Minnie as her name suggests is a Mini-Digger working in a quarry, alongside full sized heavy duty quarry diggers. She was brought over from Japan with her friend Laurie a small tipper truck and together they provide small quantities of aggregate for minor building companies while the big diggers and trucks produce huge amounts of aggregate for the heavy construction industry. The big machines laugh and joke about Minnie and Laurie and are generally unkind to them due to their diminutive size. However, when Digby, the newest and brashest digger gets buried while working in the quarry only Minnie and Laurie can save him. Thereafter the big diggers and trucks have a new respect for Minnie and Laurie and they all work happily together in friendship and harmony!
Though it has often been passionately criticized--as fraudulent, exploitative, even pagan--the American funeral home has become nearly as inevitable as death itself, an institution firmly embedded in our culture. But how did the funeral home come to hold such a position? What is its history? And is it guilty of the charges sometimes leveled against it? In Rest in Peace, Gary Laderman traces the origins of American funeral rituals, from the evolution of embalming techniques during and after the Civil War and the shift from home funerals to funeral homes at the turn of the century, to the increasing subordination of priests, ministers, and other religious figures to the funeral director throughout the twentieth century. In doing so he shows that far from manipulating vulnerable mourners, as Jessica Mitford claimed in her best-selling The American Way of Death (1963), funeral directors are highly respected figures whose services reflect the community's deepest needs and wishes. Indeed, Laderman shows that funeral directors generally give the people what they want when it is time to bury our dead. He reveals, for example, that the open casket, often criticized as barbaric, provides a deeply meaningful moment for friends and family who must say goodbye to their loved one. But he also shows how the dead often come back to life in the popular imagination to disturb the peace of the living. Drawing upon interviews with funeral directors, major historical events like the funerals of John F. Kennedy and Rudolf Valentino, films, television, newspaper reports, proposals for funeral reform, and other primary sources, Rest in Peace cuts through the rhetoric to show us the reality--and the real cultural value--of the American funeral.
This book originally began as a series of articles, at the behest of the author’s son, for the website Bharat Rakshak. As the articles flowed, the author was then persuaded by his children to expand these articles into something that more resembles a book. It was (and is) intended for his grandchildren to know about one part of their heritage—a part that will likely not recur in the family tree. It was not intended for general publication, but the children convinced the author otherwise. Perhaps the first couple of chapters could be a reader for all grandchildren of today because every family came from similar villages all over India. It also gives a feel for the motivation, and the acceptance of the environment and facilities that were far from adequate to achieve the goal of being a fighter pilot. It is more “episodic” than such works usually are, as it has been written at the age of 80, from the heart and from memory. It is hoped that you will enjoy it.
A civilization-destroying omega cloud has switched direction, heading straight for a previously unexplored planetary system--and its alien society. And suddenly, a handful of brave humans must try to save an entire world--without revealing their existence.
A slight case of mistaken identity… WELCOME HOME, ROBIN DIGBY…. Now, a few things have changed while you've been away. For instance, there's a perfect stranger—well, maybe not perfect, but pretty darn close—sleeping in your bed. But there's a good explanation for that. You see, everybody thinks you're dead…. Well, somebody with your name was murdered, and it looks as if whoever did it means to finish the job. And if you and T. J. Swift—the drop-dead-gorgeous guy you've suddenly found yourself living with—don't get to the bottom of this mystery, it could be too late for you both. And that would be a real shame—because your brand-new "roommate" is sexy enough to give any woman a reason to live….
In 'Kilimanjaro Snow', Finn Pilar the ne're do well former Navy EOD specialist and disgraced Key West cop, faces his most complex case. A sailboat adrift off Wisteria Island near Key West crashes into the stern of his business partner's live-aboard boat. A deceased girl is found on board wearing nothing but a strange tattoo on her chest. Alarm bells go off for Finn who has seen this tattoo before in Cuba. Thus begins a tale of deceit, murder, and intrigue stretching across the Florida Strait. Amazon Reviews of 'Square Grouper' "Having been a Carl Hiassen fan for these past several years, I was hesitant to pick another author in the genre. I was not disappointed. Characters were believable and likable, the plot unpredictable and the pacing right on. Very pleased. Will be picking up more by this author featuring the same protagonist." "Fantastic book, great plot, better than any Stuart Woods book I have read. I couldn't put it down. Makes me want to move to Key West. Now I am ready for the next book!" Amazon Reviews of 'Tequila Mockingbird' "I love the characters in the Finn Pilar mystery books. The setting is perfect and Haskell makes me feel like I am in Key West. I would recommend this series to everyone." "Being a Florida native I love Key West. It's been my go-to destination for decades. Lewis Haskell has depicted the true Key West with all its drama, debauchery, and spirit. This was a novel I was sorry to finish. I found it hard to put down!" 'Kilimanjaro Snow' again features Finn Pilar and his three-legged dog Crutch, in this his third award winning novel. A native of Canada who lived in Key West off and on for fifteen years, he now lives full time in his adopted island home. He can be found most mornings having coffee at the White Tarpon, riding his rusty beach cruiser around Old Town or sipping a martini at Martins for happy hour.
Often regarded as the first golden era of television, the 1950s was a decade when many classic programs—from I Love Lucy and Gunsmoke to The Honeymooners and Perry Mason, among others—made their debuts. Even after these shows departed the airwaves, they lived on in syndication, entertaining several generations of viewers. Devoted and casual fans alike can probably remember basic facts about these shows—like the names of Lucy and Ricky’s neighbors or the town where Marshall Matt Dillon kept the law. But more elusive facts, like the location of the most successful defense attorney in Los Angeles (Suite 904 of the Brent Building), might be harder to recall. In Television Series of the 1950s: Essential Facts and Quirky Details, Vincent Terrace presents readers with a cornucopia of information about 100 programs from the decade. Did you know, for example, that the middle initial of Dobie Gillis’ friend Maynard G. Krebs, stood for Walter? Or that Ralph Kramden’s electric bill came to only 39 cents a month? Or that on I Love Lucy, Ricky originally performed at Manhattan’s Tropicana Club? These are but a few of the hundreds of fun and intriguing trivia facts contained within this volume. Shows from all four networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, and DuMont)—as well as select syndicated programs—are represented here. This is not a book of opinions or essays about specific television programs, but a treasure trove of the facts associated with each of these programs. Readers will discover a wealth of fascinating information that, for the most part, cannot be found anywhere else. In some cases, the factual data detailed herein is the only such documentation that exists currently on bygone shows of the era. Television Series of the 1950s is the ideal reference for fans of this decade and anyone looking to stump even the most knowledgeable trivia expert.
Bluey O'Donnell and Ellen Sommers are childhood sweethearts ready to take on the world when news of the war hits their quiet country town. Spurred on by thoughts of glory, and physically strong from a lifetime of hard work on his family's property, Bluey rushes to enlist and is soon on his first overseas posting. Ellen, left behind to help manage the farm, lives in hope that she will see Bluey again, and guards a special secret through the anxious wait for his return. But nothing can prepare the couple for what lies ahead. As Bluey faces the greatest battle of his life, Ellen must make a heart-wrenching choice. This is a stirring and inspiring saga of a family torn apart by war, its unforgettable characters proving beyond doubt that love is stronger than fear. 'A moving and classically Australian story' SUNDAY MAIL 'Sincere and engaging . . . it is simply a darn good, fair dinkum yarn' SUNSHINE COAST SUNDAY 'Full of dinky-di characters, a good dose of hardship and tragedy, plus an against-all-odds romance' ADELAIDE ADVERTISER
Surrender to desire… After one night of passion, the dissolute Duke of Dunstan made Julia his wife, but their honeymoon is far from blissful. Alistair trusts no one with his shameful secret, and that means keeping his tempting new bride at a distance… Julia longs for Alistair to yield to the powerful desire between them. But when the dark secrets of the marriage bed threaten their future, this new couple must overcome the past and surrender to their wildest passions to find a new, oh-so-delicious beginning together!
