Gladiator Days (Strong Adult Content)

 Parental Warning - Strong Adult Content, Violence, Prison Scenes, (including a Murder caught on camera)

 

Gladiator Days: Anatomy of A Prison Murder, an HBO documentary – where a film crew visited multiple prisons throughout the United States, interviewing inmates, prosecutors and guards – many of the clips displayed at the beginning will be quickly recognized as they have aired on national news outlets. (The “Yard Fights” in California, the prisoner being attacked by a dog while offering no resistance, rioting, etc., etc.)However, the documentary focuses on an inmate on inmate assault and subsequent homicide, captured by the Central Utah Prison security cameras. (Central is located in Draper, Utah)
Troy Kell, at the age of 18, was originally sentenced to life without parole, for a murder that took place in 1986, in his home-state of Nevada. A friend of his, Sandy Shaw, asked Troy to stop a man from harassing her & her family, b/c he wanted her to pose nude. Troy Kell, nor the second boy, William, knew the victim – had never met him and would have had no reason whatsoever to attack the man had it not been for the female codefendant. William, had stolen the gun used in the crime from a neighbor’s home, made it available to Troy the night of the crime & it was subsequently located by Las Vegas PD in his home. The murder of 21 year old Cotton Kelly, in the desert, became known as the “Show & Tell Murder” because the female co-defendant, Sandy Shaw, returned to the seen of the crime multiple times showing the corpse off to her friends. One of the people that had seen this horrific scene reported it to the police.
Kell was transferred to Central Utah Prison as part of a prisoner exchange – and that is where he met Eric Daniels – a white supremacist, with multiple tattoos reflecting his personal ideologies – Daniels was initially sent to prison on a minimal forgery charge. He participated in a riot, was placed in solitary confinement & six months later he actively participated in every aspect of the attack and subsequent homicide.
The security tape that captured the attack is chilling, albeit incomplete – and at first seems to have nothing more to offer than a grotesque view of what humans are capable of doing to each other under certain conditions. However, there’s much more to be discerned from the tape, as well as, the documentary as a whole, if it is viewed with an unbiased, neutral opinion. For example, the extenuating circumstances that allowed three high risk inmates to be left, unsupervised in such close proximity of each other, the hand cuff key, the forged request, allowing an inmate that is on “lock-down” out of their cell, and lastly the amount of time that elapses before any authority figure intervenes – is absolutely reprehensible. (Considering the guards had access to multiple forms of non-lethal weaponry – and yet, not a single voice calls out over the intercom for the inmates to separate, “rack in”, get prone, nothing….Look at the time on the video – the difference between when the first blow was struck and when the victim receives CPR is well over an hour….)
Yes, there are parts of the video that are hard to watch, making it all the more important to not look away! Turning away, shielding ourselves from that which is ugly, unsightly and harsh is what allows this inhumane environment to exist in prison. Placing a non-violent criminal in a supermax facility, sentencing an 18yr old young man to LWOP set all this in motion. What possible good could come from such sentences? When a person is given no chance to do anything positive or constructive…when all hope has been forever erased… what is left? For those in prison…it’s simple – become the meanest, baddest, toughest individual in the house…why? To avoid being abused, defiled and degraded in the worst, most inhumane manner imaginable. And with 90% of inmates eligible for parole at some point in their lifetimes, these hardened, hardcore people will return to our communities and live in our neighborhoods,bringing with them all the hate, anger and bitterness the system instilled in them during their incareration.
I recommend anyone that is interested in “true crime,” human behavior, criminal justice, etc., and all parents should view this documentary, to familiarize themselves with the reality of the prison system – so as to better educate and hopefully deter their children from pursuing a similar path. An excellent tool for alternative schools and programs to utilize – without saying a word, with the simple push of a button the instructor can open the eyes of at risk youth…erasing the glamor and mystique so often associated

Scooby Doo Wall Decal

Scooby Doo Wall Decal

We ordered this for my granddaughter — she loves Scooby Doo. The decals were easy to remove from the backing, with equally smooth application. The 18×40 Scooby with the paw prints looks wonderful and makes a fantastic point of interest – SHE LOVES IT! It’s easy to clean, warm soapy water and a quick wipe and it looks brand new. It’s now been on the wall for six months and we haven’t experienced any pull aways, wrinkles, or discoloration. I recommend this product without reservation.

This set is also available  – we plan to get this for her playroom on her birthday.

Cuckoo’s Calling by JK Rowling

ISBN-13: 9781478980827

ISBN-10: 1478980826

Publisher: Mulholland Books

Audio: Hachette Audio

The Cuckoo's Calling
by Robert Galbraith
 read by Robert Glenister


Before anyone knew this novel was written by one of the world’s most beloved authors, it received praise from critics and readers alike. However the books started flying off the shelves of Amazon.com.uk once the deception was revealed, propelling the book from 5,076 to the top of the chart. Although JK Rowling was disappointed her identity didn’t remain a secret for a little while longer, she was well aware the clock was ticking. So why the pseudonym? She said it was freeing to write without the stress, pressure and hype. She was treated like any other debut crime writer, receiving 12 rejections!

So what’s it about?
Private investigator Cormoran Strike wounded war veteran, recently estranged from his longtime girlfriend, living in his office, down to one client and with creditors at the door, he can’t seem to catch a break. That is until John Bristow walks into his office with an extraordinary tale: his sister, supermodel Lula Landry, known to her friends as the Cuckoo, fell to her death a few months ago. The police ruled the death yet another sad suicide. But John refuses to believe his sisters’ fall was anything but murder. Strike takes the case, he needs this case, however, he gets more than he bargained for, as he’s plunged headfirst into a world that’s foreign to him in every way…desperate designers, millionaires, rock stars, and gorgeous super models. He’s also quickly introduced to pleasures of the flesh that can easily lead a man into temptation.
It’s difficult to get to know or care about characters when there’s so many they are literally stepping all over each other. Never allowing the reader to really feel like they have learned anything about them beyond the surface stuff and this is hardly enough to build a relationship on. The story drags on far too long with nothing but page filler dialogue. This 450 page hardcover could easily have been whittled down to half as much, thus delivering a more concise and tightly woven story. I hope with this being the first in a new series that the follow up stories will light a fire within the listener (and/or reader), move much more swiftly, leaving the “blah, blah, blah” on the editing floor.

 Robert Glenister’s narration of “The Cuckoo’s Calling” is definitely an added bonus to this otherwise slow moving, almost stale at times story. The English accents are spot on and even the cursing is absolutely delightful and in no way detracts from the story. (Not just cursing for the sake of cursing, it actually fits the story.) Glenister gives each character a distinct and defining voice allowing the story to come to life through the listeners ear phones. Excellent narration!

Bottom line:
This is a “good” book, but not great. I do plan on reading the next book in the series, if for no other reason than to see if the story gets any tighter, so that I can get to know and possibly even like or dislike a character or two. You can’t help but compare this book to the best selling Potter series. Which isn’t fair – because it’s like comparing apples to softballs. Which is probably why JK Rowling adopted the pseudonym in the first place. She knew the comparisons would happen, as illogical as they are, simply because of the popularity of her first series, which went on to sell millions upon millions of copies in every conceivable language, in all four corners of the world. Few writers Ever experience such fame and wide spread recognition. But when trying to do something completely different from that which you have been known and loved for the world over, the popularity and recognition make it nearly impossible. I applaud her for having the gumption to step out as Robert Galbraith and swing for the fence!

Happy Reading!
RJ

Mirco One Touch Razor

 

Opening the box the first thing I noticed was the sleek travel case and modern attractive logo. The case closed with a ‘snap,’ tight and even on all sides. This may sound like “nit-picking,” but cases that fail to close properly is one of my pet peeves.

Picking the razor up I was shocked by the weight. This is not a flimsy razor. Precision crafted from chrome plated brass you can tell the difference between this instrument and others simply by holding it in your hand. Placing a blade was quick and easy. And a simple twist opens the razor for a fast clean up!

Because I was used to using plastic refillables or throw aways, the Micro One Touch took some getting used too. Which is why I felt it only fair to give it more time before rendering my opinion. I am certainly glad I did, because a week or two just wasn’t enough time for me to get used to the drastic difference between this razor and all the ones I’ve used since I first began shaving. The instructions are fairly complete and easy to follow. However, there are a few things that came with use and time. Try not to go over the same section without reapplying shaving cream, shave with the grain vs simply up and down and lastly don’t apply pressure, the razor requires no more pressure than that which is achieved by leaning your head sideways and placing the instrument on your cheek. May I also suggest using old-school shaving lather and a brush to apply thus avoiding propellants and added artificial lubricants. 

The Micro One Touch would make a great Christmas gift!

If you haven’t tried the One Touch, you should! Billed as “The Modern Version of A Timeless Classic,” this is the last razor you will ever buy. Made of solid brass, chrome plated and precision crafted for the perfect shave. You can order online today for $19.99 and receive the deluxe travel case and 12 replacement blades. Pay separate shipping & handling and receive a Bonus 12 blade pack and you have enough to last all year.

 

Are you a Pawn Stars fan? Well this is Rick’s razor! click here to watch a short video promo

Click Here to  visits Pawn Stars

**Note: If you’re having trouble with harsh shaves, you may want to try a different brand of blade. All blades are not created equal, they have different coatings, grindings and metallurgies.

 

 

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and a very Merry Christmas!

-Rj

Banned Book List

Here’s a list of banned and challenged books.

• 1984 – George Orwell
• Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885) – Mark Twain
• Adventures of Tom Sawyer – Mark Twain
• Age of Reason – Thomas Paine
• Andersonville (1955) – MacKinlay Kantor
• Animal Farm – George Orwell
• Arabian Nights
• As I Lay Dying (1932) – William Faulkner
• Awakening – Kate Chopin
• Beloved – Toni Morrison
• Black Beauty – Anna Sewell
• Bless Me, Ultima – Rudolfo A. Anaya
• Bluest Eye – Toni Morrison
• Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
• Call of the Wild – Jack London
• Can Such Things Be? – Ambrose Bierce
• Candide – Voltaire
• Canterbury Tales – Geoffrey Chaucer
• Catch 22 – Joseph Heller
• Catcher in the Rye (1951) – J. D. Salinger
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl
• Civil Disobedience – Henry David Thoreau
• Color Purple – Alice Walker
• Confessions – Jean-Jacques Rousseau
• Death in Venice – Thomas Mann
• Decameron – Boccaccio
• Dubliners – James Joyce
• Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury
• Fanny Hill – John Cleland
• Frankenstein – Mary Shelley
• Gone With the Wind – Margaret Mitchell
• Grapes of Wrath (1939) – John Steinbeck
• Hamlet – William Shakespeare
• Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
• House of Spirits – Isabel Allende
• Howl – Allen Ginsberg
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings – Maya Angelou
• Importance of Being Earnest – Oscar Wilde
• Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy
• King Lear – William Shakespeare
• Lady Chatterley’s Lover – D.H. Lawrence
• Leaves of Grass – Walt Whitman
• Lolita (1955) – Vladimir Nabokov
• Lord of the Flies – William Golding
• Lysistrata – Aristophanes
• Macbeth – William Shakespeare
  
  
  

Top Dog

 

Taste Test Reveals Top Dog for Summer Grilling

(courtesy of Epicurious.com)

After a blind taste test of 13 hot dog brands, we discovered one good enough to eat without a bun—plus two other notable franks.

The ideal frank should be juicy, not mushy. It needs to be firm and have some snap when bitten into. It should have a robust flavor with a good balance of smoke and spice. Most importantly, it should be able to stand on its own, with or without condiments and buns.

To pin down this perfect dog we tasted 13 varieties available nationwide. All brands were all-beef (no pork blends) and fully cooked. Several were marketed as all-natural and/or organic.

Methodology: In a blind taste test, seven judges compared the flavor, consistency, and appearance of the hot dogs one at a time. All dogs were grilled at the same temperature until browned. (Some required more cooking time, since the thickness of the dogs varied.) We ranked them according to the Epicurious four-fork rating system (four being highest). One wiener was anointed our top pick, receiving 3 1/2 forks. Two runners-up would certainly find a spot on our grill.

 

Best Overall

Nathan's Beef Franks

 ($5.69 for 8-count pack)

Pros: "This dog has a smoky-sweet spiciness and is perfectly juicy," commented one taster. "I love how it's not mushy like Play-Doh; it has an unyielding consistency and a good wide girth," stated another.

One taster said it best: "I knew it was the winner when I tasted it cold and it was still appetizing."

Cons: A bit greasy.

Visit Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs on the web

 

First Runner-Up:

Thumann's Beef Frankfurters

($6.99 for 8-count pack; available in more than 38 states, check company Web site for details)

Pros: " There's a pickled sweet aroma, which I could taste in each bite," said one editor. "The neutral color and good, snappy skin made me feel like I was eating a classic New York City street 'furter."

Cons: A little on the skinny side.

Visit Thumman’s Deli Best on the web

 

Second Runner-Up:

Oscar Meyer Premium Beef Franks

($2.99 for 8-count pack)

Pros: "This pick has a very distinct taste," said one taster. "It's nicely seasoned with garlic and an intense smokiness that reminds me of beef jerky." Other judges found it not overly greasy and with just the right firm bite.

Cons: This dog was oddly red and the texture spongy.

Visit Oscar Meyer Beef Franks on the web

 

article courtesy of Epicurious

NBA Finalists

It’s that time of year
- Here are the 2012 Finalists…

The judges have their work cut out for them … as has always been the case, the books that have made it to this stage are the cream of the crop – take a look at the finalists….

 

Do you have a favorite?

post a comment with your favorite or send us an email

---

FICTION

FINALISTS:

Junot Díaz, This Is How You Lose Her (Riverhead Books, a member of Penguin Group USA, Inc.)
Dave Eggers, A Hologram for the King (McSweeney's Books)
Louise Erdrich, The Round House (Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers)
Ben Fountain, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers)
Kevin Powers, The Yellow Birds (Little, Brown and Company)

POETRY

FINALISTS:

David Ferry, Bewilderment: New Poems and Translations (University of Chicago Press)
Cynthia Huntington, Heavenly Bodies (Southern Illinois University Press)
Tim Seibles, Fast Animal (Etruscan Press)
Alan Shapiro, Night of the Republic (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Susan Wheeler, Meme (University of Iowa Press)

NONFICTION

FINALISTS:

Anne Applebaum, Iron Curtain: The Crushing of Eastern Europe, 1945-1956 (Doubleday)
Katherine Boo, Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity (Random House)
Robert A. Caro, The Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson, Volume 4 (Knopf)
Domingo Martinez, The Boy Kings of Texas (Lyons Press, an imprint of Globe Pequot Press)
Anthony Shadid, House of Stone: A Memoir of Home, Family, and a Lost Middle East (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

YOUNG PEOPLE'S LITERATURE

FINALISTS:

William Alexander, Goblin Secrets (Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing)
Carrie Arcos, Out of Reach (Simon Pulse, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing)
Patricia McCormick, Never Fall Down (Balzer+Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers)
Eliot Schrefer, Endangered (Scholastic)
Steve Sheinkin, Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon
(Flash Point, an imprint of Roaring Brook Press)
New York (September 19, 2012) – The National Book Foundation, presenter of the National Book Awards, will present its 2012 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters to Elmore Leonard in recognition of his outstanding achievement in fiction writing. For over five decades, Leonard’s westerns, crime novels, serialized novels, and stories have enthralled generations of readers. Author Martin Amis will present the Medal to Leonard at the 63rd National Book Awards Ceremony and Benefit Dinner at Cipriani, Wall Street, in New York City on Wednesday, November 14, 2012. Television and radio host, political and pop culture commentator, journalist, and actor Faith Salie will host the event. Today’s announcement coincides with the announcement by The Library of America that it will publish a three-volume edition of Leonard’s crime novels in its esteemed series beginning in fall 2014. National Book Foundation Executive Director Harold Augenbraum said of the selection, “For a half-century, Elmore Leonard has produced vibrant literary work with an inimitable writing style. We are particularly pleased that as we at the National Book Foundation recognize his achievement, the Library of America—which publishes, and keeps permanently in print, authoritative editions of America’s best and most significant writing—has announced that Leonard will join other great American authors in its literary pantheon.”
Also on that evening, the National Book Foundation will bestow its 2012 Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community on Arthur O. Sulzberger, Jr., chairman and publisher of The New York Times, for his continuing efforts through the New York Times Book Review and online book coverage to ensure an ongoing conversation about books in American culture. While re-thinking and implementing innovative print and online initiatives at the Times, Sulzberger and the Times staff have shown their devotion to the coverage of books, whether by profiling authors and their work or reporting on literary culture as a whole. “It’s hard to overstate the impact of The New York Times on the discussion about books in America,” Augenbraum said. For well over a century, The New York Times has been central to America’s book culture.”
Leonard is the twenty-fifth recipient of the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, which was created in 1988 to recognize a lifetime of literary achievement. Previous recipients include John Ashbery, Toni Morrison, John Updike, Norman Mailer, Joan Didion, Maxine Hong Kingston, Gore Vidal, and Tom Wolfe. This year’s ceremony marks the eighth year that the Foundation has presented the Literarian Award, which was established in 2005 to recognize an individual whose work has enhanced the literary world during a lifetime of service. Previous recipients include Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Robert B. Silvers and Barbara Epstein, Terry Gross, Barney Rosset, Dave Eggers, Joan Ganz Cooney, and Mitchell Kaplan.
Nominations for these awards are made by former National Book Award Winners, Finalists, and Judges, as well as other writers and literary professionals from around the country. Final selections are made by the National Book Foundation’s Board of Directors.
The twenty Finalists for the National Book Awards in Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Young People’s Literature were announced on Wednesday, October 10, 2012.

---

63rd National Book Awards Ceremony and Benefit Dinner

Faith Salie -

Host

Faith Salie is a television and national public radio host, political and pop culture commentator, interviewer, “ethics expert,” journalist, and actor, as well as a Rhodes Scholar, who’s been a standup comedian. She’s written for Oprah.com, Slate.com, and CNN.com and The Huffington Post. She was the host and co-executive producer of the national public radio show “Fair Game from PRI with Faith Salie,” and is the co-host of a new public radio podcast, “Relations Show,” a slightly nerdy look at love, sex, and relationships.
faithsalie.com

---

---

TAKE A LOOK BACK AT PREVIOUS WINNERS

1980 pb^{[n 1]}
John Irving
The World According to Garp
1981 hard
Wright Morris
Plains Song: For Female Voices
1981 pb^{[n 1]}
John Cheever
The Stories of John Cheever
1982 hard
John Updike
Rabbit is Rich
1982 pb^{[n 1]}
William Maxwell
So Long, See You Tomorrow
1983 hard
Alice Walker
The Color Purple
1983 pb^{[n 1]}
Eudora Welty
The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty
1984
Ellen Gilchrist
Victory Over Japan: A Book of Stories
1985
Don DeLillo
White Noise
1986
E.L. Doctorow
World's Fair
1987
Larry Heinemann
Paco's Story
1988
Pete Dexter
Paris Trout
1989
John Casey
Spartina
1990
Charles Johnson
Middle Passage
1991
Norman Rush
Mating

1992
Cormac McCarthy
All the Pretty Horses

1993
E. Annie Proulx
The Shipping News


1994
William Gaddis
A Frolic of His Own
1995
Philip Roth
Sabbath's Theater
1996
Andrea Barrett
Ship Fever and Other Stories
1997
Charles Frazier
Cold Mountain
1998
Alice McDermott
Charming Billy
1999
Ha Jin
Waiting
2000
Susan Sontag
In America
2001
Jonathan Franzen
The Corrections
2002
Julia Glass
Three Junes
2003
Shirley Hazzard
The Great Fire
2004
Lily Tuck
The News from Paraguay
2005
William T. Vollmann
Europe Central
2006
Richard Powers
The Echo Maker
2007
Denis Johnson
Tree of Smoke
2008
Peter Matthiessen
Shadow Country
2009
Colum McCann
Let the Great World Spin
2010
Jaimy Gordon
Lord of Misrule
2011
Jesmyn Ward
Salvage the Bones
NONFICTION TITLES -
1950
Ralph L. Rusk
The Life of Ralph Waldo Emerson (biog. Ralph Waldo Emerson)

1951
Newton Arvin
Herman Melville (biog. Herman Melville)

1952
Rachel Carson
The Sea Around Us
1953
Bernard A. DeVoto
The Course of Empire
1954
Bruce Catton
A Stillness at Appomattox (third of 3 vols)

1955
Joseph Wood Krutch
The Measure of Man
1956
Herbert Kubly
An American in Italy
1957
George F. Kennan
Russia Leaves the War
1958
Catherine Drinker Bowen
The Lion and the Throne (see Edward Coke)

1959
J. Christopher Herold
Mistress to an Age: A Life of Madame de Staël (biog. Madame de Staël)

1960
Richard Ellmann
James Joyce (biog. James Joyce)

1961
William L. Shirer
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
1962
Lewis Mumford
The City in History: Its Origins, its Transformations and its Prospects
1963
Leon Edel
Henry James, volumes II and III (biog. Henry James)

1964
to
1983

For two decades beginning 1964 there were multiple nonfiction categories, initially Arts and Letters; History and Biography; and Science, Philosophy and Religion. See also Contemporary and General Nonfiction.

1984
Robert V. Remini
Andrew Jackson: The Course of American Democracy, 1833-1845
1985
J. Anthony Lukas
Common Ground: A Turbulent Decade in the Lives of Three American Families
1986
Barry Lopez
Arctic Dreams: Imagination and Desire in a Northern Landscape
1987
Richard Rhodes
The Making of the Atomic Bomb
1988
Neil Sheehan
A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam
1989
Thomas L. Friedman
From Beirut to Jerusalem
1990
Ron Chernow
The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance
1991
Orlando Patterson
Freedom, Vol. 1: Freedom in the Making of Western Culture
1992
Paul Monette
Becoming a Man: Half a Life Story
1993
Gore Vidal
United States: Essays 1952-1992
1994
Sherwin B. Nuland
How We Die: Reflections on Life's Final Chapter
1995
Tina Rosenberg
The Haunted Land: Facing Europe's Ghosts After Communism
1996
James P. Carroll
An American Requiem: God, My Father, and the War that Came Between Us
1997
Joseph J. Ellis
American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson
1998
Edward Ball
Slaves in the Family
1999
John W. Dower
Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II
2000
Nathaniel Philbrick
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex
2001
Andrew Solomon
The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression
2002
Robert A. Caro
Master of the Senate: The Years of Lyndon Johnson
2003
Carlos Eire
Waiting for Snow in Havana: Confessions of a Cuban Boy
2004
Kevin Boyle
Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age
2005
Joan Didion
2005 The Year of Magical Thinking
2006
Timothy Egan
The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl
2007
Tim Weiner
Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA
2008
Annette Gordon-Reed
The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family
2009
T.J. Stiles
The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt
2010
Patti Smith
Just Kids (memoir)
2011
Stephen Greenblatt
The Swerve: How the World Became Modern

---

---