The Mighty Book of Boosh, by Julian Barratt (Author), Noel Fielding (Author), and Dave Brown (Illustrator).

Has anyone read this or know the book? I was unable to determine the actual content of the book, but thought the reviews were fun:

"'If Salvador Dali, Dr Seuss and Douglas Adams had ever cracked open a bottle of absinthe and written a sitcom, it might have turned out like this.' - Radio Times

'If there had ever been a collaboration between David Bowie, Anthony Burgess and Maurice Sendak, author of WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, it might have turned out something like this.' - Observer

'Morecambe and Wise reinvented by Lewis Carroll' - Independent

'Charming, audacious and genuinely innovative' - The Times."

(reviews via Amazon.)

Perhaps helpful for pb 2.0?

Sims won an Ig Nobel this week "which are given annually for achievements that first make people laugh and then make them think."

This version was published on November 1, 2005
Organization Studies, Vol. 26, No. 11, 1625-1640 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/0170840605054625

You B*****d: A Narrative Exploration of the Experience of Indignation within Organizations

by David Sims
Cass Business School, London, UK

"Our patience with forming interpretations and reinterpretations of others' behaviour is not unlimited. The time comes when we lose interest in trying to understand, and conclude that another person is behaving in a way that is simply unacceptable. This paper explores the narratives that go with immoderate indignation, even for those best versed in the idea that they should attempt to understand the perspective of the other. The paper offers a reflexive comment on the difficulty of analysing such a topic, on the grounds that the phenomenon under discussion can debilitate analytic writing. Three narratives are discussed in which one person was seen as behaving in a despicable way by others. The description and analysis of the narratives are used to offer a narrative understanding of the process by which some people become indignant with others. It suggests a narrative construction of how sense is made of indignation, particularly in cases where two narratives come up against each other. It concludes by considering how the process of being indignant can produce conflicting emotions of joy and guilt for those involved."

"...not a catalogue or an overview but a guide to creating your own plushies (soft designer toys) by Linda Kopp.
Plush-O-Rama: Curious creatures for immature adults is a wonderfully clear, easy-to-follow guide to starting your own brand of soft toys including patterns and advice. It also features some excellent designs by the likes of Jenny Harada, Lizette Greco, Grace Montemar, Rachel Chow and Jason Carpenter, Rosa Pomar and Beck Wheeler.

Who wants a Care Bear when you can have Llorie the ...Cloud?"--review by Stevyn Colgan

by Stevyn Colgan

Can the Sex Pistols save us from this oil crisis?

From the book jacket:

What is the link between the Sex Pistols and crude oil; between Isaac Newton, Pink Floyd and a suicidal dwarf on the set of The Wizard of Oz? What is Scooby-Doo's real name, and why should you make a point of avoiding armadillos? You'll find out the answers to these questions and a whole lot more in Joined-Up Thinking . Each chapter of the book begins with a fascinating piece of information, spins a dizzying web of connected facts and, with a spine-tingling final flourish, brings the loop full circle. So open up the book, begin at the beginning - and end at the beginning.

Stephen Fry:
'I found myself fascinated and somewhat dizzy. Most impressive.'

John Mitchinson, co-author of QI: The Book of General Ignorance:
'The book that nails that odd, slightly unnerving feeling that everything really is connected.'

Rick Wakeman, formerly of "Yes" rock star fame, who appears on "Countdown," and is the host of the Planet Rock radio show, has now written a book amusingly titled, "Grumpy Old Rock Star."

"Curl up by the fire with a "Grumpy Old Rock Star" and your nearest and dearest. We defy you not to want to read it aloud and laugh."

Teen vampire meets middle America good girl; action-driven plot. Cliff hanger ending.
by Stephenie Meyer

Any fans here? Would you call the plots character-driven, as the author does?

You may remember we asked about it yesterday which was the last day of banned book week, but in case you want to know, here's the list from 2007 of most banned books:

The most frequently challenged books of 2007 from www.ala.org:

The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom received a total of 420 challenges last year. A challenge is defined as a formal, written complaint, filed with a library or school requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness. According to Judith F. Krug, director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom, the number of challenges reflects only incidents reported, and for each reported, four or five remain unreported.

The most challenged books of 2007 reflect a range of themes, and are:

1. And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell
Reasons: Anti-Ethnic, Sexism, Homosexuality, Anti-Family, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group

2. The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Violence

3. Olive’s Ocean, by Kevin Henkes
Reasons: Sexually Explicit and Offensive Language

4. The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman
Reasons: Religious Viewpoint

5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
Reasons: Racism

6. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language,

7. TTYL, by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

8. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
Reasons: Sexually Explicit

9. It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris
Reasons: Sex Education, Sexually Explicit

10. The Perks of Being A Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

Off the list this year are two books by author Toni Morrison. The Bluest Eye and Beloved, both challenged for sexual content and offensive language.

How is the list of most challenged books tabulated?

The American Library Association (ALA) collects information from two sources: newspapers and reports submitted by individuals, some of whom use the Challenge Database Form. All challenges are compiled into a database. Reports of challenges culled from newspapers across the country are compiled in the bimonthly Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom (published by the ALA, $40 per year); those reports are then compiled in the Banned Books Week Resource Guide. Challenges reported to the ALA by individuals are kept confidential. In these cases, ALA will release only the title of the book being challenged, the state and the type of institution (school, public library). The name of the institution and its town will not be disclosed.

Two questions: what will the decreasing newspapers do to this list? Although in some cases, the local coverage increases...

And why is Huck Finn racist again? I mean, the whole thing is about racism and how silly it is, right?

I've never read it, but I know it's been around for a zillion years -- does it usually make the banned book lists?

Description from Amazon: "Cormier wrote a powerful tale of conformity, mob rule, and moral weakness that has become a classic."

How come I have a sneaking suspicion that it's less the "Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Violence" content that puts it on the list this year than it is the dangerous idea that resistance to conformity and mob rule might be a good thing?

Top Ten Challenged Authors 1990-2004 (www.ala.org)

1. Alvin Schwartz

2. Judy Blume

3. Robert Cormier

4. J.K. Rowling

5. Michael Willhoite

6. Katherine Paterson

7. Stephen King

8. Maya Angelou

9. R.L. Stine

10. John Steinbeck

Out of 8,332 challenges reported to or recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom, as compiled by the Office for Intellectual Freedom, American Library Association. The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom does not claim comprehensiveness in recording challenges. Research suggests that for each challenge reported there are as many as four or five which go unreported.

+1000

Years ago, I was given this as a gift. Simple, basic American cooking. Great Stuff!

If you aren't sure how to mash potatoes, or make a white sauce, or even how to bake a pie, this is the cookbook for you.

Best of all, they don't assume that you actually know anything!

[ ] Very tepidly voting for Obama [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.

The Blue Strawberry Cookbook by James Haller

Haller is funny: in the intro, he writes, "A final word about food before I begin talking about food."
You definitely get a flavor of his version of life (circa 1976):

"Never follow the rules! The moment you begin to follow a rule you are hampered by restrictions and if you are restricted you cannot create....simply because (food) is basic, it should be utterly fantastic." (p.1)

His premise is that, if he explains to you how, say, soups work, then you should be able to make soups yourself.
For example, you need thickeners if you don't want clear soup, and they can be made of everything from potatoes to flour. He gives you all the tips of the ingredients as well; for example, if you are using flour, add it at the beginning or it will make the soup itself taste floury. Well then, you ask, what can a cookbook by him consist of? Aren't we already done?
No, because he also gives you his untraditional recipes of delicious dishes like Avocado Stuffed with Lobster Meat, Carrot and Saffron Cream Soup, and Baked Pork Chops Stuffed with Brandied Apricots in a Sour Cream Sauce.
His Five Minute Chicken is something I've made for years, and to tell the truth, I use the very basic recipe to just make chicken and its own sauce from the pan--I'd forgotten the vegetables and don't usually use the sour cream, and it's still a great sauce or gravy for the chicken. The recipe is great and so fast, as Haller points out, that fast food in the microwave actually takes more time!

Five-Minute Breast of Chicken in a Sour Cream Sauce with Fried Peaches and Zucchini

Melt enough butter to cover the bottom of a frying pan and heat it until it begins to simmer. Flatten a boned chicken breast with the side of a cleaver, or something flat and heavy, and lay it in the simmering butter. Salt and pepper the breast and sprinkle it with thyme. Slice the zucchini into long quarters, lay them in the pan, and sprinkle with salt, pepper and basil. Then cut a peach in half, remove the pit, and lay the two halves in the simmering butter. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, cinnamon and sugar, and cook everything over a medium-high flame for about two minutes on each side, spicing the peaches, zucchini and chicken after they have been turned. As soon as the chicken is done, remove it and lay it on the dinner plate, then surround it with the zucchini and peaches. Sprinkle about a handful of flour into the frying pan with the greases and drippings, turn the fire to a moderate heat, and stir the flour until it takes up the juices and becomes pasty. Then add a splash of white wine, half a pint of sour cream, and some salt and pepper. Stir until the sauce gets hot, then pour it over the chicken and you're ready to eat. (p.76.)

Is this what you mean?
http://correntewire.com/the_man_who_unbo...

When I bought my first crockpot a couple years back, I went looking for a cookbook for it. By chance (well, mostly because I liked the color of the book spine) I picked up _Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook_ by Beth Hensperger & Julie Kaufmann.

This turned out to be one of the best cookbook purchases I've ever made. Every recipe I've tried - literally, every single one - has turned out great. The directions are clear and easy to follow, the prep time is manageable, and the quantities produced are as the recipe promised (so I don't end up with too much or too little food). The only difficulty I've had is with some of the Southwestern/Mexican dishes - I can't always find the exact ingredients where I live (NC). My substitutions have always worked out well, though.

The book contains (according to the cover) 350 recipes. There's a section on porridges and oatmeals (21 recipes, none of which I've tried, not my thing); a section on soups (48 recipes; the Potato Leek Soup and the Provencal Garlic Soup were especially good); a section on side dishes and stuffings (35 recipes; the Yams with Coconut and Pecans was fabulous); a section on rice and other grains (14 recipes; the Green Chile Grits was great if you like grits); a section on beans (24 recipes; the Mexican Black Beans with Pork was great); a section on chilis (14 recipes;the White Chili was delicious); a section on sauces, pizza, and pasta casseroles (12 recipes, none of which I've tried); a section on poultry, game birds and rabbit (35 recipes; the Cornish Game Hens with Mango Tomato Salsa Fresca is to die for - this was the first recipe I tried); a section on beef, veal and venison (30 recipes; the Hungarian Beef Stew was great); a section on pork and lamb (22 recipes; Oscar's Chile Verde and the Irish Stew were both excellent); a section on ribs and wings (11 recipes, none of which I've tried; I don't like wrestling with bones to get a tiny bite of meat); a section on fish and shellfish (15 recipes; the Citrus Sea Bass and the Confetti Seafood Chowder were wonderful); a section on puddings, cakes and breads (26 recipes; the Jasmine Rice Pudding with Coconut Milk is now a standard in my kitchen, and the Crock-Baked Cornbread with Green Chiles and Corn gets made whenever it even sort-of-goes with the meal); a section on fruit desserts and sauces (14 recipes; I've only tried the Rum-Butterscotch Bananas, but they were great); a section on fruit butters, jams and chutneys (26 recipes; I made the Cranberry Sauce with Red Wine and Oranges for Thanksgiving last year and everyone loved it); and finally a section on non-crockpot accompaniments (15 recipes; the corn fritter cakes are a favorite now).

All in all, I highly, and verbosely, recommend this cookbook.

One of the authors, Hensperger, also just put out a non-crockpot cookbook _Not Your Mother's Weeknight Cookbook_ with reasonably quick dinner entrees meant for making when you come home from work and don't want to spend three hours in the kitchen. I've only made the Roasted Red Pepper Soup and the Mustard-Soy Glazed Salmon with Brown Sugar and Ginger so far, but they were both great and I'll be making them again. If you want a non-crockpot cookbook, I recommend checking this one out.