Welcome to Black Cat Weekly #24—another great issue packed with new and classic mystery, fantasy, and science fiction. Here are: Mystery and Suspense: THE ADVENTURE OF THE CURIOUS CUBE, by A.L. Sirois A JAR FULL OF CHARITY, by Hal Charles THE SLEEPER CAPER, by Richard S. Prather WHERE THE STRANGE ONES GO, by Steve Hockensmith IT NEVER GOT INTO THE PAPERS, by Hulbert Footner WON BY MAGIC, by Nicholas Carter Science Fiction and Fantasy: PANCHO VILLA’S FLYING CIRCUS, by Ernest Hogan THE ENGINEER, by Frederik Pohl and C.M. Kornbluth THE DATE, by Larry Tritten TRAUMEREI, by Charles Beaumont KING OF THE HILL, by James Blish THE OLD ONES HEAR, by Malcolm Jameson
In 1987, Allan Bloom’s The Closing of the American Mind was published; a wildly popular book that drew attention to the shift in American culture away from the tenants that made America—and Americans—unique. Bloom focused on a breakdown in the American curriculum, but many sensed that the issue affected more than education. The very essence of what it meant to be an American was disappearing. That was over twenty years ago. Since then, the United States has experienced unprecedented wealth, more youth enrolling in higher education than ever before, and technology advancements far beyond what many in the 1980s dreamed possible. And yet, the state of the American mind seems to have deteriorated further. Benjamin Franklin’s “self-made man” has become a man dependent on the state. Independence has turned into self-absorption. Liberty has been curtailed in the defense of multiculturalism. In order to fully grasp the underpinnings of this shift away from the self-reliant, well-informed American, editors Mark Bauerlein and Adam Bellow have brought together a group of cultural and educational experts to discuss the root causes of the decline of the American mind. The writers of these fifteen original essays include E. D. Hirsch, Nicholas Eberstadt, and Dennis Prager, as well as Daniel Dreisbach, Gerald Graff, Richard Arum, Robert Whitaker, David T. Z. Mindich, Maggie Jackson, Jean Twenge, Jonathan Kay, Ilya Somin, Steve Wasserman, Greg Lukianoff, and R. R. Reno. Their essays are compiled into three main categories: States of Mind: Indicators of Intellectual and Cognitive Decline These essays broach specific mental deficiencies among the population, including lagging cultural IQ, low Biblical literacy, poor writing skills, and over-medication. Personal and Cognitive Habits/Interests These essays turn to specific mental behaviors and interests, including avoidance of the news, short attention spans, narcissism, and conspiracy obsessions. National Consequences These essays examine broader trends affecting populations and institutions, including rates of entitlement claims, voting habits, and a low-performing higher education system. The State of the American Mind is both an assessment of our current state as well as a warning, foretelling what we may yet become. For anyone interested in the intellectual fate of America, The State of the American Mind offers an accessible and critical look at life in America and how our collective mind is faring.
Welcome to Black Cat Weekly #45. This is an fun issue, and I’ve selected Tobias S. Buckell’s fantasy “The Fisher Dragon” as the cover story. (I must admit to having a fondness for dragons. The very first story I sold professionally, way back at the dawn of time when I was 16 years old, was about a dragon. And they appear in several of my novels, most notably Master of Dragons.) Thanks to acquiring editor Cynthia Ward for selecting it. Black Cat’s other acquiring editors are represented in this issue, too—Michael Bracken selected an original mystery from John M. Floyd, and Barb Goffman has a tale about a retired detective by Steve Hockensmith (whose “Holmes on the Range” series of historical mystery stories are must-reads, as far as I’m concerned. Check then out if you get a chance.) And last (but not least), Darrell Schweitzer unearthed one of his paleo-interviews for us—this time with Craig Shaw Gardner. It's from the 1990s, when Gardner had just become a best-selling author, thanks to his Batman movie novelization. And we have classics by George O. Smith, Henry Kuttner, and many others, including a 1915 Nick Carter mystery novel. And, of course, a modern solve-it-yourself mystery from Hal Charles (the writing team of Hal Blythe and Charlie Sweet). Here’s the complete lineup: Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “From Ten to Two” by John M. Floyd [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “An Eggceptional Solution” Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “Frank” by Steve Hockensmith [Barb Goffman Presents short story] The Bush-Rancher, by Harold Bindloss [novel] The Suicide, by Nicholas Carter [novel] Non-Fiction: “Speaking with Craig Shaw Gardner” [Interview with Darrell Schweitzer] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “The Fisher Dragon”by Tobias S. Buckell [Cynthia Ward Presents short story] “Catspaw,” by George O. Smith [short story] “The Half-Haunted,” by Manly Wade Wellman [short story] “The Sea-Witch,” by Nictzin Dyalhis [short story] “Chameleon Man,” by Henry Kuttner [short story]
In recent decades, the number of satellites being built and launched into Earth’s orbit has grown immensely, alongside the field of space engineering itself. This book offers an in-depth guide to engineers and professionals seeking to understand the technologies behind Low Earth Orbit satellites. With access to special spreadsheets that provide the key equations and relationships needed for mastering spacecraft design, this book gives the growing crop of space engineers and professionals the tools and resources they need to prepare their own LEO satellite designs, which is especially useful for designers of small satellites such as those launched by universities. Each chapter breaks down the various mathematics and principles underlying current spacecraft software and hardware designs.
Ekaterinburg, Russia: July 16, 1918. Ten months have passed since Nicholas II’s reign was cut short by revolutionaries. Tonight, the White Army advances on the town where the Tsar and his family are being held captive by the Bolsheviks. Nicholas dares to hope for salvation. Instead, the Romanovs are coldly and methodically executed. Moscow: Present Day. Atlanta lawyer Miles Lord, fluent in Russian and well versed in the country’s history, is thrilled to be in Moscow on the eve of such a momentous event. After the fall of Communism and a succession of weak governments, the Russian people have voted to bring back the monarchy. The new tsar will be chosen from the distant relatives of Nicholas II by a specially appointed commission, and Miles’ job is to perform a background check on the Tsarist candidate favored by a powerful group of Western businessmen. But research quickly becomes the least of Miles’ concerns when he is nearly killed by gunmen on a city plaza. Suddenly Miles is racing across continents, shadowed by nefarious henchmen. At first, his only question is why people are pursuing him. But after a strange conversation with a mysterious Russian, who steers Miles toward the writings of Rasputin, he becomes desperate to know more–most important, what really happened to the family of Russia’s last tsar? His only companion is Akilina Petrov, a Russian circus performer sympathetic to his struggle, and his only guide is a cryptic message from Rasputin that implies that the bloody night of so long ago is not the last chapter in the Romanovs’ story . . . and that someone might even have survived the massacre. The prophecy’s implications are earth-shattering–not only for the future of the tsar and mother Russia, but also for Miles himself. Steve Berry, national bestselling author of the phenomenal thriller The Amber Room, once again delves into rich historical fact to produce an explosive page-turner. In The Romanov Prophecy, the authentic and the speculative meld into a fascinating and exceptionally suspenseful work of fiction.
For 25 years Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Perioperative Medicine A-Z has provided a comprehensive resource of the relevant aspects of pharmacology, physiology, anatomy, physics, statistics, medicine, surgery, general anaesthetic practice, intensive care, equipment, and the history of anaesthesia and intensive care. Originally prepared as essential reading for candidates for the Fellowship of the Royal College of Anaesthetists and similar exams, this fully updated edition will also prove as invaluable as ever for all anaesthetists and critical care physicians, as well as operating department practitioners and specialist nurses. The alphabetical arrangement with extensive cross-referencing ensures a full understanding of topics. The succinct and clear text and diagrams make for easy quick reference. The exam preparation checklist is ordered by key topics to facilitate effective revision. The contents are easily accessible with the accompanying ebook. There has been a substantial addition of new entries as well as revision of existing ones. This acknowledges the breadth of information needed to satisfy the range of activities performed by anaesthetic, intensive care, nursing and other colleagues, and also reflects the ever-changing field in which they all work. The consolidation of the role of anaesthetists as ‘perioperative physicians’ is reflected in additional entries of particular relevance and also by the enhanced title of the book. The structured ‘revision checklist’ of entries which is particularly useful to those preparing for examinations has been further developed for this edition.
Ron Nicholas and others bring together essays which address the principles and practice of helping Christians grow through small groups. 194 pages, paper
Drug Law Reform in East and Southeast Asia is a multi-author look at drugs in East and Southeast Asia, on drug policy, patterns and trends, local problems, human rights abuses, treatment prospects, and potential reforms. From the history of drugs in Asia, the book examines recent trends in illicit drugs, especially the present enormous amphetamine problems. It addresses recent policy shifts, especially harm reduction responses to the devastating drug-associated HIV epidemics. It explores further necessary reform, especially in regard to the abysmally inhuman current emphasis on detention and the death penalty for drug offences, and present the most recent evidence on effective and humane approaches to drug treatments. As the first comprehensive collection on illicit drug and harm reduction in East and Southeast Asia, it will be a vital resource for health professionals, policymakers, and others working there—and elsewhere—on drug policy reform. As the first comprehensive collection on illicit drugs and harm reduction in East and Southeast Asia, it will be a vital resource for health professionals, policymakers, and others working on East and Southeast Asia—and elsewhere—on drug policy.
1983. The US nuclear submarine USS Roanoke embarks on a classified spy mission into Soviet waters. Their goal: to find evidence of a new, faster, and deadlier Soviet submarine that could tip the balance of the Cold War. But the Roanoke crew isn't alone. Something is on board with them--something cunning and malevolent"--Publisher marketing.
Prince Oliver and the Winter Queen is set in a winter wonderland of snow-covered forests and frozen lakes, where magical secrets are revealed as magical abilities are discovered. A three-headed dog, flying horse and blue dragon are just some of the exciting creatures encountered along the way.
In this surreal & dramatic novel set at the dawn of World War I, a German merchant ship wrecks, and its crew of five drift their separate ways. This extraordinary novel, moodily operatic in tone and by turns hallucinatory and brilliantly detailed, follows the trajectories of four sailors and the owner of a German merchant ship, Yellow Sailor, which sets sail from Bremen in 1914. After the ship wrecks in shallow water, the men drift their separate ways, with each man’s journey across a desolate wartime European landscape becoming an exploration of the failure of love, sex, religion, and friendship . . . Julius Bernai, owner of the ship and frankly homosexual, checks into an institute for nervous disorders and falls in love with the doctor’s fiancée. Nicholas Bremml drifts: from the beds of numerous prostitutes to an oil tanker called Erwartung— Expectation—to Prague’s Jewish market, where he sells magic spells. Brothers Karl and Alois are equally rudderless, and Jacek, the electrician, goes to work in the mines, where his love advice to a fourteen-year-old Polish boy precipitates a macabre murder . . . Praise for The Yellow Sailor “The Yellow Sailor has the calamity of Voltaire, the disillusionment and venality of Brecht, Kasinski’s random horror, and Grosz’s population of leering businessmen and hard-bitten prostitutes. . . . It’s bold and unforgettable.” —David Finkle, Trenton Times
Benjamin Wilson has always been a bit different. All his life he's experienced mysterious things that color his world and set him apart. Not only does he see ghosts--he also has the uncanny ability to sense impending danger. To shield his family and save his own life, Ben goes on the run. His only path to safety leads to a most dangerous place.
In the middle of the night, a father is murdered, and a mother is left for dead after a brutal ax attack. Before doctors try to save the woman?s life, police say she told them her son is the one who did it - even though he?s attending a prestigious college over three hours away. As the boy?s mother hangs on for dear life, she wakes up in the hospital with no memory of the attack, and now believes her son to be innocent of the crime. But investigators are sure they?ve got their man - Christopher Porco - a tall, handsome student with plenty of debt and bad grades. It?s a murder that shattered a family, shook the New York Capital Region, and made national news. Now, a leading local reporter takes you from the murder scene to the verdict, providing an unprecedented look at the evidence and allegations - from DNA to possible Mafia involvement - in a case that?s as unbelievable as it is true.
Scary tales from Nova Scotia, by the author of The Tatterdemon Omnibus and Where the Ghosts Are: A Guide to Nova Scotia’s Spookiest Places. This is a collection of ghost stories from Nova Scotia—from the restless spirits of Devil’s Island to the Black Dog of Antigonish Harbour. Documented and well-known stories from the provincial archives are mixed with word-of-mouth legends of strange happenings and scary sightings from across the province. Author Steve Vernon relies on his storytelling experience to create moody and terrifying tales from the annals of history. Praise for Steve Vernon “Writing with a rare swagger and confidence, Steve Vernon can lead his readers through an entire gamut of emotions from outright fear and repulsion to pity and laughter.” —Cemetery Dance
A study of Lenin and the Russian Revolution. It is designed to fulfil the AS and A Level specifications in place from September 2000. The AS section deals with narrative and explanation of the topic. The A2 section reflects the different demands of the higher level examination.
This edited collection examines how fantasy sports play has established a prominent and promising foothold in the larger sports ecology. Often considered an isolated activity for the hardcore sports fan, fantasy sports play have since been incorporated into sports broadcasting and editorial coverage, sports marketing and promotions, and even into the very sports themselves with athletes and teams using the activities to draw fans further into the sports experience. This edited collection invites leading scholars and sports professionals from several different fields to share historical and emerging perspectives on the importance of fantasy sports as an artifact of theoretical and empirical importance to larger issues of sport and society.
The Guide to New York's Neighborhoods is written for people contemplating a move to the City or who have recently moved there. The guide includes profiles of neighborhoods throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. Each neighborhood profile is written by a writer who either lives or has a close connection to the neighborhood they are writing about. The authors attempt to provide an accurate profile of both the good and the bad each neighborhood offers. The neighborhoods profiled include: Alphabet City, Astoria, Bay Ridge, Carroll Gardens, Chinatown, Clinton Hill, Cobble Hill, East Village, Fort Greene, Greenpoint, Hamilton Heights, Harlem, Hudson Heights/Fort Tryon, Little Italy, Meatpacking District, Midtown West, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Upper West Side, Washington Heights, and Williamsburg. Each profile includes descriptions of the parks and restaurants in each neighborhood as well as giving you a sense of the different types of people living there. You will find out what they do and where they do it. Is it good for public transportation or not really. Is it dead on the weekend or bustling with hipsters? With each writer's local knowledge you will get a feel for the many different places to live in New York.
Ron Nicholas and others discuss how to begin and improve small groups in the church, stressing the need for a balance of nurture, worship, community and mission. 188 pages, paper
The story starts with two young brothers, 12-year-old Oliver and 5-year-old Nicholas, on a cold winter's day. Whilst Oliver goes in search of adventure, Nicholas is kidnapped for a king's ransom, travelling to a magical kingdom where they get caught up in a race to retrieve a magical crystal egg. Unexpected friendships are made along the way as they encounter an array of mythical beasts. Set amidst a rainbow-coloured forest, a fairy resides in her crystal palace, her foe lives in a moated castle. Which one will retrieve the magical crystal egg, and will Oliver and Nicholas make it home again?
Put the essential concepts and techniques of digital compositing to work for you without the need of a single mathematical equation. Compositing Visual Effects is lavishly illustrated with hundreds of film shots, figures, illustrations, and diagrams to help the visual reader gain a valuable vocabulary and understanding of the full range of visual effects, in which digital compositing plays a key role. Beginning with an inspirational tour of the scope and magnitude of digital compositing, you get a solid overview of the kinds of digital effects routinely executed today. See how CGI is composited with live action, how set extensions are done, and what a match-move shot is. Following that you learn each of the key applications of digital compositing, which include bluescreen compositing, bullet-time shots, motion tracking, and rotoscoping. The subsequent chapters dig down into each of the major digital compositing applications, introducing the fundamental concepts, and processes behind them. Learn what is easy and hard, possible and impossible, and what to expect when working on a job that entails digital compositing. New to this edition are 4 new chapters on: * 3D compositing, with lessons on what camera tracking is, how it is used to put CGI into a live-action plate, as well as live action into a 3D scene. * Stereo compositing, with descriptions of key stereoscopic terms and concepts, lessons on compositing shots that were filmed in stereo (both bluescreen and CGI), as well as the stereo conversion process when a flat 2D movie is converted to a stereo 3D movie * RED and Digital Capture with Log Images, including log image formats. This is a very hot topic these days. Colleges hang around video because it is cheaper. Film is still big in the real world of production. * Tracking an entire project from start to finish This is in addition to robust updates on topics such as: * planar tracking, Z compositing, working with Anamorphic HD formats, mocap, and more This edition also includes a companion website with images from the book for you to work with in your own compositing exercises. An accessible introduction to a complex subject for novice and aspiring compositors, from experienced author and compositing whose compositing credits include Night at the Museum 2, Shutter Island, Solaris, Traffic, and more Full color presentation illustrating the art and techniques of the practice, provides inspiration along with instruction New to this edition is a companion website, new chapters on 3D compositing, stereo compositing, RED and digital capture with log images, and more will have you understanding the latest in compositing technology in no time
The cryptic question of what really happened to Russia's royal family on July 16, 1918, is answered in this sensational bestseller that is predicated on Rasputin's prophecy that the murder of the Romanovs was not the final chapter in their story.
Why isn't Easter on the same day every year? Where did the song "Kum Ba Yah" come from and what exactly does it mean? Why don't we know exactly how to pronounce God's name? What's the definition of those theological words like eschatology? hermeneutics? supralapsarianism? Can I join the Fellowship of Christian Cowboys? Who was St. Patrick and is it true he wasn't Irish? How is it that nearly every hotel room has a Gideon's Bible? Steve Wilkens offers answers and reflections on these and scores of other questions in this thoroughly instructional and often amusing almanac of things you should have learned in Sunday School, but somehow didn't. Also offered are quizzes on famous biblical phrases and definitions of theological terms. This volume is thoroughly instructional, and totally fun. A great gift! Market/Audience Gift buyers Humour readers Laypeople Endorsements "Almanacs are a wonderful American tradition. From Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanac to The Farmer's Almanac, people have been able to count on them to provide useful information, helpful hints about everything under the sun and occasional heart-warming stories. Year after year, they enrich our lives. Dr. Steve's Almanac is not like that." GARY W. MOON, Ph.D., vice president and chair of integration, Psychological Studies Institute, and author of Falling for God "I kept telling his dad that lead-based paint wasn't a very good idea when we repainted his bedroom." DR. STEVE'S MOM Features and Benefits A great gift book Instructional Humourous Packaged in "bite-sized nibbles
Offered as part of the sexcentenary commemoration of Chaucer's death, this very readable study examines Chaucer's impact on the academic and non-academic worlds of the 19th and 20th centuries. Chronological chapters assess Chaucer's impact on the Pre-Raphaelites, on W B Yeats, on Edwardian children's stories and on post-World War One authors. Ellis also considers modern translations and contrasts the relationship between academia's interest in Chaucer and his representation in the media and in historical fiction since the Second World War.
An invaluable and fascinating resource, this carefully edited anthology presents recent writings by leading legal historians, many commissioned for this book, along with a wealth of related primary sources by John Adams, James Barr Ames, Thomas Jefferson, Christopher C. Langdell, Karl N. Llewellyn, Roscoe Pound, Tapping Reeve, Theodore Roosevelt, Joseph Story, John Henry Wigmore and other distinguished contributors to American law. It is divided into nine sections: Teaching Books and Methods in the Lecture Hall, Examinations and Evaluations, Skills Courses, Students, Faculty, Scholarship, Deans and Administration, Accreditation and Association, and Technology and the Future. Contributors to this volume include Morris Cohen, Daniel R. Coquillette, Michael Hoeflich, John H. Langbein, William P. LaPiana and Fred R. Shapiro. Steve Sheppard is the William Enfield Professor of Law, University of Arkansas School of Law.
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