> The

Find the recipes for healthy eyes within the pages of The E ... Read more

Find the recipes for healthy eyes within the pages of The Eye and Nutrition by Dr. Lucio Buratto.A healthy diet is fundamentally important for the body in general and for good vision in particular. Like every other structure in the body, the eye must be nourished with the correct nutrients and in the correct amounts, in order to perform optimally.A healthy diet can also reduce the appearance of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, as well as contribute to the prevention of many ocular diseases. With gorgeous photos, The Eye and Nutrition is a unique book that provides scientific information along with culinary recipes to produce an interesting mixture of science and excellent cuisine.The first and second parts of this engaging book by Dr. Lucio Buratto contain a detailed description of the optimal diet for the eye, metabolism of the eye, and an analysis of the basic nutrients for good vision. The third part of The Eye and Nutrition is a series of delicious recipes that will provide the eye with all the nutrients and micronutrients it requires.The Eye and Nutrition is a delectable book to have on one’s coffee table, by your side in the kitchen, to give as a gift, and in waiting rooms. This tasty book contains the following sections: • Snacks • Risotto • Pasta • Soups • Meat • Fish • Vegetables • Meat sauces and pasta condiments • Fruits • Juices, shakes, and smoothies • DessertsSome appetizing recipes that are sure to please the palate: • Bruschetta with tomato • Risotto with strawberries • Penne pasta with Mediterranean garden vegetables • Cream of Belgian endive lettuce soup • Filet of beef in balsamic vinegar • Swordfish, salmon or tuna tartare • Lemon sauce for poached fishOphthalmologists will not be the only ones to enjoy this book. It is perfect for anyone interested in healthy living and being on the road to optimal eye health.Bon Appétit!  Minimize

In North London, an all-male bee-hive of inactivity is rule ... Read more

In North London, an all-male bee-hive of inactivity is ruled with a foul mouth and an iron hand by the abusive Max (Paul Rogers) and his brother, the priggish palace eunuch Sam (Cyril Cusack). Rounding out the precision vulgarity of The Homecoming's "situation tragedy" are the sons, punch-drunk demolition man Joey (Terence Rigby) and the magnificent Ian Holm (Lord of the Rings, The Sweet Hereafter) as pimp-smart Lenny. When, under cover of darkness, the prodigal son Teddy (Michael Jayston) brings his wife Ruth (Vivien Merchant) home to meet his family for the first time, he gets far more and less than he bargained for. To Teddy's rueful discomfort, Ruth's Mona Lisa smile forms the gateway to a labyrinth of Freudian dread, venal family values and naked neediness that could only come from the mind of Harold Pinter. Director Sir Peter Hall re-renders his original Royal Shakespeare Company London stage triumph as a bleached, claustrophobic delirium that exploits the jagged tempos and seductive tensions of Pinter's best play as no theater staging could. The New York Times declared the American Film Theatre's production of The Homecoming, "a movie of astonishing dynamism." Indeed, director Atom Egoyan (The Sweet Hereafter) went so far as to say, "I often find myself seeking solace from this film. It's poetry and twisted sense of compassion and humor have assuaged many moments of despair and confusion. Other people have religion, I have my copy of The Homecoming." Minimize

A family struggling with the loss of a loved one may have f ... Read more

A family struggling with the loss of a loved one may have found him in rather unusual place in this drama from writer and director Julie Bertuccelli. Dawn (Charlotte Gainsbourg) is a stay-at-home mother to her four children Tim (Christian Bayers), Lou (Tom Russell), Simone (Morgana Davies) and Charlie (Gabriel Gotting) and a loving wife to her husband Peter (Aden Young). Peter is out of town on business when he suffers a fatal heart attack; Dawn is emotionally shattered by the news, and isn't sure at first how to get by on her own. The children are supportive to their mom, Tim gets a part-time job to help bring in some extra cash and Dawn begins working at a plumbing supply store run by kind-hearted George (Marton Csokas), but while they're all trying to move on, they still wish they could have Peter back in their lives. Simone, who is eight, has taken to climbing the big tree in front of the family's house, and she soon explains why to Dawn she says she can hear the voice of her father rustling through the leaves. Before long, Simone builds a tree house and spends most of her time listening to her father's phantom voice, and while Dawn understands how she feels, she's not sure how to get her daughter to let go of her father's ghost, especially when Simone reacts poorly to the news that Dawn and George are dating. THE TREE was adapted from the novel OUR FATHER WHO ART IN THE TREE by Judy Pascoe. Minimize

In this thriller from director Michael Bay (PEARL HARBOR, A ... Read more

In this thriller from director Michael Bay (PEARL HARBOR, ARMAGEDDON), survivors of global contamination live in a sterile, self-contained world where their every move is monitored. The rules are easy: be pleasant, refrain from asking questions, and don't rock the boat. Everything they need is provided for them, from the white uniforms that magically appear in their closets, to their customized cafeteria-style meals. The survivors all eagerly await their big payoff: winning the lottery and being sent to The Island, the only remaining untainted land in the world. But Lincoln Six-Echo (Ewan McGregor) yearns for more from his life and begins to wonder what really lies outside the thick walls. When his best friend, Jordan Two-Delta (Scarlett Johansson), wins the lottery, he knows that he has to find out the truth about their world before she departs. What he finds is terrifying enough to send Lincoln and Jordan fleeing from the facility to the real world where they quickly discover that they are clones, and that both The Island and global contamination are a ruse. The clones sole purpose is to be harvested for replacement parts when their sponsors need them. With his business now in jeopardy, Dr. Merrick (Sean Bean), the founder of the cloning company, hires a crack team led by Albert Laurent (Djimon Hounsou) to track down his escaped product. Wild chase scenes through Los Angeles circa 2050 are punctuated by high-tech transportation as Lincoln and Jordan run for their lives and try to assimilate into a world that is completely foreign to them. The futuristic set design and visual effects are particularly impressive. McGregor and Johansson both expertly communicate the human element and desire for life that has developed in the two clones, while still finding humor and awe in their childlike naivety. Minimize

Bong Joon-ho's THE HOST is a giddy revelation an inspired a ... Read more

Bong Joon-ho's THE HOST is a giddy revelation an inspired and unexpectedly moving contribution to the monster movie genre. Several years ago, a crooked government official from the United States ordered the dumping of toxic substances into Seoul's Han River. Years later, the hapless Gang-du (Song Kang-ho) is working at his father's food stand along the river, caring for his bright daughter Hyun-seo (Ko A-sung). But one day, a monstrous creature emerges from the water and embarks on a murderous rampage throughout the community, swallowing Hyun-seo whole. Gang-du's bullish younger brother Park Nam-il (Park Hae-il) and sister Nam-joo (Bae Doo-na) condemn him for being such a failure, while their father angrily chastises them for being so cruel. But when Gang-du receives a cell phone call from Hyun-seo, the family must band together to reclaim her. Unfortunately, at this stage, the government has announced that the monster is the host of a dangerous virus, and anyone who has come into contact with it namely Gang-du must be isolated. As the monster continues to wreak havoc on Seoul, Gang-du, his father, and his siblings must learn to work together to bring Hyun-seo home. Bong Joon-ho's third film, after BARKING DOGS NEVER BITE and MEMORIES OF MURDER, firmly establishes his status as one of the world's most gifted storytellers. Not simply a monster movie spectacle though it is certainly that and then some THE HOST also works as a poignant family drama and a biting critique of America's invasion of Iraq. Minimize

Dr. David Chambers is a biblical archeologist of some fame ... Read more

Dr. David Chambers is a biblical archeologist of some fame and held in high regard by his peers. But what began as an effort to prove authenticity of the biblical narrative has become a burden. Angry at a father who was too busy to attend his mother's death bed, and years later abandoned by the love of his life, Chambers has grown disenchanted, unbelieving and is ready to toss expertise aside to pursue a new field of study .That changes when his old mentor and one of the few men he respects calls and persuades him to make one more dig--one that would bring great wealth to everyone involved. Using his specialized knowledge in ancient tunnels beneath Jerusalem and the enigmatic message of the Copper Scroll, Chambers under takes what he assumes will be his last research trip in the Holy Land. What he discovers not only changes his life, but the thinking of the world. It also ushers in the End Times. Minimize

New Page 1 THE AMERICAN JOURNEY THE C ... Read more

New Page 1 THE AMERICAN JOURNEY THE COMPLETE STORY OF AMERICAN HISTORY IN ONE COMPREHENSIVE MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM The American Journey is a superb, readable presentation of American history, from pre-exploration to the present. Its unparalleled author team, including the National Geographic Society, ensures accuracy in every detail of the narrative, maps, and charts. Features Accessible Reading and Reading Strategies Are a Priority • Exclusive! Foldables—student-made three-dimensional graphic organizers—are a unique strategy that helps students read effectively and also can be used as assessment or study tools. • A Guide to Reading, Reading Checks, and a Summary in every chapter keep students on track as they learn to read for information and process what they’ve read. • The extensive use of graphics, maps, and photography creates a visual/verbal approach that appeals to all your students. Relevance is Part of Every Lesson • TIME Notebooks allow students to step into the past, learning about everyday life in various periods and the “hot topics” of different eras. • What Life Was Like and Hands-On History fully engage students in learning and give them an understanding of parallels between earlier generations and their own. National Geographic Brings its Unequalled Expertise to Every Page • Brand-new, colorful, easy-to-read maps help students understand the where and why of history. • Geography and History features show students how geography and events intertwine to create the history of a location or nation. Continual Practice in Social Studies Skills • The program emphasizes skill development—from reading maps to analyzing primary and secondary sources to exploring the connections between history and geography, economics, government, citizenship, and current events. Abundant Opportunities for Students to Demonstrate Proficiency • The Princeton Review Standardized Test Practice provides systematic, ongoing test preparation. As your students learn, they are simultaneously preparing to demonstrate their knowledge of American history in standardized test formats. Minimize

THE NEW ALBUM-"THE BRIDGE" "The Bridge" has been built. The ... Read more

THE NEW ALBUM-"THE BRIDGE" "The Bridge" has been built. The big symphonic sound, the Mellotron, bass pedals, classical guitar, and dramatic themes have been carried over. Three years of experimentation and rehearsal have gone by, more than a year of recording, editing and mixing. Finally "The Bridge" is ready for the public. The classical precepts of progressive music were never far from our mind. The new work pays tribute to it's roots but is also a "bridge " to the Cathedral of the future.We literally had to rediscover our chemistry after thirty years of life experience and new technology. It has been a very challenging journey. In 1978 "Stained Glass Stories" was recorded above the Palace Theater in the then wild and notorious Times Square of Manhattan. We had a week to do it. The modern Cathedral chose a more serene setting and pace. We spent much of 2006/7 at Ian London studios close to home on the South Shore of Long Island. Deer grazed on the back lawn but inside we were co-producing in the same passionate, intense way that we write our music. Our long time colleague and proprietor of Paris Recording, Brian Unger was brought in to engineer. The future is now before us. We've already returned to writing, eager to put to use new ideas that have catalyzed from the process of last year.The chemistry is there, new compounds are forming, formulas evolving. Cathedral moves forward. TRACKS: 1. Monsterhead Suite: Parts 1, 2, & 3 2. Satellite 3. Hollins 4. Kithara Interludium 5. Angular World 6. The Lake 7. The Secret Minimize

In THE HAPPENING, M. Night Shyamalan serves up over-the-top ... Read more

In THE HAPPENING, M. Night Shyamalan serves up over-the-top, apocalyptic strangeness. The film opens onto New York City's Central Park with a crowd of people enjoying an idyllic summer day. The carefree scene soon takes a terrifying turn, when out of nowhere, hordes of people begin to commit suicide en masse. People scramble to make sense of the pandemonium, and many believe it is a terrorist attack. It appears that some sort of deadly toxin is being released into the air. Cut to Elliot (Mark Wahlberg) a science teacher in Philadelphia. When he learns of the attack on New York, he meets up with his wife Alma (Zooey Deschanel), his friend Julian (John Leguizamo), and Julians's daughter, Jess (Ashlyn Sanchez). They make plans to get out of the city via train, but the train is evacuated in the middle of a small Pennsylvania town. When they learn that the mysterious toxin is spreading its way across the Northeast, they break up into groups, with Elliot, Alma, and Jess running through open farmland in search of safety. They are unsure of where to hide, or what exactly they are hiding from, until Elliot slowly forms a theory about the threat. He fights to keep Alma and Jess free from harm, and the film builds to a bizarre, unsettling climax, with Shyamalan's usual surprise ending. Shyamalan's premise of escaping an unknown, unexplainable attack is a timely one, and is quite chilling in concept. However, while he at times appears to be groping for the frenzied scariness of THE BIRDS, THE HAPPENING's outlandish death scenes and implausible plot line often veer closer to B-movie classics. The film doesn't match the clever creepiness of THE SIXTH SENSE, but for fans of campy horror a THE EVIL DEAD, it is truly something to behold. Minimize

The sand box has never been this much fun! Kids love tracto ... Read more

The sand box has never been this much fun! Kids love tractors, and now they can actually be one thanks to this unique sand toy that takes digging to a whole new level. This powerful scoop is hand activated and designed for heavy duty play in the sand. It is perfect for the beach or sand box, but you can also use it in the snow, mulch, gravel, regular dirt and more. It features sturdy construction and high quality materials so it will hold up to all sorts of abuse by your little construction worker. The real working scoop is styled after actual tractor parts, so kids can act like a backhoe while excavating their dig site. A simple squeeze of the handle will clamp down the powerful jaws to dig up and remove a large amount of sand or dirt. Just release the handle and the jaws will open up to let the contents drop out. Two additional handles, one on each side, are there for children to grab for assistance with lifting heavy loads. Minimize

Throughout the pre-Civil War South, older slaves too worn o ... Read more

Throughout the pre-Civil War South, older slaves too worn out for anything else worked daily in the plantation's loom room, weaving and creating cloth for their families. Tucked away out of sight and forgotten by most everyone, the wisdom and hard-won experience of these slaves were often overlooked. But Lydia, a light-skinned house slave, listens to their words and dreams of a better life. When running away leads to her recapture, Lydia discovers that with her pale skin, the right clothing, and pretense, she can walk into a world of freedom and wealth she has only dreamed of. Minimize

I first read Mikhail Bulgakov s The Master and Margarita on ... Read more

I first read Mikhail Bulgakov s The Master and Margarita on a balcony of the Hotel Metropole in Saigon on three summer evenings in 1971. The tropical air was heavy and full of the smells of cordite and motorcycle exhaust and rotting fish and wood-fire stoves, and the horizon flared ambiguously, perhaps from heat lightning, perhaps from bombs. Later each night, as was my custom, I would wander out into the steamy back alleys of the city, where no one ever seemed to sleep, and crouch in doorways with the people and listen to the stories of their culture and their ancestors and their ongoing lives. Bulgakov taught me to hear something in those stories that I had not yet clearly heard. One could call it, in terms that would soon thereafter gain wide currency, magical realism . The deadpan mix of the fantastic and the realistic was at the heart of the Vietnamese mythos. It is at the heart of the present zeitgeist. And it was not invented by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, as wonderful as his One Hundred Years of Solitude is. Garcia Marquez s landmark work of magical realism was predated by nearly three decades by Bulgakov s brilliant masterpiece of a novel. That summer in Saigon a vodka-swilling, talking black cat, a coven of beautiful naked witches, Pontius Pilate, and a whole cast of benighted writers of Stalinist Moscow and Satan himself all took up permanent residence in my creative unconscious. Their presence, perhaps more than anything else from the realm of literature, has helped shape the work I am most proud of. I m often asked for a list of favorite authors. Here is my advice. Read Bulgakov. Look around you at the new century. He will show you things you need to see. Minimize

Five strangers are forced to reexamine their life choices a ... Read more

Five strangers are forced to reexamine their life choices after finding themselves stranded at a mysterious, isolated diner with a man who somehow has all of the answers to their most pressing problems. From the callous businessman (Steve "Sting" Borden) to the unhappily married couple, the desperate runaway, and the solitary woman, each of these lost souls faces an existential dilemma that has thrown their lives into chaos. But the proprietor of the restaurant, a man named Nazerine (Bruce Marchiano), possesses the secret to freeing them all from an eternity of suffering, if they could only see outside of themselves long enough to understand just what's at stake. Minimize

A charming fable that evokes a life lesson we would all do ... Read more

A charming fable that evokes a life lesson we would all do well to learn: living and loving are time well spent. Once, there was a boy named Charlie. He had a pretty nice life . . . but it wasn’t perfect. So one day he packed up all his time—all his round, squishy years and square, mushy months, down to every itsy-bitsy second—in his suitcase and locked it up safe, said goodbye to his parents, and set off to find something better to spend his time on. Charlie traveled all over the world in search of the perfect thing to make him happy, but that turned out to be much harder to find than he thought. In the meantime, his itsybitsy seconds and silky, smooth hours and raggedy days ticked away and vanished, and soon they added up to weeks and months and years—so that once Charlie stopped his traveling and realized what he really needed out of life, it was almost too late. Almost. Every so often, a book comes along that seems to capture an important truth for a particular time and generation. This is one of those books: a unique story about the relentless search for perfect happiness that preoccupies so many of us.   ORIGINS OF THE TRAVELER The Traveler stemmed from something I heard over dinner, the evening before I embarked on a drive from Boston to Los Angeles: “We only have so much time to give.” I don’t remember the comment’s context, but its phrasing struck me. I thought about it literally as I packed for my trip . . . If you can give time, you can keep time—or save time, too; why would anyone do that? And if time is a form of currency, I wonder what it looks like . . . I quickly decided on the story’s basic premise: a boy, not content with his life, decides to pack up his time and leave home in search of something perfect to spend it on. The next morning I pushed off from Boston and headed west. Days later, immediately upon my arrival in Los Angeles, I sat down and wrote The Traveler.  ILLUSTRATION COLLABORATION In addition to being my older brother, Daniel is a fantastic artist, and I’m so glad he agreed to be the lead on the huge task of illustrating The Traveler. We’ve figured out a fun and collaborative working arrangement: first, we share our ideas on what sort of illustration we’re looking for—we consider the role it will play in plot and thematic development, and, of course, the aesthetic appeal—then we draw up preliminary sketches. Once they’re completed, we discuss these crude images and, after selecting the best concepts from each, Daniel takes over. He ties together our rough ideas, meliorates them, adds more of his own, and magically creates an illustration. We critique it together, then Daniel continues to develop and hone the illustration until we’re happy with the result. Minimize

Kids who get called the worst names oftentimes find each ot ... Read more

Kids who get called the worst names oftentimes find each other. That's how it was with us. Skeezie Tookis and Addie Carle and Joe Bunch and me. We call ourselves the Gang of Five, but there are only four of us. We do it to keep people on their toes. Make 'em wonder. Or maybe we do it because we figure that there's one more kid out there who's going to need a gang to be a part of. A misfit, like us. Skeezie, Addie, Joe, and Bobby -- they've been friends forever. They laugh together, have lunch together, and get together once a week at the Candy Kitchen to eat ice cream and talk about important issues. Life isn't always fair, but at least they have each other -- and all they really want to do is survive the seventh grade. That turns out to be more of a challenge than any of them had anticipated. Starting with Addie's refusal to say the Pledge of Allegiance and her insistence on creating a new political party to run for student council, the Gang of Five is in for the ride of their lives. Along the way they will learn about politics and popularity, love and loss, and what it means to be a misfit. After years of getting by, they are given the chance to stand up and be seen -- not as the one-word jokes their classmates have tried to reduce them to, but as the full, complicated human beings they are just beginning to discover they truly are. Minimize

Director Mike Nichols's THE GRADUATE is the satirical comin ... Read more

Director Mike Nichols's THE GRADUATE is the satirical coming-of-age comedy that became an emotional touchstone for an entire generation. In the mid-1960s, Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman), a confused college graduate, is pulled in myriad directions by family, friends, and associates just days after receiving his degree. Seduced by Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft), an older friend of the family, Ben carries on an affair with the married woman even as he falls for her daughter, Elaine (Katharine Ross). However, Ben and Elaine's attempts at romance are threatened by the spiteful rage of Mrs. Robinson, who proceeds to hastily arrange Elaine's marriage to someone else, leading up to one of the most memorable endings in cinema history. With its striking photography and clever editing, THE GRADUATE established Nichols as a major director. The film also made a star out of young Hoffman, who gives an understated portrayal of the perplexed Ben--the actor's first role in a Hollywood film, which he almost didn't get because he wasn't Waspy enough. Outstanding performances by the rest of the cast are highlighted by Bancroft's sexy, embittered turn as Mrs. Robinson and Ross's endearing presence as the gorgeous yet innocent Elaine. The film's impact on popular culture is immeasurable: "Plastics" will live on eternally as depressing but solid career advice, and older women will never eye younger men without fear of becoming a "Mrs. Robinson." Buck Henry (who appears briefly in the film) cowrote the influential screenplay, based on the novel by Charles Webb, and the soundtrack by Simon and Garfunkel remains a movie classic. Minimize

The Universe is filled with an endless source of energy tha ... Read more

The Universe is filled with an endless source of energy that communicates and interacts with all form; both living and non-living. This energy force connects all mankind to one another and to the rest of the physical world. It also connects us through our intentions and thoughts. Since energy is everything (including our thoughts), we create the world we live in through the intention of what we think. When human thought interacts with energy, it can alter form. It can do everything! It can create anything! Positive or good energy restores and heals. Negative or bad energy causes damage and illness. The levels of energy we carry can be measured by the light and frequency we emit. The right combination of thought and energy can spontaneously heal any illness in living form. It can also spontaneously materialize any non-living form. Even science is starting to embrace these concepts through Einstein's theory of relating energy to mass, and through the study of quantum physics. Imagine the space around you buzzing with energy containing particles, information and knowledge. It can do anything. It can be anything. However, it needs to be told what to do; what to be. Now picture yourself as being the master of that energy. You hold the power to tell it what to do; what to become. It is the power of your thought that comes from deep within your divine self. Think of an orchestra comprised of many individuals and their instruments. They are ready to play, but they don't know what to play, and they don't know how to interact with each other. It is only when the conductor arrives to direct them that beautiful music materializes. Once you fully understand the impact of the things you do, you will know how important you really are to mankind and to the Universe. The results of your actions are what create the life you live. You determine your life by what you think, what you speak, and what actions you take through the choices you make. Minimize

A charming fable that evokes a life lesson we would all do ... Read more

A charming fable that evokes a life lesson we would all do well to learn: living and loving are time well spent. Once, there was a boy named Charlie. He had a pretty nice life . . . but it wasn’t perfect. So one day he packed up all his time—all his round, squishy years and square, mushy months, down to every itsy-bitsy second—in his suitcase and locked it up safe, said goodbye to his parents, and set off to find something better to spend his time on. Charlie traveled all over the world in search of the perfect thing to make him happy, but that turned out to be much harder to find than he thought. In the meantime, his itsybitsy seconds and silky, smooth hours and raggedy days ticked away and vanished, and soon they added up to weeks and months and years—so that once Charlie stopped his traveling and realized what he really needed out of life, it was almost too late. Almost. Every so often, a book comes along that seems to capture an important truth for a particular time and generation. This is one of those books: a unique story about the relentless search for perfect happiness that preoccupies so many of us.   ORIGINS OF THE TRAVELER The Traveler stemmed from something I heard over dinner, the evening before I embarked on a drive from Boston to Los Angeles: “We only have so much time to give.” I don’t remember the comment’s context, but its phrasing struck me. I thought about it literally as I packed for my trip . . . If you can give time, you can keep time—or save time, too; why would anyone do that? And if time is a form of currency, I wonder what it looks like . . . I quickly decided on the story’s basic premise: a boy, not content with his life, decides to pack up his time and leave home in search of something perfect to spend it on. The next morning I pushed off from Boston and headed west. Days later, immediately upon my arrival in Los Angeles, I sat down and wrote The Traveler.  ILLUSTRATION COLLABORATION In addition to being my older brother, Daniel is a fantastic artist, and I’m so glad he agreed to be the lead on the huge task of illustrating The Traveler. We’ve figured out a fun and collaborative working arrangement: first, we share our ideas on what sort of illustration we’re looking for—we consider the role it will play in plot and thematic development, and, of course, the aesthetic appeal—then we draw up preliminary sketches. Once they’re completed, we discuss these crude images and, after selecting the best concepts from each, Daniel takes over. He ties together our rough ideas, meliorates them, adds more of his own, and magically creates an illustration. We critique it together, then Daniel continues to develop and hone the illustration until we’re happy with the result. Minimize