Peter BergmanAs a founding member of the legendary comedy group, The Firesign Theatre and as the creator and host of Radio Free Oz (both the radio and online incarnations, ) Peter Bergman had been one of our culture's most insightful (and funny) pundits and political observers.Sadly, Bergman passed away as this collection was being readied for production. It was intended to be the first in a collection of essays, skits and comedic vignettes culled from his RadioFreeOz.com podcasts. Although the show could no longer continue, Bergman's commentaries in regard to the 2010 mid-terms and their immediate aftermath have proven to be not only cogent assesments of that era's political climate but now serve as a ghostly signpost to where we have found ourselves heading today.Ah, Peter Bergman, ever The Wizard.David OssmanPoet, writer, director, actor and cofounder of The Firesign Theatre and occasional RFOz co-host, David Ossman, adds his warm and soulful verse as well as his hilarious characterizations and social commentary to this collection. Mr. Ossman currently resides with his lovely wife, Judith, on Whidbey Island in the Great Pacific Northwest.Phil FountainBetter known as the House Illustrator and Cartoonist for Radio Free Oz, Philip (a/k/a Hal O'Dali, ) was responsible for the finest graphic elements found on any web-based audio program in the known universe. He also did the drawings found in "Trolling The Woe." He is currently holed-up in the shadow of Mount Shasta in Northern California with his wife, Christine, assorted grandchildren and their dogs.
Science Is Never “Settled” Thousands of scientists are convinced beyond any reasonable doubt that recent global warming is being caused by emissions of greenhouse gases and that we must act immediately to reduce these emissions or else we may render Earth unlivable for our children and our grandchildren. Some even say “the science is settled.” What Really Causes Global Warming examines a broad range of observations that show that greenhouse warming theory is not only misguided, but not physically possible. Recent warming was caused by ozone depletion due to emissions of human-manufactured gases. We solved that problem with the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer stopping the increase in global temperatures by 1998. Volcanoes also deplete ozone. The eruption of Bárðarbunga volcano in central Iceland from August 2014 to February 2015—the largest effusive, basaltic, volcanic eruption since 1783—caused 2015 to be the hottest year on record. How can we adapt? “The work of science has nothing whatever to do with consensus. Consensus is the business of politics. Science, on the contrary, requires only one investigator who happens to be right, which means that he or she has results that are verifiable by reference to the real world.”— Michael Crichton, 2003
Gambling is emerging as a major industry around the world at a time when many of the more traditional economic pursuits are becoming less productive, but while the burgeoning gambling industry is certainly profitable and provides good investment opportunities and economic benefits for business and communities alike, it is timely that we look more closely at the overall benefits and costs of this phenomenon in modern society. In this book about the modern gambling business, a motif of the Colorado River and the Boulder/Hoover Dam is explored in the opening section, likening the benefits and risks of gambling to those of the damning of the Colorado to irrigate California. There can be no doubt that the project wrested many Americans from poverty and unemployment in the depression, built a world-leading engineering structure that served to help the desert bloom, so to speak, including, of course, the re-making of Las Vegas. With the wisdom of hindsight and our increasing environmental awareness, the choking of the Colorado has had its downsides as does the gambling industry as we already know.
In The Fords: An American Epic, Peter Collier and David Horowitz tell the riveting story of three generations of Fords, a dramatic story of conflict between fathers and sons played out against the backdrop of America’s greatest industrial empire. The story begins with the first Henry Ford, the mechanical wizard, tinkerer and “mad genius” who drove the automobile into the heart of American life and conquered the world with it. An American Original, by the end of his life he had become an embittered crank who so possessively loved the company he built that when his son, Edsel, tried to change it to suit the changing times, Henry destroyed him. It was left to Edsel’s son Henry II to avenge him and save the Ford Motor Company in the postwar world. From the details of the first Henry’s illicit affair and illegitimate son, to the life and loves of “Hank the Deuce” and his celebrated feud with Lee Iacocca, this is an engrossing account of a vital chapter in American history. The authors have added new material to this classic work, showing how Henry II’s line lost out to the line of his brother William Clay Ford in the quest to control this most American of companies in the twenty-first century.In addition to The Fords, Peter Collier and David Horowitz are the authors of dynastic biographies of the Kennedys, Roosevelts, Rockefellers, and Fondas.
The Kennedys may well be the most photographed, written about, talked about, admired, hated, and controversial family in American history. But for all the words and pictures, the real story was not told until Peter Collier and David Horowitz spent years researching archives and interviewing both family members and hundreds of people close to the Kennedys.An immediate classic, The Kennedys combines intimate knowledge with a perspective free of obligations to family loyalties and myths, bringing the story of four generations of “America’s family” fully into view. Collier and Horowitz capture the strain of ambition; the dynastic ebb and flow; the invention of a mythic identity; the corrosive underside of the dream of Camelot—developed over four generations—that led one young Kennedy to say, “We broke the rules and in turn we were broken by them.”The Kennedys: An American Drama is a fascinating and brilliantly comprehensive history that brings together, for the first time, all the complex strains of the story of the Kennedys’ rise and fall. The authors have added new material showing the effect of the death of John F. Kennedy Jr., and the other family tragedies of the last few years, on the Kennedys and their mythic role in American life.In addition to The Kennedys, Peter Collier and David Horowitz are the authors of dynastic biographies of the Fords, Roosevelts, Rockefellers, and Fondas.
Dorian Gray, that most intriguing creation of Victorian author Oscar Wilde, has served as a figure of horror, dark ambiguity, and personified cautionary tale for over 120 years now. Since the original serialized publication of THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY, we've seen a multitude of literary and cinematic interpretations and re-interpretations of the story of a young man who obtained immortality at a tremendously dark cost, with the merciless effects of aging and the consequences of his actions now borne by a portrait rather than suffered by the young man himself... most of the time. We've seen him appear in horror-oriented TV shows, as part of an ensemble in major motion pictures, headline periodic comic book mini-series, and featured as the star of a terrific audio drama series by Big Finish. What we haven't seen, however, is a prose horror anthology devoted entirely to his tales, each of which display the variety of roles he can play: From debauched villain and corruptor of the innocent, to anti-hero, to an unlikely savior -- including taking a pendulum swing from one to another within a single story - which amply demonstrate how metaphorically apropos his surname actually is. That all changed the moment this volume was published, however.In this anthology, several authors bring Gray to life, showing the variety of effects he has on various individuals, both innocent and otherwise, who cross his path. The time periods range from the Edwardian era right up to the present, yet throughout each the man with the infamous portrait remains true to the variety of shades he embodies. Moreover, the paths of those he crosses will themselves be quite familiar to genre readers (e.g., Dracula, a mad scientist named Pretorius, artist Richard Pickman of Lovecraft's nightmarish tale "Pickman's Model," a lady-loving she-vampire called Carmilla, Becky Sharp of VANITY FAIR). This volume brings you two novellas, a short play, two short stories, a timeline, and even a short personal bonus memoir, all of which give readers a glimpse into the many shades that Dorian Gray can paint on those whose lives he touches... and how their lives affect his own continuing saga.
Henry and Peggy Ho appeared to be unassuming ordinary suburbanites who worked regular jobs while raising a family. They lived the typical immigrant's "American dream" since emigrating with their two sons from Taiwan by freighter ship in the 1960s. But behind this veneer of averageness, they had experienced numerous adventures that spanned the continents of Europe, Asia, and finally North America. Born in the landlocked province of Hunan, China, Henry Ho left the countryside to study literature at university. But with World War II raging, his patriotism and passion for adventure inspired him to leave school and enlist to defend his country. As a young naval cadet in World War II, he was dispatched to a new home in Portsmouth, England for two years. There, he and fellow crewmen were trained by the Royal Navy to take command of the HMS Aurora, a light cruiser that would become the SS Chongqing, the most powerful warship in China and flagship of the Nationalist Navy. After sailing back to Shanghai on the Chongqing, he met Peggy, a young nurse who would heal him in the hospital and become his bride. By luck, Henry was ashore with Peggy on a fateful evening when the Chongqing's crew mutinied and defected to the People's Liberation Army. Separated from his beloved ship, Henry was assigned at the end of the Chinese Civil War to assist with the naval evacuation of the Nationalist Chinese to Taiwan, his and Peggy's adopted home for the next 15 years. As a naval commander, Henry experienced firsthand military conflicts between the two Chinas in the Taiwan Strait. Seeking better educational opportunities and a more peaceful life for their young sons, they left behind a comfortable life in Taiwan to immigrate to the United States and made their final home across the seas to proudly live out the remainder of their years as American citizens.Like many members of the Greatest Generation, Henry spoke little of their past. But his love of the written word motivated him and Peggy to vividly chronicle modern Chinese history's impact on their lives in numerous essays and short stories written in their native Chinese. Spanning five decades, these writings are a treasure trove that bears witness to their perseverance, survival, and humor as they find love and raise a family in rapidly changing post-war China, Taiwan, and America.At a time when the value of immigration in the United States is under question, their stories are a relevant reminder of the wealth of perspective, experience, and commitment that immigrants bring to America and the breadth of opportunities that America affords to immigrants who willingly sacrifice the lives they have nurtured in the old country to adopt the United States as their own.
Henry and Peggy Ho appeared to be unassuming ordinary suburbanites who worked regular jobs while raising a family. They lived the typical immigrant's "American dream" since emigrating with their two sons from Taiwan by freighter ship in the 1960s. But behind this veneer of averageness, they had experienced numerous adventures that spanned the continents of Europe, Asia, and finally North America. Born in the landlocked province of Hunan, China, Henry Ho left the countryside to study literature at university. But with World War II raging, his patriotism and passion for adventure inspired him to leave school and enlist to defend his country. As a young naval cadet in World War II, he was dispatched to a new home in Portsmouth, England for two years. There, he and fellow crewmen were trained by the Royal Navy to take command of the HMS Aurora, a light cruiser that would become the SS Chongqing, the most powerful warship in China and flagship of the Nationalist Navy. After sailing back to Shanghai on the Chongqing, he met Peggy, a young nurse who would heal him in the hospital and become his bride. By luck, Henry was ashore with Peggy on a fateful evening when the Chongqing's crew mutinied and defected to the People's Liberation Army. Separated from his beloved ship, Henry was assigned at the end of the Chinese Civil War to assist with the naval evacuation of the Nationalist Chinese to Taiwan, his and Peggy's adopted home for the next 15 years. As a naval commander, Henry experienced firsthand military conflicts between the two Chinas in the Taiwan Strait. Seeking better educational opportunities and a more peaceful life for their young sons, they left behind a comfortable life in Taiwan to immigrate to the United States and made their final home across the seas to proudly live out the remainder of their years as American citizens.Like many members of the Greatest Generation, Henry spoke little of their past. But his love of the written word motivated him and Peggy to vividly chronicle modern Chinese history's impact on their lives in numerous essays and short stories written in their native Chinese. Spanning five decades, these writings are a treasure trove that bears witness to their perseverance, survival, and humor as they find love and raise a family in rapidly changing post-war China, Taiwan, and America.At a time when the value of immigration in the United States is under question, their stories are a relevant reminder of the wealth of perspective, experience, and commitment that immigrants bring to America and the breadth of opportunities that America affords to immigrants who willingly sacrifice the lives they have nurtured in the old country to adopt the United States as their own.
In the second edition of this popular book, highly respected practitioners in property law and enforcement set out the most up-to-date and comprehensive review of the new law.
Everyone needs and deserves housing. But today our homes are being transformed into commodities, making the inequalities of the city ever more acute. Profit has become more important than social need. The poor are forced to pay more for worse housing. Communities are faced with the violence of displacement and gentrification. And the benefits of decent housing are only available for those who can afford it.In Defense of Housing is the definitive statement on this crisis from leading urban planner Peter Marcuse and sociologist David Madden. They look at the causes and consequences of the housing problem and detail the need for progressive alternatives. The housing crisis cannot be solved by minor policy shifts, they argue. Rather, the housing crisis has deep political and economic roots-and therefore requires a radical response.
This book looks at thirteen different legal systems, ranging from Imperial China to modern Amish: how they worked, what problems they faced, how they dealt with them. Some chapters deal with a single legal system, others with topics relevant to several, such as problems with law based on divine revelation or how systems work in which law enforcement is private and decentralized. The book's underlying assumption is that all human societies face the same problems, deal with them in an interesting variety of different ways, are all the work of grown-ups, hence should all be taken seriously. It ends with a chapter on features of past legal systems that a modern system might want to borrow.
The frontiers of the Roman Empire together form the largest monument of one of the world’s greatest ancient states. They stretch for some 7,500 km through 20 countries which encircle the Mediterranean Sea. The remains of these frontiers have been studied by visitors and later by archaeologists for several centuries. Many of the inscriptions and sculptures, weapons, pottery and artefacts created and used by the soldiers and civilians who lived on the frontier can be seen in museums. Equally evocative of the lost might of Rome are the physical remains of the frontiers themselves. The aim of this series of books is not only to inform the interested visitor about the history of the frontiers but to act as a guidebook as well. The remains of the Roman frontiers in Wales are unique in the Roman Empire. Unlike the well-known defensive linear boundaries such as Hadrian’s Wall and the Antonine Wall in northern Britain, the forts and fortresses in Wales formed a dynamic offensive frontier designed to deal with the fierce natives. More than 60 stone and timber fortresses, forts and fortlets are known, some of which seem to have been occupied for only a few years, while others remained in use for far longer. They tell the story of the long and brutal war against the Celtic tribes and, after their final and complete victory, the army’s policy of ‘occupation-in-depth’ when up to 25,000 legionaries and auxiliaries were stationed in Wales. We hope the readers of this book will enjoy discovering the fascinating story of the Roman conquest of Wales almost 2,000 years ago.
In Defense of Housing is the definitive statement on this crisis from leading urban planner Peter Marcuse and sociologist David Madden. Today our homes are being transformed into commodities, making the inequalities of the city ever more acute. Profit has become more important than social need. The poor are forced to pay more for worse housing. Communities are faced with the violence of displacement and gentrification. And the benefits of decent housing are only available for those who can afford it. The authors look at the causes and consequences of the housing problem and detail the need for progressive alternatives. The housing crisis cannot be solved by minor policy shifts, they argue. Rather, the housing crisis has deep political and economic roots-and therefore requires a radical response.
Food is increasingly traded internationally, thereby transforming the organization of food production and consumption globally and influencing most food-related practices. This transition is generating unfamiliar challenges related to sustainability of food provision, the social impacts of international trade and global food governance. Distance in time and space between food producers and consumers is increasing and new concerns are arising. These include the environmental impact of food production and trade, animal welfare, the health and safety of food and the social and economic impact of international food trade. This book provides an overview of the principal conceptual frameworks that have been developed for understanding these changes. It shows how conventional regulation of food provision through sovereign national governments is becoming elusive, as the distinctions between domestic and international, and between public and private spheres, disappear. At the same time multi-national companies and supranational institutions put serious limits to governmental interventions. In this context, other social actors including food retailers and NGOs are shown to take up innovative roles in governing food provision, but their contribution to agro-food sustainability is under continuous scrutiny. The authors apply these themes in several detailed case studies, including organic, fair trade, local food and fish. On the basis of these cases, future developments are explored, with a focus on the respective roles of agricultural producers, retailers and consumers.
