Jesta, the playful puppy, has a secret plan for Christmas. Every night, he sneaks a bauble from the tree and hides it in his bed, hoping to surprise his family with a special gift. As the days go by, Jesta’s collection grows, but will his family discover his mischievous scheme? Join this adorable pup and his loved ones in a heartwarming tale of Christmas magic and the unexpected ways love can be expressed. Follow Jesta’s journey as he tries to keep his secret under wraps, and discover the joy and surprise that awaits his family on Christmas morning. This delightful story will warm your heart and remind you of the true spirit of the holiday season.
In the December 30, 1967, edition of the weekly Thoroughbred trade publication, the Blood-Horse, was an announcement that took up one inch of space -- James E. "Ted" Bassett III had been named assistant to the president of the Keeneland Association. It was sandwiched between equally short news items about a handicapping seminar at an East Coast racetrack and a California vacation trip by a horse-owning couple. Bassett's new job, in his own words, "was not earthshaking news." More than four decades later, Ted Bassett is one of the most respected figures within the global Thoroughbred industry. He has served as Keeneland's president, chairman of the board, and trustee, playing a critical role in its ascendency as a premier Thoroughbred track and auction house. Bassett was also president of Breeders' Cup Limited during its greatest period of growth and has been a key architect in the development of the Sport of Kings as we know it today. Written in collaboration with two-time Eclipse Award--winning journalist Bill Mooney, Keeneland's Ted Bassett: My Life recounts Bassett's extraordinary journey, including his days at Kent School and Yale University, through his U.S. Marine Corps service in the Pacific theater during World War II, and as director of the Kentucky State Police during the turbulent 1960s. He helped found the College of Justice & Safety at Eastern Kentucky University, and his continuing service to the Marine Corps has gained him the highest honors accorded to a civilian. During his forty-plus years with Keeneland, Bassett has hobnobbed with hot walkers in the track kitchen, hosted the first visit by Queen Elizabeth II to a United States track, and participated in many of the most important events in the modern history of horse racing. With self-effacing humor, characteristic charm, and candor, Bassett describes his association with historic figures such as J. Edgar Hoover and Kentucky governors Albert B. "Happy" Chandler, Edward T. "Ned" Breathitt, and John Y. Brown; and his friendships with racing personalities D. Wayne Lukas, Nick Zito, Ron McAnally, Pat Day, and Joe Hirsch. Bassett shares details about difficult corporate decisions and great racing events that only he can supply, and about the formation of Equibase, the premier data collection agency within the Thoroughbred industry. He tells about his role as an international ambassador for racing, which has made him a highly influential figure on six continents. Bassett often describes his life as a fascinating blur. That "blur" and all its unique components are brought into sharp focus in a book that is as wide-ranging as it is personal, filled with a gold mine of firsthand stories and historical details. In addition to highlighting Keeneland's reputation as the jewel of the Thoroughbred industry, Bassett chronicles the business of racing and accomplishments of many prominent people in the horse world, and elsewhere, during the twentieth century.
A masterwork of the renowned artist and magician Austin Osman Spare. This New Edition features all the original illustrations, accurate paragraph division, and text formatting as compared with the original printing. The Focus of Life is one of Spare's greatest and most accessible works.
This is a great read for our generation as it embodies, what life was like for black kids up and down the country during the 70's. I always remember, seeing him, driving through Birmingham in his VW Cabriolet convertible. He has taken his toasting talents around the world representing his upbringing and culture, truly a pioneer for toasting about "Roots and Culture" but from a British-Jamaican aspect rather than the other way round. This book, is a must-read for anyone growing up in Britain in the inner Cities of all cultures. -- Dennis Seaton, Record Producer, Musical Youth
A richly illustrated book of images. Some of Spare's techniques, particularly the use of sigils and the creation of an "alphabet of desire" were adopted, adapted and popularized by Peter J. Carroll in the work Liber Null & Psychonaut. Carroll and other writers such as Ray Sherwin are seen as key figures in the emergence of some of Spare's ideas and techniques as a part of a magical movement loosely referred to as chaos magic. Zos Kia Cultus is a term coined by Kenneth Grant, with different meanings for different people. One interpretation is that it is a form, style, or school of magic inspired by Spare. It focuses on one's individual universe and the influence of the magician's will on it. While the Zos Kia Cultus has very few adherents today, it is widely considered an important influence on the rise of chaos magic.
The Writings of Austin Osman Spare is a collection of three books written by the famous artist and occult author. The three books included in this publication are Anathema of Zos: The Sermon to the Hypocrites, The Book of Pleasure: The Psychology of Ecstasy and The Focus of Life: The Mutterings of Aaos. This compilation of three of Spare's most popular works is a must read for those that are fans of his writings and those interested in books on the occult.
