Saturday, December 18, 2010

How to Draw Dynamic Comic Books



  • ISBN13: 9781887591959
  • Condition: USED - Very Good
  • Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed


Among the few comics artists to be featured on a US Postage Stamp, Rich Buckler is one of the best-known comic-book artists: He's drawn groundbreaking runs on Fantastic Four, Avengers, Spectacular Spider-Man, X-Men, Teen Titans, and more. Even Stan Lee says, "From the time he drew his first assignments for Marvel Comics, I've been one of his biggest fans. There are few people better qualified to write a book on the subject than Rich Buckler!" Now, after more than thirty-five years in comic books, Buckler reveals the secrets of drawing the heroic figure, the language of storytelling, narrative technique, building a better page, and much more, in focused chapters that build the reader's skills step by step. How to Draw Dynamic Comic Books is the authoritative guide to creating compelling comic books, packed with advice from a master.









List Price: $ 19.95



Price: $ 12.65









Friday, December 17, 2010

Planet of the Umps: A Baseball Life from Behind the Plate





After calling balls, strikes, and outs for thirty-six baseball seasons and more than 3000 major league games, umpire Ken Kaiser finally called it a career. From the first day he hit a minor league catcher with a pool table to the fateful day baseball called him out on a strike, Kaiser was one of the game's most popular and colorful characters. And in this autobiography-written with the co-author of Ron Luciano's classic bestseller The Umpire Strikes Back - Kaiser br ings to life his wild adventures from the pro wrestling arena to the baseball diamond.

This is the hysterically true story of four decades of baseball as lived and loved on the playing field, from Ted Williams and Billy Martin to Derek Jeter and Mark McGwire, from one-eyed umpires to space-age technology. And as he did throughout his long and sometimes controversial career, the larger-than-his-chest-protector Kaiser called 'em as he saw 'em.










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Check out these International images:

Canadian Rockies (NASA, International Space Station Science, 07/05/07)

International


Image by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center

The Canadian Rockies are featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 15 crewmember on the International Space Station.

Image/caption credit: NASA

Read full caption:
spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-15/html/...

More about the Crew Earth Observation experiment aboa rd the International Space Station:
www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/science/experiments/CE...

More about space station science:
www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/science/index.html

There's a Flickr group about Space Station Science. Please feel welcome to join! www.flickr.com/groups/stationscience/

Super Typhoon Megi (NASA, International Space Station Science, 10/17/10)

International


Image by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center

Editor's Note: This is a small picture, but it's a great shot!

Super Typhoon Megi is seen from the International Space Station as it approached the Philippines on Oct. 17, 2010.

Image Credit: NASA TV

More about space station science:
www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/science/index.html

There's a Flickr group about Space Station Science. Please feel welcome to join! www.flickr.com/groups/stationscience/

MUSCAT INTERNATIONAL ( SEEB ) AIRPORT : The Sultanate of OMAN : A wonderful airport, great faci lities and ever expanding in size and quality! Very ENJOYABLE! Great for connections too! WORLD : SENSE : ENJOY! :)

International


Image by UggBoy♥UggGirl [ PHOTO : WORLD : SENSE ]

Visit Oman Airports = Muscat


View AVIATION : DETAILS On Black


MUSCAT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT:

Muscat International Airport (formerly Seeb Airport) (IATA: MCT, ICAO: OOMS) is the main airport in Muscat, Oman. It is the hub for the national carrier Oman Air. The distance from Old Muscat is 30 km and it is 15km from the main residential localities. At the moment the airport is being expanded and modernized. The airport will be upgraded to 12 million-passenger capacity d uring the initial stage and subsequently to 48 million. The initial stage is scheduled for completion in 2011. The airport was renamed on 11 February 2008 from the previous name, Seeb, to Muscat International Airport.

BY
WIKIPEDIA = MUSCAT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT


Thoughts about Photography.....

There is a difference between looking at photographs--which has become a common cultural practice in connection with reading newspapers--or seeing the image. The latter refers to reconstructing the photograph by exploring the deep structure of the image--which involves the application of practical knowledge and creative insights and relies on the cultural or historical consciousness of the reader. Looking is the visual routine of readers, seeing is the visual practice of the literate. The professional or artistic disposition of photo graphers reflects a commitment to the image as an expression of ideas or feelings that are beyond words.

- Hanno Hardt
Social
by jeremiah_owyang

Question by snl_primeplayer7: Is social ballroom a good way to start before learning competitive?

I'm 17 years old and I just started social ballroom dance lessons. I love it so much and I realize I would like to learn how to compete. But where I live I would have to drive an hour and a half to find a place that teaches competitive ballroom. Is taking social ballroom a good start for now to learn the basics? How long does it take for someone to go pro usually? I dont have any guys that would be my partner either.




Best answer:

Answer by Jen L
S ocial ballroom is the first step, but depending on what style you want end up competing in you want to get started in that style as soon as possible. Social ballroom is typically American styling, and while there are sections of competitions reserved for American Style Rhythm and Smooth, it is very common to compete International Style Latin and Standard. Both styles have very distinct differences and to be able to place in a competition means learning and perfecting that certain style.

To go professional in ballroom takes years and years of practice and competing and winning. Start learning the bronze, silver, and gold steps for the dances you want to compete in and then find a competition you can compete in. Since you're 17 there are younger categories you can get into and also you can enter as a "new-comer" as well, which gives new dances a leg up in competitions.

You will need to find a guy who either already knows his stuff, or wants to learn with you. The partnership is extremely important, make sure you both talk about how much you both are planning on practicing, how far you want to take your dancing, and your goals...before you commit to becoming serious partners. That way no one gets disappointed in the end. Hope that helps!





Add your own answer in the comments!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

The Berenstain Bears Count Their Blessings (First Time Books(R))



  • ISBN13: 9780679877073
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed


Illustrated in full color. Mama Bear is tired of hearing how many Bearbie

dolls Lizzy Bruin has and how many Game Bear video games Cousin Freddy just

got. During a thunderstorm, Mama gets her cubs to realize that love and a good

home are much more valuable than material possessions.














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Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Some cool Animals images:

Fiesta Animal HOY!!!!!

Animals


Image by Profondo Rosso

A las 19:30 hrs
En el Centro Cultural de España (Rincón 629)

Concierto Nad Spiro y Fiesta Animal

La entrada es libre y gratuita y hiper super recontra puntual (es mas, calculen llegar 19:15 a hacer fila, se entra por orden de llegada y cuando el auditorio esta completo se cierran las puertas y chau, te jodés).

foto por ella/ pic by: www.flickr.com/photos/iliumm/

Early Morning Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom

Animals


Image by Samantha Decker

Although I have a fairly strong stomach and could probably ride Expedition Everest after a full meal and not get sick (it's true!), we decided to FastPass the ride before our Donald Safari Breakfast to avoid long lines afterward.

View Large On Black / See where this picture was taken. [?]

Retrat animal

Animals


Image by Jose Téllez

Ja porta més de 7 anys amb nosaltres i ja es una mica gran. No me'n recordo de l'edat equivalent dels gossos però deu tenir ja uns 40 i molts o així. Ja no juga, no corre. Només vol dormir i que estiguin per ella.

Avui la mare falta durant uns dies a l'hospital, i ella només dorm a la seva habitació, trobant-la a faltar. De tant en tant treu un gemec com si es lamentés.

El fet de que un animal tingui sovint més humanitat que moltes persones... es un fet que esgarrifa.
We Believe in One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church (Ancient Christian Doctrine)



  • ISBN13: 9780830825356
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed


When was the church founded? Jesus spoke of the kingdom of God and not of a religious orga nization subsequently called church. We don't find in the Gospels expressions which make reference to the foundation of a new religious community, a new and distinct community of followers of Jesus. But after the resurrection of Jesus, his followers, as a result of his express command, gather together not only those from the people of Israel but men and women of all nations. The final clauses of the Nicene Creed spell out, briefly and to the point, the church's self-understanding in these early centuries. Angelo Di Berardino assembles a wide range of texts and teachers of the church during these years to enrich our understanding and deepen our faith in the great mysteries expressed here. The Creed quickly hits the four marks of the church--that it is "one h oly catholic and apostolic." What do we mean by professing each of these? Di Berardino helps us to give an answer with the help of the fathers of the church. The volume closes, as does the Creed, with a consideration of baptism (the traditional entrance for people into the church) and two central features of the church in the future--the expectation that all of God's people will enjoy the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.









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Monday, December 13, 2010

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Cooking for Two



  • ISBN13: 9781592576074
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed


Perfect for young working couples and empty-nesters! < P> This book offers familiar favorites and new dishes to tempt your taste buds … all specially developed to serve two, without dealing with leftovers for the next week. Each recipe is created to maximize ingredients and minimize spending, so you buy only what you need, and use all of what you bought.

--Ideal for young couples who both work, as well as empty-nesters or a parent and child who are interested in great recipes
--Each recipe includes an icon for quick reference to help you decide which dishes best fit the occasion, and features variat ions sure to please anyone’s palate
--Recipes are quick and easy, but do not rely on prepackaged foods
--Includes recipes for small-batch baking









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Sunday, December 12, 2010

Minnesota Twins: The Complete Illustrated History



  • ISBN13: 9780760336847
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed


Major League Baseball came to the Minnesota prairie in the spring of 1961, and in the fifty years since, the Minnesota Twins have held a cherished place in the hearts of sports fans throughout the region. With Hall of Famers like Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, and Kirby Puckett and beloved characters from Billy Martin to Kent Hrbek to Joe Mauer, the history of the Twins encompasses highs and lows, heroes and goats, but always nonstop excitement. Minnesota Twins: The Complete Illustrated History provides an in-depth and entertaining look at the team, its players, its stadiums, and the memorable moments through the years. Illustrated with photos from the Star Tribune's archives, it is the ultimate celebration of a beloved franchise.











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Tuesday, December 7, 2010



Question by Richard: How does 1 become a professional rally race car driver in Singapore? Any racing schools?

I am 22 this year, has a driving licence & extremely interested to choose professional race car racing as my career path, what do i have to do to become a professional rally race car driver in Singapore? Are there any racing schools? I heard about A1 Team Singapore, but how can anyone in Singapore train as a professional race car driver & be part of them?




Best answer:

Answer by unnga
Try Hogwarts School. Google for the address.





What do you think? Answer below!

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Families Change: A Book for Children Experiencing Termination of Parental Rights (Kids Are Important Series)



  • ISBN13: 9781575422091
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed


All families change over time. Sometimes a baby is born, or a grown-up gets married. And sometimes a child gets a new foster parent or a new adopted mom or dad. Children need to know that when this happens, it’s not their fault. They need to understand that they can remember and value their birth family and love their new family, too. Straightforward words and full-color illustrations offer hope and support for children facing or experiencing change. Includes resources and information for birth parents, foster parents, social workers, counselors, and teachers.










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The Architecture of Parking





From the classic circular Marina City tower in Chicago to the latest robotic technology employed at the Volkswagen Factory in Germany, from Frank Gehry to Rem Koolhaas to Zaha Hadid, the form and function of the parking garage has been hugely influential not only on contemporary architects but also on popular culture. This book is at once a survey of the finest examples of parking garages and a presentation of exciting a nd innovative design. 227 color, 341 b&w illustrations









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Friday, December 3, 2010

Don't Try This At Home!: The Physics of Hollywood Movies (Science)





Don’t Try This At Home! The Physics of Hollywood Movies is a fresh look at the basics of physics through the filmmaker’s lens. It will deconstruct, demystify, and debunk popular Hollywood films through the scientific explanations of the action genre’s most dynamic and unforgettable scenes.

 

Sample movie sequence and related physics concepts:

 

In ""Speed,"" a city bus going over 50 mph jumps over a 50-foot chasm--successfully. An examination of force, acceleration, Newton's Laws, impulse, momentum, and pro jectile motion follows.









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Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Check out these Finance images:

Sculpture Female Nudes Embracing 2 - Finance Tower Brussels

Finance


Image by historic.brussels


This bold sculpture of larger-than-life embracing female nudes, is right in the heart of Brussels, Belgium, in front of the Finance Tower (Tour des Finances - Financiëntoren) building, directly across from the old city centre gardens known as Botanique - Kruidtuin. (Brussels is bi-lingual French and Dutch, so place names are in both languages here.) The Finance Tower, at 145 metres high, is said to be the second tallest building in Brussels, topped only by the South Tower (Tour du Midi - Zuidtoren) at 150 metres high.

In individualistic Belgian fashion, this is rather an evocative and erotically-themed sculpture for the front of a major financial centre building, which houses Belgian government financial bureaus as well as offices of commercial enterprises.

Of the two women in the sculpture, one is more classically feminine in appearance with longer hair, the other is more boyish-looking with a shorter hairstyle, though one quickly sees she also has unmistakably female breasts. The pose is enigmatic, with the shorter-haired woman firmly grasping the wrist of the longer-haired woman behind her back, almost wrestling her into submission, while both women look away from each other despite being nude and intimate.

At the base of the sculpture, a nameplate identifies the creator of this bronze sculpture as the 'Fonderia D'Arte De Andreis, Milano' (Milan, Italy). And an engraved inscription - a bit hard to read - giv es a name that appears to be 'Nat Helligan', and the apparent dates 1952-1984.

These are photos from the daily life of writer, journalist and political refugee from the US, Dr Les (Leslie) Sachs. These Flickr photos document my new beloved home city of Brussels, Belgium, my life among the people and Kingdom who have given me safety in the face of the threats to destroy me. Brussels has a noble history of providing a safe haven to dissident refugee writers, such as Victor Hugo, Karl Marx, Charles Baudelaire, and Alexandre Dumas, and I shall forever be grateful that Brussels and Belgium have helped to protect my own life as well. I'm happy to help convey to the world some of Brussels' wonderful cultural heritage.

(To read about the efforts to silence me and my journalism, the attacks on me, the smear campaigns against me and the threats, see the website by Euro pean journalists 'About Les Sachs' linked in my Flickr profile, and press articles such as 'Two EU Writers Under Threat of Murder: Roberto Saviano and Dr Les Sachs'.)

The address of the Finance Tower (Tour des Finances - Financiëntoren) building is number 50, boulevard du Jardin Botanique - Kruidtuinlaan (once again, names in both French and Dutch). It is near the intersection of the Rue Royale - Koningstraat, and thus right by the Botanique - Kruidtuin métro station along métro lines 2 and 6. Trams 92 and 94 stop here as well. The Finance Tower and this sculpture, are also a short walk (or one métro stop) away from the popular shopping areas at Place Rogier - Rogierplein, and the City2 shopping centre at the end of rue Neuve - Nieuwstraat, and also within a few hundred metres of the Gare du Nord - Noordstation Brussels north railway station.
< br/>
Finance Tower - Tour des Finances - Financiëntoren Brussels 2

Finance


Image by historic.brussels


The Finance Tower (Tour des Finances - Financiëntoren) building, at 145 metres high, is said to be the second tallest building in Brussels, topped only by the South Tower (Tour du Midi - Zuidtoren) at 150 metres high. It is right in the heart of Brussels, Belgium, directly across from the old city centre gardens known as Botanique - Kruidtuin. (Brussels is bi-lingual French and Dutch, so place names are in both languages here.)

These photos of the Tour des Finances - Financiëntoren, accompany the photos of the bold sculpture of larger-than-life em bracing female nudes in front of the Finance Tower. In individualistic Belgian fashion, this is rather an evocative and erotically-themed sculpture for the front of a major financial centre building, which houses Belgian government financial bureaus as well as offices of commercial enterprises.

Of the two women in the sculpture, one is more classically feminine in appearance with longer hair, the other is more boyish-looking with a shorter hairstyle, though one quickly sees she also has unmistakably female breasts. The pose is enigmatic, with the shorter-haired woman firmly grasping the wrist of the longer-haired woman behind her back, almost wrestling her into submission, while both women look away from each other despite being nude and intimate.

At the base of the sculpture, a nameplate identifies the creator of this bronze sculpture as the 'Fonderia D'Arte De Andreis , Milano' (Milan, Italy). And an engraved inscription - a bit hard to read - gives a name that appears to be 'Nat Helligan', and the apparent dates 1952-1984.

These are photos from the daily life of writer, journalist and political refugee from the US, Dr Les (Leslie) Sachs. These Flickr photos document my new beloved home city of Brussels, Belgium, my life among the people and Kingdom who have given me safety in the face of the threats to destroy me. Brussels has a noble history of providing a safe haven to dissident refugee writers, such as Victor Hugo, Karl Marx, Charles Baudelaire, and Alexandre Dumas, and I shall forever be grateful that Brussels and Belgium have helped to protect my own life as well. I'm happy to help convey to the world some of Brussels' wonderful cultural heritage.

(To read about the efforts to silence me and my journalism, the attack s on me, the smear campaigns against me and the threats, see the website by European journalists 'About Les Sachs' linked in my Flickr profile, and press articles such as 'Two EU Writers Under Threat of Murder: Roberto Saviano and Dr Les Sachs'.)

The address of the Finance Tower (Tour des Finances - Financiëntoren) building is number 50, boulevard du Jardin Botanique - Kruidtuinlaan (once again, names in both French and Dutch). It is near the intersection of the Rue Royale - Koningstraat, and thus right by the Botanique - Kruidtuin métro station along métro lines 2 and 6. Trams 92 and 94 stop here as well. The Finance Tower and this sculpture, are also a short walk (or one métro stop) away from the popular shopping areas at Place Rogier - Rogierplein, and the City2 shopping centre at the end of rue Neuve - Nieuwstraat, and also within a few hundred metres of the Gare du Nord - Noordstation Brussels north railway station.


Finance Tower - Tour des Finances - Financiëntoren Brussels 4

Finance


Image by historic.brussels


The Finance Tower (Tour des Finances - Financiëntoren) building, at 145 metres high, is said to be the second tallest building in Brussels, topped only by the South Tower (Tour du Midi - Zuidtoren) at 150 metres high. It is right in the heart of Brussels, Belgium, directly across from the old city centre gardens known as Botanique - Kruidtuin. (Brussels is bi-lingual French and Dutch, so place names are in both languages here.)



These photos of the Tour des Fin ances - Financiëntoren, accompany the photos of the bold sculpture of larger-than-life embracing female nudes in front of the Finance Tower. In individualistic Belgian fashion, this is rather an evocative and erotically-themed sculpture for the front of a major financial centre building, which houses Belgian government financial bureaus as well as offices of commercial enterprises.

Of the two women in the sculpture, one is more classically feminine in appearance with longer hair, the other is more boyish-looking with a shorter hairstyle, though one quickly sees she also has unmistakably female breasts. The pose is enigmatic, with the shorter-haired woman firmly grasping the wrist of the longer-haired woman behind her back, almost wrestling her into submission, while both women look away from each other despite being nude and intimate.

At the base of the sculpture, a na meplate identifies the creator of this bronze sculpture as the 'Fonderia D'Arte De Andreis, Milano' (Milan, Italy). And an engraved inscription - a bit hard to read - gives a name that appears to be 'Nat Helligan', and the apparent dates 1952-1984.

These are photos from the daily life of writer, journalist and political refugee from the US, Dr Les (Leslie) Sachs. These Flickr photos document my new beloved home city of Brussels, Belgium, my life among the people and Kingdom who have given me safety in the face of the threats to destroy me. Brussels has a noble history of providing a safe haven to dissident refugee writers, such as Victor Hugo, Karl Marx, Charles Baudelaire, and Alexandre Dumas, and I shall forever be grateful that Brussels and Belgium have helped to protect my own life as well. I'm happy to help convey to the world some of Brussels' wonderful cultural heritage.

(To read about the efforts to silence me and my journalism, the attacks on me, the smear campaigns against me and the threats, see the website by European journalists 'About Les Sachs' linked in my Flickr profile, and press articles such as 'Two EU Writers Under Threat of Murder: Roberto Saviano and Dr Les Sachs'.)

The address of the Finance Tower (Tour des Finances - Financiëntoren) building is number 50, boulevard du Jardin Botanique - Kruidtuinlaan (once again, names in both French and Dutch). It is near the intersection of the Rue Royale - Koningstraat, and thus right by the Botanique - Kruidtuin métro station along métro lines 2 and 6. Trams 92 and 94 stop here as well. The Finance Tower and this sculpture, are also a short walk (or one métro stop) away from the popular shopping areas at Place Rogier - Rogierplein, and the City2 shopping centre at the end of rue Neuve - Ni euwstraat, and also within a few hundred metres of the Gare du Nord - Noordstation Brussels north railway station.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Things We Didn't See Coming



  • ISBN13: 9780307378507
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed


Michael Williams, in Melbourne’s The Age, wrote of this award-winning, dazzling debut collection, “By turns horrific and beautiful . . . Humanity at its most fractured and desolate . . . Often moving, frequently surprising, even blackly funny . . . Things We Didn’t See Co ming is terrific.” This is just one of the many rave reviews that appeared on the Australian publication of these nine connected stories set in a not-too-distant dystopian future in a landscape at once utterly fantastic and disturbingly familiar.
 
Richly imagined, dark, and darkly comic, the stories follow the narrator over three decades as he tries to survive in a world that is becoming increasingly savage as cataclysmic events unfold one after another. In the first story, “What We Know Now”â€"set in the eve of the millennium, when the world as we know it is still recognizableâ€"we meet the then-nine-year-old narrator fleeing the city with his parents, just ahead of a Y2K breakdown. The remaining stories capture the strangeâ€"sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes funnyâ€"circumstances he encounters in the no-longer-simple act of survival; trying to protect squatters against floods in a place where the rain never stops, being harassed (and possibly infecte d) by a man sick with a virulent flu, enduring a job interview with an unstable assessor who has access to all his thoughts, taking the gravely ill on adventure tours. But we see in each story that, despite the violence and brutality of his days, the narrator retains a hold on his essential humanityâ€"and humor.

Things We Didn’t See Coming is haunting, restrained, and beautifully craftedâ€"a stunning debut. Steven Amsterdam on Things We Didn't See Coming

The first story I wrote for Things We Didn’t See Coming, "The Theft That Got Me Here," was inspired by two news stories--one, the nasty partisan splay in recent elections and, two, a local interest piece, where an elderly couple who were about to lose their driver's licenses tried to drive away before getting caught. I set my story a little bit in the future and wrote from the perspective of a teenage boy, a budding criminal who is forced to take care of his slow-moving grandparents for the summer because his grandfather's license has been revoked. There’s a barricade between the city and the country, so he’s stuck on their dry treeless street. The day the story begins, his grandmother’s medication for Alzheimer’s kicks in and she is suddenly as sharp as she ever was. She wants to go for a drive in the country and she’s not accepting no. They make it out of the city, but nothing goes according to pl an. Writing the last line of the story, I thought, there's more to this boy. I wanted to see what else he might do in his future. This time I chose a different scenario, where rich, terminal patients can indulge in adventure tourism. The narrator is their tour guide (and he's not so well himself). In the next one I wrote, he's riding a horse through a three-month downpour, clearing people out of their houses before a flood.

By separating each story by a few years, I was able to engage several of the things that are on my mind--dazzling technological advancements, societal shifts, food shortages, new medical treatments, and good old climate change. This freed me up from being caught in a particular groove (e.g., pandemic), and allowed for a variety of futures, which kept it from being your standard dystopian bummer. Although the landscape is always chan ging, the consistent element is the narrator growing up. The jumps in the story of his life let me leave gaps for the reader to fill in.

When I got through most of the stories, I found myself thinking of my illustrious forebears. Remember Orwell’s vision of 1984? He was two decades early with his vision of security cameras everywhere, and even he wasn't dark enough to imagine an actor being elected as head of state. I realized that nothing works out, not even worst-case scenarios. I didn’t want anyone reading this book as my prediction. I wanted it to be thought of as variations on the theme, but spread out over the narrator’s life. This is why I wrote "What We Know Now," which comes first in the collection. I set it in the past, on the eve of this millennium, with the boy’s father frantic to get out of town before the grid goes down. Remember Y2K and how we were going to run out of power and food come January 1? Exactly.

So the stories grew from worries about the future, stray items in the news, and The Economist’s technology quarterly, which is unsurpassed for alarming and amazing facts about things to come. A few novels I was reading at the time also had an impact. Saramago’s Blindness, in particular, showed people cobbling meaning together in a time of change. His depiction of a familiar city, transformed, and his language, spare but emotional, gave me a certain freedom with creating new worlds. And other favorites sustained me--Nabokov and his obsessive powers of observation, James M. Cain and his tightly sprung twists, Shirley Jackson and her love of the weird, and Capote with his ear for language. I am grateful to them and jus t about everyone else. --Steven Amsterdam

(Photo © Corry De Neef)












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Monday, November 15, 2010

Coaching Youth Basketball: The Guide for Coaches & Parents



  • ISBN13: 9781558707900
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed


The Guide for a Fun and Successful Basketball Season!

Do you need some guidance before you start coaching this basketball season? Coaching Youth Basketball, 3rd edition gives you everything you need to make this season a success. It covers all of basketball's fundamentals and gives coaching tips for every aspect of the game including:

· dribbling and passing skills
· proper shooting technique for all types of shots
· offensive concepts and plays for beginner and intermediate players
· defensive tactics for getting the ball back
· the responsibilities of centers, forwards, and guards
· how to work together as a team

You'll also find template practice plans you can adjust for your own use, step-by-step drills and plays, conditioning ideas, first aid information, and an explanation of the game's rules. Plus, a glossary and skills checklists at the end of the book help you learn and teach the language and skills of basketball quickly and effectively.









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Entertainment Properties Trust to Present at REITWorld 2010

KANSAS CITY, Mo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Entertainment Properties Trust (NYSE: EPR) announced today that its Chief Executive Officer David Brain, will make a presentation regarding the Company at the REITWorld Conference in New York City on Tuesday, November 16, 2010, starting at 2:10 p.m. Eastern Time. The presentation can be accessed live via http://reitstream.com/reitworld2010/eprkc ...

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Image Entertainment Buys The Resident

Image Entertainment, Inc. has acquired all U.S. rights to H ilary Swank-starrer The Resident from Exclusive Media Group's Hammer Films. In addition to two time Academy Award winner Swank, The Resident also stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan ( Watchmen , P.S. I Love You ), Hammer Films icon Sir Christopher Lee ( The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings , Dracula ) and Lee Pace ( A Single Man ...

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Sunday, November 14, 2010

Cry of My Heart







Sometimes surviving love is as hard as surviving life... Seventeen-year-old Lonnie Sawyer, born and bred in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, has always dreamed of her own home and family, but not this soon. Not this way. No girl wants to be forced to marry someone she doesn't love...someone she's even afraid of. But could it be any worse than life with her pa? Every girl in Rocky Knob wants to steal handsome Gideon O'Riley's heart, so it's no wonder the arrogant and talented musicia n believes he can get anything he wants. What he wants is Lonnie Sawyer, the pretty girl with a tender smile and sweet voice. But a fateful mistake and a tangle of lies forces him down a path he's not ready to take. Jebediah and Elsie Bennett have a good life-a beautiful home and a small farm. But each passing year reminds them that they're growing older, while the workload grows heavier. With no living children, they need a miracle. A turn-of-the-century tale that delves deep into the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains...and the courageous spirit and will of the mountainfolk.





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Price: $ 17.04









More Jesus, Less Religion: Moving from Rules to Relationship



  • ISBN13: 9780307458827
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed


Find the Freedom of Authentic Faith

Over a decade ago, best-selling authors Stephen Arterburn and Jack Felton exposed the dangers of what they called "toxic faith," helping co untless believers to discern between religion and relationship and overcome their spiritual baggage.

Drawing upon an additional ten years of observation and personal experience, Steve and Jack offer new insights in the search for lasting joy, fuller freedom, amd greater understanding, anda more honest experience of God.

Be set free from man-made rules, churchianity, Phariseeism, judgment, and legalism.

Easily recognize misconceptions of religious performance, accountability, and fear-based duty.

Return a grace-filled life with your Father and friend. 

More Jesus, Less Religion points the way back to the balance of grace and reveals how to escape the pitfalls of repressive religion once and for all.









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Regional Foods of Southern Italy





In Regional Foods of Southern Italy, Marlena De Blasi looks into the essential spirit of the eight regions encompassing the lower half of Italy south from Rome and out to the islands west of the tip of the boot. She believes that to cook from a particular region, understanding its history is as important as gathering recipes. "A cuisine that aspires to dignity even in the midst of insufficiency," this cooking of the poor is based on sheep's milk cheeses, swordfish, wild bitter greens, and whatever else cruel and capricious yet bountiful nature provides locally. De Blasi has unearthed culinary treasures, from the wine-stewed rabbit served with honey-and-spice-glazed chestnuts in the manner of Nicola Taurino, a hunter/innkeeper from Abigliano, to the potato pie in the style of Biddamanna, a town where Sardinians still cook communally on feast days. For this savory pie, potatoes mashed with garlic, nutmeg, clove, and orange zest are enveloped in a pastry crust crisp with ground corn meal and piquant with pecorino cheese.

The story of visiting restaurants serving Carciofi Alla Giudia, "Golden-Green Crisped Roman Roses," followed by a recipe for this Roman specialty is typical of this book's format. It makes this a good choice for armchair cooks and travelers. Ambit ious cooks, particularly of local heritage, will get profound satisfaction out of preparing the 150 often complicated or time-consuming, authentic, and rarely-found recipes De Blasi has tailored to work with U.S. ingredients. While its literary language becomes annoyingly baroque at times, with olive oil described as a "tribute of fat, yellow juice," this unique book offers a perceptive look at the essence and substance of southern Italian food. --Dana Jacobi









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Price: $ 55.00









Saturday, November 13, 2010

The Birth of the Museum: History, Theory, Politics (Culture: Policy and Politics)





In a series of richly detailed case studies from Britian, Australia and North America, Tony Bennett investigates how nineteenth- and twentieth-century museums, fairs and exhibitions have organized their collections, and their visitors.

Discussing the histo rical development of museums alongside that of the fair and the international exhibition, Bennett sheds new light upon the relationship between modern forms of official and popular culture.

Using Foucaltian perspectives The Birth of the Museum explores how the public museum should be understood not just as a place of instruction, but as a reformatory of manners in which a wide range of regulated social routines and performances take place.

This invigorating study enriches and challenges the understanding of the museum, and places it at the centre of modern relations between culture and government.  For students of museum, cultural and sociology studies, this will be an asset to the ir reading list.











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