Virtual Culture

We need a sense of myth for our individual and collective equilibrium. Sanity itself may be tied to having some kind of lively imagination so that one can feel the strange fantasies that continue to insist themselves into consciousness in both waking and dreaming states.... – from the Foreword by Robert Sardello The essential paradox is this: Myth points to a baseline that can never be fully drawn; there exists no lowest layer for myth. – from the Introduction by Glen Slater and Dennis Patrick Slattery ... rituals in fact do not require complementary myths to ’explain’ them, nor is ...

A witch violinist, Romance bubbling in the cauldron, the return of a ghost and fairy… Throw in an overprotective daddy and freaky mobsters getting in the way. FREE on Kindle Unlimited! I’m Sophie Rowling. Violinist, witch, and wholehearted believer in Magic and Happily Ever After. A terminal case of musician’s block and lost magic used to be my biggest problems. Dante Walker. Tall, cocky, and mysterious Mr. Wrong… who turns out to be the magical cure for my musician’s block. After rescuing me from murderous kidnappers, he ends up spending the night with me, in the same bed, and…...

James J. Caterino, the author of Pop Culture Musings and other Stuff, and over forty novels and short stories, returns with his second non-fiction book, this one focused on movies.Among the films covered in this entertaining, insightful book of essays, are classics such as E.T. (1982), and Enchanted (2007), vintage blockbusters like Total Recall (1990) and T2 (1991), cult movies such as Billy Jack (1971), Videodrome (1983), Dirty Dancing (1987), Wall Street (1987), True Romance (1993), and Exotica (1994), underrated gems such as The Fury (1978), Explorers (1985), The Age of Adeline (2015), ...

The world of work has undergone a significant transformation in recent years. With the increasing adoption of remote and hybrid work models, organizations must adapt their structures and strategies to optimize performance and maintain employee engagement. This e-book will guide you through the key principles of organizational design, providing valuable insights, practical tools, step-by-step guides, and real-life examples to help you create an effective and inclusive organizational structure for hybrid and fully remote teams.

Cary and Jackson’s secrets are out, and both men are willing to break all the rules for the woman they love. However, the secrets, lies, and cravings that follow, fuel the embers inside Lauren into a raging inferno. The darker side that is smothered by loyalty, sacrifice, and love, smolders . . . then burns into resentment, desire, and revenge. Lauren may be forced to come to grips with the truth, to accept her fate, but you can bet, she will also make sure they pay.

This book establishes 10,000 BCE as the date of the first ever Vedic Homa, heralding the start of the Vedic culture. This derivation is based on a narration lying un-deciphered in the Mahabharata and the date, from the Tamil Sangam Literature. The first Homa was done by Skanda, allegorically described as having performed the marriage of Svāhā with Agni. The book also describes the re-design of the zodiac done at that time by Skanda by including the star Krittika (Pleiades) to make up for the exclusion of Abhijit (Vega) that was until then held as one among the 27 stars of the zodiac. For ...

Legacy Builder: Creating A Generational Influence is the perfect road math to help you craft out an impactful legacy that empowers generations, This guide will help you create an impactful life that lasts beyond your lifetime. This book provides you with tools to influence and inspire future generations through engaging stories, practical advice and reflection exercises. If you want to leave a lasting impression on your community, family, or professional life, then Legacy Builder: Creating A Generational Influence, the book, will provide you with the tools necessary. What You Receive In ...

(Sixth edition with new stories) This edition adds two new stories and several photos to make the reading experience more pleasant. Wild Wise Weird now has 47 stories featuring the Bird Village and its central protagonist character, Kingfisher. This quirky and eccentric bird helps unveil corners of the Village, simultaneously exciting and unnerving many of its residents. As laws of physics transcend this remote community, a typical resident can be both peace-loving and war-mongering at the same time, the same way as Kingfisher discusses the philosophy of life with the fish inside his beak! ...

Annus mirabilis is Latin for "wonderful year," "miraculous year," or "amazing year." For jazz, that year was 1959. It was a pinnacle and hinge point year where the forms and advancements of the past decade were consolidated and recapitulated, and jazz stretched out in a new direction. Vistas and possibilities opened up to be explored, explicitly considered, and developed in the next decade. It was a zenith with the Janus-like quality of looking backward and forward and created some of the most beautiful and challenging music ever recorded. Included here are the albums released in 1959 that ...

During the past five decades, entertainment media have been the most powerful educators and promoters of social change in nearly every society throughout the world. William Brown has studied the influence of mass media on the values, beliefs, and behaviors of audiences in more than 40 countries during the past 35 years. This book explains the most powerful media and arts strategy of the 21st century known as the entertainment-education communication strategy. If you are an advanced undergraduate or honors student or a graduate student working on a graduate degree in communication, media ...

Step into the mysterious world of cryptozoology with "The Bigfoot Illusion," an intriguing exploration that navigates the tangled web of myth, hoax, and fascination surrounding one of the world’s most elusive legends. This captivating eBook uncovers the origins and evolution of Bigfoot lore, taking readers on an exhilarating journey from Native American traditions to the pivotal Patterson-Gimlin Film, the moment when Bigfoot entered popular culture with a splash. Unravel the veil of deception with an in-depth examination of history’s most infamous Bigfoot hoaxes. Discover the chilling ...

At the Tan Yards, Victor Prizeman bends everyone to his will. Then he surprises them by saying his forefathers worked there as tanners. Next the narrator tells a tale about the Prizeman clan, and how their patriarch met his end. And back in the present, history appears to be repeating itself when Victor demands that he light the annual Halloween bonfire. The Tan Yards is a story that will delight fans of horror, as well as those with a special place in their hearts for Halloween. Now with a Five Star editorial review from Readers' Favorite

Who is the Japanese man in the 21st century? From stoic salarymen and distant fathers to gentle rebels and reimagined roles, The Quiet Strength explores the complex, evolving identity of Japanese masculinity. Through cultural reflection, real voices, and poetic insight, Mira K paints a portrait of a country in quiet transformation. This book is not a critique. It is a meditation. An invitation. A journey into the lives behind the silence. For readers of cultural nonfiction, gender studies, and anyone curious about modern Japan, The Quiet Strength offers something rare: a moment of stillness...

In January of 1971, four young guys who knew nothing about music convinced an entire town they were a hot rock and roll band on the brink of stardom. A lie that crazy could only go one direction… off the rails! 20-year-old Arthur "Ziggy" Zigmond has ideas. Lots of ideas. But no one wants to hear them. Especially the three guys he works with. When they set out from Chicago in a VW bus to shoot a local beer commercial "as a favor to some guy who owes a big favor to some other guy" they find themselves snowbound and stranded by a raging blizzard in Hibbing, Minnesota – former hometown of ...

**Previously titled, "In Plain Sight."* Jovana Trajkovski manages to crawl back to her parents' home in Macedonia after being abandoned and left for dead by her gypsy boyfriend. Her brother Bojan offers her a new life in Arizona where she will be safe, so she moves in with her future sister-in-law. As her brother's honeymoon approaches and concerns for her safety arise, he asks his close friend, Randy, to stay with her while he and his new wife are in Paris. Randy Strong is an attractive, honest, and moral man who speaks Jovana's language. He's more than just her brother's good friend. He ...

Our culture’s lack of simple nudity understanding leads to many dangers like pornography addiction, sexual abuse and trauma. For far too long, Christians have adopted the worldly view that naked bodies are shameful. We dutifully layer on clothing and swimming costumes and force nursing mothers to cover up. As a result, we have drifted along with a world that places being acceptable and inoffensive first. Scripture, however, tells us that we are the Imago Dei, literally made in the Image of God! ReNude Life reminds us that God made us “naked and unashamed" and provides answers to age-old...

Southern California, 1968. Eight-year-old Valerie Waterstone is a girl with big dreams, media-inspired adventures, and a world of optimism in front of her, largely fueled by the innocence of her upbringing and stories about Hollywood stuntwoman Alivia Chambers told to her by her “groovy” and somewhat larger-than-life neighbor, Theresa McKinley. But 1968 is a year of radical change, both for Valerie’s family and the world around her, with newfound financial struggles for her parents, an older sister who brings home a female “friend” from college, and the harsh reality of social ...

*Previously titled, "Danger at the Door."* Since her fiance's tragic death, Laney rarely leaves her home, and even then it's only for emergencies. Over time, she becomes a recluse. Loneliness begins to dominate her life, but it's the overwhelming fear that controls it. She manages to survive -- barely -- on food delivery services and her work-at-home job. When she tries to move on from her grief the commemorative meal she orders is ruined, but it leads to an unlikely friendship with an attractive man who speaks little English. Bojan feels awful about delivering the ruined meal. He befriends...

The Magic Library: Yeti Search takes young readers on a thrilling journey through the Himalayan mountains, where sisters Amelia and Bethany set out on a daring adventure. Guided by a young Sherpa friend, the girls explore Sherpa culture, encounter rare wildlife, and confront the mysteries of the mountains, all while searching for the elusive yeti. Along the way, they learn invaluable lessons on bravery, friendship, and the importance of respecting nature. This book blends history, culture, and fantasy to spark curiosity and inspire adventure in readers who love mystery and discovery.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) was known as the Sage of Concord, i.e., Concord, Massachusetts, outside Boston and site of "the shot heard round the world” made famous by Emerson in his Concord Hymn commemorating the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. Scholars speak of Emerson and his associates sparking a second and cultural American Revolution giving rise to an independent American way of thinking. Emerson began as a Unitarian minister but eventually abandoned any remaining traditional Christian beliefs. Having received a legacy from the estate of his first wife, Emerson was ...