the end of the game wins!
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Q: Is direct video card access possible? (No API) I'm now a bit experienced with using OpenGL, which I started using because it's said that it is the only way to invoke video card functions. (besides DirectX - which I like less than OpenGL)
For programming (e.g. in C/C++) the OS gives many APIs, like functions for printing. But these can also be bypassed, by coding in Assembly-language - and call much lower level APIs (which gain speed) or direct CPU calls.
So I started wondering why this wouldn't be possible on the video card. Why should an API like OpenGL or DirectX be needed? The process going on with those is:
API-call >
 OS calls video card (with complex opcodes, I think) >
  video card responses (in complex binary format) >
   OS decodes this format and responses to user (in expected API format)

I believe this should decrease the speed of the rendering process.
So my question is:
Is there any possibility to bypass any graphical API (under Windows) and make direct calls to the video card?
Thanks,
Dennis

A: Using assembly or bypassing an api doesnt automatically make something faster, often slower as you dont know what the folks that wrote the library know.
it is absolutely possible yes, those libraries are just processor instructions that poke and peek at registers and ram, and you could just as easily poke and peek at registers and ram.  The first problem is can you get that information, sure, you can look at the linux drivers or other open source resources.  Second, much of the heavy lifting today is done in the graphics chip by logic or graphics processors, so the host is just a go between and not necessarily the bottleneck if there is a bottleneck.  And yes you can program the gpus depending on your video card/chip, etc.
You need to determine where the bottleneck really is, if there really is one, maybe the bus is your problem, maybe the operating system is your problem, or the compiler, or the hard disk or the system memory, the processor and architecture itself, caches, etc.  At the same time how will you ever learn how to find these things unless you try.
I recommend getting rid of windows completely, no operating system, go bare metal.  Take the linux and other open source resources plus anything you can get from the vendor and get closer to the metal.  You will also need a lot of info about the pci/pcie bus and bridges, dma controllers, everything in the path.  If you dont want to go that low then use linux or bsd or some other command line environment where it is well known how to take over the video system, and take over the video system while retaining an operating system and a development environment (vi/emacs, gcc).
if that is all way too advanced, then I recommend, dabbling in simple gpu routines to get a feel for how the video card works at least at some level and tackle this learning exercise one step at a time.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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You are here: Home / Investors / Technicals / Procter & Gamble (PG) Stock Moves -0.92%: What You Should Know
Procter & Gamble (PG) Stock Moves -0.92%: What You Should Know
October 10, 2018 at 6:41 pm by SR Staff in: Technicals Comment
In the latest trading session, Procter & Gamble (PG) closed at $81.44, marking a -0.92% move from the previous day. This move was narrower than the S&P 500′s daily loss of 3.29%. Meanwhile, the Dow lost 3.15%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, lost 4.08%.
Prior to today's trading, shares of the world's largest consumer products maker had gained 0.23% over the past month. This has outpaced the Consumer Staples sector's loss of 1.24% and lagged the S&P 500′s gain of 0.44% in that time.
PG will be looking to display strength as it nears its next earnings release, which is expected to be October 19, 2018. On that day, PG is projected to report earnings of $1.10 per share, which would represent year-over-year growth of 0.92%. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $16.59 billion, down 0.37% from the year-ago period.
For the full year, our Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $4.42 per share and revenue of $67.20 billion, which would represent changes of +4.74% and +0.55%, respectively, from the prior year.
Investors should also note any recent changes to analyst estimates for PG. These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the company's business outlook.
Based on our research, we believe these estimate revisions are directly related to near-team stock moves. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.
The Zacks Rank system ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell). It has a remarkable, outside-audited track record of success, with #1 stocks delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. The Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.08% lower within the past month. PG currently has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
Looking at its valuation, PG is holding a Forward P/E ratio of 18.6. This represents a discount compared to its industry's average Forward P/E of 20.94.
We can also see that PG currently has a PEG ratio of 2.72. The PEG ratio is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but this metric also takes the company's expected earnings growth rate into account. The Soap and Cleaning Materials was holding an average PEG ratio of 2.96 at yesterday's closing price.
The Soap and Cleaning Materials industry is part of the Consumer Staples sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 242, putting it in the bottom 5% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
You can find more information on all of these metrics, and much more, on Zacks.com.
Asthma May Be Traced to Lack of Gut Bacteria in Babies
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I quite like this short fiction by Tyger Schonholzer- it has an unusual premise, which I won't reveal so that you can discover it for yourself, but feel free to discuss this in the comments.
I did not expect nineteenth century Vienna to be so filthy. The stench assailed me as soon as I stepped through the portal, gagging me and forcing tears from my eyes. I choked back a cough to keep from retching and sidestepped a puddle of horse urine and dishwater, clicking the heels of my lace-up boots on worn cobblestones. I had hoped to be dropped outside the city proper so I would have time to adapt, but my mission was urgent and the portal guards knew to take me as close to my object as possible. I did not come here for pleasure but to save a life.
I hurried along a wall of narrow buildings, ducked into a doorway just in time to avoid a splash of bath water from an upstairs balcony and pulled my stubborn skirts to my knees. Would I ever get used to this garb? And would I ever get used to the way men leered? I dropped my skirts and stepped out into the street with what I hoped was an aristocratic air. The men dropped their gazes.
I found his house at the next corner. A simple facade brightened by vigorously climbing wisteria led to a cobblestone courtyard. I gathered my courage and knocked on the heavy oak door. A servant answered.
I followed the maid up a staircase and through a dark corridor, unadorned with paintings of any kind. Ludwig did not entertain. We entered a large airy room, strewn with piles of papers and she bade me sit down. When I moved a stack to find room for my feet, I found scores upon scores of music, all written in his hand. What a treasure! I traced the notes lovingly with my fingers, resisting the urge to stuff the papers into my bag to preserve them for the afterworld. All would remain as it should. I had a mission.
My heart pounded in wild leaps when I heard him approach. My whole life I had been anticipating this moment, when past and future would meet and I would stand in the presence of his greatness. Would you blame me for being a Beethoven groupie?
A poem for Mozart written by Margaret Marshall in 1926.
Printed out a woodblock print of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In reading about him in ClassicComposers (Magna Books, 1993), I was surprised to learn he found himself in dire financial straits near the end of his life and was even buried in a common grave.
While he passed to his pauper's grave alone.
In their highest boughs the world rustles, their roots rest in infinity; but they do not lose themselves there, they struggle with all the force of their lives for one thing only: to fulfil themselves according to their own laws, to build up their own form, to represent themselves. Nothing is holier, nothing is more exemplary than a beautiful, strong tree.
Hermann Hesse, Bäume, Betrachtungen und Gedichte.
A wonderful piece of writing by Elan Mudrow on the voices of Nature.
A corset tells its story!
Victorian edition of essays and letters by Percy Bysshe Shelley.
Here is another marvellous find to add to my antique/vintage book collection- an 1886 edition of Mr Shelley's essays and letters. I found it in a charity bookshop who give books away for FREE!
Of course, I was very pleased to find this little gem! Some of the pages are loose, and have come away from the spine, so I am being careful with it. I shall look into the correct way to seal them back into the book- sellotape is a no no with antique books.
Mr Shelley was rather the revolutionary in his thinking for the times he lived in- a vegetarian and atheist, and so I assume whoever bought this book back in 1886 was rather liberal. I wonder who he/she was and where this book was bought, where it has been from 1886 until now- how many owners and readers has it had?
Below is Shelley's Declaration of Rights, written in Dublin, 1812. How pertinent some of these statements are for us today! And how sad that still, humankind is warring and discriminating against each other.
Man, whatever his country, has the same rights in one place as another- the rights of universal citizenship.
The government of a country ought to be perfectly indifferent to every opinion. Religious differences, the bloodiest and most rancorous of all, spring from partiality.
No man has a right to be respected for any other possessions but those of virtue and talents. Titles are tinsel, power a corruptor, glory a bubble, and excessive wealth a libel on its possessor.


text:
Museum prepares for new Egyptology gallery
Work on Bolton Museum's new tribute to ancient Egypt is set to start in December.
A new gallery, entitled Eternal Egypt, will be built in the museum's current art gallery, history centre and temporary exhibition gallery.
It will feature a full size reproduction of the burial chamber of Thutmose III as its centrepiece and depict Bolton's important links to ancient Egypt in a family-friendly and interactive exhibition.
In order for the work to take place, the museum – which is situated on the top floor of the building – will be closed to the public for the duration of the £3.5 million project.
The main closure will come into effect on Thursday, December 1, although the History Centre will close on Sunday, October 23.
History Centre services will reopen in Central Library on the ground floor on Monday, November 28and this will become its permanent home.
Visitors to the museum will be able to continue to enjoy exhibitions during the refurbishment in two new galleries to be created on the lower ground floor, next to the Aquarium which will be open as normal.
An Animals and Us exhibition will be created in Lecture Theatre Two and feature a broad selection of the museum collections.
The family-friendly exhibition, opening on Saturday, December 3, will show how animals feature in all aspects of our lives, including religion, sport, entertainment and fashion.
The museum's art collection will be represented in a new exhibition, also on the lower ground floor, to open on Saturday, December 10.
Entitled Making Landscape, the exhibition will feature a selection from 1778 – 2016, including stunning 18th century watercolours to contemporary photographs.
School visits to the museum will continue to operate while the work is ongoing and a new programme of events will be publicised nearer the time.
Families are invited to the museum's final Super Saturdays prior to the refurbishment, on October 29 and November 26. Activities are free from 11am to 3.30pm.
The Leader of Bolton Council, Cllr Cliff Morris, said: "As one of the top tourist attractions in Greater Manchester, the museum is extremely popular with young and old alike so we've put a lot of thought into how we can maintain visitors' interest during the refurbishment.
"As well as two new exhibitions, there'll be a whole programme of family-friendly activities incorporating some fresh ideas. There will undoubtedly be a period of disruption but it will be well worth it.
"The project will enable us to undertake essential maintenance work at the same time as creating an exciting new Egyptology for future generations to enjoy."
It is anticipated the museum will reopen to the public in 2018.
To keep up to date with what's happening at Bolton Library and Museum Services, follow them on Twitter @BoltonLMS or like their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/BoltonLibraryandMuseumServices/.
boltonbolton councilbolton library and museum servicesbolton liveeternal egypt
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text:
Vertex Buffer Object (VBO, «объект буфера вершин») — особенность OpenGL, обеспечивающая методы выгрузки данных (вершин, вектора нормали, цветов, и так далее.) в видеоустройство для не оперативного режима рендеринга. VBO дали существенный прирост производительности над непосредственным режимом визуализации, в первую очередь, потому что данные находятся в памяти видеоустройства, а не в оперативной памяти и поэтому она может быть отрендерена непосредственно видеоустройством.

Спецификация Vertex Buffer Object была стандартизирована OpenGL Architecture Review Board как OpenGL версии 1.5 (в 2003). Схожая функциональность была доступна до стандартизации VBOs через расширения Nvidia «Vertex Array Range» и ATI «Vertex Array Object».

Основные функции VBO
Следующие функции составляют основу доступа и манипуляций к VBO:

 В OpenGL 1.4:
 GenBuffersARB(sizei n, uint *buffers)
 Создает n новых VBO и возвращает их ID номера как unsigned integer. Id 0 зарезервирован.

 BindBufferARB(enum target, uint buffer)
 Использует ранее созданный буфер как активный VBO.

 BufferDataARB(enum target, sizeiptrARB size, const void *data, enum usage)
 Выгружает данные в активный VBO.

 DeleteBuffersARB(sizei n, const uint *buffers)
 Удаляет указанные VBO из массива или VBO id.

 В OpenGL 2.1:, OpenGL 3.x и OpenGL 4.x, суффикс ARB у функций можно опустить:
 GenBuffers(sizei n, uint *buffers)
 Создает n новых VBO и возвращает их ID номера как unsigned integer. Id 0 зарезервирован.

 BindBuffer(enum target, uint buffer)
 Использует ранее созданный буфер как активный VBO.

 BufferData(enum target, sizeiptrARB size, const void *data, enum usage)
 Выгружает данные в активный VBO.

 DeleteBuffers(sizei n, const uint *buffers)
 Удаляет указанные VBO из массива или VBO id.

Пример на Си и OpenGL 2.1
//Инициализация VBO - делается единожды, при старте программы
//Создание переменной для хранения идентификатора VBO
GLuint triangleVBO;

//Вершины треугольника (в обходе против часовой стрелки)
float data[] = {1.0, 0.0, 1.0, 0.0, 0.0, -1.0, -1.0, 0.0, 1.0};

//Создание нового VBO и сохранение идентификатора VBO
glGenBuffers(1, &triangleVBO);

//Установка активности VBO
glBindBuffer(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, triangleVBO);

//Выгрузка данных вершин в видеоустройство
glBufferData(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, sizeof(data), data, GL_STATIC_DRAW);

//Рисование треугольника из VBO - происходит каждый раз, когда окно, точка обзора или данные изменяются
//Устанавливаем 3 координаты каждой вершины с 0 шагом в этом массиве; тут необходимо
glVertexPointer(3, GL_FLOAT, 0, NULL);

//Сделать новую VBO активным. Повторите это, в случае изменения с инициализации
glBindBuffer(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, triangleVBO);

//Данный массив содержит вершины(не нормалей, цвета, текстуры и т.д.)
glEnableClientState(GL_VERTEX_ARRAY);

//Рисование треугольника, указывая количества вершин
glDrawArrays(GL_TRIANGLES, 0, sizeof(data) / sizeof(float) / 3);

//Указание отобразить нарисованное немедленно
glFlush();

Пример на Си и OpenGL 3.x или OpenGL 4.x
Функция, которая может прочитать любой текстовый или двоичный файл в байтовый буфер:
/*       Функция для чтения текстового файла в выделенный буфер char       */
char* filetobuf(char *file)
{
    FILE *fptr;
    long length;
    char *buf;

    fptr = fopen(file, "rb"); /* Открываем файл для чтения */
    if (!fptr) /* Возвращаем NULL в случае ошибки */
        return NULL;
    fseek(fptr, 0, SEEK_END); /* Находим конец файла */
    length = ftell(fptr); /* Вычисляем размер файла в байтах */
    buf = malloc(length+1); /* Выделяем буфер на единицу больше для файла и нулевого указателя */
    fseek(fptr, 0, SEEK_SET); /* Переходим обратно на начало файла */
    fread(buf, length, 1, fptr); /* Считываем содержимое файла в буфер */
    fclose(fptr); /* Закрываем файл */
    buf[length] = 0; /* Ставим нулевой указатель в качестве метки конца буфера */

    return buf; /* Возвращаем полученный буфер */
}

Вершинный шейдер:
/*----------------- "exampleVertexShader.vert" -----------------*/

#version 150 // Указываем версию GLSL, которую мы используем.

// in_Position была связана с атрибутом с индексом равным 0 ("shaderAttribute")
in  vec3 in_Position;

void main(void)
{
    gl_Position = vec4(in_Position.x, in_Position.y, in_Position.z, 1.0);
}
/*--------------------------------------------------------------*/

Fragment Shader:
/*---------------- "exampleFragmentShader.frag" ----------------*/

#version 150 // Указываем версию GLSL, которую мы используем.

precision highp float; // Драйверы видеокарты требуют это для следующей строки чтобы функционировать должным образом

out vec4 fragColor;

void main(void)
{
    fragColor = vec4(1.0,1.0,1.0,1.0); //Устанавливаем цвет каждого фрагмента в белый
}
/*--------------------------------------------------------------*/

Основная программа OpenGL:
/*--------------------- Основная программа OpenGL ---------------------*/

/* Создаем переменную для хранения VBO идентификатора */
GLuint triangleVBO;

/* Это имя программы шейдера */
GLuint shaderProgram;

/* Эти указатели будут получать адреса в памяти исходных кодов шейдера */
GLchar *vertexSource, *fragmentSource;

/* Эти переменные используются для шейдеров */
GLuint vertexShader, fragmentShader;

const unsigned int shaderAttribute = 0;

const float NUM_OF_VERTICES_IN_DATA=3;

/* Вершины треугольника (направление обхода: против часовой стрелки) */
float data[3][3] = {
                                           {  0.0, 1.0, 0.0   },
                                           { -1.0, -1.0, 0.0  },
                                           {  1.0, -1.0, 0.0  }
                                       };

/*---------------------- Инициализация VBO - (делается единожды, при запуске программы) ---------------------*/
/* Создание нового VBO и использование переменной "triangleVBO" для сохранения VBO id */
glGenBuffers(1, &triangleVBO);

/* Делаем новый VBO активным */
glBindBuffer(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, triangleVBO);

/* Выгружаем данные в видеоустройство */
glBufferData(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, NUM_OF_VERTICES_IN_DATA * 3 * sizeof(float), data, GL_STATIC_DRAW);

/* Указываем что наши данные координат в индексе атрибутов, равный 0 (shaderAttribute), и содержат 3 числа с плавающей точкой на вершину */
glVertexAttribPointer(shaderAttribute, 3, GL_FLOAT, GL_FALSE, 0, 0);

/* Включаем индекс атрибутов, равный 0 (shaderAttribute), как используемый */
glEnableVertexAttribArray(shaderAttribute);

/* Делаем новый VBO активным */
glBindBuffer(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, triangleVBO);
/*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/

/*--------------------- Загрузка Vertex и Fragment из файлов и их компиляция --------------------*/
/* Читаем код шейдеров в соответствующие выделенные динамически буферы */
vertexSource = filetobuf("exampleVertexShader.vert");
fragmentSource = filetobuf("exampleFragmentShader.frag");

/* Назначаем нашим обработчикам "имена" для новых объектов шейдера */
vertexShader = glCreateShader(GL_VERTEX_SHADER);
fragmentShader = glCreateShader(GL_FRAGMENT_SHADER);

/* Объединяем буферы исходных кодов шейдеров с соответствующими обработчиками */
glShaderSource(vertexShader, 1, (const GLchar**)&vertexSource, 0);
glShaderSource(fragmentShader, 1, (const GLchar**)&fragmentSource, 0);

/* Освобождаем ранее выделенную память */
free(vertexSource);
free(fragmentSource);

/* Компилируем наши коды шейдеров */
glCompileShader(vertexShader);
glCompileShader(fragmentShader);
/*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/

/*-------------------- Создание программы шейдера, присоединение шейдера к ней и линковка ---------------------*/
/* Назначим нашей программе обработчику имя */
shaderProgram = glCreateProgram();

/* Присоединяем наши шейдеры к программе шейдера */
glAttachShader(shaderProgram, vertexShader);
glAttachShader(shaderProgram, fragmentShader);

/* Связываем индекс атрибута, равный 0, (shaderAttribute) с in_Position*/
/* "in_Position" будет представлять массив данных в вершинном шейдере*/
glBindAttribLocation(shaderProgram, shaderAttribute, "in_Position");

/* Линкуем программу шейдера */
glLinkProgram(shaderProgram);
/*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/

/* Установка нашей программы шейдера активной */
glUseProgram(shaderProgram);

/* Установка заднего фона черным */
glClearColor(0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0);

/* Очистка цветом заднего фона */
glClear(GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT);

/* Рисование треугольника, передаются вызовом glDrawArrays номера вершин
   говоря, что наши данные треугольники и мы хотим нарисовать вершины 0-3
*/
glDrawArrays(GL_TRIANGLES, 0, 3);
/*---------------------------------------------------------------*/

См. также
 GLSL

Примечания

Ссылки
 Vertex Buffer Object Whitepaper

OpenGL

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


...spotted the flaw in that sentence! When was anything ever so designed that we could all agree on it? And the Common European Framework (CEF) for languages is no different. Its aim is admirable: By providing a common basis for the explicit description of objectives, content and methods, the Framework will enhance the transparency of courses, syllabuses and qualifications, thus promoting international co-operation in the field of modern languages. The provision of objective criteria for describing language proficiency will facilitate the mutual recognition of qualifications gained in different learning contexts, and accordingly will aid European mobility. And for my own part I find it a useful approach as I will explain later. But needless to say, not everybody shares that view. By outlining it here, perhaps I can encourage others to explore it and form their own opinion.
C: Proficient User (C1Effective Operational Proficiency, C2 Mastery).
These levels are explained by broad definitions; thus, B2 Vantage, for example is described as follows: Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialisation. Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party. Can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.
They are further dissected to give outlines of what is needed in skills performance at each level.
One interesting feature of the CEF is that it recognizes the validity of several different types of assessment, including self-assessment and provides reference grids by which learners can measure their attainment. Instead of simply jumping through examination hoops, learners can assemble a portfolio that bears witness to their achievement in a variety of ways.
• Can I predict the domains in which my learners will operate and the situations which they will have to deal with? If so, what roles will they have to play?
• What sort of people will they have to deal with?
• What objects will they need to refer to?
• What tasks will they have to accomplish? • What themes will they need to handle?
• Will they have to speak, or simply listen and read with understanding?
• What sort of things will they be listening to or reading?
• Under what conditions will they have to act?
• What knowledge of the world or of another culture will they need to call on?
• What skills will they need to have developed? How can they still be themselves without being misinterpreted?
• For how much of this can I take responsibility?
• If I cannot predict the situations in which the learners will use the language, how can I best prepare them to use the language for communication without over-training them for situations that may never arise?
• What can I give them that will be of lasting value, in whatever different ways their careers may later diverge?
• How can language learning best contribute to their personal and cultural development as responsible citizens in a pluralist democratic society?
This checklist can be used in tandem with the information provided on the various domains of language use, so that the teacher has a clear template for lesson planning.
This entry was posted at 10:13 AM.


text:
Compelling copy. Measurable results. On time. On budget.
From Where I Sit
New Heights, New Horizons
Proctor's – On and Off-Stage
Stories that Dance
The Phenom of State Street
Web Content for Kintz Plastics
About Thom O'Connor
Inching to Schenectady
Sunday, 25 July, 2010 09:50 Written by Thom O'Connor
Even as I make progress in inching my way toward Schenectady (see this space, Monday, July 17: New Heights, New Horizons: Another corner to be turned), each day brings new challenges.
Roseanne Roseannadanna, a recurring "Saturday Night Live" (now "SNL") character created by the late Gilda Radner, may have said it best: It's always something.
Last Wednesday, for example, while catching up with laundry after work, my aging clothes washer surrendered in mid-cycle. After shopping the next day for a new one, my car, albeit used, would go only in reverse. I got to balance my checkbook while waiting for the tow truck -– and solidified plans to power wash my house the next day, as suggested by the realtor for better curb appeal.
Earlier today, I dropped off a $400 deposit toward the replacement of a 60 x 68-inch insulated "picture" window. Still not knowing how, the concentrated stream from the power-washer broke the seal and enabled water to flow between the large panes of glass overlooking the lake. Before leaving for work, I hired someone to meet the workers who will assess the full damage and set up an appointment to replace the window.
I try to put all this in perspective -– without thinking too much -– as I drive from Richmondville to Schenectady. I mutter notes to self into my tape recorder between sips of milked, artificially sweetened iced coffee with a double shot of espresso. I know that after a few minutes, a few dozen email messages, a team meeting and a dash of returned calls, I will leave work and head to the Schenectady Farmer's Market at City Hall. With an eye on the time, I then will sit and relax for a few minutes at the spirit-lifting Jazz on Jay, free lunchtime music series.
Each week this summer I have tried to make an appearance at both: first, stopping at the market to select something both fresh and natural for lunch and then continue on to select a seat at the jazz event. I have seen many of the musicians at former Art Night at Proctors presentations. In fact, I spend most of my Art Night time sitting in front of them in Proctors Robb Alley. They are uniformly excellent and represent some of
the finest musical talent in the Capital Region -– and even the Northeast.
As I approach the chairs loosely assembled on Jay Street, a group of tourists asks "where's the concert?" Another group asks about the market. As former concierge of Howe Caverns information booth, I oblige both by pointing and a smile.
I find a seat and look around. I wonder why more people who live in the Capital Region, and especially in Schenectady, do not attend these always professional, involuntary foot-tapping, head-swaying sessions. The area is clean, inviting, and informal. One can bring or purchase lunch to enjoy while listening. The area is handicapped accessible. A puzzle.
Checking my watch, I start back to work — but not before running into Books and Pieces secondhand bookshop at 173 Jay. A purchase of two books leads to a short conversation with owner George Morris. He, too, has noted the modest crowds for such an inviting event. He suggests it may be the construction under way at State Street and Jay. "I think when it is completed, the resurgence of this area will continue," he says.
The building to which he refers is directly across the street from Proctors. We watch its progress from staff meetings in the boardroom that overlooks the workers and the site.
This initiative, when coupled with the recent sale of Key Bank's State Street facility to Proctors, the arrival of the NBT Financial Center and branch, the opening of SEFCU, the debut of a beautifully appointed and spacious YMCA and the expansion of CVS in the same complex – coupled with last month's opening of the Price Chopper/Golub Corporation's new headquarters building nearby — are sure to bring a flood of new people and fresh energy and ideas to the area.
These things are more important to me now than ever. Each week that I get closer to putting my house on the market, I also get closer to seeking future asylum in my yet-to-be-found Schenectady residence. Will it be in the heart of downtown? The Stockade? On Upper Union? Time will tell.
In the meantime, I'm keeping my eyes as wide open as my checkbook allows as I approach what may be the end of an era for me, and the start of an unfolding epic in Schenectady.
Rather than wait, I intend to play a pro-active part in the unfolding of the new Schenectady. Care to join me?
Writer-editor-publicist Thom O'Connor is president of Thom O'Connor Marketing Communications, Inc., and Creative Solutions. After living and working in the New York City area for many years, he resides in Richmondville –- for now.
In Praise of Three Schoharie County Seamstresses
On Coming to Cobleskill
Proctors: The Phenom of State Street
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Italian Early Renaissance Painter, 1445-1510 Italian painter and draughtsman. In his lifetime he was one of the most esteemed painters in Italy, enjoying the patronage of the leading families of Florence, in particular the Medici and their banking clients. He was summoned to take part in the decoration of the Sistine Chapel in Rome, was highly commended by diplomatic agents to Ludovico Sforza in Milan and Isabella d Este in Mantua and also received enthusiastic praise from the famous mathematician Luca Pacioli and the humanist poet Ugolino Verino. By the time of his death, however, Botticelli s reputation was already waning. He was overshadowed first by the advent of what Vasari called the maniera devota, a new style by Perugino, Francesco Francia and the young Raphael, whose new and humanly affective sentiment, infused atmospheric effects and sweet colourism took Italy by storm; he was then eclipsed with the establishment immediately afterwards of the High Renaissance style, which Vasari called the modern manner, in the paintings of Michelangelo and the mature works of Raphael in the Vatican. From that time his name virtually disappeared until the reassessment of his reputation that gathered momentum in the 1890s Related Paintings of Sandro Botticelli :. | Nobilo St. Maas three miracles | ANtonio del Pollaiolo Hercules and the Hydra | Miracles of Saint Zenobius | Madonna in Adoration of the Christ Child | Mystic Nativity |
Leopold Kowalsky
French 1856-1931
Adrian Scott Stokes
RA (1854-1935) was an English landscape painter. Born in Southport, Lancashire, he became a cotton broker in Liverpool, where his artistic talent was noticed by John Herbert RA, who advised him to submit his drawings to the Royal Academy. He entered the Royal Academy Schools in 1872 and exhibited at the Academy from 1876. In that year went to France where he lived for 10 years, settling back in England in 1886, at Carbis Bay and joining the artists' colony at St Ives. Adrian Stokes was a landscape painter, concerned most with atmospheric effects, and later with decorative landscapes. He was the author of 'Landscape Painting' (1925). He became ARA in 1909 and RA in 1919, won medals at the Paris Exhibition and Chicago World Fair (1889), became first President of the St Ives Society of Arts (1890) and Vice President of the Royal Watercolour Society (1932). He married Marianne Preindlesberger of Graz, Austria, in 1884, while living in France. She became a well known artist under her married name of Marianne Stokes. An obituary of Adrian Stokes was published in The Times Monday 2 December 1935
garibaldi lindberg
1863-1957,modellstudie. nationalmuseum


The Willowick community has had a long, proud tradition of being a wonderful place to spend a lifetime. Our 15,000 residents will be the first to tell of their faith, their families, and their friends in Willowick. With our slogan of "Great Living on a Great Lake," we have redefined our city as a waterfront community. The new Larimar development on the shoreline is certainly one of the most exciting additions to the south shore of Lake Erie.
The Shoregate Town Center is a shopping and commercial hub for the city. Two upscale housing developments have provided our residents the opportunity to move up without moving out.
Our churches and the religious communities have long provided a spiritual environment for residents of all ages and faiths. Royalview Elementary and Willowick Middle School have served as excellent learning environments for our children. Their reputations are well-known and well-deserved.
Perhaps the greatest attribute of the Willowick community is its people. Having a reputation as welcoming and friendly, Willowick residents of all ages take pride in their community and care deeply about their city and their neighbors. The Recreation Department in Willowick is nothing less than amazing, with its leisure opportunities enhancing the quality of life for all of our generations.
In 1796, a treaty was established with the Iroquois substantiating the Connecticut Land Company's title to the Western Reserve east of the Cuyahoga River. In 1804, the area now know today as Willowick was incorporated into a new county (Geauga), which included all of Portage, Ashtabula and Lake Counties. In 1810, the Willowick area and all of Lake County west of Mentor became part of Cuyahoga County. It wasn't until 1840 that Lake County was created out of portions of Geauga and Cuyahoga Counties, at which time Willowick transferred from Cuyahoga County to the new Lake County.
In 1921, the first area of mass home construction in the City was started and was advertised as Vinewood Beach. This area included Glen Arden Drive, Parkland Drive, West Lake Drive, Glenwood Drive and Lakeland Drive. The City's greatest period of growth occurred from 1946 to 1959.
In 1950, Willowick celebrated its 25th anniversary as a village (population 3,677). At that time, the City purchased the old Nike site which then became Manry Park. In 1954, Shoregate Shopping Center opened on the site of a former golf course. And in 1957, the Ohio Secretary of State officially declared Willowick a city.
By 1962, Willowick's population had grown to 21,237 people. At the time the current Community Center was built in 1970, Willowick's population was 17,834. In 1976, the Willowick City Hall complex at 30435 Lakeshore Boulevard was built at a cost of $2 million. In 1997, Willowick celebrated its 40th anniversary as a chartered city, and in 2002, the City had a population of 14,361.
The city is a residential community situated on the shores of Lake Erie in Lake County 15 miles east of downtown Cleveland, Ohio. The city's land use area is approximately 1.75 square miles. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the City has a population of 14,171 residents.
The community has an intrastate freeway system (S.R. 2) near its southern boundary and connects to Interstate 90 to the west. The City has approximately 77 miles of local roads, 83 miles of storm sewers and 64 miles of sanitary sewers traversing the city.
The majority of the 6,272+ housing units are 1- and 2-story single-family residential units. However, there are two high-rise apartment buildings and several low-rise apartment complexes located on the northern and southern edges of the City. A new 50-unit senior apartment complex opened in 2016.
The City is a part of the Willoughby-Eastlake Public School District and has two public school buildings inside its boundaries: Royalview Elementary School and Willowick Middle School.
The City has two recreational park facilities (Dudley and Manry) with a variety of amenities including athletic fields and two swimming pools. A wide variety of programs are provided for City residents. Lakefront Park which is leased to and managed by the Lake Metroparks system overlooks Lake Erie and is situated next to City Hall.


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Patrick Forest Contest - Rules
Contest PATRICK FOREST AND CENTRE DU RASOIR
OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES, "PATRICK FOREST AND CENTRE DU RASOIR" - PRESENTED BY CENTRE DU RASOIR/PERSONAL EDGE (the "Contest Organizers")
The "PATRICK FOREST AND CENTRE DU RASOIR" contest will run from February 1, 2021 at 9h00m00s (HNE) until February 14, 2021 at 23h59m59s (HNE)
HOW TO PARTICIPATE TO THE CONTEST
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Instagram participation
1.To enter the Contest, during the Contest Duration, go to @tpatforest Instagram page, follow her account and the Centre du Rasoir Instagram page and identify in a comment under the Contest post one (1) of your Instagram friend who would like to win this product. Like the publication. By proceeding as aforementioned, you represent that you have read and accepted these Contest rules and you release the Instagram platform with respect to this Contest. Once this is done, you will be get one (1) entry into the Contest. Your entry will be only be valid for the corresponding current Contest period.
2. On comment = One entry. Fraudulent entries are not tolerated and will be declared invalid. All entries which are incomplete, submitted through illicit means, or do not comply with the contest rules will be void. The odds of winning depend on the number of entries received.
3. One (1) Panasonic Silver 3-in-1 Hair, Beard & Body Rechargeable Trimmer (ERGB80S) valued at $139.99 CAD before taxes. The prize must be accepted as-is and is non-transferable, non-exchangeable, and non-refundable. Centre du Rasoir/Personal Edge reserves the right to substitute the prize with another prize of equal value in the event that it is not possible for them to offer the price as shown. The prize may differ slightly from that presented in the promotional literature. All incidentals not mentioned precisely are the responsibility of the winner.
4. The contest winner will be drawn from eligible entries in a draw to be held on February 15, 2021, at 09h00m00s EST. All contest entries must be received by the end of the contest on February 14, 2021 at 23h59m59s EST. The winners will be notified by his/her Instagram account.
5. In order to be declared the winner, the selected entrant must:
a. Be reached by private messaging on his/her Instagram account by Contest Organizers' representatives within two (2) business days of the draw corresponding to the Contest Period during which his/her entry was registered and respond to the prize notification by Instagram within 7 days of transmission.
b.The winner must give his/her personal information, including full name, postal and email address, phone number and date of birth.
c. Correctly answer, unaided, a time-limited, mathematical skill-testing question; and
d. Sign a declaration stating that he/she:
i. has read, understands and complies with the contest rules;
ii. releases and discharges Centre du Rasoir/Personal Edge, the contest organizers and their family members, and its subsidiaries and affiliates; and
iii. a) consents to the announcement of the winner's name and the use by or on behalf of Centre du Rasoir/Personal Edge and Patrick Forest of the winner's name, address, photograph, likeness, voice or statements for advertising and promotional purposes without any further compensation to the winner. In the event the selected entrant is a minor, the foregoing must be confirmed and accepted by a parent or legal guardian.
iii. b) the winner has the option to elect not consent to the announcement of the winner's name and the use by or on behalf of Centre du Rasoir/Personal Edge of the winner's name, address, photograph, likeness, voice or statements for advertising and promotional purposes without any further compensation to the winner. Winner must choose either iii.a or iii.b in its entirety.
Should the selected entrant fail to comply with any of the requirements set out in paragraph 6 the prize will be automatically forfeited and another entrant will be selected by random draw.
If for any reason whatsoever, the winner does not claim their prize, by February 22, 2021 at 09h00m00s (Eastern Time), the prize will be automatically forfeited and another winner will be drawn.
For the purpose of these Contest Rules, the entrant is the person whose is the authorized holder of the Instagram account used to participate in the Contest; it is to this person to whom the prize will be awarded if he/she is declared a winner.
Return of any prize notification private Instragram message as undeliverable may result in disqualification, and an alternate winner may be selected.
GENERAL CONDITIONS AND EXCLUSIONS
6. To be eligible to win the prize, the chosen winner must accept the prize upon receiving the notice and must confirm his/her mailing address within 7 days, if not, another person will be selected. Prize must be accepted as awarded and cannot be exchanged or refunded. The chances of winning depend upon the number of eligible entries received.
7. All eligible entries will be registered in the contest. Centre du Rasoir/Personal Edge will not, under any circumstances, be responsible for, or liable to any contest entrant or any other person for:
a.any erroneous, lost, damaged, late, incomplete, misdirected, deleted, defective, or altered contest entries, regardless of the cause;
b. any failure for any reason whatsoever of the selected entrant to receive a prize notification email;
c. any Instragram, computer, online, telephone, or technical malfunctions or errors that may occur, regardless of the cause; or
d. any damage or loss, including any loss of use, loss of production, loss of profits (anticipated or otherwise), loss of markets, economic loss, special, indirect or consequential loss or damage or punitive damages, whether in contract, tort or under any other theory of law or equity, arising from, connected with, or relating to the contest or the submission of entries to the contest or participation in the contest or the contest prize, or the use of the centredurasoir.com website (including the downloading of any materials from that website) and regardless of the cause or any negligence by Centre du Rasoir/Personal Edge or anyone for whom Centre du Rasoir/Personal Edge is responsible, and notwithstanding that Centre du Rasoir/Personal Edge may have been advised of the possibility of such loss or damage being incurred.
8. The contest is open to residents of Canada who have reached the age of majority in the jurisdiction in which they reside on the date of contest draw., with the exception of employees, agents and/or representatives of Centre du Rasoir/Personal Edge, or their affiliated companies, advertising agencies or any contributor to the Contest, as well as, respectively, any such person living with any employee, agent, Centre du Rasoir/Personal Edge, and/or representative or any members of their immediate family. For the purposes of the Contest Rules, "immediate family" implies fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, children, spouse or common-law partner of any employee, agent and/or representative. Where an entrant is a minor, a parent or legal guardian who has reached the age of majority in his or her jurisdiction of residence must confirm the entrant's acceptance of these rules. Any prize won by a minor must be awarded in the name of the parent or legal guardian.
9. By entering the contest, participants consent to Centre du Rasoir/Personal Edge's collection, use and disclosure of the personal information provided in the entry ballots for the administration of the contest and in aggregated, non-personal form in order to create reports regarding contest entrant demographics and consumer habits, which reports Centre du Rasoir/Personal Edge may disclose to others.
10. Centre du Rasoir/Personal Edge reserves the right, at their discretion, to take a picture of the winner and/or publish the winner's name and/or picture and/or written statement on social media as well as on their website without any further compensation to the winner.
11. Before entering the contest, each participant must examine and accept to be bound by the rules of the contest as stipulated in the present document. By entering the contest, the participants accept and agree to be bound by the rules of the contest and accept the decision of the contest sponsor as final and mandatory in all its aspects. Centre du Rasoir/Personal Edge reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to terminate, without notice, the contest before the end date of the contest.
12. If for any reason the contest is not capable of being conducted as intended by Centre du Rasoir/Personal Edge, including due to computer viruses, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other cause that corrupts or interferes with the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of the contest, Centre du Rasoir/Personal Edge may, at its sole discretion, disqualify any entrant responsible for such misconduct and cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the contest.
13. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEBSITE/INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT OR INTERFERE WITH THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS, AND CENTRE DU RASOIR/PERSONAL EDGE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES AND/OR OTHER RELIEF FROM ALL RESPONSIBLE PERSONS TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.
14. This Contest is not associated to, managed or sponsored by any social media platform, including Instagram application. Any question, comment or complaint regarding the Contest must be directed to the Contest Organizers and not to a social media platform. Any social media platform used by the entrant to enter the Contest and all affiliates, directors, officers, agents and employees of the social media platform are not liable for any claims arising out of or in connection with the organization of this Contest. However, by participating in this Contest, each entrant agrees to abide by the terms and conditions of use, contracts, other policies and/or guidelines governing the social media platform and releases the Released Parties from and against any damage that could arise from the use of this platform.
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On October 5, 2018, the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2018 (the "2018 Act") was signed into law. One of the more notable aspects of the 2018 Act is its change to 49 U.S.C. § 44112, the section of the Federal Aviation Act that concerns the liability of aircraft owners and lessors and persons with a financial interest in aircraft. By making two small changes to the language of 49 U.S.C. § 44112(b), section 514 of the 2018 Act expands the protections afforded to aircraft owners and lessors against liability for personal injury, death, and property damage caused by accidents.
Previously, 49 U.S.C. § 44112(b) provided that "[a] lessor, owner, or secured party is liable for personal injury, death, or property loss or damage on land or water only when a civil aircraft, aircraft engine, or propeller is in the actual possession or control of the lessor, owner, or secured party, and the personal injury, death, or property loss or damage occurs because of (1) the aircraft, engine, or propeller; or (2) the flight of, or an object falling from, the aircraft, engine, or propeller." Although this provision limits the liability of out-of-possession aircraft owners and lessors,1 some U.S. courts applying this provision relied on the phrases "on land or water" and "control" to conclude that out-of-possession aircraft owners and lessors with no operational control over the aircraft could still potentially be held liable under state tort law for damages caused by the aircraft.
For example, in Vreeland v. Ferrer, 2 the Florida Supreme Court ruled that 49 U.S.C. § 44112 did not preempt Florida's "dangerous instrumentality" law, pursuant to which an out-of-possession aircraft owner or lessor is liable for the negligence of the pilot operating the aircraft. The defendant in Vreeland was an aircraft owner that had leased the aircraft to another person for a one-year lease period. During the lease period, the aircraft crashed, killing the pilot operating the aircraft with the lessee's permission and the other individual on board. The estate of the deceased passenger sued the aircraft owner, among others, and argued that the owner was strictly liable under Florida law as the owner of a dangerous instrumentality. The aircraft owner argued, successfully in the lower courts, that federal law governing the liability of aircraft owners preempted Florida's dangerous instrumentality statute and precluded out-of-possession aircraft owners from being held liable for death caused by the aircraft. However, the Florida Supreme Court reversed the lower courts' preemption holding.
Section 514 of the 2018 Act eliminates the phrase "on land or water" from section 44112. By removing this language, Congress effectively overturned the Vreeland court's holding that federal law does not preempt state dangerous instrumentality laws. Accordingly, aircraft owners and lessors now have stronger grounds to argue that federal law precludes them from being held liable for damages caused by aircraft while not in their possession or control.
In addition to removing the geographical component of section 44112, section 514 of the 2018 Act qualifies that "control" means "operational control." Thus, as amended by section 514, 49 U.S.C. § 44112 provides that "[a] aircraft owner, lessor, or secured party is liable for personal injury, death, or property loss or damage only when a civil aircraft, aircraft engine, or propeller is in [their] actual possession or operational control . . . ." This change also is significant because, unlike the word "control," which some courts have construed broadly to include any legal rights or obligations with respect to the aircraft,5 the words "operational control" are specifically defined in the Federal Aviation Regulations. Specifically, 14 CFR § 1 defines "operational control" with respect to any flight as "the exercise of authority over initiating, conducting, or terminating a flight." This modification suggests that to establish that an aircraft owner or lessor is liable for an accident, there must be evidence that the aircraft owner or lessor exercised authority over the flight and evidence of indirect control may not be sufficient.
While it remains to be seen how courts will construe the new language of 49 U.S.C. § 44112, section 514 of the 2018 Act reflects Congress' efforts to provide greater protection from liability to out-of-possession aircraft owners and lessors.
1 The predecessor of section 44112(b), section 1404, was enacted in 1948 to shield security holders in aircraft from the vicarious liability they might otherwise incur under state law. At that time, several states had enacted the Uniform Aeronautics Act ("UAA"), which altered the common law rule that a bailor could not be held liable for the negligence of a bailee and provided that aircraft owners and lessors were absolutely liable for injuries to people and property on the ground caused by their aircraft while in flight. In addition to states that adopted the UAA, some states had laws governing "dangerous instrumentalities," which made non-operating owners vicariously liable for operator negligence.
2 71 So.3d 70 (Fla. 2011). The Vreeland case has been the subject of previous newsletters, including one that can be found on our website at: https://condonlaw.com/2011/09/lessor-liability-florida-supreme-court-limits-pre-emptive-effect-federal-ownerlessor-liability-statute-vreeland-v-ferrer-special-edition-fall-2011/.
5 See, e.g., Scollard v. Duncan Aviation, Case No. CI 02-2621, Order (Neb. Dist. Ct. Lancaster Cty. Oct. 10, 2003).


text:
Стража () — село в Болгарии. Находится в Смолянской области, входит в общину Смолян. Население составляет 93 человека.

Политическая ситуация
Стража подчиняется непосредственно общине и не имеет своего кмета.

Кмет (мэр) общины Смолян — Николай Тодоров Мелемов (Граждане за европейское развитие Болгарии (ГЕРБ)) по результатам выборов 2011 года, прежде кметом была Дора Илиева Янкова (Болгарская социалистическая партия (БСП)) по результатам выборов 2007 года в правление общины.

Примечания

Ссылки
 Статистика населения

Сёла Смолянской области


Everyone experiences stress from time to time and reacts to it differently. But did you know that too much stress can affect your health – and in particular, your heart?
The good news is that there are ways to tell when stress might be taking its toll and steps you can take to help manage it.
If you have a heart condition, it's understandable to feel stressed due to pending medical procedures, especially if those procedures carry a risk of serious complications. Even waiting for test results or researching your condition can be sources of stress. But it's important to manage how you are coping with it.
In the human body, stress sets off a chain of reactions. Your body releases adrenaline, which causes your heart rate and breathing to speed up and your blood pressure to rise. This can be a helpful response when you need a burst of energy to deal with an immediate situation.
But when stress is ongoing, your body remains in this high gear for an extended period, and that can affect your well-being. In addition to raising your blood pressure, which is not good for your heart, a lot of stress can cause headaches, ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome and other problems.
In addition, stress may lead to behaviors that increase your risk of a heart problem. Some people respond to stress by smoking, drinking alcohol, overeating, and being physically inactive. But these behaviors, too, can result in high blood pressure and damage to the walls of your arteries.
Scientists have known for a long time that stress can influence heart health. In 2017, a group of researchers found out how. They studied scans of the amygdala, which is the part of the brain associated with fear and stress, and found a connection between amygdala activity and cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke and heart failure.
Some people find that stress management classes help a great deal. You can find them offered at community colleges, cardiac rehabilitation programs, hospitals, or by calling a therapist in your area. A 2016 study found that adding stress management training to a standard cardiac rehabilitation program not only reduced the stress levels of the participants, but it also reduced their cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and angina by nearly half. Support groups are another option to help relieve stress when you share your concerns with others in similar circumstances.
If your concerns and stress are related to a specific procedure you are having, talk with your doctor. There may be information they can share or measures that can be taken to address the source of your concerns. For instance, the thought of having a stroke during or after a heart procedure can be very stressful. But in some cases, there may be ways to reduce the risk, such as using a cerebral embolic protection device during TAVR (transcatheter aortic valve replacement).
Some people take medicine to help calm down, but experts say it's better in the long run to learn to manage your stress. So the next time you feel signs of stress overload, take a few minutes to think about what you can do to control it. Your heart will thank you.
American Heart Association. Stress and Heart Health. Available at: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/StressManagement/HowDoesStressAffectYou/Stress-and-Heart-Health_UCM_437370_Article.jsp#. Accessed November 29, 2017.
American Psychological Association. Managing stress is key to improving heart health. Available at: http://www.apa.org/monitor/2016/12/managing-stress.aspx. Accessed November 29, 2017.
Cleveland Clinic. What is Stress? Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/stress-management-heart-health. Accessed November 29, 2017.
Dimsdale JE. Psychological Stress and Cardiovascular Disease. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2008 Apr 1; 51(13): 1237–1246.
Tawakol A, Ishai A, Takx R, et al. Relation between resting amygdalar activity and cardiovascular events: a longitudinal and cohort study. The Lancet. 11 January 2017, Volume 389, No. 10071, p834–845.


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"Pet Noir" Has Claws and Teeth!: PANTHERS PLAY FOR KEEPS, Clea Simon
Of the three mystery series that Clea Simon pens, my fave is the Pru Marlowe titles. Pru is an animal behaviorist and amateur sleuth with an uncomfortable ability that landed on her in the midst of dealing with a crime, a couple of titles ago: She can "hear" animals' comments in her mind. I know, it's a stretch -- yet Simon's tight plotting and the very believable conflicts that Pru gets into make it worth buying into the notion, and soon enough in the reading, it's just part of Pru's character. Which, I have to say, is that of someone I'd be honored to be friends with.
The trouble is, Pru's closest friend at this point is her sardonic cat Wallis, who rarely gives her a straight answer to anything (but clearly is a friend in spite of that). And her love interest, Detective Jim Creighton, apparently has finally taken no for an answer and is cuddling with a human shrink instead. That's especially a drawback because it reduces the chances that Creighton will support Pru as, once again, her animal-oriented career leads to discovery of a murder.
This time she's in the Berkshire (Mass.) woods, training a service dog, when the animal's reliable nose drags her to a corpse. And it's someone Pru has met: an immigrant working at the home where the service dog is destined to live, with a wealthy man who is going blind. As usual, she's way too connected to this crime. Too bad "her" detective isn't hers now.
Simon provides multiple motives and complications, and if PANTHERS PLAY FOR KEEPS isn't exactly the whisky-soaked, gun-toting, despairing sort of mystery that the term "noir" suggests, it's fast-moving, tough-minded, and full of cynical comments and questions that make total sense for a woman who has to hide her inner talent from even her closest human friends, for fear she'll get labeled insane and locked up, instead of the criminals.
Readers of the series will recognize -- and newcomers enjoy meeting -- the tough little dog whose nasty owner calls him Bitsy but who has let Pru, who exercises him, know he's actually Growler, a gruff and angry fellow who nevertheless knows all the animal gossip in the region, as well as a lot of people stuff. He advises Pru:
"We all have our leashes and collars." I nodded in silent agreement. "What you've got to ask yourself is how much would be too much. And how far ... " He was panting. "How far could jealousy push you?"
Whether Pru's love life or the crime is the point, how far has jealousy pushed the murderer? And what's with the totally unreliable evidence indicating a panther being involved in the killing? Panthers don't live in Massachusetts -- do they?
Simon plies her twin threads of investigation and the crises and tensions of an independent (but wants to be loved!) career woman, adds a generous dash of black humor, and provides a lively mystery with enjoyable pace and twists. I bought into all of it -- and the presence of an outrageously public bobcat in our neighborhood this past winter makes PANTHERS PLAY FOR KEEPS even more memorable!
Posted by Beth Kanell at 11:08 AM 3 comments:
Labels: amateur sleuth, Clea Simon, pet mysteries, Pru Marlowe, traditional
Constable Molly Smith Series: UNDER COLD STONE, Vicki Delany
Forget Italy, France, South Africa. Pick up a Vicki Delany mystery and rediscover what you might think was an ordinary sort of place: Canada. But in Delany's deft storytelling, this ever-wild nation comes alive in its particular places. Her much-loved Constable Molly Smith series is based in Trafalgar, British Columbia -- but in this seventh title, Smith and her mom Lucky (who is paired up with Smith's boss, an unlikely couple if ever there was one) dig into crime and crime-solving in the remarkable town of Banff, Alberta.
I have to confess, the official Banff/Lake Louise (Alberta) website has won my heart with such daring assertions as "They say Mother Nature loves all her children equally, but we're pretty sure we're her favorite." And then there's "You'll find relaxing can be wonderfully exhausting." That one might well apply to Lucky Smith, making her best effort to accept pampering at the "Banff Springs" luxury resort. Like the real luxury lodging in this prime resort (founded in 1885!), it's luxe, pricey, and an ideal location for her to savor a week away from her environmental activism lifestyle, with her partner, Chief Constable (of Trafalgar -- a mountain range distant) Paul Keller. While she's making the most of spa treatment and fine cuisine, her daughter -- a constable -- is trying to figure out how Mom made all those Canadian Thanksgiving dishes.
Yes, it's October, "shoulder season" for the resort, since the famous snow-pack isn't yet in place. That means the resort is almost affordable for Lucky and Paul. It also means there's a heavy dose of seasonal unemployment around the resort, as the ski trade isn't yet hiring.
Suddenly that's an issue in Lucky's lap, when she finds herself threatened in public by an out-of-work ski instructor, for the second time in two days. Except this time Paul is nearby, and in one of those coincidences that happen in real life even more often than in fiction, the scruffy menacing ski bum turns out to be Paul Keller's estranged ne'er-do-well son Matt. Not exactly a warm sense of family reunion, is it? Still, Lucky's willing to let father reconnect with son -- it just doesn't seem to be in the cards, though.
Until the wee hours of the next morning when Paul gets a phone call that ejects him from bed, while Lucky feels that familiar echo of panic for her constable daughter -- who isn't the one in trouble just now.
"Paul, please, tell me."
"That was Matthew. His roommate's dead."
"Why? How?"
"Matt says he got home, found the fellow dead."
"How awful." Lucky thrust her arms through her sweater.
"I'm going over there. You don't need to come." ...
Lucky looked Paul in the eye. "Then all the more reason for me to come. You're not going because you're a police officer. You're going because you're his father. You need me, Paul, even if your son doesn't."
When they arrive at the scene of what's clearly a murder, though, Matt has fled and is soon the main suspect for the crime. Under the circumstances, his dad isn't able to run the investigation, of course -- and Lucky's sensible first call is to summon her daughter, Constable Molly Smith.
So Delany sets up a fast-paced and complex interaction among three couples -- the missing Matt and his "white trash" diner-worker girlfriend, Lucky and Paul, and Paul's soon-arriving ex-wife and her wealthy new lover -- plus Molly herself, barely allowed to interact in her own Constable role.
Swiftly, the force of the plot lands among the women on hand: Molly, Lucky, ex-wife and Matt's mom Karen, and poignantly, the confused but devoted waitress Tracey, who's willing to help Matt at any cost, whether the murder is his fault or not. Add in a criminal network in town, and the uneasy alliance of investigators and victims, and the pace continues to accelerate, with threats coming from both likely and surprising quarters.
Although Constable Molly Smith's role is one of a handful of points of view here, Delany proves that it's both Smith''s insight and her willingness to push the boundaries of the investigation that ultimately lead toward the truth -- no matter how hard it may be to handle.
Posted by Beth Kanell at 10:22 PM No comments:
Labels: Alberta, British Columbia, Canada, Constable Molly Smith, crime fiction, mystery, Vicki Delany
Well Worth Reading: THE BONES OF PARIS, Laurie R. King
Laurie R. King's latest book came out in 2013 (she has another coming out this May, though -- author website here); it's THE BONES OF PARIS and I didn't rush to read it, knowing that her many fans would carry the book along, and at her level of the mysteries field, there are only a few publications whose word really matters in terms of how readers rush to purchase copies.
But I enjoy both strands of King's work -- her Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series, and her California police procedurals. So I made sure that my winter reading did include this one ... and it belongs to neither of those series, but instead is a sequel to Touchstone, which I fear I somehow missed reading (I'll catch up with it soon).
THE BONES OF PARIS fits into the era King's explored from so many directions in her Russell/Holmes books, thought, as it opens in the fall of 1929 with a missive that reaches Bennett Grey in England. Readers of the earlier book will know immediately why the letter and enclosed photos have been sent to Grey -- the rest of us will catch up slowly, as we begin to understand the strange catastrophes and losses that tie together the man in England and a missing-persons investigator, Harris Stuyvesant, whom we meet in the next chapter in the heat of Paris's end-of-summer season, struggling with consequences of his ratty lifestyle and emotional sloppiness, while also trying to earn a living among the "beautiful people" of the expatriate community in Europe. A lot of what's wrong for him, and what goes wrong as he investigates, can easily be blamed on his own choices.
Yet a lot of the twisted nature of the arts community he finds himself investigating is a consequence of two very large factors: the damage done in France by the Great War, and the rebellious efforts of artists at the time to shake up reality, confront death and disaster, refuse to settle for comfort or attachment. The Surrealists make up the characters as well as the setting for King's exploration and Stuyvesant's investigation. King's interweaving of art and despair, loyalty and fractured love, make this "crime novel" simultaneously a deep and layered novel of that extended hold-your-breath season between the two major European wars. And she is generous with hints of the oncoming hostilities, even as her characters insist on heavy drinking and partying in their slice of "peace."
If you've been reading Charles Todd, or Jacqueline Winspear, or Pat Barker's "Regeneration" trilogy, pick up THE BONES OF PARIS. It may also be a good fit for you if you're an Alan Furst fan. And if you stop now and then to think about madness and art, about how new ideas emerge from darkness, about how evil overtakes good and how death fascinates, and how poets become murderers ... Don't come for tea, please. But all of this is in King's crime novel, and it's a darned good read.
Posted by Beth Kanell at 5:26 PM No comments:
Labels: Bennett Gray, crime fiction, France, Harris Stuyvesant, Laurie R. King, mystery, Paris
Diversion: Poets Discussed with Insight and Barbed Tongue
Tuesday April 1, in addition to being a guaranteed "weather" day here in Vermont (we have SO many "April Fools" snowstorms and rain items and more), is the start of National Poetry Month. I promise not to overdo this, but a little poetry is good for the soul and I think can enrich the life and words of mystery writers ... maybe even a few readers.
At any rate, if there were suddenly a murder case in the poetry world to solve, it could well involve Peter Stitt, whose collection of critical essays in THE PERFECT LIFE emerged last fall in a solid little book (166 pages) from Tupelo Press. I think I've read the first essay three times now -- called "In Love Begins Responsibility," it starts with poet James Wright and Professor Stitt (who is the founding and ongoing editor of The Gettyburg Review), moves on to John Berryman, and provides the ground for Stitt to talk about what it means for him to be a survivor of his own (long-ago) suicidal longing. The images and ideas are so strong that -- truly -- I used them a few days ago in a set of high school presentations. Know how highly the praise is, when a work of literary criticism engages a 16-year-old, or several peers of said teen? Yes, the essay is that good.
But there's more to come in this startling packet of tight and intriguing critiques. Whether it's disclosing the (probably immoral) editorial "making pretty" done to Emily Dickinson's poems, the similar messing around with Robert Frost's lines, or the justification -- or not! -- for fictionalizing fact and playing with dialogue instead of reporting it, Stitt keeps piling up edgy insights, remarks, and questions. I would love to have been a student in his classrooms -- and would also hate it, because you can't tell, at least from his printed pages, which parts are his opinions, which are meant as barbed dinner-table conversation, and which are "truths" that could be kept and nurtured.
As I read and re-read, I felt as though I was part of the table gathering on one of those edgy late-night shows, scrambling for something possibly witty to add to the discussion ... and although that's not necessarily comfy, it's exhilarating, exciting, and memorable. If you've wondered how to convince someone that poetry and poets are far from boring, giving them a copy of THE PERFECT LIFE would be a great start.
And it sets up a wry, delightful way to enter National Poetry Month: skeptical, eager, and hungry for more. And oh yes, suspicious that some literary bloodletting might follow!
Labels: Gettysburg Review, literary criticism, Peter Stitt, poetry, Tupelo Press
Ghana Crime Fiction: Kwei Quartey Succeeds with Third Darko Dawson Investigation
Spring is emphatically arriving on the East Coast, even here in Vermont, where the snowpack is melting noisily, water pouring downhill, birds calling, deer tentatively coming out of the woods to see what plant life around the house and shop might sustain them a bit longer. We have Weather in wild variety and landscape that's "American classic" -- mountains, rivers, fields.
So it's a powerful contrast to step into MURDER AT CAPE THREE POINTS, the newest Darko Dawson investigation from Kwei Quartey, and migrate to the oceanfront, the hot sand-swept cities, the land of tribal tradition, omens, and malicious magic.
Detective Inspector Darko Dawson isn't quite ready for what he's suddenly responsible for solving: the murder of a wealthy married couple of significance, a case that's lingered for months without solution and that "belongs" to the police in Takoradi, on the coast. Dawson is part of a federal police force headquartered in Ghana's capital city, Accra -- and his boss says firmly that with the socially important family member of the victims, requesting federal intervention on the case, Dawson must leave immediately to tackle the cold case.
Few situations could show so quickly how little choice Dawson has: His young son Hosiah's cardiac surgery is barely a day into recovery, and Dawson and his family expect him on hand. But there is no way to decline the case without losing his job, and soon Dawson's on a State Transport bus to Takoradi, where -- without travel stipend or other support -- he's persuaded a relative to let him stay in an unfinished building. It's basic but workable; still, when his superintendent sends along an assistant (who happens to be the superintendent's nephew), the plush hotel lodgings that the assistant investigator receives throw into further perspective Dawson's perilous position. He's got to solve this case to maintain his own forward progress.
But what a case! Is there traditional magic involved? And is there significance to the location of the victims' bodies, in a canoe near an oil rig? Dawson juggles the facts as they emerge -- and for some of them, he has to handle the region's ladder of prestige and power, just to get the details:
His mind flitted over the events of the past two days like an undecided humming bird. Instinctively, he felt that the Smith-Aidoo murder had greater breadth and depth than any of his previous cases. Two corpses in a canoe adrift around a deep-sea oil rig, a severed head with an excavated eye socket, a nineteenth-century pocket watch with a scrawled inscription invoking blood ties. What did it all mean?
Kwei Quartey left Ghana after spending time in jail there for political protest, and became an American physician, still in practice in Southern California (more info here). Returning to visit Ghana as a prosperous adult, in 2008, he resumed connections with the west African nation. This is his third book featuring Detective Inspector Dawson -- the others are Wife of the Gods and Children of the Street. Reading MURDER AT CAPE THREE POINTS without the other two isn't a problem, as Quartey deftly brushes in the needed details ... but his protagonist is such a thoughtful and hard-working investigator that I think many readers will want to fill in the rest of the series for themselves. I'm not likely to have a chance to see Ghana in person, so I particularly appreciate being able to travel there in this way, through the eyes of an author who experiences multiple cultures, and a police officer who has reason to challenge his environment. I'm looking forward to more.
Labels: crime fiction, Darko Dawson, detective, Ghana, Kwei Quartey, Soho Crime
Crime Family Morality: Naples Crime Fiction from Jan Merete Weiss
When Jan Merete Weiss's debut crime novel, THESE DARK THINGS, emerged in 2011, it opened up a remarkable new area for Italian mystery, beyond the tender Venetian investigations of Donna Leon and Magdelen Nabb's classic Florentine series. Not only does Weiss's Captain Natalia Monte of the Carabiniere need to wrestle daily with the anti-women attitudes around her, inside her workplace and out on the street. But she also must find her way in an astoundingly immoral city, a location where the crime families of the Camorra control almost everything.
And in the remarkable second in Weiss's series, A FEW DROPS OF BLOOD, Natalia discovers the adult perspective on why the Camorra has risen to this strength, and why Naples accepts it: The deprivations of World War II and the long-lasting poverty of the region caused its people to embrace the paternal attentions of the wealthy criminals, whose code of morality included supporting widows, making sure churches had enough funds, even providing critical injections of cash for art museums.
Ah, art museums ... this is Natalia's forte. Before she found her way into the Carabiniere, she'd been an art history major, and her first crime-solving efforts dealt with art theft. But a quick mind, good choices, and well-solved cases have taken her much higher, now working with major crimes and regularly confronting murder. As A FEW CROPS OF BLOOD opens, Natalia receives her first female partner on the job, a Sicilian (surely that's a mark of survival, to have entered law enforcement in Sicily?), Carabiniere Angelina Cavatelli. Sure enough, Angelina is ready for investigations that call for probing organized crime and the histories of major families -- and, as Natalia quickly discovers, Angelina's brought on the job move, to her new home, her significant other ... a woman.
Since the first crime the pair tackle is a flashy and "artistically arranged" double murder of a pair of gay men (the bodies are found posed naked on a statue in a Contessa's garden), the new investigator has reason to worry that she's moved to a city where homophobia is even more dangerous than in Sicily. But Captain Natalia Monte -- familiar with the organizations involved, including an art museum -- can see more deeply into the situation.
And the fascination of this book is, Natalia's insight comes from growing up in Naples, with strong woman friends who straddle both sides of the law -- two in particular are so significant in the Camorra that Natalia's arch-enemy within her department scores points by surveilling Natalia and catching her at one of her regular get-togethers with crime wife Lola Nuovaletta and two other childhood friends.
But Weiss swiftly reveals that it's not the espionage within the department that Natalia has to worry about: It's her own divided sense of morality, as her loyalty to the strong, vivid, wonderful women in her life -- as well as an immature boyfriend -- carries her into doubting her ability to choose the "right" thing to do. And although she has a couple of strong mentors, she can't reveal all the details of her situation to either of them. It's going to be her shoulders that carry this weight.
I found the first couple of chapters awkward, but the plot is well twisted and compelling, and Captain Natalia Monte's actions and situations kept me eagerly turning the pages. We've seen (especially in war settings) plenty of crime fiction where men's friendships make the difference in survival of body and soul -- this is a rare new opportunity to women's bonds, both old-style and challenged, and to consider how they're adding richness to the landscape of investigation and values.
Way to go, Jan Merete Weiss!
The book won't be released until April 22, but considering how good this series already has become, I'd suggest pre-ordering a copy. I don't see an easy way to check on Weiss's planned author events, but she teaches in New York City and I'm hoping Soho Crime will boost her onto a tour, so we can all connect with her. I want to know more about this author; and definitely, I want to go explore "her" Naples, Italy.
Labels: Captain Natalia Monte, Italian mystery, Italy, Jan Merete Weiss, Naples, Soho Crime
Laura McHugh, THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD: Ozark Mountains Murder Mystery
THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD is a debut novel -- but you'll only know that from the outside of the book, where it says so. Inside it, between the covers, this is expert storytelling from a librarian, software developer, mom, and above all, prime novelist. Laura McHugh's emotionally wrenching suspense gives us two memorable women: Lucy Dane, just finishing high school, and her vanished mother, Lila. Each unfolds her experiences from first-person vantage -- and yet in McHugh's hands, this clarity still hides from us the darkness of some souls nearby. Take your cue from short-term high school art teacher Mr. Gerardi, who returned to Chicago without completing a semester of teaching in the town of Henbane. Obsessed with the many references to the devil in local place names, the teacher even focused on the town itself: "Henbane. Another name for nightshade -- the devil's weed. He's everywhere. He's all around you."
And indeed, the book opens with a death -- the death of Lucy's once best friend Cheri Stoddard, whose body has just been discovered. Lucy knows she wasn't the kind of BFF she should have been to Cheri. By not standing up for her friend, and not somehow preventing her death, Lucy's already failed her own self-standards.
But she's been handed a stacked deck and doesn't yet know it, as her dad never gave her the reak details of her mother's disappearance. Only as the counternarrative from Lila wraps around her daughters does the town's truly hellish characteristic appear: the power allowed to one twisted man who takes what he wants, including the innocence and freedom of whatever is lovely in this place.
And when Lucy's father warns her that there's evil nearby, he does it far too vaguely:
He stumbled around whatever he was trying to say. "Crete'll be looking out for you ... but you need to use your best judgment. You don't know what kind of folks you might run into up there, and ... you just need to mind your business and do your work and stay out of anything that don't concern you. And if anything makes you uncomfortable, let me know. I can give him some reason you gotta quit."
"What're you talking about?" I asked. I could tell he wasn't joking around, but I couldn't imagine what had him worried. "I'll be renting canoes and selling worms. It's not exactly dangerous."
But that's not true. And the danger is not the job itself, or even "stranger danger" -- it's as close as family and neighbors, and Lucy's father's decision to keep the details to himself leaves it up to Lucy to discover them. As did her mother before her.
Creepy, suspenseful, deeply human, and sustained by strands of loyalty, love, and friendship, the summer in front of Lucy is McHugh's many-layered portrait of a place, a community, a time, and the dangerous edge that some people continue to hone between men and beautiful women. In turn, it's Lucy's task to discover what happened to her mother -- and perhaps to save herself from repeating the same tragedy. But how will she know for sure, if nobody will tell her?
She'll find out. And so does the reader. McHugh sets it up so that every added scrap of the past revealed becomes another reason to follow Lucy, to whatever she can salvage for her life.
Labels: crime fiction, Laura McHugh, Missouri, murder, mystery
Lucy Burdette, MURDER WITH GANACHE, a Key West Food Critic Mystery
Things I loved about reading Lucy Burdette's fourth Key West Food Critic Mystery:
1. The Key West setting (it's snowing here! and I am determined to go visit Burdette's almost mythical location).
2. Newspaper writer, restaurant critic, and recipe tester Hayley Snow, an amateur sleuth who makes decisions that are smart and sometimes inspired -- and has the right kind of stubbornness to sit down with the somewhat out-of-balance kids at the local teen shelter to track a missing girl.
3. Visiting (on the pages) Ernest Hemingway's house and its feline residents -- more than once!
4. Deft handling of politics and persuasion within a local police force. It's not easy to be the amateur sleuth who keeps pushing for more investigations!
5. The recipes. Yes, it's true: the chocolate ganache recipe is in the back (that's cream + chocolate, mmm). But so is the one for the lime cupcakes that Hayley is making as the book opens, for the friend's wedding that's vulnerable to "issues" as crime steps in, and ... Nope, not going to spoil the plot. Get your own copy -- mine's acquiring some chocolate fragrance as I settle in to re-read certain choice pages (smile).
Thanks, "Lucy" -- a.k.a. Roberta Isleib. This was fun!
Posted by Beth Kanell at 3:58 PM 1 comment:
Labels: amateur sleuth, cozy mystery, Key West, Lucy Burdette, recipes, Roberta Isleib
English Mystery Series by Elly Griffiths: THE OUTCAST DEAD
This is the sixth Ruth Galloway mystery from Elly Griffiths, who earned a blurb from Louise Penny ("gripping"!) and won the 2010 Mary Higgins Clark Award. And THE OUTCAST DEAD just goes to show that there are always more good mysteries ahead to read, because ... this is the first time I've heard of the author and the series, but I definitely want to collect all the earlier books and go on reading these!
In some ways, Griffiths provides us with a bit of a replacement for Elizabeth Peters, because Ruth Galloway is an archaeologist. But Griffiths takes us into modern archaeology instead, opening with a ceremony at Norwich Castle to bless the bodies in the paupers' graves, the "outcast dead," that Galloway witnesses because of her curiosity and general sadness about those long-forgotten people on the edge of society. Not far away from them is Ruth's own exciting discovery, probably the body of the long-lost Mother Hook, a criminal whose exploits are part of local child-frightening lore. Hanged in 1867 for the murder of five children, Mother Hook (she has a primitive hook prosthetic replacing one hand) is an entirely unexpected discovery, a body outside the usual burial ground, undisturbed in all these years of maneuverings at the castle.
As the discoverer, Ruth, a relatively reserved and shy person (nerd might be accurate), has fallen into the toils of her boss, who is engineering a visit from a TV crew. And it looks like Ruth will have to take a major role in front of the camera. But at the same time, she's distracted when her close friend DCI Harry Nelson tackles the death of a child nearby, followed almost immediately by two child abductions where the criminal seems to be targeting women who use day care -- that is, who allow a "Childminder" into their lives.
Griffiths has a complex community to draw us into, where children are not just delivered to a "childminder" when parents work, but parenting itself is also shared among Ruth and her friends, whose children range from infants to teens. If I'd read the previous five books, I would have followed this a bit better, but it wasn't all that hard to catch up. Griffiths is expert in revealing the depth of character -- and the ready access she provides to Galloway's emotions and impulses makes the quick plot with its unexpected twists especially intriguing.
I'm also hooked on the terrain of this one -- flat lands near the beaches of eastern England. In Ruth Galloway's eyes, her landscape is layered with the history and stories of the people who've lived there centuries ago. And as she probes the evidence around her Mother Hook discovery and the added information coming from an attractive American professor visiting the scene, she looks in new ways at the complex relationship of parent, child, babysitter, and ... baby snatcher.
A good solid mystery with a lot of character. It hits American markets tomorrow (came out in January in the UK), and deserves a warm welcome.
Labels: archaeology, British, children, Elly Griffiths, English, kidnapping, mystery
Not Just French, but Parisian: New Aimée Leduc Investigation, MURDER IN PIGALLE
Cara Black takes us to one neighborhood of Paris after another, each the focus of one book in her Aimée Leduc investigations. This is the fourteenth, and the action involves the district of Pigalle -- nightclubs, bars, the kind of entertainment you don't want your kids knowing about (and maybe not your mom either, if you're not French!). So there's a double irony that Leduc's sleuthing keeps taking her back to this sketchy neighborhood, after dark, in the search for Zazie, the 13-year-old daughter of one of Leduc's friends. It's an investigation with urgency, because Zazie (what a kid!) has been following Aimée Leduc's example, trying to investigate a serial rapist who's terrorizing the neighborhood and a genuine threat Zazie's own peers. Has her "snooping" (complete with taking photos) made her a threat to a seasoned criminal? As the hours tick past, Aimée is increasingly sick at heart, knowing that kidnappers and molesters who hold a child longer are much less likely to release that child.
Complicating Leduc's trademark pavement-trotting in kitten heels and stylish clothing is her own condition: pregnant. She's got the world's longest lasting case of morning sickness, an obvious bulge on her belly, medical appointments to keep (with her assistant sleuth René backing her up, making suggestions about food and baby names and childbirth), and her emotions about "the Bump" are calling up new reactions to a missing child and danger to other girls. And then there's the matter of the baby's father. But that's too complicated to handle during this investigation, yes? No?
Black's Paris is full of energy and enthusiasm, as well as crime and love, and with Aimée Leduc, the most obvious choices are often half thought through, in the rush to uncover evidence, find a trail, do something, now! The combination of threats in MURDER IN PIGALLE drives the plot at breakneck speed -- for me, this is the best Aimée Leduc investigation yet!
Of course, there are a few threads left dangling for the next book (smile). But all in all: a lively and highly satisfying (and very Parisian!) mystery!
PS -- It's from Soho Crime. Of course!
Labels: Aimée Leduc, Cara Black, crime fiction, France, mystery, Paris
Diversion: Leland Kinsey, WINTER READY (Vermont Poet)
Every now and then, I review some poetry -- and as we race toward April, which is National Poetry Month, I'm reading and thinking about poems in between crime novels. (I'll write about those this evening, too, but separately.)
You know about the "localvore" movement in food, yes? Green Writers Press in Brattleboro, Vermont, is applying the same ideas to books: gathering regional authors, "giving voice to writers who will make the world a better place," and designing, printing, and marketing their books "at home" -- in Vermont. Dede Cummings, designer and publisher, sent me an advance copy of her newest offering, being released on March 20, and it's a gem: WINTER READY, a 96-page book of poems from Vermont poet Leland Kinsey.
I grew into my Vermont boots just up the road from Lee, and his retired-teacher mom hosted a playgroup where my children learned to love Rice Krispie bars, and to take turns with other kids. But I didn't really know Lee, other than to say hello, and even though we cross paths in the poetry world, I still don't know him well -- he's a private person, and I'm not one to push.
Which makes it especially pleasing that in WINTER READY, Leland Kinsey opens both the natural world and an interior landscape of exploring, testing, and sometimes grieving. He presents forms that have the wind-urged "give" of barn walls: lined up straight along the beams, but slowly swaying a bit, and with spaces where a board's been pulled for a view, now that the cows don't need care. Swallows fly past your face; owls speak; oldtimers give half a story, expecting you to work out the rest.
There are rhythms in here, the quiet rhythms of spoken speech, of narrative -- the lines break the light into emphasis on small details, but there's nothing forced. I found in here a sense of empty nesting: of examining who we are once the kids are grown and gone, once the barn is empty, once the older relatives who needed us have slipped away. I clipped the obituary from the local paper when Lee's father passed on, last year, but that's not at the heart of this book -- in spite of a clever poem at the end that salutes him. Instead, there are gardens -- the ones at the end of a harvest season -- and trees that outlive their time, and woods that overtake open spaces, teasing you into thinking you've remembered the wrong place, when actually the foundation or cabin is in front of you, just overgrown.
"Double Digging the Garden" catches a lot of this, contemplating the process of putting the garden to bed by digging in nutrients and turning the soil, where so much has grown:
My wife and I now have way too much
of all of this. Our children are gone.
Pets, large and small, which used to consume the extra
have long since died.
But the work remains, and the seasons pull the work into place again, again. The poet comments at the end,
Each summer I bring friends out
to note and share the display and produce.
Here is life's habit on grand exhibit
and the hard work hidden.
Many of the poems name birds or plants in exquisite detail, and I felt the urge to read the lines aloud to a group of grade-school kids who might not know the species but would hang on the sounds of the species. "Naming without revealing," I jotted down for myself, thinking about the way Lee allows the creatures to pass by, whether on the page or in the cranberry bog.
Some phrases caught my inner ear and lodged there, ringing: "ended his lovely trouble," "when I glass them," "I damp soil for" -- and as I grew into the phrasing, I found some marvelous endings, to "Horseshoeing" ("But any path to or through / the past is an icy road, / whatever the pace, / distorted by speed") and to "Quebec City Boardwalk" ("the unmeasured plainchant / of these ordinary wonders / plays on").
The poem I know I'll be most looking forward to re-reading each time I pick up this collection again will be "Deer Camp," a war poem of sorts that begins, "The drive in is long / over bad logging roads gone worse." I hope to read this one aloud to a friend soon -- and I shall let my "older self" keep reading it, for the layers hidden in a long story of family and change.
Leland Kinsey's WINTER READY is available on March 20 directly from Green Writers Press (click here), but also ready for preorder online at the big online distributor, if that's how you roll. If you give yourself a copy, you'll be better fitted to make the most of April.
Labels: Green Writers Press, Leland Kinsey, Northeast Kingdom, poetry, Vermont
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