Straddling The Pillow

Sometimes in life being an adult means you have to be responsible for the decisions you make, and for the actions you take. This vastly different assemblage of girlfriends constantly deals with situations that test their strengths, their weaknesses, as well as their friendship. They are close in spirit and committed to one another's causes. All parties live hard, love hard, and learn hard. One of these souls is deeply troubled with a decision that could alter her world forever. See if you can decipher who the troubled soul is by reading her diary. Remember: Pictures paint a clear vision, but words can be deceiving!

DAYS OF GRACE tells the story of Ian Johns, a bleary and depressed thirty-one-year-old "professional student," who, in the throes of an early-life crisis brought on by his mother's untimely death from cancer, quits law school after surviving the rigors of its proverbially arduous first year to become an itinerant without a plan. With a voice and sensibility that can be likened to Lethem, Sedaris, Coupland and Kerouac, the book is unabashedly picaresque and Neo-Beat, written in a roman a clef and journalistic style which has been described as "modified stream-of-consciousness." It is at times dark and bittersweet but is relentlessly tinged with bright-sharp edges of humor. As we go forward with Ian on his travels and go back into the near-past to sit at his mother's deathbed in his childhood home, viewing the world through his admittedly cracked prism, we come away having learned something universal about ourselves, Y2K America and maybe even mortality itself.

Live better—physically, emotionally, and spiritually—by taking simple steps to enhance your breathing You breathe over 21,000 times per day. But are you breathing well? In Breathe Slower, Deeper, Better, yoga instructor Yael Bloch helps you identify shallow, rushed, or misplaced breathing and shows you how to build better habits with simple exercises inspired by yoga and meditation. In just a few minutes a day, you can: Develop a deep, lasting sense of calm and relaxation. Improve your lung capacity, abdominal strength, and blood circulation. Reduce negative emotions, such as stress, anxiety, and depression. Strengthen your immune system and relieve health issues, including asthma, hypertension, and muscle pain. You don’t have to be a yogi: Anyone can unlock centered, supple, slow, and harmonious breathing—and access a new, vibrant way of living!

For most people, breathing is an unconscious, neglected and disordered process. This book by a yoga instructor tells you how to get in touch with your own lost natural breath to relax your body and calm your mind.

Christopher McMillan no longer holds his gaming skills in high regard. It's not like he's fighting in real wars like his father did before disappearing with the rest of his special forces unit in Afghanistan. Leading his friends in multiplayer game "missions" is just a way of escaping reality for a while. Until the aliens attack. In less than twenty-four hours, an armada from another world wipes out 99 percent of Earth's population and vaporizes our infrastructure. Now, a reluctant Chris must assume a crucial leadership role in a survivor camp, scavenging for food and supplies while evading alien drones programmed to hunt those left alive. But the aliens aren't his only problem. His former gaming rival and camp nemesis, Zane Hacker, plots revenge for numerous imagined wrongs. This time, their next battle won't unfold on a computer screen. Can Chris stop his adversary, exploit a weakness discovered in the aliens' defenses, and unravel the mystery surrounding his M.I.A. father's disappearance? With human survival at stake, the answers may only be found in space.

The horses are dead, the fire pole is gone, and the building is for sale. All that is left are two aged retired fire fighters, their memories and stories. Firehouse Stories. One story tells of a fire captain who was a decorated World War II army sergeant and a new group of rookies from the '60s. Another story tells of a rookie firefighter driven to murder by the nagging evils and ethics abuse by a senior member of the crew.

Can an American journalist and a Kuwaiti horse breeder unravel a sadistic mercenary’s conspiracy before he brings bloodshed and violence against a stateless, discriminated population? Writer Evan Davis is back in Blood Upon the Sands a political thriller from bestselling author Sheldon Charles. This time, work takes him to Kuwait under the patronage of affluent horse breeder Hamad Al-Bourisli. Hired to write about modern culture in Kuwait, he finds his calling in the work, as well as kinship with Hamad and intimacy with his beautiful cultural liaison, Najila. When reports and documents are left anonymously in his room, Evan discovers disturbing truths about the stateless Bedoon population. Since the earliest days of the country’s independence, they’ve faced underlying long-term discrimination from the Kuwaiti government which has been largely hidden and ignored for decades. Meanwhile, Maksim Bondreovich, an ex-KGB agent turned mercenary, begins manipulating the political climate in Kuwait to influence public opinion further against the Bedoon. Under the codename Shaytan, he spreads terror and chaos across the country while framing Bedoon citizens for the atrocities. Time is running out before Shaytan makes his biggest play yet – bombing the Hotel Sultana and placing the blame solely on the disenfranchised Bedoon population. As rising racism and public dissent become more obvious, will Evan go against his friend and employer to see the truth come to light? As the narrative weaves real-world history and current events seamlessly into an action thriller, Blood Upon the Sands is a gripping story of good men fighting to reveal truth amid rising chaos and hate.

The Management of Breastfeeding covers the developmental stages of infancy, including sensory capabilities and reflexes, nutritional needs of the mother-infant dyad, And The assessment and management of infant and mother health issues related to breastfeeding. The exams at the end of Modules 1, 2, 3, and 4, while still useful in preparing For The IBCLC exam, are not eligible for CERPS or Continuing Education credits for registered dietitians or nurses. The Lactation Specialist Self Study Series is comprised of four modules: Module 1: The Support of Breastfeeding (0-7637-0208-0) Module 2: The Process of Breastfeeding (0-7637-0195-5) Module 3: The Science of Breastfeeding (0-7637-0194-7) Module 4: The Management of Breastfeeding (0-7637-0193-9) the modules may be purchased separately, or as a complete set (0-7637-1974-9).

This gripping, darkly funny debut thriller from acclaimed screenwriter Scott Frank is "an L.A. story with a little bit of [Elmore] Leonard, a little bit of Day of the Locust, and a whole lot of earthquakes” (Interview). "[R]eally good . . . hit me like a bolt of lightning. If you like Don Winslow or Lou Berney, READ THIS BOOK!"--Stephen King via Twitter Roy Cooper, a stoic, unassuming “errand runner” for New York criminals, is finishing up a job in Los Angeles a week after a powerful earthquake has wreaked havoc on the city. Wandering the streets of North Hollywood while looking for his car, Roy runs into four teenage gangbangers and finds himself in the last place he wants to be: the middle of another killing. A mugging goes awry, and a passing jogger—who turns out to be a prominent mayoral candidate—dies. Roy himself is shot twice and hospitalized in critical condition. A local resident catches the whole thing on camera in a video that goes viral. And Roy, by some twist of fate, comes out looking like the hero, losing the hit man’s greatest weapon: anonymity. Roy’s newfound fame draws unlikely characters into his orbit: Kelly Maguire, a disgraced LAPD detective with an anger management problem; Science, a young gang leader who needs Roy to keep quiet about what he’s seen; Mayor Miguel Santiago, who faces accusations that he’s just had his opponent whacked; and, most chillingly, Albert Budin, a dangerous man from Roy’s past who’s just learned that his old acquaintance is still alive.

Expand your practice and attract new clients with chair massage! A practical, visual guide to this rapidly growing field, Chair Massage helps you develop a basic routine and adapt to different clients and situations. Expert authors Patricia M. Holland, MC, LMT, and Sandra K. Anderson, BA, LMT, NCTMB, provide coverage of massage techniques, chair adjustment, body mechanics, and applying pressure, plus specific routines for the lower back, shoulders, neck/head, and arm/hand regions -- with full-color photographs clearly demonstrating each technique. A chapter on the business aspects of seated massage helps you market and manage your practice successfully. Full-color photographs and drawings clearly depict each technique. An Essentials of Practice chapter helps you translate your knowledge into revenue by addressing crucial topics such as determining target markets, job-related conditions, marketing methods, introductory letters, setting fees, drawing up contracts, and getting paid, and includes practical advice from practitioners who offer chair massage. Unique! Coverage of low back techniques includes specific techniques for treating low back pain, its causes, when to perform massage, and when it is contraindicated. Unique! A chapter on additional techniques and adaptations covers body regions such as the iliotibial band, gastrocnemius, pectorals, anterior neck muscles, and serratus anterior, plus situations such as clients in wheelchairs. Unique! A segment on closing the session describes positive ways to finalize a chair massage session, including use of percussion as a finishing technique, closing stretches, a post-treatment discussion, and helping the client off the chair. A Communications and Ethics chapter addresses important topics such as the ethical presentation of self, boundaries, communicating with clients about feedback, pre- and post-treatment interviews, and intake forms. A review of anatomy and kinesiology covers the specific information that you need to know in order make treatment decisions and perform routines. Coverage of traditional Chinese medicine points and channels gives you more techniques to use during chair massage practice. Sample dialogues provide examples of effective communication with clients during their sessions.