Almost everyone is familiar with the Italian bowls game Bocce. With the exception of those who have traveled to France, few Americans know P tanque the "Elegant & Intelligent French Game of Boules." Contrary to the opinion of many ill-informed Americans, the French are a warm and generous people - that is except when it comes to their national game of P tanque. In America too many clubs are tightly controlled by elitist French-Americans who practice P tanque as an extension of French culture rather than a competitive sport. This book lets the genie out of the Bordeaux bottle. Americans are the most diverse and sporting people in the world. With respect and admiration to my French friends, now is the time to relinquish control and let the entire world embrace this great sport. Since I'm stepping on cultural toes (and with apologies to U.S. Bocce players who outnumber U.S. P tanque players by a 1,000-to-1 ratio) Bocce is to P tanque what checkers is to chess. Bocce is a simple, two-dimensional rolling game. Although it reputedly can be played on any surface, other than the most casual Bocce game is confined to expensive, smooth and level groomed courts enclosed with side and backboards; P tanque is a three-dimensional throwing game in which the concept of a formal court doesn't exist. Even the world championships are played on rough, unlevel, ungroomed dirt and crushed gravel terrains. Ugly terrains tend to make P tanque both aerial and savagely aggressive - boules are rarely rolled, instead they are gracefully lofted high into the air and competitor's boules are removed from play with sniper-like precision before the shooter's boule even touches the ground. If you're looking for a fun distraction during a family barbeque, stick with Bocce; if you want to be challenged with a subtle, complex, multilayered, inexpensive, egalitarian, environmentally friendly and truly universal sport - then you've got to give P tanque a hard look. Like all great sports it can be played casually, but it's true essence is only revealed (and fully appreciated) during intense competition. This is the first comprehensive English language P tanque book. The 8-1/2" x 11" format accommodates comfortable viewing of the over 100 diagrams and photos. With a few minutes of introductory practice throws, you can play games and have a great time; however, after teaching over 120 people how to throw in just the past year I can unequivocally state that the more technique and strategy one masters, the more engaging and fulfilling P tanque becomes. The book starts at the absolute novice level and provides sufficient technique and strategy instruction to take a player to a regional-level competition. In P tanque (like all things French) "function follows form"; throw effortlessly with style and grace, and your game will flourish You probably don't live near an existing P tanque club - but that's not necessarily bad. Starting a new group provides the opportunity to establish baseline etiquette and player ethics to create an inclusive and supportive, yet uncompromisingly competitive environment. Without any prior P tanque experience you can create a start-up group for less than $100 and a few hours of time. You don't need a formal terrain; play on the types of public spaces reminiscent of the south of France where P tanque originated: packed dirt public plazas, gravel walking paths, unpaved parking areas, and in America you're never more than a few miles from the dirt infield of a baseball diamond. These surfaces are great terrains. Strive to have club demographics reflect your community. More than just a great game, P tanque is an ideal tool to unite a diverse neighborhood with a fun, challenging and inclusive activity in which all can participate. And never forget, we have the French to thank for it
About the Book: The seasons of life continue from the time we are born until we finish our course. Learning to enjoy the blessings and beauty of each season, despite its challenges, is life
TWO BROKEN MEN. THEIR ONLY HOPE FOR SURVIVAL IS EACH OTHER. Jonathan Birch fled for his life from the sex-and-drugs party scene that left his lover dead and Jonathan framed for murder. Hunted by powerful, dangerous men who want more from him than he's willing to give, Jonathan lives a solitary existence in a low-rent motel, always afraid his past will catch up with him. Newly-released ex-con Peter Grant longs for the life he no longer believes he deserves. Convinced everyone who looks at him can see his guilt, Peter locks himself away behind his motel room door and observes his small corner of the world-and the handsome young man who lives upstairs. Their quiet lives come crashing down one snowy night when the worst of the men from Jonathan's past finds him. With no one but each other to rely on, Jonathan and Peter might stand a slim chance of escaping men who buy and sell others like cattle. First they have to do the hardest thing either of them has ever done. Step out of the shadows and fight back. "Fast-paced and brilliant, SHADOW LIFE will keep you turning pages. Kris Sparks knows suspense." -Ariel Graham, author of GHOSTS IN THE MACHINE
Kris grew up in the tiny fishing village, Siglufj r ur, on Iceland s north fjords where her mamma ran a pool hall and raised eight daughter and a very spoiled son. Daily visitors at her house told fortunes and ghost stories for entertainment. The family was forced to flee to the south coast of the island after the herring was depleted and no one could afford to play pool or gather in the family kitchen to tell ghost stories and tell fortunes. Some of the sisters ventured further south, to America, where Kris began her career as a motel maid, then journied up the career ladder across eight states and so many universities.
In The Human in Bits, Kris Cohen examines black abstractionist painting to demonstrate how race and computation are intimately entangled with the personal computer's graphic user interface. He shows how the personal computer and the graphical field of its screen meant to transform the human by transforming what environments humans were to labor in. It also provided the means for whiteness to tie itself to notions of colorblind meritocracy. Cohen focuses on the post-1960s experiments of black abstractionists Alma Thomas, Jack Whitten, Charles Gaines, and Julie Mehretu, who developed a nonrepresentational approach to blackness that was oriented more toward constraint than human expression. From Gaines's use of grids to Mehretu's layering of paint, these artists--in their knowledge that black life had always been conflated with numbers and bits of information--flirted with repetition, systems, and formulas to test other ways of being human. By demonstrating how these artists bypassed the white fear that the human would become interchangeable with data, Cohen reframes modernism and modernist art to account for racialization in computational cultures.
Former Army Ranger Kris Paronto, a survivor of the 2012 Benghazi siege that was subject of the book and movie 13 Hours, provides powerful, motivational tools for surviving and thriving to bring readers discipline, motivation, success, and peace to life.Struggle is universal - whether you're an Army Ranger under fire or a civilian scraping by, we all need a team to support us. We all face impossible odds, at some point. Author KRIS PARONTO saw over ten years of combat during his time as an Army Ranger - he's been shot at, witnessed explosions, watched fires rage, and made split-second decisions to keep himself and his fellow soldiers safe. In this book he shares his story and Ranger strategies for coping with all of life's struggles and for succeeding at every turn.Through it all, depending on others and surrounding yourself with a strong team are keys to get through tough times and celebrate the good.Paronto's powerful, motivational tools for surviving and thriving brings discipline, motivation, success, and peace to life.
Thousands of people have heard Kris "Tanto" Paronto speak about his experiences in Benghazi on September 11, 2012. But before he was a security contractor, Tanto was a US Army Ranger from 2nd Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment. In The Ranger Way, Tanto shares stories from his training experiences that played a role in his team's heroic response in Benghazi on September 11, 2012. Being a Ranger is, by design, not for everyone, but anyone can use the expectations and techniques of Ranger culture to achieve personal victory. Tanto shows you how to define your mission, set goals that are in alignment with your values, and develop a battle plan that will maximize your chances of success.You will learn why you should never quit and why that is different from never failing. Tanto uses his experiences in Basic and Ranger Training to explore how to deal with mistakes and disappointment like a leader, accept responsibility, and turn every obstacle into an opportunity for growth. You will learn why service and sacrifice will help you succeed-and how the power of humility, strength, faith, and brotherhood will sustain you on the road to accomplishing your mission
