Ren Gallagher had it all. Good looks, charisma, and a successful career in public relations. He had also been HIV positive for eleven years. Ren was a survivor. Until now. Within months, lipodystrophy has disfigured Ren’s once handsome face, and he spirals into the darkness of despair and suicide as he becomes a stranger to himself. But someone is not willing to let Ren give up. Night Cloud, the spirit of a young Native American who had died of AIDS in the early 1980’s, intervenes to lead Ren from hopelessness and isolation to a place where he can regain his sense of self. Certain his life is over, Ren is about to discover the Oh Aces, an obscure, socially vibrant sex club with one very big “heart on” ...

In Windows and Mirrors: Interaction Design, Digital Art, and the Myth of Transparency, Jay David Bolter and Diane Gromala argue that, contrary to Donald Norman's famous dictum, we do not always want our computers to be invisible "information appliances." They say that a computer does not feel like a toaster or a vacuum cleaner; it feels like a medium that is now taking its place beside other media like printing, film, radio, and television. The computer as medium creates new forms and genres for artists and designers; Bolter and Gromala want to show what digital art has to offer to Web designers, education technologists, graphic artists, interface designers, HCI experts, and, for that matter, anyone interested in the cultural implications of the digital revolution.In the early 1990s, the World Wide Web began to shift from purely verbal representation to an experience for the user in which form and content were thoroughly integrated. Designers brought their skills and sensibilities to the Web, as well as a belief that a message was communicated through interplay of words and images. Bolter and Gromala argue that invisibility or transparency is only half the story; the goal of digital design is to establish a rhythm between transparency--made possible by mastery of techniques--and reflection--as the medium itself helps us understand our experience of it.The book examines recent works of digital art from the Art Gallery at SIGGRAPH 2000. These works, and their inclusion in an important computer conference, show that digital art is relevant to technologists. In fact, digital art can be considered the purest form of experimental design; the examples in this book show that design need not deliver information and then erase itself from our consciousness but can engage us in an interactive experience of form and content.

The Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Western America is pleased to announce the publication of an outstanding book by Fr. Stamatis Skliris, a disciple of the great twentieth-century theologians Archimandrite Justin Popovich and Bishop Athanasius Yevtich. Fr. Stamatis is a parish priest in Athens and is renowned as an iconographer and as a writer and lecturer on Byzantine iconography. In the Mirror is the second of a planned collection of works of contemporary theologians. It is an anthology of Fr. Stamatis"'" articles which have appeared in Greek and Serbian. In it, he combines adherence to the teachings of the Church Fathers with a vibrant expression of faith through the experience of Christ in the Church. The book is adorned with more than 200 striking icons and illustrations by Fr. Stamatis. Fr. Stamatis"'" contribution to modern art (both Church art, and art in general) through his painting and iconography is already a generally established fact. Focusing on themes central to patristic Christology and Anthropology, the book reveals the ultimate purpose of the icon. Fr. Stamatis speaks of how, through the reality of the Incarnation of the Invisible God, we have been given the possibility of Christian iconography, iconology and icon veneration Upon observing Fr. Stamatis artwork, we see that he manages to link the graphic and the chromatic elements harmoniously and with rare originality, thus anticipating with his drawing and coloring a wondrous world, God's world of love and light. With regard to the graphic element, by the mobility and expressiveness of his images, with the open, childlike looks in their eyes through his excellent knowledge of anatomy (being a medical doctor) and of psychology (being a priest and a spiritual father) Fr. Stamatis overcomes the immobility and inertia of fallen human nature through a movement of reaching out , which is the feat of loving and of an eager progress toward Christ. As far as coloration is concerned, by a combination of color (warm-cold, complementary), by a gradation of tones, and by a multitude of vibrating shades brought on by the brush employing the best solutions from the history of the art of painting (Byzantine, impressionist, cubistic, abstract, surrealist, etc.) and in doing all this, illuminating everything by light , Fr. Stamatis anticipates the coloration of Paradise , the coloration of a new Heaven and a new Earth (Rev. 21:1). In addition to this, he also offers a thematic contribution: he does not overlook emphasizing the historic, tragic element (agony, suffering, wounds, and pain) in the images of saints and martyrs depicted in his works, and especially in his most recent creations, which are, nevertheless , illuminated by the Light which overcomes the world and history.

This innovative, two-in-one picture book follows a parallel day in the life of two families: one in a Western city and one in a North African village. Designed to be read side by side, these intriguing stories are told entirely through richly detailed collage illustrations. Full color.

An innovative, two-in-one picture book follows a parallel day in the life of two families: one in a Western city and one in a North African village.Somewhere in Sydney, Australia, a boy and his family wake up, eat breakfast, and head out for a busy day of shopping. Meanwhile, in a small village in Morocco, a boy and his family go through their own morning routines and set out to a bustling market. In this ingenious, wordless picture book, readers are invited to compare, page by page, the activities and surroundings of children in two different cultures. Their lives may at first seem quite unalike, but a closer look reveals that there are many things, some unexpected, that connect them as well. Designed to be read side by side — one from the left and the other from the right —these intriguing stories are told entirely through richly detailed collage illustrations.

For too long, we as teachers and leaders have given information without revelation. We tell people what they need to know, and if they can remember and repeat it back, we think they've learned it. They haven't. Head knowledge does not convince the heart. The heart is anchored by revelation and experience. We must experience the love of God to know that God is love. Otherwise, we will agree with the concept, until the circumstances of life leave us feeling forsaken. When abandonment closes in, an intellectual faith will fail us. God's mirror in an integrated, versatile study geared to train through the process of discovery. It is designed to allow the Lord, Himself, to lead the students on a quest of discovery. The student's manual asks real life questions and gives the students keys for finding their own answers. The leaders' guide includes ample suggestions to equip and enable the leader to facilitate the discovery process - training the heart to KNOW what the head can only intellectualize. Leading students beyond the primary lesson of salvation, God's Mirror causes students to look at themselves from God's perspective and discover their own faces in the future - the faces of the men and women they were created to be. The material can be used in a variety of ways and on various levels. It contains: • Interactive lessons with foundational truth solidly grounded in God's word. • Practical guidelines for group prayer that focus on how to know and pray the will of God and stand against the devil. • A daily devotional guide that equips believers to use tools such as Bible study, meditation, journaling, listening, discerning truth, and declaration. • The leader's guide contains practical guidelines for facilitating a small group, building unity, and more in-depth understanding on concepts taught in the lessons. The material is arranged for maximum flexibility. The student book is divided into two eight week sections. This gives flexibility for those who can't commit large time blocks. The first section covers God's original plan for man to carry His authority and have dominion in the earth, how Satan stole man's inheritance, and how we can enter into God's covenant and restore the original plan. While the individual's salvation and forgiveness are well covered, they are couched in a broader kingdom perspective, taking the focus off the individual and putting it on God's purposes and perspective. The second part is called "The Heart Repair Kit." It is carefully balanced between digging out the heart issues that put people in bondage and focusing on who God says they are in Jesus. The faith focus prevents the bog-down affect of discovering and dealing with life's bondages. This section culminates in water baptism as the physical act that portrays the cleansing and resurrection life that takes place during this part of the course. The combination of the two sections should result in believers being soundly saved and set free from a great deal of the baggage of their pasts.

Young TJ started life in North Texas, during a dust-bowl time, when life was at its hardest. He must leave home at an early age to survive. He works at different jobs and experiences many difficult times that test his values. As he becomes a man and finds his way in life, TJ meets the girl of his dreams but he also becomes the target of greed and murder.With the help of his friends and adopted family, TJ overcomes the evil of Rodney Crisp, his ill-gotten partner. Rodney wants TJ killed so he can take over the mining operation.No matter what happens in TJ's life, his roots run deep and he sticks to the honest, hard working values his parents instilled in him; and the reward for this is a family and happiness.

In this thrilling debut, David J. Williams delivers a hard-hitting blend of military SF and dystopian cyberpunk, set in a futuristic landscape where hostilities rage from the Eastern and Western hemispheres to the outer ranges of space. In the 22nd century, the first wonder of a brave new world is the Phoenix Space Elevator, designed to give mankind greater access to the frontier beyond Earth. Built by the U.S./Pan-Asian Coalition, the Elevator is also a grand symbol of superpower alliance following a second cold war. And it’s just been destroyed. The South American insurgent group Autumn Rain claims responsibility for the attack, but with suspicions rampant, armies and espionage teams are mobilized across the globe and beyond. Enter Claire Haskell and Jason Marlowe, U.S. counterintelligence agents, and former lovers—though their memories may only be constructs implanted by their spymaster. Forced to set aside the enigma of their past, their agenda is to trust no one. For in a time of shifting loyalties, the enemy could be anyone—from a shadowy assassin working a questionable mission on the dark side of the moon, to a Euro data thief working under deep cover and wooed into a dangerous pact. As the crisis mounts, and the search for Autumn Rain spans both Earth and Moon, the lives of all those involved will converge in one explosive finale—and a startling aftermath that will rewrite everything they’ve ever known—about their mission, their world, and themselves

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Dee I always thought it would be cool to escape into another world. I never believed I'd find one in my reflection. But there I was, falling through the mirror into a parallel life-Samara's life. And she needed me. The cutting, the dead mom, no friends...She was hurting, and I knew it was up to me to fix it. She needed me to fix her. She'll thank me... Samara I never had a friend until I met Dee, at least not a real friend. But then she's my reflection, so maybe I'm just crazy. When she suggested we switch places, it seemed like the perfect answer. So I let her live in my world, and I lived in hers. With her mom, her boyfriend, her friends-her perfect life...I don't belong here. But how can I go back after what she's done? Two girls, one reflection, and a startling discovery about what really lies beyond the bathroom mirror...

In this thrilling debut, David J. Williams delivers a hard-hitting blend of military SF and dystopian cyberpunk, set in a futuristic landscape where hostilities rage from the Eastern and Western hemispheres to the outer ranges of space. In the 22nd century, the first wonder of a brave new world is the Phoenix Space Elevator, designed to give mankind greater access to the frontier beyond Earth. Built by the U.S./Pan-Asian Coalition, the Elevator is also a grand symbol of superpower alliance following a second cold war. And it’s just been destroyed. The South American insurgent group Autumn Rain claims responsibility for the attack, but with suspicions rampant, armies and espionage teams are mobilized across the globe and beyond. Enter Claire Haskell and Jason Marlowe, U.S. counterintelligence agents, and former lovers—though their memories may only be constructs implanted by their spymaster. Forced to set aside the enigma of their past, their agenda is to trust no one. For in a time of shifting loyalties, the enemy could be anyone—from a shadowy assassin working a questionable mission on the dark side of the moon, to a Euro data thief working under deep cover and wooed into a dangerous pact. As the crisis mounts, and the search for Autumn Rain spans both Earth and Moon, the lives of all those involved will converge in one explosive finale—and a startling aftermath that will rewrite everything they’ve ever known—about their mission, their world, and themselves

Written in the midst of World War II after its author emigrated to America, "The Sea and the Mirror" is not merely a great poem but ranks as one of the most profound interpretations of Shakespeare's final play in the twentieth century. As W. H. Auden told friends, it is "really about the Christian conception of art" and it is "my Ars Poetica, in the same way I believe The Tempest to be Shakespeare's." This is the first critical edition. Arthur Kirsch's introduction and notes make the poem newly accessible to readers of Auden, readers of Shakespeare, and all those interested in the relation of life and literature--those two classic themes alluded to in its title.The poem begins in a theater after a performance of The Tempest has ended. It includes a moving speech in verse by Prospero bidding farewell to Ariel, a section in which the supporting characters speak in a dazzling variety of verse forms about their experiences on the island, and an extravagantly inventive section in prose that sees the uncivilized Caliban address the audience on art--an unalloyed example of what Auden's friend Oliver Sachs has called his "wild, extraordinary and demonic imagination."Besides annotating Auden's allusions and sources (in notes after the text), Kirsch provides extensive quotations from his manuscript drafts, permitting the reader to follow the poem's genesis in Auden's imagination. This book, which incorporates for the first time previously ignored corrections that Auden made on the galleys of the first edition, also provides an unusual opportunity to see the effect of one literary genius upon another.