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After nearly a month sans any games, the baseball team returned to action Sunday as they hosted Utica College in a doubleheader at Towers Field.
UR split the two games, rallying to take the first one 14-9 but falling 11-1 later that afternoon.
Down 9-8 in the bottom of the fifth, the Yellowjackets pushed two across, capped by senior second baseman Keith Erazmus& single to left field, driving in sophomore outfielder Matt Davison from second and putting UR up for good.
&I was just looking for something to drive,& Erazmus said. &It was an outside pitch and I just went with it.&
An inning later, the Yellowjackets would add four more runs to top off their late game scoring binge.
However, early on, the situation looked far more bleak. Despite taking a 4-3 lead after the first inning, Utica went ahead 9-5 in the top of the fourth, chasing junior starting-pitcher Adam Fay out of the game.
Junior Mike Carletta relieved Fay and succeeded in limiting Utica to two hits three, and a third inning of scoreless baseball to earn his second victory of the season.
But the Yellowjackets came alive in the bottom of the fourth.
After sophomore outfielder Ryan Hanley led off with a walk, he advanced to second on Davison&s base hit.
Senior catcher Mike McKinsey then walked to load the bases. After a fielder&s choice by Erazmus drove in Hanley at third, senior shortstop Bill Rasmussen tripled in two more runs and knocked out Utica&s starting pitcher.
An inning later, UR went ahead 10-9 and in the bottom of the sixth, adding four more runs headlined by senior catcher Dan Kernan&s third homer of the year, a three-run shot to the right.
&I was down in the count,& Kernan said. &I was looking for the curveball and he actually threw [it].&
However, UR did not fare as well in game two and mental frustration was apparent in how the team played. Five errors paved the way for seven unearned Utica runs. And although the Yellowjackets only trailed 2-1 through five, three botched plays in the top of the sixth would lead to eight runs for Utica, putting the game away for good.
This loss was a huge disappointment for coach Dave Palese and for UR&s nationally contending team.
Up until that point, junior starting pitcher Brian Schobel appeared to be in control. After getting touched for two runs in the first, Schobel only gave up two more hits during the next four innings.
Offensively, the Yellowjackets had a singular highlight in the bottom of the third and Hanley&s solo homer to the left field cut Utica&s lead in half. It was his first round tripper for the season.
However in top of the sixth inning, the pitching staff could no longer hold off Utica.
Schobel showed signs of fatigue and was relieved by senior Lou Marasco with two outs, two on and one in.
Palese later changed the pitching staff again, replacing Marasco with freshman Justin Sansone after two hits and an error.
However, the change didn&t help and the nightmare continued for Sansone.
A wild pitch and two more errors occurred before the final out was made.
Overall, Utica scored eight times on only four hits in the top of the sixth.
By the time UR could respond in its half of the inning, Utica&s lead had swelled to a 10-1 advantage..
Tomorrow at 2 p.m., UR will head back to Towers Field for its next challenge 8212; Ithaca College.
The Yellowjackets hope that the week off gave them time to recover from their disappointing loss and raise their mental game to the level of their physical aptitude.
&There&s no doubt in my mind that with our strong pitching staff and everyone pulling together, we have a good shot at beating this nationally contending team,& Kernan said. &We did it in Florida and we know we&ll do it again.&

domain: sports


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Mary Pratt has been working with Production Paradise for almost 8 years, and thus is one of our most loyal and treasured customers. We had a chat with Mary to get some insight into her experience of the production industry and to get to know her a little better. This is how it went:
When did you start your business, how long have you been in the industry?
I have been in the business for 17 years. I founded Mission Photo Production in 2000. Prior to that, I was a partner at another production company for about six years.
How did you start doing what you do, what inspired you?
I have a background in advertising, and have always loved photography. I was so captivated by New York on my first visit to the city that I quit my job as a studio manager for one of Zurich’s eminent commercial photographers and moved to The Big Apple. Was this a capricious thing to do? Absolutely! But I was tremendously energized by the city–everything seemed possible and nothing felt too daunting. I was hoping to find a job as a studio manager again. I had an interview at Irving Penn’s studio (I didn’t get the job once they realized how young and relatively inexperienced I was). A photographer suggested I try my luck with production, and I quickly realized that it really suited me.
What part of your work do you enjoy the most?
My training and experience as a junior account manager in advertising wasn’t a waste, after all. With production, I find I can combine a number of skills and passions: business and organizational skills go hand in hand with creativity. I have travelled extensively, I speak several languages, and I have a broad knowledge of architecture, art, fashion and design. All this comes in handy when I talk to photographers, agencies and clients.
It may sound like a cliché, but in production, every job is different. It never gets boring. I like the challenge of anticipating situations, and being ready for them. I find it hugely satisfying when the team I’ve assembled for a job works well together. I enjoy interpreting creative concepts, and I also never tire of seeing all the loose puzzle piece come together and form one beautiful, coherent image.
What is the most interesting thing that has happened to you professionally, or who were you most excited to work with?
I have been privileged to work with photographers coming from a commercial background as well as fine art photographers, and I enjoy witnessing and participating in the different approaches.
What resources do you use to promote your work?
Self-promotion has changed in recent years. I used to send out printed matter, but in the digital age I mostly rely on being listed on various production-related sites. I also do occasional email blasts, but I deliberately don’t do those too frequently. Here, I find less tends to be more.
What have you found most useful about being a Production Paradise member?
I have been a member of Production Paradise since 2004 and I find it a reliable resource when I am searching for contacts outside of my network. Production Paradise attracts professionals who take pride in their work – and that is something I care about deeply.
Have you made any interesting connections through Production Paradise?
Indeed. And it cuts both ways: several clients have come me via the site, and on a recent search for local production support in Rio de Janeiro, I found an excellent co-producer in Derek Sundance from Capture Brazil, thanks to Production Paradise. The images featured here are from a day at the beach for BASF with Michael Schnabel.
Any interesting anecdotes that happened to you recently?
There are so many–having a crane lift a two ton Mercedes over a 25 meter wall to a Gehry building, for example. Or aerially scouting ice breakers in the Baltic Sea… I won’t stop once I get going! Recently, while preparing a talk for the photography department at RISD (Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, RI), I realized that I have been in some pretty unique situations. But what keeps this job interesting is the meaningful connections I make with people. Some may be fleeting, and others turn into lifelong friendships. It’s all about human interactions.
What do you think is the future of this industry?
Increasingly, there is blurring of the lines between still and moving imagery–both because of new media types such as the iPad, and also because of the comparative ease with which one can capture both. We are experiencing the beginning of a significant evolution within the industry. It’s important for producers to be cognizant of technological advances, in order to anticipate their clients’ shifting needs. This is expected of us, and if we prove that we are capable of doing so, we are rewarded with loyal and happy clients.

domain: artistic


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The Green Park is quite different from its neighbour St James’s Park. Covering 19 hectares (47 acres), it is more peaceful, with mature trees and grassland. It is bordered by Constitution Hill, Piccadilly and Queen’s Walk. It was a famous duelling site until 1667, and Constitution Hill owes its name to Charles II and his frequent ‘constitutionals’. There is a range of tree species and common birds such as blackbird and starling and migrant birds. No public toilets, but some in Green Park Underground station. Refreshment kiosks are at Ritz Corner and Canada Gate, serving a range of snacks, drinks and ice creams.
Open: Daily from 05.00-midnight all year round.
Venue Details & Map
The Green Park
- +44 (0)300 061 2350

domain: geography


UT309C Handheld Dual IR Laser Professional Infrared Thermometer Range -35C-600C High and Low Temperature Alarm Function
Uni-T manufacturers an extensive range of testing and measurement equipment of the highest quality designed with professionals in mind.
UT309 series professional infrared thermometers can determine surface temperature through measuring infrared energy radiated by the target surface. It is designed to meet one of the highest protection ratings in UNI-T’s product line, with IP65 and 3m drop proof.
With a rapid response rate of 250 ms, high measuring accuracy and multiple scanning modes, UT309 proves to be necessary tool for engineers and technicians working in various fields such as electrical services inspection, HVAC maintenance or refrigeration, transportation equipment inspection and instrument repair etc.
Dual IR Laser Professional Infrared Thermometer Review:
The UT309C is a top selling professional dual laser targeting infrared thermometer that offers far superior temperature measurement and is function packed device that includes being drop proof.
Dual IR Laser Professional Infrared Thermometer Features:
- 3m drop proof
- Large LED display with backlight
- MAX/MIN/AVG/DIF mode
- 12:1 Distance to spot ratio
- High/Low temperature alarm with LED indication
- Dual laser measurement to enhance accuracy
- Locking measurement: no need to keep pressing trigger for continuous testing
- Adjustable emissivity: adjust according to different testing materials
- Data hold, auto power off function
In the box:
Standard Individual Packing : English Manual & Batteries
Delivery and Returns:
Delivery is by courier from Auckland, delivery times may vary. All Auckland orders are delivered the next business day, other main business centres and standard areas are within two – three business days from payment.
All rural areas are subject to normal rural delivery times.
For more details on delivery please feel free to contact us before ordering. Please contact us for Return Authorisation before returning.
If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, simply contact us to return it within 30 days in the original packaging and condition supplied for a full refund.
Unless specified all products carry a minimum 12-month manufacturer’s return to base warranty. HVACTOOLS will provide full support for this warranty. All products that are found to be faulty within 30 days of purchase will be replaced with brand new products.
Dual IR Laser Professional Infrared Thermometer Specifications:
|Temperature||-35 ~ 650°C|
|-31 ~ 1202°F|
|Temperature testing precision||≥0°C: ±1.8°C or ±1.8% of reading, whichever is greater|
＜0°C: ±(1.8°C + 0.1°C/°C)
≥32°F: ±3.6°F or ±1.8% of reading, whichever is greater＜32°F: ±(3.6°F + 0.1°F/°F)
|Repeated accuracy||±1.0°C (1.8°F) or 0.8% of reading, whichever is greater|
|D:S (Distance and Spot Diameter Ratio)||12:1|
|Response time||250ms (95% readable)|
|Emissivity (adjustable, step length: 0.01)||0.10 ~ 1.0 adjustable|
|Laser count||dual laser|
|Laser type||type 2 (Ⅱ)|
|Laser wavelength||630nm ~ 670nm|
|Spectral response||8μm ~ 14μm|
|°C/ °F selection||√|
|Auto power off||√|
|Low battery indication||√|
|High temperature alarm (red LED)||√|
|Low temperature alarm (blue LED)||√|
|Protection grade||IP65 ( Protected from total dust ingress & low pressure water jets from any direction)|
|Tripod mounting holes||√|
|Power supply||9V battery (6F22)|
|LCD size||32mm × 29mm|
|Device color||red and grey|
|Device size||189mm × 118mm × 55mm|
|Standard individual packing||blister, user manual|


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People in Great Britain's experiences of and actions following increases in their costs of living, and how these differed by a range of personal characteristics.
Allweddeiriau: energy, food, rising prices, household finances, expenditure
Data on spending patterns and disposable income by household composition in April 2020 to March 2021, including comparisons of single and two-parent households, from the Living Costs and Food Survey (LCF).
Allweddeiriau: Spending, Parents, single parents, expenditure, income

domain: finance


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Al Pitcher was born in England but grew up in New Zealand, he started his standup career in London in 1999. The same year he went to the final in the So you think you’re Funny comedy competition and later in both the BBC New Act Competition and Daily Telegraph Open Mic Competition. Since then, he has performed at comedy festivals all around the world and has won several awards including Best Show 2009 at Leicester Comedy Festival ( UK) , Director’s Pick 2009 at the Newcastle Comedy Festival ( UK ) and the Peoples Choice Award 2009 at the Sydney Comedy festival in, Australia . He has performed twice at the illustrious invite only Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal , doing his own 1 hour show along with Eddie Izzard and Billy Connolly and others
In 2010, Al Pitcher moved to Sweden and has quickly made a name for himself in the Swedish standup scene. In 2011 he won ”Best male comedian” at Svenska Standup galan and the following year he went out to do the celebrated and sold out ”Fika tour”, which was quickly followed by another successful tour the ” Påtår” tour in 2013 and ”Nääämen it’s Al Pitcher tour throughout ”2014/2015.
Al Pitcher has also released the humor book “ Buried Elephants” (2012), He had a standing feature in the ”Settman Pa Plats ” TV programme and made ”Al Pitcher’s Guide to Sweden” in SVT’s talk show ”Robins”.
His SVT Special: Fy Fan Sweden was shown on SVT in January 2016. It has had over 1 million views during the year.
In Autumn 2017 Al premiered his latest standup tour show Sweden Syndrome. He took it all over his new homeland Sweden as well as abroad to New York, London, Copenhagen and Amsterdam – performing the show for full houses!
The show has given Al some of his best reviews of his career so far and it has been a complete sell out. The tour continued throughout 2018 and ended in december.
2019: SVT 1 broadcasted the show: Sverige Syndrome june 6, on Swedens National Day. Same day Al became a swede and got his membership! Watch it on SVT Play,
You can now watch Als first Special ”Fyfan Sverige!” on NETFLIX!


Detective Sergeant Hannah Wright, of North Yorkshire Police said:
"If you witnessed the robbery or can help identify either of the people involved I urge you to come forward and contact the police or Crimestoppers straight away.
"I am particularly keen to speak to anyone who may have seen the two suspects after they left the store or saw anyone acting suspiciously prior to the robbery."
More top news
Sunderland AFC legend Kevin Ball is backing the club's new campaign to support homeless young people who are in need.
The children on board were from Easingwold School and were travelling along roads affected by heavy rain and flooding after Christmas.
The walls had been closed to the public at the weekend amid fears of a collapse.


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The Gaerwen Arms
- Surfaces sanitised between seatings
- Common areas deep cleaned daily
- Digital, disposable or sanitised menu provided
- Sanitiser or wipes provided for customers
- Contactless payment available
- Limited number of seated diners
- Distancing maintained in common areas
- Extra space between tables
- Waiting staff wear masks
- Diners must wear masks unless eating or drinking
- Sick staff prohibited in the workplace
- Contact tracing information collected
The Gaerwen Beef Burger
Gouda Môn rarebit, bacon jam, onion ring, triple cooked chips
Sticky Lamb Rib
Celeriac, bread & butter, preserved wild garlic
Roast Striploin of Beef
Roast & mashed potato, stwnch, spiced red cabbage, Yorkshire pudding, wagyu fat gravy
A wonderful meal, particularly the starters - both absolutely gorgeous! The mocktails were fabulous too for the designated driver - hard to tell the difference between the mocktail and cocktail which was great! We’ll definitely be back again and will be a lovely place to bring visiting friends and family, thank you for a lovely meal.
Great experience, menu had great choices, food and presentation of same was fabulous, staff were knowledgeable and helpful , couldn’t recommend enough - great value for money
Ate in bar as had dog, very noisy loud voices from bar tables in groups voice echos the experience to eat found it stressful experience just wanted to eat and go asked to move was not possible plus broccoli cold mentioned at bill stage and lady said I mentioned too late overall seems bar should be a bar not eating area
Food was exceptionally good, flavours fantastic and well presented. Very good value for money. Service was friendly and efficient. Restaurant is nicely decorated and relaxed atmosphere.
Excellent food. The chef puts a quist on what at first glance at the menu is not that different, perhaps they should put more detail in the menu regarding the flavours in each dish, however if it’s a surprise you are after I am sure you will enjoy the clean a flavours with surprising taste combinations. Great food, great service I would highly recommend
Great food and choice, almost up to fine dining restaurant level in a pub! The only thing stopping it from getting 5 stars for the food was the fact that the steak was a bit tough, manageable but not to the standard of the rest of the food which was excellent - I can recommend the crispy duck ball! Already recommended to my friends.
staff were exceptionally friendly and attentive to our needs and our 2 dogs needs, water bowl was provided and even when they knocked this over and water was everywhere, it still wasn’t a problem and they made us feel very looked after - pub was clean, and food was beautiful - greatly enjoyed our visit
Food badly cooked raw duck breast & overcooked monkfish
Recently moved to Pentre Berw and thought we would take family visiting from London for a meal. There was 4 of us and the 2 men had the burger which was nice but myself and sister in law had the duck which was awful. We were asked after just starting to eat if everything was OK and in hindsight should of said no and returned the meals but I don't like to complain and persevered but I couldn't eat the duck it was tough and under cooked. After eating we did point it out to the staff but nobody seemed to take ownership and ignored us. We asked if there was a manager and a young lady came and her attitude was awful. She basically said it was our fault for not saying at the start and was very aloof. She didn't have the ability to retrieve the situation and was not professional at all. After we paid the bill she walked away and spoke to another table who looked like regulars in Welsh about us not knowing that I speak Welsh. We will not be returning.
Very good service indeed. Welsh speaking staff there as well
Sunday roast very nice beef tender lovely vegetable accompaniment good service
The partnership that Andrew and Ollie have established, along with their incredible team creates an experience that is second to none. The style, the menu and flair for food appreciation is outstanding. We had the taste experience that we have been holding out for through the whole of lockdown. I have to say it was worth the wait and can’t wait to go back.
We have followed Andrew from the loft, we enjoy his combinations and style, as fine dining at that level is hard to find. However the creativity, calibre of menu, the food quality, presentation and ultimately the exquisite taste do not disappoint!
Outstanding on every level.
Excellent food, friendly staff, great service. Highly recommended. Thanks
Away for the weekend and thought we’d give this place a try. We weren’t disappointed. Food was lovely and service was spot on. Will be visiting again.
Staff very welcoming, service excellent , timing of courses etc ,food was excellent too, no complaints at all, delicious, will definitely go again when in the area.
Good food fab service lively atmosphere, would rather more usual cocktails like mojito, bellini, daquiri
Bwyd o safon ardderchog!! Amgylchedd braf a chroesawgar.
Overpriced for what you got for mains
Sides great value
Decor needs updating plastic plants in windows 😬
Liked our meal so much we booked a table for the following evening.
friendly service, table ready when we arrived, service was quick had a drink within 10 mins, food was amazing , desserts where awesome had 2. will be going back again soon. thanks.
A friendly welcome awaits at the Gaerwen Arms, we have been around half a dozen times and have never been disappointed !
Still a good experience, but somewhat underwhelmed by the steak. Supposedly 28 day aged, it was quite chewy, not very tasty and certainly not worth the £26 charge.
Other meals and courses were fine . Service friendly and prompt.
The food and service was fantastic, I don’t eat much meat so having a chicken option on the menu would of made it even better but we had a lovely time and would go back if we ended up close by again.
Great place, food was lovely and the staff were very friendly.
Hope to have a family evening meal very soon.
Our food was very tasty. The only reason I only gave 4 stars was because it was a little over seasoned. The lobster risotto was delicious. A small portion but quite rich. I must complement the management on their plates and dishes,they really enhance the food experience. We will be back very soon.
Superb food pleasant, friendly and attentive staff.
Only downside was view from our out side table was of a scrubby area of ground. However, it didn't spoil the enjoyment.of our lunch.
I had monk fish and the portion was very small. You need to order side dishes. Excellent service not sure if I would return
Lovely friendly atmosphere, we were ate at a quiet time but staff were great service was good & timely. The burger was excellent, only criticism is that the tofu curry had a strong flavour of cardamon which slightly overpowered the other flavours and I would have prefered a thicker sauce but thats just personal preferenace. Have eaten here before and highly recommend it.
Lovely Sunday dinner we had the roast beef and the meat was so tender.
Will defiantly be going again
Unfortunately, having told the staff that my sister is seriously allergic to onion, we found small bits of onion in the salad. Otherwise, everything was very good
Lovely place, all waitresses were lovely food was delicious just slightly small portions for the price
We were highly impressed with way the restaurant was organised in the current situation. The food was excellent. Our only negative was a mix up with the bill. However is was corrected promptly. We would highly recommend this venue
Very enjoyable meal with good friendly service. Nibbles, starters and sweet were excellent. Main course of steaks was a little disappointing - great flavour but a little chewy.
A fabulous meal, great service and friendly staff made this an altogether great experience! Covid measures were excellent! Thank you!
Brilliant food and very tasty was very surprised with how good it was.
Staff very welcoming.
It was that good we have booked to go for Sunday lunch the the following day.
If I’m the area add to your list of places to go.
We enjoyed our visit and will return but felt the steak wasn’t value for money and mine was quite grisly and thought the burger was better value.
We all enjoyed the chocolate pebble and thought it was on par if not better than a dessert we had at The Ivy
Always a delight to dine here, the food, service and surroundings tick every box, never had a bad experience, can’t recommend this place enough.
Menu and food are top quality. Easily the best food in a pub on Anglesey.
Lovely food in a nice relaxing atmosphere. Staff were lovely and helpful. Will definitely be going back.
The staff were excellent. Diligent and personable.
Food was a gastro experience, yet plentiful. I would return.
The Gaerwen Arms is rated 4.5 stars by 209 OpenTable diners.
Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable. Due to local restrictions, this restaurant may not be accepting reservations at the moment.

domain: food


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The full release is the latest version of VMware's desktop virtualization software that also looks to help manage an enterprise's PC fleet.
Panasonic's latest Blu-ray player, the DMP-BD10A, comes with big sound and bang-up movies
AMD and Via will support the next iteration of FlexGo, Microsoft's pay-as-you-go computing initiative, executives said Tuesday. The new release will also add the concept of "borrowed time".
A study headed up by a London epidemiologist has found that thoughts of unfair treatment can directly lead to a greater risk of coronary problems.
Automobile crashes remain the leading cause of death for adolescents and young adults, compounded by the effects of alcohol and failure to use seatbelts. Although males have tended to be associated with alcohol-related crashes, ...
A new study from researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) shows that treadmill exercises may benefit patients with Parkinson's Disease and those with similar movement disorders.
US soldiers in Iraq do not carry the bacteria responsible for difficult-to-treat wound infections found in military hospitals treating soldiers wounded in Iraq, according to an article to be published electronically on Wednesday, ...

domain: medical


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Media Defence and ARTICLE 19 have filed an intervention before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the case of Bryan and others v. Russia. This case concerns the events that followed the boarding of the ‘Arctic Sunrise,’ the Greenpeace vessel that was seized by the Russian authorities in September 2013, and the detention of the crew on board.
The applicants in the case include two journalists who were present and covering a protest organised by Greenpeace against a Russian company’s plans to carry out offshore oil drilling in the Arctic region. Following the boarding of the ‘Arctic Sunrise,’ the activists and journalists on board the vessel were arrested and detained. The facts of this case are a paradigm example of the harassment and threats faced by environmental activists and journalists reporting on environmental issues in Russia, including through the use of Russian laws on ‘hooliganism.’
Media Defence’s Legal Director, Pádraig Hughes, said, “This is an important case for the European Court. Journalists reporting from protests on environmental issues perform a vital role – informing the public and holding those adopting harmful practices to account. To do this properly they need protection from undue interference by state agents.”
The applicants all complain that their right to freedom of expression has been violated. The journalists emphasise that, in their case, their arrest and detention amounted to a violation of their right to collect and disseminate information about the protest. The local courts refused to recognise the unique role of the journalists, who were present in order to cover the protest.
The intervention draws on international and comparative law to contend that denying media the ability to gather news and hold government authorities to account at protests and demonstrations amounts to a serious interference with the right to freedom of expression. As well as providing an overview of the very difficult situation of journalists in Russia covering environmental issues, the intervention focuses on the important question of whether, and if so to what extent, journalists can be treated the same as those they are observing at protests and demonstrations. It highlights the importance of ensuring that increased protections are available to journalists in such circumstances. It also argues that such protections must be made available to the wide range of actors performing journalistic functions, and not confined to those with official accreditation. Noting the essential ‘public watchdog’ role the press plays, the intervention then emphasises that sanctions against journalists must be subject to the strictest scrutiny. Finally, the intervention addresses the ‘chilling effect’ the imposition of sanctions on journalists covering protests and demonstrations can have.
The intervention can be found here.
Bryan and Others v. Russia Intervention
Reporting on environmental issues has become one of the most dangerous jobs in journalism. If you are an environmental journalist or citizen journalist in need of support, please click here.
Can you tell us a little about yourself? At the risk of sounding older than I’d like, I’ve been working in the press freedom world for over 20 years, mostly at the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), as well as various projects for International Media Support and other organisations. I’ve mainly worked on providing emergency […]
Nika Gvaramia is a Georgian journalist and leading opposition politician. Gvaramia was Minister of Justice and Minister of Education and Science under former President Mikheil Saakashvili and is a prominent critic of the current Georgian government and the ruling Georgian Dream party. In May 2022, Gvaramia was convicted on charges of abuse of power and […]
Webinar UNESCO and Media Defence are hosting a webinar about UNESCO’s guide on amicus curiae interventions in freedom of expression cases. The webinar will be held on the 9th of February 2023 at 9:00 COL / 14:00 GMT / 15:00 CET. Register for the webinar here. The event will be held in English and Spanish, […]

domain: law


text:
I caught up with Stare while he was adding the finishing touches to an old work. He was touching up a piece that he did a few years back. Writers had gone over… Continue reading
KiloGrams experiments on this truck. This has been running for a while, and it still looks as fresh as when it was first done. Don’t get mad, just enjoy the science.


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Another week, another hoax flying across the nation like a huge, silver saucer-shaped balloon: Phony reports claiming singer Kanye West died in a car accident in Los Angeles this week have been circulating social networking Web sites such as Twitter and Facebook.
West's gorgeous girlfriend, model Amber Rose, took to Twitter to dispute the Web-based rumor.
"This 'RIP KanyeWest' topic is not funny and its NOT TRUE! He has people like myself and his family that love him very much," she Tweeted. "Its in extreme poor taste to have that as a trendy topic. It's totally disrespectful to make up a story like this we're all human. And we all make mistakes and to say someone died cuz of a mistake is ridiculous. You wouldn't want someone to say that about you."
- Johnny Depp's Longtime Pal, Legendary Rock N' Roll Guitarist Jeff Beck Dead At 78
- Prince Harry & Meghan Markle’s Tell-All Netflix Series Delayed To 2023 After Attacks On ‘The Crown’
- Dianne Feinstein Refuses To Retire Before Her Senate Term Ends In 2024 Despite Colleagues Arguing She Is 'Mentally Unfit To Serve'
Kanye isn't the first celebrity subject of false death rumors, even with this year's high celebrity mortality rate: In late June, following the trio of high-profile celeb deaths (Michael Jackson, Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett) false reports announcing the deaths of actors Jeff Goldblum and Harrison Ford began circulating the Web.

domain: news


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“I Fall in Love Too Easily” (Jule Styne) – Piano solo arrangement (PDF)
A 2-page jazz piano arrangement of Jule Styne’s “I Fall in Love too Easily” arranged and recorded by jazz pianist Soren Bebe on his album “Jazz Songs for Ballet Class & Tap Dance”.
This arrangement can be used to accompany ballet classes and it works great for a plié exercise.
You may also like…
Complete Sheet Music for “Music for Ballet Class Vol.3 – with a Jazz twist” by Søren Bebe (30 pieces/82 pages – PDF download)Original Scores for Ballet Class 61.25 US$
“Ain’t Got No/I Got Life” (Nina Simone) – piano solo sheet music (PDF)Piano Sheet Music 3.99 US$
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Saubhagya scheme: 40% households in UP reluctant to take free power
Aiming to provide electricity to each and every household by March 2019, the Modi government’s much publicised Saubhagya scheme is most likely to miss the target in the country’s biggest state where more than 33% households are yet to be given electricity connection.lucknow Updated: Aug 21, 2018 12:51 IST
Aiming to provide electricity to each and every household by March 2019, the Modi government’s much publicised Saubhagya (Sahaj Pradhan Mantri Bijli Har Ghar Yojana) scheme is most likely to miss the target in the country’s biggest state where more than 33% households are yet to be given electricity connection.
Doubts are being expressed not only because of the huge number of unelectrified rural households that Uttar Pradesh has but also because a large number of people are just not showing any interest in subscribing to free electricity connections despite the UP Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) having pulled out all the stops to convince them to take one.
The authorities are by now sure that not more than 60% households will take electricity connections for varied reasons.
“Our assessment that is based on the regular feedback from the field is that 40% of the balance (unelectrified) households may not be ready to get electricity connections under the Saubhagya scheme despite our best efforts,” UPPCL chairman and principal secretary Alok Kumar said.
Of the total 3,76,55,707 household in UP, only 2,2487,787 households had electricity connections as on October 10, 2017 and the balance 1,51,67,920 households were unelectrified when the Saubhagya scheme was launched in the state on October 11, 2017.
Information gathered from the Union Power ministry’s Saubhagya dashboard shows that UPPCL has been able to distribute only 24,22,266 free electricity connections during the last 10 months and 1,27,45,654 households are yet to be given connections to achieve the target of providing power for all by March 2019.
According to Kumar, there are two types of people who are reluctant to take a free power connection.
“There are people in the electrified area that were already using electricity illegally and the second category is of the people who apprehend billing issues after they take a connection,” he explained.
He said there were families, especially in Bundelkhand, that pleaded that they did not require a power connection as they migrate to other cities for job and returned to home for two three months only.
“Also, there are families that have divided themselves in more than one households for the purpose of ration cards etc but want to take a power connection jointly,” Kumar said.
A senior official in the Agra discom said the resistance to taking electricity connection was largely from the villages that had been used to getting unmetered free power for political reasons.
“Last month, we held a camp at a village in Mainpuri district to distribute connections but of the 60 households that did not have power connections only 6-7 agreed to take one,” he said adding, “Now, we are planning a raid on that village.”
Sources said the target itself was too ambitious to achieve considering the fact that more than around 1.70 crore households were targeted to be electrified within 17 months.
“Even if 100% households agree to take electricity connections, it will be unlikely that UPPCL will be able to distribute so many connections,” they said.
First Published: Aug 21, 2018 12:51 IST

domain: sociology


text:
Another thank you to Andreas of Bogotá (aka Quimbaya@Flickr) for sharing images of plants from Colombia (original). This photograph is part of a set that Andreas has assembled on Cerro de Usaquén. Much appreciated!
I had a difficult time discovering any information about this genus of plants until I broadened my search a little bit and learned that the genus Espeletiopsis (and 7 other related genera) were all once lumped under the genus name Espeletia. That led to discovering this site by Dr. Jason Rauscher, The Espeletia Page. Dr. Rauscher has written a brilliant introduction to this fascinating group of plants. Some tidbits: most of these plants grow in tropical montane regions with the growth form of a giant rosette. The height of plants in these genera range from small rosettes measuring only 5 cm high to the tallest plants in the local landscape at over 5 m. Photographs of some of these giant relatives of today’s Espeletiopsis corymbosa can also be found on Dr. Rauscher’s site in this gallery of images.

domain: biology


text:
As the world begins to slowly, cautiously open up, a peak of hope arises on the horizon: surf travel may soon be possible once more. But where to go? Well, if you find your feet restless, your board bag gathering dust, your wetsuit a little tight with that quarantine 15, and your wallet a little lighter after those months without work, don’t stress. That surf trip is still possible, those waves still rideable, those fun times and wetsuit-free waves are beaconing.
In just over two hours of masked flight time from LAX to Puerto Vallarta hardly makes a dent in your pandemic-diminished funds. At $147, it’s easy to pack a bag and make a trip for some swell south of the border. A taxi drive away from the big city is Sayulita, a charming artsy surf town nestled in the jungle of Riviera Nayarit. The coastal hamlet is one of Mexico’s safest and gringo-friendly destinations. The fishing village is a walkable 15 minutes end-to-end. It’s center pulsates positive vibes with its cobblestone streets and festive flags stretching from building to building. At every corner you’ll find vegan eats, sushi, almond milk lattes, acai bowls, and fish tacos galore. Follow the few narrow lanes that make up the main streets of this pueblito as they wind past local art galleries, pottery and textile boutiques, and funky bars with margaritas and cervezas for all.
Beachgoers are drawn to the protected sandy shores of the crescent bay. The warm salt water offers a beginner friendly, fun-for-all surf break, ideal for longboarders. If you want a more challenging wave, a chartered boat can take you to one of the several remote destinations just outside Sayulita proper where you can score wave after wave, just you and your crew.
Rentals are easy and all the gear is readily available for fishing, SUP, surfing, and kayaking. There are numerous zen-friendly yoga studios for your post surf down-dogs and massages are reasonably priced making a spa day for the ladies irresistible.
So what are you waiting for? The sandy beaches of the quaint artsy meets surf village of Sayulita are calling!

domain: hobby


What you need to know
- Microsoft's surf game is now available on browsers other than Edge.
- The surf game is a basic zig-zag game where you avoid obstacles.
- The full version of the surf game is only available on Edge and includes more game modes.
Microsoft's surf game is a fun way to kill time on the Microsoft Edge browser if you've lost your internet connection. It initially rolled out almost a year ago within the Edge browser and is found by entering edge://surf in the address bar. Now, the pixelated glory of the surf game is available on other browsers, including the popular Google Chrome.
You can play the game on any browser other than Edge by going to the surf game's new website. The version online is the "lite" version and doesn't have some of the features from the full-fat version in the Edge browser. The full version on Edge has different game modes, saves your high score, and has hidden Easter Eggs.
Senior project manager over Edge, William Devereux, shared the news of the surf game's new website on Twitter.
Curious about the edge://surf game? 🏄🏻♂ Learn more (and try a preview) on the game's new website: https://t.co/rTZgi6nnAd pic.twitter.com/uyxipyxlwqCurious about the edge://surf game? 🏄🏻♂ Learn more (and try a preview) on the game's new website: https://t.co/rTZgi6nnAd pic.twitter.com/uyxipyxlwq— William Devereux (@MasterDevwi) April 14, 2021April 14, 2021
Having an offline game for the Edge browser was a highly requested feature. It appears that people like the game, as Microsoft has decided to make it generally available on the web.
Devereux also points out that you can earn some Microsoft Rewards points for playing the surf game. It's only five points, but that's better than nothing. You can then use your Microsoft Rewards points on Xbox games or other cool content.
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All the latest news, reviews, and guides for Windows and Xbox diehards.
Sean Endicott brings nearly a decade of experience covering Microsoft and Windows news to Windows Central. He joined our team in 2017 as an app reviewer and now heads up our day-to-day news coverage. If you have a news tip or an app to review, hit him up at email@example.com.


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Common signs that the water in your home is too hard:
Mineral Buildup Around Water Fixtures
As the dissolved minerals from Las Vegas’s hard water flow through your pipes, they stick to surfaces and build up over time. What starts off as unsightly marks and deposits in your water fixtures will eventually become a serious problem that will restrict the flow of water. Replacing faucets and showerheads can be costly.
Soap Scum on Bathtub, Curtain, or Doors
If you’re caught in a never-ending battle against the buildup of soap scum, your true enemy is hard water. Soap scum is more than just residue left behind from your soap; it’s that residue mixed with the minerals in your hard water. If you want to win the fight against this buildup, you’ll need to attack your hard water issue straight at the source.
Water Heater Elements Fail and Short Heater Life
The loud, banging noises your hot water heater makes are most likely the result of hard water calcium deposit buildup, which can cause water heater elements to fail. It is recommended that you flush your water heater out every three months.
Dry, Itchy Skin
Don’t assume the harsh desert elements are the sole issue: the hard water in Las Vegas is also a major contributing factor. The minerals in hard water can clog your pores, because it leaves the same white soap scum residue on your skin that it leaves on your bathroom fixtures. The damage hard water does to your skin can actually make you look older, because they contain free radicals that strip you of the natural oils your body needs to produce.
Dull Scratchy Clothing
Dull, dingy clothes are not necessarily the natural result of wear and tear over time. Do your clothes look yellow? When you take them out of the dryer, do they seem like they aren’t fully clean? If your clothing is wearing out quickly and it feels scratchy instead of soft, hard water may be the culprit.
Spots on Dishes, Flatware, and Glasses
Do you have spots on your glasses and dishes? Just as hard water leaves a film on your clothing, skin, and plumbing, it leaves it on your dishes as well because the minerals stick to them. Are there red and black stains in your dishwasher? When hard water contains enough iron and manganese, it can cause the water to have a reddish or dark tint that leaves stains on the inside of the dishwasher and on your dishes.
Hard water is an issue that many homeowners are dealing with in the Las Vegas Valley. Consisting of excess minerals and other compounds, hard water can have a negative impact on your appliances, plumbing system, and your skin and hair. A water softener and filtration system can remove these extra particles and give you access to softer water to use in your daily life.
Whole-House Water Filtration Systems
At Plumbing Kings, we install all types of water filtration systems, including salt systems and reverse osmosis systems. A whole-home water filtration system is essential to avoid the adverse effects of hard water. A filtration system removes up to 99% of contaminants, giving you softer, better-tasting water that you can feel safe ingesting. Plumbing Kings can help you select the right water filtration system for your home and install it for you promptly so that you can begin reaping the benefits of clean and clear water.
Top benefits of using a water filtration system include:
- A clean, high-quality water supply of your own
- Removal of calcium, magnesium, and other particles
- More neutral taste than unfiltered water
- Purer water for drinking and cooking
- Low energy usage
- Easy maintenance
- More eco-friendly than bottled water
- Less expensive than bottled water
Whole-House Water Softener Systems
The Las Vegas area is known to have some of the hardest water in the country, leaving many residents to seek alternative water softening solutions. A water softener removes the minerals that cause hard water and scale buildup on your appliances. At Plumbing Kings, we install, service, and repair water softeners for homeowners across the Valley. We think you’ll love all the benefits that a quality water softener has to offer.
When you add a water softener to your home, you’ll experience:
- Softer skin
- Softer hair
- Longer-lasting appliances
- Cleaner dishes and clothes
- Money savings
Our Professional Plumbers Are Equipped to Install Any Water Filtration System
When you want to add a water softener or filtration system to your home, you may find that the process is a little more complicated than you’re equipped to handle on your own. Our plumbers are highly trained in water filtration systems and can have it installed for you professionally. We’ll make sure it’s offering the maximum benefit to your home. Our company is committed to providing the best service possible at competitive rates. To learn more about the benefits of water filtration systems or to begin enjoying cleaner water, contact Plumbing Kings of Las Vegas today!
What they are saying

domain: chemistry


text:
Annie "Russian Kiss" (video)
Published Feb 07, 2014Russia's anti-gay laws have been a source of ongoing controversy in the lead-up to the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, and Norwegian pop singer Annie has joined the outcry with a song called "Russian Kiss."
The track, which is out through Totally Records, is a thudding dance pop number with thudding, four-on-the-floor beats, clubby synths and repetitions of the hook "Shake your fist for the Russian kiss." It was produced by Richard X.
This is a collaboration with visual artist Bjarne Melgaard, and the video was directed by Richard Kern. It shows lots of same-sex making-out, and while viewers should be advised that there are some risque outfits, there is no full-blown nudity.
Part of the iTunes proceeds go to the advocacy group All Out. The single is supported by Fritt Ord, a foundation that supports freedom of expression. A website for the project has been set up at RussianKiss.org.


text:
Exploring Predictors of Reading Comprehension for Struggling Adult Readers: A Quantile Regression Approach
Date of Award
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Educational Psychology and Special Education
Ann C. Kruger
Elizabeth L. Tighe
There is a paucity of research examining the skills that contribute to reading comprehension for adults who struggle with reading, which includes one in six adults in the United States (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2013). The current studies addressed some of the gaps in this literature.
Study 1 explored the Simple View of Reading (SVR), which postulates that reading comprehension is predicted by two component skills: decoding and linguistic comprehension (Gough & Tunmer, 1986). Participants included 392 struggling adult readers who were native speakers of English. The dimensionality of the SVR components was examined using confirmatory factor analysis. For the decoding component, a parsimonious latent representation inclusive of phonic decoding and word recognition provided good fit to the data. With respect to linguistic comprehension, the subcomponents of oral vocabulary and listening comprehension emerged as separable yet highly related constructs. A structural equation model showed that decoding and listening comprehension made significant unique contributions to reading comprehension, whereas oral vocabulary did not emerge as a significant unique predictor. Additionally, quantile regression analyses indicated that decoding, listening comprehension, and oral vocabulary exhibited significant unique effects on reading comprehension at low, average, and high levels of reading comprehension performance (.10, .50, and .90 quantiles), with decoding making the largest unique contributions.
Study 2 examined the influence of decoding, oral vocabulary, fluency, listening comprehension, background knowledge, and inferencing across different reading comprehension tests. Participants included 168 struggling adult readers who were native speakers of English. The explanatory effects of the predictors were estimated for three reading comprehension tests: WJ Passage Comprehension (WJ-PC), RISE Reading Comprehension (RISE-RC), and RAPID Reading Comprehension (RAPID-RC). Ordinary least squares regression analyses indicated that all predictors except for listening comprehension uniquely explained variance in WJ-PC scores, whereas significant unique predictors were limited to decoding and listening comprehension for RAPID-RC and only decoding for RISE-RC. Quantile regression analyses indicated that the effects of oral vocabulary and background knowledge differed across levels of WJ-PC performance, the effects of decoding and listening comprehension differed across levels of RAPID-RC performance, and the effect of decoding was stable across levels of RISE-RC performance.
Talwar, Amani, "Exploring Predictors of Reading Comprehension for Struggling Adult Readers: A Quantile Regression Approach." Dissertation, Georgia State University, 2019.

domain: library


text:
Lots of celebrity and gourmet recipes, cooking tips, and fun facts mixed in with the personalities of Regis & Kathie. Many really fabulous recipes here!
Great recipes from famous chef's. Kathie Lee's turkey marsala is wonderful! (worth getting the book!)
Regis and Kathy Lee put the recipies they consider the best into their cookbook. Each recipe was tested in Good Houskeeping Institute's kitchen. This collection delivers quick and easy recipes that are indeed simple to understand and follow and that faithfully include substitutions for unusual ingredients.
This is a 245 pg book which is filled with quick and easy recipes from many of America's Favorite personalities along with "Family Favorites from Kathie Lee, Michael Gelman (Their producer), and Regis's wife Joy. Also found in this book are tips, anecdotes and triva info.
All the recipes were tested in the Good Housekeeping Institute's Kitchens
If you liked Regis & Kathie Lee, you'll love this cookbook. Full of great recipes and lots of background info from the show -along with lots of pics!


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As Rick Ware Racing expands the NASCAR programme into Canada’s Pinty’s Series, 2019 champion Andrew Ranger will take part. He will also run the upcoming Xfinity race at Loudon, his first in the series since 2013.
For the second straight round, Shae Davies was the fastest in qualifying; he had also led practice earlier. Qualifying was also marked by Dave Casey’s rollover.
Three fractured vertebrae in a motorbike accident have forced Greg Gartner out of the Boost Mobile Super Trucks’ Townsville weekend.
Dakar Rally star Toby Price will return to the Boost Mobile Super Trucks at Townsville. It will be his first start of 2021 and his first at Reid Park Street Circuit.
Reigning NASCAR Cup champion Chase Elliott will race against his dad Bill in the SRX finale at Nashville next Saturday, while this weekend’s Slinger race will feature Slinger Nationals winner Luke Fenhaus.
1 Mins read
Taylor Gray, who broke his vertebra, leg, and foot in a car accident in April, will return to racing with ARCA at Elko this Saturday before making his NASCAR Truck début at Watkins Glen in August.
NASCAR Xfinity driver Michael Annett will return to the Truck Series for the first time since Eldora in 2014 when he drives for Young’s Motorsports at another dirt track in Knoxville this Friday.
Chase Elliott once again proves himself as one of the greatest road course drivers in NASCAR as he became the first Cup winner at Road America since 1956.
Kyle Busch is 4/4 in 2021 NASCAR Xfinity competition after winning at Road America in his first ever start at the Wisconsin road course.
As Matt Brabham celebrated his first win of the 2021 Stadium Super Trucks season, Bill Hynes and Bo LeMastus threw hands, helmets, and even a steering wheel.
1 Mins read
The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series will not return for the rest of 2021.
Parker Price-Miller, a sprint car ace known as “The Law Firm”, will make his NASCAR Trucks début at Knoxville next weekend for Jordan Anderson Racing.


A report compiled by the state’s largest teachers union is linking education funding cuts to lower student achievement.
The Pennsylvania State Education Association says standardized test scores dropped in reading and math for third- through sixth-graders in the school years 2010-11 through 2012-13, according to state data.The examined period includes the year before Gov. Tom Corbett took office and the first two years of his term.
This is the first report of its kind, and PSEA researchers said it’s being released now because it took a while for them to get the right data. That said, the organization is a big political spender, and an unrelenting critic of Corbett.
“We didn’t time it this way, it was just, we had the research,” said President Mike Crossey. “The fact that it’s coming out in a political season, you know, I’m certain that it’ll be used politically.”
Tim Eller, spokesman for the Department of Education, said the report lacks credibility because of its source.
“What they’re trying to do here is something that’s been going on for a number of years with the public education establishment side,” said Eller. “They continue to lay the loss of federal stimulus funding on the governor’s doorstep.”
The administration maintains that overall funding for schools dropped under Corbett because the education budget had been propped up with federal stimulus dollars that disappeared when the governor took office.
Eller said another flaw in the study is its reliance on standardized tests alone as a measure of student achievement.
“One single test score is not indicative of how students are performing,” he said. The administration has begun using a different tool for measuring schools that includes test scores, as well as teacher evaluations, student attendance, and graduation rates.
The PSEA study also finds drops in education spending were greater in school districts with higher shares of poor students.
“This analysis confirms previous work that found that these cuts have increased in magnitude along with school district poverty,” the report states. “That is because the poorest districts are the most reliant on state funding and have the least ability to replace it.”
In the interest of disclosure, PSEA provides funding for WHYY’s coverage of state government issues.


London: British lawmakers voiced their anger in parliament on Wednesday after it emerged that the official inquiry into the Iraq war will not be released before the country's May 7 general elections.
The inquiry, being led by John Chilcot, was set up in 2009 under then-prime minister Gordon Brown to look into the build-up to the Iraq war, the military action, and the aftermath of the 2003 invasion.
British deputy prime minister Nick Clegg called the delay "incomprehensible" and said the public may "assume the report is being sexed down" by people facing criticism for their role in the war.
"The public have waited long enough and will find it incomprehensible that the report is not being published more rapidly than the open-ended timetable you have now set out," he said.
Chilcot said the final delay was caused by waiting for people being criticised in the report to be given a chance to respond.
In a formal reply, Prime Minister David Cameron made clear his frustration, saying he had wanted the report out "well before the forthcoming election".
But the Prime Minister ruled out forcing the inquiry to publish more quickly, saying, "It is important that the inquiry remains fully independent of government and therefore the timetable and processes for completing your work are entirely for you to decide ? not for the government".
Although the inquiry has never publicly set a deadline for publication, it has been plagued by delays with lengthy wrangling over what documents can be included in the final report.
The inquiry had reached an agreement last year with the UK government in which it would be allowed to refer to the "gist" of conversations and private correspondence between former Prime Minister Tony Blair and former US President George W Bush ? who were both in power during the war.
Blair is one of nearly 100 key witnesses in the inquiry and has dismissed claims that he may be the reason for the delay.


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It turns out that our predictions for the 2014 Gateway and Truman award winners were spot-on. Veronica Roth is the recipient of this year’s Gateway Readers Award for her book, “Divergent.” In a future Chicago, Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomoly who does not fit into any one group. Runners-up for the Gateway Award were “Anna Dressed in Blood” by Kendare Blake and “Ashfall” by Mike Mullin.
Congratulations also goes to Marie Lu who is this year’s Truman Readers Award recipient for her book, “Legend.” In the dark future where North America has split into two warring nations, teenagers Day, a famous criminal, and June, a brilliant soldier hired to capture him, discover that they have a common enemy. Richard Paul Evans was the second place award winner for “Michael Vey: the Prisoner of Cell 25,” while Wendelin Van Draanen received the third place honor for “The Running Dream.”
Originally published at 2014 Gateway & Truman Award Winners Announced.
April elections aren’t just about school boards and city councils. Each year the Daniel Boone Regional Library asks area readers to help choose that year’s One Read book. One Read is a community-wide reading program that invites adults in Mid-Missouri to read the same book over the summer and then attend programs based on that book during the month of September.
Between now and May 2, cast your vote for either “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” by Ben Fountain or “The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics” by Daniel Brown.
Learn more about these titles and cast your vote at oneread.org!
Bookmarks are thought to have been used since at least the end of the medieval period, but one of the first references to their use involves the presentation of a silk bookmark to Queen Elizabeth I of England (circa 1584). People use all sorts of different things as bookmarks, everything from old receipts to love letters. Lauren, one of our librarians at the Columbia Public Library, said she attended a conference where four or five librarians admitted to having found bacon in a book! How do you save your place in a book? Let us know in the comments! (And please don’t put bacon in our books.)
I have been using leftover paint chips from a project as bookmarks. This color is “Radiant Orchid.” Currently reading: “The Creative Habit” by Twyla Tharp.
Rob is using his car title at the moment. Currently reading: “The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick.” (Editor’s note: This was a patron’s personal book. Using important documents as bookmarks in library books is not a good idea.)
This adorable handmade creature marks Angela’s page. Currently reading: “Every Day” by David Levithan.
Barb had lots of bookmarking to do. Luckily she had plenty of these tiny post-its! Currently reading: “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett.
Althea’s beautiful bookmark. Currently reading: “Adé” by Rebecca Walker.
Brandy loves sloths so much that one of her coworkers made her this bookmark.
Rosie the Riveter never stops working, even as a bookmark! Brian is using a gallery guide from a recent trip to Crystal Bridges American Art Museum as his bookmark. Currently reading: “The Upcycle” By William McDonough.
Hilary uses her pets as bookmarks! (Or maybe they use her?) Currently reading: “Adventures in Yarn Farming” by Barbara Parry.
Eric was using his Ha Ha Tonka concert ticket, until he found a postcard from Romania in this used textbook. Currently reading: “Interpersonal Process in Therapy” by Edward Teyber and Faith Holmes McClure.
The Warrior card from a Xultun tarot deck guards Kelsey’s spot in her book. Currently reading: “Perdido Street Station” by China Miéville.
Ida’s daughter made her this cross-stitched Hunger Games bookmark.
And here’s a box of long lost bookmarks in the Columbia Public Library’s Circulation Department.
So, what’s in your book?
If Emily Dickinson never came out of her room, how does everyone know about her? The answer lies in the 1,775 poems the recluse in white left behind when she died in 1886. Only a few were published during her lifetime. But thanks to the efforts of her sister, Lavinia, the world came to know Emily and her verse posthumously.
From around the age of 30 on, Dickinson limited the physical range of her world to the confines of her Amherst, Massachusetts home and a wardrobe of white dresses. But she kept a connection to society through prolific correspondence with a number of people. Many of her letters included poems; more than 100 went to the editor of the Atlantic Monthly. But editors of the day were not ready for the ways in which her poems broke with convention.
Though she lived a largely intellectual life, her poetry shows richness, depth and a grounding in concrete realities. She wrote of death heralded not with trumpets but the buzzing of a fly. She describes a snake as “the narrow fellow in the grass” and the feeling you get when you see him as “zero at the bone.” Even hope took on a physical manifestation for her: “Hope is the thing with feathers…”
Dickinson packed acres of meaning into a few square inches of paper. Most of her poems are concise, yet speak profoundly about themes such as death, time, nature, love and immortality. Her work can be found in “Collected Poems” and in the library’s LitFINDER database.
To learn more about the poet’s life, try Gordon Lyndall’s book, “Lives Like Loaded Guns.” Lyndall explores the relationships and feuds among members of the Dickinson family. The conflicts carried on long after Dickinson’s death, with struggles for control over her work and even how the story of her life would be told. Lyndall takes his title from a Dickinson poem, one which allows Emily herself to have the last word:
“My Life had stood — a Loaded Gun —
In Corners — till a Day
The Owner passed — identified —
And carried Me away.”
After two months of nail-biting competition, central Missouri teens have selected their March Madness Teen Book Tournament Champion. We began with a list of 32 finalists which included bestsellers such as “Delirium” by Lauren Oliver, “Legend” by Marie Lu, and many Gateway and Truman Award nominees. Many thanks to the teachers and school librarians who have supported this program, and to all the teens who have participated! And now, the 2014 Champion is….“The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien
Stay tuned to teens.dbrl.org for our sneak peek at this year’s teen summer reading challenge, Spark a Reaction. Through this program, the library challenges young adults to read for 20 hours, share three book reviews, and do seven of our suggested activities. Complete the challenge, and you will be eligible to win some pretty awesome prizes. Stay informed by subscribing to our email updates!
Originally published at 2014 Teen Book Champion Is Chosen!.
Even with my deep love for all things tall, green and leafy, I won’t generally pull out a book about trees to read for entertainment. (Give me a good murder mystery for that.) So I’m pleased to report that I have just read two nonfiction books that were thoroughly entertaining, sometimes even hair-raising – and definitely about trees.
In “The Wild Trees” (Richard Preston, 2007), the author takes us deep into the lives and minds of the original redwood canopy researchers – young men (and a few women) who, starting in the early 1990s, were the first to climb into the tops of the largest trees on earth. There they discovered a fairyland of plant and animal species, many previously unknown to science, and galvanized efforts to protect our remaining redwood forests.
This all sounds like good clean science fun, but in fact it requires both Olympic-level agility and astonishing bravery. The early canopy-climbers faced a gruesome death pretty much every day, and shocking close calls abound in this book. Publication of “The Wild Trees“ rightfully made Steve Sillett, the graduate student (now professor) who is at the center of the story, an international folk hero in the ecological community.
The hero of “The Man Who Planted Trees“ (Jim Robbins, 2012) is just as brave and adventurous – but in his own weird way. In 1991, David Milarch - a fiftyish, bar-fighting Michigan tree farmer – had a near-death experience after quitting alcohol cold-turkey. As he relates it, while in heaven he was given an assignment (by an archangel, no less). He was to save the planet from global warming by cloning the world’s oldest trees, which may provide the best genetic stock for reforestation as the climate changes.
Go ahead, scoff – but the man is doing it. Starting with no money, no college degree and no backers, Milarch has built an internationally respected organization that is advancing the art and science of global reforestation. The name of his organization? Archangel Ancient Tree Archive. (Read a 2013 interview with David Milarch here.)
Finally, if you’re not into adrenaline or angels, here are several more good tree reads for Arbor Day, available at DBRL:
The post Wild and Woody: Two Incredible Tree Stories for Arbor Day appeared first on DBRL Next.
VOTE NOW through March 31 for the tournament champion!
Three months of reading and preparation have led to this moment: the announcement of our teen book tournament finalists! Thank you to all the students who have shared their favorites with us. So far, we’ve collected over 225 ballots from dozens of area teens. With each round of voting, teens’ names have been entered into a drawing for a free Barnes & Noble gift card or an autographed copy of “Legend” by Marie Lu! Prize winners will be announced next Wednesday, April 2 when we announce our tournament champion.March Madness Teen Book Tournament Finalists VOTE for your favorite title by Monday, March 31 at 5 p.m. You may vote online at teens.dbrl.org or pick up a paper ballot at one of our three branch locations.
Originally published at 2014 Teen Book Tournament Finalists Announced.
“The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry“
by Gabrielle Zevin
“A middle-aged bookseller mourning his lost wife, a feisty publisher’s rep and a charmingly precocious abandoned child come together on a small island off the New England coast in this utterly delightful novel of love and second chances.”
-Beth Mills, New Rochelle Public Library, New Rochelle, NY
by Emma Donoghue
“Donoghue returns to historical fiction in this latest offering, based on the unsolved murder of Jenny Bonnet, a cross-dressing frog catcher with a mysterious past. Set in 1870s San Francisco, this brilliant book includes impeccable historical details, from a smallpox epidemic to period songs.”
-Diane Scholl, Batavia Public Library, IL
“And the Dark Sacred Night“
by Julia Glass
“Four stars to Julia Glass for this, her best work since ‘Three Junes.’ We become reacquainted with old characters Malachy, Fenno and Walter and learn more about their life stories. The individuals are imperfectly human and perfectly drawn. A wonderful, highly recommended novel.”
-Kelly Currie, Delphi Public Library, Delphi, IN
Here is the rest of the list for your browsing and hold-placing pleasure!
- “Silence for the Dead” by Simone St. James
- “By its Cover: A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery” by Donna Leon
- “The Intern’s Handbook: A Thriller” by Shane Kuhn
- “Love, Nina: A Nanny Writes Home” by Nina Stibbe
- “The Axe Factor” by Colin Cotterill
- “Family Life” by Akhil Sharma
- “On the Rocks” by Erin Duffy
Why does the term Chick Lit rub me the wrong way? Maybe it is because as a friend of mine recently said, “We don’t have Dude Lit.” I found myself asking this question because March is Women’s History Month. Female writers today, and historically, add much to our culture. One of my colleagues pointed out that four of the New York Times top 10 books of 2013 were written by women. These books are: Donna Tartt’s “The Goldfinch,” Kate Atkinson’s “Life After Life,” Rachel Kushner’s “The Flamethrowers” and Sheri Fink’s “Five Days at Memorial.”
Chick Lit is a term that caught on in the 1990s and was attributed to books such as Helen Fielding’s “Bridget Jones’s Diary.” However, Chick Lit is a label that can change meanings depending on who is applying the label. For some, it is simply fun, light, fiction by and about females. Others see it more as the single working woman’s fiction. Whatever you want to call them, here are some books written by female authors. These are books any woman can appreciate.
Donald Antrim has been called a genius, and in 2013 (along with one of my most favorite writers), he was given the 625,000-dollar grant the MacArthur Foundation bequeaths to all geniuses. As far as I know (Antrim has yet to respond to my passionate, nearly polite pleas that he take one of those twenty question online IQ tests and forward me the results WITHOUT DOCTORING THEM), he deserves the unfathomable wealth, prestige and groupies such an award bestows. But I hear his fanciful imagination is one of his genius-y strengths, and I wonder, for certainly that isn’t the strength on display in “Elect Mr. Robinson For a Better World.” Said slice of propaganda is little more than an exquisitely written, chilling and accurate glimpse into the muggy, gator-blood pumping heart of present day Florida.
The titular narrator’s community is populated by residents that have taken to digging moats around their houses and filling them with broken glass, sharpened bamboo or water moccasins. Their park is packed with landmines, and taxpayers have voted to close the local school and occupy the building with a factory that turns coral into jewelry. Despite these everyday challenges, Mr. Robinson doesn’t craft the typical political tract. He never beats you over the head with policies or empty rhetoric, instead counting on the reader’s wisdom to deem him fit for office by the time they’ve completed his grim and propulsive tale.
Mr. Robinson is a former teacher who lost his job when the school was closed. He shares the dream of most displaced teachers: to start a school in his basement next to his scale-model medieval torture chamber and have students assist him in crafting political advertisements for his eventual mayoral run. This is a man overflowing with political talents. When the previous mayor made the perhaps hasty decision to launch Stinger missiles into the botanical garden, Mr. Robinson, drawing from his considerable knowledge of the history of torture, suggests he be drawn and quartered, and he has the know-how and follow-through to lead his fellow citizens in dismembering the man with fishing line and automobiles. While this knowledge is obviously a necessary component for holding political office, perhaps some might worry as to the lack of a softer side. Robinson nails that too: he feels the pieces of the former mayor deserve a distinguished burial and so keeps them in his freezer until he can devise the perfect send-off. (Which, of course, involves Egyptian rituals.) But maybe the voter is sympathetic to the arts. When the citizenry decides to use library books to detonate the hidden bombs in their park, Robinson takes the initiative to go in after the intact tomes. Plus, a new-age guru reveals that his inner animal is a buffalo, and although that means he nearly drowns during a spirit commune with his wife’s inner animal, a coelacanth (ancient weird fish), one cannot argue against the buffalo being well-suited to the rigors of modern politics.
As they say in Florida, two gators with one python, Antrim has convinced me Mr. Robinson would be, for a Florida town, an appropriate mayor; and also Florida is a scary place crammed with shuttered schools, swamps, suburban moats and psychotically over-zealous security guards.
The Gateway Readers Award honors a young adult book as selected by high school students, while the Truman Readers Award is chosen by junior high students. Even though these awards are administered by the Missouri Association of School Librarians (MASL), it is the responsibility of Missouri teens to choose the actual winner. Based on circulation figures throughout our library system, DBRLTeen predicts that the following books will be recognized as this year’s top titles:
Predicted Gateway Readers Award winners
- First Place: “Divergent” by Veronica Roth
- Second Place: “Delirium” by Lauren Oliver
- Third Place: “Bitter End” by Jennifer Brown
Predicted Truman Readers Award winners:
- First Place: “Legend” by Marie Lu
- Second Place: “Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25” by Richard Paul Evan
- Third Place: “The Eleventh Plague” by Jeff Hirsch
The actual award winners will be announced at the MASL Spring Conference in mid-April. Subscribe to our email updates to have the results delivered directly to your inbox!
Originally published at 2014 Gateway and Truman Award Predictions.
In the past year, two University of Missouri professors have published biographies of influential men. Steven Watts explores how a Missouri farm boy came to launch the modern self-help movement in “Self-Help Messiah, Dale Carnegie and Success in Modern America.” And Jonathan Sperber takes a fresh look at a man who has inspired revolutions around the globe, in his book “Karl Marx, a Nineteenth Century Life.”
By Watts’ account, nothing in Dale Carnegie’s childhood indicated the path he’d take as an adult. Born to an impoverished farm couple in Maryville, Missouri in 1888, his childhood was filled with religious instruction and manual labor. Not until he went to college and became involved in theater did his charisma manifest. The speaking skills he developed helped him in a series of sales jobs, which in turn provided him with insights into human motivation. Eventually he would lead a self-help empire. The franchise of leadership courses he began is still in business today, while his 1936 book “How to Win Friends and Influence People” remains a popular-selling title. Opinion over Carnegie’s methods has been divided. Where some see self-improvement and empowerment, others see manipulation and a promotion of personality over character. But nobody can deny he had a large hand in shaping the culture Americans know today.
To a more extreme degree, Karl Marx has also been both revered and reviled throughout the years, a fact that speaks to the level of his influence in the world. With Friedrich Engels, Marx co-authored “The Communist Manifesto.” Sperber places Marx in a historical context, examining what effect the French Revolution, for example, had on his work. But Sperber expands beyond the political lens and provides a view of many other aspects of Marx’s life, which began in 1818 in Trier, Germany. So we see not only a political firebrand, but also a son, husband and father, as well as a man with chronic money troubles.
Each biography shows a man who was a product of his time. As much as both men shaped the culture, the ability to do so came by virtue of having been born in the right epochs. Dale Carnegie, the man, could have lived any time, any place. Dale Carnegie, the phenomenon, could not have existed without the advent of mass communication. And had Karl Marx been born into a society of widespread peace and prosperity, the world would not have had Marxism, the political movement.
After an exciting two months of voting, DBRLTeen is proud to announce the Sweet 16 in our March Madness Teen Book Tournament. However, if you are just joining in the fun, here’s a little background to get you caught up. Through a series of votes, we are narrowing the library’s list of the 32 most popular teen books to one grand champion. By supporting your favorite book, you’ll also be entered to win prizes like a gift card to Barnes & Noble!How the March Madness Teen Book Tournament Works:
- Round 1: Voting complete.
- Round 2: VOTE NOW through March 10 for the Elite 8.
- Round 3: Vote March 11-17 for the Final 4.
- Round 4: Vote March 18-24 for the final two contending titles.
- Round 5: Vote March 25-31 for the book tournament champion.
- April 2: The champion is announced!
Don’t forget to vote for your favorite eight titles by Monday, March 10 at 5 p.m. The winners from this round of competition will be announced next Tuesday, March 11.March Madness Teen Book Tournament: Sweet 16
- “Mockingjay” by Suzanne Collins
- “The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien
- “Holes” by Louis Sachar
- “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak
- “The Giver” by Lois Lowry
- “The Maze Runner” by James Dashner
- “Gone” by Michael Grant
- “Legend” by Marie Lu
- “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky
- “The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green
- “Girl, Stolen” by April Henry
- “Twilight” by Stephenie Meyer
- “The Eleventh Plague” by Jeff Hirsch
- “Out of My Mind” by Sharon M. Draper
- “Beautiful Creatures” by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
- “Inheritance” by Christopher Paolini
Originally published at 2014 Teen Book Tournament: Sweet 16 Announced.
(Review of the Inspector Montalbano mystery series, by Andrea Camilleri)
Salvo Montalbano is the world-weary but always upstanding Chief Inspector for the police force of Vigata, a smallish (and imaginary) town in Sicily. He’s a sensitive, ethical guy who struggles with the endemic Sicilian political corruption, superiors who can’t be bothered and subordinates who are eager but sometimes inept. Also problematic are the many attractive women who find him molto interessante – causing no end of conflict with Livia, his volatile out-of-town girlfriend.
This sounds like a standard backdrop for a police procedural mystery, international or otherwise. But this series, and Montalbano, rise above the standard. For starters, this is one well-read cop, given to Italian literary and historical references. He’s also a passionate gourmet: a steaming plate of pasta ‘ncasciata will always take precedence over police business.
Montalbano introspects fiercely, and the reader gets to spend quality time inside his head, getting to know this often melancholy and obsessive, but ultimately likable, character. In fact, all of Camilleri’s characters are worth knowing, from Ingrid Sjostrom, the beautiful six-foot-tall Swedish race-car driver (and Montalbano’s greatest temptation) to the creepy, sex-obsessed Judge Tommaseo. Add some dark Sicilian atmosphere and consistently elegant plotting, and you have a series that is just plain delizioso.
(Important disclaimer: The first book, “The Shape of Water,” begins with a single, nearly incomprehensible paragraph that goes on for a full five pages. It was so obtuse that I almost gave up. Fortunately I didn’t, because after page five things got much clearer and a whole lot more interesting – and stayed that way for 15 more books.)
For an appetizer, here are the first four books of the Inspector Montalbano series at DBRL:
- “The Shape of Water” (2002)
- “The Terra-cotta Dog” (2002)
- “The Snack Thief” (2003)
- “Voice of the Violin” (2004)
For the complete list of 16 titles, see our book list in the library’s online catalog.
LibraryReads is a monthly list of forthcoming books librarians across the country recommend. The March list is particularly awesome because local author Laura McHugh’s book (partly written at the Columbia Public Library) is the number one pick!
“The Weight of Blood“
by Laura McHugh
“The Dane family has been keeping secrets in the Ozark town of Henbane for years. An outsider steals the heart of one of the Dane brothers, and the secrets threaten to unravel. When 16-year-old Lucy’s friend is found murdered after being missing for a year, Lucy begins to ask questions–the answers to which may destroy her family. Atmospheric and visceral, McHugh’s story is vividly and effectively told.”
- Jennifer Winberry, Hunterdon County Library, Flemington, NJ
by Chris Pavone
“Kudos to Pavone for coming through with another captivating international suspense novel. How ironic that I couldn’t put down a book about Isabel, a literary agent who stays up all night to finish an unsolicited manuscript that’s so explosive, some will kill to keep it from being published. During the 24 hours that Isabel is on the run, readers will be on the edge of their seats. Be prepared to lose some sleep!”
- Paulette Brooks, Elm Grove Public Library, Elm Grove, WI
“The Divorce Papers“
by Susan Rieger
“When Sophie, a loveable 29-year-old lawyer, gets roped into working on a divorce case, her life takes an unexpected turn. Though this gives her a new perspective on life, it also forces her to confront some unresolved childhood issues. Except for a few tearful, poignant moments, I had a smile on my face for the entire book. Engaging and humorous, this debut epistolary novel has become a favorite read.”
- Jennifer Asimakopoulos, Indian Prairie Public Library, Darien, IL
Here is the rest of the list for your browsing and hold-placing pleasure!
- “The Outcast Dead” by Elly Griffiths
- “Panic” by Lauren Oliver
- “A Circle of Wives” by Alice LaPlante
- “Gemini” by Carol Cassella
- “Precious Thing” by Colette McBeth
- “Kill Fee: A Stevens and Windermere Novel” by Owen Laukkanen
- “Show Your Work! 10 Things Nobody Told You about Getting Discovered” by Austin Kleon
Library staff have spent the winter reading from a wide assortment of genres: historical fiction, fantasy and science fiction. However, mystery and intrigue seems to be a prevailing theme among many of titles. Have you already read one of these books? Submit your own book review or share your thoughts as a blog comment below!What We’re Reading:
“Maid of Secrets” by Jennifer McGowan
A story of intrigue surrounding Queen Elizabeth I.
“This is not a Drill” by Rebecca McDowell
Tense hostage situation.
“Battle Magic” by Tamora Pierce
The continuing tale of Briar, a plant magician.
“Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea” by April Genevieve Tucholke
Lovely, atmospheric Gothic horror.
“Eleanor and Park” by Rainbow Rowell
Heartbreaking, inspiring, and highly quotable.
“I Hunt Killers” by Barry Lyga
Dark and gruesome, but fun.
“Everybody Sees the Ants” by A.S. King”
Raw and honest with a bit of magical realism thrown in.
“Stardust” by Neil Gaiman
A young man’s quest for love in the world of Faerie.
“Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes
Human lab rat.
“Cinder” by Marissa Meyer
Beautifully retold Cinderella cyborg science fiction mash up.
“The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in A Ship of Her Own Making” by Catherynne Valente
Charming and delightfully strange in an Alice-in-Wonderland sort of way.
Originally published at What We’re Reading: February 2014.
I recently stumbled across a BuzzFeed article that offers advice which is even more useful than tips on creative ways to use mason jars! “Twenty-Nine Books To Get You Through Your Quarter-Life Crisis” is a compilation of books about people in their 20s and issues that people face during this stage of their life. The list includes both fiction and nonfiction books, most of which we have in our collection (and the ones we don’t have you can get through our ILL service). As a 20-something, I enjoy learning about the various directions in which people choose to steer their lives and about the different ways people carve out their identities. Here are a few books I’ve found interesting:
- “Hyperbole and A Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened” by Allie Brosh. This collection of webcomics is funny, sometimes sad, and had me yelling, “I totally do that, too!” The book combines crudely drawn pictures with short writings to tell stories of the now 28-year-old’s wild childhood, life-long obsession with dogs, bouts of depression and attempts at becoming a “responsible adult”. If you’re still not sold on this book, check out the Hyperbole and a Half blog to get a taste of Brosh’s style.
- “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail” by Cheryl Strayed. The author’s collection of advice columns, “Tiny Beautiful Things,” made it on to the BuzzFeed list instead of this book, but “Wild” also tackles issues people in their 20s face. I’ve never been a fan of memoirs or books about nature, but this book completely won me over. At age 26 Strayed’s life was in shambles from her mother’s death four years earlier. With nothing left to lose, she impulsively decided to hike the entire 1,000+ mile Pacific Crest Trail. Armed with only a giant backpack, paperback books and no wilderness experience, the author treks through physical and emotional pain to ultimately become healed. Heart-wrenching, honest and totally inspiring.
- “The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter and How to Make the Most of Them Now” by Meg Jay. This is definitely not a feel-good book, but rather a therapist’s argument for what people should be doing while they’re in their 20s. Reading it was frustrating at times, because I disagree with a lot of things Dr. Jay had to say. She assumes the reader has a certain amount of privilege, and also that people in their 20s feel like they have all the time in the world. (I don’t know anyone my age that feels that way!) I could go on and on about the ways this book is problematic, but that being said, I still felt like I was able to glean some valuable information from this book. The author uses real-life examples of her clients’ struggles, which are common issues to people in their 20s. This book also includes some solid advice on moving forward in your career. Check it out and decide for yourself!
If you’d like more advice on what to read to get you through your quarter-life crisis, be sure to take a look at Book Riot’s article on this subject.
Image credit: Artwork copyrighted by Allie Brosh, creator of Hyperbole and a Half, and used according to guidelines outlined on the Hyperbole and a Half website.
Books and movies provide the fuel for allowing a gentleman to reminisce of simpler times, even when he’s born long after whatever simpler time about which he wishes to reminisce. So it’s good for some of that fuel to remind the unscrupulous reminiscer that simpler times were terrible. One such time occasionally pined for is the gold-rush era, a time when a forward thinking person might be willing to spare a penny for a toothbrush, but a time when forward thinking people were often hunted for sport. Indeed, for every attractive aspect of the era (horse emissions pale when compared to an automobile, disagreements could be solved by a simple duel), there are significant drawbacks (horses age and poop and get attacked by bears and travel at a fraction of the speed of even the slowest autos, a duel ends in murder). Patrick deWitt’s hilarious, violent and gripping novel, “The Sisters Brothers,” is a potent reminder that even though cowboy hats are awesome and spurs make you sound really cool while you walk, now is a much better time to be alive, what with medicine and civil rights and whatnot. Remember, for every glass of whiskey only costing a penny there’s a gypsy keen to curse you or a little girl poisoning dogs, and both folks have terrible breath. (Because they don’t own a toothbrush.)
The novel is narrated by Eli Sisters, a sensitive and relatively kind-hearted killer with a penchant for giving his excess cash to friendly prostitutes and becoming attached to horses even when they’re unable to meet his robust travel needs. Eli’s voice is hilariously mannered and often poetic, and the book brims with brilliant movie-ready dialogue. One can easily imagine it as the next Coen Brothers masterpiece. The book joins, among others, ”Deadwood“ (fans of which should love this novel) as evidence that the western isn’t dead.
Eli accompanies his brother, the less sensitive and more cold-blooded killer Charlie Sisters, on a mission to hunt down Hermann Kermit Warm for a man called The Commodore. Until deep into the book the reader must presume the reason for the hunting is The Commodore’s jealousy over Warm’s spectacular name. Which the reader finds weird as it’s pretty neat to be addressed as “The Commodore” and must thus presume The Commodore is a terribly petty man and doesn’t want anyone else to have a cool name. The reveal of the real reason for the hunting leads to some brilliant images and devastating scenes.
“The Sisters Brothers” is even more impressive for being the follow-up to deWitt’s first novel, the also wickedly funny but decidedly less cowboy laden “Ablutions: Notes for a Novel.” It is told in second-person and concerns a man tending bar in Hollywood. The book is loaded with people getting loaded and all the hijinks and misery that often entails and will serve as a stern reminder to next century’s reminiscers to be satisfied with their cyborg bodies and talking furniture and not pine for a time when one had to drink alcohol rather than simply turn the virtual knob on their intoxicant interface.
“With the Union my best and dearest earthly hopes are entwined.”
- President Franklin Pierce, 1847
February is a month when we often reflect upon our presidents, celebrating the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. Washington’s birthday is now a federal holiday and in some areas of the country is referred to as “President’s Day.” The library has many books about the 44 presidents who have occupied the White House since George Washington took office.
First, let’s first turn back the clock thirty years to 1984. The United States legislative and executive branches looked very different than they do today. Democrats had an entrenched hold on both the House and Senate, while a very popular Republican president was running for his second term in office. However, while political ideology was trumpeted throughout Capitol Hill, gridlock was often averted because of the basic pragmatism of two figures: President Ronald Reagan and Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill. “Tip and the Gipper: When Politics Worked,” written by Chris Matthews of MSNBC fame, investigates their relationship in detail. Matthew’s point is the following: that ultimately the good of the country seemed to be the overwhelming concern for both of them. “Their way of life comprised an ongoing series of alliances and antagonisms, but did not include personal analysis of themselves or others,” Matthews writes. And he continues: “In his own way, each was a true gentleman in a way we don’t ask our leaders to be anymore.” Civility has since vanished from much of our political discourse.
Franklin Pierce, quoted above, is perhaps an obscure president, but he led the country during an important time. The 1850s were perhaps one of the most divisive points in American history, and Pierce’s efficacy as president was questionable. The book “Don’t Know Much about the American Presidents” by Kenneth Davis covers the lives, loves and frailties of American presidents. Speaking of Pierce, Davis says, “He was among a trio of pre-war presidents whose uninspired, shortsighted, and even cowardly administrations did nothing to avert the Civil War.” “Don’t Know Much About the American Presidents” also includes helpful timelines and a research guide.
During his three years as president, John Kennedy was a familiar figure in the press. “The Kennedy Years: From the Pages of the New York Times” retells the Kennedy story through the pages of the Times. As Richard Reeves points out in the introduction to the chapter about 1962, “An astonishing series of events punctuated the Kennedy years. In 1962 alone, John Glenn became the first American to orbit the earth, Jacqueline Kennedy became a beloved, style-setting public advocate of high culture, and a walled-off, fearful West Berlin was suddenly isolated from the American sector by a Communist regime in East Germany that could no longer face the international embarrassment of a rising river of fleeing refugees.” Sadly, the November 23rd, 1963 issue heralded the end of Kennedy’s presidency and his life.
Most of us know George Washington as one of the country’s founding fathers and as a diplomat; less is known about his military service, which prepared him for those greater roles. Stephen Brumwell’s book “George Washington: Gentleman Warrior” describes in rich detail his beginnings as a military commander and his ultimate triumph as Commander in Chief during the Revolutionary War. His career did not begin auspiciously. Washington was a commander for British forces during the French and Indian War, and his initial foray (called Braddock’s Defeat) ended terribly. Of his first time as a commander, Brumwell reports that the mission “had failed at all levels” and that “Washington himself bore a large share of responsibility.” However, as history shows, Washington was a quick study. Despite this inauspicious start, Washington’s early history did mold his future. Brumwell says, “Without his youthful hankering after military fame, kindled by his half-brother Lawrence at Mount Vernon and the Fairfaxes at Belvoir, Washington would, in all probability, have remained a footnote in history; a respectable, if unremarkable, surveyor and planter.”
No current review of books about American presidents would be complete without a title about President Obama. Dozens of books have been printed about our 44th president since he came into office in 2008. Last year, Jonathan Alter, a correspondent for NBC news, sketched Obama’s incumbency in the book “The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies.” A book ostensibly about the run-up to the 2012 election, it is also about how the embrace of social media might have won the election for Obama. “While Romney lumbered through his convention, Obama was on Reddit, a crowdsourced social news site known by few of the Tampa delegates, though popular with many of their children . . . The Reddit appearance was another sign that Obama’s dominance of the digital campaign was not only not bad, it was a pretty good indicator that he was on the winning track.”
Find these books about American presidents (and many more!) here at the Daniel Boone Regional Library.
Did you ever wonder how priceless art objects survived World War II in devastated Europe? Frankly, I never did – not until I came across Robert Edsel’s book “The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History.” Obviously, I wasn’t the only one struck by this subject. So was George Clooney, and as a result, a new movie, “The Monuments Men,” starring George Clooney (no surprise here ), Cate Blanchett and Matt Damon is coming to the big screen starting February 7. (The author, Robert Edsel, is also given a movie credit – at the end of the screenwriters list ).
So, what made this book worth turning into a movie? Lots of books (and movies) take place during WWII, right? Well, for one thing, the main characters are not soldiers, generals or suffering civilians, but middle-aged people from art-related backgrounds: architects, sculptors, museum curators, archivists and others. For another, these people, drawn from 13 nations (most of them from the U.S. and UK), were not assigned any military duties. Their tasks were first to advise on how to limit combat damage to the historic structures of northwest Europe (thus the name: the monuments men) and later to recover cultural treasures that had been looted by top Nazis, especially Hitler and Göring. This wasn’t an easy assignment by any means. As the Allied armies moved deeper inside Europe, the monuments men (there were women, too, but, apparently, only one appears in the movie ) moved onto the front lines, working fiercely and tirelessly, often at personal risk, to protect and restore art damaged by the ravages of war.
Readers who want to learn more about that period may consider checking out “The Rape of Europa” by Lynn Nicholas, too. This book covers largely the same territory, and its cast of characters includes Hitler, Göring, Marc Chagall and Gertrude Stein.
If straight history is not your thing, consider reading the novel “Shadowed by Grace: A Story of Monuments Men“ by Cara Putman. Here destruction, art and whodunit are combined into a war-time love story.
And last but not least, don’t miss Robert Edsel’s latest book: “Saving Italy: The Race to Rescue a Nation’s Treasures from the Nazis,” which is devoted to saving European artistic treasure in Italy.
Also, remember that you don’t have to wait for George Clooney to turn these books into movies. All you need to do to learn fascinating facts about WWII (or any other subject, for that matter) is check out library books .

domain: literature


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