Monday, January 26, 2015

Aunt Agatha's New & Used Mysteries, Detection & True Crime Books  "We have many, many books, used and new, that are not listed on our website, about 25,000 in all.  Come in and browse and find a treasure, or give us a call or drop us an email to inquire.  You can also search our inventory and order titles via our ABE Books page."  Aunt Agatha's, located in Ann Arbor, MI, won the  2014 Raven Award, presented by Mystery Writers of America.  Established in 1953, the award recognizes outstanding achievement in the mystery field outside the realm of creative writing.  http://auntagathas.com/aa/

Off of  Problem:  Of is unneeded.  Solution:  Substitute off or from.  (See list of wordy phrases at http://grammarist.com/wordiness/.)
Based off and its alternate form, based off of  Problem:  misuse of word based.  Solution:  Substitute based on.

Jan. 22, 2015  It’s been a long road bringing Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars trilogy (Red Mars, Green Mars, and Blue Mars) to the small screen.  First it was James Cameron who held the rights, with the intention of creating a five-hour miniseries; later, Gale Ann Hurd had a similar idea, intended for Syfy.  The next network to set its sights on the trilogy was AMC, back in 2008 and fresh off the start of Mad Men and Breaking Bad.  Finally, Spike TV took over the rights—and according to Deadline, they’ve signed on Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski to adapt Red MarsRed Mars tracks the early colonization and terraforming of Mars, as told through the perspectives of the First Hundred who are chosen to leave behind an Earth suffering from overpopulation, ecological disasters, and the emergence of transnational corporations threatening to overthrow the world’s governments.  On Mars, the First Hundred debate the ethics of terraforming, namely how much power humans should have over an entirely new planet.  “The heart of this series tackles the question of what it means to be human—and can we sustain our humanity under incredible duress,” said Sharon Levy, Spike TV’s Executive VP of Original Series.  Robinson will serve as consultant on the series, which is being produced by Game of Thrones co-executive producer Vince Gerardis.  http://www.tor.com/blogs/2015/01/j-michael-straczynski-red-mars-spike-tv  "The three novels — Red Mars (1993), Green Mars (1994), and Blue Mars (1996), which have won Nebula and Hugo Awards — are regarded as the best books written on the subject, and a holy grail for science fiction fans."  

What was fake on the Internet this week:  40-pound babies, topless Willow Smith and a double dose of UFOs by Caitlin Dewey  Find this week's nonsense you probably shouldn't share at http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2015/01/23/what-was-fake-on-the-internet-this-week-40-pound-babies-topless-willow-smith-and-a-double-dose-of-ufos/

Jan. 22, 2015  More than 5,000 precious artifacts from the past have been recovered in an operation by the Carabinieri that has been described as the biggest recovery of stolen archeological items in history.  The collection comprises vases, bronzes, statues and frescoes, including rare pieces, stolen from different Italian archeological sites, spanning a period of 1,000 years, from the 1st century BC to the 2-3rd century AD.  They are estimated to be worth 40 million euros.  The items were found following an international investigation that began with the recovery of a vase by one of the most active ancient Greek vase painters in Southern Italy, Asteas, at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles.  The Carabinieri recovered the items, smuggled illegally from sites in Southern Italy for at least ten years; the antiquities still there were going to be restored and sold abroad.  Authorities plan to return the items to the archaeological museums of their supposed areas of origin, namely Lazio, Campania, Sardinia, Puglia, Basilicata and Sicily, where they will go on display for the public to see.   Silvia Donati   http://www.italymagazine.com/news/carabinieri-recover-biggest-stolen-archeology-collection-history

Klay Thompson set an NBA record for points in a quarter by scoring 37 points in the third quarter during Golden State's 126-101 home victory over Sacramento on January 23, 2015.  The previous mark of 33 points was shared by two renowned scorers: George Gervin and Carmelo Anthony.  Gervin set his mark in the second quarter of an April 9, 1978 game between the Spurs and the New Orleans Jazz. Anthony's outburst came in the third quarter of a Dec. 10, 2008 game between the Nuggets and TimberwolvesThompson's nine three-pointers in the third quarter also set an NBA record, eclipsing the previous record of eight three-pointers in a quarter, which had been shared by Michael Redd and Joe Johnson.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS:  Toledo Museum of Art 2015 Exhibitions
Drawn, Cut & Layered:  The Art of Werner Pfeiffer  Feb. 6-May 3, Canaday Gallery and Gallery I   For more than 50 years, Werner Pfeiffer (German-American, born 1937) has experimented with the multiple uses of paper as both a canvas and a structural material.  Much of his work as a sculptor, printmaker and painter suggests an attraction to machines and machine-like constructions.  The nearly 200 limited-edition and unique works of art in this exhibition include drawings, dimensional prints, 3-D collage, and sculptural and experimental books.
Best in Show: Animal Illustrations from the Mazza Collection  Feb. 13-July 5, Gallery 18  The Mazza Museum in Findlay, Ohio, holds the largest collection of original artwork by children’s book illustrators in the world.  About 50 works from that collection are on loan to the Toledo Museum of Art in this exhibition presented by the Marathon Petroleum Corporation.  Best in Show explores the theme of pets—all types of pets—as illustrated in children’s picture books from the 1930s to the present.
The American Civil War:  Through Artists’ Eyes  April 3-July 5, Galleries 28 & 29   This exhibition depicts major events of the American Civil War as seen through the eyes of the artist.  Commemorating the 150th anniversary of the end of the war, The American Civil War features approximately 50 objects drawn from the Toledo Museum of Art collection and local institutions and collections, including a monumental painting of the Battle of Cold Harbor by Gilbert Gaul that depicts Battery H, an artillery unit that included many soldiers from Northwest Ohio.
Gifts on Paper from The Apollo Society  April 10-May 31, Gallery 6   This installation contains all 10 works on paper given during the group’s history.  Objects—done in charcoal, ink, oil, photography, lithography, etching and wood engraving—include Paul Colin’s Art Deco portfolio Le tumulte noir (The Black Craze) featuring a young Josephine Baker; the 1570 seminal treatise Four Books of Architecture by Andrea Palladio and the monumental, meticulously drawn Clear, Wondrous, Ancient, Strange showing the four ancient cypresses growing at the foot of Dengwei Mountain in China.
Play Time  May 22-Sept. 6, Museum and Grounds/Select Toledo Locations   Play Time celebrates the art of diversion and engages visitors in multi-sensory, interactive installations across the entire 36-acre Museum campus and in select locations across the city.  Works include a giant red ball appearing in unexpected locations throughout the city; pop-up and temporary performances throughout the summer utilizing puppetry, pageantry and spectacle; and interactive works both indoors and outdoors.  Play Time opens Memorial Day weekend and closes Labor Day weekend.
From the Collection:  Three Hundred Years of French Landscape Painting  July 17-Oct. 11, Gallery 18   Drawn entirely from the holdings of the Toledo Museum of Art, From the Collection: Three Hundred Years of French Landscape Painting contains a single, stunning example selected from each of the many styles that define the French tradition of depicting scenes in nature.
Degas and the Dance–A Focus Exhibition  Oct. 15, 2015-Jan. 10, 2016, Canaday Gallery
Little Dancer of Fourteen Years, on loan from the Clark Art Institute of Williamstown, Massachusetts, occupies center stage in this exhibition that revolves around Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas (1834–1917), one of France’s leading Impressionists.  Twelve other works on the subject of ballet, including bronze sculptures and paintings, will be shown. 


http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 1248  January 26, 2015  
On this date in 1837, Michigan was admitted as the 26th U.S. state.  
On this date in 1838, Tennessee enacted the first prohibition law in the United States.

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