Valerie Martin's The Ghost of the Mary Celeste is a wonderfully circuitous story that is part ghost story, part mystery with a dash of the puzzle to it. There are a number of seemingly disparate plots all intricately woven together each shedding a little more light on the question of just what happened to the ship the Mary Celeste, which was found abandoned yet completely intact off the coast of Spain in 1872.
Although I've never read Valerie Martin before, I had high expectations and happily I was not let down. This story could have gotten bogged down in all the the shifting of voices and adding of details, but in Martin's most capable hands I found the story utterly riveting. There is a wonderful sophistication in the way Martin tells this story with just the right amount of atmosphere and period details that feels light and airy and not as though she's 'trying too hard'. Yet she also presents her story in a way that makes the reader an active participant, one who needs to imagine and fill in the blanks. She gives you the 'facts' and then leaves it up to you to interpret them, which I found wholly satisfying.
The story begins and ends on board ships. Not the same ships, however. Much of the story, as a matter of fact takes place on the seas. Ghost story this may be, it is not one that will necessarily raise the hairs on the back of your neck, and you don't even need to believe in them, but there is certainly a sense of the power of the ocean and its unpredictability which creates not only suspense and tension but casts a dark shadow over the story.
The story is broken down into three main threads and moves mostly forward in time. There are connections between the three--they intermingle and collide and maybe even clash a little. First a shipwreck with all hands lost at sea. On board the Early Dawn is Captain Joseph Gibbs and his wife Maria. It's 1860. They've left their young son at home in Massachusetts. And here the story really begins.
The first thread, or set of characters live in a small New England town. Natie, now orphaned, is doted upon by his cousin Hannah, a dreamy young woman with an especially perceptive sense and maybe even a gift to hear voices of those no longer present. It's Hannah's elder sister Sallie who is the practical sibling and she will tell the final segment of the story. Remember it begins and ends on shipboard, but that will come much later in the story. They come from a family of sailors and two of their cousins, as a matter of fact, are just back from voyages, and one sets his sights on Sallie, an interest that is reciprocated.
And now I must change tacks, and so, too, does the story. In 1872 the ship the Mary Celeste is found floating with no one aboard. A ghost ship really. What happened to the crew? It is the topic of conversation across continents. Fanciful stories pop up of what might have happened to the ship and those on board. Arthur Conan Doyle is just a boy when news of the ghost ship spreads. Many years later it will serve as inspiration for a sensational story that he writes under a pen name, one of his first forays into the world of literature. Sherlock Holmes will come later. ACD is not unfamiliar with the life of a sailor as he himself was doctor on a ship sailing in the Arctic, a job he attended to with great relish.
And now to change tacks once again. The third thread concerns a young woman named Violet Petra who makes her living as a spiritualist. Well, there are those who make their living by charging a nominal fee to speak to the dead. Violet never takes money as that would lessen or cheapen what she does. But there are those who would take care of Violet, invite her into their homes to live and offer some sort of comfort as their loved ones are gone--so often taken away by tragic circumstances. To Violet Petra's fey presence is lady journalist Phoebe Grant's no nonsense sensibilities. She meets Miss Petra and thinks to do an exposé, or piece of investigative journalism, but in the end the two become friends of sorts.
No worries as I have given nothing away of importance in the story, only the barest briefest account of what can be expected, but you know the real storytelling is all in the details. The story is told through straightforward narrative, letters and diaries. Each thread is very well developed, not quite but almost as if each was a story all its own, but characters in one thread turn up in another. And there is always the little niggling sense that you've perhaps met someone before but under a different name perhaps. There are people who help tell the story but come and go adding only a few more facts and details to flesh out the story. This isn't a fluffy meringue of a book (even as it is a page turner), but by the end of it all you feel as though you've had a filling meal. There are still questions at the end, but for me they are something to ruminate over and wonder about. Sometimes telling a story doesn't mean giving away all the answers.
I'm not sure how much is fact and how much is fiction and what mysteries really do surround the Mary Celeste. Martin gives no afterword or explanations. And I think I won't go looking for more information. I'd rather leave the pleasurable sense of storytelling to linger. I have a feeling that this story is perhaps not for everyone, but I really enjoyed it. I am sure I own a copy of Mary Reilly, which I am now really keen to read (though I am unsure where it lives on my shelves). For some reason I thought Valerie Martin was British and expected the story to be set entirely in England, so was surprised on several counts. Valerie Martin was born in Missouri as a matter of fact, and the Mary Celeste was a ship out of New York. She's won a number of awards including an Orange Prize. One of my great discoveries this year!


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You Can't Change My Mind: Home Alone is the Greatest Christmas Movie of All Time
Erika Rice, Copy Editor|December 15, 2022
Me, reading these terrible internet criticisms.
Everyone's a critic, and now, the Internet has turned against the best Christmas movie of all time— Chris Columbus's 1990 masterpiece, Home Alone.
Perhaps the biggest offender when it comes to unnecessary criticism of one of the defining films of all time is ScreenRant, an entertainment website that posts such illuminating articles as "Disney's Hercules Almost Featured The Spice Girls (Why It Didn't)" and "Why Sheldon Is Worse In TBBT Than Young Sheldon Confirmed By New Story". ScreenRant has published dozens of articles and listicles about Home Alone over the years, and nobody has ever called them out on how terrible and nonsensical they are- until now. It's the holiday season, I'm all fired up, and I'm ready to criticize the critics and defend not just the greatest Christmas movie of all time, but one of the greatest comedy movies ever made.
So let's start by dissecting ScreenRant's listicle "Home Alone: 10 Things That Make Absolutely No Sense".
WHY KEVIN'S PARENTS COULDN'T JUST CALL HIM
"When Kevin's parents arrive in Paris, they try to get in contact with people in the area and call the house. They aren't able to call because the phone lines in the neighborhood are down. But, Kevin is shown at his house being able to call and order pizza."
ScreenRant says that it doesn't make sense that Kevin's parents can't get ahold of him, but he can call and order pizza. Well, geniuses, the local lines were repaired before the long-distance lines were.
THE FACT THAT THE ROBBERS WERE NEVER SERIOUSLY INJURED
"While in the movie most of these injuries are played off as really funny or minor, the truth is that they would likely have been really severe. They would have ended up with broken bones, third-degree burns, and concussions at the very least."
Yeah, it's a comedy movie! If you want to watch a movie about people getting seriously injured, the local library has the Saw franchise on DVD.
WHY KEVIN DOESN'T CALL THE COPS
"The absence of any police in these movies is definitely one of the biggest inconsistencies that keep coming up. As a kid, especially a white kid in an affluent neighborhood, it's likely that Kevin would have been taught by his parents to call the cops when he's in trouble. So, it's really strange that he never even thinks to do this. Even when he knows that two criminals are going to be coming to his house, he doesn't even think to call them or any other adult."
ScreenRant, in their infinite wisdom, questions why Kevin doesn't simply call the police. Surely he was taught to call 911 in case of emergency? Well, anyone who's seen Home Alone knows that the only cop Kevin interacts with in the movie is Joe Pesci's character in the first scene. As we all know, Pesci (I refuse to learn the names of the burglars in this movie, and exclusively refer to them as "Joe Pesci" and "the tall burglar") has dressed up as a cop in order to stake out the neighborhood, and he specifically has a conversation with Kevin and Catherine O'Hara (whose character is, I believe, named Kate). He leaves an impression on Kevin too, revealing his signature gold tooth when he grins at him. Later, Kevin sees Pesci again and recognizes him from the tooth- but now, instead of playing the benevolent neighborhood cop, he almost hits Kevin with his car and follows him for several blocks. A nine-year-old wouldn't deduce that a fake cop was feeling out a crime scene- he only knows that the only police officer he knows is now a dangerous person, and applies that rule to the whole department.
THE FACT THAT LITERALLY NO ONE THEY KNEW WAS AROUND
"When Kevin's parents are trying to figure out how to get in contact with Kevin, they start calling around to people they know who are back in Chicago. However, they aren't able to get in contact with anyone they know. While it might make sense that a few people they knew were on vacation or out of town at the same time, it's really hard to believe that literally everyone they knew in the city was out of touch."
It's Christmas break, and they're in an affluent suburban neighborhood. The film takes place over the course of about five days- it's easy to believe that their wealthy neighbors would be busy or out of town.
THAT KEVIN'S MOM COULDN'T GET A TICKET FROM SCRANTON TO CHICAGO
"When Kate McCallister arrives in Chicago, she isn't able to get a seat on any plane. Given how much money she has, it seems strange she couldn't work something out. And, since it sounded like most of the flights weren't going out until the morning, it made just as much sense for her to wait given how long the drive was."
Again, it's the holidays! Literally less than a week before Christmas! ScreenRant points out that she should be able to do something about it, considering how wealthy she is- she tries! She asks for a private plane, and the blonde French airport employee informs her that they don't do that. Am I the only one who's seen this movie?!
WHEN DID KEVIN HAVE TIME TO PLAN EVERYTHING FOR THE BURGLARS?
"He basically has one day to design this entire thing, and it seems like he's at the church until the early evening. It seems impossible for one eight-year-old kid to rig up this whole scheme in just a few hours."
He didn't spend the entire day at church! He devised a plan, drew his map, headed over to the parish for some choir music and neighborly advice, and then got back in time to get ready- but not in time to eat his mac'n'cheese and milk.
THAT THE COPS DO NOTHING TO HELP
"This is another example of police creating some of the biggest inconsistencies in this movie. While the McCallisters get in touch with the police, all they do is briefly check the house and say they don't see anyone there."
Oh no! The cops are useless and don't really do anything to help people in need! This is a total shock!
(They go to the house, and it appears that nobody is there! What do you want them to do, break the door down because of one phone call?!)
WHY THE PIZZA DELIVERY GUY DOESN'T CALL THE COPS
"If he really believed he was being shot at or threatened, it would make sense for him to contact the authorities. It doesn't make much sense that he just went on his way. Also, a real gunshot sounds very different than a recording on the television, so this is another plot hole in this situation."
Imagine— you're a minimum wage worker and you think a gangster has just shot at you. Do you have the time or money to get involved in this? No! You got your money (but barely any tip, cheapskate), now you're getting out of there. There are Little Nero pizzas to deliver and lawn jockeys to repeatedly knock over.
HOW THE HOUSE GETS PERFECTLY CLEANED UP
"As far as the movie shows, it appears that the attempted robbery takes place on Christmas Eve while Kevin's family arrives back home the next morning. Given this fact, the house would likely still be a complete disaster. Somehow it seems that Kevin cleaned up feathers, tar, and broken things all over the house in record time."
Exactly- Kevin's plan goes off on Christmas Eve, and Catherine O'Hara gets home on Christmas morning. He has all night to tidy things up- and he has incentive to do it, too, since he doesn't want his parents knowing everything that went on. It's also worth noting that he doesn't exactly clean the whole house- Buzz's room is still a disaster zone.
THE FACT THE OLD MAN MARLEY JUST LEAVES KEVIN ALONE AFTER RESCUING HIM FROM THE WET BANDITS
"Of all the incongruencies from Home Alone, this one is one of the hardest to understand. Old Man Marley is the person who rescues Kevin from the Wet Bandits. But, then it appears he just takes him back to his house. He doesn't make sure that Kevin has adults around."
This is untrue. We see Marley rescue Kevin, and then the film cuts to the arrests and Kevin safely at home with Marley nowhere to be seen- at no point do we see him get "taken back to his house". There's a lot of commotion going on, and it makes sense that Kevin could have just slipped away in the craziness of the Wet Bandit arrests. Old Man Marley isn't very close with Kevin or his family, and probably assumed someone else (like a cop) was taking care of him.
ScreenRant's flippant criticisms don't stop there. They also published a popular article titled "Home Alone: 10 Things That Would Be Different If It Were Made Today". They're not alone with this listicle premise- this has become a clickbait-y way for millennials and Gen X-ers to be smug about how much harder their childhoods were. "These kids these days- there's no chance any of them would be left behind on a family trip!"
For your information, we once made it halfway to Barnes and Noble before realizing my younger sibling Quinn was not, in fact, just being exceptionally quiet in the backseat, and was still sitting on the couch at home, so.
Phone & Watch Alarms Means The McCallisters Wouldn't Have Been Late In The First Place
The power was out! Their phones would have died overnight! The listicle points out that with 15 people in the house, surely someone would have woken up on time- but most of those people were kids and teenagers. Have you ever tried to get a teenager up early and on time? I have, and it's the hardest thing on the planet. Linnie and Buzz aren't about to save the family holiday- in fact, it's more likely that they and their cousins would make the morning more stressful for everyone, phone alarms or not.
Cell Phones Would Have Destroyed The Movie (But Solved Kevin's Problem)
My dad brings this one up every year, and it drives me nuts. "If they had cell phones this could all be avoided!" NO, IT COULD NOT!
The problem wasn't that they couldn't contact Kevin. They knew where he was. The issue was that Catherine O'Hara couldn't find a way to get to him!
Furthermore, Kevin is nine. Nine year olds rarely have cell phones, and if they do, they don't usually have data or calling ability. ScreenRant says Catherine O'Hara could have made arrangements from the plane- with her phone in airplane mode?! And again, the issue wasn't a lack of contact with him, but rather an inability to find a flight home to him. Cell phones would, at best, slightly reduce Catherine O'Hara's stress (although, as someone who regularly texts with my nine-year-old sister, it also may have stressed her out even more).
@This JenLewis//Buzzfeed
The Police Would Have Checked On Kevin Without Question
I mean… would they have, though? I don't see how this has changed from 1990 to 2022. Weak argument, ScreenRant.
Buzz's Secret Girlfriend Wouldn't Have Been A Secret
Now we're getting lazy! "Teens these days don't have secret girlfriends" is a ridiculous thing to write. Even if this were somehow true, all we would have missed in the movie is a ten-second joke.
The Props Kevin Used In Defence
"It took a day or two but when Kevin realized his life and home were in danger because of Marv and Harry, he created a diabolical plan to save the day. Using things around the house, Kevin created deadly traps to catch the thieves in the act. He used small toy cars and what looked like the '90s toy Metal Jacks for Marv and Harry to trip and step on. These days, however, those kinds of toys wouldn't be as accessible since most toys and games are electronic."
"Kids these days, with their Minecraft and Pokemon Go. I'd like to see you set a deadly trap with your Fortnite controller!" I hate to break it to you, ScreenRant, but kids still play with toys- especially kids under the age of ten, like Kevin and his cousins Fuller and Tracy. At the very least, there's some horrifyingly pointy Legos in that house. Besides, the majority of his traps were set with household items like glass ornaments, nails, tar, ice, and an iron, all of which can still be found in the majority of modern households.
Apps Would Have Gotten Mrs. McCallister Home Quicker
There weren't any flights! Apps would only help her figure that out quicker.
Wouldn't Kevin's Parents Be Investigated For Leaving Their Son Home Alone For Multiple Days?
We don't know that they weren't in the 1990 movie!
There Is No Way The McCallisters Would Have Been Able To Sit "Wherever They Want"
Another ridiculous argument that they invented to juice up their nostalgia clickbait listicle. How does this affect the film?
I hear you saying that if they had assigned seats, they would have noticed Kevin wasn't there- but once again, there are fifteen of them, meaning that they would have been seated in groups of two or three. Everyone would have likely assumed that Kevin was sitting with someone else until they were up in the air.
The McCallisters Would Have Been In The News
Again, we don't know that they weren't.
Well, I think I've successfully proven that Home Alone holds water. The film is a cinematic rarity in that there is not only a total lack of plot holes, but only one cringe-inducing moment of outdated humor ("Is it true that French babes don't shave their pits?"). Let's compare that to other Christmas classics from this time period— National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation has Chevy Chase sexually harrass a mall employee and later daydream about her in a skimpy bikini in an extended scene that makes me squirm with discomfort; A Christmas Story blindsides you with a shockingly racist final scene in the Chinese restaurant where the family has their Christmas dinner; Will Ferrell spies on Zooey Deschanel showering in Elf and it's seen as another example of his cute childishness. But Home Alone stands the test of time, thirty-two years later.
Combining expert slapstick comedy and some of the funniest throwaway lines in comedy history- "Don't spoil your dinner," says Santa after giving Kevin a mitten-full of TicTacs (his elf took all the candy canes home to her boyfriend)"; Uncle Frank consoles Catherine O'Hara by telling her that if it makes her feel any better about Kevin, he forgot his reading glasses. It has truly earned its place as the greatest comedy and Christmas movie of all time.
If you have any other plot holes or inconsistencies to point out, or any criticisms of the film, email me at [email protected]. I'd be happy to do a follow-up article explaining why you're just as wrong as ScreenRant is. Otherwise, please enjoy this clip of John Candy's fully improvised monologue in the polka van.
Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals.
Erika Rice, Editor
Erika Sharafeddin-Rice is a junior at Groves and the Scriptor's copy editor. She primarily writes longform creative journalism, and has covered subjects...
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Mergers & Acquisitions Advisory
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2017-01-26 Berkery Noyes Releases Private Equity in the Information Industry M&A Report For Full Year 2016
NEW YORK — January 26, 2017 — Berkery Noyes, an independent mid-market investment bank, today released its full year 2016 mergers and acquisitions trend report for Private Equity in the Information Industry.
The report analyzes M&A activity in the private equity market during 2016 and compares it with data covering 2014 and 2015. It features transactions made by financially sponsored acquirers within the Information Industry, including purchases made by subsidiaries or platforms of private equity firms.
According to Berkery Noyes' latest research, private equity volume in the Information Industry moved slightly upwards on a yearly basis, from 629 to 638 deals. Total sponsored value remained about constant as well, from $65.41 billion to $64.67 billion. Of note, each of the top five and eight of the top ten highest value deals in 2016 occurred during the second half of the year.
Regarding valuations, the median revenue multiple year-over-year moved declined from 2.3x to 2.0x, while the median EBITDA multiple fell from 13.2x to 10.9x. Over the past three years, deals in the $10-$20 million range received a median enterprise value multiple of 1.2x revenue, compared to 1.6x revenue for those in the $20-$80 million range and 3.0x revenue for those in the $80-$160 million range and above.
The industry's two largest sponsored transactions in 2016 each occurred in the Media horizontal's Entertainment vertical. This consisted of a Chinese consortium's announced acquisition of Playtika, a social and mobile games company based in Israel, for $4.4 billion; and IMG Worldwide's acquisition of Ultimate Fighting Championship, a professional mixed martial arts organization, for $4 billion. Rounding out the industry's top three largest deals, which also occurred in the Media horizontal, was the sale of Thomson Reuters' Intellectual Property & Science Business in the B2B Publishing and Information segment to private equity funds Onex and Baring Asia for $3.55 billion.
The horizontal Software market saw a ten percent yearly rise in private equity deal activity. Meanwhile, Thoma Bravo was a high profile acquirer in the horizontal with several notable acquisitions during the past year, which included Qlik Technologies, a provider of business intelligence software and data visualization tools, for $2.58 billion; Trader Corporation, a digital automotive marketplace, for $1.22 billion; and Imprivata, an IT security company that provides authentication, access management and secure communication solutions to the healthcare sector, for $544 million.
The Finance vertical, after seeing sponsored volume rise 13 percent from 2014 to 2015, was almost constant during the past year. Notable Finance related deals in 2016 included Advent International backed Vantiv's acquisition of Moneris Solutions, a provider of payment processing solutions, for $425 million; and GTCR's acquisition of Optimal Blue, a cloud-based technology provider that offers enterprise lending services to mortgage originators and investors, for $350 million.
The Healthcare vertical experienced a 12 percent yearly decline in private equity volume. Six of the overall Healthcare vertical's top ten highest value deals during the year were backed by financial sponsors. The largest private equity backed Healthcare IT deal in 2016 was GI Partners' acquisition of Netsmart Technologies, a provider of electronic health records, patient management, billing and other solutions, which was acquired in a joint venture with Allscripts, for $950 million.
The Education vertical witnessed private equity volume stay nearly the same on an annual basis. This followed a 19 percent increase from 2014 to 2015. The largest Education transaction in 2016 and the only one with a disclosed value above $1 billion was Apollo Education Group's announced acquisition by a consortium of investors for $1.1 billion. Regarding notable Higher-Ed transactions in the tuition and fee payment, Providence Equity Partners (through Blackboard) acquired Higher One Holdings for $260 million as well as Sequoia Retail Systems.
"Many private equity firms have significant amounts of capital available to acquire established, market-leading companies of scale," said James Berkery, Managing Partner at Berkery Noyes. "The debt markets remain strong and liquid, enabling financial sponsors to compete with strategics on valuation, particularly for businesses with growth opportunities." Berkery continued, "With solid gains in equities throughout the past year and a heightened sense of confidence among many investors, the near-term conditions for buyout activity are encouraging."
A copy of the PRIVATE EQUITY IN THE INFORMATION INDUSTRY M&A REPORT FOR FULL YEAR 2016 is available at the Berkery Noyes website.
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I saw a little girl of four on early morning national news today who had dialed 911 because her mother was experiencing a seizure.
This little girl's mom has epilepsy and so from the age of two, her mom practiced with her how to correctly call 911, what her mom's full name and complete address was – always praying the time would never come that her daughter would have to use this skill. And wondering would she be able to really do it if it did.
But this little smarty did it. And not only was the mom seizing, but in the little girl's words to the 911 dispatcher, "she is very very pregnant too.".
What clear thinking and action this 4-year-old displayed under frightening circumstances. Yet it seemed all in a day's "work" for this young lady – her confidence and resilience strong.
Hopefully none of our children will face emergency situations like that one – but showing them how to call 911 and ask for help is very empowering. Just like learning various practical skills such as being able to get themselves some cereal and milk, clean up spills, make a peanut butter sandwich, peel a hard-boiled egg, get dressed – raises a child's self-confidence and can-do attitude.
I sense it often when I facilitate Play Shoppes and other parent activities . I feel it when I talk to a parent on a warm- line call and when parents sit and talk to me during a one-on-one parent coaching session.
I believe it when I listen and observe the love and caring and responsibility that each of these parents hold for their families. I know it when I hear their story – some stories a struggle requiring great fortitude – some stories easier but no less of a concern to the parent holding it in their heart.
And when these stories are shared, when these concerns blend, when answers and new ideas are caught not necessarily taught, then we can be sure the wisdom is in the room.
I liken it to one of my favorite poems from childhood by Christina Rossetti.
Recognizing the beauty and the significance of parents sharing their ideas, their stories with one another, The Parenting Place is offering A Parent Cafe – The Wisdom is in the Room – on Thursday, February 5th from 5-7:00 PM. The Parent Cafe is a unique co-learning and sharing experience that changes the lives of children through conversations that matter.
Parents share a meal, talk about questions that are meaningful to them, listen to each other, their thoughts, their differences, their connections.
If you would like to be a part of The Parent Cafe at The Parenting Place, don't hesitate to call Fran at 784-8125, ext. 216 to register.
The wisdom is in the room. Experience it.
Browsing recently in a large children's resale store, I observed a mom and her little girl, probably around two-and-a-half, in the aisle ahead of me.
The little girl was sad as she slowly followed her mom. She really wanted to use a child's shopping cart, but someone else was playing with it. Mom slowly moved along, looking at the clothes items on the rack, but noticed her daughter lingering back to watch the lucky child with the cart.
She called to her to come, that she needed to stay by her, to which the little girl then began to cry – even as she came – "But I want to use the shopping cart", she whimpered.
With that this little girl continued to sniff a bit more, pulled herself together, then shakily said, "I can use it when that boy is done with his turn".
"Yes you can" said her mom as they slowly continued down the aisle.
I was impressed – with both of them. The mom heard her daughter's sad feelings and validated them – yet didn't rush into try to fix it for her, with all kinds of other suggestions and things she could do. She just heard her and accepted why she was sad. The little girl felt her mom's strength and confidence in her – in a way, I think, knew it was her own to resolve – which she bravely did.
"I can use it when that boy is done with his turn".
Such a perfect example of allowing our children their sadness – acknowledging that it's there, but trusting them to get through it.
Check out The Parenting Place's upcoming workshop," How Much is Enough? Recognizing Overindulgence" – Thursday, January 22nd, 6-7:30 PM, at The Parenting Place in La Crosse. Limited childcare is available. Registration for the workshop and childcare is required – 784-8125. Fran Swift – Facilitator.
Sometimes in the national news, there's something that jumps out at you, above and beyond the facts, and grabs your attention – and your heart.
That's what happened to me this weekend hearing about the young seven-year-old girl named Sailor, who was the only survivor in a small plane accident that killed her parents, her sister, and her cousin.
Crashing in the woods in Kentucky, around ten o'clock at night, in near freezing temperatures, Sailor realized she was the only one who was alive. Somehow she extricated herself from the wrecked upside-down plane. With bloody nose, arms, legs and a broken wrist, dressed only in summer shorts and top, barefoot except for one sock, she walked through tangled woods, in the complete darkness, toward a light she saw ahead.
It was reported that she walked for almost a mile over fallen trees, creek beds, ditches, and blackberry briars. She finally reached a house and rang the bell, telling the elderly gentleman who lived there what happened.
Besides the emotional drama this story holds, I was totally drawn in to considering, how did this little girl have the grit, the determination, the exceptional bravery to do what she did.
As parents, I think, we are often caught in a delicate balancing act between allowing our children to explore their world and take some risks, while also fiercely protecting and preventing them from childhood adventures that in earlier decades would have been universal.
For all children yearn to explore their world. As parents, how do we weigh the risk and the development of courage and trust of oneself, with caution?
What a great response! Do you feel safe? Are you in control? These questions offer a child the realization of her own abilities and her own limitations and fears.
My heart goes out to this little girl, Sailor, age seven, in this time of great loss in her young life. I hope she knows how proud her family would surely be of her, how very brave she was.
I hope she feels safe.
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Macy Place On The Road is your destination for fun painting classes and parties. You will find us at a variety of venues around the area such as The Gallery & Frame Shop, Share Fine Art Galleries and every Tuesday at the Senior Center. Plan your next get together with Macy Place On The Road at any of these venues or in your own home. Call us for more details or visit our Facebook page.


Engineered Oak Flooring allows people to lay an oak floor in areas where they traditionally would not have been able to or have been advised to. From above an engineered oak board is indistinguishable from a solid oak board. Our engineered oak flooring is made up of 6mm of solid oak, which is bonded to a strong and stable, tongue and grooved ply-board base. As with the solid oak flooring, the engineered oak flooring is available in a number of various widths, lengths and grades.
The major advantage of choosing an engineered oak flooring is the ability to use the boards in areas which are not suitable for solid oak flooring. Traditional solid oak flooring is much more susceptible to movement caused by changes in humidity. Engineered oak flooring is much less prone to these changes.
Kitchen, bathrooms and conservatories are all areas which have regular changes in humidity. If a solid oak floor was fitted in these areas, the boards are much more likely to succumb to movement and problems such as cupping then a engineered oak floor. In these sort of areas especially it is also important to use a top quality finish, such as the Blanchon Hard Waxoil, to seal and protect the boards.
Many new renovation projects nowadays include the fitting of underfloor heating systems. Traditionally with solid oak flooring, this would have caused problems to the boards, making them unsuitable. However this is yet another situation where engineered boards excel. The ability to cope with constant temperature changes makes engineered oak flooring perfect for the job.
A more common need nowadays is to lay an oak floor over the top of an concrete floor. This is commonly done by glueing down the oak boards. The proneness to movement of solid oak flooring means it is not recommended that a board any wider then 120mm is glued down. For situations where a wider board is required, once again engineered oak offers the solution. Engineered oak flooring can be glued to a concrete floor in any width. When glueing down any type of oak flooring, it is vital a suitable adhesive is used. We always recommend using a MS Polymer Flexible Adhesive. This type of adhesive is strong enough to keep your flooring in place, whilst flexible enough to allow for some natural movement in the wood.
The traditional methods of nailing or screwing down an oak floor can also be applied to engineered oak flooring.
Further to the methods above, an engineered oak floor is also able to be laid in the form of a floating floor. This method involves laying the boards over the top of the sub-floor, with no form of direct fixing to the floor. Instead the tongue and grooves of each boards are glued together. This method is usually laid over some form of underlay. We do not recommend using this method when laying a solid oak floor.
If you have any further questions on whether your area is suitable for an engineered oak floor or a solid oak floor, please give us a call on 01538 304584.


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Q: stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString lowercase & capitalizedString Objective-C How can i solve the problem ?
NSString * vendorName=@"can't event";
vendorName= [[[vendorName stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString:@" " withString:@"%20"]    stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString:@"'" withString:@"\\\'"] capitalizedString];

Output i am receiving is Can\'T Event
But, i need result as Can\'t Event
Thanks

A: NSString *vendorName=@"can't event";
vendorName= [[[vendorName capitalizedString] stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString:@" " withString:@"%20"] stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString:@"'" withString:@"\\'"];

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Finding for Arrowheadadvance Com. We offer $1,000 throughout Rapidly Period. No Hassle/Fax. Ninety days Subsequent Endorsement. Money These days.
The initial step that you have to take facing payday cash loans is to evaluate those that you locate. Not all are created equal, and a few of them charge extremely high monthly interest, that is common for this particular non-secured loan. This is why Personal cash advance direct lenders will be your perfect choice as they are affordable and simple to work with. They may guarantee that you will get the loan, sometimes within round the clock, letting you take charge with the financial predicament. Before you decide to do this, you need to first understand why people choose to do business with these companies. It involves the visible difference between working with a regular bank, and getting a short-term moneylender that can help you in less than 48 hrs.
The 1st reason that individuals will choose to work using these companies is simply because they have no one to make to. They could have contacted friends, members of the family, and even try to go into advance on the paycheck off their host to employment, however their efforts have led to know resolution. When you are able to check out a payday loan lender, and get that loan within a several hours, this will actually resolve your circumstances within 24 hours. Even when it will take two days to submit your application, have it reviewed, approved, and then the money deposited, this really is far better than what you could ever hope to experience with a normal lending institution.


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BEHIND THE DESIGN: STEALTH BLACK AND ARCTIC GREY
As an urban cycling brand, we're constantly inspired by cities and the diverse people, cultures, and places in them. Whether it's New York's understated fashion sense or LA's growing concrete structures, it's the everyday urban details that inspired our newest colorways – Stealth Black and Arctic Grey.
There's only one city known for its black on black style. Inspired by NYC's bike commuters and their fashion sense, Stealth Black's edgy, monochromatic detailing elevates the Heritage Collection's classic design. Along with an all-black shell, trim, logo, and rivets, Stealth Black features strong, utilitarian nylon straps that give our classic helmets a modern feel.
LA is a city that just keeps growing. As we watch new buildings spring up every day, the dappled concrete blocks constantly catch our eyes on our daily rides. Inspired by the cool grey tones of a growing metropolis, we designed Arctic Grey's monochromatic minimalism with a semi-glossy finish and a soft touch.


Experience the diverse beauty of Sonoma as Equitrekking's Darley Newman rides horses and bikes through Redwoods, vineyards, the crashing waves on Northern California beaches and the golden meadows of Sugarloaf Ridge State Park.
Darley fulfills many people's dream by taking a beach ride on the dramatic Northern California Coast. Next, she travels among tall "old souls" through the giant Redwoods of Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve on an eco-tour with naturalist Laura Ayers, whose intimate knowledge comes from growing up among these trees and raising and training Quarter Horses.
At a local vineyard known for colorful equestrian history and award-winning Cabernets, Darley horse rides through rows of grapes to learn about the art of wine making, before a party and tasting. Next, Darley swaps horses for bikes on an active bike tour through small-town Sonoma with the former mayor. Meeting at Vella Cheese Company, the small group indulges in sustainable, hand made cheese before biking through the area and stopping at Gundlach Bundschu for a wine tasting.
Equitrekking ends the episode with a sunset ride through the golden grasslands and colorful madrones of Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, with stunning views of Napa and Sonoma Valleys.
Watch the Equitrekking season two preview and purchase Equitrekking DVDs in our Store.


Our 9'6″ boards are great for cruzin the calm flat water or for getting out in the waves.
With 31″ of width, this provides great stability and with our performance nose you will be having an awesome time on the water.
A great all round SUP that holds good stability due to the 31 inches of width, with enhanced performance for both paddling and surf due to the refined nose profile.


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31 System Management

This chapter describes facilities for controlling the system that
underlies a process (including the operating system and hardware) and
for getting information about it.  Anyone can generally use the
informational facilities, but usually only a properly privileged process
can make changes.

• Host Identification:	  	Determining the name of the machine.

• Platform Type:	  	Determining operating system and basic
                                  machine type

• Filesystem Handling:	  	Controlling/querying mounts

• System Parameters:	  	Getting and setting various system parameters

To get information on parameters of the system that are built into the
system, such as the maximum length of a filename, System Configuration.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Sir Quentin Blake named patron of North Wales charity
The artist and author, who has illustrated for Road Dahl and David Walliams, was inspired to take up the role after receiving an unusual gift
Mari JonesReporter
Illustrator Sir Quentin Blake has been named patron of a North Wales charity.
The artist and author, who famously illustrated for Roald Dahl and David Walliams, has taken up the post with the Owls Trust in Llandudno
Sir Quentin got to know the charity after members of his staff adopted an African Woodford Owl for him as a Christmas present.
His adoption certificate is displayed proudly in his office in London alongside a photograph of 'Woodii'.
Trustee Pam Broughton said: "We couldn't quite believe it when we got the call before Christmas from one of Sir Quentin's staff asking if they could adopt an owl in his name.
"We were told they didn't know what to buy him but thought he'd love to adopt an owl as he adores them."
Sir Quentin Blake with his adopted owl Woodii- from the Owls Trust in Llandudno.
Pam was then contacted again by the member of the staff who said the UK's most famous illustrator was delighted with his present and he requested to have more information about 'Woodii', so she took him to meet Sir Quentin in person.
Poisoning, cruelty, egg collecting and even hedge trimming are putting our birds at risk
"At first we were invited to Sir Quentin's beautiful office which was prestine," said Pam.
"He made a huge fuss of Woodii, and said he was very keen to become a patron of the charity.
"We are very honoured, as he's a patron to only a handful of charities."
World Book Day 2018 costume ideas you can have done in 30 minutes
Pam added: "We were then invited into his house for lunch, and he was asking us lots of questions about the charity and Llandudno, where we are based. He and his staff were delighted to see how beautiful Llandudno was."
Trustees Pam Broughton (right) and Pat Freeman, of The Owls Trust at Bodafon Farm in Llandudno, are delighted that the renowned illustrator and owl lover Sir Quentin Blake has agreed to become a patron. (Image: David Powell)
Born in 1932, Sir Quentin, taught at the Royal College of Art for 20 years. He has illustrated more than 300 books, including all the children's books of Roald Dahl in a celebrated collaboration over 40 years.
To date, he has illustrated two of David Walliams' books and has illustrated Folio Society Limited Editions such as Don Quixote, Candide and 50 Fables of La Fontaine.
His interest in owls began early in life when as a schoolboy he put together enough pocket money to buy a copy of Eric Hosking's "Birds of the Night". Recently he seized the opportunity to illustrate, in an English version by John Yeoman, Emmanuele Luzzati's "Three Little Owls".
Sir Quentin Blake said: "The shapes and behaviour of owls has always fascinated me, and they are always getting into my work, from Mr Magnolia who had some owls who were learning to hoot to oil paintings with figures and flying owls.
"It's something very special to be asked to become a Patron of The Owls Trust; not only a privilege, but full of interest."
You can find out more about the charity on their website .


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C. Morin
Publications413
Highly Influential Citations1,720
T. Roth
C. Espie
H. Ivers
Daniel J Buysse
Validation of the Insomnia Severity Index as an outcome measure for insomnia research.
C. Bastien, A. Vallières, C. Morin
Psychology, Medicine
The clinical validation of the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) indicates that the ISI is a reliable and valid instrument to quantify perceived insomnia severity and is likely to be a clinically useful tool as a screening device or as an outcome measure in insomnia treatment research.
Insomnia: Psychological Assessment and Management
Originally published in Contemporary Psychology: APA Review of Books, 1996, Vol 41(6), 621. Insomnia affects from 20 to 40 percent of all adults, particularly women and the elderly, yet there is…
The Insomnia Severity Index: psychometric indicators to detect insomnia cases and evaluate treatment response.
C. Morin, G. Belleville, L. Bélanger, H. Ivers
Medicine, Psychology
Findings provide further evidence that the Insomnia Severity Index is a reliable and valid instrument to detect cases of insomnia in the population and is sensitive to treatment response in clinical patients.
The consensus sleep diary: standardizing prospective sleep self-monitoring.
C. Carney, Daniel J Buysse, +4 authors C. Morin
The Consensus Sleep Diary was the result of collaborations with insomnia experts and potential users and is intended as a living document which still needs to be tested, refined, and validated.
Derivation of research diagnostic criteria for insomnia: report of an American Academy of Sleep Medicine Work Group.
J. Edinger, M. Bonnet, +7 authors E. Stepanski
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine commissioned a Work Group to review the literature and identify those insomnia phenotypes that appear most valid and tenable and derive standardized RDC for these phenotypes and recommend assessment procedures for their ascertainment.
Insomnia in the context of cancer: a review of a neglected problem.
J. Savard, C. Morin
Journal of clinical oncology : official journal…
It is argued that psychologic interventions are the treatment of choice for sleep disturbances in the context of cancer, especially when it has reached a chronic course.
Nonpharmacological interventions for insomnia: a meta-analysis of treatment efficacy.
C. Morin, J. Culbert, S. Schwartz
The American journal of psychiatry
Stimulus control and sleep restriction were the most effective single therapy procedures, whereas sleep hygiene education was not effective when used alone.
Recommendations for a standard research assessment of insomnia.
Daniel J Buysse, S. Ancoli-Israel, J. Edinger, K. Lichstein, C. Morin
The resulting key recommendations for standard research assessment of insomnia disorders include definitions/diagnosis of insomnia and comorbid conditions; measures of sleep and insomnia, including qualitative insomnia measures, diary, polysomnography, and actigraphy.
Behavioral and pharmacological therapies for late-life insomnia: a randomized controlled trial.
C. Morin, C. Colecchi, J. Stone, R. Sood, D. Brink
Behavioral and pharmacological approaches are effective for the short-term management of insomnia in late life; sleep improvements are better sustained over time with behavioral treatment.
Psychological and behavioral treatment of insomnia:update of the recent evidence (1998-2004).
C. Morin, R. Bootzin, Daniel J Buysse, J. Edinger, C. Espie, K. Lichstein
BACKGROUND Recognition that psychological and behavioral factors play an important role in insomnia has led to increased interest in therapies targeting these factors. A review paper published in…


With the fervor of an old-time tent revivalist exhorting his audience to resist Satan's wiles, Billy Moore tells farmers they can be triumphant in the battle against Asian soybean rust.
What it takes, says the Mississippi Extension professor/plant pathologist emeritus, is knowing your enemy, being alert to what's going on in your soybean fields, and making use of the effective weapons — fungicides — available to fight the disease.
"Rust is nothing to be scared of," Moore says. "It can be managed with the right tools. We can deal with this disease and still stay in the soybean business," he told northwest Mississippi growers at recent meetings. "When we were first told we were faced with the threat of soybean rust in the U.S., there were a lot of scary predictions that it could slash yields 40 percent or more, but that's just not going to happen.
One good thing to come out of the soybean rust scare, Moore said, is that "for the first time for a lot of soybean producers, we've seen them climb down out of their pickup trucks and actually look at their soybean fields to see what's going on.
Although soybean rust was first identified in Japan in 1902, and had traveled across the ocean to South America by 2000-01, it was not until September 2004 that Hurricane Ivan picked up spores and deposited them in a nine-state area in the southern United States — significantly advancing the timetable that had been predicted for the disease to reach this country.
While that was a wakeup call for the U.S. soybean industry, Moore said, the threat posed by the disease was sometimes overblown.
Soybean rust needs the proper combination of temperature and moisture to survive and spread, Moore noted, with 68 to 77 degrees F. being optimum. Reproduction slows in either direction above or below that range and essentially stops at 95 degrees.
Soybean rust is hard to identify, Moore said. "The spores can't be seen unless you have at least a 35-power hand lens, so in most cases it's impossible to look at a field and say it has soybean rust. Samples have to be taken to the lab to be sure. Too many other diseases can cause symptoms that look like soybean rust.
Soybean sentinel plots have served a useful purpose in alerting southern U.S. growers to the presence and spread of the disease, Moore said.
"We started planting sentinel plots at the end of February and early March. Information from these plots and from scouting producer fields will be used to detect rust spores that may be blown in, and producers will be alerted.
It appears that moisture is a major factor in rust getting a foothold, he pointed out.
Spores were found in kudzu patches in several locations in Florida in January, Moore noted, but mean air currents and weather conditions will be a major determinant in whether they are later spread across Georgia and Alabama into Mississippi fields.
—Triazoles, such as Tilt, Folicur, and Laredo, Bumper, Domark, and Propimax, which are penetrant/curatives and move within leaf tissue to kill the disease within the plant.
—Mixes such as Quilt, Stratego, and Pristine.
The work done by Moore and other Mississippi Extension specialists and researchers has been "extremely valuable to producers," says Mack Young, Extension director for Quitman County, Miss.


Who is Caring for Whom?
25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, "Woman, here is your son," 27 and to the disciple,"Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.


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NVIDIA Releases Technology Enabling Websites to Stream Stereoscopic 3D Video
By Pam SwartzApril 12, 2011Newswires
How-To-Guide and Microsoft Media Platform Player Framework Plug-In Allows Content Owners to Easily Distribute 3D Video via the Web
LAS VEGAS, NV–(Marketwire – April 12, 2011) – NAB 2011— NVIDIA today announced that it is making its industry-leading NVIDIA® 3D Vision™ video player technology available for free to Web developers, enabling them to easily build websites for streaming high-quality 3D video to 3D Vision-equipped PCs.
NVIDIA is the first company to deliver a 3D video plug-in for the Microsoft Media Platform (MMP) Player Framework v2.5 (F.K.A. Silverlight Media Framework) with support for active-shutter 3D glasses. The plug-in is based on the same technology that powers NVIDIA's popular 3D Web community, www.3DVisionLive.com. The MPP Player Framework is open-source code that enables developers to quickly deploy robust, scalable, customizable media-player applications for the Web, based on Microsoft Silverlight and with full support for IIS Smooth Streaming and Microsoft PlayReady DRM.
"With NVIDIA's new 3D video plug-in, developers can now take full advantage of the stereoscopic 3D video streaming support available in the latest version of Microsoft Media Platform Player Framework," said David Sayed, senior product manager at Microsoft Corp. "Microsoft is delighted to work with NVIDIA to deliver exciting functionality and capabilities to help developers build the next wave of websites powered by the Microsoft Media Platform."
NVIDIA is also releasing a how-to-guide outlining the key steps and additional components necessary for developers to integrate 3D streaming video capabilities into websites. The 3D video player plug-in and guide are available today at www.3DVisionLive.com/apps.
NVIDIA is demoing the 3D Vision video player and other technologies this week at NAB (Booth #SL2728, South Hall), at the Las Vegas Convention Center, April 11-14, 2011.
"The Web is enabling an entirely new market for creating and delivering compelling, innovative 3D content," said Jon Barad, senior business development manager at NVIDIA. "Our 3D Vision technology now makes it easy for web developers to integrate world-class stereo 3D video capabilities into all types of sites."
About NVIDIA 3D Vision
NVIDIA is the worldwide leader in 3D technology for personal computers. The NVIDIA 3D Vision technology, which includes 3D Vision software and advanced active shutter glasses, delivers breathtaking stereoscopic 3D images for gamers, movie-lovers and photo enthusiasts when configured with NVIDIA GPUs and a 3D display or projector. NVIDIA 3D Vision technology supports the richest array of 3D content available, including 500 3D games, Blu-ray 3D movies, 3D photos and streaming Web video. It also enables users to upload, share and view full-resolution 3D photos, as well as enjoy 3D movies at NVIDIA's 3DVisionLive.com, the world's first 3D Vision online community. In addition, the NVIDIA 3DTV Play™ software enables consumers to attach their PC or notebook to 3D HDTVs and HDMI 1.4-capable audio/video receivers and enjoy all the latest 3D content in the comfort of their living rooms in full HD 3D, and with HD surround sound audio.
NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) awakened the world to the power of computer graphics when it invented the GPU in 1999. Since then, it has consistently set new standards in visual computing with breathtaking, interactive graphics available on devices ranging from tablets and portable media players to notebooks and workstations. NVIDIA's expertise in programmable GPUs has led to breakthroughs in parallel processing which make supercomputing inexpensive and widely accessible. The Company holds more than 1,800 patents worldwide, including ones covering designs and insights that are essential to modern computing. For more information, see www.nvidia.com.
Certain statements in this press release including, but not limited to statements as to: the benefits, features and impact of NVIDIA 3D Vision technology, NVIDIA's 3DVisionLive.com, and NVIDIA 3DTV Play software, and the effects of the company's patents on modern computing are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause results to be materially different than expectations. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include: global economic conditions; our reliance on third parties to manufacture, assemble, package and test our products; the impact of technological development and competition; development of new products and technologies or enhancements to our existing product and technologies; market acceptance of our products or our partners products; design, manufacturing or software defects; changes in consumer preferences or demands; changes in industry standards and interfaces; unexpected loss of performance of our products or technologies when integrated into systems; as well as other factors detailed from time to time in the reports NVIDIA files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, including its Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 30, 2011. Copies of reports filed with the SEC are posted on the company's website and are available from NVIDIA without charge. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and speak only as of the date hereof, and, except as required by law, NVIDIA disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances.
© 2011 NVIDIA Corporation. All rights reserved. NVIDIA and the NVIDIA logo, 3D Vision, and 3D Play are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. Features, pricing, availability, and specifications are subject to change without notice.


Leavening administration euphoria with facts, Yale's Robert Shiller, writing in The New York Times, notes that since quarterly GDP enumeration began in 1947, there have been 101 quarters with growth at least equal to the 4.1 percent of this year's second quarter.
The fastest — 13.4 percent — was 1950's fourth quarter, perhaps produced largely by bad news: The Cold War was on, the Korean War had begun in June, fear of the atomic bomb was rising (New York City installed its first air-raid siren in October), as was (consequently) a homebuilding boom outside cities and "scare buying" of products that might become scarce during World War III. Today, Shiller says, "it seems likely that people in many countries may be accelerating their purchases — of soybeans, steel and many other commodities — fearing future government intervention in the form of a trade war." And fearing the probable: higher interest rates.
Another hardy perennial among economic debates concerns the point at which the ratio of debt to GDP suppresses growth. The (sort of) good news — in that it will satisfy intellectual curiosity — is that we are going to find out where that point is: Within a decade the national debt probably will be 100 percent of GDP and rising.


My mission is to treat your pet and your home with the love, care and respect I would use to treat my own.
Cats are happiest when they are in their own home, surrounded by familiar sights, sounds and smells. I have 2 cats of my own and I realize how difficult it is to find a pet sitter you can trust in your home and one that will give your cats the love and attention they deserve.
Our business is based on the belief that our customer's needs are of the utmost importance. This is why a high percentage of our business is from repeat customers and referrals. We have years of experience in the services we provide and would be happy to provide references!


We have always aspired to be and are determined to remain the number one provider of experiences and mobility – from the Gornergrat to Disentis and Göschenen. We devote special attention to our Gornergrat, Real Estate, Shareholdings and Mobility business divisions.
As a host, we offer outstanding complete experiences and well-connected mobility throughout the Alps.
We use our real estate business to ensure modern residential and shopping experiences with optimum connections to public transport.
We are committed to delivering our high standard of quality in all our trademark brands: the Gornergrat, the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn and the Glacier Express.
We align ourselves according to the needs of our customers.
We deliver complete experiences in the tourism sector.
We ensure the high quality of our services.
We treat our employees fairly.
We place our geographical focus on the Alpine region between the Gornergrat, Zermatt, Andermatt, Göschenen and Disentis.
We act responsibly towards the environment.
We are a flexible and dependable partner.
We pursue an active and innovative market cultivation strategy.
We are dedicated to the sustainable development of our subsidiaries.
We have a positive influence on generating value.
We are committed to excellence on all levels – from individual employees, processes and structures all the way to the consistent modernisation of infrastructure, rolling stock and technology.
Based on the vision and values of the company and taking into consideration its own potential and the development opportunities that exist, the Board of Directors and Management Board of BVZ Holding have adopted a strategy for the entire Group for the period from 2015 to 2019. The four strategic thrusts derived from the strategy represent the next stage of development for the successful course we are already on and set new emphases and focal points.


G. Kos, A. Ryzhkov, A. Dastoor, J. Narayan, A. Steffen, P. A. Ariya, L. Zhang, Evaluation of Discrepancy between Measured and Modeled Oxidized Mercury Species, Atmospheric Chemistry & Physics 13 (2013) 4839-4863, doi:10.5194/acp-13-4839-2013.
D. Voisin, J.-L. Jaffrezo, S. Houdier, M. Barret, J. Cozic, M. King, J. France, H. Reay, A. Grannas , G. Kos , P. A. Ariya , H. Beine , F. Domine, Carbonaceous Species and HUmic LIke Substances (HULIS) in Arctic Snowpack During OASIS Field Campaign in Barrow, Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres 117 (2012) D00R19, doi:10.1029/2011JD016612.
P. A. Ariya, F. Domine, G. Kos, M. Amyot, V. Cote, H. Vali, T. Lauzier, L. Legagneux, W. F. Kuhs, K. Techmer, T. Heinrichs, R. Mortazavi, J. Bottenheim, Snow: A Photo-Bio-Chemical Exchange Platform with the Atmosphere, Environmental Chemistry 8 (2011) 62-73, doi:10.1071/EN10056.
G. Kos, P. A. Ariya, Volatile Organic Compounds in Snow from Mont Saint Hilaire and the Tremblant Areas in South-Western Quebec, Journal of Geophysical Research – Atmospheres 115 (2010) D01302, doi:10.1029/2009JD012391.
P. A. Ariya, J. Sun, N. A. Eltouny, E. D. Hudson, C. T. Hayes and G. Kos, Physical and Chemical Characterization of Bioaerosols – Implications for Nucleation processes, International Reviews in Physical Chemistry 28 (2009) 1-32, doi:10.1080/01442350802597438.
V. Cote, G. Kos, R. Mortazavi, P. A. Ariya, Microbial and "de novo" Transformation of Dicarboxylic Acids by Three Airborne Fungi, Science of the Total Environment 340 (2008) 530-537, doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2007.10.035.
G. Kos, H. Lohninger, R. Krska, Optimisation of the Sample Preparation Procedure for the Rapid Screening of Fungal Infection on Corn Using Mid-infrared Attenuated Total Reflection Spectroscopy (ATR), Food Additives and Contaminants, 24 (2006) 721-729, doi:10.1080/02652030601186111.
G.Kos, P. A. Ariya, Determination of Wide Range Volatile Organic Compounds in Snow Using Solid Phase Micro-Extraction (SPME), Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 385 (2006) 57-66, doi:10.1007/s00216-006-0333-5.
J. Stroka, M. Spanjer, S. Buechler, S. Barel, G.Kos, E. Anklam, Novel Sampling Methods for the Analysis of Mycotoxins and the Combination with Spectroscopic Methods for the Rapid Evaluation of Deoxynivalenol Contamination, Toxicology Letters 153, 1 (2004) 99-107, doi:10.1016/j.toxlet.2004.04.039.
G. Kos, H. Lohninger, R. Krska, P. Griffiths, Rapid Screening of Fungal Infection on Corn using Mid-infrared Diffuse Reflection Spectroscopy (DRS) and Attenuated Total Reflection Spectroscopy (ATR): A Comparison Study, Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 378 (2004) 159-166, doi:10.1007/s00216-003-2245-y.
G. Kos, H. Lohninger, R. Krska, Validation of Chemometric Models for the Determination of Deoxynivalenol on Maize by Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy, Mycotoxin Research 19, 2 (2004) 149-153, doi:10.1007/BF02942955.
G. Kos, H. Lohninger, R. Krska, Development of a Novel Rapid Method for the Determination of Fusarium Fungi on Corn using Mid-infrared Spectroscopy with Attenuated Total Reflection (FTIR-ATR) and Chemometrics, Analytical Chemistry 75 (2003) 1211-1217, doi:10.1021/ac0260903.
G. Kos, H. Lohninger, R. Krska, Fourier Transform Mid-infrared Spectroscopy with Attenuated Total Reflection (FT-IR/ATR) as a Tool for the Detection of Fusarium Fungi on Maize, Vibrational Spectroscopy 29 (2002) 115-119, doi:10.1016/S0924-2031(01)00196-5.
G. Kos, H. Lohninger, R. Krska, Classification of Maize Contaminated with Fusarium Graminearum Using Mid-infrared Spectroscopy and Chemometrics, Mycotoxin Research, 18, S1 (2002) 104-108, doi:10.1007/BF02946074.
G. Kos, H. Lohninger, R. Krska, Using Mid-Infrared Fourier-Transform-Spectroscopy with Attenuated Total Reflection (FT-IR/ATR) as a tool for the determination of Fusarium Graminearum on Maize, Mycotoxin Research, 17A, 1 (2001) 102-106, doi:10.1007/BF03036722.


This very important bean in the diet of vegetarian Indians was originally found growing in India. It is now widely cultivated in the tropics.
Black Gram is perhaps the most important pulse crop in Asia because of its versatility of use. The bean is used whole, split, husked, fermented, sprouted or ground into flour which when combined with rice flour is especially valued for baking. After the plants are picked, animals can graze it and it can be plowed under as green manure. It is a legume with a deep root system that binds soil particles together preventing erosion. Its foliage is lush so that when cut and left on the ground, it acts as good mulch.
Black Gram is an annual, warm season crop, which produces pods of 4-6 cm (1.5" - 2.5 in) in 3 months. It tolerates a wide range of soils often succeeding in heavier soils where other crops will not. It can be planted in the late rainy season after maize or soybeans. If the field has previously grown a legume, black gram will freely form nitrogen-fixing nodules on its roots.
The pods turn black when mature though not all will mature at once so 2-4 hand pickings at 10-15 day intervals may be necessary. Plants are often pulled up as the pods mature, left in the field to dry for a week then threshed either by beating with a stick or trod by bullocks. The seeds may be further dried in the sun and stored in a dry area away from rodents.
The threat of various fungi can be overcome by growing black gram in irrigated paddy fields rather than planting the crop in the rainy season.
Immature pods of the Black Gram bean can be eaten as a cooked vegetable. Soaked beans can be sprouted or combined with vegetables and spices to make dal, fried crisp as papads or in a fermented batter called idli. The bean is richer in protein than most other grains.


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India 2007: Project HappinessIndia 2011: Vidya DharmaIndia 2013: BodhicittaIndia 2015: MuditaaIndia 2017: KarunaIndia 2019: MaitriSouth Africa 2009: UbuntuSouth Africa 2011: Sawubona ProjectSouth Africa 2013: Ngikhona ProjectSouth Africa 2015: Uxhumano ProjectSouth Africa 2017: Ubunye ProjectSouth Africa 2019: Umbono ProjectWashington, DC 2008Washington, DC 2010Washington, DC 2012Washington, DC 2014Washington, DC 2016Washington, DC 2018Chautauqua/Samvaad
About Uxhumano: Journey to South Africa 2015
'Uxhumano' means 'connection' in Zulu, one of the many South African languages. We feel that this word embodies the intentions that we carried with us on our trip.
The juniors of Mount Madonna School traveled to South Africa in June 2015 to visit a variety of nonprofit organizations and schools, as well as the Botshabelo AIDS orphanage. Along the way they interviewed several people including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Peter Harris, and Dave Steward, and saw the environment/nature of South Africa on safari.
India 2007: Project Happiness
India 2011: Vidya Dharma
India 2013: Bodhicitta
India 2015: Muditaa
South Africa 2009: Ubuntu
South Africa 2011: Sawubona Project
South Africa 2013: Ngikhona Project
South Africa 2015: Uxhumano Project
Washington, DC 2006
Chautauqua 2010
India 2017: Karuna
South Africa 2017: Ubunye Project
India 2019: Maitri
South Africa 2019: Umbono Project
Interview with Dave Steward
Posted: June 21, 2015 | 1 Comment |
Dave Steward is the Executive Director of the F.W. de Klerk Foundation and was also Chief of Staff during de Klerk's Presidency during the end of Apartheid.
Ethan Harrington
Yesterday we interviewed Dave Steward: a man with a purpose. Before he arrived we were running around the room getting things organized. When we heard he was coming, we all stood and continued to stand in amazement as he walked in. The man himself was easily as tall I am (if not more) and was clothed in a truly unique ensemble. Steward had a tan blazer, pink sweater, green pants and pink striped socks to finish it off. Before he even opened his mouth, we had become adoring fans. We began going through the usual introductions then he mentioned that we are all originally from Africa and said, "Welcome home." He then explained that he would like to draw a socioeconomic diagram of South Africa for us. Our group was initially taken by surprise, but we were interested, which led to our introduction of "Dave the Teacher."
Mr. Steward began by explaining that the previous narrative of South Africa was a two-story house with blacks on the bottom, whites on the top, and no stairway in between. Steward's narrative was very different. He said that South Africa is a 5-story house with the bottom two stories as the "deep third world" with divisions for each of the various tribes. The next floor, the 3rd floor, was the more rural working class, again divided into the various tribes. The fourth floor was the working class in and around cities and towns. The fifth and final floor was the elite of South Africa being mostly white but still having some black presence that has recently emerged. This diagram was a wonderful way to see South Africa in a simplified fashion as well as showing the poverty, how society is changing, and how great the differences still are.
When we transitioned back to our classic circle and began with our questions, we were introduced to "Dave the Person." He was a very happy, open, and intelligent man. After about five questions, our teacher Ward started changing the order, much to my chagrin as the boom mike operator. I now had to move as quickly and as quietly as possible from one side of the room to the other as Ward decided which questions to ask. Steward's answers were lovely, intelligent comments on the value of flexibility to the furthering of success and how personal relationships and trust are the hallmarks of a great public servant. The questions were coming from opposite sides of the room with little to no warning which made my task quite problematic.
One of the closest calls was when Mr. Steward was speaking about the crisis during his time in the government. South African Special Forces were caught outside a foreign oil refinery by the regional military the day and he had to go through multiple high level meetings with military commanders, UN officials and fellow bureaucrats all while not feeling well. The way he spoke and told the story was amazingly engaging and everyone was focused on him, until it was time for a new question. It was Katie's turn but Devin and I were not aware of that. She was positioned just barely off to the left of the camera and I was across the room. As Devin and I moved to catch her, I had to drop the boom right across Devin's face without hitting him or the precious camera. As we got into position only moments later than usual, I had a thought of, "Wow, Mr. Steward sure can draw an audience and keep them," which was one of the main points that became permanently saved in my head. What I took away from his responses were ideas about flexibility, honesty, personal connection, what draws and keeps an audience, and "I hate bureaucrats." Dave Steward is an amazing person who understands the ins and outs of politics and the importance of the relationships that make it all work.
Nathan Burgess
Dave Steward is an interesting man. From our brief interview with him, it was plain to see that he loves his country deeply and trusts fully in the processes that govern it. He is a public servant through and through. And possibly one of the most sincere I have met. When we start an interview, it is customary to ask the interviewee if they would like to say any words to us. Mr. Steward took this as an opportunity to pass along a rather large amount of information that was clearly quite close to his heart. In a diagram he proceeded to explain to us how the population was distributed economically, how classes were separated by tribe and political alliances, and the movement of people within those social classes. Socioeconomically he compared South Africa to early eighteenth century Ireland.*
That however was not the end of his lesson. Next came an in-depth breakdown of the faults of the education system, which boils down mostly to bad teaching practices and non-existent teaching regulations. Then came details regarding the pervasiveness of the HIV infection and death rates, murder rates, and the lack of sufficient programs to deal with both.
This whole lesson was delivered to us with true conviction and heart, as if without it we would be totally incapable of understanding the country as he saw it. When he later answered our interview questions, it became clear to me that there was no question that I could have understood as well as I did without his previously shared insight into this world.
*I offer a challenge to those interested to find out what he meant by that.
Students with Dave Steward
Video: Maitri Project Overview Jan 6, 2020 @ 9:52
Video: Umbono Project Overview Sep 28, 2019 @ 12:08
Video: Full Interview with Kamla Bhasin Sep 24, 2019 @ 10:12
Video: Full Interview with Dr. Mamphela Ramphele Sep 24, 2019 @ 10:11
Values in World Thought
A Mount Madonna School Program
For more information about the school, please visit: http://mountmadonnaschool.org
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Creative Minds Academy: Nigeria
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Tibetan Nun's Project
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Looking for Further information? Look no Further!
Safeguarding, Health and Wellbeing Useful Links
Local Safeguarding Boards www.safeguardinginschools.co.uk/list-of-lscb-local-safeguarding-child-boards
NSPCC www.nspcc.org.uk 0808 800 5000
Samaritans www.samaritans.org 116123
Victim Support www.victimsupport.org.uk 0808 1689 111
Woman's Aid www.womensaid.org.uk 0808 2000 247
FRANK www.talktofrank.com 0300 123 6600
Think You Know – E-Safety www.thinkuknow.co.uk 0370 496 7622
Bullying www.bullying.co.uk 0808 800 2222
Mental Health Matters www.mentalhealthmatters.com 0191 516 300
MIND www.mind.org.uk 0300 123 3393
Healthy Choices www.healthychoices.co.uk 01234 840089
Health, Work and Wellbeing Advice www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1361 0300 123 1100 Health & Safety Executive www.hse.gov.uk 0345 300 9923
Useful subject specific links
Functional Skills www.functionalskillsrevision.com
Providing support in English, maths and ICT up to Level 2
Functional Skills http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/subjects/zqmtsbk
Resources to support the development of ICT skills. Aimed at the GCSE market but relevant to the Level 2 Skills for suite and IT User Skills Functional Skills
http://bluesquarething.co.uk/funcict/funcit.htm
Resources for Functional Skills ICT Functional Skills
http://studymaths.co.uk/workoutMenu.php?type=all
Interactive worksheets from Entry to Level 2 maths Functional Skills
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learning/subjects/english.shtml
All the links you need to the BBC English resources
STLS http://www.idponline.org.uk/
A range of modules to support understanding of how to support children and young people with
SEND Equality & Diversity
http://www.open.ac.uk/equality-diversity/content/diversity-curriculum
Link to free learning resources related to equality and diversity
Safeguarding www.safeguardinginschools.co.uk/list-of-lscb-local-safeguarding-child-boards
List of local safeguarding boards including contact details
ERR https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/work/rights-at-work/
Website from Citizens Advice giving advice on rights at work Customer Service
http://www.osbornebooks.co.uk/files/as_app__bus_dbl_chapter_24.pdf
Sample chapter from Osborne Books related to Customer Service
Health, Work and Wellbeing www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1361
Acas health and wellbeing advisory booklet
Health & Safety http://www.hse.gov.uk/toolbox/
Hints and tips from the Health and Safety Executive


Brower has separate departments that deal with residential service and repair, commercial service, sales and new installation, indoor air quality, geo-thermal/radiant heating and fireplaces. Every staff member in these departments is the best available anywhere and is able to answer the questions that you ask (and some you may not even know to ask). Within their framework they are able to install and adapt to the unique challenges that each project presents.
Look to Brower Mechanical to keep you on the cutting edge of comfort.
Perfect Day…Sailing all day in the Caribbean, capped off with a "Rum Runner" at night.
Former Barrel Racer and Equestrian Rider…there is video, so it's gotta be true!!
Perfect Day…Trail riding on a good horse in the Sierras with the girls.
Developing /Working his ranch outside of Lincoln, CA.
Perfect Day…Hanging out in the duck blind watching the sunrise and the dogs work.
Forever faithful San Francisco 49ers fan.
Fall is her favorite season….she loves everything pumpkin!!
Perfect Day…Rainy Autumn day, stuck in the house, under the covers, watching movies with the family.
Perfect Day…Sitting in a duck blind with his yellow lab (Posey) & nice quiet evening with his wife of 27 years.
Perfect Day…Golf in the morning, lunch with his wife of 39 years, watching a ball game sitting on his favorite recliner.
Perfect Day…Spending the day up in Lake Tahoe with her husband of 33 years.
Enjoys all outdoor activities: fishing, hiking, camping.
Perfect Day…In the Sierras, fishing with his closest friends.
Apparently she can grow tomatoes…Who knew!!
She loves living in the country with the bunnies and the crazy birds.
Perfect Day…After quad riding in the Sierras, spending a quiet evening in the cabin with his wife.
Perfect Day…Afternoon bike ride with family and friends on the American River Trail.
Without bragging….One heck of a pool/billiards player!!
Can split an apple from 50 yards away…Unbelievable marksman!!
Perfect Day…An afternoon family barbeque.


Discovery Cove in Orlando welcomes Dolphin Awareness Month with special news – sharing the birth of a beautiful bouncing baby girl born Feb. 7, 2015. The female calf now weighs approximately 44 pounds, is 3 feet 10 inches long, and is nursing and bonding with her mother, Coral. This is Coral's second calf and the 29th dolphin to be born at Discovery Cove since it opened in 2000. Coral was also born at Discovery Cove in October 2000.
A week after the calf was born, the Discovery Cove Veterinary and Zoological Team of local veterinarians performed her first neonatal wellness exam. Mom Coral kept a watchful eye close by as the team conducted the mini-physical. These examinations are part of the general health care given to all animals at Discovery Cove, which ensures the highest standards of care.
In this review, we discuss how mitochondria and the metabolism regulates the key behaviors of fusion, fission, transport, and mitophagy.
The Zoological Team is excited to welcome this new addition to the family and is providing around-the-clock care for Coral and her new calf. The veterinary team is checking on the progress of the baby 24 hours a day to monitor her behavior, respirations and nursing. By observing Coral throughout her pregnancy, and now providing gplc supplemental care for the calf, the team is able to gather necessary research to better understand the dolphin gestation process, and it also aids the Animal Rescue Team when rescuing ill, injured, orphaned or abandoned dolphins in the wild.
Discovery Cove will soon host a naming contest on its Facebook page where fans can help choose the new baby dolphin's name.
Discovery Cove is an all-inclusive tropical day resort where guests experience awe-inspiring encounters swimming with dolphins, whale watching long beach, snorkeling among rays and tropical fish, hand-feeding exotic birds and relaxing on pristine beaches. For the second consecutive year, Discovery Cove was named the No. 1 amusement park in the world in the 2014 TripAdvisor® Travelers' Choice™ Amusement Parks and Water Parks category. To learn more about Discovery Cove and to book reservations, visit the recently redesigned website DiscoveryCove.com, featuring a more user-friendly interface.


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On Myself, and Other, Less Important Subjects
Caspar Hare
Hardcover ISBN: 9780691135311 $45.00/£35.00 Paperback ISBN: 9780691178035 $21.95/£16.99 ebook ISBN: 9781400830909 Available as PDF $15.37/£12.59 $21.95/£17.99
Introduction by
Caspar Hare makes an original and compelling case for "egocentric presentism," a view about the nature of first-person experience, about what happens when we see things from our own particular point of view. A natural thought about our first-person experience is that "all and only the things of which I am aware are present to me." Hare, however, goes one step further and claims, counterintuitively, that the thought should instead be that "all and only the things of which I am aware are present." There is, in other words, something unique about me and the things of which I am aware.
On Myself and Other, Less Important Subjects represents a new take on an old view, known as solipsism, which maintains that people's experiences give them grounds for believing that they have a special, distinguished place in the world — for example, believing that only they exist or that other people do not have conscious minds like their own. Few contemporary thinkers have taken solipsism seriously. But Hare maintains that the version of solipsism he argues for is in indeed defensible, and that it is uniquely capable of resolving some seemingly intractable philosophical problems — both in metaphysics and ethics — concerning personal identity over time, as well as the tension between self-interest and the greater good.
This formidable and tightly argued defense of a seemingly absurd view is certain to provoke debate.
One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2010
Caspar John Hare is associate professor of philosophy at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
"This short book raises all the big questions that drive much of modern philosophy—metaphysical questions regarding personal identity, solipsism, and self-consciousness; and normative questions concerning what one should value and how one should act. Written clearly, but technically, this often-illustrated volume not only will provoke debates on key issues in contemporary philosophy, but also offers well-defended solutions to those debates."—Choice
"[A] short, stylish, and ingenious monograph."—Rory Madden, Mind
"This attention-grabbing book touches on a large number of ethical and ontological issues. Its conclusion is prima facie absurd but, in spite of its implausibility, the theory meets with surprisingly few objections."—Berit Brogaard, Australian National University and University of Missouri, St. Louis
"Discussion of the metaphysics of perspective in the twentieth century was dominated by an antirealism outlined by Russell, Reichenbach, and Quine, and filled in by Kaplan, Lewis, and Perry: the game was to push me, here, and now out of the world and into our representations. The realist pushback has been gathering over the last decade, with special attention to temporal perspective. The present work is the first sustained treatment of the arguably more fundamental case of personal perspective. Its lively style and brevity ensure quick and rapt reading, and the nontechnical presentation makes the discussion accessible."—Benj Hellie, University of Toronto
When Bad Thinking Happens to Good People
Steven Nadler and Lawrence Shapiro
Epistemic Angst
Duncan Pritchard
Ernest Sosa
Russell Hardin
Knowledge, Reason, and Taste
Paul Guyer


2257 Haviland Ave is a Multi-Family building located in Unionport, Bronx constructed in 1920. This 4-story building has 15 units. The building is within Community District 209 and zoned for the following schools - P.S. 036 Unionport, Herbert H. Lehman High School, J.H.S. 125 Henry Hudson. Nearby transportation include the 6, 6 Express subway lines.


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← My year in books: Benoit Lelievre
My Summer appearances →
Posted on December 21, 2013 by Andrew Nette| 5 Comments
Will I ever come to the end of a year without the feeling I haven't read nearly as much as I should have?
Unlike other years I've at least got a clear list in terms of my top five reads for 2013.
Here they are.
Infamy, Lenny Bartulin
Infamy is set in 1830s Tasmania. British mercenary William Burr is hired by the colonial government of Van Diemen's Land to track down an escaped convict, Brown George Coyne. While Burr may be the hero of the novel, if one exists, Coyne and his Indigenous 'wife', Black Betty, steal the story. Coyne is a terrifying creation, a former convict, psychopath and cannibal, also a revolutionary working to unite a motley crew of escaped convicts with what's left of the island's Indigenous population, to overthrow the colonial government and rule as a self styled king of Van Diemen's Land.
Infamy is a superbly rendered piece of historical fiction, a dark, almost noir crime story, and a unique and unashamedly Australian take on the western. Possibly my best read of 2013.
Generation Loss, Elizabeth Hand
Cass Neary made her name in the seventies as a photographer of what was then the burgeoning New York punk movement. Thirty years later she's a washed up, semi-alcoholic mess, when out of the blue, an old acquaintance gives her an assignment to track down a famous and reclusive photographer living on a remote island of the coast of Maine.
There is so much I liked about this book – the incredibly flawed female character, the wild setting and the ruminations about New York in the seventies and the art of photography. It is an genuinely unusual and engaging crime yarn.
Zero at the Bone, David-Whish Wilson
Zero at the Bone is a sequel to Whish-Wilson's 2010 book, Line of Sight, which established Whish-Wilson firmly in my mind as the president of the, albeit very small, club of Australian writers who do noir fiction and do it well.
Frank Swann, the main character from Line of Sight, has left the police force and is scrapping together a living as a private investigator, when an attractive widow hires him to find out why her geologist husband decided to blow his brains out. Set in 1979, Zero at the Bone is a riveting crime story and a vivid examination of the political economy of Western Australia. The period detail is terrific. Like an expert surgeon, the author cuts away to reveal an anatomical dissection of corruption and street level history, Perth's geography, economic and class relations, its tribes and sub-cultures, including the ruthless tribe of all, bent cops.
The Last Good Kiss, James Crumley
I think I might have read The Last Good Kiss for the third or fourth time in 2013, but it still makes my top five books. It is that good, possibly the best piece of private investigator fiction ever written.
It certainly has the best opening line:
"When I finally caught up with Abraham Trahearne, he was drinking beer with an alcoholic bulldog named Fireball Roberts in a ramshackle joint just outside Sonoma California, drinking the heart out of a fine spring afternoon."
The Last Good Kiss starts off with CW Sughrue being paid to find an alcoholic, larger than life, presumably Norman Mailer-type writer called Abraham Traheane and ends up with him searching for a lost woman in San Francisco. PI crime fiction gets a bad wrap these days. A lot of people think it's said everything it can say, that it's boring and derivative. And, Christ knows, there is certainly a lot of boring PI crime novels out there. But done well, the private investigator is a terrific vehicle to explore society and its underbelly. And in The Last Good Kiss, Crumley uses it to explore the battered bars and small towns of seventies post-Vietnam American.
In a Lonely Place, Dorothy Hughes
Nicholas Ray's In a Lonely Place is probably my favourite film noir, so this year I decided to read the 1947 book it was based on.
Dix Steele is a good-looking, amoral, manipulative lounge lizard who has bummed money from a rich relative with the excuse of coming out to LA from New York and writing a crime novel. A chance encounter reconnects him with an old air force buddy, now a cop, Brub, and his slightly uptight but decent wife, Sylvia. Brub is working on the case of a mysterious strangler who has killed a number of women. Dix starts hanging out with the couple, and when he isn't fantasising about seducing Sylvia, pumps Brub for information about the case with the excuse that he needs it as material for his book. But does he have far darker motives for being so interested?
There's a distinct whiff of Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mister Ripley is Hughes' book. There's a wonderfully bleak sense of what a fundamentally atomised and alienated place post-war LA must have been and what a come down peace must have been for so many men after the adrenaline fuelled high of the war. War may be hell, but peace is much more lonely.
Honourable mentions
The Dream Life: Movies, Media and the Mythology of the Sixties, J. Hoberman
A must read for all fans of sixties and seventies cinema, an extraordinarily well-written and detailed journey through two decades of American cinema and its connection to the turbulent politics of the time.
Live By Night, Dennis Lehane
Boardwalk Empire meets LA Confidential in this terrific saga of crime and corruption in prohibition era America. Lehane's prose has a fluid, almost effortless feel. It's like he's so on top of his game and knows what he's saying so well that he can knock books out between beers over a lazy weekend.
Queer Pulp, Susan Stryker
If you visit this site regularly, you'll know I'm a huge pulp fiction buff. Queer Pulp is not just a terrific piece of research on the subject of gay and lesbian pulp, it's also a wonderful exploration of the connection between pulp writing and mainstream society's fears and anxieties.
And with that, dear reader, I bid you farewell for 2013.
Thanks to all of you who have read my site over the last year and, especially those who have taken the time to comment on my posts or pass them on to others via social media. It is very appreciated.
If you celebrate Christmas, have a great one.
I'll be taking a break for most of January and will see you in 2014.
This entry was posted in Book Reviews, Crime fiction, David Whish-Wilson, James Crumley, Noir fiction, Pulp fiction, Pulp paperback cover art and tagged Boardwalk Empire, David Whish-Wilson, Dennis Lehane, Dorothy Hughes, Elizabeth Hand, Generation Loss, In a Lonely Place, Infamy, J. Hoberman, James Crumley, Lenny Bartulin, Live By Night, Media and the Mythology of the Sixties, Nicholas Ray, Queer Pulp, Susan Stryker, The Dream Life: Movies, The Last Good Kiss, Zero At the Bone. Bookmark the permalink.
Margot Kinberg | December 21, 2013 at 11:08 am | Reply
Excellent choices, Andrew, including a few (e.g. Zero at the Bone) that I really very much want to read. All the best to you and your family for the holiday!
Andrew Nette | December 21, 2013 at 11:11 am | Reply
Thanks Margot. All the best to you and yours for the festive season. I look forward to talking to you in 2014.
TracyK | December 21, 2013 at 1:52 pm | Reply
A good list, with a mixture of old and new. I want to read four of your top books for sure, and will look into the Elizabeth Hand book. For the David-Whish Wilson book, I would want to read the first one first. My husband is interested in photography, so might be a good one for him.
Andrew Nette | December 21, 2013 at 2:59 pm | Reply
Thanks for stopping by. I can really recommend the Hand book, it's a great read.
Chris Irvin | December 22, 2013 at 8:43 am | Reply
Great list! In a Lonely Place is one of my favorite books.