text:
Jonathan Mendelsohn
Naam Jonathan Mendelsohn
Functie zanger, producer
Herkomst Verenigde Staten
For singer/songwriter/producer and remixer Jonathan Mendelsohn, the last few years have been a whirlwind of musical collaborations and rebirths, putting him on a trajectory towards the release of his long-awaited debut album and at the forefront of the global pop/EDM scene.
Since bursting onto the music scene performing his soulful self-penned pop song "Over" before Showtime at the Apollo's notoriously discerning crowd, Mendelsohn has collaborated with the hottest names in dance music, including Dash Berlin ("Better Half of Me" and "World Falls Apart"), Brennan Heart ("Imaginary"), Orjan Nilsen ("Apart"), Mischa Daniels ("Heartbeat"), Mitchell Niemeyer ("Hollywood"), Laurent Wolf and Chris Willis ("Love We Got"), Laidback Luke ("Till Tonight" and "Timebomb"), Nic Chagall ("This Moment"), David Morales ("You Just Don't Love Me"), Chris Kaeser ("Walking Away"), Dennis Shepherd ("Bring Me Back"), Morgan Page and Andy Caldwell ("Where Did You Go?") and Nick Warren & Jody Wisternoff of Way Out West.
In addition to his recording efforts Jonathan has also recently fired up crowds internationally on tours with Dash Berlin, Brennan Heart, David Morales and Morgan Page. His signature brand of electro-tinged dance pop, infectious melodies and vocal arrangements has even garnered him such disparate comparisons to reigning critically-acclaimed darling, Robyn, radio favorites One Republic and Adam Levine of Maroon 5. 2013 will also see the release of Jonathan's debut full-length "Reckless Wonder."
Explains Jonathan, "Working with such a wide range of producers over the past three years has been not only a necessary step in making a name for myself in the music industry, but an exercise in developing my sound even further. I work really hard to make my songs a unique experience for the listener. I want them to hear my voice and know instantly who the singer is. That is what being an artist is all about for me. With my solo album, I'm working on going a little deeper into my sound and really showcase my talents like never before. I have written so many songs over the years, and it's been a really long time coming but I think I am finally ready to unleash an album's worth of material that promises to reveal some amazing material and be an extra special listening experience!"
From a very young age, Jonathan Mendelsohn knew that he was destined to lead a life dominated by music. Born in Brooklyn and raised in upstate New York, his singing career began pretty early. "I would literally carry my battery powered Fisher Price radio around with me all day. I would wail into the tiny plastic mic attached to it, singing marathon sessions. Clearly I was prepping myself for things to come."
Learning chord progressions from his concert pianist mother, Mendelsohn began writing his own songs at age 11. "I think the more I started to realize that I was different from most people, I started to fuel my songs with these trapped emotions. I have always been really grateful that I have had songwriting as an outlet to express myself."
His love affair with pop music began with early '90's Top 40 radio with favorites like Paula Abdul's "Forever Your Girl," C+C Music Factory's "Gonna Make You Sweat," and Mariah Carey. Singer-songwriters like Tori Amos and Bjork were also early influences, along with the hypnotic music of Radiohead and Pink Floyd. It wasn't until Mendelsohn discovered rave culture in high school that he was seduced by electronic music. Inspired by the energy and unique sonic soundscapes that could be created with synthesizers and computers, he dove into the world of music production, returning to NYC in 2000 where he took courses in audio engineering while building his home studio from the ground up.
His jaw-dropping four-week, season winning streak on Showtime at the Apollo lead to a collaboration with Chris Brann's Wamdue Project on the track "Forgiveness," and a record deal with Sony BMG's now defunct sub label, Music with a Twist. Work on Way Out West's 2009 album, We Love Machine, followed, marking the first time the duo had ever collaborated with a male vocalist. In 2010, Mendelsohn contributed lyrics and vocals to select tracks by Nic Chagall, Laidback Luke and Laurent Wolf, while prepping material for his own debut release.
As a DJ/producer and remixer under the moniker MENDy, Jonathan has seen his production skills grace the dancefloors and top international Club Play charts. Recent re-workings for the late Donna Summer ("To Paris with Love"), revered indie outfit Deluka ("Cascade") and his own vocal interpretation / mashup of Katy Perry's "Part of Me" with Deadmau5's "Some Chords" made the DJ rounds to much acclaim..
"DJing has always been a passion of mine, ever since I started as an apprentice with a mobile DJ company in my hometown when I was only 13. I used to DJ school dances, birthday parties and proms in Upstate New York playing top 40, rap, hip hop and sometimes a little house when I could get away with it. When I got the equipment all to myself, I would make mixtapes with all the underground house and trance music I could get my hands on. There's something about mixing two records together seamlessly that is so satisfying. It really is an art form that requires a lot of skill and creativity.
When I got into remixing and producing dance music, it satisfied not only the need to be creative, but it was an exploration in the technical side of music creation. I was always fascinated by the arrangements and layering in electronic dance music. Recording and producing for me is really just as important to me as singing and writing songs. They go hand in hand really and I couldn't imagine doing one and not the other."
Be on the lookout for new collaborations and features in the works with stellar talent such as Fedde Le Grand, Tritonal, Dohr & Mangold, Venom One, Sem Thomasson, Paris & Simo and more!
Expected in 2013, Reckless Wonder, promises to be a hybrid of musical styles. "I think all the different types of music I have ever been into have influenced me in some way or another in my art," Mendelsohn says.
"Pop music has been interpreted in many different ways and has taken on many forms over the years, but to me it's just that essence of what makes a great song appealing. I try to capture it and build on it. Sometimes that means adding lots of soul and energy, and sometimes it's about capturing a quiet, simple melody that stands out all on its own. I will not be put in a box and defined as one thing or one sound. Good music is just that, and at the end of the day—and my life for that matter!—I just hope that I made some of it."
Uitgaansagenda Jonathan Mendelsohn
Laatste feest was op zaterdag 9 november 2019: I Am Hardstyle, Atlas Arena, Łódź
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Make It Out Alive
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World Like This


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Shutterstock Announces Top Creative Trends for 2020
By Jackie Augustine
In Frontpage Featured Content, News
Shutterstock Announces Top Creative Trends for 20202020-01-152020-01-15/wp-content/uploads/imaging-alliance-photo-marketing-and-innovation-logo.pngThe Imaging Alliancehttps://www.theimagingalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/shutterstock-2020-e1579102841661.jpg200px200px
The data-led report predicts image, video and music styles set to dominate marketing campaigns, advertising creative and video projects throughout the year
NEW YORK, Jan. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Shutterstock, Inc. (NYSE: SSTK), a leading global technology company offering a creative platform for high-quality content, tools and services, today launched its ninth annual Creative Trends Report, identifying global and local trends that will influence design aesthetics and visual culture in 2020.
According to eMarketer, growth in average daily time spent with video increased by 11% among users in 2018, making it the fastest-growing digital media activity. The increasing consumption of visual media challenges brands to keep up with sharing compelling visual content that engages their target audience. This report provides data-led insights for brands, marketers and creatives to keep their content fresh and relevant, and to drive better performance for their marketing campaigns.
The three major creative trends for 2020 include:
The Roaring 2020s – a century after the loud and lavish 1920s, the look that defined an era is back and on the center stage globally in 2020. Searches for "gold pattern" are up 4223% year-over-year and "20s retro" saw an increase of 189% from the previous year.
Occulture – alternative faiths and age-old beliefs are enchanting Millennials, Gen Z and Gen Alpha, showing renewed interest in mainstream channels and on social media networks in particular. Customers are searching for keywords like "magic" and "spiritual" an impressive 525% and 289% more respectively over last year.
In Full Bloom – forget elegant arrangements and delicate displays. The floral visuals of tomorrow are big, bright and in full bloom. The 141% surge in searches for "flowerscape" and 136% uptick for "bloom" make this a vivid trend for the year ahead.
"This year's data points toward the pursuit of meaning, happiness, and opportunity in new creative projects—traits that may be reflective of the uncertainty in our climate and the year ahead," said Lou Weiss, CMO at Shutterstock. "The analysis, which is grounded in data from billions of keyword searches made by marketers, social media managers, video producers and designers, provides a glimpse into the creative trends that we expect to engage consumers on a much bigger scale. It also serves as a source of inspiration for our customers and contributors as they develop creative projects in 2020."
In addition to the three major trends, the report outlines local favorites in 25 countries around the world, as well as five rising trends that promise to gain traction in 2020. Rising trends range from design mainstays like "minimalistic black" and traditional arts including "Chinese ink painting" to elegant photography and modernized visuals such as "wild life" and sports photography. This year's report not only offers hand-curated collections for each of the trends from Shutterstock images, video and music, but also includes images from Offset and Shutterstock Editorial as well.
The annual report analyzes data gathered over a 12-month period from billions of customer searches for images, footage, and music content. The data, combined with analysis from Shutterstock's internal visual intelligence panel pinpoint patterns and styles that have the potential to stand out. As themes emerge, the panel confers to determine the trends they expect to command creative projects in 2020.
Explore the full 2020 Creative Trends Report here.
About Shutterstock, Inc.
Shutterstock, Inc. (NYSE: SSTK), directly and through its group subsidiaries, is a leading global provider of high-quality licensed photographs, vectors, illustrations, videos and music to businesses, marketing agencies and media organizations around the world. Working with its growing community of over 1 million contributors, Shutterstock adds hundreds of thousands of images each week, and currently has more than 300 million images and more than 17 million video clips available.
Headquartered in New York City, Shutterstock has offices around the world and customers in more than 150 countries. The company's brands also include Bigstock, a value-oriented stock media offering; Shutterstock Custom, a custom content creation platform; Offset, a high-end image collection; PremiumBeat, a curated royalty-free music library; and Shutterstock Editorial, a premier source of editorial images for the world's media.
For more information, please visit www.shutterstock.com and follow Shutterstock on Twitter and on Facebook.
SOURCE Shutterstock, Inc.
Shutterstock, Top Creative Trends for 2020
Jackie Augustine
Jackie is a veteran of the photography industry and a member of the PMDA Board of Directors since 1985
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I sometimes wonder: if "attractional" churches which use a genre of music called "bone-shaking" had their way, would the kind of music below just disappear? That would be very, very sad.
The composer of that piece, Paul Mealor, wrote one of the beautiful pieces played at the last major royal English wedding. There is something particularly God-like about pushing the bounds of a genre—even and especially the "classical" genre—to greater and greater heights of beauty and creativity.
Once again I say, British people are just more better than us are.
The Mealor piece is amazing… except for the flat sopranos at 4:04.
Wow, that first one is great. Thanks for posting. I'll have to watch the second one when I get a chance later today.
You're right, Dustin. And it seems to me the choir can't quite keep up the energy in the very last chord. One strong soprano just drops out and comes back in. But other than that, British people are still better.


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Q: Simple d3 line not working with Angular 8 I have a super simple line chart I'm trying to put inside my angular application. For whatever reason, it's throwing an error in visual studio code on this line:
.attr("d", line);

I've seen some solutions when researching but none of them have worked for me. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!
(local var) line: d3.Line<LineDataType>
No overload matches this call.
  Overload 1 of 4, '(name: string, value: null): Selection<SVGPathElement, { date: string; value: number; }, HTMLElement, any>', gave the following error.
    Argument of type 'Line<LineDataType>' is not assignable to parameter of type 'null'.
  Overload 2 of 4, '(name: string, value: string | number | boolean): Selection<SVGPathElement, { date: string; value: number; }, HTMLElement, any>', gave the following error.
    Argument of type 'Line<LineDataType>' is not assignable to parameter of type 'string | number | boolean'.
      Type 'Line<LineDataType>' is not assignable to type 'true'.
  Overload 3 of 4, '(name: string, value: ValueFn<SVGPathElement, { date: string; value: number; }, string | number | boolean>): Selection<SVGPathElement, { date: string; value: number; }, HTMLElement, any>', gave the following error.
    Argument of type 'Line<LineDataType>' is not assignable to parameter of type 'ValueFn<SVGPathElement, { date: string; value: number; }, string | number | boolean>'.
      Types of parameters 'data' and 'datum' are incompatible.
        Type '{ date: string; value: number; }' is missing the following properties from type 'LineDataType[]': length, pop, push, concat, and 26 more.ts(2769)

drawChart2() {
    $("#chart2").empty()
    var margin = {
        top: 20,
        right: 20,
        bottom: 50,
        left: 100
      },
      width = $("#chart-2").innerWidth() - margin.left - margin.right,
      height = $("#chart-2").innerHeight() - margin.top - margin.bottom;

    var svg = d3.select("#chart2").append("svg")
      .attr("width", width + margin.left + margin.right)
      .attr("height", height + margin.top + margin.bottom)
      .append("g")
      .attr("transform", "translate(" + margin.left + "," + margin.top + ")");

    var data = [{
      date: "2013-04-28",
      value: 135.98
    }, {
      date: "2013-04-29",
      value: 147.49
    }, {
      date: "2013-04-30",
      value: 127.49
    }];

    var line = d3.line<LineDataType>()
      .x(function(d) {return x(d.date);})
      .y(function(d) {return y(d.value);});

    // Add X axis --> it is a date format
    var x = d3.scaleTime()
      .domain(d3.extent(data, function (d) {
        let temp;
        temp = d;
        return temp.date;
      }))
      .range([0, width]);

    svg.append("g")
      .attr("transform", "translate(0," + height + ")")
      .call(d3.axisBottom(x));

    // Add Y axis
    var y = d3.scaleLinear()
      .domain([0, d3.max(data, function (d) {
        return +d.value;
      })])
      .range([height, 0]);
    svg.append("g")
      .call(d3.axisLeft(y));

    // Add the line
    svg.append("path")
      .datum(data)
      .attr("fill", "none")
      .attr("stroke", "steelblue")
      .attr("stroke-width", 1.5)
      .attr("d", line);
  }

A: Changing the line to this allowed the code to compile
.attr('d', line as any)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Nipsey Hussle Fatally Shot in Los Angeles (UPDATE)
ByAlex Galbraith
Photography by Prince Williams/Wireimage
UPDATED 04/1/19 6:58 p.m. ET: A "huge" manhunt to find the person who killed Nipsey Hussle is underway, Los Angeles police spokeswoman Lizeth Lomeli confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. The Los Angeles County Media Examiner's office says an autopsy was completed and Nipsey's official cause of death has been ruled a homicide. The L.A. County Coroner's Office confirmed that the rapper died of gunshot wounds to the torso and head.
UPDATED 3:15 p.m. ET: An anonymous law enforcement source tells the New York Daily News that LAPD homicide detectives are pursuing a suspect known personally by Nipsey Hussle. The 33-year-old artist was fatally shot on Sunday.
The NYDN reports Nipsey's murder may end up classified as gang-related "because Hussle had a prior gang affiliation, the source said, but it doesn't appear the hit stemmed from a 'rival gang' as much as a personal 'deal gone wrong.'"
The article says the suspect is "in [the LAPD's] sights" but was not in custody as of Monday morning.
The First Week Numbers for Nipsey Hussle's 'Victory Lap' Are In
Nipsey Hussle's Best Rides Photos on Instagram
See original story below.
Nipsey Hussle was fatally shot today outside of his Marathon clothing store in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, NBC News reports. Hussle was standing outside of his store with a crowd of people when an unknown person opened fire, killing Hussle and wounding two others. Police say that they are looking for a black male in his 20s and that the shooting appears to be gang-related. The Victory Lap rapper was 33 years old.
Throughout his career, Hussle was praised for his rapping ability as well as his business savvy. While his obvious connection to West Coast cruising music and his laid-back delivery were more than enough to keep critics and Best Coasters alike happy, Hussle really shined in his ability to think up creative new ways to make money. The rapper famously released a mixtape with the hefty price tag of $100 a copy, earning him headlines, shout-outs from industry titans and the attention of his eventual partner Lauren London.
Hussle used his business acumen and the proceeds from his rap career to launch his successful clothing store. He recently purchased the plaza where his flagship store sits with an eye toward revitalizing the neighborhood he grew up in. Hussle had hoped to tear the plaza down and replace it with a new apartment building that boasted retail —his own store, among the options— on the ground floor. The project was meant to coincide with a new light rail connection between Crenshaw and LAX.
Hussle's reach extended well beyond his own neighborhood. In the wake of Hussle's passing, it became clear how many corners of the rap community he had touched, as many of his contemporaries took to social media to mourn the loss of the rapper.
He's survived by his two children and London, with whom he just had a child with in 2016.
NewsA$AP RockyL.A.LapdLos AngelesNipsey HusslePoliceRIPShootingVince Staples


Welcome to the web page of the NanoPhysics Theory Group at Bilkent University, Turkey.
Our research focuses on developing and applying the tools of theoretical and computational physics for the proper understanding of the physical properties of objects in the nanoscale size range. Using state-of-the-art techniques we investigate a broad range of topics of current interest including; reversible hydrogen storage, super-low friction, nanowires, molecular electronics, and spintronics.


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Q: Need help processing a ZIP file This is my scenario:

*

*I upload a zip file

*Check each file in zip file

*If file != image, then move file to destination

*if file == image, resize image and move to destination

I googled around and seen different solutions, but none where one can process files before saving them at the final destination.
This is the function I got so far:
  // Extract zip file and return files in an array.
  private function processZip() {
    $zip = new ZipArchive;
    $tmp_dir = FB_PLUGIN_DIR.'tmp/';

    // Extract files to tmp dir
    if ($zip->open($this->file['tmp_name']) === TRUE) {
      //Check if temp dir exists. If not, create one.
      if (!is_dir($tmp_dir)) {
        mkdir($tmp_dir, 0700);
      }

      $zip->extractTo($tmp_dir);
      $zip->close();

    /* Process extracted files */

    foreach(glob($tmp_dir.'*.*') as $filename) {

        // Somehow get MIME type here without using 'finfo' and 'mime_content_type'
        // I haven't installed PEAR and 'mime_content_type' is decapricated.
    }

      return '1'; // success
    } else {
      return "0"; // fail
    }
  }

I'm not sure if I'm going in the right direction here. Somehow I think I should be able to process the files while in the "ZIP loop".
Is there a way I can  read the files in the ZIP file, determin the MIME type and then process file?
I found this example: http://www.java-samples.com/showtutorial.php?tutorialid=985
I think it's close to what I need. But not sure what to modify.

A: Decouple your processes.  Extract everything from the ZIP file first, then scan the files for image files and process them.
It's a simpler process, and can be more easily decomposed for dealing with larger zipfiles.

A: Here's how I've processed a zip file in the past without extracting the whole thing
$zip = new ZipArchive;
$zip->open($file);
for ($i = 0; $i < $zip->numFiles; $i++) {
    $entry = $zip->statIndex($i);
    if ($entry['size'] > 0) {
        $data = $zip->getFromIndex($i);
        // $data is a binary string of file data
        // which can be used in GD functions for images
        // and written to a location for regular files

        if (preg_match('/\.jpe?g$/i', $entry['name'])) {
            // JPEG file
        } else {
            // Not a JPEG file :-)
        }
    }
}
$zip->close();

Unfortunately, I couldn't find a way to actually read the file info without extracting it so I've gone with file extension detection.


text:
As Lie Is to Grin
Matriculation. One of the best debut novels I've read in a long time is the compact book by Simeon Marsalis titled, As Lie Is to Grin. The narrator and protagonist, David, arrives at college in Vermont doing what all college students eventually do while matriculating: finding answers to important questions. Race and class and fitting in are all in play, with David's confusion in the present trying to make sense of the past. Marsalis places David as an African American in a predominantly white college. Then he explores the backstory from the prior year that made sense of what led David to Vermont. The prose is finely written, and explores complex ideas with great skill. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase As Lie Is to Grin from amazon.com.
A Distant View of Everything
Interpretations. The eleventh installment in the series by Alexander McCall Smith featuring Isabel Dalhousie is titled, A Distant View of Everything. Things are not always, or perhaps often, as they appear to be. It takes perspective and context to interpret behavior and actions. Isabel refreshes herself and readers about the importance of perspective in this charming and engaging novel. Fans of the series are those readers most likely to enjoy reading the latest installment. New readers can start here or anywhere and be charmed by this interesting protagonist, her friends and extended family. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase A Distant View of Everything from amazon.com.
Two Kinds of Truth
Fresh. Sometimes when I'm reading serial fiction, I get the feeling that I've already read the novel. With caution, I opened the twentieth installment in the Harry Bosch series by Michael Connelly, a novel titled, Two Kinds of Truth. I was delighted that even after so many previous novels, Connelly is able to put our familiar Harry in fresh situations and experience new things so that not once did I have the feeling that I had already read this novel. The old detective goes undercover in this novel. At the same time, his half-brother, Mickey Haller, prepares to defend Harry against a claim that Harry planted evidence to secure a conviction on an old case. Harry and Mickey get to the truth in different ways. Fans of the series will enjoy spending more time with these familiar characters and with an engaging plot. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Two Kinds of Truth from amazon.com.
The Pigeon Tunnel
Vignettes. The author David Cornwell uses the penname John le Carré even for the memoir titled, The Pigeon Tunnel. Every interesting vignette is told as if the reader were sitting at a meal with Cornwell and listening raptly to his war stories and other remembered episodes of a well-lived and interesting life. I found these interesting stories from a fine storyteller engaging and I could not have cared less whether or not they are true. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The Pigeon Tunnel from amazon.com.
The Romanov Ransom
Romp. The ninth novel in the Sam and Remi Fargo series by Clive Cussler is titled, The Romanov Ransom. The current treasure hunt takes the Fargos on a romp from Europe to North Africa to South America, tracked at every turn by a ruthless adversary. Fans of formulaic adventure fiction are those readers most likely to enjoy this novel and this series. It's fast-paced and often highly predictable. Compared with earlier novels, I found less humor and repartee between Sam and Remi, and less fine dining. Nonetheless, I got exactly what I expected: a quick read that didn't require a lot of mental energy. Rating: Three-star (It's ok) Click here to purchase The Romanov Ransom from amazon.com.
The Story of Arthur Truluv
Grief. Any reader looking for an uplift in spirits should consider reading Elizabeth Berg's latest finely written novel titled, The Story of Arthur Truluv. Three characters. Arthur, Lucille and Maddy, are united in grief and loneliness. Despite a wide age difference, the friendship is real, and the behavior of each character provides a positive example for every reader. True love takes many forms, and the name that Maddy bestows on Arthur perfectly matches the love he has for his late wife, and the love he extends to both Lucille and Maddy. I think Berg's novels are often popular with book groups, and the discussions about this novel will make for interesting, possible tearful, conversations. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The Story of Arthur Truluv from amazon.com.
The Midnight Line
Opioids. The twenty-second Jack Reacher novel by Lee Child it titled, The Midnight Line. Child knows how to please fans of this series: let Reacher be Reacher, and put him in new and interesting situations. In this outing, Reacher finds himself on a quest to find the owner of a West Point ring. Along the way, he finds himself in the middle of the opioid crisis, doing his part to help a fellow soldier overcome addiction. Fans of the series should find a lot to enjoy in this installment. New readers can meet Reacher here, and roam through the whole series. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The Midnight Line from amazon.com.
Five-Carat Soul
Variety. Readers who enjoy fine storytelling in small does are those most likely to enjoy reading the new short story collection by James McBride titled, Five-Carat Soul. There's lots of variety in these stories, from animals to Abraham Lincoln. McBride's creativity is the common thread in this collection: he grabs attention and engages readers into paying attention to the story. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Five-Carat Soul from amazon.com.
Truth. Fans of mysteries will find a lot to enjoy in Harlan Coben's novel titled, Don't Let Go. Protagonist Napoleon "Nap" Dumas faced trauma as a senior in high school, when his twin brother died and then the love of his young life, Maura, disappeared. Now working as a suburban New Jersey police detective, Nap finds evidence that may lead him to Maura, and to getting answers to questions that have plagued him for over a dozen years. Coben, as always, captures suburban life, creates interesting characters, and offers a plot that keeps readers engaged and entertained from beginning to end. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Don't Let Go from amazon.com.
Overload: Finding the Truth in Today's Deluge of News
Journalism. In his book titled, Overload: Finding the Truth in Today's Deluge of News, Bob Schieffer practices journalism while he opines on the current state of journalism. He conducted about forty interviews with media practitioners and provided context thanks to his decades of experiences in different forms of journalism. The sources of news have proliferated, and the curating role of media leaders has diminished. Rigorous fact-checked stories and reckless unverified stories are listed side by side, minute by minute, leaving the receiver to sort the true from the fake. Schieffer makes a case for the importance of authentic journalism in our society. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Overload from amazon.com.
Smithsonian. The twelfth Cotton Malone novel by Steve Berry is titled, The Lost Order. As the formula demands, something secret from the past requires the skills of Cotton Malone to uncover and resolve. This time out, the setting involves the Smithsonian Institution, and the secret involves a lost treasure from the Confederacy and a group called The Knights of the Golden Circle. Readers looking for some escapist action reading are those most likely to enjoy this novel, especially those who like a blend of actual and made-up history. Rating: Three-star (It's ok) Click here to purchase The Lost Order from amazon.com.
The House of Unexpected Sisters
Weaknesses. The full cast of beloved characters are back for the eighteenth installment of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series, a novel titled, The House of Unexpected Sisters. We all have weaknesses, and that should lead us to understand and forgive the weaknesses of others that can cause us distress. There's a case in this novel that causes Mma Ramotswe to change her mind, and she makes a discovery that changes her life. Fans of the series will zip through this installment and await the next. Any reader looking for a feel-good reading experience should consider this novel and this series. I always feel better about all people after reading one of Smith's books. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The House of Unexpected Sisters from amazon.com.
The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye
Justice. The fifth Lisbeth Salander novel is titled, The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye, and it was a real joy to be spending time again with the girl with the dragon tattoo. Lisbeth is a kick ass protagonist whose position as an outsider makes her even more powerful. Salander solves mysteries about her own past in this installment while she secures and inflicts justice for others. Fans of the series will enjoy the return of the ensemble of well-developed characters led by Lisbeth and journalist Mikael Blomkvist. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye from amazon.com.
Elmet
Brutish. The world can be a violent and brutish place, and escape may not be possible. In Fiona Mozley's debut novel titled, Elmet, a father, daughter and son live in a rural area in a house built by hand on land owned by someone else. The landlord represents evil and encourages violence. This is a novel about outcasts and the bonds of family love, under which one does what is necessary to survive. Mozley's prose is finely written, and readers who enjoy literary fiction are those most likely to enjoy this novel. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Elmet from amazon.com.
Future Home of the Living God
Devolution. What could be more dystopian than devolution, the idea that man has reverted to some more primitive state? In her novel titled, Future Home of the Living God, Louise Erdrich explores a society in which evolution has gone into reverse with dramatic consequences. Protagonist Cedar Hawk Songmaker is twenty-six years old and pregnant. Erdrich places her in conflict with society and on a journey toward community, love and self-determination. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Future Home of the Living God from amazon.com.
Orchestral. The song in Jesmyn Ward's novel, Sing, Unburied, Sing, will break your heart. An ensemble of characters sing their part in a chorus of racism, drug addiction, poverty, incarceration, child neglect and love. Ward's prose unveils places and people with perfect language and deep sentiment. A reader's empathy builds on every page. Even the ghosts sing in this chorus because they remain attached to the people and places. This novel is on many of the best of the year lists and won the National Book Award for fiction. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Sing Unburied Sing from amazon.com.
Radio Free Vermont: A Fable of Resistance
Smaller. Bill McKibben's novel titled, Radio Free Vermont: A Fable of Resistance, is a homage to the resistance movement in the form of a fable. Independent and smaller is presented as better than dependent and larger. This short and playful book brought me a welcome break from the news of the day and the struggles of life. McKibben draws interesting characters, provides an engaging story and brings some laughs along the way. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Radio Free Vermont from amazon.com.
Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire: A 500-Year History
Belief. The blurred line between reality and fantasy isn't a contemporary development in American life, according to Kurt Andersen in his book titled, Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire: A 500-Year History. "America was the dreamworld creation of fantasists, some religious and some out to get rich quick, all with a freakish appetite for the amazing." (p.427). Readers with strong religious beliefs will feel somewhat dismissed in those beliefs when they read Andersen's categorization of them as fantasists. Readers who share Andersen's worldview will find almost five hundred pages of statistics, anecdotes, and selective stories of American life to show that over a long period of time, fertile ground in America provided the soil in which fantasy and reality blurred and became widespread. Truth has become a matter of feeling, not fact, and that didn't happen overnight. Whether offended or vindicated by Andersen's book, every reader can understand our contemporary society better by reading about our past and seeing in that past the foundations of modern life. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Fantasyland from amazon.com.
The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America's Enemies
Invisible. One more deficiency in my education was resolved when I read Jason Fagone's finely written book about the life of codebreaker Elizebeth Smith Friedman titled, The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America's Enemies. A combination of sexism and secrecy made her significant role in the 20th century invisible. Thanks to Fagone, long overdue credit for her significant achievements can be learned by any reader interested in codes, espionage, and recent history. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The Woman Who Smashed Codes from amazon.com.
The Vanity Fair Diaries
Energetic. The punchy wit that Tina Brown writes in her book titled, The Vanity Fair Diaries, will delight even those readers with little interest in the New York media world of the 1980s and 1990s. Her trenchant observations about people are peppered throughout the book, while she pulls readers into her workaholic life. In this account, Tina never stops pushing, pressing, trying new things, working constantly. For readers who know the New York world she describes, this book will be required reading, at least about people one knows, and whose entries are easy to find, thanks to the index. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The Vanity Fair Diaries from amazon.com.
Three Days and a Life
Guilt. Pierre Lemaitre's novel titled, Three Days and a Life, is a character study and morality tale. The novel is set in two time periods in the life of protagonist Antoine Courtin. At age 12, Antoine accidently kills a young neighbor, and then hides the body rather than face the consequences of his action. Lemaitre explores the ways in which guilt and remorse affect Antoine. More than a decade later, Antoine returns to his home town and carries out his self-inflicted punishment. The inner and outer storms of this novel and the surprising twists will delight most readers. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Three Days and a Life from amazon.com.
Rescue. The fifth novel in the Will Robie series by David Baldacci is titled, End Game. Robie and Jessica Reel are sent on a search and rescue mission. Fans of the series will enjoy the ways in which Will and Jessica's skills are deployed in this story. New readers who enjoy action thrillers will find some pleasure here. This is a formulaic novel that had few surprises, but lots of implausible action. Rating: Three-star (It's ok) Click here to purchase End Game from amazon.com.
Reservoir 13
Ripples. Each of has at one time or another tossed a rock into the water and watched the ripples expand from the place where the rock hit the water. In his novel titled, Reservoir 13, Ian McGregor explores lots of ripples in a community after a girl goes missing. The exploration involves observations, glimpses of life, telling us that life has gone on after the disappearance. This novel is an exploration of the ordinary and an examination of the progression of time in the natural environment and among the people living in a particular place. Readers who expect a novel to offer a plot that can be followed will be impatient with this book. Readers who are open to fictional experimentation will love this novel. The prose is finely written, and the descriptions of the environment are lyrical. Once I stopped trying to figure out what was going on, I enjoyed every page. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Reservoir 13 from amazon.com.
Ungrateful Mammals
Artist. While I was turning the pages of Dave Eggers book titled, Ungrateful Mammals, I thought triple threat. Some performers are called a triple threat when they can sing, dance and act. Eggers is a talented writer. The illustrations he offers in this collection exhibit his drawing talent. What comes together with the pairing of phrases, including bible verses, with his illustrations is his skill at humor and poignancy. This is an eccentric and unusual book, and I enjoyed it, both times I paged through. I've liked Eggers' writing, and now understand better the extent of this artist's versatile talents. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Ungrateful Mammals from amazon.com.
Disconnected. Married readers, especially those who have journeyed together on memorable road trips, are those who will gain an extra wallop from Hannah Pittard's novel titled, Listen to Me. Protagonists Mark and Maggie have started their annual drive from Chicago to Virginia to visit his parents later than planned, and a severe storm is forecast for their route. Their relationship is tense for many reasons, and the ways in which they are disconnected increase as the story develops. The darkness of the storm and power outage mirrors the darkness entering their relationship, a growing estrangement. Pittard's prose is taut to match the tension in the story, and readers who love literary fiction will enjoy her fine writing, no matter how bleak the characters become or how dire their situation. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Listen to Me from amazon.com.
Turnaround. I loved reading Naomi Alderman's novel, The Power, for three reasons. First, she draws readers into a creative and engaging story. Second, her prose is finely written. Third, she explores a fundamental question about human nature and behavior: if women had a physical trait that provided them with the means to dominate men, what might be different in human relations? It was especially timely to read this novel when each day's news provides a report about another prominent male exercising power through some form of inappropriate behavior. Any book club that skips this title will lose an opportunity to discuss gender similarities and differences. Rating: Five-star (I love it) Click here to purchase The Power from amazon.com.
Memory. One of fiction's great themes is that things are often not as they appear to be. In Roddy Doyle's novel, Smile, memories and what really happened may also be different. Protagonist Victor Forde remembers lots of vivid things, include abuse while at school, but he doesn't quite recall a fellow student named Eddie whom he meets decades later. Doyle offers readers crisp dialogue, humor, and great uncertainty about the reliability of memory. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Smile from amazon.com.
At the Strangers' Gate
Romance. My life, your life, and Adam Gopnik's life are very different. In his memoir titled, At the Strangers' Gate, Gopnik uses polished prose to sing a love song to Manhattan and to the incredible luck he has experienced from the time he first arrived. On every page, he entices readers with the places, people and feelings that have given him an enchanted life in New York City. Readers who love Manhattan and who have enjoyed Gopnik's writing are those most likely to appreciate reading about his ongoing romance with Manhattan. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase At the Strangers' Gate from amazon.com.
Rabbit: The Autobiography of Ms. Pat
Transformative. Sometimes a memoir describes a life similar to one's own. Other times, a reader can learn about a world that bears little resemblance to our reality. I was gobsmacked when I read Patricia Williams memoir titled, Rabbit: The Autobiography of Ms. Pat. This is a story about growing up poor and black in America. While she says, "Everybody's got a struggle. Nobody gets through this life easy."(p. 211), her life was never easy, and her struggle was very hard. While much of her story is sad, this memoir is all about the transformative power of love, and about how our lives can change. If you think you know a thing or two about growing up poor and black in America, or if you don't, read this fine book and be inspired by one person's story, and be angry about the conditions that create such a hard struggle to survive. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Rabbit from amazon.com.
Pugnacious. One progressive politician with a clear voice about what she thinks is right and wrong in America is Elizabeth Warren. In her book titled, This Fight Is Our Fight: The Battle to Save America's Middle Class, she conveys that clarity by drawing a line with corporations and the wealthy on one side and middle class working people on the other. Her main theme is that corporations and wealthy donors benefit from policies to increase their rewards, while the average worker falls further behind every year. Readers interested in public policy, whether agreeing with Warren or opposed, will benefit from hearing the clarion sound of her voice and passion about our current state of affairs. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase This Fight Is Our Fight from amazon.com.
The Relive Box
Humor. There are twelve short stories in the latest collection by T.C. Boyle titled, The Relive Box. Any reader who enjoys short fiction will see a master of the genre at his finest in these well-crafted stories. Many of the stories contain humor that gave me a long-lasting grin. I had already read a few of the stories when published in periodicals and found a multiplier effect of reading pleasure in recalling those stories in the midst of ones fresh to me. Rating: Five-star (I love it) Click here to purchase The Relive Box from amazon.com.
Curiosity. I wonder if the successful bidder of $450 million for the Leonardo painting titled, Salvator Mundi, read Walter Isaacson's book titled, Leonardo da Vinci, prior to making an offer on the artwork. I also wonder what Leonardo would have thought of the selling price. Perhaps my curiosity was stimulated by this finely written book in which Isaacson explores Leonardo's life and work. The artist took great joy in distractions, never flagged in his curiosity, let things marinate for years, and did not finish a lot of what he started. A close observer of many things, Leonardo spent his whole life in continuous improvement. The words and images in this book brought me great pleasure and more questions. Rating: Five-star (I love it) Click here to purchase Leonardo da Vinci from amazon.com.
History of Wolves
Bystander. Many of us in middle or later life reflect on formative events of our youth. Sometimes we recall and confirm how what we did was the right thing; other times we have regrets and wonder if we might have done something different. The protagonist of Emily Fridlund's novel titled, History of Wolves, recalls at age 37 a summer when she was fourteen. At that time she was living with her parents on the site of a former commune in the woods of Northern Minnesota. When a family moves into a house across the lake, she becomes a part-time babysitter to a four-year-old boy. What she fails to observe at that time leads her to reflect on being a guilty bystander to tragedy that might have been averted had she intervened. Fridlund reflects on love in this novel and what we choose to do or not do to those we love to belong to something larger than ourselves or to become accepted by others. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase History of Wolves from amazon.com.
The Purple Swamp Hen and Other Stories
Observations. The fifth short story collection by Penelope Lively is titled, The Purple Swamp Hen and Other Stories. In each of the fifteen stories, Lively calls attention to some observations about people or situations that might be overlooked, and leads readers to a revelation or understanding. She often uses humor as the path to insight and wisdom, and her prose conveys her joy in our language. Readers who enjoy literary fiction, especially short stories, are those most likely to enjoy this collection. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The Purple Swamp Hen from amazon.com.
Midwinter Break
Marriage. One thought I had half way through Bernard MacLaverty's finely written novel titled, Midwinter Break, was that the author was accomplishing lots of things in very few pages, a quality I always appreciate. Things are not they appear as Irish retirees Gerry and Stella Gilmore leave their home in Scotland for a holiday in Amsterdam. MacLaverty captures with great skill the many ways in which long-married couples fall into patterns of behavior and do things that can be concurrently endearing and annoying. Habits and the reaction of a spouse to those habits can become the refining fire of a strong relationship or the consuming flame of a weakening one. Thanks to MacLaverty's astute character development and finely written prose, we learn a lot about the habits in this marriage, the transforming events of their past, and the uncertainties ahead. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Midwinter Break from amazon.com.
Duneen. Not many mystery novels make me laugh, but the debut novel by Graham Norton titled, Holding, presented a sense of humor that aligned well with my own. I had low expectations for a novel written by the host of BBC America's The Graham Norton Show, and his writing was better than I expected. Set in the small Irish town of Duneen where everyone knows everybody and their business, human bones are discovered on a building site. Protagonist Garda sergeant P.J. Collins finds himself at the center of the mystery, despite the case being led by a big city detective. Collins is overweight and endearing. Secrets that have been kept for decades are held no more. Kindness and decency abide throughout Duneen, and spending time in this small town brought me great reading pleasure, and many smiles along the way. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Holding from amazon.com.
Echo. I like the ways in each of his novels that Marcus Sakey leads readers into thinking about what's important. In his thriller titled, Afterlife, Sakey does his usual battle between good and evil, and adds a creative way of thinking about what happens after we die. Protagonists Will Brody and Claire McCoy work together at the FBI and are both killed by the same criminal. They meet again after death in a setting that looks similar to the "real" world only transformed, more like an echo. Sakey leads them into layers of an afterlife, each one more desolate as they search for a malevolent force feeding on fear and death. The temptation to compromise with evil remains present with every good person, and Sakey enlivens the action of this novel with the nuance of what else might have been. Fans of thrillers will love the action of this novel, and anyone who thinks about what comes after death will be presented with a version here that I found interesting and enjoyable. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Afterlife from amazon.com.
Spoonbenders
Inheritance. The Telemachus family has members with incredible psychic powers. While Daryl Gregory uses those powers to drive the plot of his novel titled, Spoonbenders, the strength I found in the book comes from the depth of character development and the humor throughout. This is fine storytelling about an interesting family and the care they have for each other. Some readers may become disoriented from the shifts in time and perspective by different characters, but I found all of that to be another part of enjoying a multi-generational family story. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Spoonbenders from amazon.com.
Exposed. It took me a year to finally open a copy of Ann Leary's novel titled, The Children. I don't know why I waited so long. Over the course of about 250 pages, Leary brings a Connecticut lake house into close focus alongside a large cast of characters connected to that house. Secrets are exposed and many characters become more interesting and complex as an initial perception of quirkiness gives way to understanding and insight. Readers who enjoy finely written literary fiction are those most likely to enjoy this novel. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The Children from amazon.com.
Mossad. Fans of spy novels are those readers most likely to enjoy Yiftach Reicher Atir's novel titled, The English Teacher. Protagonist Rachel Goldschmitt has been a Mossad agent living in a Muslim country under a false identity and working as a teacher. Following the death of her father, she disappears and the Mossad sends her handler, Ehud, to track her down and help assess whether she presents a risk. Atir tells an interesting story about a complicated individual and explores the question of identity. I was entertained. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The English Teacher from amazon.com.
Crimes of the Father
Victims. Is it too soon for a novel whose subject is the clerical sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church? Thomas Keneally thought not and wrote Crimes of the Father, a novel set in Sydney Australia in two alternating time segments: the 1970s and 1996. Protagonist Father Frank Docherty was born in Australia, joined a religious order there and was ordained a priest. Following his preaching in the 1970s against the Vietnam War, the archbishop wanted him out of the country, so his order transferred him to Canada where he became a psychologist and teacher. He returns to Sydney in 1996 to give a speech to clerics about sexual abuse, and to visit his ill mother. Both victims of abuse and priests aware of the crimes of fellow priests take Frank into their confidence. Keneally develops all the characters with skill, especially the victims, and by setting the time period when he did, we can see the emergence of attention to the abuse scandal. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Crimes of the Father from amazon.com.
Mothers. Things are not as they appear in the planned community of Shaker Heights, Ohio, and when secrets are revealed the consequences are dramatic. Celese Ng homes in on the theme of motherhood in her novel titled, Little Fires Everywhere. A variety of birth and adoptive mothers are faced with difficult choices. The children of those mothers are the beneficiaries or the victims of those choices. Differences in class are dramatic, but disaster knows nothing about class. There are many little fires simmering or blazing in the houses of Shaker Heights, and thanks to Ng, readers are drawn into these lives to become singed. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Little Fires Everywhere from amazon.com.
Anna. While I'm reading historical fiction, I notice what happens when I recognize how much I am enjoying a novel: my mental images of the past change from black and white to color. From page one of her novel titled, Manhattan Beach, Jennifer Egan sent vivid color to my brain. Set mostly in and around the Brooklyn Navy Yard during World War II, the novel draws readers into that place and time through a well-developed protagonist, Anna, who overcomes resistance to become a diver. Egan leads us into a world of gangsters, complicated family dynamics and a variety of forms of loss and restoration. Her fine prose and well-told story entertained me thoroughly from beginning to end. Rating: Five-star (I love it) Click here to purchase Manhattan Beach from amazon.com.
Dinner at the Center of the Earth
Middle. Our finest artists look at the world and explain it to the rest of us. The talented writer Nathan Englander looks at the Israeli and Palestinian conflict and explains it to us in his novel titled, Dinner at the Center of the Earth. When differences divide us, it can be helpful to understand the other's point of view, clarify our own position, and find common ground or ways of meeting in the middle. The trope of meeting for a meal in the middle of a tunnel expresses the journey each party must take to come together. A long-held prisoner and his guard illustrate the ways in which different parties are put together and uncover common ground. Fans of literary fiction are those readers most likely to enjoy this novel. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Dinner at the Center of the Earth from amazon.com.
Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment
Meditation. Robert Wright offers a secular and not a religious perspective about Buddhism in his book titled, Why Buddhism Is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment. Wright is a thoughtful writer who offers his personal perspective about meditation and its place in his life. Readers get to observe Wright and his struggles on silent retreats and with trying to meditate. Each of us is on some path away from suffering and from our delusions, and this book describes the path that Wright has chosen. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Why Buddhism Is True from amazon.com.
Blake. Readers who don't find Dan Brown's writing tedious and plodding are those most likely to enjoy reading his latest novel to feature Robert Langdon. Titled, Origin, this novel explores answers that a student of Langdon provides to two perennial questions: where did we come from and where are we going? Brown teases out the student's answers over the course of 480 pages using quotes from Winston Churchill along the way and aspects of the life and writing of William Blake. The Catholic church is back with a role to play in this novel. Brown has been successful with this formula in earlier novels, and the latest novel will seem very familiar to readers of his earlier books. Rating: Three-star (It's ok) Click here to purchase Origin from amazon.com.
Unbelievable: My Front-Row Seat to the Craziest Campaign in American History
Unintimidated. NBC News reporter Katy Tur was plucked from a welcome assignment in Europe to cover the 2016 presidential campaign of Donald Trump. Never suspecting that her assignment would last 500 days and that the candidate she was covering would become President, Tur hit the road and came to understand the scope of Trump's support. She writes about her personal experience of the campaign and her early life in a memoir titled, Unbelievable: My Front-Row Seat to the Craziest Campaign in American History. Readers looking for some Teddy White style perspective on the campaign won't find much new in this book. Readers interested in Tur herself and the ways in which she was never intimidated by Trump or his supporters are those most likely to enjoy reading this book. Rating: Three-star (It's ok) Click here to purchase Unbelievable from amazon.com.
Character. I am a sucker for character-driven crime fiction. A new series by Joe Ide begins with a title, IQ, named for the protagonist, Isaiah Quintabe. Isaiah is a smart guy with a big heart. Ide introduces Isaiah in two time segments in this novel: when he dropped out of high school in 2005 and in 2013 where he and his sidekick, Dodson, are caught up in an exciting and lucrative case. Set in Southern California and rooted in South Central, the crimes and action are presented vividly and by the end of the novel, I knew I was hooked on another crime fiction series, thanks to the interesting central character, Isaiah Quintabe. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase IQ from amazon.com.
The Rooster Bar
Caper. My guess is that John Grisham had a lot of fun writing his novel titled, The Rooster Bar. Readers who can overlook some clunky writing may have fun reading it. Three third-year law students face the reality that their job prospects after getting a degree from a bottom-tier school won't generate the income they need to repay massive student loans. What follows is a caper to reveal a scam by a wealthy lawyer, to commit felonies, and to change their lives. The more preposterous the behavior of the three protagonists, the more fun their exploits became. Rating: Three-star (It's ok) Click here to purchase The Rooster Bar from amazon.com.
The Once and Future Liberal: After Identity Politics
Citizenship. Many readers will bristle at Mark Lilla's book titled, The Once and Future Liberal: After Identity Politics. That's a good reason to read it, whether one agrees or disagrees with the author. Lilla proposes that the liberal attention to identity politics in recent years has been a harmful diversion. Over the past four decades the vision of American individualism championed by Reagan and others has become dominant. The problem he sees with that vision is that individualism leads to a lack of interest in discerning the common good and no way of drawing our country's citizens together. Lilla calls for liberals to focus on citizenship, not identity. Whether you're a liberal or a conservative, reading about this proposed reset will be of interest if you are a citizen interested in making our republic stronger. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The Once and Future Liberal from amazon.com.
Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire: A 500-Year ...
The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love,...
This Fight Is Our Fight: The Battle to Save Americ...
Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy o...
Unbelievable: My Front-Row Seat to the Craziest Ca...


text:
1900 N Stevens St
Directions Rhinelander,	WI	54501
Used 2014 ChevroletSpark LT Hatchback
VIN: KL8CD6S92EC566997
Stock: 50548T
Green w Green Trim
Hatchback/4 seats
Turn-by-turn navigation service
Turn-by-turn navigation service: OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation
Fuel tank capacity: 9.2gal.
Horsepower: 84hp @ 6,400RPM
Torque: 83 lb.-ft. @ 4,200RPM
Engine horsepower: 84hp @ 6,400RPM
Engine torque: 83 lb.-ft. @ 4,200RPM
CARFAX One-Owner. Clean CARFAX. Lime 2014 Chevrolet Spark 1LT FWD CVT ECOTEC 1.2L I4 MPI DOHC
Recent Arrival! Odometer is 2534 miles below market average! 30/39 City/Highway MPG
* 2014 IIHS Top Safety Pick * 2014 KBB.com 10 Tech-Savviest Cars Under $20,000 * 2014 KBB.com 5-Year Cost to Own Awards * 2014 KBB.com Brand Image Awards
Located in Eagle River, WI, Eagle River Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram is proud to be one of the premier dealerships in the area. From the moment you walk into our showroom, you'll know our commitment to Customer Service is second to none. We strive to make your experience with Eagle River Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram a good one for the life of your vehicle. Whether you need to Purchase, Finance, or Service a New or Pre-Owned Vehicle, you've come to the right place. Call 715-479-4726 for more information or to schedule a test drive with one of our non-commission salespeople.
* Numbers are appealing here, specifically a sub-$13,000 starting price and 39-mpg highway fuel-economy rating. Equally appealing are the Spark's style and a size that's big enough to hold four passengers yet tiny enough to park where other cars can't. Source: KBB.com
* Inexpensive without feeling cheap; spacious interior; available high-tech features. Source: Edmunds
* The 2014 Chevrolet Spark is a great choice in the growing market of American mini-cars. It has sleek, organic flowing lines, hidden rear door handles and dramatic angled headlights, all of which give it a modern flair. Further, the Spark is energetic, fun and perfect for zipping around town or navigating busy urban streets. Plus, City-dwellers will like the Spark's ability to fit into small parking spots. The Spark is sold in 3 trim categories: the LS, 1LT, and 2LT, with each having the option of a manual of automatic transmission. All models come with a 1.2-Liter ECOTEC 4-Cylinder Engine that gets up to an EPA estimated 31 MPG City and 39 MPG Highway. Considering the economy-minded class it competes in, the 2014 Chevrolet Spark comes with a host of standard convenience features including air conditioning, power windows, 15-inch alloy wheels, and 10 airbags. In addition to stylish looks, the all-new Spark has a surprising amount of storage capacity for its size. New for 2014, all Sparks received automatic headlight control, a more efficient Continuously Variable Automatic Transmission, and Navigation is now available through a smartphone-enabled app. While the size of the car is nothing too new, its styling and packaging act as the main attractions. Bright lively color options like Lemonade, Grape Ice, and Jalapeno help Spark Stand out in a crowd, and those colors are color coordinated on the inside of the car as well. The 2014 Chevrolet Spark's interior has enough room for four adults, and it's big on futuristic styling. Aside from the body-color trim, the instrument panel is sure to catch your eye. It is motorcycle-inspired and features a large analog speedometer, with a digital tachometer and trip odometer as well. For added comfort on your commutes, leatherette seating surfaces come with the 2LT. Another great point of focus is the 7-inch diagonal color touch screen in the center console area, coupled with Chevrolet MyLink on trims 1LT and higher. Drive it today! Source: The Manufacturer Summary
The Import Killer Returns!!
By CarFan12 | on Thursday, April 11, 2013
I had the opportunity to drive a Spark recently and was impressed. My initial impression was the next Metro (based on it's size and price) but I couldn't be farther from the truth. The Spark is tiny with an overall length of 144" but thanks to it's well laid out interior it has a surprising amount of interior room. I'm 6'3" and can easily fit up front and even in the back. The only big con is the cargo space with the seats up is really small but who combines double dates and IKEA runs? The Mylink radio is an answer to a tech lover's prayer. The stock speakers are good but heavy bass is fuzzy. Acceleration is adequate for a car with only 84 hp but the fun colors and fuel economy easily make up for that. In town the Spark has no superior and is a snap to park. On the highway the Spark holds its own with ease and maintains highway speeds rather well. Based on the Spark's on board fuel economy computer I averaged 35mpg mixed driving and had a top mpg of 47. For those who want a more earth friendly car the Spark is also 85% recyclable! Overall the Spark is an excellent sub-compact that is a functional, tech savvy, commuter car that is a good choice for people who have a small budget or even for those who do not want to spend a small fortune on a hybrid. Definitely my next car!…
So far, so good, but...
By mike t | on Sunday, May 05, 2013
I bough it new and have 2300 mile on it so far. Manual shift. Drives nice and is getting over 40mpg in a mixed driving situation, mostly freeway though. I really like it so far. I have three complaints. One is the radio. I bought the lower price on because the the upper priced one seemed to have a large screen that was really nothing more than a monitor for your phone. No GPS, no extra car data, no high def radio, no CD player, nothing. The lower priced one has a radio that looks to be difficult to change out. A very proprietary hole(s) in the dash take up a lot of space for no particular reason. I would have preferred a radio with a cd player(although I probably would not use it all that much), an aux, and a USB connector. Most car cd/radios have this. My last radio for $80.00 also had a sd card slot. Also the price of the car reflects the cost of having On Star tech already installed, even if you have no intention of using it you are still paying for it, because the price of the car has to reflect the cost of providing it. I'd rather get a few bucks off the car and not have the On Star already there. The last complaint is it has no engine temperature gauge. I still bought the car knowing about the radio and I still really like the car. Right price and I like the way it drives, rides, and looks. I just think GM could do a better job on some of the tech stuff. It's sad that a $50.00 Wal-Mart CD/radio would be a step up!…
Great car for the price.
By Stevo | on Monday, July 15, 2019
We bought this car new for our teenage daughter as a cheap, disposable mode of transportation for her to get to school and work. 6 years later she still drives it and won't part with it. When we bought it for her I thought it was one of the ugliest things I'd ever seen. I'm a car enthusiast and never liked the looks of any City Car. Over time the styling grew on me and every time I drove it I liked how fun it is to drive. It's peppy when no one else is on board and drives like a little go cart. It's been fairly reliable, only needing a battery, new tires and an oil pan gasket replacement in 6 years. If you're looking for a really cheap car that gets great mileage and is fun to drive, this is it.…
2005 Ford F-150 XLT Truck Supe…
Truck Super Cab


For quite a while now, I have had this little book sitting on the suitcases next to my bed (yes, I have suitcases stacked by my bed as a nightstand.) and I kept saying I was going to review it. Then, I went away this past weekend and brought back gazillions of pounds (just ask my shoulder) of new review material. In good conscience, I couldn't move on to review any of that (and you know I'm twitching to) without telling you about this humdinger of a book.
Sunday, bloody Sunday…See? Inner dj is still on! There was no blood, I swear! Ok, there might have been but it wasn't real blood! It was makeup blood and it wasn't on me! There were tons of cosplayers with tons of fake blood on them. I don't have any pictures, so you'll just have to trust me that it happened.
Oh, Ursa Minor, how much you surprised me. Seriously, when I first heard of you, I didn't think you would begin to capture my attention or my imagination. I never thought I'd love you. I agreed to look at you because of Ian's talent. Imagine my surprise when you hit my inbox and I got lost in your colors and your lines and your story.
Your story of a world where werewolves kill the president and vampires step in to help humanity was one I sighed at. I, like so many others, am tired of the vampires. You, however, are not about vampires. You are about one girl who tries to save us all from them.


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text:
What Happens When Fake News Destroys Trust in Journalism?
Glenn Stok
Is the news you read trustworthy?
Photo by No Revisions on Unsplash
Journalism or Opinion?
In this article, I am not going to express political commentary for the sake of giving examples. Instead, I will focus on the issue directly, which is why people lose trust in journalism. And with that is the understanding of why people fall for fake news and how to recognize it.
There are many ways to interpret what people say. The most crucial thing to do is understand if it's their biased opinion or if it's factual.
Journalists need to confirm the credibility of their stories. Unfortunately, recently many news reporters who claim to be journalists are only giving their opinion on the topics they are reporting.
If we consider their opinion factual, we can easily be brainwashed into thinking what they or their company want us to believe.
Professional Journalists Are Credible
A professional journalist would cite credible sources when it's necessary to clarify whether it's merely their opinion or is indeed genuinely factual.
It would not be professional if they leave out crucial details, which they would do if they intend to report solely based on their agenda.
For that reason, people need to pay more attention to the intention of a news reporter so they can diligently determine the validity and value of the report.
The Destruction of Journalism
Fake news has already destroyed trust in journalism. Moreover, fake editorials portrayed as actual news can have a harmful effect on politics in our society.1
That's why we need to recognize the difference between factual journalism and biased opinion.
Most media spokespersons only offer an opinion based on biased positions these days. Trust in journalism is destroyed when reporters only provide a narrow and limited view in an effort to avoid factual information that goes against their preferred viewpoint.
To achieve that, they offer little detail to support their personal views and leave out anything factual that interferes with their agenda.
Intelligent viewers have the resourcefulness to research the data for accuracy. However, some people tend to accept everything they hear.
How Are People Fooled?
Fake news is presented in the same way that cyber hackers create phishing scams. They write in such a way as to look realistic to fool people.
Sometimes it's difficult to determine if you are being scammed. Anyone can be fooled, no matter how smart they are. In the instance of phony emails, here's an example:
You receive a warning that your bank account has been overdrawn. The email asks you to log in to check your account, and they make it easy by giving you a link in the email.
The link looks legitimate, mainly because many people don't know how Internet addresses (URLs) are structured. So you click the link and try to log in. Of course, it fails because it's not the actual site, but the damage is done. You just gave away your login information to the hacker.
What does that have to do with fake news? It's the same thing. It sounds legitimate. Unfortunately, many people don't know where the information came from or how different it is from the truth. And they don't know how to determine its accuracy.
Fake news spreads like wildfire from one friend to another, usually via social media.
A survey in mid-2022 by the Pew Research Center discovered that half of U.S. adults get their news from social media.2
One needs to ask, who is really benefitting? The viewer or the press?
My cyber hacker analogy is an excellent example. A hacker who sends scam emails will benefit when victims follow through with the instructions provided.
In addition, proficient hackers write code that propagates their emails from one computer to another. That makes their phishing emails look like they came from trusted friends, and one is more likely to fall for the scam.
The same is true of fake news. It spreads like wildfire from one friend to another. And the news media benefits from this by getting more viewers.
The appearance of information coming from supposedly trusted sources is overwhelming and believable. When people continue to hear the same fake news from many sources in their lives, and when trusted friends acknowledge it, the news becomes falsely genuine in their minds.
Citizen journalist making a video for social media.
Photo by Alps Patel on Unsplash
Citizen Journalists Are Not Professionals
In my research, I came upon the term "citizen journalist." They are people just like you and me who might happen to be in a location where a newsworthy story is taking place. And since most of us have smartphones with cameras, we begin filming a video.
A citizen journalist will take it to the next level and post that video on social media with their own twist on the event to suit their personal beliefs or to stick with an agenda they prefer to spread around.
Unfortunately, these media posts spread misinformation when they only show selective parts of the whole story.3
How Can One Determine What's Real?
To use my analogy once again with cyber-phishing attempts, specific features of a phishing email can include telltale signs, such as misspelled company names or poor arrangement of details. The accuracy of the data is the most important thing to investigate, such as where the URL would link to when you click on it.
Similarly, in the case of newscasts, careful examination of the details is crucial. If a viewer of news is vigilant, they can apply the same evaluation method to determine if news reports are fake or factual.
Consider the details. Do the features of the story make sense?
Consider the quality. Is there a possible cause for bias?
Consider the connections. Does overbearing influence guide the reporter?
The credibility of the information can be challenging to determine, especially when it's constructed well and seems revealing for the viewer's benefit.
Stanford University conducted a study in 2020 that showed many college students had struggled to identify misinformation in news reports.4
The Effect of Opinionated Articles
When a writer is looking for ideas to write about, they usually have opinions they need to discuss. However, there are many reasons for refraining from writing controversial articles with personal opinions.
An author may feel uncomfortable writing about particular topics. Here are a few reasons:
It may be painful.
It may be embarrassing.
It could be a touchy subject.
It could start arguments.
I've noticed that controversial articles definitely get more readers. Introducing a personal slant about debatable issues, and expressing personal thoughts or feelings, can sometimes light a fire that causes people to want to engage. But is that valuable to the reader?
Writing Facts vs. Opinions
There is a difference, though, between writing about facts vs. opinions. The best controversial articles are the ones that expressly point to facts but then add a personal point of view. And honest journalists will clarify the difference so readers can judge for themselves.
A journalist's job is to present the facts, and when they offer an interpretation, it must be done as objectively as possible.5
Those that are merely opinionated won't get anywhere other than gathering arguments in comments. However, their article's value will be recognized when they write from the heart and are truthful and accurate with facts.
They need to avoid prejudiced writing, which can be challenging when they favor specific political parties and leaders. But that's why they need to be objective and cover stories honestly and openly.6
Those who fall for internet phishing scams could be the same people who believe fake news without taking the crucial step of analyzing the factual nature of the information. That's my opinion!
Nevertheless, those who are vigilant tend to lose trust in journalism.
Quote by Edgar Allan Poe
Image design of Poe's quote made by Glenn Stok with Kittl app.
Gabrielle Price. (April 15, 2019). "How Fake News is Negatively Impacting Journalism" | MediaMap Brisbane
"Social Media and News Fact Sheet." (September 20, 2022). | Pew Research Center
Storyhunter. (November 15, 2016). "Why We Need Professional Journalism in the Age of Social Media." Storyhunter Blog.
Sam Wineburg, Joel Breakstone, Nadav Ziv, Mark Smith. (October 21, 2020). "Educating for Misunderstanding: How Approaches to Teaching Digital Literacy Make Students Susceptible to Scammers, Rogues, Bad Actors, and Hate Mongers" | Stanford Libraries
Rizvi, I. (January 14, 2022). "What makes a Professional Identity of a Journalist" | Sociology Group.
"What are the Qualities Required to Become a Good Journalist." (Retrieved January 11, 2023). Ibuzzle.com
© 2023 Glenn Stok


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Every 2019 combined rates mentioned above are the results of Texas state rate (6.25%), the Texas cities rate (1%). There is no county sale tax for Weston, Texas. There is no special rate for Weston.
There is 1 out of 1 zip code in Weston that are being charged city sales tax for a ratio of 100%.


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