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- Volume 2 of the Gormenghast Trilogy
- By: Mervyn Peake
- Narrated by: Robert Whitfield
- Length: 18 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
Enter the fantastical world of Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast Trilogy, one of the undisputed fantasy classics of all time. Novelist C.S. Lewis called Peake's books "actual additions to life; they give, like certain rare dreams, sensations we never had before, and enlarge our conception of the range of possible experience."
A "Supernaturally Outlandish" Masterpiece
- By Jefferson on 07-27-12
- Gormenghast
- Volume 2 of the Gormenghast Trilogy
- By: Mervyn Peake
- Narrated by: Robert Whitfield
A "Supernaturally Outlandish" Masterpiece
Reviewed: 07-27-12
Gormenghast (1950), the second novel in Mervyn Peake's classic fantasy trilogy, opens with seven-year-old Titus Groan, the 77th Earl of Gormenghast, already conflicted by rebellious desires to be free from the meaningless ritual and dry duty of the castle and from his role as its figurehead. The novel depicts his maturing into a sensitive and self-aware young man scarred by violence, seasoned by loss, and attracted by the world outside. Into that plot Peake weaves the career of the amoral ex-kitchen boy Steerpike, scheming his way ever deeper into the heart of Gormenghast. And for comic relief, Peake spends (almost too) much time with Professor Bellgrove, his bachelor colleagues, and Irma Prunesquallor, who wants a husband.
There are many memorable set pieces in the novel, like the moment when Titus and his sister Fuchsia discover that they love each other, the "Bachelorette" soiree at the Prunesquallors, the demise of an anile headmaster, the game of marbles in the Lichen Fort, the tracking of a satanic outlaw, the aborted ceremony of the Bright Carvings, the encounter with the wild Thing in the forest cave, the Biblical flooding of the castle, and the schoolboy game featuring a classroom window 100 feet above the ground, a giant plane tree, a pair of polished floor boards, and a gauntlet of slingshots.
Reader Robert Whitfield's narrator is clear, refined, and sympathetic, and his character voices varied and on target (especially Dr. Prunesquallor, Irma, Bellgrove, Barquentine, Steerpike, and Flay). But his Fuchsia needs more raw passion and less nasal whine and his Countess Gertrude more gravitas and less dowager quaver. And there is an odd glitch whereby about twenty times during the course of the book Whitfield's sentences jarringly repeat.
Gormenghast resembles Titus Groan, the first novel in the trilogy. Both novels are set in a vividly realized castle world populated by grotesque denizens. Both intoxicate the reader with rich language, baroque detail, painterly description, and blended humor and pathos. Both leave images etched upon the mind's eye. Both feature long passages of conversation or description punctuated by unpredictable scenes of suspenseful action. Both express themes about the primacy of passion and imagination over reason and calculation and the comforting and stultifying influence of tradition on human lives. Although both novels are "fantasies of manners," however, Gormenghast is also a romantic comedy, a British school story, a gothic thriller, and a bildungsroman. And it highlights new themes: the conflict between duty and freedom and the transformations, wonders, and absurdities of love and aging.
Finally, Gormenghast, like Titus Groan, is a unique masterpiece that offers a satisfying conclusion to the story arc of the first two novels that perhaps renders the third book, Titus Alone, unnecessary.
6 of 7 people found this review helpful
The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
- By: Robert A. Heinlein
- Narrated by: Lloyd James
- Length: 14 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
In what is considered one of Heinlein's most hair-raising, thought-provoking, and outrageous adventures, the master of modern science fiction tells the strange story of an even stranger world. It is 21st-century Luna, a harsh penal colony where a revolt is plotted between a bashful computer and a ragtag collection of maverick humans, a revolt that goes beautifully until the inevitable happens. But that's the problem with the inevitable: it always happens.
Heinlein's Masterpiece
- By Peter on 12-04-06
- The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
- By: Robert A. Heinlein
- Narrated by: Lloyd James
Is Dinkum SF Classic, Tovarishch
Reviewed: 07-03-12
Robert A. Heinlein's The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress (1966) is an absorbing tale about the attempt by the colonists of Luna to revolt against the exploitative Lunar Authority of the Federated Nations of Earth. Because the Loonies are outnumbered 11 billion to 3 million and because earth has all the spaceships and soldiers, it would seem to be a doomed fight for freedom. But the Loonies have a secret weapon: Mike the supercomputer who runs Luna's infrastructure and who has become self-aware, a fact known only to the three people who plan the revolution, Mannie, Wyoh, and Prof.
Mannie narrates the action in an appealing voice, with Australian (e.g. cobber), Russian (e.g. da/nyet), and Loonie (e.g. earthworm) vocabulary spoken as if by a Russian speaker of English (e.g. "Was good plan"). It was a revelation to hear reader Lloyd James read Mannie's Russian accent, because I didn't notice it when I encountered the book 20 years ago, and James is good at bringing the other characters to life with their own distinctive voices, especially Mike (though his French speakers evoke Pepe Le Pew).
The novel has many virtues. It is often funny, as when Mannie says, "I've seen a woman [nude] before," and Wyoh retorts, "What a thrill it must have been for her." Or as when, during a serious discussion about organizing the revolution, Prof is distracted by Mike's potential use for winning bets on horse races. It also boasts many provocative ideas, as in the minuses of government and pluses of "rational anarchy," the nature of sentience, the differences between genders, the benefits of group marriages run by women, and "tanstaafl." Mike's awareness and friendship with Mannie begin humorously but end movingly and mysteriously, while Mannie's desire to get away from civilization finally recalls Huck Finn's. And Heinlein extrapolates a convincing Luna culture based on physical realities of rock, ice, air, and gravity, and then works out how a mongrelized population originally comprised of "jailbirds" from various nations on earth with men outnumbering women 2-1 would live in cities and farms tunneling down into the moon.
I question the novel's anti-taxation, libertarian philosophy. And I doubt that harsh situations would make most bad actors disappear, or that all big mouths should be eliminated. And Bog knows that Prof is sometimes a know-it-all, and some passages make me cringe at their gender stereotypes or for their attempts to break them, and perhaps Mike is too good to be true (though when he feels the equivalent of an orgasm when lining up a number of rock-bombs to simultaneously hit the earth I shiver and remember HAL from 2001).
But overall I was impressed by how readable the novel remains and how (for Heinlein) tightly written and plotted it is, and if you are interested in the history of science fiction, or in tales of revolutions or of AI, you should listen to this audiobook.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
Lord Jim
- By: Joseph Conrad
- Narrated by: Nigel Graham
- Length: 14 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
The story tells of Jim, a young, good-looking, genial, and naive water-clerk on the Patna, a cargo ship plying Asian waters. One night, when the ship collides with an obstacle and begins to sink, acting on impulse, Jim jumps overboard and lands in a lifeboat, which happens to be bearing the unscrupulous captain and his cohorts away from the disaster.
Great novel, stunning narration.
- By John on 05-09-10
- Lord Jim
- By: Joseph Conrad
- Narrated by: Nigel Graham
"He Was One of Us," or the Inscrutable Human Heart
Reviewed: 05-20-12
In Lord Jim (1899-1900) by Joseph Conrad an experienced, wise, and sympathetic sea captain called Marlow tries to learn, understand, and tell the story of the life of a young ship's officer called Jim (surname discretely hidden). Marlow, as we know from Conrad's The Heart of Darkness (1903), is a compelling story-teller with a bent towards the mysterious and dark quality of human nature and the universe. Jim is a charismatic and complex character, so imaginative, romantic, courageous, and lucky and so naïve, egotistical, unconfident, and doomed. We are told early on that despite (or because) of his youthful dreams of heroic adventure, Jim once did an appalling deed that blighted his promising career and life, so that he has been serving as a humble ship chandler's water clerk on a series of ships, doing a fine job for each one, but repeatedly abandoning his position and moving farther east each time that his past catches up with him, until he is given the opportunity to make a clean start in a fictional Indonesian (?) country called Patusan, a world mostly apart from his original white-European one. Will Jim finally be able to forge a new identity and atone for his past? Will Marlow finally be able to understand the inscrutable core and meaning of Jim's life?
Lord Jim is replete with vivid descriptions, like the moment before Jim's ship meets an accident, "The young moon recurved, and shining low in the west, was like a slender shaving thrown up from a bar of gold, and the Arabian Sea, smooth and cool to the eye like a sheet of ice, extended its perfect level to the perfect circle of a dark horizon," or like the gait of an abject villain, "His slow laborious walk resembled the creeping of a repulsive beetle, the legs alone moving with horrid industry while the body glided evenly." The novel also has many interesting themes about the uncaring if not inimical nature of the universe, the complexity and mystery of the human heart, the danger of being too imaginative and romantic, and the foulness of being too cynical and realistic. And it is also subtly provocative about gender and race.
Nigel Graham does a wonderful job reading Lord Jim. He has an intelligently masculine manner and an appealingly gravelly voice, effectively varies the pace of his reading, and brings the different characters to life in all their cultural, experiential, emotional, and intellectual variety.
Lord Jim is a challenging audiobook, because Marlow tells a story comprised of different things he has heard from different people at different times. And although the first half or so of the novel is a compelling psychological study, I here and there found myself losing track of its discourse. But finally all the pieces cohere and culminate in a devastating and (possibly) transcendent climax. If you like The Heart of Darkness, you'd probably like Lord Jim, but you'd need to be prepared for a longer, more complex, and sadder tale.
3 of 5 people found this review helpful
The Story of the Volsungs
- The Volsunga Saga
- By: Anonymous
- Narrated by: Antony Ferguson
- Length: 4 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
Originally written in Icelandic in the 13th century AD by an anonymous author, The Story of The Volsungs is a legendary saga based on Norse mythology. The epic describes the legendary history and heroic feats of several generations of mythic Viking families and derives from many sources, including preexisting Edda, or heroic poems, Norse legends, historical events, and orally transmitted folklore. The saga is imbued throughout with themes of power, jealousy, love, vengeance, and fear.
Passionate, Poetic, Bloody, Heroic, & Tragic Saga
- By Jefferson on 03-28-12
- The Story of the Volsungs
- The Volsunga Saga
- By: Anonymous
- Narrated by: Antony Ferguson
Passionate, Poetic, Bloody, Heroic, & Tragic Saga
Reviewed: 03-28-12
The Story of the Volsungs is a classic Icelandic saga, written in the 13th century from much older oral fragments of songs. Eirikr Magnusson and William Morris' 1888 translation of the saga is fast-paced, coherent, heroic, tragic, and darkly beautiful. It is mostly prose, but includes many passages of poetry or songs. It influenced H. Rider Haggard's The Saga of Eric Brighteyes, J. R. R. Tolkien's oeuvre (especially the Silmarillion), and Poul Anderson's The Broken Sword. If you like such tragic fantastic adventure fiction, if you are interested in Norsemen (Vikings!), or if you enjoy reading epics for their insights into human nature and their windows into different cultures, you should listen to this audiobook.
It begins with a useful 48-minute introduction by H. Halliday Sparling about the historical, religious, political, and cultural context of the Norsemen and of their sagas, which is followed by an 8-minute preface by Magnusson and Morris about their translation.
The saga depicts the interrelated fates of two great Norse families, the Volsungs and the Guikings. From the opening sequence, in which Sigi, grandfather of Volsung, kills a thrall who outperforms him in hunting and then hides his body in a snowdrift, the people in the saga are prey to overwhelming ambition, pride, envy, love, and hate. So there are plenty of battles, with kings killing kings and heroes dealing death till their arms are "red with blood, even to the shoulders," and murders, brothers killing brothers, sons fathers, and mothers children, with poison, sword, or fire. The Norns have already decided the people's dooms.
There are also fantastic elements aplenty: men change into wolves, nightmares reveal disastrous futures, magic potions make men forget, magical swords are re-forged, Odin interferes with advice, boon, or doom, and so on. There are many great scenes, like Sigurd talking with a dragon about its cursed treasure or finding the sleep-spelled shield-maiden, Brynhild, "clad in a byrny as closely set on her as though it had grown to her flesh." The characters are compelling because they're so heroic and flawed. Any character might be loathsome one moment and admirable the next, or vice versa.
The saga is not an easy listen, because many characters' names sound similar and because of the archaic Malory-esque language used by Morris to evoke a timeless and heroic age (so the free online text might be helpful). But there is a dark, spare, grand, and beautiful poetry in his translation, and reader Antony Ferguson treats the text with restraint and fluency, subtly highlighting its terse turns and beautiful flights and rich alliteration, as in the following excerpt:
"So Regin makes a sword, and gives it into Sigurd's hands. He took the sword, and said—'Behold thy smithying, Regin!' and therewith smote it into the anvil, and the sword brake; so he cast down the brand, and bade him forge a better."
I am very glad to have listened to this saga.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
The Valley of Fear
- A Sherlock Holmes Novel
- By: Arthur Conan Doyle
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 6 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
In The Valley of Fear, the great detective Sherlock Holmes has been summoned by a coded message to the house of a man called Douglas. But he and his faithful friend Dr. Watson arrive to find they are too late---Douglas has been murdered, with a mysterious calling card left by his side. Scotland Yard is stumped, but Holmes, detecting the diabolical workings of his arch-enemy Professor Moriarty, has some ideas of his own.
An Uninspired Holmes & Garish American Gangsters
- By Jefferson on 01-04-12
- The Valley of Fear
- A Sherlock Holmes Novel
- By: Arthur Conan Doyle
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
An Uninspired Holmes & Garish American Gangsters
Reviewed: 01-04-12
The Valley of Fear, the last Sherlock Holmes novel, begins promisingly, with Holmes and Watson trying to solve a murder mystery at a country manor and firing off some great lines, as when Holmes upbraids Watson with a dumbbell: "One dumb-bell, Watson! Consider an athlete with one dumb-bell! Picture to yourself the unilateral development, the imminent danger of a spinal curvature. Shocking, Watson, shocking!"
But finally the novel is disappointing. Despite the skills and gravelly gravitas of reader Simon Prebble, I felt while listening that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was going through the motions to satisfy importunate fans or to make some money, dusting off things from previous tales like the Hidden Room, the Vengeful Brotherhood, and the American History. And the discomfiture of dull Inspectors by Holmes' Sphinx-like utterances until the Great Detective finally explains everything has worn thin.
And the second half of the novel removes us from Holmes and Watson, occurring in an American mining valley being terrorized by a secret Order of thugs, and the lurid interest evoked by Doyle doesn't ring true, perhaps because he doesn't know America as well as he knows England, or perhaps because the effect of the whole hinges on a surprise from which Watson (narrating Part 2 based on a pile of notes he has received) would spare us.
Doyle also uncomfortably forces this novel into the Holmes Chronology before the events of "The Final Problem" (which follows The Valley of Fear in this audiobook), for in "The Final Problem" Holmes asks Watson if he's ever heard of "ex-professor" Moriarty, and Watson says never, but the professor is a familiar topic at the start of The Valley of Fear.
I recommend this audiobook to fans of Holmes who must read all his stories, but other readers should begin with The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes or The Memoirs, and readers who'd like to experience Doyle engaged heart and soul in his work should try The White Company or The Lost World.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
The Story of King Arthur and His Knights
- By: Howard Pyle
- Narrated by: David Thorn
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
American author Howard Pyle (who also wrote The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood) weaves the tales of chivalrous knights, the magic sword of Excalibur, the magician Merlin the Wise, and the legendary Arthur, later to become King of Britain. Pyle describes bouts of jousting and knightly jealousies played out in grand style.
Family-friendly chivalry
- By Margaret on 11-08-15
- The Story of King Arthur and His Knights
- By: Howard Pyle
- Narrated by: David Thorn
An Entertaining Account of Arthur's Early Days
Reviewed: 12-03-11
For a complete adult telling of the stories of King Arthur, listen to Malory or T. H. White, because Pyle's The Story of King Arthur and His Knights is only the first of his books about Arthur, recounting Arthur's birth and youth and winning of Excalibur and Guinevere, and then Merlin's fate and the stories of Sir Pellias and Sir Gawaine. Moreover, Pyle moralizes after the episodes, telling us, for example, that although we may not literally become knights with swords, we may wield truth (Excalibur) and faith (its scabbard).
As for David Thorn's reading, his nearly tongue-in-cheek delivery was perfect for Jonathan Stroud's Heroes of the Valley, but almost seems out of place here, for Pyle reveres Arthur, "the most honorable, gentle Knight who ever lived in all the world," and his knights, while Thorn's heroes often sound nasally arrogant. And a woman reads Pyle's chapter titles and descriptions with an American accent and syrupy manner, jarring next to Thorn's British English. And each chapter closes with repetitive pseudo medieval music fit for a cheap computer game.
Nonetheless, there is much to enjoy and admire in this audiobook. Pyle assumes a vivid and muscular "medieval" style, as when Arthur jousts a knight "out of his saddle like a windmill—whirling in the air and smiting the earth so that the ground shuddered beneath him." Or as when Arthur delivers some justice: "At this, the face of that knight fell all pale, like to ashes, and he emitted a sound similar to the sound made by a hare when the hound lays hold upon it. Then King Arthur catched him very violently by the arm, and he catched the locket and brake it away from about the knight's neck, and upon that the knight shrieked very loud, and fell down upon his knees and besought mercy of the King, and there was great uproar in that place."
And the Story of King Arthur has plenty of exciting and humorous moments and scenes of sublime wonder and beauty. And knights, wizards, faeries, dastards, damsels, hermits, quests, enchantments, disguises, combats, loves, hates, oaths, betrayals, humiliations, machinations, and glorifications. Despite Pyle's exaltation of Arthur and company, they are often humanly proud, foolish, seducible, and violent. And Thorn reads all with energy and accuracy.
14 of 16 people found this review helpful
The Wind in the Willows
- By: Kenneth Grahame
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 6 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame, tells the story of Mole, Water Rat, Badger, and Toad. The story takes place along a peaceful riverbank surrounded by lush meadows. Mole is originally from a neighboring meadow, but one fine spring day he ventures away from his home and finds the magical life of the river awaiting him. Mole quickly becomes fast friends with Water Rat, a polite and civilized creature who invites Mole to live with him while he teaches Mole the secrets of river life.
- By J. Glemby on 10-22-10
- The Wind in the Willows
- By: Kenneth Grahame
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
A Comical, Sublime, Poignant, Charming Classic
Reviewed: 11-03-11
Every second and every word of Anne Flosik's reading of Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows were a pure pleasure to listen to. If I wasn't laughing at the incorrigible Toad's absurd, selfish, reckless, and yet somehow heroic antics, I was shutting my eyes to imagine and savor the warm friendship between Rat and Mole and the rich descriptions of the different seasons of the natural world around the River. The novel achieves great poignancy when Mole misses his home and when Rat hears the call of the south, and sublime beauty when the friends see and forget the Piper at the Gates of Dawn.
I like the ambiguous nature of the animals, who obey the "etiquette" of the changing seasons according to their animal natures, use paws, live in holes, and are aware of their differences from human beings, and yet who also wear clothes, eat human foods, and equip their holes with comfortable human furnishings. And just what is their size? If they are the naturally sized smallish animals (like any rodents or toads) they sometimes seem to be (like the seafaring rat from Constantinople), how could a field mouse go out shopping for Christmas feast supplies and come back laden with a pound of this and a pound of that and how could Toad crash stolen motorcars, disguise himself as a washerwoman, and ride a stolen horse? This blurring of naturalism and fantasy is one of the delightful pleasures of The Wind in the Willows.
Is The Wind in the Willows a children's book? Hmmm. I suspect that (as with the Alice books) adults may enjoy it more than children, though the Toad chapters should make every reader laugh. The book may be read critically for its conservative views on class and gender, but I treasure its humor, beauty, wonder, warmth, nature, and art. And Anne Flosik enhances all those virtues perfectly with her husky and measured voice and appealing wit and emotion.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Dust and Shadow
- An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson
- By: Lyndsay Faye
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
Breathless and painstakingly researched, this is a stunning debut mystery in which Sherlock Holmes unmasks Jack the Ripper. Lyndsay Faye perfectly captures all the color and syntax of Conan Doyle's distinctive nineteenth-century London.
- By Wadie on 01-07-11
- Dust and Shadow
- An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson
- By: Lyndsay Faye
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
An Absorbing Battle of Wits Tween Holmes & Ripper
Reviewed: 10-08-11
Dust and Shadow by Lyndsay Faye was an absorbing and entertaining (and frighteningly disturbing) listen. Faye does an excellent job of channeling Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, so that I usually had the illusion that I was listening to some apocryphal actual Holmes story rather than to a 21st century pastiche. The relationship between Watson and Holmes is depicted accurately, humorously, and movingly. The case, that of the Jack the Ripper murders in 1888 London, is relentlessly horrible, ultimately making us look uncomfortably into the dark human heart. I'm no Ripperologist, but having read Alan Moore's graphic novel From Hell, it seems to me that Faye effectively matches up the historical case with the fictional detective. Faye is also quite good at evoking the slums of London in all their foul and brutalizing misery: dingy tenements, opium dens, slaughterhouses, public houses, and poor houses; fruit sellers, cat meat men, police, prostitutes—and a serial killer.
Simon Vance is his usual effortless and professional self reading the novel, changing his voice just enough to distinguish between the various characters without distracting the listener from the story, perfectly enhancing the text.
There are a few flaws (in my mind) in the novel. The Holmes of my experience would figure out the culprit's profession sooner than I did, wouldn't break someone's nose in a fit of pique, and wouldn't say "Now get the hell out of here!" And the climax, while utterly gripping, is unconvincing after the fact. But overall I really enjoyed Dust and Shadow, and am sure it would appeal to any fan of Sherlock Holmes or Jack the Ripper.
25 of 26 people found this review helpful
Brave New World
- By: Aldous Huxley
- Narrated by: Michael York
- Length: 8 hrs
- Unabridged
When Lenina and Bernard visit a savage reservation, we experience how Utopia can destroy humanity.
Cloning, feel-good drugs, anti-aging programs, and total social control through politics, programming, and media: has Aldous Huxley accurately predicted our future? With a storyteller's genius, he weaves these ethical controversies in a compelling narrative that dawns in the year 632 A.F. (After Ford, the deity). When Lenina and Bernard visit a savage reservation, we experience how Utopia can destroy humanity.
"Oh, Ford, Ford Ford, I Wish I Had My Soma!"
- By Jefferson on 10-03-11
- Brave New World
- By: Aldous Huxley
- Narrated by: Michael York
"Oh, Ford, Ford Ford, I Wish I Had My Soma!"
Reviewed: 10-03-11
Brave New World is a bitterly funny and humorously tragic dystopian novel in which Aldous Huxley satirizes modern civilization's obsession with consumerism, sensual pleasure, popular culture entertainment, mass production, and eugenics. His far future world limits individual freedom in exchange for communal happiness via mass culture arts like "feelies" (movies with sensual immersion), the state-produced feel-good drug soma, sex-hormone gum, popular sports like "obstacle golf," and the assembly line chemical manipulation of ova and fetuses so as to decant from their bottles babies perfectly suited for their destined castes and jobs, babies who are then mentally conditioned to become satisfied workers and consumers who believe that everyone belongs to everyone. In a way it's more horrible than the more obviously brutal and violent repression of individuals by totalitarian systems in dystopias like George Orwell's 1984, because Huxley's novel implies that people are happy being mindless cogs in the wheels of economic production as long as they get their entertainments and new goods.
Michael York does a great job reading the novel, his voice oozing satire for the long opening tour of the Hatchery and Conditioning Centre, and then modifying in timbre and dialect for the various characters, among them the self-centered brooder Bernard Marx, the budding intellectual poet Helmholtz Howard, the sexy, sensitive, and increasingly confused Lenina Crowne, the spookily understanding Resident World Controller of Western Europe Mustapha Mond, and especially the good-natured, sad, and conflicted Shakespearean quoting "savage" John.
I had never read this classic of dystopian science fiction, so I'm glad to have listened to this excellent audiobook, because it is entertaining and devastating in its depiction of human nature and modern civilization, especially timely in our own brave new Facebook world.
211 of 227 people found this review helpful
A Distant Mirror
- The Calamitous Fourteenth Century
- By: Barbara W. Tuchman
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 28 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
The 14th century reflects two contradictory images: on the one hand, a glittering time of crusades and castles, cathedrals and chivalry, and the exquisitely decorated Books of Hours; and on the other, a time of ferocity and spiritual agony, a world of chaos and the plague.
Gripping, once you get into it
- By E. Smakman on 11-30-09
- A Distant Mirror
- The Calamitous Fourteenth Century
- By: Barbara W. Tuchman
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
Plagues, Pillaging, Anti-Popes, & Pointed Shoes!
Reviewed: 08-21-11
Barbara Tuchman's A Distant Mirror is a fascinating history. As she explores the historical context surrounding the "protagonist" of her book, the lord Enguerrand de Coucy (who seems less cruel, arrogant, and wasteful and more brave, capable, and appealing than most of his noble peers), Tuchman provides vivid details about every imaginable aspect of medieval life, among them: chivalry, marriage, love, sex, children, war, mercenaries, politics, economics, taxes, religion, fashion, sewage, literature, art, pogroms, and plague. One of my favorites is the nobility's absurd fashion consisting of pointed shoes so long that their tips had to be curled up against the legs with golden chains. She also manages to tell the gripping overall story of the European 14th century, with many absorbing sub-plots featuring remarkable actors and events.
I love Tuchman's irony, sympathy, empathy, enthusiasm, and attention to detail for her subject. She brings history to life and makes us care about the people involved in it, from the abused peasants to the arrogant nobility, all of whom are caught up in disasters both natural (like earthquake and plague) and artificial (like war and class division). One of the wonderful things about Tuchman's book is how strange it makes 14th century worldview and life seem and yet at the same time how uncannily it holds them up to mirror our own era and culture. In the words of Voltaire quoted by Tuchman: "History never repeats itself; man always does."
She excels at the pithy turn of phrase, like this throwaway line from the epilogue where she describes Henry V, "who at 25 was prepared, with all the sanctimonious energy of a reformed rake, to enter upon a reign of stern virtue and heroic conquest."
Though at times Nadia May's voice is a little scratchy, her reading perfectly captures the tone of Tuchman's writing. It's a pleasure to listen to her witty and fluid prose. All in all this was an incredibly illuminating book.
19 of 19 people found this review helpful


text:
14 June 2011
SYS.DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE - why do we include "SYS"?
One reviewer pointed out that a guideline for writing a good quiz is "Don't include unnecessary information." and this seems to be unnecessary.
Well, maybe, but also a little bit less secure. I have started prefixing SYS. in front of built-in package calls after reading Bryn Llewellyn's excellent white paper, "Doing SQL from PL/SQL: Best and Worst Practices", available here. One of his principles is:
Principle_4: References to objects that Oracle Corporation ships with Oracle Database should be dot-qualified with the Owner. (This is frequently, but not always, Sys.) This preserves the intended meaning even if a local object, whose name collides with that of the intended object, is created in the schema which will be current when name resolution is done.
Of course, you are unlikely to create a local package named DBMS_OUTPUT. But what if someone "breaks into" your database and injects a package with that name? It will effectively hijack all calls to the subprograms in the package.
So that's the rationale for putting SYS. in front of calls to DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE.
Your thoughts?
8 comments:
My thoughts?ReplyDelete
I think it is too much info. The first time I saw it, it was something special and it doesn't add to the quiz.
If someone is able to hijack the DBMS_OUTPUT after hacking, I'more afraid about other damage and access options to the database. A normal PL/SQL program should not have DBMS_OUTPUT calls. There is no interface where this data should be visible. The PUT_LINE is only for developers and logging info who noone reads.....
Also in the quizes there are a lot of assumptions, in where it is posed that many settings are default. This is one of them.
Absolute addressing. Could be useful, but being schizophrenic is a bad idea. In this way I can never trust any piece of code anymore....
If I decide to override default behaviour (by subclassing, it is an OO principle) and some programmer thinks that it is smart to use this type of programming, it breaks the purpose of changing the behaviour.
Conclusion: don't use it. I read the article on this later, but I think it won't change my mind.
> Of course, you are unlikely to create a local package named DBMS_OUTPUT. But what if someone "breaks into" your database and injects a package with that name? It will effectively hijack all calls to the subprograms in the package.ReplyDelete
I hope if someone does these things it will be reflected by "Assumptions" section changes. :)
What if someone creates the table DUAL or view V$SESSION? What if not? What if someone revokes grant on package DBMS_OUTPUT from user? What if he recreates an important synonym? IMHO, all of this is possible. And while answering a quiz I prefer to look on the Assumptions and to be guided by the good sense rather than by the professional paranoia.
I see no reason for including the schema prefix for SYS objects in quizzes. May be (and even should be) in production code.
Good luck,
PS: Such hijackers are headache for DBA, system administrator and security service guys. If a hijacker can access the database, a developer has nothing and none to believe...
I see no problem with it. The first time I saw it I thought it was a bit odd. Particularly since I hadn't seen it any Feuerstein code previously. But, the inclusion reinforces the normal assumptions that the only objects that exist are those of a default install and any explicit ddl given in the question itself.ReplyDelete
So, it's not really additional information. It's just being explicit about something we normally assume.
Even if it surprises a reader to see it, what possible misinformation could be introduced by the inclusion of it?
Redundant? yes
Dangerous? no
But, while I think it's fine to include it, doing so as a means of protecting against an intruder that has somehow gotten "create procedure" privileges on my schema seems weak. The intruder could simply alter my procedure and remove the SYS reference. If my goal is to protect my code from a hacker that already has access to my database, the only method would be to not use stored procedures. :)
For the purposes of the quiz as a competition, I see neither harm nor advantage to fully qualifying database object names. The only place where I can foresee a problem is if a quiz intentionally includes an incorrect schema in order to invalidate an otherwise correct answer.ReplyDelete
As a learning experience I do see advantage to following best practices in the PL/SQL code that is presented. Novices tend to emulate the examples they are given and thus are less likely to develop poor coding practices if they are predominately exposed to code that exhibits good practices. Experienced software developers, too, benefit from repeated exposure to solid coding practices.
Using fully qualified names does not protect one's code from an attacker who has successfully compromised the database; however, explicitly referencing the schema does defend against attempts to use synonyms to intercept actions intended for the original object. Such concerns may not be very important for the DBMS_OUTPUT package, but other packages and tables may be more sensitive. For example, intercepting calls to the DBMS_CRYPTO package could allow an intruder to gain access to what was intended to be secured information.
Thanks for your feedback. I have decided to back away from including "SYS." Theoretically it is the right thing to do, but as a best practice it is a marginal one, and if it takes away from the quiz experience, it's not worth it.ReplyDelete
The issue isn't using schema notation or not for Oracle builtins. That's a red herring. The issue is that any database source code written by developers that depends on a public synonym is poor practice.ReplyDelete
Hello All,ReplyDelete
I don't completely agree with the last statement
that using public synonyms is poor practice.
While using public synonyms does require an additional step in name resolution, it makes application maintenance much easier, for example when we want to change ownership of objects or even have to locate objects in the same or different databases.
When it comes to security issues, once an intruder has access to our code, it has access to everything, whether we use synonyms or not.
Developers can and should be "educated" not to create objects of their own that override SYS objects, but if Oracle itself wanted to enforce this as a "general must" then they would probably have prevented it at all at the databse level.
Using or not the prefixing in the quiz code
is a matter of personal taste of the author.
Best Regards,
We the assumptions that the challenge has the use of prefix is not needed. As it was said before pl/sql challenge is not about best pratices, it's about the language and too much information makes quizes harder.ReplyDelete

subset: commoncrawl


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RBC.com | Français | | Contact Us
About RBC > Community & Sustainability > News >RBC sponsors 2013 Canadian Water Network conference
"Connecting Water Resources"
March 22, 2013 - RBC was pleased to sponsor the annual Canadian Water Network conference held last week in Ottawa, Ontario. This year's conference focused on the possibilities for progress and innovation in water management in Canada, with the underlying assumption that Canada can be a global leader in water management, with the potential for existing and emerging research to be applied to policy and practice. The conference was attended by a mix of high-profile international speakers from government, academia and the private sector.
Participants previewed Canada as the Water Solutions Country: Defining the Opportunities, the second in a series of white papers produced by The Blue Economy Initiative, of which RBC is a founding member. This series is meant to inspire and create conversation about how we might create a 'blue' economy, based on opportunities in water.
To read the white papers produced by The Blue Economy Initiative, please visit: http://www.gordonfoundation.ca/blue-economy.ca/library


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Excited for "Anchorman 2" and can't quite contain yourself until its 2013 release? A dose of cowboy hat-wearing Champ Kind from the first flick might tide you over until then.
David Koechner of "Anchorman" and "SNL" fame performs stand-up shows at the Laugh Factory in Lakeview through Sunday. Before his first show Thursday night, Koechner stopped by RedEye to give us some hints on what to expect in the "Anchorman" sequel, unleash some news about ANOTHER possible Adam McKay sequel coming up and talk about his comedy training after college in Chicago. Watch the video above!
Go to the show:
Where: Laugh Factory, 3175 N. Broadway
When: Thursday and Sunday, 7:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Cost: $25-$35; laughfactory.com


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Now that I've cleared the air on some of the basic things wrong with WWE -- you DID read last week's column, right? -- it's time to look at the overall WrestleMania 27 card and see where our money is going.
It's easily the most interesting thing on the bill and it pretty much comes down to The Rock's involvement. I know The Miz gets slighted a little bit as being a reality show goof instead of a "real wrestler" but consider the fact that most wrestlers start off working full-time jobs for low wages (especially now with most territories gone) and you'll see that Miz simply had his own, but it was broadcast huge and drew attention to him.
Now granted, he's kind of a nerd. But he goes out and tries to get heat instead of being a heel who works for the babyface pop like the whole nWo ordeal. I really believe they need to toughen up his image to have him be truly marketable but in the process of that, you risk him winning the crowd's respect and turning him babyface.
The sad thing is that he's the champ in the match, but the interest is in Cena-Rock.
They are getting a lot of attention over their war of words and it's gaining viewers and will probably sell PPV buys -- moreso than if Rock wasn't there.
But being that Rock is over 30 it could fail miserably!
This will be the Hulk Hogan-Rock segment that burns out the crowd before the main event (The Streak) and really should be the main event since it's for the belt.
But the hard-on for The Streak match will put that on top. Which kind of bugs me since they put Triple H vs. Chris Jericho in the main spot at Mania 18 because "the belt should be the biggest deal of the day."
How times change.
I figure Cena and Rock get it together and kill Miz so Cena gets the belt again. Though, to be honest, I would keep it on Miz to continue building his character. But I guess that's just me.
HHH against Undertaker has already been done at Mania before (WrestleMania 17), so this is Hunter's version of the "Shawn Michaels return match."
In truth, there was really no one else they could main event WM27 with in a match with Undertaker and have any tension that he might lose.
My trouble with it is that most fans know Hunter is "office" so he might put himself over. So the interest in the possibility of Taker losing is there. But in regarding the "office" position, we take ourselves out of the constructed reality of the wrestling world and we can no longer get in to the suspension of disbelief needed to truly enjoy the match and get emotionally invested in it.
Also, since this business is worked, I can't really regard a "streak" as a milestone of greatness. I regard it in the way that it is best to leave it better than when it started. This comes by "making" young talent.
The best example of this is Ric Flair. He took some dire talents (did someone say Lex Luger?) and made them look like championship material and stars who drew some money. With guys with talent (Sting will tell you Flair "made" him), he worked on the future of the business and could maintain the greatness of the modern game with previously "made" stars (the Ricky Steamboat series... HOLY CRAP!).
I think it's about time for Undertaker to actually "make" someone. I can't think of one talent who has been brought to the main event level due to Undertaker working with them.
The best argument against this is Mankind (Mick Foley), but he made himself with the crazy dives in and out the cell and personality segments with Vince McMahon. Taker just happened to be in the ring with him at the time of the dives and was still put over.
You could argue for Kane, but Taker beat him so much before Kane ever came back that I can't really believe anyone will buy Kane being on par -- though I think he's very good.
But who could Taker "make"? There isn't a list of enough credible, over talent currently on the team that are at that top level that a Taker humbling would be the final push for.
The interest in Sheamus has come and gone. He's a guy who has a good look, an interesting style and a history of two world titles in his main roster rookie year... yet he's on a losing streak. He's a prime example of lazy booking, as he was a killer until he won the title, then he became a sissy, running away from a fight.
It was inconsistent and I think the audience sensed it and lost interest as he clearly was never being the man he really was. It was egregious and ultimately he's working the second tier in a rushed angle to try and keep him relevant.
It's a shame as I toured in the UK with him a few years back and really like the guy.
Either way, he's not gonna be the guy to end the streak.
Here is a list of new PPV main eventers for the past couple of years and they can't crack the top of the bill on the "grandest stage of them all?" Seems to me if the current talent scouting/building strategy was as good as they claim, at least one of these guys would make an appearance in or near the main event.
But they aren't because it isn't and the product as a whole suffers because of it.
So the only logical finish to this match is Taker goes 19-0. Someone beating him would boost a young career in a big way. Having Edge do it while he was the "ultimate opportunist" would have been the time. It would have solidified his status on top as a guy amongst the elite instead of a guy on top simply because of a lack of depth on the roster. He deserves a better legacy than that.
But it would do no great thing for Hunter at this point.
Unless it rolled as the new "screw job" to turn Hunter and they bounced Taker for most of a year and played it off as real. Would be a decent way of using a full year to build to a return match and milk some more out of the same type of Montreal angle they've been taking shots at since 1997.
But I doubt it.
Punk is the most over heel in the company (and probably the industry right now) due to the fact that the gimmick is 100% real. From the times I've hung out with him he's really pushed the "straight edge" thing fully and I have no reason to doubt him on it.
He comes off arrogant and righteous and didactic and it gets under people's skin because he's right. He's right about drugs being bad for you. He's right about booze being (mostly) bad for you.
And I'm not just saying this because I don't drink or do drugs (I'm simply a control freak and to do something that would put me out of control on purpose scares me, so I don't do it) however I try not to judge people who are comfortable doing it.
I do, but I mostly keep it to myself.
But he does in a big way!!
So, the kid's got HEAT!
It happens the same way every time and it doesn't look dramatic, it looks like he's trying to remember his lines and is keeping busy until they come to him. (By the way, substitute Batista for Orton and you get the same thing.)
It's hard to get too much on him for this, as obviously the office likes what he's doing so he shouldn't change it simply for me (just like Cena -- everyone complains he doesn't wrestle enough but he's the top pushed guy in the biz with the top merch sales for the modern audience; If it ain't broke, and all that) but it isn't my favorite thing.
I would prefer they put Punk over as they are really on to something good with him (my big pal Mason Ryan could have a hand in it. He's a great guy and deserves all of the success he can achieve. Top man!) but I believe Orton will get the win here and Ryan will get his shots in but eat an RKO as well.
This is the only match on the bill that has a real "build throughout the year and bring to the big stage" feel to it. Most other matches are "hot shots," last-minute, desperate bookings or ones you can watch on Raw or SmackDown any week, but this seems a little bit special.
As I mentioned last week, Edge has lost a bunch as champ, so to see him go down won't be as big a deal as it should. Del Rio has been handled pretty well so far, but he really should have never lost if he had a Rumble victory and a Mania main event in his future.
Years ago, this would have been handled differently.
Before WWE went public on the NYSE.
When it was all private, Vince McMahon could build angles over the long haul to really have a special feel when it was time to pay off. He could trust in the angles and stories and talent as he knew how long he needed to bring the whole angle to a head. He had the time and ability and patience to trust himself and his instincts and had no one to answer to but himself.
Now you have stock holders who demand a profit and higher numbers every quarter, so nothing has time to simmer in to a boil. Everything has to set up and blow off in three months to pop the quarterly ratings or people sell and the stock drops.
He made himself a billionaire through this, but it's also handicapped his ability to do what he does best over the long haul and it has cost him as well.
Look at the regular ratings before and after he bought WCW (it's around the same time that he became a billionaire) to see that numbers don't lie. Then look at how fast the angles play out before talent moves on to new challenges on TV and see what I mean.
It becomes a blur and you can't emotionally invest in a blur.
And chances are you won't buy a PPV of a blur.
Either way, I'm looking at Del Rio to win the belt. Cena will walk out with the other belt so I don't believe they'll have two babyface champs and Edge is already an 11-time champ. He'll draw what he's gonna draw with or without the belt and Del Rio needs that one big victory to solidify himself in a top spot.
Notice I didn't say he needed the belt? If the belt was a guarantee to top guy status we'd be looking at Jack Swagger or Sheamus in the main spot... but we aren't because the belt idea has been devalued so greatly (just like the ability to pin the champ) that it's just another prop at this point.
Which reinforces my statement about not having a cohesive battle plan. You can't devalue the belt so much and then think it will help bring value to a talent you have mismanaged in to being a "top guy."
And they are looking hard for new "top guys."
In a perfect world, Christian will look to be coming in to help Edge, but then a huge heel turn (Christian is always a GREAT heel) on Edge saying how Edge never helped him when Del Rio hurt him but he always was there for Edge. A nice house show tour ensues where the office finally sees that Christian is not only a top guy they overlooked, but a top guy who needs to be pushed A.S.A.P.!
Not much to say. Lawler will win and do it in a fairly basic fashion as he's never had a flashy arsenal.
But it does go a long way towards validating my argument about how new talent is presented when a former heavyweight champ of the company is used simply as a second to an announcer in the match and it's not the other way around.
Also validates my age argument when they need an interesting name like Austin to bring some pepper to this match... which already has a 61-year-old King involved.
So, Lawler goes over and drinks with Austin.
Total filler match. Rey will pop his big moves, Cody will sell his face. Rey will win. Cody will blast him after and steal his mask, but we won't see his face. Then a big program with the mask like Jericho did with Juventud Guerrera in the mid-'90s in WCW.
That's as far as I can go on this as this is the card advertised so far. Heard something about The Corre (why the misspell?) versus Nexus (who are the villains?) and Big Show being involved. Guessing he'll have Kevin Nash as his partner and as long as Nash can avoid the injury bug in this match, it will get fairly over for what it is and Show, Nash and whichever faction is their partner will win.
So that's what I believe your Mania will be. Could be awesome, could be utter pants. Ultimately it'll all come out on the day and let the chips fall where they may.
I'd also really like to thank everyone for the lovely comments I've been getting for my previous columns. It's really nice to know someone other than my editor and I are reading this stuff and it's connecting somewhere.
Hit me with your thoughts on this column and if you have suggestions on other topics you'd like me to touch upon, lemme know. I have no life and plenty of free time to ponder such foolish things as my business and am always looking to see things in a different perspective.
Chat soon.
All the best and God Bless.
Joe E Legend
"Being good is about DOING good, Not just the absence of bad."
-- Joseph Hitchen 2007


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Hi I'm Melody! I'm 18 and still in high school. I have a little confession to make... at my school there's a black guy with a 14" cock. One day after school I fucked him and he got me pregnant. Want to hear the story? Call me and I'll tell you.
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Kinze planter
The Williamsburg, IA, manufacturer offers a new integral row crop planter designed with spring-loaded contact drive systems and self-contained seed rate transmissions. The Kinze 3110 planter is available in rigid sizes from 4-row N (30 in.) to 8-row W (36-40 in.) This model features bolt-on, height-adjustable wheel modules with spring-loaded contact drive wheels, which eliminate ground drive chains and helps reduce residue, rock and mud buildup problems. Seed rate changes are quickly made with the self-contained seed rate transmissions. The 3110 model is robotically welded and designed for long life. The base model starts at $7,375. Optional row marker packages and rowunit attachments are available. Contact Kinze Manufacturing, Dept. FIN, P.O. Box 806, Williamsburg, IA 52361-0806, 319/668-1300, visit www.kinzemfg.com.
Great Plains planter, drill
The Yield-Pro planter from Great Plains lets growers load a bulk seed box container on it and then start planting. The bulk boxes hold 2,500 lbs. of seed or about 42 bu. Growers without bulk seed boxes may attach a poly bulk tank that holds 85 bu. of seed. An optional 400-gal. starter fertilizer system may be added to the planter. The bulk seed system uses an air manifold to deliver seed to the mini row unit hoppers. On the row unit, precision finger-pickup meters of Singulator-Plus Meters singulate the seed into the planter seed tubes. A variety of row spacings are available for the Yield-Pro Planter, including 30-in., 10-in., and twin-row 30-in. spacing. Prices for the planters with builk fill range from $70,000 to $120,000. Circle 000. Great Plains also is introducing a new compact no-till drill in 7- and 10-ft. models that will plant three different seeds at different rates at the same time. The drill features large end wheels that are located in-line with openers to reduce side loading on hills and contours while also extending the life of the openers. Prices range from $15,000 to $28,000. Contact Great Plains Mfg., Dept. FIN, 1525 E. North St., Salina, KS 67401, 785/823-3276, visit www.greatplainsmfg.com.
Yetter planter, scraper, cart
The new Yetter 71 series planter unit is designed for low-cost, accurate planting. The unit features easy depth control adjustments and setting seed population. Seed plates are available for a wide variety of seed. The 71 series planters include parallel linkages that allow the units to flex over ground contours while maintaining uniform planting depth. Adjustable down pressure springs take the bounce out of the row units and allow the addition or up to 80 lbs. of spring pressue in addition to the 115-lb. weight of the unit. The seed hopper holds 1.3 bu.
A new line of Tuffwear planter scrapers made of carbide will last longer than conventional scrapers. The scraper includes a carbide insert that is pressed into a corrosion resistant stainless steel mounting bracket. The carbide insert makes contact with the disc opener blade to prevent soil buildup. The Tungsten Carbide Manufacturer reports that tungsten carbide wears up to 100 times longer than steel. The Tuffwear scrapers along with mounting attachment arms are avilable for 7000, 7100 John Deere and Kinze planters.
The new 2000 Series All Steer High Capacity Cart features a unique tire-tracking system where the rear tires track the front tires all the time to result in less compaction or downed crops. The new cart is a multi-use tool for many applications such as starter fertilizer, pre-plant fertilizer, side-dressing herbicides and insecticides. Tank capacities go up to 1,600 gal. Contact Yetter Manufacturing, Dept. FIN, P.O. Box 358, Colchester, IL 62326-0358, 800/447-5777, visit www.yetterco.com.
Gandy seed transfer system
The Gandy Company is offering two new smaller-capacity models of its pressurized seed transfer systems. The new hopper sizes are 24 bu. and 40 bu. Other hopper sizes available include 64, 80, 96 and 120 bu. The Gandy system delivers seed from bulk tank to individual row hoppers to reduce fill time during planting. The Seed Transfer System is offered in both tow-behind an dimplement mounted models. Prices for the systems range from $7,000 to $13,500. Contact Gandy Co., Dept. FIN, 528 Gandrud Rd., Owatonna, MN 55060-0528, 800/443-2476, visit www.gandy.net.


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On Christmas morning I put on my father's tie. It's an old Botany 500, one manufactured just after late-'50s thin but well before early-'70s wide.
The tie is solid red, mostly polyester with a hint of silk, and has a pattern of very small blue and tan squares and the signature "500" near the tip. For some reason, I remember my father wearing this tie more than any others. Maybe that's because it was a basic red, or maybe because it's mine now and I'd like to think of it that way.
Botany 500 manufactured clothes in Philadelphia from the 1940s until the mid-1990s, when it moved its operations abroad. It fashioned the likes of Danny Thomas in "Make Room for Daddy" and Dick Sargent in "Bewitched" – the quintessential mid-20th-century businessman's look.
As I crossed, flipped, turned and tucked the material into a half-Windsor, I couldn't help thinking of my dad and how many times he had stood before a mirror, like me, performing the same ritual.
I thought of the many times I saw him wearing this very tie. I see my father, a mid-level manager at a plastic-bottle factory, walking in the house just after 5 o'clock while deep purple dusk settled the sky during the colder months. He'd be wearing a white shirt, slacks and a sport jacket, or a full suit. Often in the warmer months and brighter early evenings, I'd run the two blocks to the corner where he turned on to our street. He'd pull over and let me in, and we'd drive the rest of the way home together, talking about our day.
On days when I was too sick to go to school, but not too sick to play with Legos or Matchbox cars on the living room floor, Dad would come home for lunch a few minutes past noon. Around him as he came in, I could see bits of dust tossed up by my mother's housework sparkling in the sunlight that slanted in through the window.
He'd ask me how I was feeling, press his palm against my forehead and then head into the kitchen, where Mom had a lunch ready for him. After eating, he'd lie down on the couch for a quick nap, suit jacket off but tie still tight up on the collar and laid perfectly straight.
Looking at my tie in the mirror, I saw it transported to that place and time.
I thought about those special occasions that called for more formal attire, such as weddings, where a side of my father that wasn't ordinarily visible emerged. He would swoop my mother onto the dance floor and jitterbug like a primo hepcat.
There were also funerals, where I'd see him console others with sensitivity and wisdom, strength and understanding.
My father has been gone for more than 22 years, yet this 50-year-old tie binds the gaps of time and joins us in heart.
Some people are able to leave a strong financial legacy as a foundation for their children. But as our economy continues to sputter, fewer Americans will be in a position to leave their children much at all.
My parents lived a modest life. There was no great estate. But I have my father's necktie, and on Christmas morning I put it on. His legacy grows each time I do.
• Dean P. Johnson is a freelance writer and a high school English teacher in Camden, N.J.


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Semantic Touch needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 109 designs submitted by 36 freelance designers.
Peeling Oranges
We are freshly start up online internet marketing company aiming to help our clients engage with their customers through our innovative marketing campaigns. We believe in web standard ,adhere to best practices and care about our clients' performances. Peeling Orange's brand personalities are 1) Imaginative 2) Dynamic 3) Passionate 4) Human and 5) Stylish
From start up to multinational companies! We help them achieve their goals through our proven marketing expertise.
The logo must reflect our brand personalities. Incorporate "Peeling Orange" into the design. Even we prefer orange as main color, but be innovative. We are looking for "Fresh Yummy-looking orange with some natural and innovative attribute." We need a symbol that represent our company as well.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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- Parent Category: News
DUI Crash Injures Three in Kankakee County
An Ashkum man faces a drunken driving charge after a two-vehicle crash on I-57 in Kankakee County.
31-year-old Rodney Hatch was arrested by Illinois State Police. The crash happened Wednesday when Hatch's southbound car hit the rear of a car driven by 30-year-old Zachary Kirkland of Kankakee. The collision caused Kirkland's car to spin out of control and roll several times.
Kirkland and his passenger, a 17-year-old from St. Anne, were treated for non-life threatening injuries at a local hospital.
Otto Township Fire, Kankakee Township Fire, and Riverside EMS assisted at the scene just before 8:30 pm Wednesday.


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Texas Railing Systems designs, builds and installs railings for decks, porches, patios, balconies, stairs, lofts, pool enclosures and more in commercial and residential building projects throughout Texas. We carry cable, aluminum, glass and wood railing systems, and we also design and install custom guard rails, stair rails, and ramp rails.
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Transform your photos into one-of-a-kind, hand painted masterpieces!
by Seth Weaver
Bottom Style
Image Size
The image is near the edges of the product but doesn't cover the entire product. Some of the background color may appear around the outside edges of the image.
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Dress it up, dress it down, or use it to stay organized while you're on the go. Our carry-all pouches can do it all. They're crafted with 100% poly-poplin fabric, double-stitched at the seams for extra durability, and include a durable metal zipper for securing your valuables.
Our carry-all pouches are available in three different sizes and with two different bottom styles: regular and t-bottom.
Care Instructions
Spot clean or dry clean only.
Ships Within
2 - 3 business days
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Michelle Kronhaus
February 18th, 2019
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February 8th, 2019
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January 20th, 2019
�Seth F.Weaver,Sr.10/02/08.A Compullage� creation. In the Orient life is hard for the humble farmer, he get up before the Sun is shining and doesn�t leave his fields until after the Sun retires from the sky. He talks to the Sun, his only companion begging her not to shine to brightly on his feeble crops. Praising the �Empress of the Sun� when his crops are good and his family can eat. Thanks for looking, Seth. For additional sizes and prices on this work go to www.artwanted.com/sethweaver.
Thank you very much for your time in viewing my art. I was born an artist and I have thought about or done it every day of my life. I'm very easily inspired. I am what my work tells you I am. Like the facets of a diamond, I have many styles and media that I work in. Please contact me for purchasing information if you require anything not offered here on FAA. I'm on the following site: www.redbubble.com/sethweaver. I hope you have a happy, healthy, blessed, and creative day. "Live Well, Laugh Often, and Love Much!" Seth Weaver, Sr.
Our return policy is very simple:
If you're not happy with a purchase that you made on Pixels.com, for any reason, you can return it to us within 30 days of the order date. As soon as it arrives, we'll issue a full refund for the entire purchase price. Please note - Pixels does not reimburse the outgoing or return shipping charges unless the return is due to a defect in quality.
Pixels sells thousands of pieces of artwork each month - all with a 100% money-back guarantee. We take great pride in the fact that hundreds of thousands of artists have chosen Pixels to fulfill their orders, and we look forward to helping you select your next piece!
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This is a guide to the best budget drum kits on the market today, carefully selected from the archives of our sister publication, the venerable Rhythm magazine, as well as buyer's guides and MusicRadar's own round-ups.
Arranged in price order, we've collected eight kits that we think will prove themselves as either future-proof starter sets, or (perhaps, more realistically) a worthy 'next-step' for those graduating from basic beginner kits.
Also, be sure to check out our generalbuying tips below before proceeding...
4 buying tips
1. While beginner kits are mostly generic, budget kits are the slightly more expensive entry-level kits from the dedicated drum companies – the 'designer' labels, if you like.
2. They are mostly made in China or Taiwan, and with their distinctive design touches – lugs, tom mounts, badges and the like – you can feel like you own a proper Pearl, Tama or Gretsch. The idea is to build brand loyalty from the bottom up.
3. Shells are still cheaper semi-hard woods, such as poplar or basswood, but they are often a bit thinner and better finished than the shells of beginner kits. Look for a wider range of sizes, including contemporary 22"x18" bass drums plus a bigger choice of coloured plastic wrap finishes – which should be fully glued to the whole shell, not patched on with double-sided tape. Some kits come complete with lacquered paint finishes.
4. You should still get a decent hardware package, often including a stool/throne. Small toms are usually mounted off the bass drum, although some kits have up-market isolation mounting brackets. Bass drums should have enclosed, drum key-tightened tension claws rather than old-fashioned 'T' handle types. And bass and snare drums should have a respectable eight lugs per head, although floor toms may still only have six.
Performance Percussion PP300R Starter drum kit
MusicRadar's verdict:
"A solid performer that provides almost everything the beginner could want."
4 out of 5
FULL REVIEW: Performance Percussion PP300R Starter drum kit
Ludwig Questlove Breakbeats drum kit
MusicRadar's verdict:
"An affordable kit that lives up to its design, this kit will suit any style of 'groove' player and is even a great quality set for kids. Breakbeats offers a cohesive package of portability, sound and all-round style!"
4 out of 5
FULL REVIEW: Ludwig Questlove Breakbeats drum kit
PDP MainStage drum kit
MusicRadar's verdict:
"At over £500 the Mainstage kit is at the upper end of the entry-level price band, but still represents good value for money. It would appear to have been designed as much to a drummer's specifications as it has to meet a price, and, as we've come to expect from PDP, the build quality is faultless."
4 out of 5
FULL REVIEW: PDP Mainstage drum kit
Gretsch GS1 drum kit
MusicRadar's verdict:
"Scoring almost maximum points for quality and value, the GS1 is a package that's hard to beat."
5 out of 5
FULL REVIEW: Gretsch GS1 drum kit
Mapex Meridian Maple Jazz drum kit
MusicRadar's verdict:
"The affordable answer to jazz player's prayers... The Meridian Jazz's specification and attention to detail are highly impressive. Mapex has gone all-out with this superbly-appointed package and you'd never guess this was a budget kit."
4 out of 5
FULL REVIEW: Mapex Meridian Maple Jazz drum kit
Odery Fluence Fusion Series drum kit
MusicRadar's verdict:
"We don't know how Odery can afford all this at such a low price - perhaps it's something to do with the relatively low value of Brazilian currency? Whatever the international economics, this is certainly one the best value kits ever."
4.5 out of 5
FULL REVIEW: Odery Fluence Fusion Series drum kit
PDP Concept Series Kits Birch CB5
MusicRadar's verdict:
"With this kit, the gap between DW (the premium brand) and PDP (the budget brand) has been dramatically reduced."
5 out of 5
FULL REVIEW: PDP Concept Series Kits Birch CB5
Mapex Meridian Retro Fusion drum kit
MusicRadar's verdict:
"This kit will appeal to jazz or funk drummers, or indeed any drummer who needs to squeeze into a small area without compromising the sound of their drums."
4 out of 5
FULL REVIEW: Mapex Meridian Retro Fusion drum kit


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darkobres needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 95 designs submitted by 41 freelance designers.
We are a state-of-the-art 3D design and illustration studio and we need you! This logo will be the basis for our new brand and website.
Our clients are companies in need of 3-D animation and illustration. We've already worked for some large world class companies such as 3M. It's time to look as good as we are.
Our name is an alternative spelling of cubicle. We need a very modern icon or mark that has a 3-D feel. Because we do 3D illustration it's important that our icon have both 3-dimensionality and dynamic movement, as if a 2-D object is becoming 3-D. One idea is that maybe we have a cube emerging from a surface, but we are open and counting on your creativity. We are open on color and the icon itself. Let's see what you can do.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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Pen Test Partners CHECK service
Enter full name and click 'Verify'
Pen Test Partners is an NCSC approved CHECK company offering penetration testing of IT systems to identify potential vulnerabilities and recommend effective security countermeasures.
A CHECK service provider can analyse the systems or networks you rely on to carry out your business securely and effectively by conducting a number of tests designed to identify any weaknesses using publicly known vulnerabilities and common configuration faults.
Government and Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) customers can be assured that they will receive a high quality service when work is conducted under the CHECK Terms and Conditions (see the Service Provision Guidelines for full details).
Customers will receive a report detailing any vulnerabilities and recommending effective security counter-measures.
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Sports Nutrition (Quest Award elective)
From MeritBadgeDotOrg
Revision as of 17:09, March 1, 2008 by Scouterdennis (Talk | contribs)
Elective requirements
Do all of the following:
- Requirement 1. List at least five complex carbohydrates and five simple carbohydrates. During a crew meeting (or another activity approved by your Advisor and/or coach), discuss with your crew why complex carbohydrates are nutritionally dense and what that means to a sportsperson. Tell why fiber is considered a complex carbohydrate and list some examples of fiber-rich foods. Serve snacks that represent each carbohydrate. You could even make this a game where people guess which snack went with each group.
- Requirement 2. Interview a registered dietician and talk about your favorite sport. Have the dietician help you evaluate and develop a nutritional pro- gram that fits you (and/or your team as a whole) and your sport.
- Requirement 3. Make a presentation on "Good Fats" and "Bad Fats." Explain how they affect a teenager's diet. Include in your presentation information on saturated fats, unsaturated fats, hydrogenated fats, and cholesterol. Use posters, overhead transparencies, computer slide shows, charts, and relevant information from your school health text book. Working with your crew, calculate fat needs for yourself and the other members of your crew.
- Requirement 4. Keep a three-day food record of everything you eat and drink. If you put it in your mouth, write it down. With the help of a health-care practitioner, determine if you are eating enough protein, vegetables, fat, carbohydrates, and fiber. Also determine the amount of sugar, sodium, and hydrogenated fat consumed. Resources for determining these amounts are available at your local library.
- Requirement 5. People who do not eat meat are called vegetarians. Vegetarians can be categorized into three different groups. In a discussion with your Advisor and/or coach, name those three groups and explain their differences and similarities. In an interview with a registered dietician or nutritionist, ask questions about the complete protein requirements of a vegetarian and how they make sure they are achieving these daily requirements. Using this information, put on a presentation, tabletop display, or other such activity approved by your Advisor and/or coach for a Boy Scout troop or Cub Scout pack.
Source: 2003 Quest Handbook (33151)
Help with these requirements
See also
External links
- Venturing Bronze Award on the BSA scouting.org site.
- Venturing Quest Award on the BSA scouting.org site.


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Join us for an exciting evening at the SpeakEasy Cafe's "Sound of Ink" open mic Poetry show! You are invited to call in and Take the stage! The mic is hot and ready for the sound of your Ink! This week enjoy 3 hours of OPEN MIC Poetry from YOU the poets! You will not want to miss this Night of entertainment! Call in early Poets and let your voices be heard!
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text: EASY PAY $70 DOWN LAYAWAY 12 MONTHLY PAY... KIMBER SOLO CDP 9mm w/CRIMSON TRACE, BOX... EASY PAY $76 DOWN LAYAWAY 12 MONTHLY PA... EASY PAY $96 DOWN LAYAWAY MONTHLY PAYME... Kimber K6S 357 magnum,fully engraved & p... Guns Pistols Kimber of America Pistols Kimber Custom TLE II ACP NO CC FEES ACP | 386 | 57 | Lc | 875.0128ms View Category Kimber Custom TLE II 45 ACP NO CC FEES 45ACP For Sale from Shooters Vault | Positive feedback: 95% View | Verified Seller | 614 Completed Sales View Sellers Items /UserImages/122510/933864866 8473965.jpg /UserImages/122510/933864866 8473966.jpg /UserImages/122510/933864866 8473967.jpg /UserImages/122510/933864866 8473968.jpg Description: Selling a NEW Kimber Custom TLE II in .45 ACP. Specifications Caliber: .45 ACP Height (inches) 90° to barrel: 5.25 Weight (ounces) with empty magazine: 38 Length (inches): 8.7 Magazine capacity: 7 Recoil spring (pounds): 16.0 Full-length guide rod Frame Material: Steel Finish: Matte black Width (inches): 1.28 Front strap checkering Slide Material: Steel Finish: Matte black Front serrations Barrel Length (inches): 5 Material: Steel, match grade Stainless steel match grade bushing Twist rate (left hand): 16 Sights Meprolight Tritium 3-dot night sight, fixed Radius (inches): 6.8 Grips Hogue Rubber grips Trigger Aluminum, match grade Factory setting (approximate pounds): 4.0 - 5.0 Shooter's Vault DOES NOT CHARGE CREDIT CARD FEES !!! Shooters Vault has 2 locations to choose from in Phoenix AZ we are a Family owned brick and mortar business. Being a Brick and Mortar business we do have our items for sale in store. We strive for the very best to have items on-line updated however from time to time we may sell the product in store and not have had the time to remove from the internet. For best results you may call us to verify before you hit the buy it now button. Thanks for understanding and we look forward to doing business with you. Our Hours of operation are: M-F 9-7 and Sat 9-6 Like us on Facebook under Shooters Vault and Shooters Vault Happy Valley to see Contact info and NEW product updates. You can find us on the web. By Google search for Shooters Vault and we will pop up. We are a CLASS III NFA dealer! Call us for details on purchasing and or filling out paper work. Seller reserves the right to end the auction at any time. All items sold as is no exchanges or returns. When you select your FFL Dealer they may fax/ email their FFL Documents. Please allow 3-5 business days for items to ship once payment and FFL are received. Shipping is at the Buyer cost. We ship Long guns UPS Ground for $25.00. Handguns are shipped USPS priority mail or UPS ground for $18.00. The shipping is non insured. If buyer wants insurance we will ship at the actual insurance cost rate per item. Once payment and FFL are received we will email you a tracking/delivery confirmation number. Arizona residents are required to pay 8.6% tax. Stop by our stores, give us a call, or email us with any questions. Read More Condition: New In Box Brand: Kimber Caliber: .45 ACP Location: AZ Trades Accepted: NO Read More No Credit Card Fees with any transaction. Seller reserves the right to end the auction at any time. Shooter's Vault is a retail location in Phoenix, Arizona. SO Please call, email or stop by with any questions and availability of item being bid on. You may also visit our website at Shooter's Vault does NOT charge a 3% fee for credit card purchases. Shipping Notes: BUYER PAYS SHIPPING Read More Share Item Item #: 933864866 Shooters Vault Seller Since: Aug. 2010 Seller Level: Verified This seller is an FFL City: Phoenix State: AZ Price: SOLD Shipping: $18.00 (or Arrange local transfer) Accepted Payment Methods: Returns: No Returns Your Recently Viewed Items


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Comfort Inns South Houston hotels are listed below. Search for cheap and discount Comfort Inns hotel rooms in South Houston, TX for your group or personal travels. We list the best Comfort Inns South Houston hotels & motels so you can review the South Houston Comfort Inns hotel list below to find the perfect place.
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Dogs Days or Record Summer Rally Ahead?
Sunny days at the beach and cool drinks by the pool ... The dog days of summer are definitely here. But is the market also taking a holiday? Steve Russolillo joins MoneyBeat. Photo: AP.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... ay ay mm mm ... sunny days at the beach and cold drinks either pull the dog days of summer are definitely here ... in QC on the market it was the market's taken a holiday Steve Russolillo joins us now to talk about it ... it was kind of ... like a market taken on a dozen and then you look at this day in and day out we're saying is very small moves in the broad market the site yesterday as the five hundred and one point two percent move saying it again today exactly pointed out in the Dow down for the SNP down for a meal or the percentage is the percentage of the race exactly what ... the caviar is you that all up in the month of July has been a very strong month for the markets the SB five hundred is up more than five percent this month ... and that is the best mum on pace for the best monthly performance since October two thousand eleven and that its the tenth ... best month since I've since the bull market piano and ... read ... all the six-month period ... that was very companies that are exactly so ... the market gets a day and databases is moving in so these trips and wraps but ... Kimberly though ... it's been a very big very strong few weeks in this comes after ... Avici that the whole taper tantrum the bread people through ... about future Fed policy when markets that the five six percent silk and Sen Allen ... recovered all that back to where was just a couple months ago its earnings season ... Earnings celebrate the ... Evernote second-quarter GDP ... as a stand on its Italian write ... an op somewhere GP is not going to be the correct hour we had actually lived on a cement factory this morning pretty good number right right ... that ... the economy is not really gone anywhere steamers alone don't deny it I hear a era the stock market is not worried at all exactly I mean right now I had these sorts of all anyone cares about its future Fed policy was breaking can and do it in a pullback in QE and keep it going whatever so ... yes the fundamentals right now I'd deftly taken a back seat because as you mention the earnings picture is mixed well cocoa mix ... in a race to designate an ASEAN economic growth is served just ... sputtering along and I'm really doing much ... but as long as the Fed is very accommodative people looking and saying why should now being different from ours and then ... the Fed in September ... the Fed meetings crying out ... there that it's a rate setting meeting to regularly scheduled meeting but there are a lot of people who think that they are going to announce something ... a policy change at that meeting ... so is this kind of the more right now just ... yelled waiting holding it absolutely I think this is as you mention the top of a sudden the dog days of summer down in the Dodd is to put a sort of waiting in hanging around and ... really just an sustain for that September meeting so ... whether they make a change or not that meeting they may ... here they don't make a change that meets our signal when they could make a change so that I think that's a very important meeting to keep an eye on but right now you know at the end of July and that's the meaning so for most clients so it ... was still stuck in this period ... so part of the financial ... it was so annoyed if you want just one song that guy got down to do some things that he ... backed by leading the pack a mean not fail me yes are set to


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David Austin® English Roses
David Austin® Roses are bred by crossing old garden roses with more modern roses to achieve the superb fragrance, delicacy and charm of the old-style blooms combined with the repeat flowering characteristics and wide color range of modern roses. Some English varieties are extra vigorous in warm areas as very large shrubs and some may want to become semi-climbers.
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I initially began my doctoral journey solely for intrinsic reasons. As a person who simply enjoys the process of learning, pursuing an advanced degree was a natural step in my life journey. Well, that, and I also made a promise to my grandmother that no matter what it took, I would obtain my doctorate sometime during my adult life. My doctoral journey was something that I was doing just for myself, just because I wanted to experience that particular level of challenge and engagement.
I knew that I'd learn a lot during the course of my studies at SPU, and I knew that my studies would also further my understanding of theory and knowledge as it applies to education in general. What I never really anticipated, however, was how useful and applicable my learning in doctoral program would be to my career. I'm happy to report that I have been pleasantly surprised at how much I have put my learning to work in my day-to-day work life. My doctorate has benefitted me in ways big and small in my professional pursuits, and for that I am doubly grateful that I persevered and completed the doctoral program at SPU.
Yes, it is true that having the letters "Ed.D." after one's name is a nice plus when you are a brand new building principal. Staff, colleagues, parents, and even kids seem to hold a hefty respect for that level of educational pursuit. That fact, in and of itself, has been a nice side benefit of my decision to complete the program. There just seems to be an inherent respect for a person who undertakes and completes a rigorous course of study from a well-respected program such as the one offered by SPU's School of Education. However, the true professional benefit of having my doctorate runs deeper than just providing others with a positive perception of my ability.
Prior to undertaking my doctorate, I had a basic knowledge of theory and relevant literature for the field of education, but now, I truly own the knowledge. In talking with staff, parents, or colleagues, I have an extensive learned knowledge base that I can pull from at any time, because after the intensive degree of research offered by the program, I now just "know" the information. Furthermore, I'm able to distill credible researchers and theorists from those who lack a basis for their conclusions. Even more important, I am able to concisely and clearly articulate why one theorist has credence while another may not, and I can do so without jargon or confusion. This has been enormously helpful as my building leadership team discusses pedagogical decisions for our team. I also learned the art of staying current on research trends, which I know will pay enormous dividends as my career progresses.
Another essential benefit to my work is the fact that the strong statistics emphasis provided in the SPU program has translated into my being able to guide my staff through assessment results in a way that I was not able to do previously. In this era of growing accountability for student performance, understanding the way in which assessments are crafted and evaluated is of paramount importance. Our discussions about state testing data and results were made more applicable and meaningful to our staff and students because I had the ability to clarify just what the results meant and how they translated into gains for student achievement. I was also able to take complicated results and craft trend data that was eminently more useful in our building discussions. Being able to handle staff questions about testing data, even highly detailed questions, felt very empowering to me and it clearly gave the staff confidence in my abilities as an instructional leader.
I began my doctoral work with the goal of making myself a better person and offering myself the opportunity to engage in extended and meaningful discourse with like-minded students. I concluded my doctoral work realizing thatthe experience transcended all of my expectations. Yes, I became a better person, and yes, I ended the program with a wonderful cohort of intelligent and dedicated educators whom I now call my friends. However, the journey transcended my expectations due to how it is benefitting not just me, but how it's also benefitting my school community. I am already witnessing the ripple effect of this on my staff and students. It is my hope that I can continue to translate those small ripples into greater and greater effects on the achievement of my students.
Laurynn Evans, Ed.D.
Rose Hill Junior High School
Stella Schola Middle School
firstname.lastname@example.com / 425.881.2079
photo credits: http://www.flickr.com/photos/catspyjamasnz/


text: Argentine Jesuit scholar shares insider view of Pope Francis News Home 11.13.13 By: Mark Tarnacki Pope Francis is leading a "common sense revolution" in the Catholic Church, says the Rev. Gustavo Morello, SJ, one of the pope's fellow Jesuits from Argentina. Morello, who spoke twice at Saint Michael's College on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, examined the theology, history and personality behind potential sea-changes for the church under his countryman, the former Argentine Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio. "But be clear - he's not Che Guevera," said Morello, referencing Latin America's iconic countercultural political revolutionary of the 1950s and 60s who was a Marxist from Argentina. Rather, Francis - is "an institutional kind of guy" whose "austerity is authentic" though "he's not naïve about power," said the sociologist/priest, speaking in the new Dion Family Student Center the evening of October 31. Hosts for his visit were the Center for Faith and Culture and the Department of Sociology/Anthropology. The roily complexity of Argentina's political and social history through the 20th century is hard to cut through and understand well, but Morello said through it all, competing outlooks from places of power have focused on the problem of the poor either with a "liberationist" or "paternalistic" agenda. Francis, however, "is neither liberationist or paternalistic," he said, but simply (though insistently) "acknowledging the fact of the poor" through the Gospel lens of a "classical theology." Argentina has developed a "theology of culture" built on a notion of "the people" - their common history and values - rather than "the poor," thereby stressing what souls across society have to offer instead of what they lack. In his Thursday talk, Morello described political instability under which Bergoglio joined the Society of Jesus, first with revolution in the air across Latin America in the early 1960s on the heels of Castro's Cuban revolution, then under a reactionary anti-communist "national security state' that arose in Argentina in the late 1960s. The general who seized power in 1966 looked to the church for support, naming church leaders to his cabinet and trying to impose Catholicism all over the country. "The bishops at the time loved it," Morello said (Bergoglio was not yet a bishop then). But in the same era, Catholicism began purposely engaging the poor in Latin America as never before, creating a paradox in Argentina: just as the Church opened to dialogue about those poor, the government closed the conversations out of fear of communists. Posters that Morello showed from the period via PowerPoint depicted Christ carrying a gun as a guerrilla fighter. He noted that Bergoglio became a provincial novice master in this period at age 33 in 1969. The following years, up to 1985, were difficult for the country with "state terrorists" killing roughly 13,000 people at least - comparable to U.S. losses in Vietnam. Morello also described persecution of the La Salette order of priests including kidnappings and torture. Driving the government perpetrators was this notion of themselves as "anti-secular Catholics" fighting "communism" - "which was a label for everything that was against them," Morello said. Priests advocating for the poor like the La Salettes were seen as communist infiltrators. The official church response, Morello said, seemed to be "that we, the church, as mother, cannot take sides" because both groups in this dichotomy called themselves Catholics. Morello said Francis' early writings echo Juan Peron, whose government (1946-1955) shared with the church a doctrine of "social justice" and the idea of a state that mediates in class conflicts and evens out social inequalities. But the deadly coup ousting Peron was done in the name of Catholicism too. Morello said against this backdrop, Pope Francis "has a problem with anti-secular Catholics." The speaker said that while he's a sociologist, he's also a believer so he feels Francis "got a call." And "the press loves him - the press has changed its attitude toward the church based on this new pope," he said. "But the cardinals elected him, not the Jesuits, so he leads a group of cardinals trying to take the church in a different direction." Challenges for the pope, Morello said, include the fact that Asia and Africa are virtually unknown cultures to Argentinians, and yet so critical in the church's present and future; another challenge is that Francis doesn't speak English, and "his record shows a lack of awareness on gender issues - he comes from a machismo culture." Finally, "he will get so many requests from so many and will disappoint someone, since he can't make everyone happy." But "clearly he's inspiring a lot of people who were previously disappointed with the church," said Morello, who personally takes it as a good sign that certain hardline factions in the church seem unsettled by Francis. "The way he explains the faith makes a lot of sense to people, which hadn't always been the case with his predecessors," he said. Morello also spoke to students and faculty on Nov. 1, All Saints Day, at noon in the Farrell Room, about "Secularization and the transformation of Latin American Catholicism." Though secularizing a lot compared to the past, he said, in Latin America, "the state needs church resources" - for education, for helping migrants and in other areas. "They can't get rid of the church because they need it," he said, noting widespread popular religious feeling even in laicized countries, with Pentecostalism and atheism on the rise too as emerging political forces. Media, he said, have been "huge in changing how people engage religion, but pluralization didn't mean liberalization" - Catholics and evangelicals have become allies on conservative social causes. "Latin America remains a Catholic continent - half the Catholics in the world live there," he said, but with ever fewer priests to serve so many, "there's a new way of living popular Catholicism. Going to a shrine you don't need a priest," he said. "It's Catholicism on your own" that seems to prevail today, a "cafeteria Catholicism where we choose and decide, and it's not just progressives, it's conservatives too. We're witnessing a different way of viewing authority - you must be persuasive and more inviting now. We can't go back to imposing." He told a questioner that Liberation Theology, so controversial and widespread in the 1970s across Latin America, is now "more a theology than a social practice." The Jesuit view, he said, is that "We should be engaged in culture. God is there in the world," so whatever the cultural landscape, "we should be able to discover the work of God."