Tall Tales And Other Almost Lies

Growing up in the country is by far one of the best learning environments any family might desire. Of course, these were the days of dirt roads and friendly neighbors. It was a time when a dollar went a long way and when a meal was included in your pay when working for one of the local farmers. We knew how to make our own fun riding our bikes, playing in the creeks, climbing trees, to say nothing of the amazing pets we enjoyed. Summer or winter, life in the country was great. This is where I had my beginning, and maybe this is why we did all the wild and crazy things you will discover herein. Yes, this is where it all began.

A collection of tall tales involving animals, the weather, narrow escapes, and many other topics.

LIES AND OTHER TALL TALES These tales are so tall they touch the sky! From Caldecott Honor artist Christopher Myers and Zora Neale Hurston. While traveling in the Gulf States in the 1930s, Zora Neale Hurston collected and recorded some real whoppers told by folks from all walks of life. Not "dog ate my homework" kind of lies, but tales so wild you didn't ever want to hear the truth. And now today's picture–book readers can enjoy these far–fetched fibs, with Caldecott Honor artist Christopher Myers's spirited adaption and bold, expressive collages.

the sequel to the sequel to "Brian the crap vampire" Yet again the world needs saving and we know just the guys to get it right

I listened to them speak their language and thought that I understood some of their tongue. Could this be? I ventured even closer and listened further. My heart was pounding with joy. Though these people were light years away from Mars, they possessed almost the same tongue language that we had learned in our lesser institutions on Mars. Imagine that? It seemed as though they now spoke about themselves and it was in an archaic mode of time, for they spoke of the quickness of their travel and the prominence of the Pharaoh Pharaoh? I once had read about such Pharaoh people in our history volumes, which lived on Mars thousands of years ago. I was beginning to now understand that this planet was not as progressed as Mars had been maybe this is good I thought, very well for us. "Thank you, Dargod," I whispered to myself. It was as though Dargod was always with me, wherever I went. I had been on Earth only three sunrises, and I had already found that this soil was like Mars's, only with different dimensions. The inhabitants here were nearly the same. But, were they friendly?

Does listening to Mozart make us more intelligent? Is there such a thing as a gay gene? Does the size of the brain matter? Does the moon influence our behaviour? Can we communicate with the dead? Can graphology tell us anything about a person's character? Is the human brain clonable? What role do dreams have in cognition? Can mind conquer matter and diseases? Are out-of-body experiences possible? Can we trust our intuitions? To some, the answer to all these questions might well be a resounding 'no', but to many people these represent serious beliefs about the mind and brain - beliefs that drive their everyday behaviour, beliefs that cost them huge amounts of money. Whole industries have developed founded on these dubious claims about the mind and brain. Even major corporations have dabbled with assessment methods such as those advocated by graphology, accepting and rejecting candidates on the basic of their handwriting. Expectant parents buy books and tapes by the dozen showing them how to improve the intelligence of their child by playing them classical music. People subscribe to expensive therapies founded on beliefs rather than science, or risk their health buying books that tell them how they can conquer illness through positive thinking, perhaps at the expense of more scientifically proven treatments. Tall Tales about the Mind and Brain presents a sweeping survey of common myths about the mind and brain. In a lighthearted and accessible style, it exposes the truth behind these beliefs, how they are perpetuated, why people believe them, and why they might even exist in the first place.

Most of these stories are true. Some are fabrications. "The Gun Show" is one. It is a loose interpretation of an event. If you are familiar with the event, you will understand the satire. The stories, such as "The Great Possum Slayer", tell of a hunting adventure. We are all guilty of doing something to a friend in the name of fun. "The night Before Christmas" describes a practical joke that turned out better than planned! Several stories, as an example, "BB'S & Bumblebees", reflect on our desire to imitate our parents. Several of the stories convey a safety message. "The Hazards of Plastic Bullets", is an example that shows what can happen in the blink of an eye when we choose to disregard a simple safety statement. Some of the stories deal with older people and a time not so long ago. These people believed that you took care of your problem. You will notice in these stories, the problem would have gone away or been taken care of long before law enforcement could arrive. With our modern communications we can now summon the Calvary in an instant. It has not been too long ago that this was not the case in a lot of areas of our great nation. "The Letter", is an adaptation of a letter I want read at my funeral. Surprise, fear, courage, fortitude and a child's belief that they are bullet proof are all expressed in stories in this book. A book of this nature easily causes us to reflect on our lives and events that have slipped into our fading memory. If this book reminds a single individual of any similar events in their past, makes them a safer individual, or makes them laugh it will have succeed in its purpose beyond expectations.

"Winner of the United States Marine Corps Gazette 2005 Francis Fox Parry Combat Initiative Award." Highpocket's War Stories is an eloquent account of combat leadership in Korea and Vietnam. Colonel Peter L. Hilgartner is widely recognized in the Marine Corps as a successful combat leader, first as a junior officer in Korea and later commanding the First Battalion, Fifth Marines fighting the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army. Hilgartner tells of leading troops in counter-guerilla action, and major battles with North Vietnamese troops -- Union I, Union II and Swift -- to control the strategic Que Son Valley. His story gives never-before-told, vivid descriptions of Marines in hand-to-hand combat with North Vietnamese troops from the perspective of Marines who were there. Every grunt will appreciate this gripping account.