If business is a hamster wheel, what kind of hamster do you want to beThe one who runs all day long, huffing and puffing to keep things turningOr the sleek and happy rodent who works in the corner office down the hallStanley Bing has seen the way the big furballs operate in good times and bad.Core skills taught in this book:DelegationTelling people what to do and having them do it.AbsenceOperating from the digital vacuum.Abuse of statusIt can be done.DecisivenessEven when confused.EngagementBut only when necessary.Step off the wheel.Grab this book.And relax.

Making something with your own hands—whether it's a plate of just-baked cookies, a handcrafted stocking, a homemade wreath, or a hand-folded origami ornament—is a great way to connect with the true meaning of Christmas. From holiday decorating to gift giving, A Homemade Christmas is chock-full of projects, recipes, tips, and helpful hints that are guaranteed to add a homemade touch to your holiday season. Open this charming volume to any page and discover a wealth of practical and easy-to-accomplish ideas for a homemade holiday: - create personal, distinctive holiday greetings - deck the halls with festive, handmade trimmings - cook simple but memorable homemade dishes - make unique, handcrafted gifts - share the joy of the season with friends and family Packed with inspiration and how-tos for ideas that are family-friendly and eco-conscious, festive and meaningful, A Homemade Christmas will put homemade back into your holidays!

People shout the "Don't tell him, Pike!" line at me regularly - and I didn't even say it!' Philip Madoc.In the annals of British television, no finer example of classic comedy exists than in the shape of Dad's Army, the Home Guard-based sitcom written by veteran writers Jimmy Perry and David Croft. Although they penned many other sterling programmes, including Hi-De-Hi! and the underrated You Rang, M'Lord?, they'll forever be remembered for their brilliant wartime comedy spotlighting the antics of the Walmington-on-Sea Home Guard, led by the irascible and pompous Captain Mainwaring.Between 1968 and '77, nine series and three Christmas Specials - totalling 80 instalments - were screened, much to the delight of the millions of fans who tuned in; but the show's popularity has continued unabated and even today, four decades since the platoon marched onto the scene, it remains one of the golden offerings from the sitcom genre.With the 40th anniversary of Dad's Army in 2008, what better time to celebrate the magic of this show.The Best of British Comedy - Dad's Army includes:”? The History: an overview of how Dad's Army was born and developed”? Gags and Catchphrases: a collection of classic quotes from the programme”? Did You Know?: snippets of info about the show, cast, etc.”? Favourite scenes: the most memorable scenes in full”? A Dad's Army quizEpisode: 'Something Nasty in the Vault'Mainwaring and Wilson are stuck in the bank's strong room. There has been an air raid and they've ended up holding an unexploded bomb. Pike arrives.Pike: Uncle Arthur?Wilson: Oh, what it is, Frank?Pike: Do you think I ought to phone mum and tell her you're holding a bomb?Wilson: No!Pike: But she might get cross if she found out that you'd been holding a bomb and she wasn't told about it.

How to predict the weather with a cup of coffee and other essential techniques for surviving the 9-5 A smart, spoof survival guide – to the 9-5. Ray Mears’ and Bruce Parry’s advice is all very well if you’re stuck up the Amazon without a paddle, but what about finding your way to a seat on a crowded bus, predicting the weather with a coffee in Starbucks or getting rid of cold callers with a microwave? Urban Bushcraft shows how to dust off your native survival instincts and update them for the modern world – whether it’s negotiating the car park at Ikea, anti-interrogation techniques at customer service desks, or navigating by electricity pylon. Harnessing the laws of science, nature and human behaviour, this book revisits and reinvents the tricks that got us through our savage past and updates them for the 21st century. It arms you with a caveman’s toolkit for survival wherever you may be – Starbucks, the office, or a crowded tube on a Friday night – and tells you all you need to know to transform your daily grind into a non-stop adventure (you don’t even have to wear khaki).

101 chance meetings, juxtaposing the famous and the infamous, the artistic and the philistine, the pompous and the comical, the snobbish and the vulgar, told by Britain’s funniest writer. Life is made up of humans meeting one another. They speak, or don’t speak. They get on, or fall out. They laugh, they cry, are excited, are indifferent. One on One is a chain of 101 extraordinary but true encounters, from Tolstoy rumbling Tchaikovsky in 1876 to George Galloway baiting Michael Barrymore in 2006. The Royal Family giggle at T.S. Eliot, Walter Sickert draws the curtains on the carol-singing Edward Heath, Youssoupoff assassinates Rasputin, Marilyn Monroe commissions Frank Lloyd Wright. Circular in its construction, panoramic in its breadth, One on One is a book like no other. ‘Brown’s glorious book is an original and a complete delight’ Miranda Seymour, Sunday Times, Books of the Year

Due to the complicated layout, this ebook is best viewed on a tablet. Ever wanted to see Harry Hill’s nuts? Fancy a cuppa with Karl Pilkington and his Clippable Coasters? Ever wondered how Michael Jackson defied gravity with his dance moves? Then read on! Our nation’s best-loved celebrities, from Jamie Oliver to Harry Hill, the Stig to Sherrie Hewson, Karl Pilkington to Peter Jones, Ruby Wax and beyond, have been scratching their heads to come up with logic-defying, bizarre and random inventions to improve our lives. From shrink rays to teleporters, foldable skis to airbags for clothes and a vacuum-cleaner that sucks away your wrinkles, you’ll be amazed by what these celebs have been dreaming up in their spare time! The Big Book of Celebrity Inventions offers a fascinating, hilarious and utterly unique look at the extraordinary business of inventing, seen through the eyes of our favourite stars. And there are even ones that work! For example: ? Did you know that Margaret Thatcher invented soft-scoop ice cream? ? That Prince invented a space-age musical keyboard? ? Or that Roald Dahl helped advances in neurosurgery? From the ridiculous to the sublime and those that fail magnificently, one thing’s for certain: The Big Book of Celebrity Inventions is the ultimate celebration of oddness, originality and ingenuity, sure to fascinate, baffle and inspire you!

Bestselling artist Edward Monkton's profound and funny musings on LOVE and RELATIONSHIPS are both funny and profound, making this collection the perfect gift for lovers everywhere. You are a Chocolate Button of LOVELINESS on the great Caramel Pudding of LIFE Following the phenomenal success of such stylish and original books as The Lady and the Chocolate, The Pig of Happiness, The Shoes of Salvation, Love and The Penguin of Death, Edward Monkton now assembles his funny, sometimes surreal and suprisingly philisophical drawings and thoughts on love. Edward Monkton’s surprisingly philosophical take on all aspects of love, life and happiness have made Monkton’s drawings cherished collectors’ items and a mark of good taste year in, year out.

An irreverent and ridiculous collection of "found" documents that will change everything you thought you knew about rock and roll, by the creator and star of Adult Swim's DelocatedJon Glaser delves into the unknown and highly secretive histories of dozens of rock and roll's greatest bands with sometimes spectacular, sometimes heartbreaking, always completely made-up results. In this book, you'll discover the following: Handwritten letters by Glaser's own father, which reveal him to be an early member of the band we now know as ZZ Top Old lyrics journals of, among others, Bob Dylan and David Bowie, featuring a collection of songs they probably hoped would never see the light of day A letter from Ringo to the rest of the Beatles, the week after their breakup, informing them of his plans to start a Beatles tribute band Formerly classified government documents with shocking revelations about the Navy SEALs and the Butthole Surfers Prince's set list for the bat mitzvah of Steven Spielberg's daughter Rachel, including the songs "Purple Oy Vey," "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Rabbi," and "When Doves Kvetch" My Dead Dad Was in ZZ Top is for everyone who loves absurd, made-up stories about their favorite bands. It's also for everyone who doesn't love absurd, made-up stories about their favorite real bands they just might not enjoy it as much.

Nobody likes to think about death, but the world would be awfully crowded without it.From YouTube sensation Ken Tanaka and actor David Ury, who was crushed by an ATM on AMC's Breaking Bad, comes Everybody Dies, a colorful story and delightful assemblage of games that makes it easy-even fun- to come to grips with mortality.

When Brian Sack's mother passed away, he was left with a letter and a pink cardigan. The cardigan was promptly placed in a drawer, but the letter was pure gold. In just a few pages of fancy cursive, her posthumous dispatch offered the kind of guidance you would expect from a mother to her young son. And while he didn't necessarily follow all the advice, he never forgot how very important those words and that letter were to him. Decades later, on the verge of parenthood himself, Brian decided to write something for his own child, wanting a legacy, and not just a pink cardigan, to leave to his son. But far from the usual collection of advice, Brian has written a sharp, sage, warts-and-all survival guide to life.With quick wit and self-deprecating honesty, Sack draws from his experiences, tapping them for the humor within. Holding nothing back, he: Gives the skinny on relationships don't let the woman you love wander alone in France Commiserates about the death of the meritocracy wanting to sing doesn't mean you can Recounts his awkward entry into fatherhood you'll overcome your aversion to poo Offers firsthand advice avoid any bipolar lady with a drug-sniffing wonder-cat And argues that the Empire State Building is not a phallic symbol no matter what the professor said Every chapter takes on subjects ranging from the universal and mundane to the life changing and inevitable. With its funny and heartfelt musings from a father to a son, In the Event of My Untimely Demise is a delightful life primer for all of us.

Enlighten Up Already!MonetManetWho can even tell the differenceWell, with the help of the newest mental_floss tome, you can! Want to learn how to tell egg rolls from spring rolls, nuclear bombs from dirty nuclear bombs, or even how to tell an idiot from a moron (there's a real scientific difference)Piece of cake! Whether you're trying to impress your boss, your mother-in-law, attractive singles, or a pack of fourth graders (you know how they love semantics), mental_floss gives you all the tips and tricks to have you sounding like a genius.

An inside look at the life of Comedy's Lovable Queen of Mean, Lisa Lampanelli, as she dishes on everything from relationships, food, and fat to why once you go black, you never go back In her jaw-droppingly hilarious and politically incorrect memoir, Lisa reveals all including the dysfunctional childhood that made her the insult comic she is today, the subject for which she's best known (black men, black men, and more black men), and her hilarious struggles with her addiction to food and hot guys. By telling her story in her very real, very candid, very open way, Lisa shows her audience that it's okay to be yourself, even if it's just one rehab stint at a time. Lisa also takes readers behind the scenes at the roasts that have marked her comedy career and launched her into the comedy elite, and reveals the important "firsts" in her career, including her first time on her hero's program, The Howard Stern Show.Chocolate, Please is a side-splittingly funny portrait of the woman behind the award-winning insult comedy.

First published in 1904, "A Kidnapped Santa Claus" by L. Frank Baum, the author of The Wizard of Oz, describes the action of some uncommon events in the land of Santa. Not far from the Laughing Valley where Santa and all his magical helpers live, and beyond the Forest of Burzee, there stands a huge mountain that contains the Cave of Demons. Each demon has a specialty: Selfishness, Envy, Hatred, Malice, and Repentance. Because the promise of Santa puts all girls and boys on their best behavior, the demons have hardly any visitors to their caves. In order to remedy their dismal foot traffic, they conspire to kidnap Santa! But oh! even when it looks as if the demons might win, one can never underestimate the power of devoted (and magical!) friends. Adapted by Alex Robinson, author of several graphic novels, the action and menace of the tale will be enhanced and lightly spoofed. It seems a most appropriate treatment of Baum's work -- he was an author who often let his profound and unsettling meanings roil beneath the surface of his otherwise fanciful stories.

Ni prevodi najzna?ajnijih drama Oskara Vajlda: Salome, Sveta kurtizana i Va?no je?da si?Ernest

Despre Europa s-a vorbit mult, ?n special din perspectiva social? ?i economic?, ?ns? tema nu a fost dezb?tut?, a?a cum s-ar fi cuvenit, de pe pozi?ia culturii. Cartea Mituri ?i legende ale antichit??ii propune studii eseistice referitoare la baza culturii europene. Eseurile ne invit? s? g?ndim ?mpreun? Europa din perspectiva singurului factor care une?te – cultura.

Pour bien comprendre la portée de l'intervention et de l'influence de l'?uvre de Delacroix dans l'école fran?aise, il est nécessaire de se rappeler la situation exacte de la peinture au moment où il parut.??La Révolution avait brutalement traité les ma?tres du XVIIIème siècle finissant. ?prise d'un sévère idéal gréco-romain, dont déjà Vien avait donné des exemples et que David allait porter à son apogée, la génération jacobine avait considéré les peintres légers et délicieux du règne de Louis XVI comme les bénéficiaires de la corruption luxueuse des nobles et des fermiers généraux, et elle les avait rejetés dans le même mouvement d'injuste fureur. Fragonard mourait oublié, chassé de son logis des galeries du Louvre. Hubert Robert échappait gr?ce à une erreur à l'échafaud. Greuze mourait dans la misère noire. On ne parlait plus de Chardin. Un Latour se vendait quelques francs. ??L'?Embarquement pour Cythère?, peint par Watteau pour son entrée à l'Académie, y était criblé de boulettes de papier m?ché par les élèves de David, neveu de Boucher dont ils parlaient en de tels termes, qu'il était obligé, par pudeur, d'excuser à leurs yeux son oncle. Les gravures de Cochin, de Lépicié, de Choffard, de Lavreince, des Saint-Aubin, de Debucourt, de Gravelot, d'Eisen, allaient s'ensevelir dans les soupentes de quelques brocanteurs, et on attendrait quatrevingts ans avant de les rechercher pour les couvrir d'or. Un siècle s'effondrait. Son go?t exquis, sa morale profondément naturelle et humaine, son libéralisme sceptique, tout lui était imputé à vice et à crime. On rêvait d'un art moralisateur, que Greuze avait préparé aux applaudissements de Diderot par ses scènes familiales et son ingénuité bourgeoise, mêlée de libertinage hypocrite. ??On voulait un art héro?que, sévère, propre à élever les consciences. David apparut l'homme d'une telle ?uvre, et créa d'un seul effort la réaction d'une esthétique néo-romaine, d'une peinture con?ue d'après la statuaire antique, et toute consacrée à des expressions de sentiments cornéliens. La discipline de cette école fut plus dure encore que celle imposée, centvingtcinq années auparavant, par Louis XIV, Le Brun et l'école de Rome. Plus de recherches de la nature, plus de gr?ce, plus de vérité, plus de coloris, mais simplement un art allégorique, pompeux, aride, éloigné de la vie et tout entier construit sur des théories, un art aussi opposé que possible au tempérament fran?ais.

Eseuri ?i cronici teatrale structurate simultan ?n dou? planuri, ?nc?t se reconstituie panorama artei spectacolului ?n Rom?nia ?i par?ial ?n lume, ?n perioada 1993-2003, ?i se realizeaz? o privire din unghiul zilei de azi a artei dramatice, ?n evolu?ia ei, de la antici la contemporani.

i corbul, croncnind, a rguit, Vestind c sorii fost au aruncai! Venii! Venii! Voi, duhuri, ce vegheai Pe gndurile morii, crunta zee! i m nvai s nu mai fiu femeie! M umplei, de la cretet pn’ la tlpi Cu o rutate nenduplecat! The raven himself is hoarse That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan Under my battlements. Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top full Of direst cruelty!

Hamlet is commonly regarded as one of the greatest plays ever written. Drawing on Danish chronicles and the Elizabethan vogue for revenge tragedy, Shakespeare created a play that is at once a philosophic treatise, a family drama, and a supernatural thriller. In the wake of his father’s death, Prince Hamlet finds that his Uncle Claudius has swiftly taken the throne and married his mother, Queen Gertrude. The ghost of the dead king then appears and charges Claudius with ‘murder most foul.’ Hamlet is called to revenge his father’s death: but will he be able to act before it is too late?

Cititorul va g?si ?n cartea mea un Bucure?ti al scriitorilor, un Bucure?ti al oamenilor politici ?i al gazetarilor, un Bucure?ti al dueli?tilor de ocazie ?i al fan?ilor de salon, al boierilor risipitori ?i sibari?i, al briganzilor de felul unor Tunsu, Grozea sau Iancu Jianu, al domnitorilor cu sau f?r? noroc, al pasiunilor amoroase, al dramelor ?i comediilor vie?ii, o adev?rat? surs? de subiecte pentru scenari?tii care vor s?-?i ?ncerce norocul ?n produc?ia unor seriale TV, ca s? nu spun ?telenovele“. Exist? oameni care merit? aminti?i cu p?r?ile lor bune ?i rele, domnitori ca Mircea Ciobanul, Matei Basarab, Br?ncoveanu, Mavrocorda?ii, Nicolae Mavrogheni, Ioan Gheorghe Caragea, Gheoghe Bibescu, Barbu ?tirbei, Alexandru Ioan Cuza, Carol I sau boieri ca Mihai Cantacuzino, Kre?ule?tii, V?c?re?tii, logof?tul Dudescu, Ion C?mpineanu, Ion Ghica, Nicolae B?lcescu, arhitec?i ca Alexandru Or?scu ?i al?ii. Am pornit ?n scrierea acestei c?r?i av?nd ?n fata ochilor r?ndurile scriitorului Mircea Constantinescu, foarte inspirat atunci c?nd afirma ?n romanul sau documentar ?C?nd toca la Radu Voda“ ca ?Bucure?tii nasc pove?ti de amor ca o mam? eroin?“.

It is fair to characterise the three suites of original water-colour drawings, as executed by our artist, as unique examples of the great George Cruikshank's special individual proficiency as an exponent of this branch of technical dexterity. More-over, it may be regarded as a fortunate circumstance that the three works, here reproduced with amazing fidelity in facsimile, represent happily the very chefs d'oeuvre of his wonderful productions; in their respective categories, preserving the best examples of his remarkable genius as an imaginative creator of vivid pictures, alike stirring and animated, and representing at one glance his vast dramatic powers, his mastery of the humorous side of life, and the intensity he was consistently able to infuse into terrible and tragic scenes. It is noteworthy that the inimitable artist George Cruikshank but rarely pro-duced finished water-colour drawings; the bulk of his prolific and familiarly rec-ognised designs for book illustrations were mostly dainty pencil sketches, occa-sionally finished in pen and ink. It is a problem difficult to solve satisfactorily whether, beyond the three memorable instances of the works here reproduced in facsimile, there are in existence any other complete suites of original illustrations by George Cruikshank—that is to say, fully executed by his master hand as finished water-colour drawings. Tinted sketches may be found in the prized possessions of Cruikshank collectors, and spirited studies for many of his favourite and most successful subjects have been cleverly touched in with watercolours; for instance, such as certain of his original drawings as designed for the illustrations of Harri-son Ainsworth's Tower of London, and the clever historical and picturesque series of Windsor Castle designs; these are, however, to be regarded as exceptional cases, for the bulk of these most successful and popular designs were carefully executed in pencil, or occasionally outlined with the pen, and highly finished with washes of warm sepia. It is worthy of recollection that Cruikshank was a most dexterous artist in this monochrome branch, his earlier artistic experiences having been al-most exclusively in the walk of aqua-tinted etchings; all his early book illustrations, his caricatures, and satirical plates—social or political—were uniformly etched by his hand in the most spirited fashion, after his ready sketches and rough studies, and when the outline etching was bitten in, Cruikshank elaborately worked out his colour suggestions, for light and shade, with a brush over the first-etched outline, in tones of sepia or Indian ink, for the guidance of the professional 'aquatinters'—the school of artists to whose trained skill was entrusted the task of completing these plates to produce the effect of highly finished washed drawings in mono-chrome. By this, his youthful practice, George Cruikshank had acquired remarka-ble dexterity, his original pen-and-ink designs, and the outline etchings, after his earlier book illustrations, being worked up in monochrome to the dainty finish of delicate miniatures, in which art both his father Isaac and his brother Isaac Robert were first-class proficients, as he himself has recorded with pride in describing the special gifts and qualifications which distinguished the Cruikshank family. ? ABOUT THE AUTHOR; George Cruikshank (1792 – 1878) was a British caricaturist and book illustrator, praised as the "modern Hogarth" during his life. His book illustrations for his friend Charles Dickens, and many other authors, reached an international audience. Cruikshank was born in London. His father, Isaac Cruikshank, was one of the leading caricaturists of the late 1790s and Cruikshank started his career as his father's apprentice and assistant. His older brother, Isaac Robert, also followed in the family business as a caricaturist and illustrator. Cruikshank's early work was caricature; but in 1823, at the age of 31, he started to focus on book illustration. He illustrated the first, 1823 English translation (by Edgar Taylor and David Jardine) of Grimms' Fairy Tales, published in two volumes as German Popular Stories. On 16 October 1827, he married Mary Ann Walker (1807–1849). Two years after her death, on 7 March 1851, he married Eliza Widdison. The two lived at 263 Hampstead Road, North London.Upon his death, it was discovered that Cruikshank had fathered 11 illegitimate children with a mistress named Adelaide Attree, his former servant, who lived close to where he lived with his wife. Adelaide was ostensibly married and had taken the married surname 'Archibold'.