Black holes are one of the most fascinating predictions of general relativity. They are the natural product of the complete gravitational collapse of matter and today we have a body of observational evidence supporting the existence of black holes in the Universe. However, general relativity predicts that at the center of black holes there are spacetime singularities, where predictability is lost and standard physics breaks down. It is widely believed that spacetime singularities are a symptom of the limitations of general relativity and must be solved within a theory of quantum gravity. Since we do not have yet any mature and reliable candidate for a quantum gravity theory, researchers have studied toy-models of singularity-free black holes and of singularity-free gravitational collapses in order to explore possible implications of the yet unknown theory of quantum gravity. This book reviews all main models of regular black holes and non-singular gravitational collapses proposed in the literature, and discuss the theoretical and observational implications of these scenarios.

Part of the Magic: A Collection of Disney-Inspired Brushes with Greatness is a book of remarkable and wildly entertaining anecdotal stories told through the lens of an entertainment industry insider. Author Bambi Moé enjoyed a twenty-year career at the Walt Disney Company in charge of all aspects of music for Walt Disney Television Animation. Her name, vocation, and background gave her exceptional access to pop culture and entertainment giants. The book takes readers on a nonstop ride and keeps them riveted throughout extremely candid encounters shared here for the first time. Moé’s fascinating true stories provide a rare insight into the creative process associated with music in animation and give readers a historical reference to the Walt Disney Company’s burgeoning direct-to-video empire. Her career exemplifies the rewards often associated with hard work, perseverance, integrity, and the ability to recognize potential in others. Often the only woman in a male-dominated work environment, Moé’s success will inspire young readers interested in pursuing a career in entertainment. Part of the Magic invites readers to consider their own stories and recognize their own universality. Like a photo that captures life’s moments and teaches us lessons, each of Moé’s brushes with greatness serves as a reminder that we are all connected by reason of our own humanity. Her joy extends far beyond the original encounter and multiplies in the retelling of these stories.

A collection of excerpts from some of Disney's best-loved Christmas productions, including stories, songs and clips from 'Bambi', 'Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas' and 'Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas'.

It has been a year since Penny Lane was murdered, and, even though she is no stranger to chaos, sometimes she is so afraid she wants to bolt the door and avoid people. In "Ghost Retrieval and Cappuccino, " her afterlife journey continues as old fears resurface, bringing with them an entity that appears to feed off of them. After Penny moves with her dog Rufus to a new home in the medieval era, she begins an assignment as a counselor for a newly commissioned ghost retrieval team. When Penny is teamed up with Avery, the handsome and secretive leader, and Eric, a beatnik angel, she must decide which one is telling the truth and which one is out to deceive her. Known for empathizing with spirits better than anyone, Penny counsels frightened and stubborn ghosts, witnesses their deaths, and learns more about the guardians who protect the deceased. As she ends one mission and begins another, Penny attempts to rescue lost souls and soon realizes she may solve her own murder in the process. "Ghost Retrieval and Cappuccino" continues Penny Lane's intriguing investigation of the spirit world and brings to life the journeys of its many endearing characters.

Poor Penny Lane-the afterlife just isn't getting any easier. She has barely had time to recover from her grueling life lesson (let alone her own murder) and a brutal course in mortal mapping. She now finds herself thrown unexpectedly into her craziest mission yet. The aliens are at it again, fighting a civil war that threatens to tear their society apart-as surely as the tremors, fires, and other instigated disasters menace their separate afterlife world.

Fortunately, Roy, the cowboy archangel, has a plan. He has gathered a select army of humans, aliens, and angels to bring peace to this embattled world. They seek to settle the dispute between the warrior aliens and their weaker counterparts and to subdue the powers of their tyrant leaders.

Along with every friend she has made since her murder, Penny is reunited with her ghost retrieval team, including the handsome and charismatic Avery and the groovy archangel, Eric, for a mission that is equal parts unique and dangerous. The humans and angels are forced to venture out across a mysterious and unpredictable landscape-the once-experimental and ancient plane of existence of the Titans and Olympians. In "Ancient Gods and the Angel Cafe," Penny Lane's chaotic yet hope-filled journey continues, and this time, she is sharing her epic adventure with all of her favorite fellow adventurers.

Penny Lane has been dead for more than five years, but her time in the afterlife hasn't quite prepared her for this--a new afterlife in a brand-new world. As she and her soul mate, Avery, prepare for their new roles, they are told they'll need everything they've learned about ghost retrieval, melting, and mortal studies. Even so, the angels aren't telling them what those roles are.

Penny's curiosity is piqued when she finds a castle surrounded by hills. Who built this? Why? Why here? She won't have long to wait for answers, as she is reunited with old friends and some unexpected faces from the past. The cherubim are going home--if they can get by the dark entities they accidentally created long ago, that is.

Eric, who is now learning more about his human transference, is sad to leave his counseling role in his underground world behind. Poor Avery has to deal with some unwelcome residents. Roy is doing his best to keep things running smoothly over at the Angel Cafe. And thanks to the seraphims' various issues, he's added mediator to his list of chores.

Penny and Avery are struggling to deal with the loss of their old lives, flying, shape-shifting, gargoyles, and an uncertain destiny. "Complicated" doesn't even begin to describe their romance, but they're doing what they can.

"Cherubim Castles and the Garden of Bliss" is the first new-world adventure of the Elysium Scrolls. One thing's for sure: wherever Penny goes, chaos and joy ensue

Celebrate the lives and work of 25 amazing artists from around the world! Get to know their stories, and then make your own creations inspired by their art. Although you may not recognize all of their names, the artists featured in Be a Creative Changemaker: A Kids' Art Activity Book transformed history and paved the way for others. Discover their unique stories through colorful illustrations and biographies before getting creative with hands-on art activities based on their artwork. Each activity will guide you to explore different materials, techniques, styles, and more. Geared for kids ages seven through twelve, though fun for all, here are just a few of the exciting projects you will find:   Gu Kaizhi (b. 345, China): Tell a story through scroll painting. Luisa Ignacia Roldán (b. 1652, Spain) Construct a sculpture of a historical figure.  Jamini Roy (b. 1887, India) Paint an animal motif. Emily Kame Kngwarreye (b. 1910, Australia) Use batik to create a design on fabric.  Lygia Clark (b. 1920, Brazil) Make a movable sculpture. Kenojuak Ashevak (b. 1927, Canada) Print a colorful series of creatures. Bodys Isek Kingelez (b. 1948, Republic of the Congo): Build a cardboard utopian city. This book will help you see art from new perspectives and gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for artists worldwide. Spend hours developing your artistic skills while envisioning and expressing creative ideas inspired by these marvelous makers!

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to X-ray and gamma-ray astronomy. The first part discusses the basic theoretical and observational topics related to black hole astrophysics; the optics and the detectors employed in X-ray and gamma-ray astronomy; and past, present, and future X-ray and gamma-ray missions. The second part then describes data reduction and analysis, the statistics used in X-ray and gamma-ray astronomy, and demonstrates how to write a successful proposal and a scientific paper. Data reduction in connection with specific X-ray and gamma-ray missions is covered in the appendices. Presenting the state of the art in X-ray and gamma-ray astronomy, this is both a valuable textbook for students and an important reference resource for researchers in the field.

This book discusses the state of the art of the basic theoretical and observational topics related to black hole astrophysics. It covers all the main topics in this wide field, from the theory of accretion disks and formation mechanisms of jet and outflows, to their observed electromagnetic spectrum, and attempts to measure the spin of these objects. Black holes are one of the most fascinating predictions of general relativity and are currently a very hot topic in both physics and astrophysics. In the last five years there have been significant advances in our understanding of these systems, and in the next five years it should become possible to use them to test fundamental physics, in particular to predict the general relativity in the strong field regime. The book is both a reference work for researchers and a textbook for graduate students.

Penny Lane is having one heck of a time in the afterlife. Ever since her murder, she's had one crazy, chaotic, and grueling adventure after another. What's a dead girl to do but just carry on and go along for the ride? Between her work in melting and ghost retrieval, her studies at the Apollo Academy, and a mission on the alien afterlife, she's barely had a moment's rest For Penny, the afterlife is a nonstop dash.

When she nally gets the opportunity to settle down, catch her breath, and pool her talents in ghost counseling and mortal mapping, she gets a pleasant surprise: she's back in her own medieval cottage again. There, she happily juggles work and play, making the time to hang out with her best friends, the groovy archangel Eric and her secret desire, the enigmatic Avery. Penny also has to contend with the departure of someone close ... and if that's not enough excitement, an old sixteenth-century ame has renewed his interest in her.

Of course, she hasn't even sipped her morning cappuccino before even bigger events threaten to fracture the serenity. Together with a band of angels and the deceased elite, Penny and her pals return to Earth in a wild ride of destruction and delight that will change their worlds forever.

With her murder well behind her, Penny has a new adventure to contend with: uncontrollable time travel. And she's made a powerful enemy right off the bat. Claudius, the evil, ancient Roman merchant, needs to get Penny and her abilities as a seer out of the picture, so he sends her jumping in and out of other people's bodies in a wild race through time.

Penny's trip takes her to plague-infested Europe, the hippie era, the Vietnam War, and beyond. Despite the constant change of address (and body and time), Penny still manages to communicate with her allies: the moody and handsome Avery, cowboy Roy, and her vintage-loving angel, Eric. They frantically try to get her back to her new home in God's garden, but Claudius is a twisted puppet master. He has hidden her in time and has quite a selection of exhaustive-and exhausting-misadventures planned for her.

But not all is despair and confusion. Penny uses her many skills to comfort people along her journey, and she is reunited with family she didn't know she had-eventually experiencing some of her own past lives. Penny's inspiring journey of self-improvement and hard-earned life lessons is another fun ride on the astral plane in this third installment in the popular Afterlife series.

Penny Lane is brutally murdered on her thirtieth birthday. She is catapulted into a strange afterlife world, not dissimilar from the one she just came from. She is immediately sent to work as a melter, deciding the fates of murderers and ultimately whether they should be reformed, reincarnated, or melted. Only a few are chosen for such a position, and she must deal with the celebrity status that goes along with it.

Penny enjoys the perks of the afterlife like calorie free eating and a money free society where she has been reunited with her childhood dog, Rufus, and befriended the handsome, popular, head greeter, Avery. After falling for her medieval love and finding strength in her life, her new world is turned upside down when one of the murderers on her shift escapes.

This story is of a young woman who must learn to survive her new environment, but also find strength within herself. Death and Other Inconveniences is a fun, and sometimes poignant story that may just eliminate your fear of taking the "next step."

The hottest, most lucrative trend in wedding photography is gorgeously illustrated and explained in this cutting-edge guide showing professional photographers, and those aspiring to be, how to create the arty, hip yet elegant wedding albums sought by today's brides. 50 color and 100 b&w illustrations.

Penny Lane's afterlife adventures continue at the elite Apollo Academy. Now the bonds of true friendship and loyalty are tested as she faces the hardest lesson of her afterlife.

PENNY LANE SURE HAS GONE through a lot since her death. She's mastered the job of melting, has served as a counselor in a ghost retrieval unit, and had even been thrown into involuntary time travel. Now she is in for the biggest adventure of her life: she is going to school

Penny and her handsome friend, Avery, have been handed their new assignments as students at the elite Apollo Academy, but the biggest lesson for Penny isn't one assigned by any teacher. Penny is about to learn that things don't always go the way she hopes they will. Her closest friend, the archangel Eric, has been sent away on a mysterious mission, and now Avery seems to have lost interest in her. Poor Penny can't gure out why all of her other friends back home have mysteriously abandoned her.

But not all hope is lost. As Penny struggles to understand why she has found herself suddenly alone, she is comforted by her new companions, classmates Elly and Alexander.

She must try and nd the answers before her despair sends her to the underground.

Like toddlers all over the world, Sri Lankan children go through a period that in the U.S. is referred to as the "terrible twos." Yet once they reach elementary school age, they appear uncannily passive, compliant, and undemanding compared to their Western counterparts. Clearly, these children have undergone some process of socialization, but what?
Over ten years ago, anthropologist Bambi Chapin traveled to a rural Sri Lankan village to begin answering this question, getting to know the toddlers in the village, then returning to track their development over the course of the following decade. "Childhood in a Sri Lankan Village" offers an intimate look at how these children, raised on the tenets of Buddhism, are trained to set aside selfish desires for the good of their families and the community. Chapin reveals how this cultural conditioning is carried out through small everyday practices, including eating and sleeping arrangements, yet she also explores how the village's attitudes and customs continue to evolve with each new generation.
Combining penetrating psychological insights with a rigorous observation of larger social structures, Chapin enables us to see the world through the eyes of Sri Lankan children searching for a place within their families and communities. "Childhood in a Sri Lankan Village" offers a fresh, global perspective on child development and the transmission of culture.

First published in 1983, this book represents a substantial body of detailed research on children's language and communication, and more generally on the nature of interactive spoken discourse. It looks at areas of competence often examined in young children's speech have that have not been described for adults - leading to insights not only in the character of adult conversation but also the process of acquiring this competence. The authors set forward strategies for conversing at different stage of life, while also relating these strategies to, and formulating hypotheses concerning, the dynamics of language variation and change.

This Bakelite jewelry helps document the story of a country and its allies working together to restore world peace. Images of pins, necklaces, bracelets, and more capture these true signs of the timesnot only crafted to express solidarity, loss, patriotism, and love, but to make use of a new material that was not restricted by rationing and conservation orders. From sweetheart pins and pins emblazoned with MacArthurs famous, I shall return, to pieces with reticulating moveable parts, the range of colorful jewelry captured in this book is perfect for those passionate about Bakelite jewelry and for WWII buffs. Although these Bakelite treasures were fashioned with the patriotic inspiration of the time, they can still be collected and fashionably worn today, as demonstrated in a chapter called Wearing Ideas.

Born in 1829 to a working-class family in upstate New York, Lucy Ann Lobdell was not your average girl. Donning her brother's clothes, she worked on the family farm and in her father's saw mill, demonstrating marksmanship skills that earned her the nickname ""The Female Hunter of Delaware County."" After leaving home, she moved to the frontier, married a woman, and lived for sixty years as a man named ""Joe."" Because of nineteenth century social restrictions and gender expectations, Lobdell endured forced marriage, arrest, and incarceration in an insane asylum. Although twentieth-century scholars have labeled her a lesbian, this study incorporates queer theory, analysis of stories about Lucy and Joe, and Lobdell's own writings to reveal that he was actually a transgendered man.

"Language ideologies" are cultural representations, whether explicit or implicit, of the intersection of language and human beings in a social world. Mediating between social structures and forms of talk, such ideologies are not only about language. Rather, they link language to identity, power, aesthetics, morality and epistemology. Through such linkages, language ideologies underpin not only linguistic form and use, but also significant social institutions and fundamental nottions of person and community.
The essays in this new volume examine definitions and conceptions of language in a wide range of societies around the world. Contributors focus on how such defining activity organizes language use as well as institutions such as religious ritual, gender relations, the nation-state, schooling, and law. Beginning with an introductory survey of language ideology as a field of inquiry, the volume is organized in three parts. Part I, "Scope and Force of Dominant Conceptions of Language," focuse on the propensity of cultural models of language developed in one social domain to affect linguistic and social behavior across domains. Part II, "Language Ideology in Institutions of Power," continues the examination of the force of specific language beliefs, but narrows the scope to the central role that language ideologies play in the functioning of particular institutions of power such as schooling, the law, or mass media. Part III, "Multiplicity and Contention among Ideologies," emphasizes the existence of variability, contradiction, and struggles among ideologies within any given society. This will be the first collection of work to appear in this rapidly growing field, which bridges linguistic and social theory. It will greatly interest linguistic anthropologists, social and cultural anthropologists, sociolinguists, historians, cultural studies, communications, and folklore scholars.

First published in 1983, this book represents a substantial body of detailed research on children's language and communication, and more generally on the nature of interactive spoken discourse. It looks at areas of competence often examined in young children's speech have that have not been described for adults - leading to insights not only in the character of adult conversation but also the process of acquiring this competence. The authors set forward strategies for conversing at different stage of life, while also relating these strategies to, and formulating hypotheses concerning, the dynamics of language variation and change.

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to X-ray and gamma-ray astronomy. The first part discusses the basic theoretical and observational topics related to black hole astrophysics; the optics and the detectors employed in X-ray and gamma-ray astronomy; and past, present, and future X-ray and gamma-ray missions. The second part then describes data reduction and analysis, the statistics used in X-ray and gamma-ray astronomy, and demonstrates how to write a successful proposal and a scientific paper. Data reduction in connection with specific X-ray and gamma-ray missions is covered in the appendices. Presenting the state of the art in X-ray and gamma-ray astronomy, this is both a valuable textbook for students and an important reference resource for researchers in the field.