Showing posts with label Book. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

Our Gods Wear Spandex: The Secret History of Comic Book Heroes by Christopher Knowles

For anyone interested in the connection between occult/religion and comics, this book is a must read!

From occult underground to superhero! Was Superman's arch nemesis Lex Luthor based on Aleister Crowley? Can Captain Marvel be linked to the Sun gods in antiquity? In Our Gods Wear Spandex, Christopher Knowles answers these questions and brings to light many other intriguing links between superheroes and the enchanted world of esoterica. Occult students and comic book fans alike will discover countless fascinating connections, from little known facts such as that DC Comics editor Julius Schwartz started his career as H.P. Lovecraft's agent, to the tantalizingly extensive influence of Madame Blavatsky's Theosophy on the birth of comics, to the mystic roots of Superman. The book also traces the rise of the comic superheroes and how they relate to several cultural trends in the late 19th century, specifically the occult explosion in Western Europe and America. Knowles reveals the four basic superhero archetypes-the Messiah, the Golem, the Amazon, and the Brotherhood, and shows how the occult Bohemian underground of the early 20th century provided the inspiration for the modern comic book hero. With the popularity of occult comics writers like Invisibles creator Grant Morrison and V for Vendetta creator Alan Moore, the vast ComiCon audience is poised for someone to seriously introduce them to the esoteric mysteries. Chris Knowles is doing just that in this epic book. Chapters include: Ancient of Days, Ascended Masters, God and Gangsters, Mad Scientists and Modern Sorcerers, and many more. From the ghettos of Prague to the halls of Valhalla to the Fortress of Solitude and the aisles of BEA and ComiCon, this is the first book to show the inextricable link between superheroes and the enchanted world of esoterica.

Get your copy at Amazon!


Share/Save/Bookmark

Saturday, May 04, 2013

My "Convict Conditioning" Progress - Support Press - Step 1 (Close Grip)

I have finally met the Progression Standard for the close grip Support Press, which is the final phase of Step One of the Press Flag progression from "Convict Conditioning 2" by Paul "Coach" Wade. With the Support Press, you start out using a wide grip and gradually move the hand on the vertical bar closer to the horizontal bar. I started out with 5 second sets and worked up to 10 seconds before moving the grip in closer. Once you can hold the close grip for 10 seconds, it's on to Step Two.

This is actually the second day of doing 10 second holds. I am going to stay at this step in the progression until the 10 second hold becomes easy and second nature. This is a very difficult hold for me, and I have a lot of discomfort in my shoulder joints while performing it. I don't want to move too quickly and try to progress before I am ready. Patience is key. Listen to your body!


If any of you are working on the Press Flag Series, drop a comment, or email me and let me know how you're progressing. If not, what are you waiting for? Get your copies of  "Convict Conditioning" and "Convict Conditioning 2" today, and GET BUSY!

Check out more "Convict Conditioning" products, as well as other great Bodyweight training tools HERE!


Share/Save/Bookmark

Saturday, February 09, 2013

My "Convict Conditioning" Progress - Assisted One Leg "Pistol" Squats

My "Convict Conditioning" Progress Audio Blog
 Listen in the player or download here

Al Kavadlo demonstrating an Assisted Pistol Squat
 
If any of you are working on the One Leg "Pistol" Squat, drop a comment, or email me and let me know how you're progressing. If not, what are you waiting for? Get your copies of  "Convict Conditioning" and "Convict Conditioning 2" today, and GET BUSY!

Check out more "Convict Conditioning" products, as well as other great Bodyweight training tools HERE!

Music by Dan-O at DanoSongs.com
 


Share/Save/Bookmark

"Word Of Mouth: A Guide To Commercial Voice-Over Excellence" by Susan Blu, Cynthia Songe, and Molly Ann Mullin

The art of voice-over is the backbone of commercials, animation, documentaries, and radio dramas produced for both national and local markets throughout the country. It is an ever-growing, lucrative field, and the demand for well-trained voice-over artists is increasing rapidly in our age of digital entertainment.

Now in its updated and revised third edition -- this is the primary instructional book in the voice-over field. A clearly written and practical primer for the beginner and a welcome refresher course for the professional, "Word of Mouth" contains voice-over exercises, sample copy, and essential advice about producing a demo, auditioning, self-promoting, getting an agent, and what to expect on the job.

It also provides exclusive and up-to-date lists of voice-over agents, coaches, workshops, and demo producers and duplicators. It is the standard text for numerous university communications, television, and acting department courses.

The book is accompanied by a 50-minute audio CD that demonstrates various techniques and styles of animation and commercial voice-over performed by ten top voice-over artists.

Available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble

"What quickly becomes apparent when you are in a Susan Blu session is that she has a better voice and greater skill than you. So the fact that she is beloved by actors is a true testament to her directing chops and her generous spirit."—William H. Macy

"Sue is a voice-actor’s dream! She has a way of helping you pull things out of your voice that you didn’t know were there."—Wayne Brady

"Sue Blu is the real deal. She directs with respect, humor, and the greatest timing on earth. I know because she directed me towards two daytime Emmy nominations, and I love her." —Henry Winkler

"Sue has great honesty that is brought to her work; it clearly brings her directing and teaching skills to a higher level. Voice-overs have always been her passion. She has the ability to understand all the nuances of character and animation. She instantly knows how to bring life and personality to a character’s voice through amazing and helpful exercises. I hope you get as much out of this book as I have." —Lucy Liu

**********

Susan Blu is a veteran stage and screen actor who has done hundreds of commercial voice-overs. Recognized as one of the foremost voice-over artists and animation directors, her animation credits include The Land Before Time, Spider-Man, Curious George, Superman, The Magic School Bus, Stuart Little, and hundreds more. She teaches both commercial and animation voice-over in workshops throughout the U.S and Canada.

Molly Ann Mullin is a professional writer who has penned more than 20 plays for radio, television, and stage, and has won several national awards for dramatic and comedy writing. She is a member of the Dramatists Guild and a past President of the NBC Writers Workshop.

Cynthia Songé is an actress, writer, and voice-over artist/instructor.

Get your copy at Amazon or Barnes and Noble today!


Share/Save/Bookmark

Monday, February 04, 2013

"Pushing The Limits!" by Al Kavadlo

Total Body Strength With No Equipment

By Al Kavadlo


What is more satisfying than OWNING a primally powerful, functionally forceful and brute-strong body? A body that packs a punch. A body that commands attention with its etched physique, coiled muscle and proud confidence…A body that can PERFORM at the highest levels of physical accomplishment…

Well, both Al Kavadlo—the author of Pushing the Limits!—and his brother Danny, are supreme testaments to the primal power of body culture done the old-school, ancient way—bare-handed, with your body only. The brothers Kavadlo walk the bodyweight talk—and then some. The proof is evident on every page of Pushing the Limits!

Your body is your temple. Protect and strengthen your temple by modeling the methods of the exercise masters. Al Kavadlo has modeled the masters and has the “temple” to show for it. Follow Al’s progressive plan for primal body power within the pages of Pushing the Limits!—follow in the footsteps of the great bodyweight exercise masters—and you too can build the explosive strength and possess the magnificent physique you deserve.

"When people ask me about bodyweight strength training, I point them to Al Kavadlo. Pushing the Limits! is a must-have for bodyweight training enthusiasts or anyone looking to build strength without lifting weights. Al lays out dozens of effective exercises for every fitness level, while making the journey fun and encouraging."—MARK SISSON, author of The Primal Blueprint

"In this awesome new book, Al only asks that you find ONE piece of equipment—your body! Stoic, Spartan, perfection...this book is bodyweight strength training for the ultimate purist!"—PAUL WADE, author of Convict Conditioning

Save $10.00 when you invest by Friday, April 19th

Pushing the Limits! - $39.95 $29.95


Share/Save/Bookmark

Saturday, February 02, 2013

"Why Four Gospels?" by David Alan Black

In "Why Four Gospels?" noted Greek and New Testament scholar David Alan Black, concisely and clearly presents the case for the early development of the gospels, beginning with Matthew, rather than Mark. But this is much more than a discussion of the order in which the gospels were written. Using both internal data from the gospels themselves and an exhaustive and careful examination of the statements of the early church fathers, Dr. Black places each gospel in the context of the early development of Christianity.

 Though Markan priority is the dominant position still in Biblical scholarship, Dr. Black argues that this position is not based on the best evidence available, that the internal evidence is often given more weight than it deserves and alternative explanations are dismissed or ignored. If you would like an outline of the basis for accepting both early authorship of the gospels and the priority of Matthew, this book is for you.


Available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble


David Alan Black (D.Theol., University of Basel) is professor of New Testament and Greek at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. He is the author or editor of 16 books, including Learn to Read New Testament Greek, Interpreting the New Testament, and Rethinking the Synoptic Problem. (Amazon and Barnes and Noble book links) He has written more than 100 articles in journals such as New Testament Studies, Biblica, and Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society.

Order your copy at Amazon and Barnes and Noble


Share/Save/Bookmark

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Voice-Over Voice Actor: What It's Like Behind The Mic by Yuri Lowenthal and Tara Platt

A peek into the secret world of the voice actor for those curious, daring, or obsessed enough to look. This book offers a comprehensive look at what it takes, what goes on, and what it's like behind the mic from two working pros.

In this book, you will discover:
* The ins and outs of auditioning
* Vocal warm-ups and exercises
* Tips for reading copy to maximum effect
* Hints to help you stand out
* Keys to marketing yourself: demo to agent to job
* What to expect when you book the job!

Filled with anecdotes from 20 VO professionals (actors, writers, casting, directors, engineers, agents) the book is a fun and comprehensive look inside voice-over.


Available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.


Yuri Lowenthal, in addition to being a giant nerd, is an award-winning actor of stage, screen and voice-over. He has worked on over 200 video game titles, but may be best known for his work in the popular Prince of Persia video game series, in which he plays the titular prince in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, and Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones. He's voiced Superman and Superman X on the Saturday morning animated Kids WB show Legion of Superheroes, as well as Jinno/Kuma on Afro Samurai. Catch him currently as Ben Tennyson on Cartoon Network's Ben Ten: Alien Force and as Bobby Drake, Iceman, on NickToons in the animated series, Wolverine and the X-Men. Anime fans may also know him from such series as Naruto, RaveMaster, Kyo Kara Maoh, Gurren Lagann, Bleach, Code Geass, and the film, Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles. For additional credits, fun facts and information, please visit his Web site YuriLowenthal.com.

Tara Platt is not a nerd, but is proudly married to one. She has performed internationally from London to New York to Los Angeles in film, TV, animation, and theatre. In the VO world, she is best known for her work on the series and video games Naruto as Temari, DC vs. MK as Wonder Woman, and Legion of Superheroes as Dream Girl. Anime fans may also recognize her from animated series and features: Digimon: Island of Lost Digimon, Buso Renkin, RaveMaster, FateStayNight, Rozenmaiden, Tokko; Blue Dragon, Bleach, DearS, Boys Be; and in video games: Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, Eternal Sonata, Soul Calibur, Final Fantasy, Desperate Housewives, Halo 2 (ilovebees), Tales of Symphonia, Tales of the Abyss, Persona, and Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria. Tara and Yuri's production company Monkey Kingdom Productions recently finished their first feature film, Tumbling After. For more information on her or her credits, please visit her Web site TaraPlatt.com.

Order your copy at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.


Share/Save/Bookmark

Sunday, December 30, 2012

My "Convict Conditioning" Progress - Support Press: Day 1

This is video of one set from the first day of my Support Press training, which is Step One of the Press Flag progression from "Convict Conditioning 2" by Paul "Coach" Wade. With the Support Press, you start out using a wide grip and gradually move the hand on the vertical bar closer to the horizontal bar. I am starting out with 5 second sets and working up to 10 seconds before moving the grip in closer. Once you can hold the close grip for 10 seconds, it's on to Step Two.


If any of you are working on the Press Flag Series, drop a comment, or email me and let me know how you're progressing. If not, what are you waiting for? Get your copies of  "Convict Conditioning" and "Convict Conditioning 2" today, and GET BUSY!

Check out more "Convict Conditioning" products, as well as other great Bodyweight training tools HERE!


Share/Save/Bookmark

Friday, December 21, 2012

My "Convict Conditioning" Progress - Support Press

My "Convict Conditioning" Progress Audio Blog 
Listen in the player or download here

  Al Kavadlo demonstrating the Support Press

If any of you are working on the Press Flag Series, drop a comment, or email me and let me know how you're progressing. If not, what are you waiting for? Get your copies of  "Convict Conditioning" and "Convict Conditioning 2" today, and GET BUSY!

Check out more "Convict Conditioning" products, as well as other great Bodyweight training tools HERE!

Music by Dan-O at DanoSongs.com


Share/Save/Bookmark

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

"Death Of An American: The Killing Of John Singer" by David Fleisher and David M. Freedman

In January 1979 John Singer, a hard-working, self-reliant Utah farmer, was shot and killed by a state law enforcement officer during an arrest attempt.
 His death came after six years of conflict with the courts over his insistence on educating his daughter at home, in accordance with his Mormon beliefs.
John Singer clearly broke the state law, but was the principle worth dying for?
A powerful examination of the events, after which Singer's wife filed a lawsuit through famed lawyer Gerry Spence against Utah officials, including the Governor, in a landmark case of parents' rights, and a loving family man who died in a fight for personal and religious freedom.

Available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble


Share/Save/Bookmark

Saturday, November 17, 2012

My "Convict Conditioning" Progress - Uneven Pushups

My "Convict Conditioning" Progress Audio Blog 
Listen in the player or download here
 
Uneven Pushups
If any of you are working on the Pushup Series, drop a comment, or email me and let me know how you're progressing. If not, what are you waiting for? Get your copies of  "Convict Conditioning" and "Convict Conditioning 2" today, and GET BUSY!

Check out more "Convict Conditioning" products, as well as other great Bodyweight training tools HERE!

Neil Bednar's My Convict Conditioning Journey

Music by Dan-O at DanoSongs.com


Share/Save/Bookmark

Friday, November 09, 2012

My "Convict Conditioning" Progress - Hanging Bent Leg Raises

My "Convict Conditioning" Progress Audio Blog 
Listen in the player or download here

Hanging Knee Raises
Hanging Bent Leg Raises
If any of you are working on the Leg Raise Series, drop a comment, or email me and let me know how you're progressing. If not, what are you waiting for? Get your copies of  "Convict Conditioning" and "Convict Conditioning 2" today, and GET BUSY!

Check out more "Convict Conditioning" products, as well as other great Bodyweight training tools HERE!

Music by Dan-O at DanoSongs.com



Share/Save/Bookmark

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

My "Convict Conditioning" Progress - Clutch Flag Update!

My "Convict Conditioning" Progress Audio Blog 
Listen in the player or download here
 
 
Al Kavadlo demonstrating the Clutch Flag 

If any of you are working on the Human Flag, drop a comment, or email me and let me know how you're progressing. If not, what are you waiting for? Get your copies of  "Convict Conditioning" and "Convict Conditioning 2" today, and GET BUSY!

Check out more "Convict Conditioning" products, as well as other great Bodyweight training tools HERE!

Music by Dan-O at DanoSongs.com


Share/Save/Bookmark

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

"Convict Conditioning" Ultimate Bodyweight Training Log


“When It Comes to Serious Training, You Keep a Log Or You Fail…”

Save Yourself From Failure—With The Ultimate Bodyweight Training Log






























































We’ve all heard the phrase “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”. And never was this more true than in the quest for strength!

So, what are the two golden keys, or secrets to bending the flesh to the spirit’s desire?

The first secret is the system—and the system is dedicated, organized application over time. And in the hard world of strength that means keeping track of your goals and measuring your progress. When it comes to serious training, you keep a log or you fail. The sins of sloppiness, haphazardness, laziness and disorganization lay waste to our dreams of physical achievement—and sabotage the best intentions to beat our flesh into righteous steel. We invite you to exorcize the demons of weakness from your flesh—with a “religious” dedication to tracking and measuring—Convict Conditioning style.

The second secret for strength success is inspiration. In this stunning companion to his bestselling bodyweight exercise masterpieces, Convict Conditioning author Paul Wade, goes far, far beyond the traditional log book—by delivering a bucket-load of inspiring stories and jewel-like training tips to push you forward in your quest for ever-greater strength.

This book is the first-ever training log designed specifically for bodyweight athletes. Other logs are structured to contain sections where you detail the amount of weight you used, the type of equipment or machine you worked out on, even what your heart-rate was and what vitamins you took today. You won’t find any of this distracting information in this log. It’s a log for pure, unadulterated, hardcore bodyweight training. We provide the inspiration and the structure—you provide the perspiration and bloody-mindedness to seize the plan and make it happen.

There is a window of opportunity awaiting you. The strength gains that have continued to elude you can finally be yours. That window of opportunity lies within these pages and within your heart. Bring it!


Sample page spreads from the "Convict Conditioning" Ultimate Bodyweight Training Log:
















Get your copy of the "Convict Conditioning" Ultimate Bodyweight Training Log here today! 

Check out more "Convict Conditioning" products, as well as other great Bodyweight training tools HERE!


Share/Save/Bookmark

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

"Convict Conditioning" DVD, Volume 5: Maximum Strength: The One-Arm Pullup Series




We are proud to announce another blockbuster program from Paul Wade—and this one has got to be on any serious athlete’s Top Ten Want List:









DVD and Companion Manual Set

Invest by October 19 and save $6.00!

Paul Wade’s Convict Conditioning Volume 5, Maximum Strength: The One-Arm Pullup Series explodes out of the cellblock to teach you in absolute detail how to progress from the relative ease of a Vertical Pull—to the stunning, “1-in-1,000” achievement of the One-Arm Pull-Up. Ten progressive steps guide you to inevitable mastery of this ultimate exercise for the upper back, steely, bulging biceps and etched abs.


Tap into the Dormant Ancestral Power of the Mighty Pullup—to Develop a Massive Upper Back, Steel-Tendon Arms, Etched Abs and Agile Survival Strength

This home-study course in ultimate survival strength comes replete with bonus material not available in Paul Wade’s original Convict Conditioning book—and numerous key training tips that refine and expand on the original program.

Prowl through the heavily and gorgeously-illustrated 88-plus-page manual and devour the entire film script at your animal leisure. Digest the brilliant, precise photographs and reinforce the raw benefits you absorbed from the DVD.

Paul Wade adds a bonus Ten Commandments for Perfect Pullups—which is worth the price of admission alone. And there’s the additional bonus of 4 major Variant drills to add explosivity, fun and super-strength to your core practice.

Whatever you are looking for from your pullups—be it agile survival strength, arms of steel, a massive upper back with flaring lats, Popeye Biceps or gape-inducing abs—it’s yours for the progressive taking with Convict Conditioning Volume 5, Maximum Strength: The One-Arm Pullup Series.


Click this link to order yours today!

Check out more "Convict Conditioning" products, as well as other great Bodyweight training tools HERE! 


Share/Save/Bookmark

Friday, October 05, 2012

My "Convict Conditioning" Progress - Clutch Flag

My "Convict Conditioning" Progress Audio Blog
Listen in the player or download here
 
 
Al Kavadlo demonstrating the Clutch Flag 

If any of you are working on the Human Flag, drop a comment, or email me and let me know how you're progressing. If not, what are you waiting for? Get your copies of  "Convict Conditioning" and "Convict Conditioning 2" today, and GET BUSY!

Check out more "Convict Conditioning" products, as well as other great Bodyweight training tools HERE!

Music by Dan-O at DanoSongs.com


Share/Save/Bookmark

Friday, September 28, 2012

The Crime and Punishment of I.G. Farben by Joseph Borkin

The startling account of the unholy alliance of Adolph Hitler and Germany's great chemical combine

I.G. Farben was a German chemical industry conglomerate. Its name is taken from Interessen-Gemeinschaft Farbenindustrie AG (Syndicate [literally, "community of interests"] of dye-making corporations). The company was formed in 1925 from a number of major chemical companies that had been working together closely since World War I. During its heyday I.G. Farben was the largest chemical company in the world and the fourth largest overall industrial concern, after General Motors, U.S. Steel and Standard Oil (New Jersey).

I.G. Farben was involved in numerous war crimes during World War II. It was seized by the Allies in 1945 and liquidated in 1952. It still nominally exists as an asset-less shell, with the stated goal of paying restitution to the victims of its many crimes in the form of compensation and reparations.

Available at Amazon.com


Share/Save/Bookmark

Saturday, September 15, 2012

The Epworth Phenomena: Paranormal Experiences From The Journal Of John Wesley

It is fairly certain that Galileo never said, "It moves, for all that," and that Wellington never said, "Up, Guards, and at 'em!" And one humorous writer has proved that Napoleon never existed, so perhaps Waterloo was never fought, and no enemy there for the Guards to be up and at. History, in short, is an uncertain affair. It depends on fallible human testimony; and though most of us are agreed on the principal points, even these cannot be coercively proved, and from them there spreads a region of ever-increasing dimness, where many things are lost, all outlines are indistinct, and illusions and false perspectives abound. Who was the Man in the Iron Mask? Was William Rufus murdered, or killed accidentally? Did Branwell Bronte make love to his employer's wife? Did D. D. Home really float out of one window and in at another? We do not know. How then shall we expect to know exactly what happened in the parental home of John Wesley two hundred years ago, or the exact details of ghost stories and the like that were told him on his travels? No certainty is attainable. Each must judge for himself-or must suspend judgment-and the verdict will depend partly on the evidence, partly on our knowledge or ignorance of similar cases, and partly on our emotional bias if we have any. Anyhow, as John Wesley quaintly says, no great harm will be done "provided those who believe and those who disbelieve . . . have but patience with each other."

Concerning the psychic disturbances of a poltergeist nature at Epworth Vicarage, in 1716 during its occupancy by Rev. Samuel Wesley, father of Methodist Church founder John Wesley. "Most if not all of Wesley's biographers agree that what has come generally to be known as "The Epworth Case" is one of the best authenticated and related instances of supernormal happenings in the history of psychical research. Even Mr. Frank Podmore admits that "this is at once the most fully authenticated case in the literature of the subject and the most instructive for those that read with understanding"; and in Dr Fitchett's opinion "the evidence, if it were given in a court of law, and in a trial for murder, would suffice to hang any man. " 

Available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble


Share/Save/Bookmark

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

"The Jesus Papyrus" by Carsten Peter Thiede and Matthew D'Ancona

In 1901, the Reverend Charles B. Huleatt acquired three pieces of a New Testament manuscript on the murky antiquities market of Luxor, Egypt. He donated these papyrus fragments to his alma mater, Magdalen College in Oxford, England, where they sat in a display case and drew very little attention. Nearly a century later, the fragments--part of the Gospel of Matthew and thought to date from a.d. 180-200--were reevaluated by scholar Carsten Peter Thiede. His research showed the bits of papyrus to be significantly older, written about a.d. 60.
But what is all the fuss about? How can three ancient papyrus fragments be so significant? How did Thiede arrive at this radical early dating? And what does it mean to the average Christian? Now readers have authoritative answers to these pivotal questions, in a book written by Thiede himself and by Times of London journalist Matthew d'Ancona, who originally broke the story to the public. Indeed, the Magdalen Papyrus corroborates three traditions: Saint Matthew actually wrote the Gospel bearing his name; he wrote it within a generation of Jesus' death; and the Gospel stories about Jesus are true. Some will vehemently deny Thiede's claims, others will embrace them, but nobody can ignore "THE JESUS PAPYRUS."

Available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble


Share/Save/Bookmark

Friday, August 10, 2012

My "Convict Conditioning" Progress - One Leg "Pistol" Squats

My "Convict Conditioning" Progress Audio Blog
 Listen in the player or download here

"Convict Conditioning" Squat Series Progression Step 7 - Uneven Squat


If any of you are working on the One Leg "Pistol" Squat, drop a comment, or email me and let me know how you're progressing. If not, what are you waiting for? Get your copies of  "Convict Conditioning" and "Convict Conditioning 2" today, and GET BUSY!

Check out more "Convict Conditioning" products, as well as other great Bodyweight training tools HERE!

Music by Dan-O at DanoSongs.com


Share/Save/Bookmark