Triumph of the Straight Dope

Triumph of the Straight Dope PDF

Author: Ed Zotti

Publisher: National Geographic Books

Published: 1999-02-16

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 034542008X

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Why do parachute jumpers yell "Geronimo"? Is it aerodynamically impossible for bumblebees to fly? Will watching too much TV ruin your eyes? Fresh from the popular newspaper column by CECIL ADAMS! WHAT IS CECIL ADAMS'S IQ? "Do you want it in scientific notation? Little Ed, get out the slide rule." --Cecil Adams For more than a quarter of a century Cecil Adams has been courageously attempting to lift the veil of ignorance surrounding the modern world. Now, in his fifth book, he takes yet another stab, dissecting such classic conundrums as --If you swim less than an hour after eating, will you get cramps and die? --What's the difference between a Looney Tune and a Merrie Melody? --Can you see a Munchkin committing suicide in The Wizard of Oz? --Was The Texas Chainsaw Massacre based on actual events? --Did medieval lords really have "the right of the first night"? And much more! THE CRITICS: STILL RAVING AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! "Trenchant, witty answers to the great imponderables." --Denver Post

The Straight Dope

The Straight Dope PDF

Author: Cecil Adams

Publisher:

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780345422910

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Is it true what they say about Catherine the Great and the horse? How do they measure snow? How do they get the stripes into toothpaste? Do cats have navels? How are coins taken out of circulation? Why do men have nipples? Cecil Adams has tackled these questions and more in his outspoken, uncompromising, and always entertaining weekly newspaper column, The Straight Dope. Now the best of these questions and answers--from the profound to the ridiculous--are collected in book form so that you can know a little about a lot. Exploding myths, revealing shocking truths, and explaining all major mysteries of the cosmos, The Straight Dope contains more than four hundred fully-indexed entries on topics ranging from sex to consumer products, science to history, and rock 'n' roll to much, much more!

You Can't Always Get What You Want

You Can't Always Get What You Want PDF

Author: Sam Cutler

Publisher: ECW Press

Published: 2010-02-23

Total Pages: 281

ISBN-13: 1554906962

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A “straight-dope, tell-all account” of touring with two of the world’s greatest bands of the 60s and 70s—A “fast-moving narrative of rock-n-roll excess” (Publishers Weekly). In this all-access memoir of the psychedelic era, Sam Cutler recounts his life as tour manager for the Rolling Stones and the Grateful Dead—whom he calls the yin and yang of bands. After working with the Rolling Stones at their historic Hyde Park concert in 1969, Sam managed their American tour later that year, when he famously dubbed them “The Greatest Rock Band in the World.” And he was caught in the middle as their triumph took a tragic turn during a free concert at the Altamont Speedway in California, where a man in the crowd was killed by the Hell’s Angels. After that, Sam took up with the fun-loving Grateful Dead, managing their tours and finances, and taking part in their endless hijinks on the road. With intimate portraits of other stars of the time—including Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, the Band, the Allman Brothers, Pink Floyd, and Eric Clapton—this memoir is a treasure trove of insights and anecdotes that bring some of rock’s greatest legends to life.

How to Raise a Drug-Free Kid

How to Raise a Drug-Free Kid PDF

Author: Joseph A. Califano

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2014-09-09

Total Pages: 432

ISBN-13: 1476728496

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The highly acclaimed comprehensive guide to getting your child through the formative pre-teen, teen, and college years drug-free—now completely revised and updated. Nearly every child will be offered drugs or alcohol before graduating high school, and excessive drinking is common at most colleges. But the good news is that a child who gets to age twenty-one without smoking, using illegal drugs, or abusing alcohol or prescription drugs is virtually certain never to do so. Drawing on more than two decades of research at The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASAColumbia), founder Joseph A. Califano, Jr., presents a clear, common-sense guide to helping kids stay drug-free. All parents dream of a healthy, productive, and fulfilling future for their children; Califano shows which specific actions work and what parents can do to teach, protect, and empower their children to have the greatest chance of making that future come true. Teenagers who learn about the risks of drugs from their parents are twice as likely never to try them, and this book provides the tools parents need to prepare their children for those crucial decision-making moments. In this revised and updated edition, Califano tackles some of the newest obstacles standing between our kids and a drug-free life—from social media sites and cell phone apps to the explosion in prescription and over-the-counter drug abuse and the increased dangers and addictive power of marijuana. He reveals what teens can’t or won’t tell their parents about their thoughts on drugs and alcohol, and combines the latest research with his discussions with thousands of parents and teens about the challenges that widespread access to drugs and alcohol present, and how parents can instill in their teens the will and skills to choose not to use. Califano’s insightful and lively guide is as readable as it is informative.

Black Magic

Black Magic PDF

Author: Chad Sanders

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2022-02-08

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 1982104236

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A “daring, urgent, and transformative” (Brené Brown, New York Times bestselling author of Dare to Lead) exploration of Black achievement in a white world based on honest, provocative, and moving interviews with Black leaders, scientists, artists, activists, and champions. “I remember the day I realized I couldn’t play a white guy as well as a white guy. It felt like a death sentence for my career.” When Chad Sanders landed his first job in lily-white Silicon Valley, he quickly concluded that to be successful at work meant playing a certain social game. Each meeting was drenched in white slang and the privileged talk of international travel or folk concerts in San Francisco, which led Chad to believe he needed to emulate whiteness to be successful. So Chad changed. He changed his wardrobe, his behavior, his speech—everything that connected him with his Black identity. And while he finally felt included, he felt awful. So he decided to give up the charade. He reverted to the methods he learned at the dinner table, or at the Black Baptist church where he’d been raised, or at the concrete basketball courts, barbershops, and summertime cookouts. And it paid off. Chad began to land more exciting projects. He earned the respect of his colleagues. Accounting for this turnaround, Chad believes, was something he calls Black Magic, namely resilience, creativity, and confidence forged in his experience navigating America as a Black man. Black Magic has emboldened his every step since, leading him to wonder: Was he alone in this discovery? Were there others who felt the same? In “pulverizing, educational, and inspirational” (Shea Serrano, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Basketball (And Other Things)) essays, Chad dives into his formative experiences to see if they might offer the possibility of discovering or honing this skill. He tests his theory by interviewing Black leaders across industries to get their take on Black Magic. The result is a revelatory and essential book. Black Magic explores Black experiences in predominantly white environments and demonstrates the risks of self-betrayal and the value of being yourself.

Now, Where Were We?

Now, Where Were We? PDF

Author: Roy Blount, Jr.

Publisher: Villard

Published: 2013-02-13

Total Pages: 281

ISBN-13: 0307829952

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Getting back to basic truths that we have lost sight of through no fault of my own. A humorous collection of newspaper columns including "I Don't Eat Dirt Personally," "How to Walk in New York," "Filofax Fever," and other reflections on American life.

Red Harvest

Red Harvest PDF

Author: Dashiell Hammett

Publisher: Vintage Crime/Black Lizard

Published: 2010-12-29

Total Pages: 225

ISBN-13: 0307767485

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The steadfast and sturdy Continental Op has been summoned to the town of Personville—known as Poisonville—a dusty mining community splintered by competing factions of gangsters and petty criminals. The Op has been hired by Donald Willsson, publisher of the local newspaper, who gave little indication about the reason for the visit. No sooner does the Op arrive, than the body count begins to climb . . . starting with his client. With this last honest citizen of Poisonville murdered, the Op decides to stay on and force a reckoning—even if that means taking on an entire town. Red Harvest is more than a superb crime novel: it is a classic exploration of corruption and violence in the American grain.

The Straight Dope

The Straight Dope PDF

Author: Chip Le Grand

Publisher: Melbourne Univ. Publishing

Published: 2015-06-24

Total Pages: 168

ISBN-13: 0522868517

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What happened at Essendon, what happened at Cronulla, is only part of the story. From the basement office of a suburban football club to the seedy corners of Peptide Alley to the polished corridors of Parliament House, The Straight Dope is an inside account of the politics, greed and personal feuds which fuelled an extraordinary saga. A football club and coach determined to win, a sports scientist who doesn't play by the rules, an AFL administration hell bent on control, an anti-doping authority out of its depth, a generation of footballers held hostage by scandal and an unpopular government that just wants it to end; for two tumultuous seasons this was the biggest game of all.

The Straight Dope Updated Edition

The Straight Dope Updated Edition PDF

Author: Chip Le Grand

Publisher: Melbourne Univ. Publishing

Published: 2016-05-02

Total Pages: 401

ISBN-13: 0522870287

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The greatest drugs scandal in Australian sport goes well beyond who took what. What happened at Essendon, what happened at Cronulla, is only part of the story. From the basement office of a suburban football club to the seedy corners of Peptide Alley to the polished corridors of Parliament House, The Straight Dope is an inside account of the politics, greed and personal feuds which fuelled an extraordinary saga. Clubs and coaches determined to win, a sports scientist who doesn't play by the rules, a generation of footballers injected with who knows what, sport administrators hell bent on control, an anti-doping authority out of its depth, an unpopular government that just wants it to end ... for three years until the final, crushing judgement handed down by an international tribunal, this was the biggest game in Australia.