Skip to content

{ Category Archives } Commentary

The World Is What We Make It, So Make it Something Good – article by Oliver Ackermann

An opinion piece by Oliver Ackermann, “The World Is What We Make It, So Make it Something Good“, was recently published in Premier Guitar. It is available online at https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/29723-How-Music-Improves-Your-Life I wanted to post the text here in case the link goes away. www.premierguitar.com/articles/29723-How-Music-Improves-Your-Life The World Is What We Make It, So Make it Something Good […]

Tagged , ,

About dying – when the river stops

I recently read I Curse the River of Time by Per Petterson. AN introspective story of son and Mother. The title comes form a quote of Chairman Mao. Time does not stand still, things change. Petterson makes an excellent observation about dying, when the river stops. “.. but when it came to dying, I was […]

Tagged , , ,

Brief Review. Liberty or Death: A Thea Kozak Mystery by Kate Flora

Liberty or Death: A Thea Kozak Mystery by Kate Flora Another or Flora’s books that feature Thea Kozak a competent business woman who is put in a difficult situation – the kidnapping of her groom on her wedding day – and who rises tot he situation to triumph (of course). The story involves right-wing militia […]

Tagged ,

Brief review. Strange Shores: An Inspector Erlendur Novel by Arnaldur Indridason

Strange Shores: An Inspector Erlendur Novel (An Inspector Erlendur Series) by Arnaldur Indridason The latest in the Inspector Erlendur series by Indridason. These setting for these books is Iceland. The previous ones primarily take place in Reykjavík. This takes place in the eastern part of Iceland, in the rural area where Erlendur grew up and […]

Tagged , ,

Brief review. The Minotaur’s Head: An Inspector Mock Investigation by Marek Krajewski

The Minotaur’s Head: An Inspector Mock Investigation by Marek Krajewski One of the cover reviews stated that this is “as noir as it gets.” No objection to that assessment. An interesting, but dark, male view of the world in Poland of the 1930s. There’s a mystery to be solved about a sordid murder. he investigators […]

Tagged , ,

Brief review. The Last Taxi Ride: A Ranjit Singh Novel by A. X. Ahmad

The Last Taxi Ride: A Ranjit Singh Novel by A. X. Ahmad Taking place in New York City we’er led through the lives of the emigre Indian and Pakistani population. This view of NY was unknown to me, but Ahmad makes it entirely plausible as well as presenting a story that contains suspense and danger […]

Tagged ,

Brief review. The Boy in the Snow: An Edie Kiglatuk Mystery by M. J. McGrath

The Boy in the Snow: An Edie Kiglatuk Mystery by M J McGrath This is the 2nd in the series of three books by M. J. McGrath that I’ve read. This one has several of the same characters as the others – Edie Kiglatuk and Derek Palliser. This one takes place in Alaska – far […]

Tagged , ,

Brief review. The Miniaturist: A Novel by Jessie Burton

The Miniaturist: A Novel by Jessie Burton The end of the 1600s in Amsterdam, its power beginning to wane. A very interesting view into a relatively short period of a new wife arriving into a well-established and affluent household with its rules and secrets. There are many rules and one fundamental secret! Nicely written and […]

Tagged , ,

Brief review. The Bone Seeker: An Edie Kiglatuk Mystery (Edie Kiglatuk Mysteries) by M. J. McGrath

The Bone Seeker: An Edie Kiglatuk Mystery (Edie Kiglatuk Mysteries) by M. J. McGrath The third in McGrath’s series of mysteries featuring Edie Kiglatuk and Derek Pallister. Edie is the primary protagonist. They both live in the Canadian Arctic. She is a private citizen who often works as a teacher or guide. He is a regional policeman […]

Tagged , ,

Obituary average, December 21, 2014: 70

The average age of those listed in the ten obituaries in the December 21, 2014 Free Lance-Star was 70. The median was 82.5 with a sample standard deviation of 18.16. The ages ranged from 47 to 100. This is the sixteenth day I’ve been collecting this data. The mean of  obituary average ages  using {77.375,64,74.143, 62.5, 55,66.8333, 74.11,71.27,68.82, 76.92,63,76.71,70.75,76.24,77} at Wolfram alpha […]

Tagged