text:
Why Do We Like Conflict?
OK, you've decided to write a story and you've created a character. Now you have to give her a problem to solve and put him in some kind of jeopardy. Life is a series of choices, and every choice implies a conflict. You make one choice and the consequences are _____ or you choose the other option, and the consequences are ______.
For a reader to care about your story, there has to be something at stake—something of value to gain, something of value to lose. One writer terms it "wrestling"—two strong forces meet, one triumphs over the other, for better or for worse.
Conflict can be external: a villain, an opponent, a set of circumstances, the environment or landscape. It can be internal: fear, distrust, uncontrollable rage, a number of things. A book can have both. In Lord of the Flies, what's at stake externally is survival; internally, it's fear vs courage. Every character should have the potential to conflict with every other character, whether that potential is realized or not.
Is it a fair fight? A motivation against no opposition is boring. A character who always gets everything he wants, succeeds in every task, wins the girl/guy with no problem, has no drama. Remember PLOT is a VERB. Likewise, pure victimization is not only dull, but depressing.
Conflict doesn't come in oppressing or being oppressed—it comes in the struggle to break free. The reader wants the final outcome to be in doubt. He likes the anticipation of conflict, a situation created where conflict is waiting to happen. (i.e. Character A is a former Nazi and B is a Holocaust survivor. Neither knows this info about the other. They sit in a room & make small talk. All the while, we wait for the conflict to erupt. Maybe it never does. Maye it's chapters later, after they've become friends.)
Which leads us to the next step: Storytelling is not about giving away information, but about withholding it.
Why do we prefer to sit down with a 300-page book (or in the case of Harry Potter, 800 pages), rather than just read a 2-3 page synopsis of a story?
Because we want suspense, we want to go on this journey, this adventure, with someone we can care about.
Suspense is about anticipation. It is about what we do not have, what has not happened, about what might happen. It's about the process of watching events unfold. (i.e.While the victim is being stalked, suspense looms. Once the victim is murdered, the suspense disappears.) Waiting to find out builds suspense, drama.
Creating Suspense.
The goal. What does the character want to achieve?
The stakes. What is at risk for the character?
Danger. remember that danger is a matter of perspective—it only needs to exist in a character's head to create suspense.
The Ticking Clock. A time limit heightens suspense.
inability to take action. For example, in Hitchcock's the Rear Window, the protagonist has a broken leg, hears the killer approaching, but is helpless to go anywhere.
The Unknown. We can bear almost any form of torture as long as we know what it is we are getting into. But keep us in the dark, give us time to think about the possibilities and the suspense will be unbearable.
Kurt Vonnegut once said that a hero "should always want something, even if it's just a glass of water." An instructor in a writing class told us there should be conflict on every page, even if the character is too hot or cold.
Here's a great blog post by Kristen Lamb "Giving Life to Your Fiction."
What other ways have you written or read that create tension or conflict?
on October 25, 2013 at 6:43 am Leave a Comment
Tags: conflict, Heidi M. Thomas, Suspense, tension, Writing Tips
No Escape, the Sweetwater Tragedy
Jean Henry Mead's newest historical novel, No Escape, the Sweetwater Tragedy, has just been released. Jean is a national award-winning photojournalist and author of the Logan and Cafferty mystery/suspense series as well as Wyoming historical novels, children's mysteries and nonfiction books. She began her career as a news reporter and worked as a freelance photojournalist. Jean also served as a news, magazine and small press editor. Her magazine articles have been published domestically as well as abroad and she's published 19 books.
By Jean Henry Mead
I began writing No Escape in my mind more than 20 years ago while I was researching a centennial history of central Wyoming. Reading old microfilmed newspapers, I was surprised by the contradictory reports about the hangings of a young Sweetwater Valley couple accused of running a bawdy house (called a "hog ranch) and accepting cattle in exchange for their services.
The six wealthy cattlemen responsible for the murders of Ellen Watson-Averell and her husband James claimed the murders were justified. But when they came to trial, all the witnesses had disappeared or were found dead. Therefore, the case was thrown out of court.
A Cheyenne newspaper, controlled by cattle interests, railed against homesteaders, whom they said were rustling the poor cattlemen's stock, so vigilante law was a last resort. The Rawlins newspaper, however, said that James Averell was well thought of and considered a good citizen. Averell had been appointed postmaster and justice of the peace by Thomas Moonlight, the Wyoming territorial governor.
James's wife, Ellen, had worked as a cook for two years at the Rawlins House and was known as kind and caring young woman. But the couple made the mistake of filing homesteads on Albert Bothwell's hay meadow, land the cattleman had been grazing for years without paying it for it. And James wrote letters to the editor of the Casper Weekly Mail complaining that cattlemen were gobbling up homestead land for 75 miles along the Sweetwater River.
Because I didn't want to end the book with the hangings (I hate sad endings), I decided to add another character, Susan Cameron, a young woman from Missouri. Susan is a composite of some 200,000 single women homesteaders who attempted to prove up on their own land. Some were successful, some not. Susan filed for land next to the Averells, placing her own life in danger along with her veterinarian friend, Michael O'Brien, and three boys whom the Averells had taken under their wings.
After their deaths, Ellen was vilified and called "Cattle Kate." News of the hangings spread worldwide and the murder of a woman in Wyoming Territory was publicly condemned, yet Ellen's own father believed the lies spread about her and forbade his family to speak her name again.
A number of films have been produced and books have been written about the outlaw, "Cattle Kate." I've even read poems and heard cowboy songs about her. The truth didn't surface until George W. Hufsmith was commissioned to write an opera about the hangings and spent the next 20 years researching the subject. Thanks to George's research and that of my own, I was able to complete my novel, No Escape, the Sweetwater Tragedy.
No Escape can be purchased on Kindle and in print.
Jean's website: www.jeanhenrymead.com
Her blogsites: http://mysteriouspeople.blogspot.com/
http://theviewfrommymountaintop.blogspot.com/
http://writersofthewest.blogspot.com/
http://murderousmusings.blogspot.com/
http://makeminemystery.blogspot.com/
on April 5, 2013 at 6:32 am Comments (8)
Tags: Heidi M. Thomas, historical mystery, Jean Henry Mead, No Escape the Sweetwater Tragedy, Suspense, Western, Wyoming hangings


text:
package com.weibo.lodil.mmap;

import static com.weibo.lodil.mmap.HugeArrayBuilderTest.gcPrintUsed;
import static com.weibo.lodil.mmap.HugeArrayBuilderTest.printUsed;

import java.io.ByteArrayInputStream;
import java.io.ByteArrayOutputStream;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.ObjectInputStream;
import java.io.ObjectOutputStream;
import java.io.Serializable;
import java.lang.annotation.ElementType;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;

import org.junit.Test;

import com.weibo.lodil.mmap.api.HugeArrayList;

public class HugeArrayVsSerializationTest {
	static final int length = 1000 * 1000;

	static {
		gcPrintUsed();
	}

	@Test
	public void testSearchAndUpdateCollection() {
		gcPrintUsed();
		final int repeats = 1000; // five seconds.
		final HugeArrayBuilder<MutableTypes> mtb = new HugeArrayBuilder<MutableTypes>() {
		};
		final HugeArrayList<MutableTypes> mts = mtb.create();
		mts.setSize(length);
		for (final MutableTypes mt : mts) {
			mt.setBoolean2(true);
			mt.setByte2((byte) 1);
		}
		gcPrintUsed();

		final long start = System.nanoTime();
		for (int i = 0; i < repeats; i++) {
			for (final MutableTypes mt : mts) {
				mt.setInt(mt.getInt() + 1);
			}
		}
		final long time = System.nanoTime() - start;
		printUsed();
		System.out.printf("Huge Collection update one field, took an average %.1f ns.%n", (double) time / length
				/ repeats);
	}

	@Test
	public void testSearchAndUpdateCollectionHeap() {
		gcPrintUsed();
		final int repeats = 1000; // five seconds.
		final int length = 1000 * 1000;
		final HugeArrayBuilder<MutableTypes> mtb = new HugeArrayBuilder<MutableTypes>() {
		};
		final List<MutableTypes> mts = new ArrayList<MutableTypes>();
		for (int i = 0; i < length; i++) {
			final MutableTypes bean = mtb.createBean();
			bean.setBoolean2(true);
			bean.setByte2((byte) 1);
			mts.add(bean);
		}

		gcPrintUsed();

		final long start = System.nanoTime();
		for (int i = 0; i < repeats; i++) {
			for (final MutableTypes mt : mts) {
				mt.setInt(mt.getInt() + 1);
			}
		}
		final long time = System.nanoTime() - start;
		printUsed();
		System.out.printf("List<JavaBean>, update one field took an average %.1f ns.%n", (double) time / length
				/ repeats);
	}

	@Test
	public void testSearchAndUpdateCollectionSerialization() throws IOException, ClassNotFoundException {
		gcPrintUsed();
		final int length = 1000 * 1000; // about 8 seconds
		final List<byte[]> mts = new ArrayList<byte[]>();
		final HugeArrayBuilder<MutableTypes> mtb = new HugeArrayBuilder<MutableTypes>() {
		};
		final MutableTypes bean = mtb.createBean();
		bean.setBoolean2(true);
		bean.setByte2((byte) 1);
		final byte[] bytes = toBytes(bean);
		for (int i = 0; i < length; i++) {
			mts.add(bytes.clone());
		}
		System.out.println("Per object size is " + (4 + (((bytes.length + 7 + 12) / 8) * 8)));

		gcPrintUsed();
		final long start = System.nanoTime();
		for (int i = 0, mtsSize = mts.size(); i < mtsSize; i++) {
			final MutableTypes mt = (MutableTypes) fromBytes(mts.get(i));
			mt.setInt(mt.getInt() + 1);
			mts.set(i, toBytes(mt));
		}
		final long time = System.nanoTime() - start;
		printUsed();
		System.out.printf("List<byte[]> with readObject/writeObject update one field took an average %,d ns.%n", time
				/ length);
	}

	@Test
	public void testSearchAndUpdateCollectionSerialization2() throws IOException, ClassNotFoundException {
		gcPrintUsed();
		final int length = 1000 * 1000; // about 8 seconds
		final List<byte[]> mts = new ArrayList<byte[]>();
		final PlainMutableTypes bean = new PlainMutableTypes();
		bean.setBoolean2(true);
		bean.setByte2((byte) 1);
		final byte[] bytes = toBytes(bean);
		for (int i = 0; i < length; i++) {
			mts.add(bytes.clone());
		}
		System.out.println("Per object size is " + (4 + (((bytes.length + 7 + 12) / 8) * 8)));

		gcPrintUsed();
		final long start = System.nanoTime();
		for (int i = 0, mtsSize = mts.size(); i < mtsSize; i++) {
			final MutableTypes mt = (MutableTypes) fromBytes(mts.get(i));
			mt.setInt(mt.getInt() + 1);
			mts.set(i, toBytes(mt));
		}
		final long time = System.nanoTime() - start;
		printUsed();
		System.out.printf("List<byte[]> update one field took an average %,d ns.%n", time / length);
	}

	public static byte[] toBytes(final Object obj) throws IOException {
		final ByteArrayOutputStream baos = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
		final ObjectOutputStream oos = new ObjectOutputStream(baos);
		oos.writeObject(obj);
		oos.close();
		return baos.toByteArray();
	}

	public static Object fromBytes(final byte[] bytes) throws IOException, ClassNotFoundException {
		final ObjectInputStream ois = new ObjectInputStream(new ByteArrayInputStream(bytes));
		return ois.readObject();
	}

	static class PlainMutableTypes implements MutableTypes, Serializable {
		private boolean m_boolean;
		private Boolean m_boolean2;
		private byte m_byte;
		private Byte m_byte2;
		private char m_char;
		private short m_short;
		private int m_int;
		private float m_float;
		private long m_long;
		private double m_double;
		private ElementType m_elementType;
		private String m_string;

		public void setBoolean(final boolean b) {
			this.m_boolean = b;
		}

		public boolean getBoolean() {
			return m_boolean;
		}

		public void setBoolean2(final Boolean b) {
			this.m_boolean2 = b;
		}

		public Boolean getBoolean2() {
			return m_boolean2;
		}

		public void setByte(final byte b) {
			this.m_byte = b;
		}

		public byte getByte() {
			return m_byte;
		}

		public void setByte2(final Byte b) {
			this.m_byte2 = b;
		}

		public Byte getByte2() {
			return m_byte2;
		}

		public void setChar(final char ch) {
			this.m_char = ch;
		}

		public char getChar() {
			return m_char;
		}

		public void setShort(final short s) {
			this.m_short = s;
		}

		public short getShort() {
			return m_short;
		}

		public void setInt(final int i) {
			this.m_int = i;
		}

		public int getInt() {
			return m_int;
		}

		public void setFloat(final float f) {
			this.m_float = f;
		}

		public float getFloat() {
			return m_float;
		}

		public void setLong(final long l) {
			this.m_long = l;
		}

		public long getLong() {
			return m_long;
		}

		public void setDouble(final double d) {
			this.m_double = d;
		}

		public double getDouble() {
			return m_double;
		}

		public void setElementType(final ElementType elementType) {
			this.m_elementType = elementType;
		}

		public ElementType getElementType() {
			return m_elementType;
		}

		public void setString(final String text) {
			this.m_string = text;
		}

		public String getString() {
			return m_string;
		}
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Truth be told, we are usually so carried away with everyday problems and routine obligations that we forget other major issues, which are determinant to our security. Even those obsessed with security matters could leave a couple of windows open at night or forget to fix door keys, when they are worn. At the same time, most people give priority to their front door. They may think that deadlock installation on the front door is sufficient for their home security or locking the front door at night is a guarantee of their security, but they have it all wrong. Intruders would hardly prefer to mess with high tech door securitybolts at a spot, where they can be seen by neighbors or pedestrians and they would definitely go for the back kitchen door or an open window.
Your security starts outside the house at the gate. This is why you must make sure you have a good gate and a reliable remote. The same goes with the garage door, which must be always well maintained and its remote kept safe. Hence, your first concern is to make sure that all these doors have sufficient locks and never be reluctant to change locks, if their technologies are old or the existing locks are unreliable.
Before you turn off the lights, you must certainly ensure the front door boltsare locked and carry on checking the other locks, too. You must give priority to the weakest points, which are usually secondary doors and windows located at the darkest spots of your house. it would be nice to put some light into your life with the required sensors that would activate them if anyone approaches your home, but the locks must be locked at all times, especially before you go to bed. In fact, we must check them often and have the door bolts changed before they are useless for your protection. Remember that the smallest window at the highest part of your home can be reachable and, thus, is considered a weak entry point. Don't underestimate the capacities or means of intruders and lock them all to sleep well.


text:
Issue: April - May 2017
Magazine Front Page
Leading with Compassion
Insurance brokers and flood non-cover
Step Up & Stand Out!
Non profit. No problem.
Insurance with a conscience: Origin Insurance Brokers
WHY MOST CHANGE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS FAIL
Buckle up – everyone's in the driver's seat
A Different View on Distribution
Canary in the coal mine
Bringing a fresh perspective to NIBA: Vivienne Toll
December - January 2018
NIBA Mentoring: Shaping the future
EDGING TOWARDS A BREAKTHROUGH
A new retail reality
Beyond bollards and bunkers: Understanding the current terror risk
Where are the past Warren Tickle Memorial Award winners now?
Food safety and insurance: Little margin for error
Agriculture insurance: Cultivating opportunity
Vero's Anthony Pagano: OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
Cyber: Winning the battles, but losing the war?
FUTURE IMPERFECT: THE PERILS FACING EVENT ORGANISERS
Construction insurance: Built to last
Between perils and promise
Classic returns
ARE YOU ON BOARD?
Different but the same
Who's in the driver's seat?
Debbie devastates but industry rebuilds
Evolution of a Big-City Broker
Protecting what is shared
Covering all bases
Who actually owns customer data?
Being part of the solution
Data breach notification laws now a reality
Managing the risk landscape in human-robot interaction
Big opportunity in small business
Brokers can help improve industry image
Beyond the monopoly
Insuring start-ups: A brave new frontier?
High-rise broking opportunity
Business interruption insurance: More than meets the eye
Filling the PI gaps
From little things, big things grow
FAQ: NSW Emergency Services Levy phase out
Future in focus
Wild weather warning
We are your voice
Levelling the playing field
Doctor, insure thyself
ARs: It's a love-hate relationship
A country practice
Steadfast, AIMS strengthen NIBA's voice
Construction insurance: It's all in the foundations
Inspired choice
Multi-peril crop insurance: Challenges and opportunities
It's time to talk terrorism
Staying ahead of the pack
How to shine online
Navigating marine trends
Insurance and the Internet of Things
Project: Management liability
Difficult risks: negotiating the hard yards
From darkness comes light
Serious business: Scott Woodward's insurance journey
Golden opportunities: 2016 Vero SME Insurance Index
Insurance Brokers Code of Practice case study: the one-off error
Lost cause? Examining the future of loss adjusting
Plain sailing: Nicholas Bedggood's insurance journey
Helping hands: insurers giving back
Upwardly mobile?
Axel Theis: playing the long game
February – March 2016
Inside the insurance lab
Putting the customer in the centre
Investing in change
Broking with a heart
The lap of luxury
Mentoring: Jessica and Ray
How-to: Connect with your clients digitally
Getting pulled in both directions
Broker pride: Sure-footed service
December – January 2016
Future forecast
In the umpire's chair
The loan ranger
Boosting your website
Kasey & Warren
A roof overhead
Putting professionalism first
Taking the reins
October – November 2015
The share market
Success through service
Top of the heap
Old growth opportunities
Naseer & Steve
Giant in the shadows
Green shoots in renewable energy
Fighting uphill battles
Cyber risk: old tricks new clothing
Going in green
Lack of communication causes angst
August – September 2015
High-flyers touch down
Hiring outside the box
Peak liability
Clearing the obstacles
When the show doesn't go on
Invasion of the robots
Christine & Russell
Commanding position
Communication breakdown
Off the mark early
How to: Move to Comcare
Taming the weather
Hungry for growth
Staying afloat
Colonising the digital natives
High performance tuning
Mentoring: Delene & Robert
Not all that glitters is covered
How-to guide: Set effective goals
Over-reaching the contract
Hitting the ground running
April – May 2015
Clearing the heir
Staring down the market
Mentoring: Yvonne & David
The second big bang
Proving a broker's worth
First-class treatment
Hands off the wheel
Ready for the worst
Clues from the wreckage
Beating back the flames
Slow response a spanner in the works
How to: Save money with free software
Executive decision
Sharon Cannon's proudest moment
Rebooting broking
Challenging monopoly
London falling?
Selling your story
Commission impossible
Growing appetites
Smoother sailing ahead for sector
Winning the computer game
Offshore but over here
Healthy market
Insurance's final frontier?
Fraudulent claim delivers sinking feeling
Setting the bar high
Prevention or cure?
Getting the message out
Risk and reward
Presidential portrait
Applauding an industry stalwart
John Mutton stands tall
Young guns on the rise
Meet 2014's most promising young broker
Fighting fire with higher tech
Threat levels
Super-powered exposures
Deciding where the buck stops
Dianne Phelan, group operations manager at BJS Insurance Group, joins the NIBA Board with nearly four decades of experience as an insurance broker and is still as passionate as ever about the industry. She now speaks to Insurance Adviser...
by Michelle Lam
Dianne Phelan, group operations manager at BJS Insurance Group, joins the NIBA Board with nearly four decades of experience as an insurance broker and is still as passionate as ever about the industry. She now speaks to Insurance Adviser about her 'utopian' vision for the association, her career and the privilege of being a woman in insurance.
Insurance Adviser: When you were offered the director's role on the NIBA Board, what was your reaction, and why did you accept?
Di Phelan: I was surprised, honoured and humbled. I've worked in insurance for 39 years and to have others think that I'm worthy and have something to contribute at that level is very humbling.
I'm pretty passionate about the industry. I think I still have something to give.
I do think NIBA is at a crossroads and as a huge supporter, I think you have to be part of the solution not part of the problem. I hear many negative comments and uninformed views and I want to encourage people not to just complain. The way I see things: don't just think of the problem, think about what needs to change to make it better.
IA: What do you mean when you say NIBA is at a crossroads?
DP: I think the role of NIBA is vital and when I say that I think we are really at a crossroads I'm largely referring to the cluster groups and how many cluster group members see them as being the only solution needed so they don't feel like they need NIBA anymore. What they fail to understand is the crucial role that NIBA plays in lobbying and in making sure that we are not caught in the unnecessary legislation focused on the financial services sector… that is definitely not needed in general insurance.
The way I see things: don't just think of the problem, think about what needs to change to make it better.
To me, and this could be a utopian view, every broker should have to be a NIBA member and contribute towards the success of their association, because every broker benefits from what the association achieves with its lobbying. If all the cluster groups had a group membership – so that if you're a member of a cluster, you're a member of NIBA, that would be a significant step forward. Having Austbrokers and Steadfast representation on the board and getting that message out there is certainly a huge step in the right direction.
This is one of the things I'm particularly passionate about.
IA: What then do you hope to achieve as a director on the NIBA Board?
DP: That's one thing – I hope to see every broker a member of NIBA.
Another is to see a lot more engagement by brokers in their association; and a lot more support of the association. Many brokers are members but I wouldn't say that they really support the association.
What we need is increased awareness and engagement. I think there is a fair bit of complacency out there.
We also need to increase engagement, awareness and support from non-members to actually become members. To realise, 'Hey I really can't afford not to be a member because I actually need to contribute to the solution. I can't just sit here and get all the benefits of NIBA and not contribute.'
I would also like to see a lot more awareness about NIBA's work. Brokers are bombarded with so much information these days it is impossible to read everything you receive. Here, I think the divisional committees have a role to play in getting information out to their state members and the insurance community as a whole because it's an important message – the value of NIBA and its role in representing brokers to government is vital. We all have a role to play to ensure our association remains strong and viable. The success NIBA has had in this area in the past should not be understated and all brokers need to understand that without NIBA fighting on our behalf, some reforms could just go through. It will be a case of we don't know what we've got until it's not there.
IA: You're a career insurance broker – not many can say that. What do you think is so appealing about insurance as a career?
DP: It's one of the few industries that has so many facets to it – you can specialise in law, IT, marketing, client relationships etc… You can almost have different careers and still stay in the insurance industry, which I think is pretty unique. I think it is one of the huge benefits of working in insurance that is often undervalued.
NIBA is looking at promoting insurance as a career and I believe it's vital to get that message out there… There is a distinct lack of knowledge in the community about insurance and the importance of insurance in the economy as a whole.
We all have a role to play to ensure our association remains strong and viable.
However, a developing issue I see is, if we are successful at enticing school leavers or graduates into the industry, the jobs aren't going to be there. With many industry employers, including brokers, choosing to move the traditional 'entry level' roles offshore, the challenge will be to get graduates who have some sort of experience in insurance so they can fast-track through to those roles that they are qualified for.
I don't have the solution to this one but if we can create an internship or work experience program for students during university, then they could gain the necessary experience.
IA: Obviously, NIBA has been a very important part of your professional life. What prompted you to first get involved?
DP: I was one of the founding members of the under 35s committee in SA more than 20 years ago. I was interested in doing that because at the time there was nothing in the industry that provided for the younger generation coming through in terms of education. All the education then was focused on more experienced brokers.
We did a lot of work creating networking opportunities for the younger brokers and training that was more basic for new entrants to the industry.
Then I went on to the divisional committee, where I was until 2001. That's when my twins were young, and I was like many mothers, struggling with a lack of hours in the day. I decided the time was right to re-join the committee almost five years ago.
My motivation for being on the divisional committee… well, insurance has been very good to me and my family, providing me with a successful career path enabling me to provide for my family. I'm a believer in giving of your time to help promote things that are important.
IA: There have been observations recently that the insurance industry is not as gender diverse at the senior levels as other industries. You're a woman in a leadership position. How do you think the profession can encourage more women into upper management positions?
DP: First, I think it's certainly pleasing to see a lot more women coming into insurance; and I think there are a lot more women being given management roles – that's certainly the case in insurance companies.
From my own perspective, I have never felt gender has been a consideration.
I do think there are still a lot more women who put their careers on hold for their families than men – it's still largely what a woman does.
Because of this they lose those years of experience and when they come out the other end… they are just behind the eight-ball. I think increased support of fathers having a greater involvement in their children's development would help that situation. Things are also being made easier with paternity leave and we are certainly making inroads there. The more fathers are able to share childcare, the more it will help women to be at the right time in their life to take those leadership roles and have sufficient experience to take them.
Having said that, I think insurance is the type of career that allows women to go part-time, take a break and still create a successful career. For example, at BJS, there are a number of roles which lend themselves to flexibility.
Recently, we established a Business Support Unit (BSU) which is responsible for completion of the back office work across all branches. The BSU concept allows us to employ new entrants to insurance but we've also found those roles can be an attractive alternative for women who don't want to work full-time after coming back from maternity leave. These people are really valuable because they have the insurance experience… and for them, working part-time means they get to keep their hand in the game.
We are finding the experienced staff can complete the more complex administration tasks that require a certain level of expertise, leaving the simpler tasks for the newer employees.
We have employed four new people into the BSU in the last seven months. Two of the four have already decided they want to make insurance their career so they will be starting their qualifications in the next six to 12 months. That's the beauty of the BSU: we didn't set out to look for people who wanted an insurance role; we were looking for people who wanted admin roles. But they've now got a taste of insurance and have decided that it is what they want to make their career. It's great to see that once they gain some knowledge they are making insurance a career choice. We find replacing qualified experienced staff can often be quite difficult so, for us, it is far better to try and employ at the entry level and provide the training and sharing of knowledge so they are ready to take the next step when a position becomes available.
Marine insurance is a niche area that requires specialist knowledge, but it is also a growing segmen
NIBA's mentoring program has thrown together scores of people from across the industry, to give yo
Imagine the day when you don't have to wait six weeks for your new lounge. Or when the office rece
The Australian tech start-up industry has the potential to contribute $109bn (or 4 per cent of GDP) and 540,000 jobs to the...
© Insurance & Risk Professional, 2021

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Redlands High School class of 1973 will hold its 40th reunion Oct. 4-6.
Reunion activities will begin the evening of Oct. 4 at Mill Creek Cattle Co. in Mentone. Pete Wilkinson and his band Matrix will provide music, and there will be dancing.
The reunion banquet will be Oct. 5 at the Redlands Country Club. There will be a photo booth and disc jockey and maybe some surprises, according to the reunion committee.
Tickets can be purchased at rhs-classof73.com, and the committee can be contacted through that website.
According to the committee, there will be no mailings. There are links to the reunion website through classmates.com and Facebook.


text:
#include "config.h"
#include "MockGrammarCheck.h"

#include "WebTextCheckingResult.h"
#include "platform/WebString.h"

#include <wtf/ASCIICType.h>
#include <wtf/Assertions.h>
#include <wtf/text/WTFString.h>

using namespace WebKit;

bool MockGrammarCheck::checkGrammarOfString(const WebString& text, Vector<WebTextCheckingResult>* results)
{
    ASSERT(results);
    WTF::String stringText(text.data(), text.length());
    if (stringText.find(isASCIIAlpha) == static_cast<size_t>(-1))
        return true;

    // Find matching grammatical errors from known ones. This function has to
    // check all errors because the given text may consist of two or more
    // sentences that have grammatical errors.
    static const struct {
        const char* text;
        int location;
        int length;
    } grammarErrors[] = {
        {"I have a issue.", 7, 1},
        {"I have an grape.", 7, 2},
        {"I have an kiwi.", 7, 2},
        {"I have an muscat.", 7, 2},
        {"You has the right.", 4, 3},
        {"apple orange zz.", 0, 16},
        {"apple zz orange.", 0, 16},
        {"apple,zz,orange.", 0, 16},
        {"orange,zz,apple.", 0, 16},
        {"the the adlj adaasj sdklj. there there", 0, 38},
        {"zz apple orange.", 0, 16},
    };
    for (size_t i = 0; i < ARRAYSIZE_UNSAFE(grammarErrors); ++i) {
        int offset = 0;
        while ((offset = stringText.find(grammarErrors[i].text, offset)) != -1) {
            results->append(WebTextCheckingResult(WebTextCheckingTypeGrammar, offset + grammarErrors[i].location, grammarErrors[i].length));
            offset += grammarErrors[i].length;
        }
    }
    return false;
}


The PlayStation Vita has been out a few weeks, and it has been a popular device amongst our writers, so we asked a few of them to let us their impressions of Sony's new handheld gaming system.
When I first received the Vita, it was confusing to say the least. The arrangement of icons on the home screen were non-conformist, by adapting a strange style of grid pattern. Opening games had a Live Area which had its own icons and menus, before loading the game itself. The Operating System has its own standards which are a little different to smartphones, such as peeling from the top right corner to close a background app or game. Once I figured it out though, I believe it is actually a very good system. Except for Near, which still confuses the hell out of me.
Beyond the operating system are the games, and boy do they pack a punch. Uncharted: Golden Abyss is by far the best way to display the full graphical prowess of the shiny handheld. Luscious visuals synonymous with Nathan Drake translate very well to the 5 inch super bright AMOLED screen. Although heavily set in a single location of the jungle, providing a repetitive setting, the details in the foliage and masonry far outweigh any that a portable has ever provided, all courtesy of the very fast processor and GPU, and the law of optimisations tells us that the visuals can only get better, when games running on the powerful Unreal engine inevitably reach stores.
The vast wealth of connectivity beats other handheld consoles very easily. PlayStation Network is heavily intertwined with Vita, providing useful updates to games quickly, and includes a huge emphasis on social networking. On the Live Area for each game, a list of accomplishments by your friends in that game is shown, alongside announcements from the developers, such as new DLC. Visiting the friends list is colourful and exciting, and messaging is fairly simple, and easy to make use of unlike the PS3 equivalent.
Overall, I love my vita. For a handheld, its power and networking capabilities are unmatched. I can't get enough of it. This is the first portable console where I find any moment I can to play with it, unlike other portables where I never have time to touch, like the 3DS. I know for a fact that as more games get released, my decision of what console to purchase a game for will include the Vita alongside my PS3 and Xbox 360.
I can honestly say I have fallen in love with my Vita, in the sort of way you do with a piece of shiny new bit of technology, although hopefully this one will last once that honeymoon wears off. The device is not without its flaws, not least the strange need to reconnect to the PlayStation Network every time you wake the device (despite it sitting with WiFi on in the background), and those silly, expensive proprietary memory cards which hark back to Sony's bad old days.
But it's the beauty of the device itself, with its twin analogue sticks, front and rear touch screens, and indeed that lovely OLED screen itself which win you over. Also the way the Vita effortlessly handles multi-tasking, as you flick between the music player, a Twitter application and your game with no hassle at all. You can jump out, switch song, and return to the race track in WipEout 2048, my favourite game so far. Its strong line-up means it's getting more attention in the weeks after launch than my 3DS did, although Near doesn't come close to the wonder and novelty of Nintendo's StreetPass functionality.
Sony's embrace of digital distribution allows the Vita to stay relevant in the smartphone era, and that's helped by the fact that, unlike Nintendo, they've been doing it with the PSP and PS3 for quite some time. Every "full price" retail game gets a digital release, with a slight discount on RRP, and there are plenty of great download-only games too, like Motorstorm RC and Super Stardust Delta. We're now entering the quiet post-launch period, but hopefully Sony will keep up the momentum better with this handheld than it did with the PSP.
Out of all of us I think I'm the only one who didn't fall in love with the Vita straight away. I was a little perplexed by the announcement of the latest Sony handheld; do gamers really need a 'high definition' experience on the go? Didn't we already try this with the PSP? Whilst the PSP introduced the concept of console gaming on the go, it was the Vita that finally got it right. Not only do we have cutting edge hardware but we also have the games to go with it. Unlike the 3DS launch which was hampered by a lack of good titles, the Vita comes out of the gates swinging with games from some of Sony latest and greatest franchises, like a new Uncharted or a WipEout game.
The hardware itself is very impressive, going above and beyond when it comes down to the niceties. There were rumours of cutting some of the more expensive components but that doesn't seem to have made a difference as there is plenty the Vita has to offer from the front and rear touch panels (although the latter seems to be a gimmick for now), to the fact that it has two analogue sticks. It almost feels like having a dual shock in your hands and definitely allows for some of the more controller-heavy genres to be able to spring themselves onto the handheld (what's a good first person shooter or action adventure without twin sticks?). What impressed me most, though, was the OLED screen. A number of titles have the graphical prowess to make use of it, but what made it shine for me was Rayman Origins. This game already looked gorgeous on the home consoles and nothing has been lost in translation as it makes its (relatively unaltered) debut on the Vita. I cannot begin to describe how amazing the visuals look on the handheld and I encourage anyone who owns a Vita to at least try out the demo to see what beautiful artwork that game has to offer. Rayman isn't the only game to look great, though, Uncharted's first handheld appearance is a breathtaking feat, matching the exciting adventure pace of the console version. Whilst it doesn't globe trot like the PS3 titles, the game has its fair share of tropical vistas and exciting action sequences which not only goes to show how great the screen is, but also illustrates the processing power of the device.
Before I get labelled as a Sony fanboy, I have to admit there are a few things that could do with some work. The Near application is a great feature for the Vita; rivalling Nintendo's StreetPass system, it connects you to the Vita community in your area, showing you who is nearby and what they are playing. Whilst it lacks the fun factor of the 3DS's social gaming it makes up for it by connecting you to PSN users around you. It could do with a few more ways to interact with other users, though. The Vita also requires its own icon for every game on the hub meaning there's no "current game" icon. You therefore have to search for the game you've currently got slotted in (if you even know). These are minor blemishes in the software and can be fixed or improved upon over time. Something that may not be addressed is Sony's pricing strategy, which sees some titles reaching the absurd price of £44.99 (such as the aforementioned Uncharted). Those looking for high definition on the go will end up finding that experience comes with a high premium. The price may be justified in some cases but that doesn't mean consumers should be happy about it, and it may cause some people to look elsewhere. What could have been Sony's answer to the growing trend of cheap, mobile gaming has become a potentially missed opportunity. Then again, the Vita's method of quality over quantity may just be the way forward as there is something for everyone in the launch lineup. Which approach will ultimately win or is there room in the market for both? Only time will tell.


Now, of course, this could simply be the effect of the unusually cold weather in the US, as was originally claimed by the US Federal Reserve. But the failure of the line to maintain a strongly positive position in the Expansion section since the end of 2011 is a worrying sign.
During this period, we have seen unprecedented stimulus efforts by policymakers, with interest rates at historic lows. Yet last week's US employment report showed employment was still 2 million people lower than at the pre-Crisis peak in November 2007. Employment has never before failed to recover over a 6-year period after a downturn, since records began in 1939.
Seasonally, we are now moving past the strongest months of the year. Easter next week will clearly slow demand in much of the West. Hopefully, there will then be some recovery in May before the holiday period and seasonally weaker H2.
It thus looks increasingly likely that Dow CEO Andrew Liveris was right to warn back in 2012 that the chemical industry cycle would peak by 2015-16.
Against this background, it becomes increasingly hard to understand why companies are still planning to bring major new capacity online from 2017 onwards. The new capacity, coinciding with an overall market downturn, could well have a disastrous impact on operating rates and profits.


text:
Southern Red Oak
Southern Red Oak (Quercus falcata)
Common Name(s): Southern Red Oak, Spanish Oak
Scientific Name: Quercus falcata
Distribution: Southeastern United States
Tree Size: 80-100 ft (25-30 m) tall, 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m) trunk diameter
Shrinkage:Radial: 4.7%, Tangential: 11.3%, Volumetric: 16.1%, T/R Ratio: 2.4
Color/Appearance: Has a light to medium reddish-brown color, though there can be a fair amount of variation in color. Conversely, White Oak tends to be slightly more olive-colored, but is by no means a reliable method of determining the type of oak.
Grain/Texture: Has medium-to-large pores and a fairly coarse grain.
Rot Resistance: Red oaks such as Southern Red Oak do not have the level of decay and rot resistance that White Oaks possess. Durability should be considered minimal.
Workability: Easy to glue, and takes stain and finishes very well.
Odor: Has a tell-tale smell that is common to most oaks. Most find it appealing.
Allergies/Toxicity: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, oak has been reported as a sensitizer. Usually most common reactions simply include eye and skin irritation, as well as asthma-like symptoms. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.
Pricing/Availability: Slightly less expensive than White Oak, Red Oak is in good/sustainable supply and is moderately priced. Thicker 8/4 planks, or quartersawn boards are slightly more expensive per board foot.
Common Uses: Cabinetry, furniture, interior trim, flooring, and veneer.
Comments: Southern Red Oak falls into the red oak group, and shares many of the same traits as Red Oak (Quercus rubra). It's considered to be somewhat inferior to Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra), and the mechanical data listed above corroborates this notion.
Black Oak (Quercus velutina)
Bog Oak
Brown Oak
Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
California Black Oak (Quercus kelloggii)
Cherrybark Oak (Quercus pagoda)
Chestnut Oak (Quercus prinus)
English Oak (Quercus robur)
Holm Oak (Quercus ilex)
Japanese Oak (Quercus mongolica)
Laurel Oak (Quercus laurifolia)
Live Oak (Quercus virginiana)
Oregon White Oak (Quercus garryana)
Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata)
Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)
Post Oak (Quercus stellata)
Red Oak (Quercus rubra)
Scarlet Oak (Quercus coccinea)
Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea)
Shumard Oak (Quercus shumardii)
Swamp Chestnut Oak (Quercus michauxii)
Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor)
Turkey Oak (Quercus cerris)
Water Oak (Quercus nigra)
White Oak (Quercus alba)
Willow Oak (Quercus phellos)
Distinguishing Red and White Oak
Southern Red Oak (sanded)
Southern Red Oak (sealed)
Southern Red Oak (endgrain)
Southern Red Oak (endgrain 10x)


I've really been thinking about this post by Corbindawg and this subsequent post by Mr. Sanchez. I've even gone back and read my glowing, kool-aid drenched post from two years ago when Mark Fox was just tuning up. In hindsight it was premature and inaccurate.
Like the bloggers who've touched on the subject before me I just don't know if Fox can turn the ship in the direction we want it to course. To qualify that, I know he can coach at this level. He can coach well enough to be a major player in this league. That much I know.
But As Mr. Sanchez said, you aren't going to win Talladega in a Honda. And the UGA men's hoops program is surrounded by really fast, well built engines just looking for a showcase. Too often the Tony Parkers find that showcase in other climes and destinations. Which unfairly or not, leaves us uninspired by the recruits we do get.
So yes, the issue is can Fox recruit. So far if we were to grade him out I would give him a solid B for coaching and a borderline C- in recruiting. Those two are hands that must complement each other well. Really well. Good recruits can bring the coaching grade up. Way up.
But maybe it's one Coach Fox can make.
Basketball is a season---- not one game. More like winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series than just "the Big One". And yes while it's true that the Chevrolet Monte Carlo has dominated the last 20 years, Kyle Bush and Tony Stewart have both won the series in ………… a Toyota Camry. At this point how far is Fox from turning the Honda into something a little more respectable than a Civic battling its way out of the SEC cellar.


text:
Home » Lexus AWD & 4WD Models
There are so many Lexus AWD and 4WD vehicles available that the easiest question to ask would be:Which Lexus vehicles do not come with this option? The answer would be the ES sedan, which comes in front-wheel drive only, and the Performance category of vehicles – the RC F, GS, and LC – which are exclusively rear-wheel drive. While most Lexus vehicles come with a choice of drivetrain, all of the Lexus hybrid crossovers come standard with AWD, and the two large SUVs, the GX and the LX, come standard with four-wheel drive.
AWD VERSUS 4WD
All-wheel drive, which is available on vehicles that are based on a car platform, offers the best of both worlds as far as traction and fuel economy, since it only engages all four wheels when its advanced technology senses the need (through wheel slippage) and therefore uses less fuel. Full-time four-wheel drive, which is used on truck-platform vehicles, powers all four wheels at the same time, all of the time. One advantage it offers over AWD is a 4-Low setting, which can be necessary while towing a heavy trailer or driving off-road or in deep snow (whereas AWD is preferable in light snow, ice, or loose sand over pavement). Let's run through all of the Lexus sedans, coupes, crossovers, and SUVs that come with standard or optional all-wheel drive or four-wheel drive.
LEXUS SEDANS WITH AWD
As mentioned above, the ES comes solely in front-wheel drive. Rear-wheel drive comes standard on the IS 300 and 350, but all-wheel drive is available on each trim level. On the GS, only rear-wheel drive is available on either trim of the 300, while the 350's two trims have a choice of RWD or AWD. The LS series – base LS 500, the LS 500h (hybrid), and the LS 500 F Sport – all come with a choice of rear-wheel or all-wheel drive.
LEXUS COUPES WITH AWD
The sporty collection of deluxe two-door Lexus models contains a mix of drivetrain availability. The RC 300 and RC 350 both give the buyer a choice of RWD versus AWD. But the high-performance RC F (467 horsepower V8), on the other hand, is strictly RWD, as are the super-premium ($92,300 starting MSRP) LC 500 and LC 500h.
LEXUS CROSSOVERS/SMALL SUVS WITH AWD
The UX, the smallest Lexus utility vehicle, makes all-wheel drive standard equipment on its higher-level 250 and 250h trims, but the UX 200 trims are only made in front-wheel drive. The larger NX offers a drivetrain choice on its base 300 and 300 F Sport trims, with AWD standard on the hybrid 300h. The RX 350, RX 350L, and RX 350 F Sport present AWD as an option to the standard FWD, but the hybrids, the 450h and 450hL, are AWD only.
LEXUS SUVS WITH FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE
The Lexus full-time 4WD system includes active traction control, with the proprietary TORSEN (torque-sensing) limited-slip center differential with electronic lock for optimally efficient power distribution between axles. The four-wheel Active Traction Control uses sensors on each wheel to detect wheel slippage and immediately apply braking to that wheel as it shifts power to the wheels with the best traction. All levels of the GX 460 (base, Premium, and Luxury) come standard with full-time four-wheel drive. The LX 570 Two-Row and Three-Row also both come only with full-time 4WD.


text:
Q: Delete in circular doubly linked list connected with head I have two circular doubly linked list connected with head and integer elements (unordered). wanted to delete in first list contains the values in the second list. How work pointer ?  how to make this exclusion? Need to search values in the first list to delete the second list? how can I work with them? Could explain the operation of the algorithm to solve it?
Exemple:
I have two circular doubly linked lists with head.
L1: 40 100 90 20 10 32 66
L2: 60 10 46 30 80 90
I want to delete in the first list the values that are in the second. The first list will then be:
L1: 40 100 20 32 66
I would like to know how to work with the pointer of the lists in order to make this exclusion. I wanted a notion in pseudocode. I have create to code in C but I do not understand the algorithm. I need to understand how to do before.

A: Start by writing the pseudocode of the algorithm, then implement actual functions, which can be tested independently.
General pseudocode would be something like:
for each node in list1
{
    if (list2 contains node)
    {
       remove node from list1
    }
}

Presuming your lists and nodes are defined something like:
struct Node
{
    struct Node *next;
    struct Node *prev;
    int number;
}

struct List
{
    struct Node *head;
}

// these should be instantiated somewhere
struct List* list1;
struct List* list2;

So, the skeleton of the function would be something like:
struct Node* node = list1->head;

while (node != null)
{
    // prepare the next node early
    struct Node* next = node->next;

    // check if list2 contains a matching node
    if (match(list2, node->number))
    {
        // remove the node properly,
        // updating whatever you need to update
        remove(list1, node);
    }

    // if it's circular, check if this
    // is the last node
    if (next == list1->head)
        break;

    node = next;
}

So, now you are only left with implementing two functions:
// returns true if any node in list contains the specified number
bool match(struct List* list, int number);

// removes the node from the list
void remove(struct List* list, struct Node* node);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The Aspen Music Festival and School was originally founded in 1949 by Chicago businessman Walter Paepcke and Elizabeth Paepcke as a two-week bicentennial celebration of the 18th-century German writer Johann Wolgang von Goethe. The event, which included both intellectual forums and musical performances, was such a success that it led to the formation of both the Aspen Institute and the Aspen Music Festival and School.
In the summers that followed, the participating musicians returned, bringing their music students, and the foundation was set for the AMFS as it is known today. In 1951, the School enrolled its first official class, with 183 music students. That same year, Igor Stravinsky became the first conductor to present his own works with the Festival.
Early founding musicians included baritone Mac Harrell (father of cellist Lynn Harrell) and violinist Roman Totenberg (father of NPR legal correspondent Nina Totenberg). Early performance highlights include then-student James Levine conducting the Benjamin Britten opera Albert Herring in 1964, coinciding with Britten's visit to Aspen that summer to accept an award from the Aspen Institute. In 1965, Duke Ellington and his orchestra came to the AMFS to perform a benefit concert. In 1971, Dorothy DeLay joined the AMFS strings artist-faculty and attracted more than 200 students a summer to her program. In 1975, Aaron Copland came to Aspen as a composer-in-residence on the occasion of his 75th birthday. In 1980, John Denver performed with the Aspen Festival Orchestra for his TV special Music and the Mountains, which aired the following year on ABC. Multiple artist-faculty members have also recorded albums while in Aspen, including the Emerson String Quartet, which recorded the Shostakovich: The String Quartets 5-disc set from AMFS venue Harris Concert Hall and won the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Classical Album.
The Aspen Music Festival and School offers musicians a choice programs of study: Orchestra, Brass Quintet Studies, the Finckel-Wu Han Chamber Music Studio, Solo Piano, Collaborative Piano, Opera Coaching, the Aspen Opera Center, the Aspen Conducting Academy, the Seraphic Fire Professional Choral Institute, the Susan and Ford Schumann Center for Composition Studies, the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, the Center for Advanced Quartet Studies, and Classical Guitar.
The Benedict Music Tent, which opened in 2000, is the Festival's primary concert venue and seats 2050. The tent replaced an earlier tent designed by Herbert Bayer, which in 1965 replaced the original smaller tent designed by Eero Saarinen. Concerts are held in the Benedict Music Tent on a nearly daily basis during the summer, and seating on the lawn just outside the Tent, where many choose to picnic during events, is always free. The design has open sides; the curving roof is made of Teflon-coated fiberglass, a hard material also used by the Denver International Airport.
The 500-seat Joan and Irving Harris Concert Hall is located next door to the Benedict Music Tent, and was opened in 1993 at a cost of $7 million. The Wheeler Opera House—a Victorian-era venue owned by the City of Aspen—is the home to Aspen Opera Center productions in the summer and the AMFS's The Met: Live in HD screenings in the winter.
In 2016, the AMFS completed its $75 million, 105,000-square-foot Matthew and Carolyn Bucksbaum Campus, which serves as the center of its teaching activities. The Campus, located two miles from downtown Aspen, sits on a 38-acre site that is shared between the AMFS in the summer and Aspen Country Day School during the academic year. Designed by architect Harry Teague, who also designed the AMFS's Harris Concert Hall and the Benedict Music Tent, the Bucksbaum Campus includes three expansive rehearsal halls, numerous teaching studios and practice rooms, a percussion building, administrative offices, and a glass-enclosed cafeteria. The Campus was designed with Aspen's natural setting in mind: the buildings' roof lines mirror the shapes of the surrounding mountains and hug the contours of the ponds and creek.


oh man, this stuff is good!!!
you WILL. NOT. be disappointed in making this recipe!!
and if you are, send it to me. i'll eat it!
see the teeny glimpse of my diet mountain dew can in the top right??
hmmm....southern style salsa paired with tortilla chip strips and dt mtn dew may or may not have been my meal that night.
and my late night snack.
and my mid morning snack the following day.
i might or might not have raved about it to my father and mother in-law and then made it for them when we were in florida for spring break.
um, it was more like 3.
We call this Texas Caviar. :) I like it without bell peppers.


text:
Lottie Pickford
(1893-06-09)June 9, 1893
December 9, 1936(1936-12-09) (aged 43)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
Lottie Pickford Forrest
Alfred Rupp
Allan Forrest
Russel O. Gillard
John William Lock (m. 1933)
Charlotte Hennessy
John Charles Smith
Mary Pickford (sister)
Jack Pickford (brother)
Lottie Pickford (born Charlotte Smith; June 9, 1893 – December 9, 1936) was a Canadian-born silent film actress and socialite. She was the younger sister of fellow actress Mary Pickford and elder sister of actor Jack Pickford.
One of her best known roles was in The Diamond from the Sky directed by William Desmond Taylor in 1915. Pickford's career is often overshadowed by that of her siblings and though she was a notable figure in the 1920s, her films and role in the Pickford acting family are now largely forgotten.
1 Early years
2 Film career
3.1 Marriages
Early years[edit]
She was born to John Charles Smith and Charlotte Hennessy. Pickford was named for her mother.[1] She was the middle child, born a year and two months after her sister Gladys Smith and three years before her brother John Charles Smith, called Jack. She quickly became her father's favorite, much to her sister's annoyance.[2] After mistakenly believing she was a boy when first born, her father lovingly gave her the boyish nickname, 'Chuckie'.[2]
Pickford's father left the family while she was young, and her sister Gladys took on responsibilities. Lottie and Jack became extremely close, banding together against Gladys, whom they saw as strict.[3] Lottie idolized her brother Jack, and they remained close throughout their lifetimes.[4] Despite her tense relationship with her sister, Lottie was protective of her, and once jumped on D.W. Griffith to defend her sister during a heated argument with the director.[5]
In need of extra income, the family began to act. On January 8, 1900, Gladys and Lottie appeared in The Silver King. Lottie was either offered a lesser sum than her sister or was part of a packaged deal.[6] The family eventually moved to New York City where they all acted in various productions, sometimes together, sometimes not. At one point Lottie and Gladys had to travel on their own for one production.[4]
Of the family, Gladys was the breakout star. Her family members were usually attached to her as a contractual stipulation.[4][7] After she started in films, Gladys took the name Mary Pickford. Lottie and Jack also took on the surname Pickford in their acting careers. Mary was influential in getting her siblings on the payroll after she started acting in films.[8]
Film career[edit]
In 1907, Mary adopted the stage name 'Mary Pickford'. The rest of the family adopted the Pickford name by the time they began appearing in films. Mary signed with D.W. Griffith's Biograph Company in 1909 and also secured work for her siblings.
The House of Bondage (1914) poster
Lottie Pickford, Witzel Studios, L.A. (1909-1929)[9][10][11][12]
Lottie Pickford, Witzel Studios, L.A. (signed: "Sincerely Lottie Pickford")[13][14]
Typed Letter Signed 06/18/1915[15]
Lottie Pickford, Green Book Magazine, August 1916[16]
Lottie Pickford, Witzel Studios, L.A. (signed: "Sincerely Lottie Pickford")[17][18][19]
Mary Miles Minter's grandmother, Mary Miles Minter, Lottie Pickford, and Alan Forrest
Lottie Pickford PD films
Between 1909 and 1910, Mary made eighty shorts, Jack made twenty-eight, and Lottie made twenty-five.[20] Of the three Pickfords, Lottie's talents were considered the weakest.[citation needed] Actress Linda Arvidson said Mary had claimed her sister was not pretty enough for films, and had done her best to keep her away from Biograph.[20] When the Biograph Company departed for California, Lottie Pickford and her mother were left behind. She would eventually join her sister in California.[21]
Away from her elder sister, Pickford's first starring role came in 1914 in The House of Bondage. It was a vice film, with Pickford playing a prostitute, in stark contrast to her sister's image as "America's Sweetheart". The film did not receive good reviews, being considered too crude.[22] In 1915, Pickford appeared in Fanchon, the Cricket, opposite both her siblings. It is the only film in which all three Pickford siblings appear. It was thought lost until rediscovered in the 20th century at the British Film Institute.[23]
Pickford starred in The Diamond from the Sky serial (1915) although, to her humiliation, she was only given the role after Mary turned it down. A Photoplay article from around the time of the release declared her "Pickford The Second!" and compared her to her sister, albeit as a worthy sequel.[22] The serial was jeopardized when she became pregnant. This incident put her on the unofficial Hollywood blacklist for a short time.[24] Pickford performed in only five roles between 1915 and 1918, when she took a break from acting.
After divorcing her first husband, Pickford next starred in 1921's They Shall Pay which co-starred Allan Forrest, her future husband. Pickford again took several years' time off from acting before returning in a minor role in the 1924 film Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall.[25] Her final role was opposite her brother-in-law Douglas Fairbanks Sr. in Don Q Son of Zorro in 1925. During her career, Pickford starred in eight features, while her brother starred in over forty features.[26]
Personal life[edit]
Pickford was a socialite and partying was her first love. She and her brother Jack both struggled with alcoholism. Her parties were legendary and lasted until morning with plentiful drugs and alcohol and nudity. Pickford's maid recalled that when they heard Mary's car pulling in, Pickford and her friends would "Jump into their knickers!"[24] Despite her reputation as a party girl, Pickford was considered to be down to earth, friendly, sweet, and unpretentious.[27]
Marriages[edit]
Fairbanks, Mary Pickford Rupp (daughter of Lottie Pickford) and Mary Pickford. December 1921 Photoplay, Page 80.
On an unknown date in 1915, before the release of The Diamond from the Sky, Pickford quietly married New York broker Alfred Rupp. The couple had a daughter in 1915, Mary Pickford Rupp (1915-1984), who would be later renamed Gwynne Rupp.[24] The couple separated in 1919 and divorced the following year.[28] For unknown reasons, Pickford allowed her mother Charlotte to legally adopt her daughter, who was renamed Gwynne in 1920. Pickford did not comment to the press on the matter, other than to say she would never marry again.[27] Gwynne lived with her grandmother until Charlotte, Sr.'s death in 1928. At that time, Gwynne's aunt Mary Pickford took custody of her. This arrangement lasted until Gwynne married radio announcer Hugh "Bud" Ernst in June 1939.[29]
Lottie Pickford did marry again, to actor Allan Forrest in January 1922.[30] She obtained a divorce from Forrest in Paris in 1927.[31] On July 22, 1929, she married Russel O. Gillard, an undertaker from Los Angeles.[32] They divorced in February 1933 on charges of "extreme cruelty" by her husband.[33][34] Later that year, Pickford married a Pittsburgh society man named John William Lock. They remained married until her early death in 1936.[35]
Death[edit]
On December 6, 1936, Pickford suffered a heart attack at the age of 43. She was said to have been in failing health for three years, related to alcohol abuse. She died at her home in Beverly Hills.[35] Her funeral was held on December 13 at Wee Kirk o' the Heather Church in Glendale, California.[36] She is buried in the Pickford family plot in Forest Lawn Cemetery.[37]
Filmography[edit]
1909 Two Memories Short film
1909 The Faded Lilies Short film
1909 The Necklace Short film
1909 The Cardinal's Conspiracy The Princess' Servant (unconfirmed) Short film
1909 Tender Hearts Nellie's Friend Short film
1909 The Slave A Dancer Short film
1909 A Strange Meeting At Party Short film
1909 The Better Way Puritan Short film
1909 The Indian Runner's Romance Indian (unconfirmed) Short film
1909 The Little Darling Short film
1909 The Hessian Renegades Short film
1909 Getting Even Short film
1909 The Broken Locket Short film
1909 His Lost Love Short film
1909 What's Your Hurry? Short film
1909 The Light That Came Short film
1909 In the Window Recess Short film
1909 Through the Breakers At the Ball Short film
1909 The Red Man's View Minnewanna Short film
1909 The Test A Maid (unconfirmed) Short film
1909 To Save Her Soul Short film
1910 The Woman from Mellon's Young Woman (unconfirmed) Short film
1910 The Newlyweds Short film
1910 The Smoker Short film
1910 The Tenderfoot's Triumph Short film
1910 A Knot in the Plot Short film
1910 A Victim of Jealousy Short film
1910 Serious Sixteen Short film
1910 The Call to Arms Short film
1910 Unexpected Help Short film
1910 The Affair of an Egg Short film
1910 A Summer Idyll Short film
1910 The Oath and the Man Short film
1910 Examination Day at School Short film
1910 A Gold Necklace Nellie Short film
1910 The Broken Doll Townswoman Short film
1910 Two Little Waifs Short film
1910 Simple Charity In hallway Short film
1910 A Plain Song Storemate Short film
1910 A Child's Stratagem Short film
1910 Happy Jack, a Hero A hero Short film
1910 The Golden Supper Flower girl Short film
1910 His Sister-In-Law Eva Short film
1910 White Roses At party Short film
1911 The Two Paths At party Short film
1911 The Italian Barber At ball Short film
1911 The Midnight Marauder Mrs. Henry Blowhard Short film
1911 Help Wanted In Corridor Short film
1911 His Trust Woman at farewell Short film
1911 The Dream Short film
Uncredited
1911 Fate's Turning Short film
1911 A Wreath of Orange Blossoms Short film
1911 Three Sisters At Dancing Academy Short film
1911 Sweet Memories Young Lettie Terrell Short film
1911 The Lighthouse Keeper Wedding Guest Short film
1911 The Toss of a Coin Short film
1911 Who's Who Georgia Short film
1911 The Courting of Mary Short film
1911 Love at Gloucester Port Alice Newall Short film
1911 Little Red Riding Hood Short film
1912 Love Finds the Way Margaret Durand - Jack's Sweetheart Short film
1912 The Belle of New Orleans Short film
1912 A Mardi Gras Mix-Up Paul's wife Short film
1912 The Pilgrimage Gretchen Short film
1912 A Beast at Bay Unconfirmed role Short film
1912 Into the Jungle Mary Short film
1912 The Girl Strikers Short film
1912 Lena and the Geese Short film
1912 Love's Diary Kate Morgan - the Stenographer Short film
1912 A Child's Remorse Short film
1913 When a Girl Loves Betty Short film
1913 For Old Time's Sake Short film
1913 Granny Short film
1914 The House of Bondage Mary Denbigh
1915 The Diamond from the Sky Esther Stanley, the Gypsy Heroine Lost film
1915 Fanchon, the Cricket Madelon
1915 Curly Short film
1916 The Reward of Patience Edith Penfield
1917 On the Level Eleanore Duke
1918 Mile-a-Minute Kendall Rosalynde d'Aubre
1918 The Man from Funeral Range Dixie
1921 They Shall Pay Margaret Seldon
1924 Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall Jennie Faxton Credited as Lottie Pickford Forrest
1925 Don Q, Son of Zorro Lola Credited as Lottie Pickford Forrest
Footnotes[edit]
^ (Whitfield 1997, p. 8)
^ a b (Whitfield 1997, p. 14)
^ (Whitfield 1997, p. 18)
^ a b c (Whitfield 1997, p. 42)
^ (Whitfield 1997, pp. 95–96)
^ "Lottie Pickford". Calisphere. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
^ "Witzel Studios". National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
^ PulpLibrarian. "Let's look back at the pioneering work of Albert Witzel, photographer to the Hollywood stars of the silent age". threadreaderapp.com. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
^ David S. Shields (1 November 2009). "Albert Witzel". Historical Ziegfeld Group. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
^ "Lottie Pickford - Photograph Signed". HistoryForSale. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
^ Bowers, Q. David (25 August 1989). "Souvenir Postcards and the Development of the Star System, 1912-1914". Film History. 3 (1): 39–45. JSTOR 3815078.
^ "Typed Letter Signed 06/18/1915". HistoryForSale. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
^ "Lottie Pickford (White, N.Y.) Green Book Magazine, August 1916". Historical Ziegfeld Group. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
^ "Autographed Photograph Signed by Lottie Pickford, Witzel photo". Worthpoint. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
^ "The American Stationer". Howard Lockwood. 1917. Retrieved 25 August 2018 – via Google Books. Volume 81 - Page 32
^ "American Stationer and Office Manager". Howard Lockwood. 1917. Retrieved 25 August 2018 – via Google Books.
^ (Whitfield 1997, p. 110)
^ a b (Whitfield 1997, p. 171)
^ Cade, Mary Ann. "The Lost Film Files". silentsaregolden.com. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
^ a b c (Whitfield 1997, p. 172)
^ "Niece of Mary Pickford Weds Radio Announcer". Ottawa Citizen. June 1, 1939. p. 23. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
^ "Lottie Pickford To Wed For Second Time Tonight". The Baltimore Sun. January 7, 1922. p. 2.
^ "Lottie Pickford Divorced". Reading Eagle. February 16, 1928. p. 4. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
^ "Lottie Pickford on Third Honeymoon". Berkeley Daily Gazette. July 24, 1929. p. 7. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
^ "Lottie Pickford Obtains Divorce". The New York Times. February 17, 1933.
^ "Mary's Sister Is Given Divorce". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 17 February 1933. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
^ a b "Lottie Pickford Dies After Lengthy Illness". The Evening Independent. December 10, 1936. p. 1. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
^ "ASSOCIATES AT RITES FOR LOTTIE PICKFORD; More Than 150 Friends Gather at Wee Kirk o' the Heather for Funeral in Hollywood". The New York Times. December 13, 1936.
^ (Whitfield 1997, pp. 305–307)
Whitfield, Eileen. (1997). Pickford, The Woman Who Made Hollywood. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-813-12045-4
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lottie Pickford.
Lottie Pickford on IMDb
Lottie Pickford at the Internet Broadway Database
Lottie Pickford at Find a Grave
Family Photos - The Mary Pickford Foundation
SNAC: w6w52gwt
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lottie_Pickford&oldid=928133192"
Actresses from Toronto
Canadian film actresses
Canadian silent film actresses
Canadian people of English descent
Canadian people of Irish descent
Canadian expatriate actresses in the United States
Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)
20th-century Canadian actresses
CS1: Julian–Gregorian uncertainty
Articles with unsourced statements from August 2018
Internet Broadway Database person ID same as Wikidata
Articles with IBDb links


Cite this article as: Marcus LS, Carlin N, Carlin R. Onychomycosis of Fingernails Treated with Genesisplus Laser. J Dermatol Plast Surg. 2016; 1(1): 1001.
The advances in laser technology have led to many new devices and uses. Lasers have been used to treat onychomycosis, but this technology is in its infancy. Laser therapy for the temporary cosmetic improvement of onychomycosis of toenails received FDA approval in 2010. We report a patient treating onychomycosis of the fingernails using the Genesis Plus laser. The advantages are the simplicity of the procedure, no concern for systemic (drug) reactions or contraindications, and the efficacy of the procedure. The disadvantages include cost, the necessity for individualization of settings with clinical analysis of nail involvement and thickness, and slight warmth or heat during the procedure. We feel this modality provides a great service to dermatologic patients, especially those with co-morbidities, and dermatologists should be aware of this use.
Laser therapy for the treatment of onychomycosis of the toenails received FDA approval in 2010; however, this technology is still in its infancy. As the population ages, patients require novel treatment approaches to common, annoying, disfiguring entities that are also potential sources of pain due to secondary infections due to trauma and normal daily activities. Fingernail onychomycosis is such a situation. Whether warranted or not, many patients and referring physicians are hesitant to use oral therapies citing drug interactions, metabolism problems, and lack of desire to add another oral medication to a long list of medicaments that are already taken.
We report a patient with onychomycosis of the fingernails who was treated using the Genesis PlusLaser. This is the first time fingernail onychomycosis therapy with lasers has been addressed. Fingernail onychomycosis is visible and distressing for patients of all ages and should not be overlooked, especially in males where cosmesis could be a problem. The advantages of laser treatments are the simplicity of the procedure, no concern for systemic (drug) reactions or contraindications, and the efficacy of the procedure. The disadvantages include cost, the necessity for individualization of settings with clinical analysis of nail involvement and thickness, and slight warmth or heat during the procedure. We feel this modality provides a great service to patients, especially those with co-morbidities.
This is an 80-year old man who was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis in 2006 and diabetes mellitus in 2010. He takes mestignon, prednisone, prilosac, lasix, novolox, Klor, multivitamins, and warfarin. He has no known allergies. His prior skin history includes eczematous dermatitis, spindle cell tumor, basal cell carcinoma, actinic keratoses, and seborrheic keratoses. He noticed his nails changing in June 2011. On physical exam, there was dystrophy and thinning of the nail plate of the right third and fourth fingernails and the left third fingernail (Figure 1). Fungal cultures were negative and unreliable; therefore, a nail biopsy including PAS stain confirmed the presence of a dermatophyte (Figure 2). The benefits and side effects of current therapies, both topical and oral, were discussed with the patient. It was noted that oral anti-fungal medications are metabolized in the liver and have possibility of side effects and drug interactions. This patient did not want the risk of oral therapy; therefore, laser therapy was an excellent option with little to no side effects. The laser was set at fluence 16J/ cm2, pulse duration 0.2m sec and repetition rate 3.0 Hz. Each fingernail received 200 pulses, the thumb received 100 pulses, and the fifth fingernail received 50 pulses. Excellent clinical results were noted after 4 weeks (Figure 3). The patient remains in remission to date (24 months).
Dermatophyte identified with PAS stain 60 x resolution.
Onychomycosis is difficult to treat. Topical therapies such as ciclopirox 8%, amoroifine, clotrimazole, and tioconazole have been inadequate and oral medications including terbinafine, itraconazole, and griseofulvin carry a concern about side effects including hepatotoxicity, diarrhea, and rash and cure rates that are less than 100% . Mechanical debridement can be painful and laborious, and is not adequate if the underlying dermatophytes are not eliminated.
Qiao et al. , treated superficial mycosis with photodynamic therapy. Photodynamic therapy requires the application to the area of a topical photosensitizer, usually 20% levulinic acid, a short-term incubation period, and exposure to a light activating source such as intense pulse light or blue or red light making this a cumbersome therapy . Most of the work and data involving laser and light therapies for onychomycosis appears in the podiatric literature. Heat destroys dermatophytes. Laser energy has been shown to eliminate dermatophytes in vitro. The FDA approved the PinPointe Footlaser, Cutera Genesis Pulse, Q Clear, and Cool Touch7 for the treatment of onychomycosis (Table 1).
Comparison of these studies is difficult since all investigators used their own different criteria for evaluation. Clinical response seems the most useful in evaluation as cultures can be unreliable.
We used a Genesis Plus laser that has been used for clearance of toenail onychomycosis on the fingernails with good results. It is a simple repetitive treatment. Nails should be clean. If the nail is thicker greater than 2 mm, the nail may be debrided. Topical anesthetics and/or blocks are not recommended as the anesthesia interferes with patient feedback. As with all laser treatments, protective eyewear, goggles, must be worn by all persons in the room. The number of treatments vary with each patient and must be individualized depending upon severity of the disease, although this patient responded excellently with one treatment. Fingernails are thinner than toenails, therefore, the number of treatments may be less and responses better .
Table 1: Other lasers have been used with the following results.
Other lasers have been used with the following results.
Laser therapy is an excellent modality for treating onychomycosis  of both fingernails and toenails. It eliminates the potential for drug interactions and side effects that plague older patients. The Genesis Plus gives minimal discomfort and is simple to use. A major problem is cost. The number of treatments must be tailored to each individual patient due to the consideration of the thickness of the nails involved, lifting, and response rate. Although more studies are needed to truly asses recurrence rate, it seems clear this is an efficacious treatment that should be considered as part of the armamentarium for patients who find this infection disturbing, especially with the cosmesis of fingernail involvement .
We thank Kenneth Martorelli, Qualas Engineering, for his help with the technical aspect of this procedure.
Cohen PR, Scher RK. Topical and surgical treatment of onychomycosis. J Am Acad. Dermatol. 1994; 31: 74-75.
Quio J, Li R, Ding Y, Fang H. Photodynamic therapy in the treatment of superficial mycoses: an evidence-based evaluation. Mycopathologia. 2010; 170: 339-343.
Manevitch Z, Lev D, Hochberg M, Patlhan M, Lewis A, Erick CD. Direct antifungal effect of femtosecond laser on trichophyton rubrum onychomycosis. Photochem Photobiol. 2010; 86: 476-479.
Hochman LG. Laser treatment of onychomycosis using a novel 0.65-millisecond pulsed Nd:YAG 1064-nm laser. J Cosmet Laser Ther. 2011; 13: 2-5.
Gozarev J, Vigintin Z. Nd: YAG laser with temperature control treats onychomycosis effectively. J Laser & Health Academy. 2010; 1: 1-8.
Gupta AK. Device-based therapies for onychomycosis. Skin Therapy Letter. 2012; 17.
Cole, Gary. Treating Oncychomycosis with Laser Light. 2016.
Scher, Richard. Personal communication. 2016.


Christmas Eve Monday 24th December (1pm–4pm). Closed over the Christmas period and will re-open on Wednesday 2nd January 2019.
Wednesday 26th/Friday 28th December 2018 – Closed.
Monday 24th and Friday 28th December 2018 – OPEN 10am–12noon.
Wednesday 26th and Monday 31st December 2018 - Closed.


text:
What Are You Reading? Third Quarter, 2022
By Fragile Bird,
July 5, 2022 in Literature
Onomastic expert
Location:Omaha, Nebraska
13 hours ago, VigoTheCarpathian said:
Just started "Wonderland" by Dickman, and "The Tyrant Baru Cormorant" by Dickinson. The latter is the final book in a trilogy, the second book (read last year) took some interesting turns that I wasn't really enthused with, so I didn't go directly into this book - but I probably should have. I forgot the depth of the world and how well-done the perspectives are, I got sucked into it this afternoon and can't wait to devote more time to it this weekend.
Evidently this is not the final book -- The publisher's site says what they've presented so far are "the first three books" in the series, and Goodreads has an untitled fourth book listed on its page about "The Masquerade" series.
https://us.macmillan.com/author/sethdickinson
And actually just found this from 2018 where the author says he did originally envision a trilogy but "Three books weren't enough for Baru's ambitions":
https://www.tor.com/2018/05/01/baru-cormorant-fourth-novel-seth-dickinson-the-masquerade/
VigoTheCarpathian
Embittered loner, sober fool
Location:Or-y-gun
2 hours ago, Ormond said:
Thanks! This is going to keep me from a baffled "wait, why didn't x get wrapped up?" summation when I finish - glad to avoid that type of disappointment. Will keep a lookout for a release date.
Location:Scottsdale, AZ
This week is listened to Katherine Addison's (Sarah Monette's) The Witness for the Dead, her follow up to The Goblin Emperor. I enjoyed it, although the names of all the characters really blurred together for me. Also, the several different mysteries that the protagonist is called upon to solve wound around each other in a somewhat disassociated manner, although I think that this is an artifact of listening to, rather than actually reading, the story. The author gets the various strands together and finishes everything off nicely in the end, but at one point I wondered if maybe I had set my iPod on "shuffle", given the variations in the topics of each subsequent chapter.
The further the story went, the more it seemed to me to be a story set in The Khaaveran Romances by Steven Brust. It is equally well written, and the formality of the language between the characters also lends itself to such an impression. You could also call it a sort of supernatural or spiritual Sherlock Holmes set in the land of elves, too, as the setting is a sort of elven late-Victorian age analog. And apparently she has written exactly that sort of book, too, called The Angel of the Crows, which I now need to find.
Starkess
so totally yay
Location:Pasadena, CA
I started listening to A Darker Shade of Magic. Had heard good things about it but was under the impression Schwab wrote vampire/urban fantasy which isn't my cup of tea. When I realized this was historical magic fantasy, decided to give it a shot. So far it's okay but I have a personal pet peeve about petty thieves. Like I can get into a heist novel and cheer for characters who are thieves, but something about the unrepentant predatoriness of stealing shit from everyday people just because you can really grinds my gears. (Worse, this character is multiple times given the opportunity for paid legit work but refuses because she wants adventure, and the justification for her thievery is to save up so she can become...a pirate, aka more of a thief.) So yeah her entire character is driving me insane, but so far not enough to give up on the book.
ljkeane
I finished The Relentless Moon by Mary Robinette Kowal. I'd say I liked it overall but I have the same issues with it that I had with the previous book in the series. Basically the women astronauts in the early space programme stuff is good but
the Earth First supporters are supposed to be the sort of luddite bad guys but they're right. Colonising Mars as a plan to save humanity from a climate catastrophe on Earth is a terrible plan. What was the Earth's population 2 or 3 billion people when the book's set? Transporting even 10% of them to Mars with sufficient resources to support them seems fantastically unlikely.
Peadar
TheLastWolf
His Existence
Location:Madras
Another addition to stuff I regret missing in childhood
Zorral
Office of Historical Corrections
12 hours ago, TheLastWolf said:
What are you thinking of it?
This was one of the first books considered a 'real book' that was read aloud to me when growing up. I must have been 6? It was very ... strange, shall we say ... to a farm kid on some of the flattest land on the globe, who had never seen a mountain. Nor did we raise goats. But we did have barns and hay! And school. And we really, really, REALLY had winter. All of life was getting ready for winter, then living through winter, to get ready for the next winter.
Edited August 8, 2022 by Zorral
TormundsWoman
Blindness by Jose Saramago. I think his books in general are a bit of an acquired taste due to his style of writing with no punctuation marks bar commas, extremely sentences and difficulty in reading dialog. That's made more difficult until you get the hang of it because the characters have no names, and are identified by an attribute (girl with dark glasses, taxi driver, doctor's wife etc).
Regardless of style the subject is just as interesting as his previous books I've read from him. There's an outbreak of blindness somewhere in the world in a city landscape. It is an unusual blindness because it comes suddenly with no lesions or physical damage to the eye whatsoever, it is contagious, and people see a milky "resplendent white" instead of pitch black and is an endemic.
As his "Death with Interruptions", so far it analyzes the processes and steps the society makes to contain it (through quarantine) and generally shows how humans in general become complete animals (and that's insulting the animals) willing to sacrifice everything and everyone in order to survive and not get infected even when we are basically all in the same boat. So far (1/3 through the book), there ARE examples of humanity peaking through in a couple of characters, but generally pretty on par with how as a race I think we behave when push comes to shove in times of crisis. At least until we wake up to the reality of all being affected I mean. Unless we never wake up…
Not sure why I picked it up. I hate these type of stories nowadays, but he makes it impossible not to read it because his books are fascinating.
Everybody dance now!
Location:The gravitas of frolic and detour.
2 hours ago, Zorral said:
I never did get around to reading Heidi, too busy reading all the Black Stallion books, Bambi, Black Beauty, and lots of other animal books. A girl in the mountains chasing goats? nah.
Edited August 9, 2022 by LongRider
8 minutes ago, LongRider said:
too busy reading all the Black Stallion books, Bambi, Black Beauty, and lots of other animal books
I read all those too -- and Black Beauty, like Heidi was read to me as well at that time. The others, I read on my own. Totally about animal books. Besides, nobody yet convinced me I wasn't growing up to be a horse.
(though maybe, sometimes, in some places, in some ways, maybe I did grow up to be a horse's ass . . . .)
HoodedCrow
@zorral. A first nations person did my totem animals. She explained that the horse was my power animal and it was intelligence:)
Fragile Bird, Zorral and LongRider
I couldn't wait to be grownup as a kid. Now I'd give anything to be in Neverland.
williamjm
Location:Cambridge, UK
On 8/6/2022 at 1:32 AM, Wilbur said:
You could also call it a sort of supernatural or spiritual Sherlock Holmes set in the land of elves, too, as the setting is a sort of elven late-Victorian age analog. And apparently she has written exactly that sort of book, too, called The Angel of the Crows, which I now need to find.
I read it a few months and I don't think I was expecting quite how Holmesian it was going to be, to the extent of featuring many of the iconic Holmes cases and supporting cast.
I finished A Darker Shade of Magic and didn't much care for it. Won't be continuing on with the series.
Now I'm listening to Arcadia by Iain Pears, a random library find. It's like a time-traveling Narnia-esque Stranger Than Fiction and so far I am immensely enjoying it.
A wilding
A Stranger Here Myself
9 hours ago, Starkess said:
I had somehow missed that he had written another book. They are always worth a try, I have added it to my list.
dog-days
Location:City of Copper
The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman. I liked it better than the original cosy crime novel The Thursday Murder Club featuring pensioners at a retirement village as the leads, though both books were readable and gently humorous. The characters seemed to have settled into themselves a little more; although they're still very much 'types', they aren't drawn overly-crudely, and the writing has a kind of sensitive, affectionate eye that made me care about them. Of the regulars, Ibrahim in particular was more developed this time around. Middle-of-the-road, but in a very likeable sort of way.
A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine. Again, I preferred this to the first novel, putting me in a minority of responses. I remember finding the voice of Mahit in that rather too close to that of an informal-and-slightly-neurotic 21st century blogger. That seemed toned down this time. On the other hand, an ongoing problem I've had with A Memory Called Empire and A Desolation Called Peace is that a lot of the characters don't seem sufficiently differentiated in voice or personality. So many of them are intelligent, highly functional, rather dispassionate political addicts. There doesn't seem to be anyone with ADHD or autistic characteristics, just as an example. No one plays trombone really badly in the space-faring equivalent of a brass band during their spare time.
That might be a feature of the setting. I can't recall the original's world-building now, but it seems quite possible that both the Teixcalaanli Empire and Lsel Station filter their populations heavily either through genetic manipulation or the education system so that only a certain kind of person - rational, ambitious, both social and socially manipulative - makes it into the political and military spheres through which Mahit travels.
I continue to enjoy stationer Mahit's conflict about her relationship to the Empire, heightened through her imago Yskandr's own dose of autocratophilia. Particularly well-done was her surprise in finding out (more, seeing confirmed in reality) that her own home Lsel Station has a culture, and is capable even of creating cultural works that her Teixcalaanli almost-girlfriend can appreciate.
Martine has said that there will be more Teixcalaan though not direct sequels; I really hope this will include perspectives of people who aren't high-ranking Teixcalaan or engaged in a life-long love affair with the culture.
The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison. I did enjoy this, though can't currently remember much about it. The plot around the dead girls was a powerful one, and skilfully interwoven with Celehar's day-to-day life as Witness for the Dead. The setting and denouement of
the tomb under the Hill of Werewolves
felt as if they should have felt more atmospheric/haunting than the writing allowed them to be. I know Addison excels in being matter-of-fact, but I think she could have afforded to run the risk of purple prose there and draw things out a touch. But that's not a serious complaint. The change in Celehar's status and
promised new job
make me interested to see in what direction the next book goes. I don't want the series to leave is roots completely and go into being high politics all the time, but it would be great if Celehar could be called back to investigate something for Maia at some point.
The Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham. Yeah, this made me happy this week. As others have said, the magic system in the books has got to be one of the best in modern fantasy. The andat are terrifying. In terms of polish, Abraham's definitely come on since writing this series. The characterisation in the Dagger and Coin felt in several cases (Geder, Cithrin, Dawson and Annalise Kalliam) advanced on pretty much anything here; while Age of Ash benefited from having a smaller cast with more focus on each PoV.
Some of the plotting is kind of questionable and depends on coincidence, and I wonder if after finishing, Abraham decided he never wanted to write another love triangle again, because there are three on offer here.
But I didn't care. If someone said, 'I want an intelligent adventure story with sympathetic characters that will keep me glued to the pages from beginning to end' I'd put Book 1 of the Long Price Quartet in their hands, make sure they had a comfy chair, then leave them to it.
Edited August 14, 2022 by dog-days
Winterfella, LongRider and Larry of the Lake
6 minutes ago, dog-days said:
Abraham decided he never wanted to write another love triangle again, because there are three on offer here.
This comment reminds me of the opposite feeling I had when reading Abercrombie's trilogies: I felt he has gone from 0 in The First Law to 60 in Age of Madness on love triangles. Though his are more practical (like sex triangles than love ones).
Anyway, haven't read Abraham or better said I've only read his collab books with Ty Frank (Expanse) but it sounds like a good addition to my "to read" stack.
finished Blindness and it was really good. Do not recommend it though. There's like a whole chapter of gang rape and physical humiliation of women that would rival whatever GoT put on screen only exponentially worse. Especially if you actively visualize what you're reading. Humiliation of men too but of the moral kind.
Excellently written. So well in fact it's just way to horrible. Cannot imagine the movie they made a decade or so ago was that faithful and to the book in many regards.
Started The Three Body Problem. So far so good.
Ser Not Appearing
Resident Wit
Location:A Step Ahead
I've been listening to The Black Company for the first time. It feels super disjointed. I'm going to have to listen to it a second time before I make up my mind on continuing the series.
Larry of the Lake
Tywin et al.
I got all this stuff twirling around in my head
Location:Purifying in the Waters of Lake Minnetonka
Finished Thunderball, the 9th book in Fleming's Bond series. It's easily one of the best and surprisingly none of the books are bad if you can look past the fact that Fleming was incredibly racist. It's the first of the Blofeld trilogy and I'm curious to see where the story goes.
It's been way too long since I've made a post here.
As part of the book club I'm in, I read Lightning Strike by William Kent Krueger. This was a "prequel" to his long-running police procedural mystery series set in far northern Minnesota focusing on detective Cork O'Connor. It's set back in the 1960s when Cork was 12 years old and his father was sheriff. The mystery is about what first seems to be a suicide by a Native American man which turns out to be a murder. There are several believable twists and turns in the story, with the characterization very good. There was one minor annoying anachronism, with working class teens in small town Minnesota riding around on skateboards at least a decade before skateboards would have gotten there -- but all in all a very good book that makes me look forward to some day reading other books in the series.
Then the book club read The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. Somehow I made it to age 70 without every having read this book which was a hit with young people back when it was published in 1951. I had read comments about it over the years that one really has to first read this book as a teenager to really love it. I was expecting to really dislike Holden Caulfield, the first person narrator. But instead I found myself just feeling sorry for him. He's a teenager dealing with the normal stress that comes when you realize most adults are very fallible human beings, and then having to deal with the death of his younger brother, while being the one of the four kids in his family who is least academically inclined and so feeling inferior to everyone else in his upper-class Manhattan family. So I could forgive his hypocrisy of calling everyone else "phonies" while he himself is constantly lying. I'm glad I finally read it, but it won't be in the top 100 books I've read in my life list.
For myself I finally finished David Brin's The Uplift War, third book set in his "Uplift Universe" and a sequel to Startide Rising, which I read shortly before as the first half of an omnibus volume titled Earthclan. Though the events of Startide Rising are mentioned in the book, none of the characters from it appear. I liked The Uplift War a good deal more than Startide RIsing. The female characters were much better presented. Brin's Uplift Universe features a world where humans have genetically modified dolphins and chimpanzees so they are intellectual equals, and where there are scores of other starfaring "sentient" species who have also been "uplifted" in their own history. Many of the main characters in the book are chimpanzees, and there are also main characters from other alien species, some which are allies of humans and some of which are enemies. The Uplift War won the Hugo and Locus awards back in 1988. Though I don't know what it was up against, it was certainly interesting enough with enough fascinating characters and world-building that it was worthy of recognition.
Then I read Georgia Bottoms by Mark Childress, a comic Southern novel set in small town Alabama in 2001. (How people in the town deal with 9/11 is a small part of the story.) The main character is a woman who supports her elderly slippping-into-dementia mother and alcoholic brother by "entertaining" six different men in the town, each one night a week, and has managed for years to make each of them think he is the only one she's having an affair with. She never specifically charges for services but drops hints about what she needs and accepts "gifts". That's the set-up, and then complications ensue. Some great eccentric characters and lots of hypocrites getting their come-uppance.
The book club's next selection is The Burning by Tim Madigan, the first non-fiction book we've read. It's about the 1921 race massacre in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the worst such incident in American history, but largely forgotten until this book came out 20 years ago. So far I'm about 70 pages in to a 316-page book. Madigan's an excellent writer and is able to see the complexity in the people he's writing about even when he's pointing out how they contributed to great evil.