This is your first day in the military. You have been walking around in your underwear most of the day. You have been taking test after test. Finally, you take the Oath. You are now officially in the military. At one p.m. someone shows up in a van and drives you to your basic training site. Who are you? You are Army recruits I’ve had the privilege of driving to either Fort Knox, Kentucky, or Fort Jackson, South Carolina; or maybe you’re a Marine recruit going to Parris Island, South Carolina. But you will all be one of a thousand young men and women I had the privilege of transporting to their basic training stations over a period of three years. For, I am “the man who drives the van.”

In "The Greatest Adventure Books of Jack London: Sea Novels, Gold Rush Thrillers & Animal Stories," readers are immersed in a collection of works that showcase London's diverse literary talent. From tales of survival at sea to thrilling adventures during the Gold Rush, and heartwarming stories featuring animals, this compilation offers a comprehensive look at London's captivating storytelling. London's vivid descriptions and engaging narratives transport readers to different settings and time periods, making each story a unique and immersive experience. With a mix of action, drama, and heartfelt moments, these adventure books demonstrate London's ability to master various genres and captivate readers of all ages. Jack London, a renowned author known for his adventurous spirit and love of the outdoors, drew inspiration from his own experiences to create these timeless tales. His firsthand knowledge of life in the wild and his deep connection to nature shine through in his writings, adding depth and authenticity to his stories. London's passion for adventure and his commitment to social issues are evident in his work, making him a significant figure in American literature. For readers seeking exhilarating adventures, profound insights into human nature, and timeless classics, "The Greatest Adventure Books of Jack London" is a must-read. London's masterful storytelling and thought-provoking themes make this collection a compelling choice for anyone looking for a literary journey filled with excitement, suspense, and heartwarming moments.

For the "Retired Blues Crew", a small group of retired LAPD police officers that meet once a month to share old war stories and enjoy each other's company, accepting retirement was a hard pill to swallow. Once considered savvy street warriors who risked life and limb protecting the good citizens of Los Angeles, they were now the forgotten hero's whose past heroic deeds were now only remembrances visited through their colorful story telling during their once a month get-togethers. Like all things in life, they were all expendable and the guys in the "Retired Blues Crew" had been replaced by a new generation of street warriors. To the old dogs who were put out to pasture, the new centurions were taking their places with new technology and a confidence that bordered on disrespect for those who had paved the way before them. The argument that the old days of crushing crime without the benefit of all the new-fangled gadgets was more rewarding than the technology of the future was a misconception of the new breed that were now in charge of protecting the citizens of Los Angeles. For the select group of old story tellers, they needed to add one more chapter in their lives, something for the street warriors of the present to remember them by when their time finally came and they were reduced to second class citizens too old to do the job anymore. This small tight knit group of old street warriors had enough and it was time to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they weren't too old to out-smart and out-wit the high tech rouges who have now taken their places. Proving that computers and gadgets could never replace the wisdom and experience that the old dogs were blessed with wouldn't be an easy task, but they were determined to challenge the new breed and beat them at their own game. They knew whatever it was they were going to do couldn't replicate anything like the violent movies you see were people die, get hurt or cars get wrecked and buildings are blown up, after all they were cops or at least they were once. That being said, the old dogs had to pull off the perfect caper and they had to do it without claiming any of the bragging rights they so much yearned for. It would have to be for no other reason than "For Greater Glory." In that one of their own had been diagnosed with cancer with less than six months to live, they only had a small window of opportunity to get it done. Since he was the architect behind the perfect crime referred to as "Operation Blue Eclipse," their success would depend on how well the plan was executed with no room for error. If all went as planned and after all was said and done, the Retired Blues Crew would truly know who the best of the best was.

Featuring a complete update of the previous edition to reflect the new and expanded tools of PowerPoint 2013. By providing in-depth guidance, specific instructions, and helpful exercises, the book helps everyday trainers to create potent e-learning through the readily available popular desktop application. Established expert Jane Bozarth guides readers through the powerful new and updated features of the soon-to-be-released 2013 version, covering everything from text to art, animation to interactivity. If you have PowerPoint, this book will immediately put free real-world tools in your hands. Also features many online tools, including relevant technical design elements from older PowerPoint versions as well as a wealth of additional tools, templates, and examples. SECTION ONE: FOUNDATIONS Chapter One: Creating E-Learning with PowerPoint Chapter Two: It's About Design, Not Software SECTION TWO: INTERFACE AND CONTENT Chapter Three: The Graphic User Interface and Course Architecture Chapter 4 Designing for Impact Chapter Five: Creating and Editing Art Chapter Six: Animation Chapter Seven: Interactivity Chapter Eight: Add-Ons, Blending, Performance Support, and Job Aids Chapter Nine: Adding Narration and Multimedia SECTION THREE: DELIVERY AND SUPPORT Chapter Ten: Saving, Uploading, and Distributing Appendix: PowerPoint Basics References and Other Sources Other Resources

Danny Helm was thirteen in the eighteen fifties. His mother died. His brother John mistreated him which was overlooked and called him Miss Puss. Danny did the house work. John took the balloon payment for the hillside farm in the Ozark Mountains and went to California and bought a goldmine. After a few years his father headed for California. The neighbor lady who had home schooled Danny and whose husband had died accompanied them. Danny was abandoned on a ranch in New Mexico where the owners had been murdered. Some wounded troopers took refuge in the barn. Danny removed bullets from them. The Commanding officer of Fort Summer asked Danny to field test a repeating rifle. Danny operated on some Tesuque Indians and was made a Tesuque. He met Becky Summer. She fell in love with him. He went back east to buy a donkey to start raising mules. He was wounded by Abolitionist and treated in Fort Larned. Becky went to bring him home and he confessed he loved her. She planned their wedding. John said that their father had been killed in a mine cave in. Danny and Becky went to California on their honeymoon, to give his father a proper burial. They found his paralyzed father tended to by a Russian. They hit the mother lode and became rich. They returned to the ranch. Danny was conscripted by the Pike Peakers as a surgeon. He was captured by the Southern Army at the battle of Glorieta Pass. He was left to die. When he was found he had lost his memory. He was summoned to Washington by President Lincoln to receive the Medal of Honor and the Presidential Medal. Becky took him to his old house and he recovered his memory. They went back home.

Since launching his career at the Village Voice in the early 1980s Greg Tate has been one of the premiere critical voices on contemporary Black music, art, literature, film, and politics. Flyboy 2 provides a panoramic view of the past thirty years of Tate's influential work. Whether interviewing Miles Davis or Ice Cube, reviewing an Azealia Banks mixtape or Suzan-Lori Parks's Topdog/Underdog, discussing visual artist Kara Walker or writer Clarence Major, or analyzing the ties between Afro-futurism, Black feminism, and social movements, Tate's resounding critical insights illustrate how race, gender, and class become manifest in American popular culture. Above all, Tate demonstrates through his signature mix of vernacular poetics and cultural theory and criticism why visionary Black artists, intellectuals, aesthetics, philosophies, and politics matter to twenty-first-century America.

Gripping, deeply researched, and authoritative, the history of one of the closest intelligence and security relationships in the world The Special Relationship between the United States and Britain is touted by politicians when it suits their purpose and, as frequently, dismissed as myth, not least by the media. Yet the truth is that the two countries are bound together more closely than either is to any other ally. In The Real Special Relationship, Michael Smith reveals how it all began, eighty years ago, when a top-secret visit by four American codebreakers to Bletchley Park in February 1941—ten months before the US entered World War II—marked the start of a close collaboration between the intellitence services of the two nations. When that war ended and the Cold War began, both sides recognized that the way they worked together to decode German and Japanese ciphers could be used to counter the Soviet threat. They laid the foundation for the behind-the-scenes intelligence sharing that has continued—despite rivalries among the services and occasional political conflict and public disputes between the two nations—through the collapse of the Soviet Union, 9/11, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and to the threats of the present moment. Smith, who served in British military intelligence, brings together a fascinating range of characters, from Winston Churchill and Ian Fleming to John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, and Edward Snowden. Supported by in-depth interviews and a broad range of personal contacts in the intelligence community, he takes the reader into the workings of MI6, the CIA, the NSA, and all those who strive to keep us safe. Sir John Scarlett, former chief of MI6, has written the introduction, and Michael Hayden, former director of the CIA and the NSA, has provided the foreword.