On this day in music history - Close Your Eyes, by Amy Lauren (2011):

Close Your Eyes

Album by Amy Lauren,

released August 12, 2011.

Track list:

A Mother’s Prayer; Bed of Stars; Calm Is the Night; I’m Right Here; Drifting Starlight; Angels Are Sleeping; Nighttime Falls; Midnight Song; Search the Stars; When You Sleep; Close Your Eyes; Goodnight.

Recommended reading - The Beekeeper's Bible: Bees, Honey, Recipes & Other Home Uses (2011):

The Beekeeper's Bible:
Bees, Honey, Recipes & Other Home Uses

By Richard A. Jones and Sharon Sweeney-Lynch.

Published 2011.

Hardcover.

ISBN-10: 1584799188

ISBN-13: 978-1584799184

Description:

The Beekeeper’s Bible is the essential and comprehensive handbook for every active or aspiring beekeeper.

Part history book, part handbook, part cookbook, this illustrated tome covers every facet of the ancient hobby of beekeeping, from safe hive management to the culinary, medicinal, cosmetic, and domestic uses of honey, beeswax, and pollen. With stunning illustrations and step-by-step photography, The Beekeeper’s Bible is the indispensable guide to beekeeping.

Complete practical beekeeping.

Bee history, trivia, and lore.

Uses for honey, beeswax, and pollen.

Recipes and craft projects.

Home remedies and beauty products.

On this day in music history - First Dance (2011):

First Dance

Album by Amy Lauren,

released August 11, 2011.

Track list:

Just for Tonight; I Believe; Emerald Mist; Beginning Now; Louisa’s Song; Inspirations; Candlelight; The Processional; First Dance; Can You Hear Me; Search the Stars.

On this day in movie history - Love (2011):

Love

directed and written by William Eubank,

was released in the United States on August 10, 2011.

Music by Angels & Airwaves.

Cast:

Gunner Wright, Corey Richardson, Bradley Horne, Nancy Stelle, Roger E. Fanter, Jesse Hotchkiss, Troy Mittleider, Brid Caveney, Ambyr Childers, B. Anthony Cohen, James C. Burns, Lee Bettencourt, Mark Eaton, Brian Vanik, Dan Figur, Jessica Rizo, Allison Curtis, Rachel Rosenstein, Mara LaFontaine, Paul Denubil, Bodie Bettencourt, Chris Kolbeck, Chase Rudolph, Adam Wagner, Josh Foster, Scott Chestnut, Francisco Jordan, Laurene Alvarado, Rhoda Pell, Olga Fonda, Julia Parker, Patrick M.J. Finerty, Alan Brown, Steve Bakken, Jasmine Waltz, Tia Streaty, Trisha Lafecha, Regan Tallen, L.V. Scott, Eugeune Vertel, Akiva David, Edwin M. Couleur, Nate Kolbeck, Danielle Ironfield, Steve Marshall, Kennith Minden, Laura Padrino, Bart Blackburn, Neil Ironfield, Ian Fenton.

On this day in movie history - The Captains (2011):

The Captains

documentary directed and written by William Shatner,

was released in the United States on July 22, 2011.
Music by Andy Milne.

Cast:

William Shatner, Patrick Stewart, Avery Brooks, Kate Mulgrew, Scott Bakula, Chris Pine, Christopher Plummer, Richard Arnold, Rene Auberjonois, Ira Steven Behr, John de Lancie, Paul Duraso, Jonathan Frakes, Sally Kellerman, Walter Koenig, Chase Masterson, Robert Picardo, Steve Ridolfi, Jeri Ryan, David R. Sparks Jr., Connor Trinneer, Nana Visitor, Grace Lee Whitney.

On this day in movie history - Sarah’s Key (2011):

Sarah’s Key

directed by Gilles Paquet-Brenner,

written by Serge Joncour and Gilles Paquet-Brenner,

based on the novel by Tatiana de Rosnay,

was released in the United States on July 22, 2011.
Music by Max Richter.

Cast:

Kristin Scott Thomas, Natasha Mashkevich, Arben Bajraktaraj, Mélusine Mayance, Charlotte Poutrel, Niels Arestrup, Dominique Frot, Frédéric Pierrot, Michel Duchaussoy, Gisèle Casadesus, Aidan Quinn, George Birt, Paige Jennifer Barr.

Recommended reading - The Best American Noir Of The Century (2011):

The Best American Noir Of The Century

Edited by James Ellroy and Otto Penzler.

Paperback.

Published 2011.

ISBN-10: 0547577443

ISBN-13: 978-0547577449

Back cover description:

“Well worth its impressive weight in gold, it would be a crime not to have this seminal masterpiece in your collection.” – New York Journal of Books.

In his introduction to The Best American Noir of the Century, James Ellroy writes, “Noir is the most scrutinized offshoot of the hard-boiled school of fiction… It’s the nightmare of flawed souls with big dreams and the precise how and why of the all-time sure thing that goes bad.” Offering the best examples of literary sure things gone bad, this collection ensures that nowhere else can readers find a darker, more thorough distillation of American noir fiction.

James Ellroy and Otto Penzler mined the past century to find this treasure trove of thirty-nine stories, with selections from James M. Cain, Mickey Spillane, Elmore Leonard, Patricia Highsmith, Harlan Ellison, Jeffrey Deaver, Joyce Carol Oates, Dennis Lahane, and many more.

“Delightfully devilish . . . A strange trek through the years that includes stories from household names in the hard-boiled genre to lesser-known authors who nonetheless can hold their own with the legends.” – Associated Press.

James Ellroy is the author of the Underworld U.S.A. trilogy – American Tabloid, The Cold Six Thousand, and Blood’s a Rover – and the L.A. Quartet novels, The Black Dahlia, The Big Nowhere, L.A. Confidential, and White Jazz. His most recent book is The Hillicker Curse, a memoir.

Otto Penzler is the founder of the Mysterious Bookshop and Mysterious Press, has won two Edgar Allan Poe Awards (most recently for The Lineup), and is series editor of The Best American Mystery Stories.

Contents:

Foreword by Otto Penzler; Introduction by James Ellroy; Spurs, by Tod Robbins; Pastorale, by James M. Cain; You'll always remember me, by Steve Fisher; Gun crazy, by MacKinlay Kantor; Nothing to worry about, by Day Keene; The homecoming, by Dorothy B. Hughes; Man in the dark, by Howard Browne; The lady says die!, by Mickey Spillane; Professional man, by David Goodis; The hunger, by Charles Beaumont; The gesture, by Gil Brewer; The last spin, by Evan Hunter; Forever after, by Jim Thompson; For the rest of her life, by Cornell Woolrich; The dripping, by David Morrell; Slowly, slowly in the wind, by Patricia Highsmith; Iris, by Stephen Greenleaf; A ticket out, by Brendan DuBois; Since I don't have you, by James Ellroy; Texas city, by James Lee Burke; Mefisto in onyx, by Harlan Ellison; Out there in the darkness, by Ed Gorman; Hot spings, by James Crumley; The weekender, by Jeffery Deaver; Faithless, by Joyce Carol Oates; Poachers, by Tom Franklin; Like a bone in the throat, by Lawrence Block; Crack, by James W. Hall; Running out of dog, by Dennis Lehane; The paperhanger, by William Gay; Midnight emissions, by F.X. Toole; When the women come out to dance, by Elmore Leonard; Controlled burn, by Scott Wolven; All through the house, by Christopher Coake; What she offered, by Thomas H. Cook; Her lord and master, by Andrew Klavan; Stab, by Chris Adrian; The hoarder, by Bradford Morrow; Missing the morning bus, by Lorenzo Carcaterra.

Recommended reading - Backyard Homesteading: A Back-to-Basics Guide to Self-Sufficiency (2011):

Backyard Homesteading: A Back-to-Basics Guide to Self-Sufficiency

by David Toht.

Grow and preserve your own vegetables, fruits, nuts, and berries, keep chickens, goats, and bees.
Make Beer, Wine, and Cider.

Published 2011.

ISBN-10: 1580115217
ISBN-13: 978-1580115216
Creative Homeowner

Back cover description:

BACKYARD HOMESTEADING

GETTING STARTED

Benefits of pure food
Family recreation
Local regulations
Potential yields and savings

RAISING VEGETABLES AND HERBS

Garden planning/layout
Structures/irrigation
Vegetable profiles
Planting techniques
Composting/healthy soil
Seasonal gardening

GROWING FRUITS, BERRIES, AND NUTS

Planting fruit trees and bushes
Fruit profiles
Organic pest control
Grafting and pruning
Harvesting methods

RAISING CHICKENS

The joy of chickens
Collecting eggs
Care and feeding tips
Other small animals

RAISING GOATS

Benefits of goat milk
Structures/fencing
Care and feeding tips
Other large animals

BEEKEEPING

Benefits of beekeeping
Care and harvesting
Building hives
Collecting honey

HARVEST HOME

Canning/drying/freezing
Making beer, wine, cider
Making jerky, sausage
Making jams, jellies
Pickling/salting/smoking
Building root cellars

On this day in music history - Islands: Essential Einaudi, by Ludovico Einaudi (2011):

Islands: Essential Einaudi

Album by Ludovico Einaudi,

released June 27, 2011.

Credits:

I Giorni; The Earth Prelude; Le Onde (The Waves); Nightbook; Divenire; Dietro Casa (Nearby Home); Fairytale; Nuvole Bianche (White Clouds); Passagio (Passage); Primavera (Spring); Nefeli; Questa Notte (Tonight); Berlin Song; Melodia Africana 3; High Heels; White Night; L’ Origine Nascosta (The Hidden Source); Love Is a Mystery; Monday; Lady Labyrinth; Solo; Ancora (Again); Andare (To Go); Eros; Indaco (Indigo); Fly; Oltremare (Ultramarine).

On this day in music history - lovestrong, by Christina Perri (2011):

lovestrong

Album by Christina Perri,
released May 10, 2011.

Track list:

Bluebird; Arms; Bang Bang Bang; Distance; Jar of Hearts; Mine; Interlude; Penguin; Miles; The Lonely; Sad Song; Tragedy; [CD-ROM Track] [Multimedia Track].

Recommended reading - Master Shots Volume 2, by Christopher Kenworthy (2011):

Master Shots

Volume 2

100 Ways to Shoot Great Dialogue Scenes

By Christopher Kenworthy.

Published by Michael Wiese Productions.

Published 2011.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 1615930558

ISBN-13: 978-1615930555

Description:

Dialogue scenes are the most important moments in your film, but most directors get them wrong. If you block your scenes well, you do more than capture the basic scene; you echo the meaning, emotion, and drama of every moment. That is never more important than with dialogue. Whatever your budget, there is an exciting way to capture dialogue. It is a tragedy that so many directors are happy to open a scene with a moving master shot, and then just settle into dull coverage for the dialogue. You can do better than that and Master Shots Vol 2 gives you 100 ways to shoot dynamic dialogue.

On this day in television history – Justified (2010 & 2011):

Justified

Season 1. Episode 8.
Episode entitled: Blowback.
Released May 4, 2010.
Directed by Jon Avnet.
Written by Graham Yost, Benjamin Cavell, Wendy Calhoun and Chris Provenzano.
Based on the short story Fire in the Hole by Elmore Leonard.
Music by Steve Porcaro.

Cast:

Timothy Olyphant, Nick Searcy, Joelle Carter, Jacob Pitts, Erica Tazel, Natalie Zea, W. Earl Brown, Jere Burns, M.C. Gainey, Rick Gomez, Fredric Lehne, William Ragsdale, Walton Goggins, David Haley, Chris Stacy, David Hill.

Justified

Season 2. Episode 13.
Episode entitled: Bloody Harlan.
Released May 4, 2011.
Directed by Michael Dinner.
Written by Graham Yost, Fred Golan, Benjamin Cavell and VJ Boyd.
Based on the short story Fire in the Hole by Elmore Leonard.
Music by Steve Porcaro.

Cast:

Timothy Olyphant, Nick Searcy, Joelle Carter, Jacob Pitts, Erica Tazel, Natalie Zea, Walton Goggins, Margo Martindale, Jeremy Davies, Kaitlyn Dever, James Le Gros, David Meunier, Peter Murnik, Kevin Rankin, Joseph Lyle Taylor, Raymond J. Barry, Randolph Adams, Mark Atteberry, Sean Donnellan, William Gregory Lee, Tonja Kahlens, Savannah McReynolds, Ryan Smith, Andrey Batt, Jeremy Timmins, Seth Yohnka.

On this day in television history - Justified (2011):

Justified

Season 2. Episode 12.

Episode entitled: Reckoning.

Released April 27, 2011.

Directed by Adam Arkin.

Written by Graham Yost, Dave Andron, Benjamin Cavell and VJ Boyd.

Based on the short story Fire in the Hole by Elmore Leonard.

Music by Steve Porcaro.

Cast:

Timothy Olyphant, Nick Searcy, Joelle Carter, Jacob Pitts, Erica Tazel, Natalie Zea, Walton Goggins, Margo Martindale, Jeremy Davies, Kaitlyn Dever, David Meunier, Peter Murnik, Kevin Rankin, Richard Speight Jr., Joseph Lyle Taylor, Raymond J. Barry, Kacey Camp, Sean Donnellan, Tonja Kahlens, Savannah McReynolds, Abby Miller, Ryan Smith, Nick Warnock, Jeremy Timmins.

On this day in music history - Be Here, by Rachel Platten (2011):

Be Here

Album by Rachel Platten,

released April 26, 2011.

Track list:

Nothing Ever Happens; Overwhelmed; Don't Care What Time It Is; 53 Steps; Little Light; 1000 Ships; Take These Things Away; You Don't Have To Go; All I Seem To Do; Remark.

On this day in television history - Justified (2011):

Justified

Season 2. Episode 11.

Episode entitled: Full Commitment.

Released April 20, 2011.

Directed by Peter Werner.

Written by Graham Yost and Benjamin Cavell.

Based on the short story Fire in the Hole by Elmore Leonard.

Music by Steve Porcaro.

Cast:

Timothy Olyphant, Nick Searcy, Joelle Carter, Jacob Pitts, Erica Tazel, Natalie Zea, Walton Goggins, Margo Martindale, Jeremy Davies, Jere Burns, Matt Craven, Linda Gehringer, Mickey Jones, David Meunier, William Ragsdale, Kevin Rankin, Richard Speight Jr., Joseph Lyle Taylor, Raymond J. Barry, Boo Arnold, Bow Borden, Patrick Cox, Allen Cutler, Fitz Houston, Steve Humphreys, Jonathan Kowalsky, William Gregory Lee, Stefan Marks, Ryan Smith, J. Kimo Arbas, Josh Harp, Jeremy Timmins.

On this day in movie history - Street Kings 2: Motor City (2011):

Street Kings 2: Motor City

directed by Chris Fisher,

written by Ed Gonzalez and Jeremy Haft,

was released in the United States on April 19, 2011.

Music by Jon Sadoff.

Cast:

Ray Liotta, Shawn Hatosy, Scott Norman, Clifton Powell, Kevin Chapman, Inbar Lavi, Charlotte Ross, Stephanie Cotton, Linda Boston, Corey Emanuel Wilson, Jack Moore, Tiren Jhames, Tim Holmes, Joe Tinpan, Sidi Henderson, Otis Youngsmith, Ele Bardha, Lauren LaStrada (credited as Lisa Lauren Smith), Julia Ho, Gordon Michaels, Tia Fletcher, Christopher L. Dixon, Ron Causey, Nesti Gee, Roland Matthews, Joey Naber, Terrence c Ward, Wendy Aaron, John P. Chittick, Alex Cohen, Tim Craiger, John Dezsi, Isaac Ellis, Steven Hauptman, Chancler Haynes, Elisabeth Hoekstra, Jason W. Lee, Amanda Lewan, Dervis Lici, Runako Marshall, Noli McCool, Ralph H. Meyer, Victor Pytko, Ralph A. Recchia, Maria Lucia Safi, Morris Lee Sullivan, Amanda Wright.

On this day in television history – Justified (2011):

Justified

Season 2. Episode 10.

Episode entitled: Debts and Accounts.

Released April 13, 2011.

Directed by John David Coles.

Written by Graham Yost, Chris Provenzano and Benjamin Cavell.

Based on the short story Fire in the Hole by Elmore Leonard.

Music by Steve Porcaro.

Cast:

Timothy Olyphant, Nick Searcy, Joelle Carter, Jacob Pitts, Erica Tazel, Natalie Zea, Walton Goggins, Margo Martindale, Mark Colson, Jeremy Davies, Kaitlyn Dever, Linda Gehringer, David Meunier, William Ragsdale, Kevin Rankin, Richard Speight Jr., Joseph Lyle Taylor, Brian Atkinson, James Logan, Mandy McMillian, Rebecca Metz, Matt Riedy, Sean Smith.

On this day in music history - Damayanti, by 2002 (2011):

Damayanti

By 2002,

released April 12, 2011.

Track list:

Forever My Love; Flight of the Swan; Beauty and Grace; Challenge from Heaven; A Choice from the Heart; Cycle of Time; A Divine Encounter; Destinies; Enduring Love; Time Stands Still.

On this day in television history - Justified (2011):

Justified

Season 2. Episode 9.

Episode entitled: Brother’s Keeper.

Released April 6, 2011.

Directed by Tony Goldwyn.

Written by Graham Yost, Taylor Leonard, Benjamin Cavell and VJ Boyd.

Based on the short story Fire in the Hole by Elmore Leonard.

Music by Steve Porcaro.

Cast:

Timothy Olyphant, Nick Searcy, Joelle Carter, Jacob Pitts, Erica Tazel, Natalie Zea, Walton Goggins, Margo Martindale, Jeremy Davies, Kaitlyn Dever, Brad William Henke, Joseph Lyle Taylor, Mark Colson, Peter Murnik, Rebecca Creskoff, Matthew Fahey, Ryan Kiser, Laura Meadows, Jared A. Robinson, Jon Schueler.

On this day in television history - Justified (2011):

Justified

Season 2. Episode 8.

Episode entitled: The Spoil.

Released March 30, 2011.

Directed by Michael Watkins.

Written by Graham Yost, Elmore Leonard, Dave Andron, Benjamin Cavell and VJ Boyd.

Based on the short story Fire in the Hole by Elmore Leonard.

Music by Steve Porcaro.

Cast:

Timothy Olyphant, Nick Searcy, Joelle Carter, Jacob Pitts, Erica Tazel, Natalie Zea, Walton Goggins, Rebecca Creskoff, Margo Martindale, Jeremy Davies, Tara Buck, Kaitlyn Dever, Linda Gehringer, Brad William Henke, Peter Murnik, Joseph Lyle Taylor, Raymond J. Barry, Rolando Boyce, Timothy Brennen, Allen Cutler, William Gregory Lee, Penny L. Moore, Darin Toonder, Trevor Trout, Tim Scanlon.