Eric Martin
Eric Martin is an artist and writer. Look for more of his work in The Stone Hobo, the Antelope Valley Anthology, The Open Doors Poetry Zine, Failure of Theory, Euclid's Negatives and on stage. He is an owner-operator of a coffee & art house in California's Antelope Valley and author of the Quick Prep: AP English Test Prep Series.
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- Contributor since
- 8/10/2009
Education/Experience
BA English & Education, Small Business OwnerInterests
Literature, coffee, art, film, pro basketball, small business, philosophy & psychology, novels & fiction, society, phrases beginning with meta , culture, mythology, under-appreciated artists, reading.Motto
Who owns himself is free.
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Displaying Results 1 - 200 (of 260) for Yahoo! Voices
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Graffiti and the Difference Between Street Art and VandalismMy views of spray-painted expression have changed over the years. I have met graffiti artists making street art with great skill and with the approach to the craft that a legitimate artist brings. That doesn't mean it's all art though.
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Top 2 Challenges for Young EmployeesYoung employees sometimes don't understand that they are not being paid to hold a title but are being paid to fulfill the obligations of a role. -
An Employer's 3 Tips for Writing a Resume for Your First JobI run a small coffee shop, and I see resumes on a monthly basis, if not weekly. Hopefully, this article will help you avoid making some of the common mistakes I see in those resumes.
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Digital Underground (A Sci-Fi Short)Short fiction in the sci-fi genre: Forty years in the future, the world has become a more peaceful place, governments have united in expansive commercial federations, but in the absence of foreign enemies censorship laws cast writers as the enemy.
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The Best Clippers Team Ever?Headed into the off-season, Clippers fans will be asking the same question they always ask – will this be the best Clippers team ever? -
How Long Does it Take to Establish a Small Business?How long it takes to establish a small business is something every business owner would like to know.
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How I Got a (Much) Better Rate on My Auto InsuranceFor me, getting a better rate on my auto insurance was actually as easy as making a phone call. I didn't switch insurance companies to get a better rate on my insurance. I just changed the details associated with my account.
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Structures in SpaceThis collage show is made of pieces from a series I am calling "The Jazz Mashed Potato". -
An Interview with Writer Steven HutsonIn Search of Clarity is a new book by Steven Hutson, a southern California writer, addressing some key issues regarding the history and texts of Christianity that are often overlooked by “casual” believers.
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Green Practices in My Small BusinessThe most obvious green practices in the coffee business are organic and fair trade products, but there are many more ways that a small business can be green while selling coffee. -
A Late SpringWhen we weren’t in Illinois, we hired a family friend to look after our house. She was a part-time house wife without any children who wanted more than just dinners and family success. She wanted something personal out of life.
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4 Ways to Get Through Christmas on a Small BudgetHere are four practical ways to get through Christmas on a small budget and find gifts that won’t come from the discount bin.
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Easy Ways to Be Green and Save MoneyWhat are some easy ways to be green and save money? Here are a few ideas.
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The Kobe-Lebron Superstar Tour?The notion of a traveling All-Star game is intriguing, especially if there will be nightly dunk contests and skill contests, but there are a number of potential downsides.
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4 Novel-Writing Tips for NaNoWriMoThere are no short-cuts to the 50,000 word goal, but there are strategies that can vastly improve your chances of sticking to the task and for helping you organize, generate, and develop your plot ideas as you go along.
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Spending on Pets in America at All Time HighAmericans' spending on pets is at an all time high, having essentially tripled the amount of money spent annually on caring for domestic animals in the last 17 years.
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US Leads the World in Dog OwnershipPet ownership is on the rise in the United States, the UK and in Russia, to name a few spots on the globe. But nowhere in the world are dogs more popular than in the United States.
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Dry as a BoneThis is a song, a poem, about love and desolation. -
European Fans the Only Winners in the NBA LockoutEuropean fans stand to gain what American fans stand to lose: a season of basketball featuring NBA stars.Also published on: -
Stars Shunning the Spotlight? Dave Chappelle and Lauryn HillDespite the consensus on their talent, neither Dave Chappelle nor Lauryn Hill has made much of an impact on the popular scene for years.
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3 Rules of Successful StaycationThese are some very simple rules to making your next “staycation” as real and as successful as you want it to be.
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The Nature of Evil in the Novels of William FaulknerDepravity and evil, in Faulkner's work, are marked by the attempt to sever the cords of history that bind a person to the past. The Faulkner characters who are most fully evil are the ones who to their backs on history.
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I Own an Independent Coffee ShopThis is a very brief profile of my small business, its history, its challenges, and what I do as an independent coffee shop owner.
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Lessons From a Small Business OwnerSmall business owners all have an answer to the question, what would you do differently if you could start over? This is true because being a small business owner requires an analytic mindset, a problem solving attitude and a dash of honesty.
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Distant Relatives by June Marie MilhamIn her ongoing mixed media series, Distant Relatives, artist June Marie Milham explores (and creates) a world of unexpected connections.
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The American Bard - Walt WhitmanWalt Whitman has come to represent many of the positive qualities that Americans associate with America: expansiveness, open-mindedness, youth and dynamism.
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Meals for $5 in 10 MinutesThese meal ideas can come in handy when you're crunched for time, low on energy or trying to save a few bucks. -
Dignity as the Central Theme in Tolstoy's War and PeaceLeo Tolstoy's War and Peace is a novel with many dimensions and layers of interest, but perhaps the most central thematic concern in this epic work relates to an idea of dignity.
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Where Are They Now? the 2001 Chicago BullsThough the 2001 Chicago Bulls team was disappointing at the time and not winning games, the scouts clearly knew what they were doing, and the roster was filled with talent.
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Ottawa, Illinois: Things to DoWith the Illinois and Fox Rivers meeting in its midst, an abundance of county and state parks nearby and a revamped downtown showing big signs of renewed life, Ottawa is like -- a new Ottawa. -
Exploring Free Online Media: Fiction Meets the Image & the Moving ImageAs a fiction writer, I am always looking for ways to build an audience and blogging is a natural route. However, I am just not a daily post kind of person. What is a chap like me to do? -
Desert Destinations: Sagebrush CafeWhether you live in the Antelope Valley or you're looking for something to do on while visiting this sprawling desert region north of Los Angeles, a nice place to start your day is at Sagebrush Cafe. -
The 2 Most Successful Films of Steven SpielbergBetween '..."Jaws,' '..."Jurassic Park,' '..."Raiders of the Lost Ark' and '..."E.T.', it may be difficult to guess which Spielberg movie has risen above the rest to perform best at the box office and with critics. -
The Two Most Successful Martin Scorsese FilmsMartin Scorsese's filmography reads like a film history guidebook with numerous must see films from the 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s. Of all Scorsese's great films, which has earned the most at the box office? Which has received the most critical acclaim? -
Novel Similarities in the Grapes of Wrath & War and PeaceBefore you even read The Grapes of Wrath or War and Peace, you know that both are rather big books - big as in famous and big as in long - but the novels' similarities go deeper.
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All the King's Men... One of the Greatest American NovelsRobert Penn Warren's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, All the King's Men, has been adapted to film twice in two completely different American eras, first in 1949 and more recently in 2006. -
The 2 Most Successful Stephen King Movies - Critically and FinanciallyOut of all Stephen King's film work, which movie has grossed the most at the box office and been the biggest financial success? Which of his films has had the most critical success?
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The Antelope Valley - Is It Really Just Tumbleweeds and Trailer Parks?Does the Antelope Valley deserve to be treated as the dimwitted and unwanted stepchild of L.A. County?
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The 99 Cents Only Store & the Real Reason You Love ItAt the 99 Cents Only Store, the shopping experience is different than at a grocery store or a department store. It's not just the price. The difference is predictability.
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Why Teach Virginia Woolf?The English novelist Virginia Woolf remains a towering name in literature, yet her works are not taught as widely as those of other Modernists. Woolf's have quite a bit to offer, however, and fit well in upper-level literature courses. -
Has Hysteria Vanished as a Medical Condition? Well, Kind OfWhat is the condition we call hysteria and where did it go? How could hysteria have been a widespread medical condition 100 years ago then just disappear? Well, in a way it didn't. -
James Baldwin & Trouble with Moral Doctrine in EducationSome racial terminology in a James Baldwin essay set off an immediate reaction in the moral brains of my students. Because the essay mentioned race, for them it had to be about race. But it wasn't. It was about class. They'd been over-moralized. -
Tutoring High School English: Moving Students Beyond Basic LiteracyGuiding students toward accurate and focused reading is the job of the English Lit teacher, and sometimes the tutor, and the task can be greatly helped along by posing questions that model the behavior of good, interpretive reading. -
American Migrations - The Dust Bowl MigrationAs American culture has changed, so has the geography of its population.
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Meeting Michael JordanGiven the chance to meet any athlete, past or present, I'd most like to sit down with Michael Jordan. What questions would I ask him? What questions would you ask him? -
Did You Know Prince is a Jehovah's Witness?Some part of me resists imagining the purple clad musician knocking on my door, telling me about salvation and handing me a crappy magazine. -
Elizabeth Taylor at Her Best - Taylor's Best Film PerformanceThe intensity and the exceptional complexity of Elizabeth Taylor's performance in this film makes 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' my favorite film in the Taylor archives.Also published on: -
Jimi Hendrix TriviaJimi Hendrix is one of the most widely recognized figures of the American 60s and 70s. Like many pop stars, there are one or two things that everyone knows about Jimi Hendrix and there are half a dozen lesser known facts that only the fans are aware of. -
Belize: Summer in the TropicsThese photos were taken during the summer in Belize in Central America. -
The Best Place to Find Quotes (Famous Quotations) OnlineThere are numerous sites dedicated to making money from our searches for great one-liners from famous people, but none is better, cleaner or less commercial than GoodReads.
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George Lucas' Off-Camera Project: EdutopiaGeorge Lucas, film luminary and creator the Star Wars and Indiana Jones films, has established an educational foundation that goes by the name Edutopia.
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Why is Bruce Lee so Popular?How did Bruce Lee go from humble, kick-ass side-kick to being pinned up in posters around the world as the planet's premier kicker of ass?
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The Greatest Success Stories in Self-PublishingIf it weren't for the DIY spirits of these two men, none of us would have encountered "O Captain, My Captain!" in school or had the phrase "Tyger, tyger burning bright/in the forests of the night" engraved into our memories like an unforgettable dream. -
Walt Whitman's Influence on Allen GinsbergThe voice that shaped Leaves of Grass has also shaped the work of Allen Ginsberg, the Beat poet whose most famous work is directly reminiscent of Walt Whitman.
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Palmdale RhapsodyA short story exploring ideas of familial separation, death and the experience of time and consciousness. It's not quite as dark as the above makes it sound, but the story is on the "dark side." -
Trumpets of HeavenA short story about family and auditory hallucinations. -
T.S. Eliot - British or American Poet?Biographically, T.S. Eliot lived a divided life that bears up claims on the poet from both sides of the Atlantic. Poetically, there is an argument to be made that Eliot's career and his poetry were more English and European than American. -
Movies About PoetsThe writers who gave us some of the great works of history have been immortalized in legend, outside of their own works, presented to the 21st century as characters in many works of biography and fiction. Some of them have even made it into the movies. -
Bob Marley: A Musical and Spiritual IconBob Marley is known foremost as the reggae musician who took a niche musical style from Jamaica and brought it to a global audience. Marley was also a great proponent of spiritual ideas (and of Rasta ideas in particular). -
Antelope Valley Sports: Pro, Semi-Pro, AmateurCalifornia's Antelope Valley is not known for its sports teams, professional or otherwise. However, for fans of live sports and AV residents looking for some local success stories, there are a surprising number of options.
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Antelope Valley Arts Publications: SATURATION & ROKOKO Seeking SubmissionsOnce upon a time in the Antelope Valley there were two new, small arts publications offering publishing opportunities to local writers and artists of all kinds. That time is now. -
A Desperate MagnetismA story about a one-sided break-up.
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A New Reason to Admire Pro AtheletesIncreasingly, sports fans and our communities at large are coming to understand the pressures that athletes face beyond the playing field. -
Ali on Film: The Best Muhammad Ali MoviesThere is so much Ali footage in existence sorting the good from the bad has become a challenge. -
New Year's Resolutions for Movie WatchersThis year dedicate yourself to writing a few lists. -
What Happened to American Poetry?Poetry, alive and thriving so recently, seems to have suddenly lost its relevance and its potency. Why?
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The Short List of Essential ReadingIf we narrow down the list of important and relevant literary novels in history to less than a dozen, here is what it might look like -- -
Antelope Valley's Best Pizza ShopsThe top four pizza shops in California's Antelope Valley are... -
Bob Marley: 5 Facts Contrary to the LegendMarley's biography is interesting in the way it explains his music and even more interesting in the surprises it offers when viewed in relation to his legend and reputation.
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Antelope Valley Art GalleriesCalifornia's Antelope Valley is home to a handful of art galleries. These venues are each distinct from one another, each presenting art in a different context.
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How to Speed Up the Essay-Grading Process, Minimize SubjectivityThis simple rubric focuses on essay structure and offers clarity of the scoring process for both the teacher and the student.
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Images of the Antelope Valley & Mojave DesertThe Antelope Valley is at the southern end of the Mojave Desert. The upper desert of Southern California is one of the few places on earth where Joshua Trees grow widely and naturally. -
Bob Marley's Top 3 AlbumsThree Bob Marley albums manage to stand out in a repertory of truly stellar music. Each album here represents a particular stage of Marley's development as an artist, social thinker, and performer.
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What Are the Best Works of Literature to Recommend to Someone Entering College?The goal of recommending a good piece of literature to a young person is double. You want to recommend something they will like and also learn from. -
Global Warming: Why Disbelieve?The environmental phenomenon known as global warming has been around for two decades now. Global warming is still referred to as a "theory" of human-caused climate change and there are many voices crying that the theory is bogus. -
Left Alone at NightFiction exploring the stickiness of personal history and how the past can get in the way of the future. -
A Major NBA Record Set to Be BrokenHow likely is it that Ray Allen will become the player to make the most three point baskets in the history of the NBA? Let's take a look at the numbers.
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Muhammad Ali: The Greatest American AthleteMuhammad Ali is a very special person. A famous man who was once the most renowned athlete on the planet, who stood firm by his beliefs and risked his career in doing so, Muhammad Ali remains today one of America's most admirable athletes and citizens.
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IPhone Apps They Should Create: The Money-Saving, Green App for IPhoneThis iPhone app would allow energy consumers to save money while strategically reducing usage of electricity, gas, and other energy commodities. -
The Road that Pavement Forgot: A Driving Nightmare in BelizeIn 2008 I took a trip to Belize with my girlfriend. We planned a trip from the Placencia peninsula to the interior of the country to visit the rain forest...things didn't go our way. -
Movies that Are Better Than the BookEvery once in a while the unexpected happens and a film adaptation of a book ends up being better than the book itself. -
Novelists Succeeding in HollywoodBefore Dan Brown hit the scene, three writers in particular stood out as writers of adaptable fiction. Stephen King, Michael Crichton and John Grisham are responsible for penning many hits (and a few flops too) that were adapted from novel to film. -
What is a Film Auteur?In the simplest terms, a film auteur is the "author" of a film, someone who both writes and directs. However, the term "auteur" also carries certain connotations of artistic vision and personal expression. -
How to Help Your Teen Prepare for the SATGenerally speaking a parent's role is to provide opportunities for your child to practice the skills that will be tested on the SAT exam and to familiarize your child with the test. -
Great Short NovelsNot all great novels are big. Some of the world's best works of fiction are less than two hundred pages, such as...
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Novels on PsychiatryThe Bell Jar and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest take us inside American psychiatric wards as they existed in our country until the 1960's, a time when lobotomies and shock therapy were common place. -
Does Science Fiction Belong in the Fantasy Category?When it comes to books and films, the fantasy and science fiction genres stand side by side, sharing many attributes and a nearly unified fan-base. In fact, the two genres are so closely related that we might ask if they are really just one genre.
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What is the Top National Pizza Chain?Ranking the national pizza chains: One chain offers zucchini as a topping, but another offers stuffed crust pizza and yet another is cheaper...
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Medical Television Shows and the Subtle Innovations that Make Them SpecialThe most resonant medical shows on television do more than tell stories of doctors and their patients. The medical shows we love take us somewhere or tweak the medical drama genre and bring something new to it. -
What is a Concept Television Show?When it comes to "concept shows", it is only the premise that structures the show. -
America's Beer RevolutionFor beer drinkers, the last decade has been an exciting one. It wasn't long ago that the only beers available nation-wide were the macro-brews of the Miller and Anheuser-Busch companies. Today's average grocery store selection has expanded immensely.
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Wallace Stevens & the 3 Planes of RealityIn years of reading Wallace Stevens, his poetry has gone from being about the power and significance of words to being about a consuming effort to both express and escape the trappings of language. -
The Most Hopeless NBA Teams - from a Fan's PerspectiveIn a league of quickly changing fortunes, what NBA teams offer the least hope to their fans because they failed to make necessary changes in the off-season?
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The Diversity of Woody AllenWoody Allen has written 64 movies and television shows and of those 64, many of them have been nothing like 'Annie Hall.' -
Antelope Valley Arts EventsRecent, Upcoming and Ongoing Gallery and Museum Exhibits and Theatre Performances in the Antelope Valley.
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Is Allen Iverson Done with Basketball?Many fans would like to see Allen Iverson get a chance at a swan song season, one last opportunity to shine, or at least a graceful exit from the league...but his last NBA game may have already been played. -
Lancaster Museum/Art Gallery Takes on a New Director and a New DirectionRecent exhibits at Lancaster Museum/Art Gallery include a traveling show from the Weisman Art Foundation of Los Angeles called "Elements of Nature and an exhibit of paintings and drawings by artist Tom Miller in a show titled "A Fool's Paradise".
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The "Fresh Start" Los Angeles ClippersThe old wine and beer metaphors usually picture the Los Angeles Clippers as the dregs at the bottom of the NBA barrel. All that was supposed to change this summer ... it didn't, but there is reason for hope. -
Most Influential People in Movies: Composer John WilliamsOne might argue that composer John Williams is as influential as any figure in cinema today ... or ever. -
What is the Difference Between a Film Score and a Soundtrack?Music has a profound impact on the tone of a film and it can come in one of two forms: a score and a soundtrack. Which is which? How can you tell the difference?
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Not Gothic, Just Dark: Flannery O'Connor & Everything that Rises Must ConvergeAs a writer of short stories, Flannery O'Connor is unsurpassed. With a wit and a skill for both precision and brevity, she manages to address large themes in small spaces. Her masterpiece of short fiction: Everything That Rises Must Converge. -
Top 5 Film Series & FranchisesWhat are the most enduring and popular film franchises in cinema history? You might be surprised to see what makes the list...and what doesn't. -
Jason Statham - Not Your Average Action HeroThough his use of profanity remains top-notch and his accent is uber-entertaining, Statham's characters have become less so. Do Statham's talents lend themselves to traditional action hero roles? -
Is the Ninja Movie Back? A Spate of Recent Ninja Releases Raises the QuestionNinjas movies have fascinated American audiences for decades. When the Kung Fu boom of the 1970's began to die out, the ninja movie quickly stepped in as the next wave of martial arts film. But that was then...are Ninja's making a come back?
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1990s Film Guide: Top Films by GenreThe decade in film began with Ghost as the No. 1 box-office hit of the year in 1990, but audiences would soon move on to more action-oriented films and dramas of a larger scale. -
Sugar - a Baseball MovieSUGAR is a surprising film, taking many unexpected turns and ultimately showing us just how difficult it is to get to the big leagues.
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Mythology in 1990's Cinema: Jurassic Park, Titanic, & Terminator 2These films suggest that when mankind replaces god and claims the power of creation for himself, he invites his own destruction. -
Stallone Weighs in on Movie Violence, Inducted into Action Hero Hall of FameAt his induction into the action hero pantheon, Stallone is reported to have drawn the line at serial killers, saying that serial killers were "insidious". Movie violence is ok, by Stallone's standards, as long is it is "heroic".
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Hating LeBron - the New National Pastime?Though it is true that LeBron James may have broken some rules of decorum with his television special to announce his free agency decision, he is not responsible for all the hoopla surrounding that decision. -
Greatest American PlaywrightsTheatre in America has acted as a crucible, a melting pot, a mirror, and a voice for American attitudes, breaking down race and gender barriers and paving the way for changes in how we think, as a country and as a culture. -
The Best and Worst of Spike LeeFrom Do the Right Thing to When the Levees Broke, Spike Lee has been waking people up to the complex realities of inequity and conflict in America through the power of cinema.
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The Chicago Bulls 2010 Free Agency OptionsThe Chicago Bulls are among the most interesting teams to watch in this year's NBA off-season. With Derrick Rose and Jaokim Noah, and additional talent, the Bulls are on the verge of being able to compete for the division title.
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Wondering About Stevie Wonder: Where is He Now?A virtuoso of pop & soul, Stevie Wonder mastered the keyboard and harmonica at a very young age, recording his first top 40 hit when he was only 13 years old and eventually winning 22 Grammy Awards. After all that, where is he now?
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Philip Roth's Indignation and the Question of Literary ArtPhilip Roth writes with what can be called a "counter aesthetic," often choosing prurient subject matter and writing with great verve and attitude but not about ideas as such. Can we call his writing art? -
Antelope Valley Thespians Perform "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt"With a second act that just sizzles with emotional intensity, the Antelope Valley Thespians presented a memorable performance in their Quartz Hill black box theatre space. -
Dread & Hard Shell TacosA short story about the childhood friend who was always on the verge of becoming the enemy. Going to his house was torturous as often as it was fun. And his mom made hard shell tacos.
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The Masks of Christian BaleChristian Bale made his reputation as a character actor starring in several mind-bending films in the early 2000's. Now a big star, has Bale left become a different type of actor? -
Themes, Texts, Context of Modernist Literature"Literary modernism" describes a specific period of time as well as a formally, thematically oriented artistic movement. The writers we know as "modernists" are some of the 20th century's most renowned authors from James Joyce to William Faulkner.
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Heart of Darkness and Modernist Literature - Blurring the Lines of DistinctionJoseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness presupposed the modernism movement in literature in form and theme, if not in style, setting the stage and inspiring the writers who would work in the last days of global imperialism. -
The Villian's Call-Sign: A Peculiar Similarity in Today's Movie VilliansWhy the trend of villains with mouth wounds? And what does it mean? From The Dark Knight and Pan's Labyrinth to Robin Hood, villains with scarred mouths are taking center stage.
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Stop Getting Rejection Letters in the Mail - Submit OnlineAre you a creative writer tired of getting rejection letters in the mail? Tired of seeing your own handwriting on the SASE and being filled by that familiar sinking feeling that accompanies the "better luck next time"? -
Michael Jackson - No Sympathy for the KingMichael Jackson, celebrated as if he were super-human, was also berated and mocked as if he had no human feelings. He deserved some sympathy at least. He got none.
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Independent Film Recommendations: George Washington & BallastEach of these independent films brings a fresh perspective to movie-making. With exceptionally honest and intimate portraits of unusual yet quintessentially American situations, GEORGE WASHINGTON and BALLAST create poetic cinema experiences.
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20th Century Musical Icons - the Greatest 3The 20th century was full of upheaval, discovery, achievement and war, but it was also a time of great cultural life that produced enormous talents who remain popular icons today.
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Cell Phone Conundrums - Public vs. Private SpacesAs we learn to take technology for granted in our daily lives, we forget the way things used to be. There is a mad rush ahead. We live on the cutting edge, cut off from the recent past by a series of technological innovations. -
Arts & Cultural Venues in the Antelope Valley, CaliforniaCultural events are all around us but we don't always know it. It helps to know where to look.
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Existentialism Made EasyFollowing Nietzsche's presumption that "God is dead" and that man must therefore create his own morality and his own meaning, Existentialism explores the intellectual and emotional challenges man faces in the absence of a relationship with the divine. -
NBA Playoffs - 2010 - What Predictions Were Right, Wrong, and What Will Happen Next?The 2010 NBA Playoffs have been exception, exciting, and suprising. There are five teams remaining. Which of those teams match the pre-season predictions made here and elsewhere?
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The Art of Relevance: 2 Films of the 1970s Still Very Relevant TodayWhat cultural products from our past remain relevant today? To pick a time period, what social issues from, say, the 1970's are with us today, decades later? -
From Book to Box Office: 3 Classic Fictions Fit for FilmA wealth of classic American literature remains untapped by screen writers as only the most popular works of American letters have been brought to the screen. Here are a few books from Pulitzer Prize winners that are waiting in the wings.
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Is Muhammad Ali a National Hero?He was an athlete who superseded his sport and all sports. He traveled abroad as an unofficial ambassador. He stood up for his religious beliefs and his political beliefs. Does that make Ali a hero?
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A Species of Blindness - J.M. Coetzee's Vision of EmpireThe false narratives of power, the blindness of conquerors to the humanity of the conquered, and the choice between ignorance and outrage are the central themes of J.M. Coetzee's novel Waiting for the Barbarians. -
The Greatest Anti-Heroes in FilmWho are the top 3 anti-heroes in film? Only great actors and actresses are capable of portraying characters complex enough to be deeply flawed yet charsimatic enough to be compelling... -
Anti-Heroes in LiteratureThe anti-hero stands against the natural order and against the notion of society. His is the power of chaos. As we see in the examples of Kurtz, Ahab, and Sutpen, the role of the anti-hero in modern literature is parallels that of Satan in PARADISE LOST. -
Genre-Crossing: 5 Covers that Re-Define & Revamp the Originals"All Along the Watchtower" began as a Bob Dylan folk ballad. Then Jimi Hendrix got a hold of it and, almost miraculously, as new song was born from the old - rocking, electric, ecstatic. -
Book Shelf Recommendations: 10 Worthwhile "Off the Map" BooksHundreds of worthwhile books fall through the cracks between "classics" lists and book reviews. In an effort to shore up the recommendation gap, here is a list of 10 books worth reading that you may not know about.
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Antelope Valley's Top Independent Coffee ShopsThe Antelope Valley boasts several independent coffee houses spread across the valley floor. Each offers a different take on what it means to be an independent coffee house, with varying styles of seating and atmosphere.
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Rastaman Hits: Bob Marley's Top Ten SongsBob Marley is one of the greatest popular song writers of the 20th century. Along with John Lennon, Bob Marley led the way in marrying music to social consciousness.
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Global, Cultural Influences on Mental HealthCulture plays a role in mental life. Our thoughts and perceptions are shaped by the books we read, by the movies we see, by the language we speak. Perhaps less obviously, culture plays a role in mental disorder as well.
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The Machisimo Myth of Ernest HemingwayThe writer, journalist, hunter, and fisherman, Ernest Hemingway may have been a tough guy, but his protagonists are always powerfully sentimental and soft on the inside.
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Tiger Woods - Degrees of ObsessionWhen Tiger steps onto the golf course at the Masters this April, the flashbulbs will be blazing. The question of how much attention will be leveled at him is one of degrees of obsession. -
Ben Harper & the Marriage of Vice and VirtueAn odd combination of independent/underground kitsch and popular acclaim has put Ben Harper into a netherworld, both on and off the musical map. The musician has been helped and hurt by his penchant for criss-crossing genres and styles.
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Love Never Dies - Andrew Lloyd Webber's New MusicalWith a track record of phenomenal successes, the obvious danger for Andrew Lloyd Webber in presenting LOVE NEVER DIES is a loss of status. At this stage in his career, could he (ever) recover from a flop?
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Richard Brautigan: The Off-Beat Writer of the Beat GenerationWhat makes one writer historical and important where another writer of similar quality is doomed to obscurity? California writer Richard Brautigan presents an interesting test case for this question. -
Billion Dollar Bake Sale Planned in Protest Against Budget Cuts in Public EducationAt Quartz Hill Elementary School, the teachers and administrators are not happy about impending budget cuts. A "one billion dollar" bake sale is planned for March 4, 2010 to draw attention to the proposed cuts in public funding. -
Banning the Burqa: The Surprising Argument Surrounding Islamic Veils and Dress for WomenCertain governments have expressed an interest in banning burqas in school and in public places. The arguments for banning the veil differ from country to country, but the counter-argument is the same: some Muslim women want to wear the burqa.
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Requiem...For A Death in the High DesertThoughts on a murder in the neighborhood, set in prose.
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Biopics - the Best and Worst of the Biopic Film GenreSorting our way through a very up-and-down genre, we separate the good biopics from the bad...from GANDHI (exceptional) to RAY (good) to ALEXANDER (very, very bad).
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25th Annual Juried Arts Show - Lancaster Museum and Art GalleryThe Lancaster (California) Museum and Art Gallery is running its 25th annual Juried Arts Show, featuring roughly 80 artists in media ranging from photography and digital media to oil painting and colored pencil.
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Major Change is Coming to Downtown Lancaster, CALancaster, California is a city preparing for change. City planners have outlined major renovations for the downtown area of this Antelope Valley city.
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Lessons of a Soccer CoachJust as players and athletes must learn through practice and disppointment, a coach - in this case a soccer coach - must also learn his lessons the hard way. -
What Happened to Ed Norton?In the immediate aftermath of Fight Club, Ed Norton was an extremely sought-after actor in Hollywood. Norton was en vogue. Norton was counter-culture gone mainstream. Norton was sub-culture gone pop. Where is he now?
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How Can Kobe Get into the 'Best Ever' Conversation?Does Kobe Bryant need to win two more NBA championships to become "one of the best ever," or is he already there?
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Is the Literary Novel Dead?One must wonder if the literary novel is dead. But, then again, there is Thomas Pynchon. Though his purposeful obscurity seems to prove something negatively about the state of the literary novel. -
James Baldwin - America's Angry ProphetWith anger, passion and the voice of a preacher, James Baldwin was an American writer whose dedication to honesty and social change influenced several generations.
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Commonly Misused Phrases - What They Mean for Our LanguageDo mis-used and bastardized phrases put the integrity and life of our language at risk? They just might. An investigation of the corruption and misuse of common English phrases.
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The Palm Trees of Los Angeles: An ExodusThe palm trees of Los Angeles are dying. Their beards hang brown-grey along their necks, drooping in the trial of their lives, weary of the smog and sun. -
The Heart InterpreterTwo hearts. 1.)The bloody biological aortic heart. 2.) The valentine, cupid line-drawing heart. Which one best represents what it means to be human?
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Hollywood Stars Who Began as MusiciansIn Vaudeville, there was no difference between actors and singers. Performers were performers. Entertainers did not specialize. Today, actors and musicians do specialize. Most often a person is either an actor or a musician. But there are exceptions.
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America's Most Under-Read Novelist - Robert Penn WarrenWhile it would be difficult to argue that Robert Penn Warren belongs in the same class as Hemingway and Faulkner, he produced as many masterpieces as F. Scott Fitzgerald (1), which is one more than almost everybody else.
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Podcasts that Will Surprise, Inform, DelightNumerous quality radio programs are available online as podcasts. This may be surprising, considering today's focus on video-based entertainment.
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Writers by Region - Eastern American WritersMany great and historic writers hail from the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. Men and women since the revolution have set down famous lines in pen and ink. Poets in the 19th and then novelists in the 20th century hail from the east coast.
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Should Allen Iverson Be on the 2010 NBA All-Star Team?Much has been said about the All-Star line-up for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game and Allen Iverson's selection to the team has been particularly scrutinized. Should AI be in the line-up or not?
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Should You Freeze Your Coffee?Some simple expert advice may change the way you store your coffee.
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Crime & Punishment Brought to Life in Antelope ValleyHere is my review of a black box theater production of Crime & Punishment in Quartz Hill, California. -
The Remake Era in Hollywood Doesn't Have to Be BadWe live in an age of Hollywood remakes, when every new movie is also old.
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U.S. Department of Labor Announces Green Jobs InitiativeThe Department of Labor has announced a $190 million initiative to create green jobs across the country. Just when you began to despair that there were any good ideas out there ...
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2 Calls for Writers - ArtsRoundUp - Antelope Valley, Lancater, Quartz Hill, Palmdale, Rosamond..Antelope Valley Anthology (volume 7): The Antelope Valley Anthology is a literary anthology collecting and presenting works by writers of the Antelope Valley.
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Before Dead Poets Society, There was a More Mysterious Peter WeirThe Australian director of The Truman Show, Peter Weir, rose to fame on a fixation with mystery. Though his films were not classic "mystery" films, they utilized the concept of mystery and the unknown as a central element.
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And Heeeeere's...TUBA!He'd been going on for almost five minutes. Tuba sat there staring at him. He watched Will pace back and forth with his arms moving in wild, jerking motions, like he was wearing a coat of peanut butter and fennel seed, fighting off a flock of birds.
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"Half Dreaming" - a Tuba StoryTuba stood in the middle of the living room and looked like he would start to do a slow spin, like a character in a musical standing under the spotlight, about to start singing about flowers and birds and love.
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Antelope Valley, California: Culture Coming to Life, Or, at Least Some Things to DoThe Antelope Valley is home also to several venues for live music, live art and lively conversation. Many outdoor sites receive their due attention online while the indoor, more culturally oriented venues receive short shrift.
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Writers of the American South - Literature by RegionThe list of American southern writers is long indeed. It boasts two Nobel Prize winners and numerous Pulitzers: William Faulkner, Flannery O'Connor, Tennessee Williams, Robert Penn Warren, James Agee, Eudora Welty ...
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Robert Downey Jr. - His Career in BriefOf course, Robert Downey Jr. emerged from rehab clean. But he had a reputation to rebuild. This is where his career, for me, becomes particularly fascinating.
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A Jazz of PossibilityHe stared at her feverishly and she, evenly, calmly, looked at his shadowed face. Putting her own hand over his gently, she turned her gaze back to the stars blazing their broken chain of stories deeper and deeper into the fabric of the sky.
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The Written Word: How the Prevalence of Writing is a Threat to LiteratureThe ubiquity of the written word can lead us to take it for granted, to forget about its potential for joy, surprise and eloquent expression. All too easily we fall into the assumption that writing is purely functional.
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Blow-Up Dolls of Antiquity: A Look at the Myth of SocratesOver the ages, figures emerge from the common fray, people like Robin Hood and King Tut. These are the figures of myth, of course, but not the myth of Hera and Zeus. No, these are the figures of historical myth. -
Clint Eastwood's AmericaThe history and the identity of Clint Eastwood are indicative of the changes that have taken place in America over the last 50 years.
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Art: Putting the "Co" in CommunicationThe first Man to use language was not hailed as a genius. He said, "rock." And everyone just stared at him.
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Today's Antigone? Unburying the ClassicsWhat do you think is the best answer to the question: Who is today's Antigone? -
ArtsRoundUp: Antelope Valley Black Box Theater in Quartz Hill - "Crime & Punishment"Quartz Hill is excited to have the AVT beginning their 2010 schedule in Janaury with "Crime & Punishment". A brief interview with the director/producer.
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Education Reform: Don't Blame the TeachersWhen teachers are overtaxed and overwhelmed by classes of over 30 students, we cannot blame them for failure. Additionally, we cannot identify where instructional failure occurs when class-size is 40% above optimal level.
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Going Om: Prose Pieces & Strange BirdsThe heart is too human. The body too conditioned by history to simply say, "I'm leaving now," with a wave of the wrist and a bittersweet glance. That romance is not part of the scenario. -
Midwestern Writers - Literature by RegionA short list of the big names in literature from the Midwest and a discussion of several of the most influential Midwestern novelists of the 20th century: Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Saul Bellow, and Kurt Vonnegut.
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California Writers - Literature by RegionA short list of California writers who should be read.
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A Definition of Metafiction - Writing Styles & PostmodernismA brief look at the style of writing dubbed "metafiction".
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How Much Should You Tip a Barista?Though there is no consensus standard, this article presents a definite and refined qualified tip range.
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3 Ways to Help Humanity Reach Its Potential in 2010 - The Easy Fix for MankindAs another decade ends and a new one approaches, we are drawn to consider the reaches of human potential.
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Allen Iverson & Dwyane Wade: Has Wade Inherited Iverson's Old Role?Allen Iverson and Dwyane Wade have more than a jersey number and the shooting guard position in common. The parallels between their careers are interesting.
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She was My MotherA short play exploring memory, need, deception and family ties. -
Literary Magazines in America: Fence Magazine in Print and OnlineCommentary & review of Fence Magazine's website.
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Where to Get Writing Ideas when Your Inpiration is on VacationThere are many sources for writing ideas, conversation ideas, and lesson ideas online and offline. Here's a smattering and a sampling.
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Thematic Structure - How Theme Can Structure a NovelThough this thematic structure method has the potential to become pedantic and obvious, a good novelist can steer the way to the end and create a powerful reading experience.
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The Smart Way to Make Money OnlineThere are opportunities online for making money. There are more scams than opportunities, but if you are wracking your brain for ways to pick up some extra money online, here are a few methods.
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Why Soccer Hasn't Caught on and Probably Won'tSoccer has been around for a long, long time - longer than American football. Yet it remains a niche sport, unable to break through to the mainstream as football and basketball have.
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Analogies and Aphorisms on WritingFrom the creative process and motivation to editing and drafts, these analogies and aphorisms put a lens to the craft and art of writing.
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Television & Writing: Can Television Hurt Your Writing? A Defense of Screen NarrativeA response to advice given by Peter Carey to national novel writing month participants. He says, unplug your TV so you can read. I say, read first then watch the right things the right way.
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A Writer's Advice: Get Comfortable with Your Ambition. It's Not Going Anywhere.As an unpublished fiction writer, I suffer from the anxiety and nagging agitation of unfulfilled need. The need is for confirmation, which traditionally should take the form of finding a way into print.
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Art in the Antelope Valley: 4<40 Four Antelope Valley Artists Under the Age of Forty4<40 is a thought provoking show featuring four young artists. The LM/AG is playing its part in helping to grow the new dynamic of the arts scene in the Antelope Valley. These four artists are doing their part as well. It's up to the audience to make it mean something.
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A House on Fire II: Still Smouldering - Real Descriptions of Fake BooksFake book titles and descriptions more distracting than Facebook or even real books. Try it, you'll see.
