The Dark Knight Rises Second Trailer

12/19 NYC Weather

Weather Summary:

Today may be the best of the week. A weak cold front coming the west will bring some clouds tonight. But it's expected to come through dry. Clouds will stick through tomorrow night, as the front stalls just south of the area.

On Wednesday, the front will start coming back as a warm front. As an low pressure, moves along it. This will chance of rain during Wednesday afternoon and night. On Thursday the storm will exit the region. But another storm passing by to south could give more rain by Thursday night and Friday morning. Skies should clear out on Friday afternoon. Before another storm system arrives on Christmas Eve.

For those travelling or looking for a white Christmas. Some colder air may be involved with this storm, for some wet snow along with rain. But it's too early to going into more details.

Seven-day Forecast:

Today :  Partly sunny. High around 46.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Low around 38.

Tomorrow: Mostly cloudy. High around 46.

Tomorrow night: Mostly cloudy. Low around 41.

Wednesday: Mostly cloudy. Rain possible in the afternoon. High around 54.

Thursday: Partly cloudy. High around 54.

Friday:  Mostly cloudy and rain possible in the morning. Partly sunny in the afternoon. High around 50.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy. Rain and wet snow possible. High 44.

Christmas Day: Partly sunny. High around 46.

Book Review: The Scarlet Lion

Sequel to The Greatest Knight (see link)

The year is 1197, and William Marshal is riding high. Having taken in marriage the wealthy and formidable (not to mention beautiful) Irish countess Isabelle de Clare, Marshal has four delightful children in his life (6 more would come in later years) and enjoys the position of of one of King Richard the Lionheart's most trusted and competent commanders. 

However, his life would soon take a dramatic downturn. After Richard's death, his unscrupulous and power-hungry brother John inherits the throne. As different from Richard as can be imagined, John slowly pick's apart William and Isabelle's lives bit by bit, even demanding their eldest sons as hostages to endure their "good faith". William remains loyal to John through it all, but it takes ever more demeaning displays of prostration to retain even a modicum of royal favor.

The situation takes a toll not only on William's standing within the court and realm, but on his marriage and relationship with his heir. Pressured from more directions than ever before, William and Isabelle are tested to the limits, and failing that test could mean disaster for the entire kingdom.

Although author Elizabeth Chadwick states that The Scarlet Lion can be read independently of its prequel (see The Greatest Knight), I believe it would be much easier to read the books in order, since the first volume contains so much backstory of the main characters. In any case, Chadwick has done an excellent job chronicling the second half of the life of one of England's most extraordinary heroes.