Gosford Park [Blu-ray]

• Format: AC-3, Color, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, Widescreen, Import
• Language: English, French
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Run Time: 137 minutes
• Actors: Kristin Scott Thomas, Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon

The Academy Award winner for Best Original Screenplay, Gosford Park is a whodunit as only director Robert Altman could do it. As a hunting party gathers at the country estate, no one is aware that before the weekend is over, someone will be murdered - twice! The police are baffled but the all-seeing, all-hearing servants know that almost everyone had a motive. This critically-acclaimed murder mystery features a who's who of celebrated actors. With a diverse cast of characters - all with something to hide - it'll keep you guessing right to the surprising end. Gosford Park proves that murder can be such an inconvenience.Gosford Park finds director Robert Altma! n in sumptuously fine form indeed. From the opening shots, as the camera peers through the trees at an opulent English country estate, Altman exploits the 1930s period setting and whodunit formula of the film expertly. Aristocrats gather together for a weekend shooting party with their dutiful servants in tow, and the upstairs/downstairs division of the classes is perfectly tailored to Altman's method (as employed in Nashville and Short Cuts) of overlapping bits of dialogue and numerous subplots in order to betray underlying motives and the sins that propel them. Greed, vengeance, snobbery, and lust stir comic unrest as the near dizzying effect of brisk script turns is allayed by perhaps Altman's strongest ensemble to date. First and foremost, Maggie Smith is marvelous as Constance, a dependent countess with a quip for every occasion; Michael Gambon, as the ill-fated host, Sir William McCordle, is one of the most palpably salacious characters ever on screen; K! ristin Scott Thomas is perfectly cold yet sexy as Lady Sylvia,! Sir Wil liam's wife; and Helen Mirren, Emily Watson, and Clive Owen are equally memorable as key characters from the bustling servants' quarters below. Gosford Park manages to be fabulously entertaining while exposing human shortcomings, compromises, and our endless need for confession. --Fionn MeadeImport Blu-Ray/Region A Pressing... The Academy Award winner for Best Original Screenplay, Gosford Park is a whodunit as only director Robert Altman could do it. As a hunting party gathers at the country estate, no one is aware that before the weekend is over, someone will be murdered - twice! The police are baffled but the all-seeing, all-hearing servants know that almost everyone had a motive. This critically-acclaimed murder mystery features a who's who of celebrated actors. With a diverse cast of characters - all with something to hide - it'll keep you guessing right to the surprising end. Gosford Park proves that murder can be such an inconvenience.Gosford Park ! finds director Robert Altman in sumptuously fine form indeed. From the opening shots, as the camera peers through the trees at an opulent English country estate, Altman exploits the 1930s period setting and whodunit formula of the film expertly. Aristocrats gather together for a weekend shooting party with their dutiful servants in tow, and the upstairs/downstairs division of the classes is perfectly tailored to Altman's method (as employed in Nashville and Short Cuts) of overlapping bits of dialogue and numerous subplots in order to betray underlying motives and the sins that propel them. Greed, vengeance, snobbery, and lust stir comic unrest as the near dizzying effect of brisk script turns is allayed by perhaps Altman's strongest ensemble to date. First and foremost, Maggie Smith is marvelous as Constance, a dependent countess with a quip for every occasion; Michael Gambon, as the ill-fated host, Sir William McCordle, is one of the most palpably salacious c! haracters ever on screen; Kristin Scott Thomas is perfectly co! ld yet s exy as Lady Sylvia, Sir William's wife; and Helen Mirren, Emily Watson, and Clive Owen are equally memorable as key characters from the bustling servants' quarters below. Gosford Park manages to be fabulously entertaining while exposing human shortcomings, compromises, and our endless need for confession. --Fionn Meade

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Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal

• ISBN13: 9780060838584
• Condition: New
• Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Fast food has hastened the malling of our landscape, widened the chasm between rich and poor, fueled an epidemic of obesity, and propelled American cultural imperialism abroad. That's a lengthy list of charges, but Eric Schlosser makes them stick with an artful mix of first-rate reportage, wry wit, and careful reasoning.

Schlosser's myth-shattering survey stretches from California's subdivisions, where the business was born, to the industrial corridor along the New Jersey Turnpike, where many of fast food's flavors are concocted. Along the way, he unearths a trove of fascinating, unsettling truths -- from the unholy alliance between fast foo! d and Hollywood to the seismic changes the industry has wrought in food production, popular culture, and even real estate.

On any given day, one out of four Americans opts for a quick and cheap meal at a fast-food restaurant, without giving either its speed or its thriftiness a second thought. Fast food is so ubiquitous that it now seems as American, and harmless, as apple pie. But the industry's drive for consolidation, homogenization, and speed has radically transformed America's diet, landscape, economy, and workforce, often in insidiously destructive ways. Eric Schlosser, an award-winning journalist, opens his ambitious and ultimately devastating exposé with an introduction to the iconoclasts and high school dropouts, such as Harlan Sanders and the McDonald brothers, who first applied the principles of a factory assembly line to a commercial kitchen. Quickly, however, he moves behind the counter with the overworked and underpaid teenage workers, onto the factory far! ms where the potatoes and beef are grown, and into the slaught! erhouses run by giant meatpacking corporations. Schlosser wants you to know why those French fries taste so good (with a visit to the world's largest flavor company) and "what really lurks between those sesame-seed buns." Eater beware: forget your concerns about cholesterol, there is--literally--feces in your meat.

Schlosser's investigation reaches its frightening peak in the meatpacking plants as he reveals the almost complete lack of federal oversight of a seemingly lawless industry. His searing portrayal of the industry is disturbingly similar to Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, written in 1906: nightmare working conditions, union busting, and unsanitary practices that introduce E. coli and other pathogens into restaurants, public schools, and homes. Almost as disturbing is his description of how the industry "both feeds and feeds off the young," insinuating itself into all aspects of children's lives, even the pages of their school books, while leaving them pron! e to obesity and disease. Fortunately, Schlosser offers some eminently practical remedies. "Eating in the United States should no longer be a form of high-risk behavior," he writes. Where to begin? Ask yourself, is the true cost of having it "your way" really worth it? --Lesley Reed

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Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

• Condition: Used, Very Good
• Format: DVD
• AC-3; Closed-captioned; Color; Dolby; DVD; Subtitled; Widescreen; NTSC

Chris Rock visits beauty salons and hairstyling battles, scientific laboratories and Indian temples to explore the way hairstyles impact the activities, pocketbooks, sexual relationships, and self-esteem of the black community in this exposé of comic proportions that only he could pull off. A raucous adventure prompted by Rock’s daughter approaching him and asking, "Daddy, how come I don’t have good hair?”, GOOD HAIR shows Chris Rock engaging in frank, funny conversations with hair-care professionals, beauty shop and barbershop patrons, and celebrities including Ice-T, Nia Long, Paul Mooney, Raven Symoné, Dr. Maya Angelou, Salt-N-Pepa, Eve and Reverend Al Sharpton â€" all while he struggles with the task of figuring out how to respond to his daughter's question! .When one of Chris Rock's young daughters asked him an innocent question about having "good hair," the comedian probably had no idea just how complicated the answer would be. Fortunately for us, he decided to find out, and the result is this funny, informative, and highly entertaining documentary of the same name. Turns out that for a great many African-American women (and quite a few men, too), "good hair" means "white hair"--i.e., straight and lanky--while the natural or "nappy" look is bad. And oh, the lengths and expense women will go to in order to get "good hair"! In the course of the film, which was directed by Jeff Stilson and cowritten by Rock and several others, Rock first travels to Atlanta, home of the Bronner Brothers Hair Show, where thousands of folks buy and learn how to use new products (the show is also the site of the outrageous and climactic Hair Battle Royale, in which four stylists compete for money and fame). It's there that he learns about sodium hyd! roxide, better known as hair "relaxer," the "nap antidote," or! the "cr eamy crack" (as effective as the chemical substance is for straightening hair, it can also be highly dangerous). In Harlem and Los Angeles, he investigates the extraordinary popularity of hair weaves, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars annually to create and maintain; Rock even goes to Madras, India, source of most of the hair used in weaves (for Indian women, tonsure, or shaving their heads, is a ritual act of self-sacrifice). Along the way, Rock interviews a great many young women with fabulous hair (including actresses Nia Long, Raven-Symoné, and Kerry Washington, and rappers Salt-N-Pepa), but he also talks to the esteemed poet Maya Angelou, as well as men like rapper-actor Ice-T and the Reverend Al Sharpton. Sharpton, who is very amusing (he's referred to as "the Dalai Lama of relaxed hair"), is about the only celeb who touches on racial issues, pointing out that while it's African Americans who use the overwhelming majority of these hair products, the companie! s who sell them tend to be owned by Asians. Some viewers may object to the film's lack of a strong socio-political stance, but others will no doubt prefer the lighter touch, including a hilarious discussion at a barber shop about dating women with hair weaves (basically, it's "hands off the hair, pal"). --Sam Graham

When one of Chris Rock's young daughters asked him an innocent question about having "good hair," the comedian probably had no idea just how complicated the answer would be. Fortunately for us, he decided to find out, and the result is this funny, informative, and highly entertaining documentary of the same name. Turns out that for a great many African-American women (and quite a few men, too), "good hair" means "white hair"--i.e., straight and lanky--while the natural or "nappy" look is bad. And oh, the lengths and expense women will go to in order to get "good hair"! In the course of the film, which was directed by Jeff Stilson and cowritten by Rock and several others, Rock first travels to Atlanta, home of the Bronner Brothers Hair Show, where thousands of folks buy and learn how to use new products (the show is also the site of the outrageou! s and climactic Hair Battle Royale, in which four stylists compete for money and fame). It's there that he learns about sodium hydroxide, better known as hair "relaxer," the "nap antidote," or the "creamy crack" (as effective as the chemical substance is for straightening hair, it can also be highly dangerous). In Harlem and Los Angeles, he investigates the extraordinary popularity of hair weaves, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars annually to create and maintain; Rock even goes to Madras, India, source of most of the hair used in weaves (for Indian women, tonsure, or shaving their heads, is a ritual act of self-sacrifice). Along the way, Rock interviews a great many young women with fabulous hair (including actresses Nia Long, Raven-Symoné, and Kerry Washington, and rappers Salt-N-Pepa), but he also talks to the esteemed poet Maya Angelou, as well as men like rapper-actor Ice-T and the Reverend Al Sharpton. Sharpton, who is very amusing (he's referred to as "the ! Dalai Lama of relaxed hair"), is about the only celeb who touc! hes on r acial issues, pointing out that while it's African Americans who use the overwhelming majority of these hair products, the companies who sell them tend to be owned by Asians. Some viewers may object to the film's lack of a strong socio-political stance, but others will no doubt prefer the lighter touch, including a hilarious discussion at a barber shop about dating women with hair weaves (basically, it's "hands off the hair, pal"). --Sam Graham

Janet Jackson, Thandie Newton, and Whoopi Goldberg head up an all-star cast in a vibrant world where friends and strangers dream, fear, cry, love, and laugh out loud in an attempt to find their true selves. Adapted by writer/director Tyler Perry from Ntozake Shange's acclaimed choreopoem, this gripping film paints an unforgettable portrait of what it means to be a woman of color in the modern world.Tyler Perry breaks through to a new level of achievement as a writer and director in his remake of For Colored Girls (based on the groundbreaking 1970s play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf, by Ntozak! e Shange). The cast is superb, especially Kimberly Elise and P! hylicia Rashad. And the rest of the cast is just as compelling, including a low-key Janet Jackson, Loretta Devine, singer Macy Gray, Thandie Newton, Whoopi Goldberg, Kerry Washington, and Anika Noni Rose. For Colored Girls follows each actress/character as she faces prejudice, economic challenges, male abandonment, role upheaval--and all the emotions that go along with them. The original play was performed as poetry, and while the editing of For Colored Girls is a little uneven, Perry lets Shange's poetry truly shine through. Any person of color, any woman, and anyone who cares about them, will be drawn in to the deepest dramas a woman of color can experience--in the '70s or today. Viewers will get goose bumps when Newton's character, Tangie, says, "Being alive and being a woman is all I got, but being colored is a metaphysical dilemma I haven't conquered yet." And Elise as Crystal is utterly heartbreaking, with a performance reminiscent of her unforgettable turn in Beloved. The soundtrack of For Colored Girls is as unforgettable as the film, with performances by Gray, Sharon Jones, and others, including Estelle, in a showstopping version of "All Day Long (Blue Skies)." The blues may be wrenching--but in For Colored Girls, they make up the poetry of life. --A.T. HurleyPrecious Jones, an inner-city high school girl, is illiterate, overweight, and pregnant…again. Naïve and abused, Precious responds to a glimmer of hope when a door is opened by an alternative-school teacher. She is faced with the choice to follow opportunity and test her own boundaries. Prepare for shock, revelation and celebration.Not every movie can survive the kind of hype--multiple awards at Sundance and other festivals, rapturous reviews, nominated for six Academy Awards and winner of two, for Best Supporting Actress and Best Screenplay--that greeted the release of Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire, but this extraor! dinary piece of work is more than up to the task. What's parti! cularly notable about the film's success and acclaim is that in the beginning, at least, it presents one of the grimmest scenarios imaginable. The scene is Harlem, New York, in 1987. Teenager Clarisse Precious Jones (played by newcomer Gabourey Sibide in an absolutely fearless performance) is dirt poor, morbidly obese, semiliterate, and pregnant for the second time--both courtesy of her own father (the first baby was born with Down syndrome). Her home life is several levels below Hell, as her bitter, vengeful welfare mother, Mary (Mo'Nique, in a role that has generated legitimate Oscar® buzz), abuses her both physically and otherwise (telling Precious she should have aborted her is only the worst of a relentless flood of insults and vitriol). Yet somehow, the young woman still has hopes and dreams (depicted in a series of delightful fantasy sequences). She enrolls in an alternative school, where a young teacher (Paula Patton) takes her under her wing and even into her home, and vis! its a social worker (an excellent Mariah Carey; fellow pop star Lenny Kravitz is also effective as a male nurse) who further helps bring Precious out of the darkness. Incredibly, Precious's circumstances deteriorate even more before showing the slightest sign of improvement, and a climactic confrontation with her mother is one of the more wrenching scenes in recent memory. But against all odds, director Lee Daniels, screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher (working from Sapphire's novel), and especially the wondrously affecting Sibide have managed to make Precious a film that will lift the viewer far higher up that one might ever have thought possible. --Sam Graham

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Flawless

• From director Michael Radford (THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, IL POSTINO) comes FLAWLESS, a clever diamond-heist thriller set in swinging 1960s London. Demi Moore plays Laura Quinn, a bright, driven and beautiful executive at the London Diamond Corporation who finds herself frustrated by a glass ceiling after years of faithful employment, as man after man is promoted ahead of her despite her greater expe

From director Michael Radford (THE MERCHANT OF VENICE IL POSTINO) comes FLAWLESS a clever diamond-heist thriller set in swinging 1960s London. Demi Moore plays Laura Quinn a bright driven and beautiful executive at the London Diamond Corporation who finds herself frustrated by a glass ceiling after years of faithful employment as man after man is promoted ahead of her despite her greater experience. Michael Caine is Hobbs the nighttime janitor at London Diamond who is virtually invisible to the exec! utives that work there but over the years has amassed a startling amount of knowledge about how the company runs. Hobbs has his own bone to pick with London Diamond. Observing Laura s frustration he convinces her to help him execute an ingenious plan to steal a hefty sum in diamonds. But unbeknownst to Laura Hobbs plans go even farther than he s let on and together they set in motion a thrilling heist of dizzying proportions the likes of which London has never seen.System Requirements:Running Time: 109 mintuesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA/PSYCHOLOGICAL DRAMA Rating: PG-13 UPC: 876964001038 Manufacturer No: 10103It would be overpraise to propose that Flawless reviews itself with its title, but... how about "supremely decorous"? It is, at any rate, a film that merits a grateful salute from audiences weary of being beaten about the head and shoulders in pursuit of an engrossing caper movie. A plot to make off with a fortune in gems from England's premier diamond co! mpany unfolds without explosions, vrooming vehicles, or rapid-! fire sho otouts. It's like a feature-length variation on those sly, soft-spoken Alfred Hitchcock Presents episodes of the '50s, with the patient accumulation of mood, detail and character leading to wry twists and satisfying revelations. We are in 1960 and a London not yet disposed to swing. Laura Quinn (Demi Moore), the lone female officer of London Diamond Corporation, is smarter and more capable than her male colleagues, but that doesn't deter the company from promoting them over her while profiting from her talents. This has long since gotten old, so when Mr. Hobbs (Michael Caine), the mild-mannered night janitor, enlists her in a scheme to fill his thermos with two million pounds' worth of diamonds from the vault, she listens. Suffice it to say that the vault is penetrated according to plan--and then the real tension sets in. Things are not what they seem, even to those supposedly in the know (us, for instance), and distrust springs up between the conspirators as they fin! d themselves under close scrutiny by a steely investigator (Lambert Wilson).

All this is intelligently scripted by Edward A. Anderson (a maiden effort) and directed by Michael Radford with a crisp, unostentatious eye; the cold interiors of the Lon Di headquarters, generically oppressive on first sight, take on a nuanced familiarity as the place where, for the most part, Laura Quinn spends her life. Demi Moore--scarlet lips in a black-and-grey world--admirably catches Laura's not-quite-smothered ambition and frustration without breaking her cover, as it were. Michael Caine couldn't be better as Hobbs, an invisible man in plain sight (how many viewers fail to notice his first appearance in the film?); he's the master of his trade, but you knew that. There's a framing story, set more or less in the present, which seems to be an obligatory bow to feminism but sets up a tease or two of its own, then adds yet another twist to the proceedings. --Richard T. Jameson

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William Shakespeare's Hamlet (Two-Disc Special Edition)

• Hamlet has the kind of power, energy and excitement that movies can truly exploit,' award-winning actor/director Kenneth Branagh says. In this first-ever full-text film of William Shakespeare's greatest work, the power surges through every scene. The timeless tale of murder, corruption and revenge is reset in an opulent 19th-century world, using sprawling Blenheim Palace as Elsinore and st

The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark - A Study with the Text of the Folio of 1623 is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by George MacDonald is in the English language, and may not include graphics or images from the original edition. If you enjoy the works of George MacDonald then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection.No Description Available.
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: UN
Release Date: 14-AUG-2007Media Type: DVDIt's the greatest work of literature, but nobody had ever filmed Hamlet uncut--until Kenneth Branagh went about the task for his lavish 1996 production. The result is a sumptuous, star-studded version that scores a palpable hit on its avowed goal: to make the text as clear and urgent as possible. Branagh himself plays the melancholy son of the Danish court, caught in a famous muddle about whether to seek revenge against his royal father's presumed slayer… the man who now sits on the throne and shares the bed of Hamlet's mother. (Or, as the song "That's Entertainment" summarizes the plot: "A ghost and a prince meet / And everyone winds up mincemeat.") As a director, Branagh (who shot the movie in 70 mm.) uses the vast, cold interiors of a vaguely 19th-century manor to gorgeous effect; the story might scurry down this hallway, into that back chamber, or sprawl out into the enormous main room. With its endless collection of mirrors, the place ! is as big and empty as Citizen Kane's Xanadu.

That ! all work s; what doesn't work is Branagh's tendency to over-direct the big dramatic moments. He indulges in quick cutting and flashbacks as though to fend off the audience's objections to the four-hour running time, and the style sometimes looks like wasted energy. The experienced Shakespearians in the cast come off nicely; Derek Jacobi's Claudius, Richard Briers' Polonius, and Michael Maloney's Laertes are just terrific. Julie Christie is a suitably attractive Gertrude, and Kate Winslet makes the most of Ophelia's mad scenes. Branagh's habit of folding in unexpected American performers is on the mark, too: Billy Crystal is surprisingly good as the Gravedigger, Robin Williams predictably camps up Osric, and Charlton Heston is an inspired choice as the grandiloquent Player King. The biggest irony here is that Branagh himself is not quite spot-on as Hamlet. Of course he speaks the lines beautifully, but Branagh's screen personality radiates certainty and clarity of vision; there's lit! tle of the doubt that might make him Hamlet-esque. Still, tremendous credit for fending off slings and arrows to get the movie made. --Robert Horton

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Focus on the Family Presents Auto-B-Good: Mission Possible

• Focus On The Family
• 4 Episodes

Dramatization of the turbulent life of Bob Crane, popular for his role in the television program Hogan's heroes.
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: R
Release Date: 3-JUL-2007
Media Type: DVDAuto Focus captures the scandalous private life of Bob Crane, star of the German P.O.W. camp sitcom Hogan's Heroes. Greg Kinnear plays the affable comic actor, who nursed an obsession with sex--pornography, strippers, swinging, domination, and especially the videotaping of his own sexual exploits. His behavior led to the downfall of two marriages and enmeshed Crane in a strangely symbiotic relationship with a video equipment salesman named John Carpenter (Willem Dafoe); Carpenter provided the technology, and Crane (through the power of his fame) provided the girls. Their friendship ultimately wore thin and m! ay have led to Crane's gruesome death. Auto Focus is a lot like an episode of Behind the Music, but with sex in the place of the usual downfall-causing drugs; though elegantly filmed, it doesn't delve too deeply into Crane's joy, and so never gets a genuine feel for his pain either. --Bret FetzerAuto Focus features a dazzling array of self-portraits by seventy-five of the world’s foremost contemporary photographers. Photography writer and curator Susan Bright provides a clear guide through this significant and dynamic genre, showing how issues of identityâ€"whether national, sexual, racial, personal, or artisticâ€"are key to understanding the work of many of today’s leading photographers.

This lavishly illustrated, accessible survey is organized into five thematic chapters: diaristic and autobiographical images; pictures of the body; the use of masks and masquerade; the return to studio portraiture and the photographic album; and! performance, both public and private. An informative illustra! ted intr oduction explains the history of the photographic self-portrait from the 1840s to the late twentieth century, providing an invaluable context for the recent surge in artists’ images of themselves.

From intimate images of introspection and those that consciously challenge notions of ethnicity and sexuality to dramatic, stylized photographs of dreamlike scenarios, Auto Focus shows how one of the longest-established artistic genres continues to fascinate artists today.Auto Focus captures the scandalous private life of Bob Crane, star of the German P.O.W. camp sitcom Hogan's Heroes. Greg Kinnear plays the affable comic actor, who nursed an obsession with sex--pornography, strippers, swinging, domination, and especially the videotaping of his own sexual exploits. His behavior led to the downfall of two marriages and enmeshed Crane in a strangely symbiotic relationship with a video equipment salesman named John Carpenter (Willem Dafoe); Carpenter provi! ded the technology, and Crane (through the power of his fame) provided the girls. Their friendship ultimately wore thin and may have led to Crane's gruesome death. Auto Focus is a lot like an episode of Behind the Music, but with sex in the place of the usual downfall-causing drugs; though elegantly filmed, it doesn't delve too deeply into Crane's joy, and so never gets a genuine feel for his pain either. --Bret Fetzer"Mission Possible" with Christian Music Videos Includes 3 Brand NEW Christian Music Videos "I am Determined" "Following the Lord" "All About Me" Chapter 1 - Daring Dreamers Miles dreams of climbing mountains, but is afraid and Izzi wants to be on the Rescue Squad, but is too small. Through hilarious adventure these two learn it will take determination and friendship to hold on to their dreams. Chapter 2 - Get The Oomph A high octane energy drink, gives EJ the "Oomph!" he needs to challenge Mr. Morgan's soccer record, but when the dangerous drink is banned, EJ must weigh the price of winning at all costs. Chapter 3 - Cotu Comics The laws of science are stacked against EJ and his dream of flying, but with the Professor's wise words about the power of imagination, EJ soars to unexpected new heights. Bonus Episode - Courage Under Fire | Run Time: 52:00 |

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Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most

• ISBN13: 9780143118442
• Condition: New
• Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!

In 1964, Jacqueline Kennedy recorded seven historic interviews about her life with John F. Kennedy. Now, for the first time, they can be heard and read in this deluxe, illustrated book and 8-CD set.

Shortly after President John F. Kennedy's assassination, with a nation deep in mourning and the world looking on in stunned disbelief, Jacqueline Kennedy found the strength to set aside her own personal grief for the sake of posterity and begin the task of documenting and preserving her husband's legacy. In January of 1964, she and Robert F. Kennedy approved a planned oral-history project that would capture their first-hand accounts of the late President as well as the recollections of th! ose closest to him throughout his extraordinary political career. For the rest of her life, the famously private Jacqueline Kennedy steadfastly refused to discuss her memories of those years, but beginning that March, she fulfilled her obligation to future generations of Americans by sitting down with historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., and recording an astonishingly detailed and unvarnished account of her experiences and impressions as the wife and confidante of John F. Kennedy. The tapes of those sessions were then sealed and later deposited in the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum upon its completion, in accordance with Mrs. Kennedy's wishes.

The resulting eight and a half hours of material comprises a unique and compelling record of a tumultuous era, providing fresh insights on the many significant people and events that shaped JFK's presidency but also shedding new light on the man behind the momentous decisions. Here are JFK's unscripted opinion! s on a host of revealing subjects, including his thoughts and ! feelings about his brothers Robert and Ted, and his take on world leaders past and present, giving us perhaps the most informed, genuine, and immediate portrait of John Fitzgerald Kennedy we shall ever have. Mrs. Kennedy's urbane perspective, her candor, and her flashes of wit also give us our clearest glimpse into the active mind of a remarkable First Lady.

In conjunction with the fiftieth anniversary of President Kennedy's Inauguration, Caroline Kennedy and the Kennedy family are now releasing these beautifully restored recordings on CDs with accompanying transcripts. Introduced and annotated by renowned presidential historian Michael Beschloss, these interviews will add an exciting new dimension to our understanding and appreciation of President Kennedy and his time and make the past come alive through the words and voice of an eloquent eyewitness to history.

The New York Times bestseller that changed the way millions communicate

“[! Crucial Conversations] draws our attention to those defining moments that literally shape our lives, our relationships, and our world. . . . This book deserves to take its place as one of the key thought leadership contributions of our time.”
â€"from the Foreword by Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

“The quality of your life comes out of the quality of your dialogues and conversations. Here’s how to instantly uplift your crucial conversations.”
â€"Mark Victor Hansen, cocreator of the #1 New York Times bestselling series Chicken Soup for the Soul®

The first edition of Crucial Conversations exploded onto the scene and revolutionized the way millions of people communicate when stakes are high. This new edition gives you the tools to:

• Prepare for high-stakes situations
• Transform anger and hurt feelings into powerful dialogue
• Make it safe to ta! lk about almost anything
• Be persuasive, not abrasiveWant t he secret to quickly acquiring great conversation skills? Want to know how popular people seem to have such good communication skills with no effort?
  
  How to Control Any Conversation is different to most self help books you`ve seen before. This book is for people who want straight to the point answers to the biggest questions we all have about developing great communication skills.
  
  The book contains 52 conversation blueprints you can refer to anytime you want practical tips for dealing with difficult people and awkward situations. Conversation skills will never be a mystery for you again.
  
  You`ll immediately discover simple ways to take control even in situations that used to leave you stuck and lost for words in the past. Other people will assume you always had good communication skills.
  
  You`ll enjoy having better communication skills, greater self-confidence when dealing with people and less shyness when meeting new people. You`ll ! learn how to be a master of conversation skills and let your personality shine!
  
  Peter Murphy has been prolific in sharing his breakthrough conversation skills trainings online since 1992. He has written several books and over five hundred articles which have been syndicated across thousands of sites. His popular self help newsletter goes out to over 60,000 readers.Want the secret to quickly acquiring great conversation skills? Want to know how popular people seem to have such good communication skills with no effort?
  
  How to Control Any Conversation is different to most self help books you`ve seen before. This book is for people who want straight to the point answers to the biggest questions we all have about developing great communication skills.
  
  The book contains 52 conversation blueprints you can refer to anytime you want practical tips for dealing with difficult people and awkward situations. Conversation skills will never be a mystery for you ag! ain.
  
  You`ll immediately discover simple ways to take co! ntrol ev en in situations that used to leave you stuck and lost for words in the past. Other people will assume you always had good communication skills.
  
  You`ll enjoy having better communication skills, greater self-confidence when dealing with people and less shyness when meeting new people. You`ll learn how to be a master of conversation skills and let your personality shine!
  
  Peter Murphy has been prolific in sharing his breakthrough conversation skills trainings online since 1992. He has written several books and over five hundred articles which have been syndicated across thousands of sites. His popular self help newsletter goes out to over 60,000 readers.Want great conversation skills?
  
  Discover the secrets to effective communication skills that popular people take for granted and start using the...
  
  - 8 Easy Conversation Starters Popular People Use
  - 5 Conversation Acceleration Techniques
  - 6 Great Sources of Interesting Conversation ! Topics
  - 25 Effective Conversation Strategies
  
  Conversation Lubricants is a set of conversation blueprints you can use to start, lead and enjoy great conversation with anyone you meet. These simple step by step blueprints will show you how easy it is to quickly develop great communication skills.
  
  You will discover how to engage people with small talk before moving onto deeper discussions that entertain and interest others. You will also learn how to develop an energetic conversation confidence that clears away any shyness you might have about approaching new people. With your new found communication skills meeting people will be more fun than its ever been.
  
  Use all of these no nonsense practical conversation skills tips and you`ll never again worry about what to say. You`ll become one of those people others admire and enjoy speaking to.
  
  Peter Murphy has been prolific in sharing his breakthrough communication skills trainings ! online since 1992. He has written several books and over five ! hundred articles which have been syndicated across thousands of sites. His self help newsletter goes out to over 60,000 readers.Want great conversation skills?
  
  Discover the secrets to effective communication skills that popular people take for granted and start using the...
  
  - 8 Easy Conversation Starters Popular People Use
  - 5 Conversation Acceleration Techniques
  - 6 Great Sources of Interesting Conversation Topics
  - 25 Effective Conversation Strategies
  
  Conversation Lubricants is a set of conversation blueprints you can use to start, lead and enjoy great conversation with anyone you meet. These simple step by step blueprints will show you how easy it is to quickly develop great communication skills.
  
  You will discover how to engage people with small talk before moving onto deeper discussions that entertain and interest others. You will also learn how to develop an energetic conversation confidence that clears away any shyness you might have about ! approaching new people. With your new found communication skills meeting people will be more fun than its ever been.
  
  Use all of these no nonsense practical conversation skills tips and you`ll never again worry about what to say. You`ll become one of those people others admire and enjoy speaking to.
  
  Peter Murphy has been prolific in sharing his breakthrough communication skills trainings online since 1992. He has written several books and over five hundred articles which have been syndicated across thousands of sites. His self help newsletter goes out to over 60,000 readers.

  How Do You Communicate When the Stakes Are High?

  Learn how with these TWO GROUNDBREAKING BOOKS in ONE eBOOK PACKAGE!

  In any organization, the best laid plans boil down to one simple thing: how well we come together to bring them to fruition. But more often than not, we end up dealing with people who come across as disagreeable, stubborn, or even obstructive. A! nd emotions flare up. The only way to get things done is to st! ep up to the plate . . . by stepping back from our emotions.

  Written by a team of experts from the world-renowned training firm VitalSmarts, these two books provide the skills you need to make every interaction fruitful and productive in even the most emotional situations.

  eBook package includes:

  Crucial Conversations
  The New York Times bestselling Crucial Conversations has sparked a revolution in how people communicate to achieve common goals. Now, the revised second edition builds on this decade-long legacy of success to get professionals at every level and in all professions talking with partners, bosses, employees, clientsâ€"not at them.

  Learn proven methods for turning the focus of hot-button discussionsâ€"job performance, customer satisfaction, interpersonal mattersâ€"away from subjective points of view and toward productive, mutually beneficial conclusions.

  “[Crucial Conversations]! draws our attention to those defining moments that literally shape our lives, our relationships, and our world. . . . This book deserves to take its place as one of the key thought leadership contributions of our time.”
  â€"from the Foreword by Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

  “The quality of your life comes out of the quality of your dialogues and conversations. Here’s how to instantly uplift your crucial conversations.”
  â€"Mark Victor Hansen, co-creator of the #1 New York Times bestselling series Chicken Soup for the Soul®

  Crucial Confrontations
  Behind the problems that routinely plague families, organizations, and teams are individuals who break promises, miss deadlines, or just plain behave badly. Anyone brave enough to confront these people head on usually does a poor job and creates a whole new set of problems.

  In Crucial Confrontations, re! veals research that proves just how costly this dynamic is: it! saps 20 to 50 percent of performance from organizations and accounts for up to 90 percent of all divorces. Crucial Confrontations teaches you the skills to permanently resolve failed promises and missed deadlines, transform broken rules and bad behavior into productive accountability, and strengthen relationships while solving problems.

  "Unleash the true potential of a relationship or organization and move it to the next level. . . ."
  â€"Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute Manager® and The Secret: What Great Leaders Knowâ€"and Do

  "The most recommended and most effective resource in my library."
  â€"Stacey Allerton Firth, Vice President, Human Resources, Ford of Canada

  "Brilliant strategies for those difficult discussions at home and in the workplace. . . ."
  â€"Soledad O’Brien, former cohost of CNNs Morning Edition

  "This book is the real deal. . . . Read it, underline it, learn from it. Its a g! em."
  â€"Mike Murray, VP Human Resources and Administration, Microsoft (retired)

  How Do You Communicate When the Stakes Are High?

  Learn how with these TWO GROUNDBREAKING BOOKS in ONE eBOOK PACKAGE!

  In any organization, the best laid plans boil down to one simple thing: how well we come together to bring them to fruition. But more often than not, we end up dealing with people who come across as disagreeable, stubborn, or even obstructive. And emotions flare up. The only way to get things done is to step up to the plate . . . by stepping back from our emotions.

  Written by a team of experts from the world-renowned training firm VitalSmarts, these two books provide the skills you need to make every interaction fruitful and productive in even the most emotional situations.

  eBook package includes:

  Crucial Conversations
  The New York Times bestselling Crucial Conversations has spar! ked a revolution in how people communicate to achieve common g! oals. No w, the revised second edition builds on this decade-long legacy of success to get professionals at every level and in all professions talking with partners, bosses, employees, clientsâ€"not at them.

  Learn proven methods for turning the focus of hot-button discussionsâ€"job performance, customer satisfaction, interpersonal mattersâ€"away from subjective points of view and toward productive, mutually beneficial conclusions.

  “[Crucial Conversations] draws our attention to those defining moments that literally shape our lives, our relationships, and our world. . . . This book deserves to take its place as one of the key thought leadership contributions of our time.”
  â€"from the Foreword by Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

  “The quality of your life comes out of the quality of your dialogues and conversations. Here’s how to instantly uplift your crucial conversations.”
  â€"! Mark Victor Hansen, co-creator of the #1 New York Times bestselling series Chicken Soup for the Soul®

  Crucial Confrontations
  Behind the problems that routinely plague families, organizations, and teams are individuals who break promises, miss deadlines, or just plain behave badly. Anyone brave enough to confront these people head on usually does a poor job and creates a whole new set of problems.

  In Crucial Confrontations, reveals research that proves just how costly this dynamic is: it saps 20 to 50 percent of performance from organizations and accounts for up to 90 percent of all divorces. Crucial Confrontations teaches you the skills to permanently resolve failed promises and missed deadlines, transform broken rules and bad behavior into productive accountability, and strengthen relationships while solving problems.

  "Unleash the true potential of a relationship or organization and move it to the next ! level. . . ."
  â€"Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One M! inute Ma nager® and The Secret: What Great Leaders Knowâ€"and Do

  "The most recommended and most effective resource in my library."
  â€"Stacey Allerton Firth, Vice President, Human Resources, Ford of Canada

  "Brilliant strategies for those difficult discussions at home and in the workplace. . . ."
  â€"Soledad O’Brien, former cohost of CNNs Morning Edition

  "This book is the real deal. . . . Read it, underline it, learn from it. Its a gem."
  â€"Mike Murray, VP Human Resources and Administration, Microsoft (retired)

  We attempt or avoid difficult conversations every day-whether dealing with an underperforming employee, disagreeing with a spouse, or negotiating with a client. From the Harvard Negotiation Project, the organization that brought you Getting to Yes, Difficult Conversations provides a step-by-step approach to having those tough conversations with less stress and more success. you'll learn how to:
  • Decipher the underlying structure of every difficult conversation
  • Start a conversation without defensiveness
  • Listen for the meaning of what is not said
  • Stay balanced in the face of attacks and accusations
  • Move from emotion to productive problem solvingWe've all been there: We know we must confront a coworker, store clerk, or friend about some especially sticky situation--and we know the encounter will be uncomfortable. So we repeatedly mull it over until we can no longer put it off, and then finally stumble through the confrontation. Difficult Conversations, by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, and Sheila Heen, offers advice for handling these unpleasant exchanges in a manner that accomplishes their objective and diminishes the possibility that anyone will be needlessly hurt. The authors, associated with Harvard Law School and the Harvard Project on Negotiation, show how such dialogues actually comprise t! hree separate components: the "what happened" conversation (v! erbalizi ng what we believe really was said and done), the "feelings" conversation (communicating and acknowledging each party's emotional impact), and the "identity" conversation (expressing the situation's underlying personal meaning). The explanations and suggested improvements are, admittedly, somewhat complicated. And they certainly don't guarantee positive results. But if you honestly are interested in elevating your communication skills, this book will walk you through both mistakes and remedies in a way that will boost your confidence when such unavoidable clashes arise. --Howard Rothman
  

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Bride Wars (2009) Widescreen

• Comedy
• DVD

Genre: Comedy
Rating: PG
Release Date: 28-APR-2009
Media Type: DVD

How important is the perfect wedding? Emma (Anne Hathaway) and Liv (Kate Hudson) have been best friends since childhood and each has always dreamed of an extravagant wedding at the Plaza hotel. When both friends get engaged in the same week, they rush to the exclusive wedding planner Marion St. Claire (Candice Bergen) to book the perfect weddings at the Plaza hotel. The reservations get mixed up and both weddings end up scheduled on the same day and, since there are no other suitable openings available at the Plaza, the friends find themselves in the impossible situation of having to decide who will sacrifice her long-held dream and change venues. It turns out that neither woman is willing to give up her plans for a perfect wedding and the friends tu! rn against one another in a hilarious battle that results in everything from blue hair to rumors of pregnancy and embarrassing home videos accompanying one bride's walk down the aisle. Can even a life-long friendship survive the emotional turmoil of two weddings gone wrong? Bride Wars is an amusing look at the trials of friendship and love that's sure to inspire laughter and perhaps even a tear or two. --Tami Horiuchi

Stills from Bride Wars (Click for larger image)

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Genre: Comedy
Rating: PG
Release Date: 28-APR-2009
Media Type: Blu-Ray

How important is the perfect wedding? Emma (Anne Hathaway) and Liv (Kate Hudson) have been best friends since childhood and each has always dreamed of an extravagant wedding at the Plaza hotel. When both fr! iends get engaged in the same week, they rush to the exclusive wedding planner Marion St. Claire (Candice Bergen) to book the perfect weddings at the Plaza hotel. The reservations get mixed up and both weddings end up scheduled on the same day and, since there are no other suitable openings available at the Plaza, the friends find themselves in the impossible situation of having to decide who will sacrifice her long-held dream and change venues. It turns out that neither woman is willing to give up her plans for a perfect wedding and the friends turn against one another in a hilarious battle that results in everything from blue hair to rumors of pregnancy and embarrassing home videos accompanying one bride's walk down the aisle. Can even a life-long friendship survive the emotional turmoil of two weddings gone wrong? Bride Wars is an amusing look at the trials of friendship and love that's sure to inspire laughter and perhaps even a tear or two. --Tami Horiuchi!

Stills from Bride Wa! rs (Click for larger image)

Â	Â	Â

How important is the perfect wedding? Emma (Anne Hathaway) and Liv (Kate Hudson) have been best friends since childhood and each has always dreamed of an extravagant wedding at the Plaza hotel. When both friends get engaged in the same week, they rush to the exclusive wedding planner Marion St. Claire (Candice Bergen) to book the perfect weddings at the Plaza hotel. The reservations get mixed up and both weddings end up scheduled on the same day and, since there are no other suitable openings available at the Plaza, the friends find themselves in the impossible situation of having to decide who will sacrifice her long-held dream and change venues. It turns out that neither woman is willing to give up her plans for a perfect wedding and the friends turn agai! nst one another in a hilarious battle that results in everythi! ng from blue hair to rumors of pregnancy and embarrassing home videos accompanying one bride's walk down the aisle. Can even a life-long friendship survive the emotional turmoil of two weddings gone wrong? Bride Wars is an amusing look at the trials of friendship and love that's sure to inspire laughter and perhaps even a tear or two. --Tami Horiuchi

Read more »