5:36 PM
Blog Fasion
- Disney's Gnomeo & Juliet 12" Complete Figure Plush Set
- Brand New
- Limited Quantity
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Disney Gnomeo & Juliet Complete Set Garden Gnome 12" Figure Plush Doll
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
God Is Great and I'm Not
- Mich le (AMELIE s adorable Audrey Tautou) is a 20-year-old tornado. With a bouncing, perfectly round Afro and a job posing for fashion photography, she boldly describes herself as a top model, though her miniature physical size and girlish grin reveals her subdued, searching interior. Overloaded with passion and personality, she seeks a way to channel her spirituality into an identity. Buddhism wo
Praise for "I'm OK - You're Not":
Finalist, San Diego Book Awards, Best Spirituality/Religion
“A lighthearted approach, with a serious message†â€" The! San Diego Union-Tribune
†…. Shore is a humori! st whose work is more comedic than Donald Miller, and his appeal to Christians is more direct. Shore is preaching and teaching under the comedy, and he’s very effective as a critic and motivator. Shore turns evangelism upside down and engages in just enough hyperbole to effectively make his point…. Shore ends each chapter with sets of extended comments from unbelievers on what they want to say to Christians. Shore calls these sections “Ouch,†and that’s what they are. These unbelievers are articulate, thoughtful and way out in front of many Christians on the subject of love, respect and dialog…. Shore appeals to Christians to ponder the nature of love, the importance of honest and mature Christian character and how relationships with non-Christians really look. Shore speaks so much common sense, and skips so much Christian-ese and predictable rhetoric that some Christians will be offended immediately. Younger, thoughtful, humble Christians who know something is very wron! g will find Shore saying exactly what they’ve been thinking. This is a great book for a discussion group, and it has questions to stir up those discussions. If you let this book loose “in church,†however, the response may be explosive, which would be a lot of fun. … [An] Outstanding book to stir up thought and conversation. And a good book to show to a thoughtful unbeliever.†â€" Michael Spencer, a.k.a The Internet Monk, author of the bestseller, “Mere Churchianity.â€
“A must-read not just for pastors, but for anyone who has a passion for the Gospel, yet lacks the ability to see the Church as others often see it. … Shore succeeds in presenting a viewpoint worthy of consideration and advantageous for the growth of outreach-focused believers.â€â€" Outreach magazine
“John Shore is one of those rare writers who can make people laugh and think at the same time. Irreverently reverent, "I’m OKâ€"You’re Not" is a book perfect for the t! imes we’re in. Ministers should read a chapter to their cong! regation s every Sunday. That would be the Christian thing to do, because John offers us compassionate laughter during a most uncompassionate and unfunny period of our nation’s history. Non-Christians will love this book, tooâ€"which proves John’s point.†â€" Richard Louv, author of the international bestselling books "Last Child in the Woods," and "The Nature Principal."
“Humorist and Christian writer John Shore presents "I’m OK â€" You’re Not: The Message We’re Sending Nonbelievers and Why We Should Stop," a frank discussion of a crucial flaw in modern evangelical movements â€" that they have come to resemble sales calls made during dinnertime, and as such are just as unlikely to achieve results. Emphasizing the concept that letter others experience God’s love is far more potent than simply telling them about it, I’m OK â€" You’re Not emphasizes the importance of listening to the Great Commandment above all. The Great Commandment referred to is as spo! ken by Jesus Christ and recorded in the Bible: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.†Penned with gentle charm, Christian humor, love, and understanding, I’m OK â€" You’re Not deserves to be required reading for any Christian considering embarking upon an evangelical mission or career.â€â€" Midwest Book ReviewRob Bell ("Love Wins," "Sex God," "Velvet Elvis,") has declared Mr. Shore "awesome," and "a brilliant writer." Dan Savage ("It Gets Better") has called him "a wonderful writer," and written of his desire for all Christians to read his work. Tony Jones ("The New Christians") says, "John Shore is funny as hell and smart as hell."
Praise for "I'm OK - You're Not":
Finalist, San Diego Book Awards, Best Spirituality/Religion
“A lighthearted approach, with a serious message†â€" The San D! iego Union-Tribune
†…. Shore is a humorist whose w! ork is m ore comedic than Donald Miller, and his appeal to Christians is more direct. Shore is preaching and teaching under the comedy, and he’s very effective as a critic and motivator. Shore turns evangelism upside down and engages in just enough hyperbole to effectively make his point…. Shore ends each chapter with sets of extended comments from unbelievers on what they want to say to Christians. Shore calls these sections “Ouch,†and that’s what they are. These unbelievers are articulate, thoughtful and way out in front of many Christians on the subject of love, respect and dialog…. Shore appeals to Christians to ponder the nature of love, the importance of honest and mature Christian character and how relationships with non-Christians really look. Shore speaks so much common sense, and skips so much Christian-ese and predictable rhetoric that some Christians will be offended immediately. Younger, thoughtful, humble Christians who know something is very wrong will fin! d Shore saying exactly what they’ve been thinking. This is a great book for a discussion group, and it has questions to stir up those discussions. If you let this book loose “in church,†however, the response may be explosive, which would be a lot of fun. … [An] Outstanding book to stir up thought and conversation. And a good book to show to a thoughtful unbeliever.†â€" Michael Spencer, a.k.a The Internet Monk, author of the bestseller, “Mere Churchianity.â€
“A must-read not just for pastors, but for anyone who has a passion for the Gospel, yet lacks the ability to see the Church as others often see it. … Shore succeeds in presenting a viewpoint worthy of consideration and advantageous for the growth of outreach-focused believers.â€â€" Outreach magazine
“John Shore is one of those rare writers who can make people laugh and think at the same time. Irreverently reverent, "I’m OKâ€"You’re Not" is a book perfect for the times we’re in. M! inisters should read a chapter to their congregations every Su! nday. Th at would be the Christian thing to do, because John offers us compassionate laughter during a most uncompassionate and unfunny period of our nation’s history. Non-Christians will love this book, tooâ€"which proves John’s point.†â€" Richard Louv, author of the international bestselling books "Last Child in the Woods," and "The Nature Principal."
“Humorist and Christian writer John Shore presents "I’m OK â€" You’re Not: The Message We’re Sending Nonbelievers and Why We Should Stop," a frank discussion of a crucial flaw in modern evangelical movements â€" that they have come to resemble sales calls made during dinnertime, and as such are just as unlikely to achieve results. Emphasizing the concept that letter others experience God’s love is far more potent than simply telling them about it, I’m OK â€" You’re Not emphasizes the importance of listening to the Great Commandment above all. The Great Commandment referred to is as spoken by Jesus Christ an! d recorded in the Bible: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.†Penned with gentle charm, Christian humor, love, and understanding, I’m OK â€" You’re Not deserves to be required reading for any Christian considering embarking upon an evangelical mission or career.â€â€" Midwest Book ReviewGOD IS GREAT AND I'M NOT - DVD MovieThe impossibly adorable Audrey Tautou (Amelie, Dirty Pretty Things) stars in this remarkably vivid portrait of a relationship. Michelle (Tautou), a fashion model, sets off on a spiritual quest in the hope of finding emotional balance. What she finds is a veterinarian named Francois (Edouard Baer, Alias Betty), whose ambivalence about being Jewish leads Michelle to study the faith and consider conversion. The plot sounds heavy, but God Is Great (And I'm Not) is! actually a light, fluid movie that's as alert to the thousan! d tiny w ays in which men and women miscommunicate and defeat their best intentions. Michelle's spiritual yearnings are questionable, yet Tautou captures her hunger for something more and makes it real, even if it may also be shallow. The movie stutters, slips sideways and back, and circles around--and in the end, says more about modern romance than a dozen Hollywood romantic comedies. --Bret Fetzer
The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
- ISBN13: 9780143038580
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Natalie meets Jaharie, a beautiful biracial woman, who wants a relationship with a man or a woman. Love is the only thing that matters to her. Natalie is thoroughly intrigued with Jaharie. She wants her, but being with a woman full-time isn’t what Natalie has in her plans and she knows her mother will never approve. She wants a husband, childrenâ€"a ‘normal’ lifeâ€"and is on track to acquiring this.
She plans to keep Jaharie a secret until she meets Tamala, a powerful, successful attorney and very attractive Lesbian who wants to take Natalie ! away from both Jaharie and Tremaine. Tamala has the savvy and financial power to woo Natalie right into her arms. Their relationship works for a while, until a past lover of Tamala’s vows to kill Natalie if she doesn’t stop seeing her. Natalie fears Tamala’s deranged lover but doesn’t leave until she learns a huge secret of hers.
Dilemma is a fast paced novel that will keep you intrigued and surprised.Tremaine is good for Natalieâ€"well at least on paperâ€"but Natalie has a secret. She craves women and it’s become a feeling she can’t resist.
Natalie meets Jaharie, a beautiful biracial woman, who wants a relationship with a man or a woman. Love is the only thing that matters to her. Natalie is thoroughly intrigued with Jaharie. She wants her, but being with a woman full-time isn’t what Natalie has in her plans and she knows her mother will never approve. She wants a husband, childrenâ€"a ‘normal’ lifeâ€"and is on track to acquiring this.
She plan! s to keep Jaharie a secret until she meets Tamala, a powerful,! success ful attorney and very attractive Lesbian who wants to take Natalie away from both Jaharie and Tremaine. Tamala has the savvy and financial power to woo Natalie right into her arms. Their relationship works for a while, until a past lover of Tamala’s vows to kill Natalie if she doesn’t stop seeing her. Natalie fears Tamala’s deranged lover but doesn’t leave until she learns a huge secret of hers.
Dilemma is a fast paced novel that will keep you intrigued and surprised.A national bestseller that has changed the way readers view the ecology of eating, this revolutionary book by award winner Michael Pollan asks the seemingly simple question: What should we have for dinner? Tracing from source to table each of the food chains that sustain us--whether industrial or organic, alternative or processed--he develops a portrait of the American way of eating.
The result is a sweeping, surprising exploration of the hungers that have shaped our evolution, and of the ! profound implications our food choices have for the health of our species and the future of our planet.
Chasing Amy (Import) [Blu-ray]
- Format: Widescreen, Import
- Language: English
- Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
- Run Time: 113 minutes
- Actors: Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams, Jason Lee, Dwight Ewell, Jason Mewes
Bonus Features Include: Audio Commentary With Writer/Director/Actor Kevin Smith And Producer Scott Mosier, Tracing Amy: The CHASING AMY Doc, Was It Something I Said? -- A Conversation With Kevin & Joey, 10 Years Later Q & A -- With Kevin Smith And The Cast, Deleted Scenes, Outtakes, TrailerWriter-director Kevin Smith (Clerks) makes a huge leap in sophistication with this strong story about a comic-book artist (Ben Affleck) who falls in love with a lesbian (Joey Lauren Adams) and actually gets his! wish that she love him, too. Their relationship is attacked, ! however, by his business partner (Jason Lee), who pulls a very unsubtle Iago act to cast doubt over the whole affair. The film has the same sense of insiderness as Clerks--this time, Smith takes us within the arcane, funny world of comic-book cultism--but the themes of jealousy, deceit, and the high price of growing up enough to truly care for someone make this a very satisfying movie. --Tom KeoghStudio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 05/17/2011 Run time: 113 minutes Rating: RWriter-director Kevin Smith (Clerks) makes a huge leap in sophistication with this strong story about a comic-book artist (Ben Affleck) who falls in love with a lesbian (Joey Lauren Adams) and actually gets his wish that she love him, too. Their relationship is attacked, however, by his business partner (Jason Lee), who pulls a very unsubtle Iago act to cast doubt over the whole affair. The film has the same sense of insiderness as Clerks--this time, Smith takes us within ! the arcane, funny world of comic-book cultism--but the themes of jealousy, deceit, and the high price of growing up enough to truly care for someone make this a very satisfying movie. --Tom Keogh Writer-director Kevin Smith (Clerks) makes a huge leap in sophistication with this strong story about a comic-book artist (Ben Affleck) who falls in love with a lesbian (Joey Lauren Adams) and actually gets his wish that she love him, too. Their relationship is attacked, however, by his business partner (Jason Lee), who pulls a very unsubtle Iago act to cast doubt over the whole affair. The film has the same sense of insiderness as Clerks--this time, Smith takes us within the arcane, funny world of comic-book cultism--but the themes of jealousy, deceit, and the high price of growing up enough to truly care for someone make this a very satisfying movie. --Tom Keogh BOTH DUMPED BY THEIR GIRLFRIENDS, TWO BEST FRIENDS SEEK REFUGEIN THE LOCAL MALL.Sophomore! jinx hit hard in this second film by Kevin Smith, whose debut! Cler ks transcended the limits of its setting and budget to become something memorably funny. (Smith followed Mallrats with the wonderful Chasing Amy, so Mallrats definitely had the old curse.) A ramshackle comedy set in a mall, the film follows several story lines involving lovers, enemies, friends, goofballs, and Smith's own "silent" character, who also appeared in Clerks and Chasing Amy. A heavy self-consciousness weighs on everything, as if Smith forgot how to make obscenity funny instead of tedious. Still, it's nice to see some of the director's film family on screen, among them Jason Lee and Joey Lauren Adams. --Tom Keogh When two banished angels find a loophole that will allow them back into heaven at the cost of humankind an unsuspecting mortal woman two prophets and the thirteenth apostle are the only ones who can stop them. Special features: subtitles in english spanish and french talent files and murch more. Studio: Ingram! Entertainment Release Date: 07/26/2005 Starring: Ben Affleck Matt Damon Run time: 130 minutes Rating: R Director: Kevin SmithKevin Smith is a conundrum of a filmmaker: he's a writer with brilliant, clever ideas who can't set up a simple shot to save his life. It was fine back when Smith was making low-budget films like Clerks and Chasing Amy, both of which had an amiable, grungy feel to them, but now that he's a rising director who's attracting top talent and tackling bigger themes, it might behoove him to polish his filmmaking. That's the main problem with Dogma--it's an ambitious, funny, aggressively intelligent film about modern-day religion, but while Smith's writing has matured significantly (anyone who thinks he's not topnotch should take a look at Chasing Amy), his direction hasn't. It's too bad, because Dogma is ripe for near-classic status in its theological satire, which is hardly as blasphemous as the protests that greeted! the movie would lead you to believe.
Two banished angels! (Ben Af fleck and Matt Damon) have discovered a loophole that would allow them back into heaven; problem is, they'd destroy civilization in the process by proving God fallible. It's up to Bethany (Linda Fiorentino), a lapsed Catholic who works in an abortion clinic, to save the day, with some help from two so-called prophets (Smith and Jason Mewes, as their perennial characters Jay and Silent Bob), the heretofore unknown 13th apostle (Chris Rock), and a sexy, heavenly muse (the sublime Salma Hayek, who almost single-handedly steals the film). In some ways Dogma is a shaggy dog of a road movie--which hits a comic peak when Affleck and Fiorentino banter drunkenly on a train to New Jersey, not realizing they're mortal enemies--and segues into a comedy-action flick as the vengeful angels (who have a taste for blood) try to make their way into heaven. Smith's cast is exceptional--with Fiorentino lending a sardonic gravity to the proceedings, and Jason Lee smirking evilly as the ho! rned devil Azrael--and the film shuffles good-naturedly to its climax (featuring Alanis Morissette as a beatifically silent God), but it just looks so unrelentingly... subpar. Credit Smith with being a daring writer but a less-than-stellar director. --Mark EnglehartWriter-director Kevin Smith (Clerks) makes a huge leap in sophistication with this strong story about a comic-book artist (Ben Affleck) who falls in love with a lesbian (Joey Lauren Adams) and actually gets his wish that she love him, too. Their relationship is attacked, however, by his business partner (Jason Lee), who pulls a very unsubtle Iago act to cast doubt over the whole affair. The film has the same sense of insiderness as Clerks--this time, Smith takes us within the arcane, funny world of comic-book cultism--but the themes of jealousy, deceit, and the high price of growing up enough to truly care for someone make this a very satisfying movie.Writer-director Kevin Smith (Clerks) mak! es a huge leap in sophistication with this strong story about ! a comic- book artist (Ben Affleck) who falls in love with a lesbian (Joey Lauren Adams) and actually gets his wish that she love him, too. Their relationship is attacked, however, by his business partner (Jason Lee), who pulls a very unsubtle Iago act to cast doubt over the whole affair. The film has the same sense of insiderness as Clerks--this time, Smith takes us within the arcane, funny world of comic-book cultism--but the themes of jealousy, deceit, and the high price of growing up enough to truly care for someone make this a very satisfying movie. --Tom Keogh
The Hottest State: A Novel
- ISBN13: 9780316540834
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Uncertainty
- UNCERTAINTY (DVD MOVIE)
Every choice has a consequence. But what if the flip of a coin could trigger two separate but parallel destinies? Joseph Gordon-Levitt (500 DAYS OF SUMMER) and Lynn Collins (WOLVERINE) star as Bobby and Kate, a young New York couple at a crossroads whose lives are about to take very different heads/tails directions: A visit to Brooklyn leads them to gentle discoveries about family, loss and each other, while a day in Manhattan plunges them into an urban nightmare of pursuit, suspense and murder. Olivia Thirlby (JUNO) co-stars in this uniquely powerful thriller written, produced and directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel, the award-winning filmmakers behind SUTURE, BEE SEASON and T! HE DEEP END.
As Good as Dead (Angel Delaney Mystery Series #3)
- Softcover Book
The victims are all found face-down in the murky waters of the creek that runs through Cherokee Pointe, Tennessee. They are naked, except for the black satin ribbon tied around their necks. And each murdered woman shares a single characteristic. . .they are all redheads. . .
Socialite Reve Sorrell has come to Cherokee Pointe seeking answers about her family history and her shocking connection to wrong-side-of-the-tracks Jazzy Talbot. With their stunning good looks and shining red hair, the two are mirror images of each other--twins abandoned at birth and raised in very different worlds. And whoever left them for dead on a cold night thirty years ago isn't about to let them uncover the truth now. . .
As a serial killer leaves ano! ther chi lling calling card in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, Reve turns to Sheriff Jacob Butler to help her unravel the potentially deadly secrets of her past. But someone will do anything to stop her. . .someone who won't make the same mistake twice. . .someone more cunning than she knows. . .and closer than she ever could imagine. . . "Fast. . .edgy. . .sexy. . .I loved The Fifth Victim!" --Linda Howard, New York Times bestselling author "Smart, sexy, and scary as hell. Beverly Barton just keeps getting better and better." --Lisa Jackson, New York Times bestselling author on The Fifth Victim The victims are all found face-down in the murky waters of the creek that runs through Cherokee Pointe, Tennessee. They are naked, except for the black satin ribbon tied around their necks. And each murdered woman shares a single characteristic. . .they are all redheads. . . Socialite Reve Sorrell has come to Cherokee Pointe seeking answers about her family history and her shocking connection to wrong-side-of-the-tracks Jazzy Talbot. With their stunning good looks and shining red hair, the two are mirror images of each other--twins abandoned at birth and raised in very different worlds. And whoever left them for dead on a cold night thirty years ago isn't about to let them uncover the truth now. . . As a serial killer leaves another chilling calling card in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, Reve turns to Sheriff Jacob Butler to help her unravel the potentially deadly secrets of her past. But someone will do anything to stop her. . .someone who won't make the same mistake twice. . .someone more cunning than she knows. . .and closer than she ever could imagine. . . "Fast. . .edgy. . .sexy. . .I loved The Fifth Victim!" --Linda Howard, New York Times bestsellin! g author "Smart, sexy, and scary as hell. Beverly Barton j! ust keep s getting better and better." --Lisa Jackson, New York Times bestselling author on The Fifth Victim The Hostage Police officer Helen Weeks walks into her local newsagent's on her way to work. Little does she know that this simple daily ritual will change her life forever. It's the last place she expects to be met with violence, but as she waits innocently at the till, she comes face to face with a gunman. The Demand The crazed hostage-taker is desperate to know what really happened to his beloved son, who died a year before in youth custody. By holding a police officer at gunpoint, he will force the one man who knows more about the case than any other to re-investigate his son's death. That man is DI Tom Thorne. The Twist While Helen fights to stay alive and the body-count rises,Thorne must race against time if he is to bring a killer to justice and save a young mother's life.What begins as an average day for ethan takes a dangerous turn when hes kidnapped &! held hostage in his apartment. The home invaders arent looking to rob him: instead they are looking to avenge the death of a right-wing cult leader. But the more they interrogate him the more they doubt hes the killer. Studio: Millenium Media Services Release Date: 10/12/2010 Starring: Andie Macdowell Frank Whaley Run time: 91 minutes Rating: RSoftcover Book
Monday, January 16, 2012
POGO Hearts, Spades and More!
- 5 Card Games for Kindle
In Hearts, the goal is to win as few points-paying hearts as possible or to win all the points-paying cards at once. The winner is the one who finishes with the game with the fewest points. In Spades, the goal is to bid and win a specific number of hands, by playing the highest card by round or by playing the highest spade. The team that bids and wins the most hands, wins the game. In Euchre, the goal is for you and your partner to get as many tricks per round as possible. You get tricks by having the highest trump card or highest suited card if no trump card is played. The team that scores 10 points first wins. The goal of Gin is to make sets of cards, based on runs in suit or matching rank. The player who can make the most matches earliest typically wins. In Canasta, you make sets of up to! seven cards. The player who first makes sets of all his cards will make the most points typically wins.
Learn and master each game through in-depth tutorials with rules and tips on how to improve your play and track your stats across all 5 games.
What game are you going to play first
Flow How did a handful of corporations steal our water
- Irena Salina s award-winning documentary investigation into what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st Century - The World Water Crisis. Salina builds a case against the growing privatization of the world s dwindling fresh water supply with a focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel. Interviews with s
Friday, January 13, 2012
Girl with a Pearl Earring, Deluxe Edition
- ISBN13: 9780452287020
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
• Eight Pages of Full-Color Plates Include Every Vermeer Painting Discussed in the Book
• French Flaps
• Rough Front
• Larger Trim Size
• Premium Stock
• With a New Foreword
Celebrate Tracy Chevalier’s modern classic Girl With A Pearl Earring, featuring a gorgeous new edition illustrated with eight pages of Vermeer’s masterworks. History and fiction merge seamlessly in this luminous novel about artistic vision and sensual awakening. The story of Griet, whose life is transformed by her brief encounter with a genius as she herself is immortalized in canvas and oil, is new a! gain.With precisely 35 canvases to his credit, the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer represents one of the great enigmas of 17th-century art. The meager facts of his biography have been gleaned from a handful of legal documents. Yet Vermeer's extraordinary paintings of domestic life, with their subtle play of light and texture, have come to define the Dutch golden age. His portrait of the anonymous Girl with a Pearl Earring has exerted a particular fascination for centuries--and it is this magnetic painting that lies at the heart of Tracy Chevalier's second novel of the same title.
Girl with a Pearl Earring centers on Vermeer's prosperous Delft household during the 1660s. When Griet, the novel's quietly perceptive heroine, is hired as a servant, turmoil follows. First, the 16-year-old narrator becomes increasingly intimate with her master. Then Vermeer employs her as his assistant--and ultimately has Griet sit for him as a model. Chevalier vivi! dly evokes the complex domestic tensions of the household, ru! led over by the painter's jealous, eternally pregnant wife and his taciturn mother-in-law. At times the relationship between servant and master seems a little anachronistic. Still, Girl with a Pearl Earring does contain a final delicious twist.
Throughout, Chevalier cultivates a limpid, painstakingly observed style, whose exactitude is an effective homage to the painter himself. Even Griet's most humdrum duties take on a high if unobtrusive gloss:
I came to love grinding the things he brought from the apothecary--bones, white lead, madder, massicot--to see how bright and pure I could get the colors. I learned that the finer the materials were ground, the deeper the color. From rough, dull grains madder became a fine bright red powder and, mixed with linseed oil, a sparkling paint. Making it and the other colors was magical.In assembling such quotidian particulars, the author acknowledges her debt to Simon Schama's classic study! The Embarrassment of Riches. Her novel also joins a crop of recent, painterly fictions, including Deborah Moggach's Tulip Fever and Susan Vreeland's Girl in Hyacinth Blue. Can novelists extract much more from the Dutch golden age? The question is an open one--but in the meantime, Girl with a Pearl Earring remains a fascinating piece of speculative historical fiction, and an appealingly new take on an old master. --Jerry Brotton
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Afterschool
- AFTERSCHOOL (DVD MOVIE)
The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day Movie (Holding Guns) Poster Print - 24x36 Poster Print, 24x36
- Poster Title: The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day Movie (Holding Guns) Poster Print - 24x36
- Size: 24 x 36 inches
Stills from Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day (Click for larger image)
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Stills from Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day (Click for larger image)
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Decorate your home or office with high quality posters. The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day Movie (Holding Guns) Poster Print - 24x36 is that perfect piece that matches your style, interests, and budget.
Buck Hood Hoodlum Hunting Knife
- Blade Length: 10" (25.4 cm)
- Blade Material: 5160 Carbon Steel
- Carry System: Black, heavy duty nylon, M.O.L.L.E. compatible sheath
- Handle Material: Micarta
- Weight: 14.6 oz (22.0 g)
THE BROTHERS SOLOMON 27X40 ORIGINAL D/S MOVIE POSTER
- 27x40 inches (approximate dimensions).
- Poster is double sided with a reverse image on the back.
- This poster is an authentic original movie theater poster issued by the studio.
- Makes a great gift!
Jeep CJ CJ5 CJ7 Wrangler New Set of 6 Dash Light Lamps
- brand new
Features include:
•MPAA Rating: UNRATED
•Format: DVD
•Runtime: 88 minutes
Manufacturer Part Number: 13319.01 Application: 76-83 Jeep CJ5 76-86 Jeep CJ7
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Divine Intervention
- Divine Intervention is a comedy about a young, hip preacher, Reverend Gibbs (Wesley Jonathan), who becomes the temporary pastor of a small Baptist church when the stern, long-presiding Reverend Matthews (James Avery) takes an indefinite leave of absence. Coincidentally, Reverend Gibbs stumbles upon a young lady, Divine (Jazsmin Lewis), who sparks his interest while presenting him with a challenge:
For 1500 years, Christians have used “sacred reading†or Lectio Divina as a way to tap into the power and vitality of God's Word.Author and youth pastor Tony Jones explains the four steps of Lectio Divina:
• lectio (reading)
• meditatio (meditation)
• oratio (prayer)
• contemplatio (contemplation)
• Includes 12 lectio divina exercises with passages from The Message Remix
The Romantic Comedy with Spirit. Divine Intervention is a comedy about a yo! ung, hip preacher who becomes the temporary pastor of a small fundamentalist Baptist church in Los Angeles when the long presiding pastor has to take an indefinite leave of absence after suffering a stroke. The handsome and stylish Reverend Robert Gibbs’ flashy and hip style of preaching is immediately embraced by members of the now growing congregation, but is frowned upon by his predecessor, the stern and traditional Reverend Matthews, who does not agree with Gibbs’ trendy tactics or the new commercialized direction in which the church is headed. Coincidentally, Reverend Gibbs eventually stumbles upon a young lady who sparks his interest but presents a challenge to him. The young, lovely, and witty schoolteacher Divine, initially unbeknownst to Reverend Gibbs, is the daughter of Reverend Matthews and she has lost her faith in God due to losing her mother several years back to cancer. Reverend Gibbs tries to win her over while restoring her faith in God and steerin! g clear of her dry humored and overly protective father in the! process . Reverend Matthews’ prospects of returning to the church eventually lessen and Reverend Gibbs moves closer to assuming a permanent role as pastor of the church. That is until he meets even stronger opposition in the jealous and scandalous Deacon Wells, who attempts to uncover some elements of Reverend Gibbs’ past which may prevent him from winning the seat of permanent pastor of the church and more importantly, a place in the heart of Divine. Divine Intervention is a funny, upbeat spiritual journey about romance, religion, and scandal that will succeed with the ever popular and abundant, urban churchgoing audience and general viewers will embrace it for its warmth, humor and controversy.• lectio (reading)
• meditatio (meditation)
• oratio (prayer)
• contemplatio (contemplation)
• Includes 12 lectio divina exercises with passages from The Message Remix
Fun With My 5 Senses: Activities to Build Learning Readiness (Williamson Little Hands Series)
- Activities that build learning readiness
How do you learn what the world is like?
Through your five senses! Each sound and taste, each smell, sight, and touch helps you to discover something new. So find out more about your senses-what they are and what you can learn through them about the exciting world.The world awaits!
Do you remember your first realization of any of your five senses? Prolific children's author J. M. Parram³n successfully tackles these tough concepts in words that 3-5 year olds can comprehend. These five colorful books awaken young minds to the wonders of the senses: the taste of oranges, the aroma of fresh-baked bread, and other sensations that give us delight in being alive. Educational, yet fun to read, this clever series is clearly written and cheerfully illustrated in flowing colors throughout. Each book includes a special "scientific" section to help p! arents answer their children's questions about the senses.Do you know how your five sense help you? Find out how your sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch help you understand the world around you in this story about your amazing body.This title is suitable for ages 4 to 8 years. From their eyes, ears, and nose right down to their tippy toes, kids' five senses will be tingling with the fun and excitement of self-discovery. Create a storybook stew, go on a sniffing house tour, take a wide-eyed nature walk, play 'find that painting', and laze about creatively with cloud characters, giggling all the while at their newly found sensory perceptions. There's no doubt about it, the experiences and observations in this book add up to a lifetime of learning spelled fun. The Woman Who Fell from the Sky: An American Journalist in Yemen
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"I had no idea how to find my way around this medieval city. It was getting dark. I was tired. I didn’t speak Arabic. I was a little frightened. But hadn’t I battled scorpions in the wilds of Costa Rica and prevailed? Hadn’t I survived fainting in a San José brothel? Hadn’t I once arrived in Ireland with only $10 in my pocket and made it last two weeks? Surely I could handle a walk through an unfamiliar town. So I took a breath, tightened the black scarf around my hair, and headed out to take my first solitary steps through Sana’a."-- from The Woman Who Fell From The Sky
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In a world fraught with suspicion between the Middle East and the West, it's hard to believe that one of the most influential newspapers in Yemen--the desperately poor, ancestral homeland of Osama bi! n Laden, which has made has made international headlines for b! eing a t errorist breeding ground--would be handed over to an agnostic, Campari-drinking, single woman from Manhattan who had never set foot in the Middle East. Yet this is exactly what happened to journalist, Jennifer Steil.
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Restless in her career and her life, Jennifer, a gregarious, liberal New Yorker, initially accepts a short-term opportunity in 2006 to teach a journalism class to the staff of The Yemen Observer in Sana'a, the beautiful, ancient, and very conservative capital of Yemen. Seduced by the eager reporters and the challenging prospect of teaching a free speech model of journalism there, she extends her stay to a year as the paper's editor-in-chief. But she is quickly confronted with the realities of Yemen--and their surprising advantages. In teaching the basics of fair and balanced journalism to a staff that included plagiarists and polemicists, she falls in love with her career again. In confronting the blatant mistreatment and strict governance of ! women by their male counterparts, she learns to appreciate the strength of Arab women in the workplace. And in forging surprisingly deep friendships with women and men whose traditions and beliefs are in total opposition to her own, she learns a cultural appreciation she never could have predicted. What’s more, she just so happens to meet the love of her life.
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With exuberance and bravery, The Woman Who Fell from the Sky offers a rare, intimate, and often surprising look at the role of the media in Muslim culture and a fascinating cultural tour of Yemen, one of the most enigmatic countries in the world.Tahir Shah Reviews The Woman Who Fell from the Sky
Tahir Shah is the author of The Caliph's House and In Arabian Nights. Read his review of The Woman Who Fell from the Sky:
Just about everyone I ! meet is writing a book.
At parties and dinners they usually trap me in a corner between a potted plant and a wall, and they harangue me about a their masterwork. As a published author they expect I’ll be able to smooth the way up the long hard slope to Print-hood and success.
Most of the time I tell Would-be-writer dinner guests that they're fabulous, and that they're assured easy success, because of their rare and blatant talent. I tell them that because most people only want attention and, when they've been given it, they move on to someone else.
Sometimes, at the end of a long evening of being savaged by Would-be-writers, I lash out and hint at the truthâ€"-that the first 100,000 words that most people knock out ought to be chucked in the trash right away. It’s the dirty water that comes through pipes that have never been used.
But once in a while you come across an author who hits the mark first off in the most lively, and enlivening w! ay.
Jennifer Steil is one such writer.
It's clear to me from the first line of her sleek, intelligent and charming book, that she has done her time in that gymnasium of authorship, the newspaper world. There is nothing like it to build the craft, although the majority of writers these days seem to shun it like the plague.
As a result, Jennifer doesn't waste words. And, more importantly, she knows how to use them, like a mason selecting the right rock for a spot in a dry stone wall.
It would be enough for this first book to be a delight, which it is, but it captures something far deeper and far more poignant. Through it, she has reached the hallowed ground of the most successful travel writers. By this, I mean that she has triumphed in showing a place, revealing the sensibilities of a people and events, through anecdotes rather than direct description. It's something which most writers fail miserably at, but a one that has the ability! to depict a society in the most enticing way-â€"from the insi! de out.< /p>
I won't waste space here detailing the ins and outs of Jennifer's story in Yemen, because I coax anyone with an interest in the East-West dynamic to read her prose for themselves. But I will preface the book by saying that it is an extraordinary achievement: both eloquent and elegant, hilarious in parts but, most of all, sensible to a society so differing from her own.
Questions for Jennifer Steil
Q: How does writing a memoir compare to writing news stories?
A: Writing a memoir is in many ways much easier than writing news stories. News stories require such intensive reporting and running around, and then must be written on very tight deadlines. I had a year to write this book, and nearly another year to edit it, which felt very leisurely to me! Of course the book required research as well, but much of it was based on the dai! ly journals I kept during my first year in Yemen.
Writing a memoir is also a much lonelier business than writing news stories. When I am working as a reporter, I am constantly talking with people, either interview subjects or colleagues. Writing a book required long solitary hours in my office, and I found myself longing for someone to talk to at the water cooler!
Of course, there are also huge differences in structure. I found myself struggling with the structure of the book, whereas I can fairly easily structure news stories. I figured out the structure the book as I went along--with lots of help from my editors!
There are also some commonalities between book writing and news writing. Both memoirs and journalism require scrupulous reporting of facts. I always try to be as honest and fair as possible. A memoir, however, includes plenty of my own opinions and feelings, which news writing excludes.
Q: At one poi! nt, you were surprised to find yourself sounding patriotic as ! you expl ained American constitutional rights to Farouq. How did being an expatriate affect your sense of what it means to be an American?
A: I feel that living abroad has deepened my affection for America, while also making me more critical of certain aspects of American culture. When I left the U.S., I was furious at our government and the country in general. A dedicated Democrat, I was bitter about the last two elections and outraged by pretty much everything George W. Bush ever did. I was embarrassed to be American and pessimistic about the future of the country.
Living in Yemen did not improve my view of the Bush administration, but it did make me grateful for the many privileges of life in the US. All the things I took for granted--drinkable tap water, free speech, freedom to dress however I wanted, a variety of healthy food available everywhere, dental care, good hospitals, decent education, diversity--became more precious to me. I felt proud t! hat I came from a country where I could rant about whatever I wanted without fear of the government tossing me into jail.
I used to complain about sexism in America, which does still exist. But it is nothing compared to what women are subjected to in Yemen--and in so many other places. I feel so lucky that by the sheer accident of my birth I grew up in a country where I have had the freedom to go to school, be critical of religion, make friends with men and women, and choose a career for myself. I appreciate the fact that in the U.S. I feel that I am seen as a person with an intellect and rights, rather than as property.
That said, one thing I liked about leaving America was shedding so many THINGS. I gave away or threw out most of my possessions (aside from books and notebooks, which I stored in my parents' barn) and it was really freeing to realize that I could easily live for a year with just two suitcases worth of clothes and other thing! s. So much about life in the U.S. seems excessive from here. I! mean, d o we really need 97 flavors of chewing gum and 53 flavors of iced tea? I would go to stores and just get overwhelmed by the choices.
I have become more critical of the frivolity of American life. It's hard to get worked up about my own small problems when Yemenis are worried about the most basic things: access to water, access to schools, starvation, sickness, and war.
Q: Despite the hardships, you truly fell in love with Yemen. What was the turning point?
A: There were many little turning points--meeting and having tea with my neighbors in Old Sana'a, finally finding time to eat lunch outside of the office (it made such a difference to get away for an hour!), figuring out how to do all of my shopping and errands in Arabic, and taking time to get out of Sana'a and explore more of this gorgeous country. I am glad I came here alone, because I got such a huge sense of accomplishment from finding my own way and becoming self-suff! icient in this strange land.
Perhaps my biggest turning point came as a result of getting the newspaper on a regular schedule. Once I had achieved this Herculean feat, I was finally able to spend more time with my reporters individually. I could give them the training and attention they needed. I could also spend some time with them outside of the office. This made my job suddenly much more enjoyable. I loved spending time with my staff. They are the reason I came to Yemen, and the absolute best part of my first year here was watching their progress and forming relationships with them.
Once we were on a regular schedule, I also had more time to explore Yemen and meet people outside of work.
Q: How do you hope the book will affect readers? What stereotypes would you like to overturn?
A: So many westerners I meet in the U.S. and England have not even heard of Yemen. If they have, they only know it as a hotbed! of terrorism, which is how it's generally described in the ne! ws. News coverage of Yemen is extremely skewed--western papers rarely write about the country unless embassies are being attacked or tourists are getting blown up.
What you hardly ever read about is the amazing hospitality and generosity of the Yemeni people. The overwhelming majority of people I have met in Yemen have been kind, open-hearted, and curious about westerners. Yemenis will invite you home to lunch five minutes after meeting you. And if you go once, they will invite you back for lunch every week. This kind of immediate and sincere hospitality is not often found in the west.
I hope my book helps eliminate the stereotype that all Yemenis are crazed terrorists. I want people to come away with the understanding that Yemen has a diverse population, and the majority are peaceful people.
Q: Most books about Yemen have been written by men. What's different about your perspective as a woman--a western woman at that?
! A: Western men have pretty much zero access to women in Yemen (and Yemeni men don’t have much more!). Therefore, the books written about Yemen by men are missing half of the story--the women's story. At least one male writer I've read admits he knows nothing of the world of Yemeni women, but adds that it is his understanding that Yemeni women may have little influence on political and public life, but that they rule the home. I did not find this to be true--certainly not for most of the women I have met here. The women I know have to obey the men in their family in every sphere--they are not free to go to school, fall in love, stay out after dark, work, go out, make friends with men, etc. without permission from men.
Because I am a westerner, I am sure there is still plenty I do not know about Yemen and Yemeni women in particular. While I've become close to many women who have confided in me, I am still ultimately an outsider. Yet some women confid! e in me because I am an outsider--they tell me things they are! afraid of telling other Yemeni women, for fear of being judged.
Q: What is your next challenge as a writer and editor?
A: I would really like to write a novel. I've written one before, but I am not sure it should ever be published! So I'd like to start again. I think it would be fun to write something completely untrue for a change. Though it is tempting to write something about diplomatic life...
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| Jennifer Steil with Rocky the Kitten | Mountains in Haraz | Jennifer and Faris |
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| Jennifer, Tim, and Their Bodyguards | Yemeni Minaret | A Staff Meeting |
