Taxation, Welfare, and the Crisis of Unemployment in Europe

Book Description

This is Kaz's fourth collection of his Harvey Award nominated weekly comic strip, Underworld, which debuted in 1993 in the pages of the New York Press and is syndicated nationally in over a dozen metropolitan newspapers. Underworld is stuffed with almost-parodies of famous comic strip characters, featuring a healthy dose of cigarette smoking cats, cute little saccharin-cuddly creatures, media-damaged kids, and more - all destined for a sardonic smashing in typically-acerbic Kaz fashion. Kaz's strip entertains millions across North America in the pages of the New York Press, the Chicago Reader, the LA Weekly, the Seattle Stranger, the Washington [DC] City Paper and the Cleveland Scene.

Customer Reviews:

Delightfully twisted.......2004-02-13

"Duh: Underworld 4," by Kaz, is a collection of frequently outrageous comic strips. Kaz populates his world with a bizarre crew of recurring characters: Shy Boy, the anally-fixated Petit Mort, tough guy Sam Snuff and his buddy Creep Rat, the Ugly Family, and more. The humor is decidedly adult, and involves such topics as pot smoking, suicide, farting, mental illness, religion, breast size, masturbation, etc.

The subject matter is well complemented by the visual style, which is rich in weird details. Kaz's characters are both grotesque and whimsical; they are repulsive yet curiously likable. Kaz draws on such materials and motifs as fairy tales, urban life, and superhero lore. The overall flavor of the book is like Dr. Seuss crossed with "South Park," or perhaps "Peanuts" rewritten by taboo-busting cartoonist John Callahan. If you love cutting edge cartooning, I strongly recommend "Duh."

Hillarious.......2001-07-19

This is a collection of comic strips created for underground papers by Kaz. Besides having a great, dark counter-culture sort of sense of humour, Kaz, who formerly did lots of work for Art Spiegleman's Raw magazine, is a master draughtsman, putting more imagination into gag strips than most artists put in their most serious works. His influences are obvious, especially Bushmiller's Nancy and Seger's Popeye, but he also brings his own unique, surreal vision to his work.

Kaz's world of urban decay is filled with criminals, con-artists and freaks who, while often dirty and despicable, are also quite cute. Kind of like a cross between Lenny Bruce and the Smurfs. Most of the humour is quite escapist, but there are a few wry, biting comments on American culture that manage to avoid being preachy. Kaz's Underworld is the second best humour strip I've read in years (Dry Shave being the best).

Book Description

Rejoice in the gaudiest gifts of the season with Merry Kitschmas, a glorious inspirational guide for Santa's hapless and hopeless little helpers. Sure to awaken fond memories of a tackier, spanglier time, the dazzling decorating ideas in these pages put the ho ho ho (or the oh, oh, oh) back into the holidays. Send tastebuds tripping on a sentimental journey with the delicious Yes You Can! straight-from-the-can-to-the-table Kitschmas feast. Dee-licious! Save a tree, and set the house aglow with a glittering aluminum White Trash Christmas Tree. And finally bring those nagging carolers that Frigging Figgy Pudding they've been yapping on about for decades. Merry Kitschmas provides a sleighful of holiday inspiration for anyone itching to craft with fruitcake, frolic in a tree skirt, and wow the neighbors with a spectacular lawn lighting fantasia. So, don you now your gay apparel -- it's beginning to look a lot like Kitschmas!

Customer Reviews:

Perfect coffee table find or seasonal reader!.......2006-11-22

Some of the greatest holiday ideas come out of poking fun at the family, festivus and religion which is exactly what this book delivers for some of us. Highly creative, and beautifully photographed, MERRY KITSCHMAS delivers 100 ideas to keep you busy from Thanksgiving 'til you get that always-expected-great-aunt-fruitcake delivered to your door on the 23rd...In fact, you'll know exactly what to do with it after you read Michael Conway's wonderfully fabulous book. Make a cocktail Judy Garland would be proud to slug down, put on a pair of Isotoners, kick back, laugh, and enjoy!

The Joke Was On Me!.......2005-09-25

I love tacky/kitschy Christmas items and thought this would be a fun book to add to my library. Maybe some ideas decorating or using that wonderful stuff from the fifties and sixties? Wrong! It's not Kitsch, it's just plain dumb. Although some of the recipes might be worth trying if you want to re-create a classic fruit cake, why on earth would you add wheat grass to make it "completely inedible".

I'm always open to new ideas and love to have fun things around, but for the life of me I can't find one thing in the entire book that I would try to use for a fun holiday. The white powder donut tree? Nope. The rubber glove tree or the weenie tree -- I think not.

Yeah, I can take a joke and the book is meant to be one. But this joke was on me for spending the money on it.

This is the weirdest thing I've ever seen.......2005-07-23

I thought I'd read everything I needed to know about this book, but when I got it, it was completely different than what I hoped. The cover is an adorable reminder of some the kitschy things that made our Christmas as kids so fun. My Grandma had a few of the same little elves as you see on the front of the book. However, when you look inside, there's no more of that. Just a bunch of pictures of cocktails and fruitcakes. (I'm guessing that this was the kind of Christmas the author grew up with?) There is one page with a great idea for a snow man made of marshmallows. It's impressive and looks yummy. But the rest of this book just made me feel dirty.

I realize that this is probably a joke book, but this is one joke I don't get!

Who Needs Martha Stewart?.......2005-01-08

I hear Martha and her team lost their cell-decorating contest during her first Christmas in jail. She should be out by next year, but if not, "Merry Kitschmas" would be a great source of ideas for an unashamedly tasteless holiday. The book is funny and wonderfully offbeat and a perfect antitode to all the cultural messages about Christmas perfection and yuletide bliss. It's also very well written. I especially love the airstream tree-topper and the spare tire wreath. I hope Michael Conway tackles Valentine's Day next!

Average customer rating:
Quest for Excitement: Sport and Leisure in the Civilizing Process
Norbert Elias , and Eric Dunning
Manufacturer: Blackwell Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0631146547

Book Description

Contains everything needed, including balloons and a pump, to make more than 20 balloon hats and outfits.

Customer Reviews:

Balloons, a way of life........2002-07-18

If I could give this book 10 stars I would! It has changed my life. The balloon hat making is just one aspect. Besides being cute, ballons are waterproof and easily manipulated to fit your own personality. I was so inspired by this book that my entire wardrobe has been replaced by balloons. That's right, shirt, pants, underwear, hats, scarves, etc. I mean everything!
Today will be my first time wearing my new complete wardrobe to work. I am a zoo keeper and today we are giving a demonstration with our porcupines for several visiting 1st grade classes. I can't wait to see the expression on their little faces!
Join the balloon wardrobe craze!

Not for more than a couple of kids........2001-08-09

I didn't think this book was as useful as some others. The pump is too hard to use and you can't make even half of the hats with the balloons they give you because most of these hats require more than one balloon. If you are planning to use it for hats at a party, you will spend too much time on each one and the kids will be too impatient.

Good book but not enough things in it........2000-11-07

Over all this is a good book, easy to understand. The problem is it only teaches hats, if you want to learn other things such as animals you have to buy another book of his with pump. A lot of hats in this book require multiple balloons to make just one hat, your balloons get used up very quickly. Also, the pump is too small, your hands get very tired after pump 2 balloons.

#1 for clowns and balloonist of all ages........1999-04-23

This is a great book. It has a lot of creative designs and it shows you how to do them. Where does this guy get his ideas???? Fantastic!!!!! A great buy for beginners and experts alike. I'm looking forward to using some of these ideas at my next birthday party and school fair.

A must for kids parties!.......1999-02-06

What a great book! I was making great balloon hats and swords within ten minutes of picking this book up! My four-year-old son and his friends were thrilled the next day when I showed off my new skills at his birthday party. (Hint: For a party, blow up plenty of ballons the night before to save time -- then do the twisting at the party). This book was much better than the other one I bought -- the photographs were easier to follow than the drawings; it came with 40 balloons instead of 10; and it came with a much better hand pump. It was really a lot of fun!

Average customer rating:

Balloon Hats & Accessories
Aaron Flanders
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0071434771

Book Description

IT’S SHEER BALLOONACY!

Everything needed to create dozens of festive balloon characters, creatures, fashions, and accessories, in no time

Clowns do it. Your Uncle Charlie did it. Steve Martin got his start doing it. And now with these allin- one balloon-arts packages, anybody can make hundreds of fanciful, bendable, twistable, wearable, popable balloon sculptures, guaranteed to light up the faces of kids from 3 to 103. Written by the world's acknowledged balloon artist par excellence, Aaron Flanders, these books help make any reader the life of the party with this unique form of performance art.

Each package contains everything needed to create dozens of balloon masterpieces, including:

Easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions
150 black-and-white photo illustrations
Complete supply of pencil balloons in various rainbow colors
A sturdy balloon pump for easy inflating

Move over, Prada and make room for fashions by Flanders! Learn to create an entire wardrobe of wearable balloon fashions, including a variety of hats and elegant accessories for practically every silly occasion.

Book Description

Quickly start a new database by using the Database Wizard.
Create tables from scratch or by using a Wizard.
Add and edit database information by using both tables and forms.
Manipulate data in a number of tables by using queries and reports.

Download Description

Microsoft Access 11 is a powerful, relational database software package that makes it easier for you to create and manage complex databases. With Access, you can create a database quickly from scratch or by using and Access database Wizard. Once you?ve created your database, Access provides all the tools you need to enter and manipulate data. Using Access, you can do the following: * Quickly start a new database by using the Database Wizard. * Create tables from scratch or by using a Wizard. * Add and edit database information by using both tables and forms. * Manipulate data in a number of tables by using queries and reports.

Customer Reviews:

Thank Goodness..........2006-08-29

Sooo much better than the text I tried first (Idiot's Guide to Access). The entire book is much more simplified. TRULY a beginner's guide.

A non IT person's review.......2005-11-06

I am a doctor and I have been reading various books on access. I realise that access is a very complicated application development database program. It is easy to come to gripes with word, excel and for a non IT person like me, it is very easy to get going with these programs soon. But to do justice to access for your own needs, it has taken me a lot of time to get going and I have lot of way to go yet. But this book gives you the confidence and a grip on the subjet for a beginner and the authors rightly put it on their cover page. 'ABSOLUTELY NO PRIOR ACCESS EXPERIENCE NECESSARY'

I would heartily recommend this book for all novices who have no knowledge of access and want to make simple databases of their own.

Dr Alok Modi MD

This is the one you want.......2004-02-26

Recently I had to pick up Access very quickly since the temp assignment I got was nothing but. After spending nearly half an hour comparing Access books in a local bookstore I decided to get this one and the Microsoft official guide. While the Microsoft guide I plan on returning, this book has been a gem and truly got me up to speed from knowing nothing at all. I skimmed through the first 100 pages in about an hour, referencing the computer in front of me to see what went where, and then the next day I was able with the book's help to design a few reports and a rudimentary database for my boss. The next day forms, more reports, queries, and relationships were added into the mix and I've now, about a week later, made it through most of the book and have a real database up and running.

What I like about this book is that it's very well laid out, especially when I compare it to the Microsoft guide. I had little or no problem jumping between chapters to locate the information I was looking for, and the techniques they work through, for the most part, furnished me with everything I've needed to do. While it's called an Absolute Beginner's Guide, it doesn't pull punches in terms of watering down the material or in unnecessary explanations.

If you don't know anything about Access and need to get up to speed quickly, this is the book you want. The only thing I wished that it included was stuff about setting up security and permissions, but other than that, I think this is a great buy.

Average customer rating:

Too basic for some

Absolute is right!

Great for absolute beginners

Visio version not stated

SPELL IT OUT IN THE INDEX

Absolute Beginner's Guide to Databases
John Petersen
Manufacturer: Que
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Databases Demystified (Demystified)

Database Development for Dummies

Inside Relational Databases with Examples in Access

SQL Demystified

Database Design for Mere Mortals: A Hands-On Guide to Relational Database Design, Second Edition

ASIN: 078972569X

Book Description

Absolute Beginner's Guide to Databases brings the elements of a database together using easy to understand language, perfect for the true beginner. It not only gives specific hands on practice, but also provides an overview of designing, maintaining and using a database. This book covers what databases are used for, why databases are important, why the design of the database is important, database normalization, keys to solid database design, differences in types of databases, and indexes--what they are, how we use them, and why they are important.

Customer Reviews:

Too basic for some.......2007-06-22

If you are interested in learning about database client/server technology (SQL Server, MYSQL, Oracle, DB2, etc this book is probably not for you. If you want to learn SQL this book is probably not for you. This book does attempt to make clear the most basic database concepts. You must have MS Acess and Visio, though.

Absolute is right!.......2007-03-12

This is just what I was looking for, it's clear and covers the basics, the fourdational information about databases. I'm very pleased with the purchase.

Great for absolute beginners.......2005-04-08

This won't necessarily be a book you look at much once you've digested its contents. What it does is outline basic database concepts using Access in its examples. You can use the book to get a basic Access database started, but don't rely on it if you're looking to create databases. Get an Access or database design book if that's your primary goal - IF, that is, IF you can make heads or tails out of most of what those books are talking about.

What I love about the book is its dedication to simplicity: I looked all over the place for a book that outlined basic database concepts in an easy to understand manner, and found book after book that promised to be 0-60, and spent about, oh, 2 pages on the 0-10. Where's the core basics, guys? Answer: in this book. It'll getcha up to 10 MPH, and then you can move on to bigger and better stuff.

After reading this book (and I had it bookmarked twelve ways come Sunday for about two months), I am finally ready to consider those more advanced books. I'm not a dummy, but sometimes a simple book is needed to bridge the gap between being a novice and being experienced. This was the book for me, and I highly recommend it to anybody who needs more than 2 pages of core database theory explanation. It's also easy to read and very user-friendly, by the way.

Visio version not stated.......2004-12-10

This may be a good book, but after 50 pages and finding that I need Microsoft Access, as well as Visio to follow along, and then my Visio version doesn't have the required template...it is just a very frustrating book to get anywhere with. I'll keep trying, but this book just isn't for the beginner...sorry.

SPELL IT OUT IN THE INDEX.......2004-06-27

The book does contain SOME good information. That is as far as I will go. Every review failed to mention that the diagrams require a magnifying glass to read. I would assume that every reviewer had 20/20 vision but I know my wife does and she needed a magnifying glass to read the diagrams as well. It is littered with errors. One such is on page 63 "Did you notice relationship 5 is marked with an asterisk". I would like to know where the asterisk is, magnifying glass or not on any page. The book and reviews fail to spell out you better have Visio 2000 and Access 2000 to follow along. That aside from everything else the book never states that Visio 2000 and Access 2000 are what are used, it is assumed. You know what they say about assume. For a begginers book and the lack of editing I give it a "D". For general information about databases I give it a "C". I would say better luck next time but I would not drop another dime on a book written by this author. I hope he makes a better Attorney than an author.

Absolute Beginner's Guide to Microsoft Access 2002

Average customer rating:

Absolute Beginner's Guide to Microsoft Access 2002
Susan Sales Harkins , and Mike Gunderloy
Manufacturer: Que
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Microsoft Access Version 2002 Step by Step

ASIN: 0789729199

Book Description

Microsoft Access 2002 is a powerful, relational database software package that makes it easy to create and manage complex databases. With Access, users can create a database quickly from scratch or by using an Access database Wizard. Once the database is created, Access provides all the tools needed to enter and manipulate data. With the help of the Absolute Beginner's Guide, readers are able to quickly start a new database by using the Database Wizard, create tables from scratch or by using a Wizard, add and edit database information by using both tables and forms and manipulate data in a number of tables by using queries and reports. The book assumes absolutely no prior knowledge of the topic, and learning is easy because of the book's lighthearted but no-nonsense style. It serves as an excellent resource for users who are completely new to Access 2002 or who are upgrading from a previous version of the software.

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Absolute Beginner's Guide to Access
Greg M. Perry
Manufacturer: Sams Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0672303663

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