Shield of Shadows by Sydney Mann is an entertaining fantasy adventure full of mystery and magical intrigue. I thoroughly enjoyed this well-written tale which engulfed me in a sense of wonder early on. I was especially drawn to the fantastical and well-constructed world where a simple walk in the forest could turn life threatening in an instant. I regularly felt a subtle tension while traversing the forbidden forest of Drakken where many enter but few leave. There is a wide cast of interesting characters with relatable beliefs and motivations and I enjoyed seeing their interaction with the protagonist.
The story follows Cara, a girl who must hide her face from the outside world. When Cara's family is murdered by soldiers of the king, she flees into the forbidden woods of Drakken only to find considerably more danger awaiting her. As Cara negotiates these perils, she encounters a variety of people and creatures; the foremost of which being the gypsies who are the Guardians of Drakken. As Cara interacts with these people, she learns more about the secret history of her world as well as her place in it.
The fantasy lover in me really appreciated the interesting and deadly creatures of Drakken that felt familiar, yet unique to the story. I also loved the deep lore of this fleshed out world. Action scenes are expertly crafted making for decidedly tense and fast-paced moments. There were also some great twists and satisfying reveals that I won't spoil here. While I really enjoyed this book, there were a few items I noticed. Cara is a strong and competent character, but I felt as if she was more of a passenger in her own story. She seemed to lack agency throughout the story with the exception of a few key points. I was also a bit thrown off by the overall structure of the story as I wasn't certain what the narrative was driving toward. This didn't hinder my enjoyment of the overall story however and I would recommend this to fans of epic fantasy.
8 out of 10
Shield of Shadows by Sydney Mann is an exciting fantasy adventure set in an imaginative world with a deep lore. The characters are interesting, the action is tense, and the creatures that inhabit Drakken are as intriguing as they are frightening. I feel like there is a lot of setup for a much larger narrative and I'm excited to see where the story goes.
Our new novel Refractors Volume I: Evoke is out now! Check it out here.


CALL FOR PAPER
Business Management Dynamics (BMD) is an open access journal aimed to publish research in the field of business. Its main focus is to cover all the internal and external facets of business that enables or restricts an organization to work at its best. It covers all the work of all academicians, researchers, scholars, professionals and all those who have great insight into business. It will welcome research work in shape of case studies, research articles, book reviews, and short notes.
BMD will be published on-line on monthly basis. It will welcome new and innovative ideas. All articles submitted will be evaluated on the basis of double blind peer review process. Journal also aims to publish research articles within a month so the evaluation time will not exceed seven days and this will be ensured by mechanized processes.
Following are the major fields that fall under our scope:
+ Management and all its dimensions
+ Micro and macroeconomics and all its dimensions
+ Entrepreneurship and small business management
+ Accounting and Finance
+ Total Quality Management
+ Production Management
+ Marketing and all its dimensions
+ Internet and Electronic Commerce
+ Other all dimensions that are part of business
Submit your manuscripts at firstname.lastname@example.org


2015-2016 Missouri Reading Corps tutor, Jill Powers, reflects on how her positive experience with reading shaped her interests and motivates her to provide a similar experience to her Reading Corps students.
One of my earliest memories is from when I was about two or three years old, watching my older brother’s future Pre-K teachers reading to him in our grandmother’s living room. I asked Grandma when I would get to learn to read. As soon as I got the chance to pick up a book, I did, and I never wanted to put it down.
My love of reading drove me through my primary and secondary education, and soon it will take me through a Ph.D. in English so that I can eventually become a college literature professor. Now that I have earned my Bachelor’s degree in English and psychology, I see how much better that passion has made, and continues to make, my life.
Loving to read made me read more often, making it easier to read, making school easier, and making learning more fun. I learned to enjoy writing in and the art of the English language. I learned that reading opened up not only fantasy worlds, but also worlds of the past and far away places. Books made me smarter, braver, and more understanding.
While I wondered at the wealth of knowledge I was gaining, I saw my peers struggling, angry and unwilling to practice their literacy skills. As a writing tutor during my undergraduate study, I met peers, smart individuals, who wanted to further their educations but didn’t consistently write in full sentences or with the same verb tense. Many of them hated writing research papers and lowered the quality of their own to avoid reading secondary sources.
Too many students grow up without the love of reading that is necessary for them to become fluent in literacy. Without practice and encouragement, reading quickly becomes difficult work. Everyone deserves the positive experience with learning to read that I had as a child, in order to get their best chance at succeeding in their education. If I can give that positive experience to someone, I will.
That’s why I joined the Missouri Reading Corps: to help give as many kids as possible their best chance. Pre-K is one of the best times to do this; most of these students have not yet formed long-lasting attitudes towards reading. My three-, four-, and five-year-olds are constantly showing me how excited they are about learning the names of letters, spelling their names, and learning new words. I feel such pride when they ask me if they can read a book to me, and they follow the words from left to right with their finger instead of pointing all around the page. Some of them, only a month into school, are learning what sounds each letter makes and can tell you the first letter of a word just by hearing it.
As simple as these skills sound, as trivial as the children’s excitement may seem, nothing is more important to a bright future. Cities can’t be built without people to read the plans. Countries can’t be governed without people to write and interpret laws. Websites, banks, stores, and especially schools need people who love to read, and all of the Reading Corps students are on their way to becoming those people.
Perhaps one day, I’ll teach one of my former Pre-K children in my college classroom.


Kamel Daoud has worked as a journalist and editor in Oran, Algeria, for quite a while. Lots of people work as editors and journalists. What are the chances that someone like Daoud could write a novel? A good first novel? A first novel that successfully uses the premise of a famous novel that is now read by every college prep student in America? How about a first novel that challenges the premise of its famous predecessor and argues for a different conclusion? How about a novel that is also a novel within a novel? What about the possibility that the journalist's first novel is a brilliant work that wins three prestigious literary prizes (Prix Francois Muriac, Prix de contenients de la Francophonie, Prix Goncourt) and raises serious questions regarding the reputation and thinking of a revered Nobel laureate? Well, that's what Daoud has pulled off with his first novel, The Meursault Investigation and in the process he also became the object of a fatwa issued by an overly literal imam.
The Meursault Investigation proceeds from the work of another Algerian writer, Albert Camus, and his novel, The Stranger. It is written from the point of view of Harun, the brother of the murder victim identified in Camus' novel only as "The Arab." Harun explains that his expressions are my unclaimed goods. Besides, the country's littered with words that don't belong to anyone anymore. You see them on the facades of old stores, in yellowing books, on people's faces, or transformed by the strange creold decolonization produces. (pp. 1-2)
Before his confession ends, Harun indicts Camus, the French, the FLN, French colonialism, his own mother, his countrymen, and, not least, himself. This is a good moment to recall Clemence in another Camus novel, The Fall. Or "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," both acts of confession.
Daoud isn't the first writer to use the novel as a vehicle for moral "investigation." Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez starts from a similar point: a murder already committed and the murderer already identified. The result, too, is an indictment of each person who could have prevented the murder and who "confesses" his or her reasons for failing to do so.
Daoud presents a case, but resists easy preaching. Instead, the "moral" belongs to the reader:
Do you find my story suitable? It's all I can offer you. It's my word. I'm Musa's brother or nobody's. Just a compulsive liar you met with so you could fill up your notebooks...It's your choice, my friend. It's like the biography of God. Ha, ha! No one has ever met him, not even Musa, and no one knows if his story is true or not. The Arab's the Arab, God's God. No name no initials. Blue overalls and blue sky. Two unknown persons on an endless beach. Which is truer? An intimate question. It's up to you to decide . . . Ha, ha . . . I too would wish them to be legion, my spectators, and savage in their hate. (p. 143)
Run, do not walk, to your nearest library or bookstore. The Meursault Investigation is one of the best novels - first, second or otherwise - that anyone will write.
[The Meursault Investigation, Kamel Daoud, Other Press, New York, 2015, translated from the French by John Cullen.]


Kerouac: Beat, Youth, Himself
Jean-Louis Kérouac (Jack Kerouac) (March 12, 1922 – October 21, 1969) was an American novelist and poet.
Considered a literary iconoclast and, alongside Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs , a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Kerouac is recognized for his method of spontaneous prose.
His work covers topics such as Catholic spirituality, jazz, promiscuity, Buddhism, drugs, poverty, and travel.
In 1969, aged 47, Kerouac died from internal bleeding due to long-term alcohol abuse.
Influenced by Thomas Wolfe and James Joyce, his technique was heavily influenced by Jazz, especially Bebop, and later, Buddhism
Some of Kerouac's most important books are On The Road (1957), The Subterraneans (1958), The Dharma Bums (1958), Big Sur (1962) and Visions of Cody (1972).
In the interview, Kerouac talks about the beat movement, the youth and himself
Interview for Canadian TV


98. Deadline by Chris Crutcher
99. Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris
100. What the world will look like when all the water leaves us by Laura van den Berg. Technically as it is 2:30 in the morning on January 1st, 2010, and I still have 50 pages to go in this book, it may not count, but I will allow it in good faith at any rate. I like this book quite a lot, actually.
96. The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right by Atul Gawande
97. Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr
93. What Now? by Ann Patchett
94. Wuthering High: A Bard Academy Novel by Cara Lockwood. This little book was a-mazing! I mean, where else would you find a scene in which Emily Bronte, Virginia Woolf, Ernest Hemingway, Heathcliff, Mrs. Rochester, and Dracula all get in a brawl over some teenage delinquents? Also, Hunter S. Thompson is the bus driver.
95. Between Barack and a Hard Place: Racism and White Denial in the Age of Obama by Tim Wise
87. Push by Sapphire
88. The Price of Admission: How America's Ruling Class Buys Its Way into Elite Colleges--And Who Gets Left Outside the Gates, by Daniel Golden (note: This sounds like a fantastic idea for a book, but is poorly researched and petulantly written, also somewhat racist and classist because it just ends up whining about affirmative action making way for dumb black kids while middle-class Jewish kids and Asians are screwed. Yeah, life's rough.)
89. Admission (a novel) by Jean Korelitz
90. Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher. I LOVED this book!
91. What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell (also excellent)
92. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly (boring)
81. What the Dog Saw, by Malcolm Gladwell
82. Perfect Chemistry, by Simone Elkeles
83. Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America, by Barbara Ehrenreich
84. The Gatekeepers: Inside the Admissions Process of a Premier College, by Jacques Steinberg
71. A Live Coal in the Sea by Madeleine L'Engle
72. Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange
73. Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult
74. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
75. The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2008, Jerome Groopman, ed.
76. The Best American Essays 2004, Louis Menand, ed.
77. The Best American Essays 2008, Adam Gopnik, ed.
78. A Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris
79. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
80. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
29. Claudia's Book
30. BSC #80: Mallory Pike, #1 Fan
31. BSC #74: Kristy and the Copycat
32. Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself by Judy Blume
33. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (I kind of want to count this as three but I'll be honest)
66. Shakespeare's Christmas by Charlaine Harris
67. Shakespeare's Trollop ibid
68. Shakespeare's Counselor ibid
69. Real Murders ibid
70. A Bone to Pick ibid
27. BSC Super Special #12: Here Comes the Bridesmaids! by Ann. M. Martin
28. BSC SS #13:Aloha, Baby-Sitters!


- "When my diagnosis of advanced kidney cancer came in 2018, it changed how I viewed what I wanted to get out of this life and what I could give back to it," Adam Philip Stern, MD, writes. Stern explores the uncertainty he now faces and the dreams that matter most to him ~ The Secret About Achieving Your Dreams (JAMA)
- Markian Hawryluk details the "crisis standards of care" developed 10 years ago to ensure the U.S. never faces a disaster scenario like it did after Hurricane Katrina. But will this type of strategy work for the coronavirus? ~ During A Pandemic, States' Patchwork Of Crisis Strategies Could Mean Uneven Care (Kaiser Health News)
- "The 4-year-old's perception of the doctor's job wasn't to examine the throat with a tongue depressor, use a stethoscope to examine the heart and lungs, or touch the abdomen with his hands; it was to peck at a keyboard," writes Vincent Quagliarello, MD, describing how people's views of medicine have shifted ~ Meaning at the Fingertips (Annals of Internal Medicine)
- If a public option plan couldn't survive one state, what are the chances a national plan will succeed? Shefali Luthra looks at the fall of a public health insurance option in Connecticut ~ Insurers Sank Connecticut's 'Public Option.' Would A National Version Survive? (Kaiser Health News)
- Amy Goldstein looks at factors that may impede the U.S.'s attempts to contain the spread of the coronavirus ~ Worries about medical bills and lost pay may hamper coronavirus efforts in the United States (The Washington Post)
- "At 35, Mr. J. was dying of an invasive pelvic sarcoma," writes Leah B. Rosenberg, MD, who reflects on the challenges that patients and physicians encounter in the remaining days of a person's life ~ What Are Two Days Worth? Facing Dilemmas Together at the End of Life (New England Journal of Medicine)
Fred N. Pelzman, MD, of Weill Cornell Internal Medicine Associates and weekly blogger for MedPage Today, follows what's going on in the world of primary care medicine. Pelzman's Picks is a compilation of links to blogs, articles, tweets, journal studies, opinion pieces, and news briefs related to primary care that caught his eye.


|15 October 2018||
First circular and call for abstracts
|1 February 2019||
|1 April 2019||
|16 June 2019||
Abstract submission closed
|1 September 2019||
|1 November 2019||
Submission of manuscripts will open (https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/AOG)
|15 July 2020||
Deadline for submitting a manuscript for publication in Annals of Glaciology
|15 December 2020||
Deadline for submitting a final version of final accepted paper
Papers from the Ice Drill symposium will be published as a special issue of the International Glaciological Society (IGS) Annals of Glaciology with the theme ‘Drilling through the Ice’. The issue will be part of Annals Volume 61 and will be issue number 83. At the symposium you will register for submitting a paper with a deadline July 15th, 2020.
Accepted papers will be published online as soon as the authors have returned their proofs and all corrections have been made. The hard copy is scheduled for publication in first half of 2021.


Track 1 - Jack Wolofsky, grandson of Keneder Adler publisher Hirsch Wolofsky, remembers Israel Rabinovitch.
Track 2 - Jack Wolofsky describes the offices of the Keneder Adler.
Israel Rabinovitch, an accomplished musician and writer, was chief editor of the Montreal Yiddish daily newspaper, the Keneder Adler, from 1924 to 1964. For forty years, Rabinovitch took the pulse of the immigrant Jewish community and was hugely influential in helping it form opinions on a daily basis. Following in the tradition of fellow musicologist Professor Abraham Zvi Idelsohn, whom he greatly admired, Rabinovitch used the Keneder Adler as a platform to share his love for Jewish music, writing widely about it and contributing to the status and knowledge of hazzanut (cantorial arts) in Canada. In 1940, Rabinovitch published the book Muzik bai Yidn (Music by Jews), which was translated from Yiddish into English by A. M. Klein in 1952 under the title Jewish Music: Ancient and Modern.
Rabinovitch was born in 1894 in Biten in the region of Grodno (present-day Hrodna Region in Belarus) to a poor family of klezmer musicians and badchonim (entertainers who often performed comedic poems at weddings). Growing up, he received a traditional religious education. At age 13, he began to play tambourine and violin in a klezmer band and later composed his own lyrics. After immigrating to Montreal in 1911 with “handbag in one hand and fiddle-case in the other,” Rabinovitch continued to compose music and played in the YMHA orchestra while working in a clothing factory. While not religious, he regarded himself as a lover and student of Jewish song and believed that the Jewish soul could find its “deepest and mightiest expression” in the art of hazzanut.
Rabinovitch was already a respected journalist before becoming editor of the Adler in 1924. In 1926 he published his first pamphlet (with lawyer and future MP Leon Cresthol), The Jewish School Problem in Quebec, based on his activism on this important community issue. It is a testament to Rabinovitch’s skill as a journalist that his writing appealed to a wide array of readers of diverse political convictions. Many people admired his column “Good Morning,” which was published daily in the Adler during the 1950s and 1960s. Even communists, who disagreed with the Adler’s attempts to find a middle road between workers and owners during labour disputes, valued Rabinovitch’s sensitive and analytical discussion of contemporary Jewish issues. The Adler, despite having many vociferously secular readers and staff members, did not relegate articles about sacred music to its back pages. In fact, it was a home to many articles about outwardly religious topics, including at times discussions of the weekly Torah portion written by the newspaper’s publisher, Hirsch Wolofsky. Hazzanut was enjoyed and respected by many, even those, like Rabinovitch, who were avowed secularists.
Rabinovitch was one of the founders of the Jewish Public Library, a leader in the Labour Zionist group Poale Zion, and also the first president of the Jewish Music Council of Montreal. He passed away in Montreal in 1964. As Hazzan Nathan Mendelson of the Shaar Hashomayim wrote in his obituary of Rabinovitch, “his song, the song of our people remains eternal."
Compiled by Stephanie Tara Schwartz and Zev Moses
Fuks, Haim-Leib. Cent ans de littérature yiddish et hébraïque au Canada. Trans. and Ed. by Pierre Anctil. Montréal: Septentrion, 1980. 343-345.
Levendal, Lewis. A Century of the Canadian Jewish Press: 1880s-1980s. Ottawa: Borealis Press, 1989.
Mendelson, Nathan. “Israel Rabinovitch – In Memorium.” Hazzanut in Montreal. Montreal: Council of Hazzanim of Greater Montreal, 1971.
Rabinovitch, Israel. Muzik Bai Yidn. Montreal: The Eagle Publishing Co. Ltd., 1940.
Rabinovtich, Israel. Jewish Music: Ancient and Modern. Trans. A.M Klein. Montreal: The Book Centre, 1952.
Subar, Cantor Arie Leib, ed. Hazzanut in Montreal. Montreal: Council of Hazzanim of Greater Montreal, 1971.
Tribute to Israel Rabinovitch on his Sixtieth Birthday. Montreal: Jewish Public Library, 1954.
*Images courtesy of Cantor Arie Subar and Alex Dworkin Canadian Jewish Archives.


Written by Patrick Chavis
When you talk about a war not lacking in coverage, WW2 might be the most covered war in America’s history (no actual research on this). Because of this serious saturation of media, we are all very familiar with this period– Nazis were vicious, Hitler was a huge prick, and there was, of course, a serious loss of life in the infamous death camps, which are now the standard by which many people measure humanity’s capacity for evil. They are vitally important stories, but since they are told so often, I don’t usually jump at the chance to see another one of these shows. And it occurs to me, do I need to see another WW2 show? Maybe Schindler’s List got it right the first time.
It turns out the answer to my question is yes. After watching Ingrid Garner, granddaughter to author Eleanor Garner, act out a play based on Eleanor’s life story, the answer is a resounding yes. The space brings with it the realization that this story I have heard over and over again was not that long ago. It is still very relevant and worthy of attention. All alone, Ingrid Garner tells us a passionate and youthful story about the dangers of war and its destructive power on everything it touches. This story is taken from the perspective of a young Eleanor, who was very much a child when her family made the mistake of moving to Germany during WW2. While watching this play, we grow up with Eleanor as she learns how to adapt to Nazi Germany and experiences a life vastly different from her American one.
In the background are two chairs, a box, and a well-placed projector that shows various photos and old stock footage from the Garner family in both the US and Germany. Just like Ingrid, the chairs and box are transformed during the play. They become bomb shelters, furniture, and even human beings.
Eleanor’s Story is a wonderfully minimalist play, and Ingrid Garner works exceptionally well in this, bringing with her a fresh perspective on WW2 not often seen in the mainstream media. The transformation of her voice and dedication to each character is phenomenal. If you can get over the unimaginative set, you are in for an exciting theatre experience.
- New interesting perspective on World War 2.
- Strong interesting acting the entire show by one actor.
- Powerfully emotional moments.
-Slightly distracting props.
Eleanor's Story is a wonderfully minimalist play and Ingrid Garner works extremely well in this, bringing with her a fresh perspective on WW2 not often seen in the mainstream media.The transformation of her voice and dedication to each character is phenomenal. If you can get over the unimaginative set, you are in for a very interesting theatre experience.
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The Best Seven Dollars (Canadian) I Ever Spent
I found Michael Freeman’s book on sale in a bookstore in Halifax, Canada for just seven dollars. I’d just bought my first digital SLR and had realised that I needed to know more about Photoshop. For instance, what exactly is a histogram and what does it tell me? What is channel mixing? What’s a channel? A quick flick through the book showed that all this information, and more, was inside.
The book is aimed at the digital black and white photographer who wants to master his craft. It assumes at least a basic knowledge of Photoshop and photography techniques. That’s not to say a beginner wouldn’t find this book useful, but a newcomer to either photography or Photoshop would be better off buying a good book for beginners and using this one to master more advanced techniques and concepts.
So, what does the book cover? Here’s a sample of topics covered in “Chapter 2: Color Into Greyscale”:
- Basic color conversion
- Using channels
- Practical channel mixing
- Using an adjustment layer
- Layer masks
I considered myself fairly proficient with Photoshop, having used it for years, but this book has elevated my knowledge and technique to a new level. The information is very simply presented and easy to find and follow. It didn’t take me long to start following the step by step examples that Michael Freeman provides and practice new techniques for converting my color digital photos to black and white. I’d never imagined there were so techniques to choose from and that I had so much control over the tones in my photos!
The author also addresses the art of black and white digital photography as well as the technical side. He talks about visualization, the history and development of black and white photography, the visual language of monochrome, and defining mood and approaches for different types of subject. Case studies are presented and supported by the author’s photos.
The book then goes further and discusses in great depth more advanced Photoshop techniques. Michael gives advice on such things as maximizing the tonal range of the photo, preserving highlight and shadow detail, the zone system, adjusting tonal distribution, noise control and even high dynamic range images.
In the final chapters the digital versions of traditional darkroom techniques such as toning, duotones, posterization and hand-coloring are discussed. Michael then goes on to give advice on printing, printer calibration, ink and paper and mounting and displaying prints.
It’s clear throughout the book that Michael Freeman is an expert with in-depth knowledge and experience of the techniques that he discusses. The book has become an invaluable reference tool for me and has raised my knowledge of digital black and white Photoshop techniques to a new and exciting level. I now understand my digital camera much better and am beginning to realize the potential of Photoshop in creating beautiful quality digital black and white prints.
I’m afraid you’re unlikely to find this book for sale for just seven dollars (Canadian), but whatever it costs in your local bookstore (or online), it’s well worth it.


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My Rite of Passage During the Summer of '76
H.Downing Lane's first sailing memoir received 5/5 stars from IndieReader. "In SAILING BLUE WATER MYSTIQUE SOLO: SAILING THE EXUMAS ALONE, H. Downing Lane’s personal insights and observations of both the self and the blue world around him create an engrossing tale that readers will find hard to put down. SAILING BLUE WATER MYSTIQUE SOLO: SAILING THE EXUMAS ALONE, written by retired educator and sailing instructor H. Downing Lane, takes the reader on a fascinating journey of the self. Lane sets sail alone through the Exumas, a section of the Bahamas consisting of 365 islands and cays. His decision to reconnect with himself and nature is partly inspired by the end of a romantic relationship and a basic need to rediscover what makes him happy." MY RITE OF PASSAGE DURING THE SUMMER OF '76 is the author's second book. Lane describes his adventures as a young sailor across the Atlantic.
The Keystone: Finding Home
“Sixteen years as a nomad…
I used to love it, just the three of us, a team, moving to the next adventure. Now, when my dad changes jobs like some people change underwear, it just gives me a stomachache.”
Grace Thompson is used to moving—and losing. She’s already lost her mother, her home, and any hope for a normal life. But when her father is abducted from the streets of San Francisco, Grace is determined to get him back. She thinks she is alone until she meets four strangers whose parents went missing at the same time. The teens work together to track down the clues to their parents’ pasts with only an alien stone to guide them. With the kidnappers closing in, the only way to save them is to unravel the secret her mother died to protect her from.
This is a fast-paced, action-packed, young adult adventure story with a touch of romance. Fans of mystery, low angst thrillers, alien stories, contemporary sci-fi, travel, girl main characters, found family, and friendship fiction will love The Keystone!
The Keystone: Finding Home is Book 1 in the Elements Series but is a complete story with an HEA and no cliffhangers.


Saladin’s Pilgrims and the War to End Wars
In 1898, as part of a grand tour of the realms of his Ottoman brother monarch, German Kaiser Wilhelm II visited the great Ottoman city of Damascus. To Wilhelm, Damascus was a city of Roman antiquity, of Saint Paul, and of Saladin. Especially Saladin. Salah al-Din Ibn Ayyub as he had been known in the Middle East, was the medieval sultan who had defeated and expelled the Crusaders from Jerusalem in 1187. Saladin’s memory had been revived in a number of eighteenth- and nineteenth- century works of popular literature published in German and English, satisfying a romantic thirst for stories of Oriental fantasy and adventure. Wilhelm II, perhaps more than other contemporary heads of state, crafted a self-consciously romantic public image and visual representation of his rule.1 His visit to the Ottoman realms glamorized his notions of Roman imperial antiquity, medieval chivalry, the Crusades, and German imperial ascendance within a parade of romantic evocations.
Unlike Wilhelm, the Ottoman citizens of Damascus were not thinking of the ancient past, but of a promising future for their city and empire. Saladin’s memory (and his modest tomb) was probably foremost among many, sometimes dimly, remembered sultans and princes. But for the citizens of the city, Wilhelm’s visit represented their arrival on the world stage, and underscored the respect and importance, the city, its elite cosmopolitan citizens, and the Ottoman state under its sultan, hoped to enjoy. By all accounts they threw a party and reception for the ages to welcome Wilhelm. A century later the memory of the party survives in oral history among Damascenes. The following decades of revolution and war, culminating in the Great War of 1914 18, dashed the optimistic hopes of the dawn of the twentieth century.
The visit to the Ottoman realms so impressed Kaiser Wilhelm that he commissioned a number of lavish gifts for his friend Sultan Abdul- Hamid II and the Ottoman people. The gifts include the splendid gilded tile fountain still prominent in Istanbul’s historic imperial center, a large marble plaque in the Baalbek Roman temple in today’s Lebanon, and finally a beautiful gilded bronze wreath, almost one meter in diameter, made by the best German jewelers and metal smiths, which was sent to adorn the modest tomb of Saladin. The wreath read, in Arabic, “This crown was presented by His Majesty, the Emperor of Germany, eminence Wilhelm the Second in commemoration of his pilgrimage to the tomb of eminence Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi.” For his part, Abdul-Hamid gave archeological gifts to Wilhelm that form the core of the collection of Berlin’s Pergamum Museum, which, a century later, is Germany’s most visited museum.
The Great War of 1914 18 ended the Ottoman state after seven centuries and ended the German monarchy of Wilhelm after forty-seven years. It also ended centuries of Russian and Hapsburg monarchy. In Damascus, the War brought the end of 402 years of mostly peaceful and prosperous Ottoman rule. Immediately after the fall of Damascus, another famous European visited Saladin’s tomb. In the days after the British entry into the city and the retreat of the Ottoman army north toward Aleppo, and today’s Turkish border, Colonel T.E. Lawrence, later known as Lawrence of Arabia, visited the site in the garden just outside the Umayyad Mosque in the old city. Lawrence had long been an enthusiast for the history of the Crusades and had visited the city, its monuments, and the tomb before, in summer 1909, as an Oxford undergraduate, when he spent three months on foot visiting the Crusader castles of Ottoman Syria. Lawrence titled the resulting thesis, “The Influence of the Crusades on European Military Architecture to the End of the 12th Century,” for which he received first-class honors.
On October 31, 1918 Lawrence returned not as a student, or as an archeologist, which he had been in 1912 and 1913, but as a new conqueror of an ancient, fabled city and empire. He seems to have envisioned himself a crusader or desert knight. Lawrence proceeded directly to the tomb of Saladin, where he took the heavy gilded bronze wreath and silk sash, carried it to his billet, and took it with him when he returned to England by ship a few days later. Back in London, Lawrence brought the trophy to the newly established Imperial War Museum, where it remains today. He attached a handwritten note with the donation, reading “as Saladin no longer required it.”2
A month or so later, British Prime Minister David Lloyd George consented to the wish of his wartime counterpart French Premier Clemenceau for south eastern Anatolia, and the northern parts of Ottoman Syria including Beirut, Damascus, and Aleppo. By mid 1920 a French army marched east from Beirut to conquer and occupy the great city of Damascus and expel the once-British sponsored Arab government
Lawrence and Amir Faysal had set up in 1918. Immediately after claiming the city, another famous European soldier visited the tomb of Saladin.
In July 1920, French general and first High Commissioner for the French Mandates of Syria and Greater Lebanon, Henri Gouraud, made his first visit to the newly occupied city. Once in Damascus Gouraud went directly to the tomb of Saladin. In the garden outside the small tomb building, Gouraud delivered a speech in which he ignored the small crowd of anxious Damascene onlookers before him, and instead addressed Saladin directly, proclaiming, “arise Saladin, we have returned, and my presence here consecrates the victory of the Cross over the Crescent.”3
No less than Wilhelm, or Lawrence, General Gouraud was an important figure in the history of the Middle East in the century since the Great War and the end of the Ottoman state. General Gouraud, along with his secretary general, Robert de Caix, were the original colonial architects of political, legal, and governmental structures that still exert constant influence on the daily lives of millions of people of Syria and Lebanon. They, more than anyone, were the inventors of the states of Lebanon and Syria, as they exist today, and in a sense, the originators of conflicts that continue to afflict the people of the region.
Gouraud, Lawrence, or Wilhelm are not the focus of this book but their dreams and visions figure in it. It is instead the story of a collision, with effects that still reverberate, between an imperial fantasy world they shared, which melded ambitious, shifting imperial strategies and dreams of world domination, with fantasies of the past and present and a frequently outsized self-regard for their wisdom, abilities, and culture. Such fantastic visions collided with the forces and structures of an Ottoman authoritarian modernity, little different from ideologies of modernity, state patriotism and militarism that dominated all European Great War powers and roiled Europe’s twentieth century. This is the story of the late Ottoman vanguard who gambled and lost. It is also the story of a tradition of Great Power politics in the Middle East, and the pervasive habit of the Great Powers to occupy a Middle East fantasy world of their own invention, with predictably tragic consequences. The three victorious powers that emerged from the war, Britain, France, and the United States, conspired to deny the political agency of Ottoman Muslims, and instead resolved to emphasize something then called the “national idea,” which endeavored to fragment the world into a multitude of small and manageable national states, arranged hierarchically and accorded rights of self-representation according to their level of “civilization,” or national development. The former Ottoman peoples occupied an intermediate place above Africans and well below
Eastern European and Balkan Christians formerly part of the Austro- Hungarian Empire.
Middle Eastern historians have long been preoccupied with national histories and the rise of individual nationalisms. Modernity, ethnic nationalism, and the Middle East post-colonial nation-state are understood to be intertwined; a perspective that also lay behind the League of Nations and various post-World War I settlements.4 This book does not follow this pattern. It tries to imagine the viewpoint of many former Ottoman citizens who argued that the divisions of and governing arrangements of the post-Ottoman, colonial period were inferior, less free, and less representative than what had come before. Many protested that Ottoman rule had been better, more just, and perhaps more modern, than what we take to be the modern nation-state system of the Middle East. Their voices have been silenced by a hundred years of colonial and nationalist historiography, but if we want to know what was lost and what the world looked like in 1920, such voices are important. This book tells the story of the slow demise of a system of ordering the world that spanned centuries and regions and how people tried to survive this personal and political cataclysm. Obviously, many did not survive. The book takes as its frame of reference not the birth of something new, but the death of something old and evolving, and asks how did the old things, patterns, habits, cultures, ways of thinking, and possibilities affect what came after.
Loss from the collapse of the state and trauma from a decade of total war were the dominant experiences of the period. The modernizing Ottoman state, its system, its culture, and institutions had been increasingly present as backdrop in the lives of the people who lived through the decades surrounding the World War I. But by the early 1920s the state had disappeared from all its realms. Just as loss and disorientation were common experiences, so too was trauma and cataclysm that accompanied the decade of war at the end of the Ottoman years. In greater Syria as much as twenty-five percent of the population perished from war, famine, and disease between 1915 and 1919. These common experiences were shared and thus required little explicit explanation or discussion. Decades later we take this silence for inconsequence. This book argues the opposite; the cataclysm of war and the demise of the Ottoman state was so great it went without mention because of the ubiquitousness of the experience. No one escaped the suffering and no one needed to explain it.
This book is a history of an end, and a collapse so immense it has been forgotten and erased by near universal consensus. The book tries to re-imagine the world of the Middle East as it might have seemed to a formerly optimistic and privileged person at the moment of its collapse into something different and all together less optimistic. For a hundred years, historians have interpreted the history of the twentieth century in the Middle East as the birth of this or that nation, the emergence of this or that state, the rise of this or that idea. By contrast, this is the story of the end of plans, hope, prospects, and horizons, and how people survived, and made sense of the events that had overtaken them. It is the story of the collapse of a state and its institutions and the certainties that had ordered life for millions for centuries, albeit certainly with constant change, but also with hope, occasional optimism, and collective effort. The book tries to tell this story in a way which I hope would have been familiar to those most affected, and in a modest way, to take a step toward settling some long overdue accounts.


Pack your bags, everyone. After reading Perkins' amazing novel, you'll be ready to go to school in Paris. (And eat and dream and fall in love). Anna and the French Kiss is positively beautiful and hilarious. Between laughing at all the humor, I was smiling until my face cracked at the corners and swooning over french boys. ONE in particular, ladies and gents. This story is one of my favorite YA books of all time. The title sounded cheesy when I first encountered the book in my local library, but after checking it out and beginning the wonderful journey with Anna, I was hooked! You will fall in love not only with Etienne St. Clair and the rest of the quirky gang, but with Perkins' writing style and the story itself. This is highly recommended if you love cute, witty, and contemporary romance.


Gerry Bell is a painter and writer based in Melbourne, Australia.
Contact - email@example.com
Depiction and Painting on-line
I began Depiction and Painting as a doctoral dissertation and have slightly revised it since its submission in 2004. Because of its length, illustrations and unusual approach, it had little chance of being published in print form. The plan was to use the research as the basis for something more compact and accessible. This ended up as the blog Currentartpics.blogspot.com, where artist’s styles were analysed within the framework proposed in Depiction and Painting and advantages demonstrated on a weekly basis. It also allowed me to include sculpture and photography, areas I had not had space for in the dissertation.
After a hundred profiles, I decided the framework had demonstrated its range and depth and that I needed a rest. In as much as the blog had attracted a modest regular readership, I thought there might be some curiosity about the broader theoretical issues, only hinted at there. Depiction and Painting answers that need.
I realise that in some respects the material suffers as an on-line publication, but it is still my cheapest option and of course, the reader's.
Some links for cited authors
Art Since 1900 : Modernism, Antimodernism and Postmodernism (T&H 2004)- a comparable history not considered in the study, but by four authors (Hal Foster, Rosalind Krauss, Yve-Alain Bois and Benjamin Buchloh) variously addressed there.


I’ve just got home from uni for summer so I thought I’d share my private collection of favourite books to everyone. These are perfect sun-bathing reads for any of you lucky ducks going on holiday this year!
1. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
This is a very popular read by an intelligent youtuber which happens to also be a upcoming film! This is a story about a girl who meets a boy in a “cancer kid” support group. This is a moving book that really did make me cry and laugh multiple times. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a soppy, emotional read.
2. Looking For Alaska by John Green
This is my favourite book by John Green so far as it has so many plot twists! I spent the whole time on edge, wondering what Alaska and the gang would be up to next. It left me feeling kind of lost afterwards because it ends with such a bang! I don’t want to spoil this for anyone who hasn’t read this but I definitely think that it should be on everyone’s summer bucket list!
3. The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
This is now a popular film, however, I definitely prefer the book! I think anyone can relate to Charlie, a boy who feels left out from the world. However, as the books goes on you begin to realise that Charlie’s past is much more devastating than the normal teenager’s life. Have you read this yet?
4. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
A very different book to all my other top reads as this is more of a cultured book than any of the others. This follows a boy from India who build himself up to be a successful entrepreneur in Bangalore. It’s a very moving story as it really is a culture shock to imagine what life is like for people from other countries that are not as privileged as ourselves.
5. Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen
An old fashioned book which was published in 1813! This is a harder book to read due to the style of language that is used (what can you expect from such an old book). It explores the rich vs. poor lifestyle where daughters are practically forced to marry into richer households. Even though it is a hard read I feel that it is really interesting to be able to put yourself into the shoes of a girl in this time period.
6. The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald
I have the biggest love/hate relationship with this book. I studied this as part of my A Level Literature and at the beginning I could not stand it! I found it incredibly hard to understand, however I am not a very skilled reader as I like to read light books that don’t require much concentration. However, once I had got into this book it was amazing! It is such an insightful read into the twenties with the glamorous party lifestyle!
7. Words, Words, Words by David Crystal
I read this at the beginning of my A Level education, before I had decided to do a degree in English Language. It is highly educating without being too boring to read, making it my first step into loving the subject. It’s a great insight into language in the way that we learn it, the way it has changed over time and so much more! If you’re a bit of a language geek like me or you just want to learn something new this summer I definitely recommend this book.
8. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
This was my favourite book I studied for A Level Literature about a dystopian world where women are put into breeding farms (pretty much so!) to provide for those who can’t have children. It is a very action packed book that requires a lot of thought due to its sick, mind-twisting plot. However, out of all the “clever books” I would say that this is the easiest book to read.
Thank you for looking at my favourite books, I hope this has given people ideas of what to read this summer. Comment and let me know what you think I should read this summer!


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Plastic Surgery Emergencies: Principles and Techniques
Plastic Surgery Emergencies presents a concise guide to the principles and procedures for rapidly evaluating and treating acute care problems in the emergency room setting or during on-call consultations Using succinct descriptions and easily accessible bullet-points, the book instructs the reader... | Read More
Plastic Surgery Emergencies presents a concise guide to the principles and procedures for rapidly evaluating and treating acute care problems in the emergency room setting or during on-call consultations. Using succinct descriptions and easily accessible bullet-points, the book instructs the reader in the protocols for a range of common and uncommon problems, from simple suture repair of lacerations to managing facial trauma to treating compartment syndrome of the upper extremity.
- Easy-to-follow diagrams demonstrating key procedures
- Full-color photographs for rapid diagnosis
- A comprehensive discussion of common pharmacotherapy
- A concise review of specific anatomy to aid rapid identification of injuries
- Descriptions of the various types and uses of different sutures and the techniques for suturing complex wounds
- Instructions for performing regional blocks of the face and hand
- Guidelines for the assessment and treatment of simple burn wounds, severely burned patients, and patients with bites and stings
- Recommendations for managing postoperative and free flap complications
- Extensive discussion of how to address soft tissue and traumatic hand injuries, with detailed descriptions of upper extremity splinting techniques
Dr. Patrick Hsu‘s first book was a handy, pocket manual and it is an indispensable resource for clinicians, residents, and trainees in plastic surgery. It is also ideal for all emergency room personnel, including ER physicians, physicians’ assistants, and nurse practitioners, as well as family practice physicians.
*This blog is created and maintained for informational purposes only. The images present may not accurately reflect actual cases per individual. Individual cases are unique, and the descriptions and solutions will vary per patient.


Scholarly focus is Buddhist studies, particularly the early development of the cluster of Indian
Buddhist movements called the Mahayana and their transmission to China in the first few centuries of
the Common Era. Related interests include translation as a religious genre, with special focus on
the earliest translations of Buddhist texts into Chinese; Buddhist Middle Indo-Aryan, particularly
the role of Gandhari Prakrit in the earliest transmission of Buddhism to Central Asia and China;
art historical, epigraphical, and archeological materials as sources for the study of religion; and
history, theory, and methods in the academic study of religion.
Bodhisattvas of the Forest and the Formation of the Mahāyāna: A Study and Translation
of the Rāṣṭrapālaparipṛcchā-sūtra. Studies in the Buddhist Traditions. (Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 2008).
"The Pratītyasamutpādagāthā and Its Role in the Medieval Cult of the Relics," The
Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies 14.1 (1991) : 1-27.
"Sutra on the Merit of Bathing the Buddha," in Donald S. Lopez, Jr., ed., Buddhism in
Practice (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1995), 59-68; reprinted in Donald S. Lopez, Jr.,
ed., An Anthology of Asian Religions in Practice (Princeton: Princeton University Press,
"The Nagaropamasūtra: An Apotropaic Text from the Saṃyuktāgama. A Transliteration,
Reconstruction, and Translation of the Central Asian Sanskrit Manuscripts," In collaboration with
Gregory Bongard-Levin, Takamichi Fukita, and Klaus Wille in Sanskrit-Texte aus dem buddhistischen
Kanon: Neuentdeckungen und Neueditionen III. Sanskrit-Worterbuch der buddhistischen Texte aus den
Turfan-Funden, Beiheft 6 (Gottingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1996), 7-131.
"Gāndhārī and the Early Chinese Buddhist Translations Reconsidered: The Case of the
Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra," Journal of the American Oriental Society 118.4 (1998) :
"On Hu and Fan Again: the Transmission of 'Barbarian' Manuscripts to China,"
The Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies 23.1 (2000): 7-28.
"Dharmarakṣa and the Transmission of Buddhism to China," in China at the Crossroads:
A Festschrift in Honor of Victor H. Mair. Special Issue of Asia Major, 3rd ser., 19, pts. 1-2 (2006): 13-37.
"Is There an Early Gandhāran Source for the Avalokiteśvara Cult?" Journal asiatique 296.2 (2008): 297-330.
"Sacrifice and Asceticism in Early Mahāyāna Buddhism," in Religion and Identity in South Asia and Beyond:
Essays in Honor of Patrick Olivelle. Edited by Steven E. Lindquist (New York, London, Delhi: Anthem Press, 2011), 197-224.
"What Do We Mean by 'Early' in the Study of the Early Mahāyāna-And Should We Care?" Bulletin of the
Asia Institute n.s. 23 (2013): 31-39.


PubMed / Medline – PubMed comprises more than 24 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites. Results can be filtered to Medline only.
Cherny Database Cancer Pain and Palliative Medicine Reference Database
TRIP Database – Trip is a clinical search engine designed to allow users to quickly and easily find and use high-quality research evidence to support their practice and/or care.
Cochrane Library – The Cochrane Library is a collection of six databases that contain different types of high-quality, independent evidence to inform healthcare decision-making and includes full-text articles in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
Cochrane Podcasts – Cochrane podcasts deliver the latest Cochrane evidence in an easy to access audio format allowing everyone from healthcare professionals to patients and families to hear the latest Cochrane evidence in under five minutes.
LENUS – Lenus (online archive) is Ireland’s foremost repository for health services research and grey literature. It makes available the research output of the many organisations providing healthcare in the Republic of Ireland, along with their administrative, clinical and regulatory publications. It was launched in 2009 and is managed by the Regional Library & Information Service in Dr Steevens’ Hospital, Dublin. Milford Care Centre has a research collection on Lenus.
PEDRO – Physiotherapy Evidence Database
OT Seeker – Occupational Therapy Resources
Open Access Journals
DOAJ – Directory of Open Access Journals containing 10,000 open access journals covering all areas of science, technology, medicine, social science and humanities.
National Institute of Clinical Excellence The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides national guidance and advice to improve health and social care.
Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) develops evidence based clinical practice guidelines for the National Health Service (NHS) in Scotland.
National Guideline Clearinghouse NGC is an initiative of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The NGC mission is to provide health professionals, health care providers, and others an accessible mechanism for obtaining objective, detailed information on clinical practice guidelines and to further their dissemination, implementation, and use.
AIIHPC Caring for Carers: http://www.carers.thepalliativehub.com/
HSE Carers Support:
Health A- Z : http://hse.ie/eng/health/az/


Meet the Author, HELEN O’NEILL, in conversation with Suzanne Leal
Thursday 21 April 2016 6.30-8pm Waverley Library
I attended an interesting conversation in 2016 at the Waverley Library, Bondi Junction, Sydney, between Susanne Leal, journalist and author, and Helen O’Neill, whose recently published book, Daffodil: Biography of a Flower” was a contender for the 2016 Waverley Library Nib Award.
This was the fifteenth anniversary of this generous competition, in which judges select a winning entry based on literary merit and evidence of in-depth research.
Helen started out by recounting a short personal biography, telling of a rather uprooted childhood in the UK, travelling around because of her father’s work, until the family settled, when she was thirteen, in Southern England: “In Midsomer Murders” territory”. Helen spoke with passion about her subject, an interest and love originally inspired by her mother’s growing daffodil obsession; the latter was surprised to win silver cups for her specimens three years in a row. She then started sketching the flowers from her garden, showing the different colours and shapes and sizes of each one, prompted by a desire to understand more about the flower, its propagation and its background.


What is the very best advice on how to get a beautiful wife? What could end up being the best book that could present such help and advice? Is there however, best guideline on how to get a beautiful better half anymore? Presently there once was a moment when finding a good pal meant started down to the courthouse or perhaps the library and reading about potential pals. Today, various people generate their online dating choices through websites which provide matchmaker offerings. In a few words, websites like these specialize in finding that special someone in a manner that is similar to what used to happen in the times when people would definitely actually head to the courthouse or libraries of different towns and counties.
People like to use these offerings to receive an idea of what they are getting into before they commit to nearly anything. If you are interested in meeting a pretty woman and want to get married to her, the best strategy is to find a manual on how to receive an incredible wife. At least, you should look for a book that offers tips on locating a date and what you can do to hold her cheerful. Most of the ideal books carry out both.
The main benefit of using this sort of a guide is the fact you will not waste any time knowing a potential pal. You will get to recognize a lot of people prior to you also get married. A large number of guides include tips on how to procedure a woman and what you should become doing to become more attractive with her. These are essential elements if you are planning on surviving a long-term relationship. If you take the time to master https://mailorderbride4u.com/dating-sites/ukrainebrides4you-site-review/ as to what is out there, you are able to definitely find a better friend and better sweetheart.


FUN FACTS TO SHARE AT YOUR THANKSGIVING CELEBRATION
What was on the menu at the First Thanksgiving Feast?
- The First Thanksgiving, held in November, 1621, was a three day feast shared between the Pilgrims and Native Americans. There was such a bountiful harvest of corn that year that Plymouth Colony’s Governor William Bradford invited Chief Massasoit and the Wampanoag tribe to join in the celebration.
- Turkey was not the centerpiece of the meal. Historical records show that the original feast included venison from the five deer brought by the Wampanoags, plus ducks, geese and passenger pigeons (now extinct). Wild turkeys were perhaps served, yet were not the wildfowl of choice. Eels, smoked fish and shellfish were also on the menu.
- Traditional mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes were absent at this first celebration. White potatoes originated in South America and sweet potatoes came from the Caribbean. Neither had made it to North America by this time.
- The wildfowl weren’t stuffed with traditional bread stuffing. Maize (Indian corn), not wheat, was available. Yet the Pilgrims stuffed their birds with chestnuts, onions and herbs. Maize was cooked into bread for the feast.
- History documents the first cranberry sauce appearing 50 years later. Perhaps cranberries were available for this first feast, yet no sugar source to create the classic cranberry sauce.
- The Wampanoag tribe taught the Pilgrims how to grow native crops including the pumpkin. Yet no pumpkin pies at this celebration. Butter and wheat were not available to create the pastry.
How did today’s Thanksgiving feast menu come to be?
- Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863. Sarah Josepha Hale, editress of the popular women’s magazine of the day, Godey’s Lady’s Book, was instrumental in bringing this holiday to recognition. Over the course of 35 years, she petitioned 13 presidents to create this holiday. Lincoln instituted Thanksgiving as a way to unite the country during the time of the Civil War.
- During these 35 years, Sarah Hale published menus, recipes and cookbooks for Thanksgiving feasts. When there was finally a national day of Thanksgiving, all the readers of Godey’s Lady’s Book were ready to celebrate. They could create a Thanksgiving feast for their families with this vast array of new recipes, many like those we have today.
- Godey’s Lady’s Book published this Thanksgiving menu, described as a meal “fit for a king”:
- Roast Turkey with Sage Dressing
- Boiled Fowls with Celery Sauce
- Stewed Goose
- Oyster Cakes
- Boiled Ham
- Cranberry Sauce
- Winter Squash
- Mashed Turnips
- Creamed Onions
- Hot Cole Slaw
- Sweet Potato Pudding
- Pumpkin Pudding
- Baked Lemon Pudding
Whatever your Thanksgiving menu, enjoy this special holiday celebration with family and friends. Happy Thanksgiving!


by Dr. Lori Verderame
John Sloan was born in the lumber town of Lock Haven, PA in 1871. At age five, Sloan’s family moved to Philadelphia. Sloan attended Central High School with William Glackens, a fellow artist of the American realist art group called The Eight. Slaon taught himself to sketch and by 1891 at the age of 20, he was working as a commercial illustrator and got a job as a staff artist at the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper.
Sloan attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts where he met Robert Henri and other artists. They encouraged each other to work in oil painting. Sloan was a student of Thomas Anshutz at the time and studied in his famous antique class from 1892 to 1893.
Sloan became known as the American Hogarth for his realist depiction of scenes of everyday life. In 1895, Sloan took a new position at the Philadelphia Press where he continued to work until 1903. By that time, original illustrations had been replaced by the work of photographers and Sloan continued his career as a painter and printmaker, no longer working to the same extent as an illustrator.
Sloan joined his artist friends (Robert Henri, George Luks, William Glackens, and Everett Shinn) in New York City where they all had worked in the movement known as new realism. Recognized as a talented narrative painter, John Sloan taught painting and exhibited his work in the new modern genre style depicting images of the city and its residents. Sloan married his wife, Dolly (born Anna M. Wall), in 1901.
By 1912, Sloan became art director of the Masses socialist magazine. In 1913-14, he exhibited two paintings and five etchings at the famed Armory Show and resumed full time teaching and painting as a faculty member at the Art Students League in New York.
Some of Sloan’s famous students from the Art Students League included Peggy Bacon, Alexander Calder, David Smith,
Helen Farr (later Helen Farr Sloan), Reginald Marsh, Aaron Bohrod, Lee Gatch, John Graham, Adolph Gottlieb, and
Barnett Newman among others.
Sloan quit his job with the magazine and resigned from the Socialist Party. During this time, Sloan began his long association with Kraushaar Galleries and in 1918, he became president of the Society of Independent Artists.
From 1914 to 1919, Sloan devoted his time to plein aire painting and summered in the artist colony at Gloucester, MA. In 1919, Sloan and his wife, Dolly visited Santa Fe, NM and thereafter his subjects included nudes, Native American sites, and the landscape. Sloan was elected to the National Academy of Design and lived at 88 Washington Place, New York, NY in the 1920s.
He was elected President of the League in 1931 and retired from teaching in 1938. After the death of Sloan’s first wife, Dolly in 1943, he married his former student Helen Farr the next year. Helen Farr had assisted Sloan in his compilation of the information for his philosophical art publication based on his lectures entitled The Gist of Art. In 1950, Sloan was awarded the Gold Medal from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. John Sloan died of cancer in Hanover, NH in 1951.
Request an online appraisal of your John Sloan piece from Dr. Lori.


Club Marksmanship TipsWhether shooting in the USA, Australia or any other country the basic principals regarding gun safety, fundamentals, training and techniques are essentially the same. Our friends at SSAA in Australia have given us permission to offer for download a great handgun shooting guide they have assembled. This is a great piece of literature for anyone new to target shooting or that just wants to learn the basics of handguns. Their website is http://www.ssaa.org.au/index.htm and the manual can be downloaded here from our hosting site:
Handgun Shooting Guide.
One very useful tool for many competition shooters is the Handgun Target Analysis Guide that will show the most common causes for shooting at a particular location on the target. This has been an invaluable guide for many target shooters to hone their skills and correct mistakes in form and technique. This is the first file offered for download below and is highly recommended to keep in your pistol case. Also we are offering free targets for you to download and print to use if you would like.
Handgun Target Analysis Guide
Free Small Caliber Target
Free Small Caliber Target Orange
88 Various Targets In One File


In 1948, Lenny Bruce was just another comic who couldn't get arrested. By 1961, all that would change.
Synopsis. Twelve years in the making, this Oscar-nominated, Emmy-winning documentary, narrated by Robert De Niro, chronicles the life of the unorthodox American stand-up comedian who was no stranger to controversy. By the early 1950's, Bruce shared the stage with local strippers and ended up marrying one. By the late 50's he had perfected a jazzy improvisational delivery that led to TV dates with hosts Steve Allen and Hugh Hefner.
By the early 60's, his sold-out club dates were cracking up audiences from coast to coast, taking a hipster's aim at conventionality and hypocrisy -- and the Catholic Church, arguably the reason prosecutors now felt compelled to repeatedly arrest him for obscenity and narcotics possession. With humor and pathos, director Robert B. Weide profiles this provocative social comic and features rare, unaired TV appearances, newsreel and home movie footage, and interviews with Bruce's mother, wife, daughter, lawyers, club owners, friends and prosecutors.
New York Post: "The documentary is exceptionally powerful. The story is about much more than just a comic. It is about the way society treats non-conformists who threaten established values, the need to be vigilant about constitutional rights, and much more."


Growing up in Texas, I quickly learned that Texas was special. From the mountains out west to the coastal plains, Texas provides enough of whatever you need to be happy. Born and raised in San Antonio, I have also lived in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and now Richmond. And everywhere I went, Texas History grabbed my attention. There are so many exciting stories, that I started to write them in my journal, and eventually I published the book, “God and Texas.”
Since 1994, I have also been known as Parson Rose. I have written inspirational and motivational materials that have been published internationally through hard copy materials, leadership study books, websites, and various social media including LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. “God and Texas” was my first book that was totally dedicated to Texas History.
But since publishing the book, I have written more true stories that stir interest. Those stories are now being presented through this blog. As a member of the Executive Committee of the Fort Bend County Historical Commission and as Vice President of the Fort Bend Archaeological Society, I have opportunity to learn more about the old days of Texas. Together with a strong library of books on the Lone Star State, over 73 years of life experiences, and the help of noted history buffs, we travel down the dusty roads where hearty pioneers found their new home. Won’t you join me in some good reading?
To read more stories about Texas history, purchase David’s book, “God and Texas.” (Available at Amazon.com)
To read more inspiring articles from David Rose visit www.davidroseministries.com
To contact the author, email Parsonrose@aol.com.


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This book provides an easy and fun way to learn the Ukulele!
Suitable for Flute or Fife, as well as the Tin Whistle, this comprehensive tutor contains over 150 delightful tunes in a variety of colourful music styles.
This collection includes 30 songs as played by the renowned old-time Clawhammer Banjo player Wade Ward. Written in Banjo tab, these traditional pieces have here been given modern interpretations by Bob Carlin and Dan Levenson.
This book by Dix Bruce contains a collection of Mandolin solos that span a range of styles and levels of difficulty and are aimed at advanced beginners to intermediate-level players.
This collection contains 25 beautiful traditional tunes from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, as well as five original compositions by Martha Einan.
David DiGiuseppe's Learn Blues Accordion is a unique method that features 34 blues compositions for the Accordion as well as numerous exercises that have been carefully designed to help you master the style.
Suitable for mandolinists and violinists at a late beginner-intermediate level, this book explores the beautiful and distinctive sounds of folk music from the regions of Campagnia, Calabria, Puglia, Sicily and Sardinia.
James Weeks' Looping Busker Music for Violin, Clarinet in A, Accordion, Acoustic Guitar (all amplified) and tape.
This collection for Ukulele in standard G-C-E-A tuning contains 13 of the American funk rockers greatest hits, complete with melody, lyrics and chord diagrams.
Identification II represents the bold challenge of bringing the Accordion and Baritone Saxophone together in the same piece. The two instruments present natural affinities; indeed, the emission of sound through a single reed predestined their association.
The Deluxe Harmonica Method will teach you everything you need to know to play the 10-hole diatonic Harmonica. This complete guide is aimed at the beginning student and features step by step technical instruction and an extensive, graded repertoire.
Suitable for players at all levels, from beginner-advanced, Baritone Ukulele Aerobics is a 40-week one-lick-per-day workout program for developing, improving and maintaining your technique on the Baritone Ukulele.
2016 has been a great year for music! This collection lets you play 10 of the year's biggest hits on the Ukulele.
Written by the internationally-acclaimed mandolinist and tutor Marilynn Mair, The Complete Mandolinist is the most comprehensive American Mandolin method to be published in nearly a century.
20 Progressive Fingerstyle Studies For Uke has been written for Ukulele players looking to develop their ability on the instrument. The studies in this collection cover a vast array of styles and genres as wide-ranging as blues, jazz, minimalism and serialism, showcasing the versatility of the instrument.


Annual Events Sponsorship
Other library events and programs sponsored by the Friends Foundation include BPL’s Annual Staff Day, Annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon, Summer Learning Program, Bards & Brews Adult Poetry, and Teens Engineer BHM
March 7th, 2024
Hi-Wire Brewing, Thursday, March 7th
We are stepping out of the library to bring the books to you! Join us at Hi-Wire Brewing, Thursday, January 25th from 5p.m. – 8 p.m. for a fun night out and lend your support to the Friends Foundation of the Birmingham Public Library. Hi-Wire Brewery will be donating a portion of the sales of selected spirits to the Friends Foundation on this evening. The Friends Bookstore will be there with new items never seen in the store before! There will be no bag sales at this event, but there will still be great bargains to find. Hi-Wire Brewing is located at 2901 4th Avenue South, Suite 1-A.
We look forward to seeing you there!


2 Nephi 3
Lehi told his son, Joseph, of the covenants and promises the Lord made with Joseph in Egypt and of Joseph’s prophecies about a great prophet and seer that “the Lord my God [shall] raise up” “in the latter days.” This great seer would also be named Joseph as would his father. Joseph Smith, Jr. is this seer, this prophet, this great hero.
Lehi described some of the things Joseph Smith would do that qualify him as a hero. He would “do none other work, save the work which I [the Lord] shall command him.” He will “write the writing of the fruit of [Lehi’s] loins” and “bring forth [God’s] word unto the seed” of Lehi’s family and the nations of the world. This book Joseph Smith would translate is the Book of Mormon. By sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ found in the Book of Mormon and the Bible, which was “written by the fruit of the loins of Judah,” Joseph Smith would enable many to come “to the knowledge of their fathers…and also to the knowledge of [God’s] covenants…unto the confounding of false doctrines…and establishing peace” (2 Nephi 3:12).
Joseph Smith would bring many “out of darkness unto light…and out of captivity unto freedom” as they “hearken unto the words of the book” which manifested of the Messiah and the covenants and promises of the Lord. Like many heroes, Joseph Smith would have weaknesses, but the Lord promised that “out of weakness he shall be made strong” and he “shall do much good…being an instrument in the hands of God, with exceeding faith, to work mighty wonders, and do that thing which is great in the sight of God, unto the bringing to pass much restoration unto the house of Israel, and unto the seed of thy brethren” (2 Nephi 3:24).
After his martyrdom on June 27, 1844, John Taylor, said of this great hero, the Prophet Joseph Smith:
Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it. In the short space of twenty years, he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, and has been the means of publishing it on two continents; has sent the fulness of the everlasting gospel, which it contained, to the four quarters of the earth; has brought forth the revelations and commandments which compose this book of Doctrine and Covenants, and many other wise documents and instructions for the benefit of the children of men; gathered many thousands of the Latter-day Saints, founded a great city, and left a fame and name that cannot be slain. He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord’s anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood… (Doctrine & Covenants 135:3).
Joseph Smith is one of my heroes, too. I am so grateful for his example in following the hero’s pattern. His hero’s journey started with a question. He asked God in a simple prayer of faith, learned what he should not do, and then did what the Lord told him to do as he continued through the years to ask and learn. He did amazing things because of his faith and his willingness to make God’s work his work. (See Joseph Smith History.)
*Share an example from Joseph Smith’s journey as a hero that inspires you.


The family Westera goes back to wealthy land owners back in the Netherlands. over the centuries the family grew and grew to the extend that the name can now be found all over the world including Australia Canada and the USA. some say the name Westra is also related to the family Westera. but research seems to show that they are 2 separate families altogether.
follow this link to find out more about the name Westera. and their family tree.
A book was published In Dutch about the Family Westera if you want to get hold of it you can contact us for a copy.
Title: “Het Overijssels Geslacht Westera uit Zalk” By : J.M.Westera. ISBN : 90-9008511-4/CIP


book, books, to be precise.
The series in question is the Millenium Trilogy by Steig Larrson. I
know I've been going on and on about it for quite some time now, but
that's the way it is. I was glued
to it since the last three weeks or so and have been thinking about it
ever since I managed to finish it. Yes, it was the subject matter, yes, it
was the writing style
too..but more than anything, it was that girl.
In the first book, The Girl with the dragon tattoo, the author
introduces us to a murder mystery. A young girl, Harriet
Vanger, belonging to a very rich family, goes missing
under extraordinary circumstances and no trace of her is ever found.In
comes Michael Blomkvist, journalist, owner of the independent magazine
Millenium, to investigate
the long forgotten case. Why would he give a shit? Because he's been
bribed by Harriet's uncle to give one last try to find the truth about
his beloved niece. In
return, he'd get damaging evidence against his
arch-enemy, Wennerstrom. The stage is set for a crime thriller, except
for that girl.
Lisbeth Salander is a skinny punkster with numerous tattoos and
piercings. She works for Milton Security. She doesn't speak
much, borders on unsocial. But her brains!
She'll shock you with her abilities. She had been locked up in an
asylum for years though. Predictably enough, she joins forces with Blomkvist and together they
uncover the crime(s). But what they discover will knock you out. This is
one of those books you'll
have trouble keeping away.
In the second book, The girl who played with fire, you discover Lisbeth
Salander: the girl, the woman. This is where her story begins, and it's
not an enviable one.
But she is one of those who answers fire with fire:no evil ever goes
unpunished. It will be hard to fathom how this tiny stick-thin girl
fights with bulky men, even
brutally injures them. But as they say, all fights are fought in the
mind. But in the middle of the book comes the shocker: Lisbeth Salander
is wanted as a suspect in
As the drama unfolds, you get a glimpse of Lisbeth's grim childhood, or
rather the lack of it. However, this woman does not need no pity, she's
already calculated revenge.
The third book, The girl who kicked the hornet's nest starts where the
second one left us. The battle for Lisbeth Salander starts.Micheal
Blomkvist gets together with
her miniscule, but loyal group of friends and establishes 'Knights of
the Idiotic Table' to get Salander out of the mess she's gotten
into. In order to prove Salander's
innocence, one of Sweden's best-kept secret has to be revealed and the
'Knights' face resistance from all corners. But in a brilliantly
thought out way, justice is
finally achieved. The legal battle is one of the best I've ever
read: sharp and effective.
Larrson's style of writing is commendable. It is a book for our
generation:the protagonists sport macbooks and hackers play an
important role. The relationships
described are not your usual 'happily-ever-after' types, but are very
real and presnt-day. None of the characters in his books is perfect, but
they all have the will and
the courage to confront injustice. Especially, that girl.
A must read for fans of good, intelligent literature.


It’s been a long time since I’ve written part I of the bookmarks revisited series. In the last two years, bookmarks changed a lot. They became part Mercurial’s core functionality and a lot of of tools became bookmark aware.
The current state of bookmarks
As of Mercurial 1.8 bookmarks are part of the Mercurials core. You don’t have to activate the extension anymore. Bookmarks are supported by every major Mercurial hosting platform. Commands like hg summary or hd id will display bookmark information. In addition, the push and pull mechanism changed. I will go into details about his Part III of the series.It’s safe to say, due to it’s exposure, bookmarks became much more mature of the years. It’s time to take a look at how to use them cheap water slides.
Bookmarks are pointers to commits. Think of it as a name for a specific commit. Unlike branches in Mercurial, bookmarks are not recorded in the changeset. They don’t have a history. If you delete them, they will be gone forever.Bookmarks were initially designed for short living branches. I use them as such. It’s indeed possible to use them in different contexts, but I don’t do that. Please be aware, although they were initially intended to be similar to git branches, they often aren’t. They are not branches, they are bookmarks and they should be used like you would use a bookmark in a book. If you advance to the next site, you move the bookmark (or it gets moved).
A bookmark can be active. Only one bookmark can be active at any time, but it’s okay that no bookmark is active. If you have an active bookmark and you commit a new changeset, the bookmark will be moved to the commit. To set a bookmark active you have to update to the bookmark with hg update <name>. To unset, just update to the current revision with hg update ..
A bookmark can have a diverged markers. Bookmarks that are diverged will have a @NAME suffix. For example test@default. Diverged bookmarks are created during push and pull and will be described in Part III.
blog more. Open topics: DTrace Part II, Mercurial Bookmarks Part II.


Hannibal Buress got a book deal. Congrats! the comedian went on Conan last night to talk about the deal, mainly about how unexcited he is about the deal because it involves what he describes as, “a lot of homework” and his editors aren’t really that terrifying to him. So needless to say he hasn’t done much work on it yet. Read More
Comedian Patton Oswalt has released a new book, a memoir of sorts as well as an ode to classic cinema. In “Silver Screen Fiend: Learning About Life from an Addiction to Film,” Oswalt recounts the time he spent watching film after film at the New Beverly Cinema.
Between 1995 and 1999, Oswalt had a heavy addiction to movies, often going to the cinema up to three nights a week, playing a major influence on his life.
“Silver screen celluloid became Patton’s life schoolbook, informing his notions of acting, writing, comedy, and relationships. Set in the nascent days of the alternative comedy scene, Oswalt’s memoir chronicles his journey from fledgling stand-up comedian to self-assured sitcom actor, with the colorful New Beverly collective supporting him all along the way.”
Oswalt’s “Silver Screen Fiend” is set to be released on January 6, 2015. The book is available for pre-order now, here.
Billy on the Street’s fiery host, Billy Eichner, is reportedly writing a book. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Eichner has inked a deal with Grand Central Publishing to write a book about Hollywood and pop culture.
“I’m very excited to start writing, and I can assure my fans they will love the book more than Shailene Woodley loves Tom’s of Maine. This book is for anyone obsessed with show business, pop culture, social media and lots of other fun topics that fill our days as we hurtle helplessly toward accidents, illness, infidelity and death,” Eichner said.
Eichner is one of comedy’s fastest rising stars. His show Billy on the Street has garnered Emmy noms, he played the recurring role of Craig on the last season of Parks and Recreation, and currently teamed up with Amy Poehler and his BOTS head writer Julie Klausner to create and co-star in the pilot Difficult People for the USA network. Now add “author” to that list to complete one hell of a resume.
Two years ago, Lena Dunham sold a book proposal for over $3 million. Her book, Not That Kind of Girl, is finally set to be released on October 7th. To promote her new book, Dunham is setting off on an 11 city book tour, and is bringing some of her funny friends. Comedians Amy Schumer, Morgan Murphy, Portlandia’s Carrie Brownstein will be joining Dunham for a show.
In Not That Kind of Girl, Dunham talks about all her missteps in life, and what she learned along the way. The book features stories about, “wonderful nights with terrible boys and terrible days with wonderful friends, about ambition and the two existential crises [Dunham] had before the age of twenty. About fashion and its many discontents. About publicly sharing your body, having to prove yourself in a meeting full of 50 year old men, and the health fears (tinnitus, lamp dust, infertility) that keep [Dunham] up at night.”
Megan Amram is much more than a Twitter comedic genius. She’s a writer on Parks and Recreation, and now an author. Go behind-the-scenes at Amram’s cover shoot for her new science book, Science… For Her! Oh ladies, Amram is our new hero. Have you ever stared at a science journal wishing it spoke to you in terms your lady brain can understand? How often do you wish upon a star, asking the universe, “Please let Cosmo Magazine write a science book!” Forget, Cosmo. Amram’s got your back. Judging by the cover alone, this should be an amazing, and hilarious read.
Comedian Todd Glass has been doing stand-up for 30 years, but he’s been an out man for less than two. In his new memoir The Todd Glass Situation: A Bunch of Lies about My Personal Life and a Bunch of True Stories about My 30-Year Career in Stand-Up Comedy, the comedian writes about “his decision at age forty-eight to finally live openly as a gay man—and the reactions and support from his comedy pals, from Louis C.K. to Sarah Silverman.” I talked to Todd about his cathartic experience writing the book, and doing the right thing by speaking up for others. Read More
Looks like producer, writer, director Judd Apatow is adding a new title to his resume; author. Apatow has been signed by publishing giant Random House to produce Sick In The Head, a collection of interviews he’s conducted over the past thirty years with many of his comedy heroes. Interviewees include Mel Brooks, Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Lena Dunham, Louis C.K., Amy Schumer, Roseanne Barr, Steve Allen, Jay Leno and Spike Jonze. The earliest dates back to 1983 when Apatow ran a radio show at his high school.
Known for blockbuster films and television series like 40 Year Old Virgin, Freaks and Geeks, and Girls, it’s obvious Apatow knows comedy. We’re looking forward to reading what questions he has for those he respects in the biz.
All proceeds from the book will benefit 826LA, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. Sick in the Head is due in stores sometime in 2015.
Last year Amy Poehler inked a deal to pen a book that would be released sometime in 2014. The book was to be a pseudo memoir/advice book that “will tackle a variety of topics, from friendship and parenting to advice on love and life, all done with her inimitable wit.”
While the details were originally vague about the status of the book, this morning Today took a look at the photo shoot for the book’s cover. Poehler was her usual great self. It was also revealed that the book will hit shelves on October 28th through Dey Books.
If you have seen Jimmy Failla’s stand up then you know two things, first, he is hilarious, and second, he was once a taxi driver. Yeah, a taxi driver and he’s got all the stories to prove it. Thankfully, Jimmy has just released a comical new book called Follow That Car!: A Cabbie’s Guide to Conquering Fears, Achieving Dreams, and Finding a Public Restroom that shares all those wild stories, life lessons, and wild situations he experienced while on the job. The book also goes into Failla’s attempts at getting shows, being a dad, and trying to keep a marriage together with zero sleep.
Furthermore you can head over to Gotham Comedy Club tonight for his official book launch party. The party runs from 6:30 to 9pm and as Jimmy puts it, “Come for the mediocre reading, stay for the cake and the booze.”
Buy a copy on Amazon now.
Lastly, we’ge giving away one copy to a lucky reader. Read More
- BJ Novak wrote a book, here’s the trailer. [Youtube]
- The next season of Veep premieres this April. [Twitter]
- You can email submissions to Last Comic Standing 8. [The Comic's Comic]
- Some behind-the-scenes pictures from Donald Glover’s last episode of Community. [The A.V. Club]
- Paul F. Tompkins would rather just stay home and watch Pitch Perfect. [Uproxx]


The role of nonprofit publishing in promoting diverse and underrepresented voices in literature: A discussion on the importance of alternative publishing models like Sator Press.
Introduction Nonprofit publishing has become an increasingly important part of the literary landscape, providing a platform for diverse and underrepresented voices in literature. This discussion will focus on the role of nonprofit publishing in promoting these voices, with a particular focus on alternative publishing models such as Sator Press. We will explore the importance of […]
The legacy and impact of Sator Press: A reflection on the nonprofit publishing company’s commitment to producing challenging literature in a sustainable way.
Introduction Sator Press is a nonprofit publishing company that has been producing challenging literature in a sustainable way since its inception in 2011. The company has made a lasting impact on the literary world, both through its commitment to producing quality literature and its dedication to sustainability. Sator Press has been praised for its innovative […]


SAINTS and SOLDIERS
By Jeffrey Scott
There Is A Time For Heroes
Discover the SAINT within each SOLDIER as Jeffrey Scott masterfully fictionalizes the story of five men caught behind enemy lines during the Battle of the Bulge in WWII in the first novel in the Saints and Soldiers series.
Experience the true story of the “Malmédy Massacre” through the personal accounts of Scott’s courageous characters.
Follow along with Captain Oberon Winley and Corporal Stephen Gould who both witness the savagery of war, struggle to cope with personal loses and escape a massacre of POWs to deliver critical information about Hitler’s plans to the Allies before it’s too late.
Sympathize with the soldiers as they try to discover and hold on to the inner spirit that will save more than just their lives, but their very souls as well.
A very human war story!
This edition contains a Preview of “SAINTS AND SOLDIERS: Airborne Creed” the SECOND novel in the series NOW AVAILABLE and “SAINTS and SOLDIERS: Thunderbolt Squadron., the THIRD in the series due out in early 2013.
Click the following links to purchase the eBook of “Saints and Soldiers” now at Amazon for your Kindle or Kindle App, Barns & Noble for your Nook or Nook App, or Smashwords for all other ebook readers and apps!


Transitions – Through the Rabbit Hole of Life
“Who are you?” said the Caterpillar …
“I – I hardly know, Sir, just at present,” Alice replied rather shyly,
“at least I know who I was when I got up this morning,
but I think I must have changed several times since then.”
- Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
A question to my reader, who are you? As Alice ponders with Caterpillar, who you are changes all the time.
Change means letting go of what was, moving into a state of confusion, and then starting anew.
- There is a time of letting go of what was; I was a woman who put much to thinking and reflection, but offered little of her true self for fear of rejection.
- There is a time of suffering with the confusion of the “in-betweenness”; I am doing but I doubt; sitting in confusion as I write, erase, start over…finding conviction, write, doubt … as I move between feelings of conviction and doubt.
- And finally, a time of finding the strength to start a new beginning; I find my heart to reveal my Self through the alchemy of words and the joy and awe of the universe of possibilities that await me. I share of myself in service to others.
Letting go means diving into painful wounds that I’d rather let be. My struggles within the in-between time bring up doubts and indecisions, pulling me back from the change that is calling out to me. Envisioning the new beginning, realizing my doubts and wounds will always be a part of me, gives me the strength of Soul to continue on in this process of transition.
These struggles of transition and change are necessary to move within the progression of life. They bring aliveness to my life and awareness to my Soul. Now, who am I? Soul on a journey of discovery, a body and mind feeding experience to Soul, and who I am tomorrow will enjoy the fruits of the labor of which I engaged in today.
I’m jumping down the rabbit hole for a most exciting ride! Come join me!
Note: If you would like to learn more about making sense of life transitions, I suggest the book, “Transitions” by William Bridges. This book is the essential guide for coping with changes in life.


Behind the Wheel of History: Driving Classic Cars for Modern Enthusiasts
A Brief History of Classic Cars
The history of classic cars is a long and fascinating one, dating back to the early days of the automobile. The first cars were crude and unreliable, but they quickly evolved into sleek and stylish machines that captured the imagination of the public.
In the early 1900s, classic cars were a symbol of status and wealth. They were owned by the rich and famous, and they were often seen as a status symbol. However, as cars became more affordable, they became more popular with the general public.
By the 1950s, classic cars were a part of everyday life. They were used for commuting, running errands, and taking road trips. They were also a popular choice for racing and other forms of motorsport.
In the 1960s, the popularity of classic cars began to decline. Newer, more fuel-efficient cars were introduced, and classic cars were seen as outdated and impractical. However, a small number of enthusiasts continued to collect and restore classic cars, and their passion helped to keep the hobby alive.
In the 1980s, the popularity of classic cars began to increase again. This was due to a number of factors, including the rising cost of new cars, the growing popularity of vintage fashion, and the increasing availability of classic cars for sale.
Today, classic cars are more popular than ever before. They are seen as a symbol of nostalgia and Americana, and they are a popular choice for collectors and enthusiasts alike.
The Appeal of Classic Cars
There are many reasons why people are drawn to classic cars. Some of the appeal of classic cars include:
- Their historical significance. Classic cars are a reminder of a bygone era. They can tell us stories about the people who drove them, the places they went, and the events they witnessed.
- Their beauty. Classic cars are often works of art. They are designed with style and elegance, and they are a pleasure to look at.
- Their performance. Classic cars were built in a time when engineers were not constrained by safety regulations or emissions standards. As a result, they often have impressive performance figures.
- Their rarity. Many classic cars are no longer in production, which makes them even more desirable.
- Their collectability. Classic cars can be a good investment. As they age, their value typically increases.
Where to Find and Drive Classic Cars
There are many places where you can find and drive classic cars. Some of the best places include:
Below are 19 modern classics some new and still in production some exotic some sedans some SUVs and an electric car too This list is meant to be inclusive but not definitive by any means It Revolutionize your classic ride Arc Motor Company transforms cars with Tesla power marrying tradition and sustainabilityA male driver shocked other motorists as he was filmed soundly sleeping behind the wheel of his car while driving along a busy highway Phone footage captured by Mr Wei shows the driver of a white A global look at the economic and cultural forces shaping our worldThe Morgan 3 Wheeler captures the classic design of the early 20th century with modern performance in automotive history give it a cool factor for Enthusiasts of unusual vehiclesThis article explores the indomitable allure of
car magazines serving as both a source of inspiration for Enthusiasts and a reliable guide The police officer behind the wheel of a police car which crashed into a Darlington home has been suspended from driving The car ploughed through the garden wall and into the front of a property on Theres no shortage of driving hazards for anyone behind the wheel anywhere Wizzards popular singalong karaoke classic could cause effects on the body and mind which can lead to a decline
- Car shows. Car shows are a great place to see classic cars of all makes and models. You can also talk to the owners of these cars and learn more about them.
- Renting a classic car. If you don’t own a classic car, you can rent one for a day or a weekend. This is a great way to experience the thrill of driving a classic car without having to commit to owning one.
- Joining a classic car club. Classic car clubs are a great way to meet other enthusiasts and learn more about classic cars. Clubs often hold events, such as car shows and rallies, where you can see and drive classic cars.
- Purchasing a classic car. If you’re serious about owning a classic car, you can purchase one from a private seller or a dealer. Buying a classic car is a big decision, so it’s important to do your research and make sure you’re getting a good deal.
Classic cars are a part of our history and culture. They are a reminder of a bygone era, and they are a source of enjoyment for many people. If you’re interested in learning more about classic cars, there are many resources available to you. You can visit car shows, rent a classic car, join a classic car club, or purchase a classic car of your own.